Day 83: Horseshoe Bay, Magnetic Island

Dusty doesn't get enough pics.

Not as adventurous as Pearl but she gets about.

Took the opportunity to mount the new breaker panel.

New breaker panel.

Shame this jetty isn't still here - would have been a good place to tie a dinghy.

Location

Horseshoe Bay, Magnetic Island

Day 82: Horseshoe Bay, Magnetic Island

The cats are out there somewhere.

Wild koala.

Walking today. The most popular walk on the island is The Forts. This complex was built during WW2 for naval defence and consisted of two guns along with lookout, ranging, control, and communication facilities. It is advertised as a moderate 1.5km each way.

Took the bus for the 10min ride from Horseshoe Bay to The Forts car park. The path itself is very well maintained with modern work over some of the original. The path up the hill is fairly easy - bonus; there's koalas in the trees - and this gets you up to the Forts circuit, a circular path that visits all the main structures.

Magazine - away from the main action.

Some great man-made vs nature images.

One of the two gun placements.

Lookout tower.

Control and communications building.

View from the lookout tower.

Lookout tower.

Florence Bay.

This is definitely worth doing for the moderately fit.

Location

Horseshoe Bay, Magnetic Island

Day 81: Horseshoe Bay, Magnetic Island

Spent a couple of hours at the Bungalow Bay Koala Village. This is a fully hands-on zoo where you can pick up an handle all sorts of animals.

Kim with a fresh-water turtle.

Me with a Black Cockatoo.

Kim with a big Blue-Tongue Lizard.

Me with a Frill-Necked Lizard.

Kim with a small salty-water croc. He seems quite happy.

Koala having a rest.

Koala with one of the keepers.

Very sleepy koala.

He probably wishes we went and left him alone.

 Dinner at the Noodies Mexican.

Sunset over Horseshoe Bay.

Mexican!

Location

Horseshoe Bay, Magnetic Island

Day 80: Horseshoe Bay, Magnetic Island

Kim did a wash - there is something lived-in about a boat with clothes pegged to the lifelines - while I calibrated the sounder.

Pearl on her morning check.

The sounder - actually a fish-finder - came with the electronics package. The transducer is mounted, via a fairing, on a near-horizontal part of the port inner hull. You can have it set up the way you want but I like it to read 0 when the bottom of the keel is just touching bottom. This makes anchoring calculations very easy and, therefore, less error-prone.

Both cats are a lot more comfortable on this boat than Red.

The first thing to know is the draft - the vertical distance between the surface and the deepest part of the hull. I measured this on the rudders and got 1m, which was a surprise because this boat is supposed to be 850mm! I assume we are riding a bit low.

Pipe cleaners still a favorite toy.

Then I plumbed the current depth. Depth - draft should equal the sounder reading so it was just a matter of adjusting the sounder offset until it did. In the end I adjusted it to read about 1/2m deeper than the way it was set up which should give us more anchoring options.

Discovered a blown globe (bulb / lamp) in the port engine panel. The problem with this particular globe is that it's part of the circuit that sends the battery sense voltage to the alternator. I swapped it with a working globe but I'll need to get some spares.

Engine panel globe.

Location

Horseshoe Bay, Magnetic Island

Day 79: Horseshoe Bay, Magnetic Island

Time for a bit of exploration. Got the bus to Nelly Bay. That's the main settlement on the island, is where the ferry terminal is, and has a supermarket and the post office.

Busses are cheap and regular. We checked out the ferry terminal for tourist info and then retraced our steps from the last time we were here - to the berth where we first saw Red October. After that walk down memory lane, we checked the post office and then had lunch in a cafe that tried very hard to be quirky at the expense of good food. Can't win them all.

The berth where we first saw Red October.

Did a shop in IGA. We will be here for a few weeks so a full provision wasn't necessary. It's a good size and we'll be able to get most stuff here.

IGA, Nelly Bay.

After that, back on the bus for a swim off the beach and a barbie-cooked roast lamb.

Chillaxing with Pearly-girl.

Location

Horseshoe Bay, Magnetic Island

Day 78: Horseshoe Bay, Magnetic Island

First full day in the island. Made water in the morning -keeping the tanks and membrane turned over. Went in for a swim before lunch. There is a netted area, currently without a stinger net, that keeps boats and swimmers apart. Fish and chips for lunch - and it's mackerel, an excellent fish.

Cat Play between the trees.

Back on the boat and we had visitors from Aly Cat I, another Simpson, for some note swapping. They have a transom platform I would like to replicate on Cat Play.

Horseshoe Bay.

Met up with a load of yachties on the beach for sundowners, followed by cheap steak night at the pub. I can see there being a lot of this while we're here.

Location

Horseshoe Bay, Magnetic Island

Day 77: Horseshoe Bay, Magnetic Island

Left at first light for the 60 nm run to Maggie Island. Lumpy on the side at first but, as we turned round Cape Bowling Green, the swell went behind and things got more comfortable.

Passed close by a hump-back and calf along the way. Haven't seen too many whales so far but they should be getting here about now.

Mother / calf humpback.

Had the line out, as usual, and this time actually caught something. Landed an average size Mackerel Tuna. There is some debate as to how edible these are but, as we don't really like them, I kept a good part for the crab trap. Frozen ready for the next mangrove.

Servicing one of the fishing reels.

Arrived at a crowded Horseshoe Bay after 10 hours, dropped the hook, and went straight to the pub for beer and dinner.

Location

Horseshoe Bay, Magnetic Island

Day 76: Cape Upstart

Early start for Cape Upstart and new territory for us - on the last trip up here, we turned around at Gloucester Passage.

The day was breezy, up to 15 knots, with a low following sea so fairly comfortable all the way up in a 6 hour run. Wind behind so the headsail was out all the way - not game to fly the spinnaker in this wind.

Heady out.

Passed Bowen and then the Abbot Point coal terminal - a big source of pollution up here. Skirted the coal ships mooring field and tucked in behind the Cape near the beach.

Abbot Point Coal Terminal.

Got a big bite using a spoon. Certainly bigger than a 5kg fish. The line snapped so I'm going to have to get that braided line I've promised myself. Total pelagics landed this trip = 0!

Pearl not a fan of motor-sailing.

As soon as we arrive the wind started to build. Now getting 24 knot gusts and the ground tackle is having no trouble at all. Not too rocky, just windy.

Cape Upstart.

Location

Cape Upstart

Day 75: Gloucester Passage

Quiet day today. Nothing really happening on the boat, just lazing around. We'll be off tomorrow so went into the resort for a last swim, lunch, and shower. Quick ice cream at Montes and back to the Eco resort to pay the bill. Back on the boat and I brought the dink up and prepped for an early start in the morning.

Can't walk past one of these.

Location

Gloucester Passage