Day 74: Gloucester Passage

Finished off the spinnaker. I think it's now ready to go - I have all the lines and fittings on and it's packed away in its bag. All I need now is a calm day with the wind behind. The weather gods are never good to yachties so I'm not holding my breath.

Resort main building.

Went to the resort for Kim to have a swim, lunch, and a walk along the beach.

Beach walking.

Back on the boat and it's back in the water to finish cleaning critters off the hull. Finished in just over half an hour which is my limit in this temperature. All done for a few months. Too the opportunity to clean out the cockpit.

Dusty in lazy mode - not helping with the cleaning.

Location

Gloucester Passage

Day 73: Gloucester Passage

Wash day for Kim, maintenance for me. Dropped Kim off at the resort so that she can use the laundry. The machine is also for the resort itself so negotiating skills are required. No driers but lines to hang the clothes on.

One of our neighbours.

Resort bar.

Meanwhile, back on the boat, I did some more work in the spinnaker rig. I cut and whipped the guy lines, taped some spiky areas on a couple of steel straps, and measured out the quick- release line for the sheet. I'm not sure at this stage which is the tack (forward bottom corner - what the guys attach to) and which is the clew (aft bottom corner - what the sheet attaches to). I'll make a guess and sort it out later if I'm wrong. I'm being careful with this. It's a scary sail to fly - we'll wait for a very calm day for our first outing.

Gardens.

After lunch I suited up and jumped in to go over the port hull. 30 min is my limit at this temperature - I really need a wetsuit for this. I went over half the hull today, I'll do the rest tomorrow.

20 Lagoon catamarans came in for an event. Got crowded quickly.

Location

Gloucester Passage

Day 72: Gloucester Passage

It's a lovely resort so let's make the best of it. Went ashore later morning for a swim and then lunch. Walked over to Montes, the resort next door, for tea and cake. Spent the rest of the day lazing around.

The mooring field - tide out.

Looks like a wedding.

The resort pool.

Waiting for us to finish lunch and bugger off.

Spot of fishing after dark and I got a 1/2 m shark (harmless) and a couple of small reef fish. Nothing worth keeping.

Location

Gloucester Passage

Day 71: Gloucester Passage

Had a lazy breakfast and headed off to Gloucester Passage. A lovely gentle motor (wind on our nose) for about 4 hours. I took an inside track through the islands. Picked up a mooring off the Eco Resort at lunchtime.

Gloucester Island.

The deal here is that, in quiet times, you can have a mooring for free as long as you have lunch or dinner at the resort. As well as a parking spot, you also get the use of the excellent pool, showers, and the laundry.

Shag Islet - yeah, we're back here again.

Went in for a swim and dinner.

Sunset from the resort.

Copped a 25 knot blow in the wee small hours that rocked us around and tested the mooring - which held well.

Location

Gloucester Passage

Day 70: Airlie Beach

Shopping day 2.

Dinghied in once we knew we had enough water to get to the jetty.

Dinghy jetty in the Sailing Club's break wall.

Walked around to Boathaven Beach, probably the best beach in town, for a dip.

Port of Airlie - the other marina.

After lunch we rocked into Wollies for a provisioning run. Filled both trolleys, and then some, which should last until Magnetic Island.

Provisioning - 2 major food groups right there.

Location

Airlie Beach

Day 69: Airlie Beach

Shopping day 1.

Ran the dink round to the jetty near the Canonvale shopping centre. This has a Coles and, therefore, my favorite breakfast cereal. Wrong, they ran out 😩. Picked up a few minor items anyway.

Kim decided to take a taxi into town while I drove the dink around. I went back to the boat and picked up the shopping trolleys. Met Kim at the sailing club and we walked down to the beach for a swim. Tide mostly out but doable.

After that there was the most important grog run and we got some prawns for dinner.

Location

Airlie Beach

Day 68: Airlie Beach

Rocked out of Macona Inlet for a 3 hour swelly run across to Airlie. First stop was Abell Point Marina for the fuel dock. My now usual timid approach got us on without incident in an unhelpful breeze. Filled up with diesel and petrol.

Motored around to the mooring field outside the sailing club. It's good holding here - muddy.

The town from our anchorage.

Went ashore for a wander around, ice cream, and dinner at the sailing club.

Looks like the sailing club just finished a race.

Sunset from the sailing club balcony.

Location

Airlie Beach