Climb to Whitsunday Peak

Russ and Roz wearing their Marriage Saver Headphones

Sunday, June 10, 2012 - Whitsunday Island

Garyn and Jessica were impressed with our "Marriage Saver" head gear and microphone system.  We no longer have to use hand signals or scream at one another over the roar of the wind, motor and length of the boat while anchoring.  I am at the helm on the stern and Russ is dropping the anchor on the bow. I report speed and water depth as we approach an agreed upon target.  Russ can whisper into my ear, forward and right, cut it, glide, a little to the left, give it a bump, back it down, etc.  We have definitely improved our techniques since the last time the kids were with us.

After our arrival and anchorage at Cid Harbor, we ate lunch and decided the clouds had cleared enough that an afternoon hike to the peak was in order.  It took Garyn and Jessica an hour  in flip flops and us an hour and a half in our hiking shoes to reach the peak.  It was a good climb from sea level to the peak. The views from the top were spectacular and well worth the climb.  

While the climb up really worked our quads, calves, heart, and lungs, the climb down worked our knees and hips.  We reached sea level about 4:30 p.m. as the sun was low in the sky and were happy to take showers and relax.  Back on the boat we bar-b-qued chicken and corn on the cob. 

Monday, June 11, 2012 - Nara Inlet

Look at that!  

We made our way to Nara Inlet on Monday morning.  It was a gentle sail.  Worrall Wind was the second boat in the inlet to anchor.  Nara Inlet is know as a breeding area for Hammer Head Sharks.  Needless to say, no one was interested in swimming here although there wasn't a shark in sight.  Garyn and Jessica did take the dinghy for a ride and went ashore to visit the Ngara Cave. They were the only people on shore.   While they were gone, I baked some chocolate chip cookies!

Late in the afternoon, we sat around ate cookies, drank Margaritas, and played Fiji Rummy.  The Southern Cross and the Milky Way were brilliant in the clear night sky.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - Stonehaven Bay

The weather is cool and clear today.  Several tour groups have come into the bay and made their way to to the Ngara cave.  When we left Nara Inlet, we had a 12-15 knot breeze and were able to sail wing on wing to Stonehaven Bay, arriving about 2:00 p.m..

Wing on Wing

This is the bay where Russ and I snorkeled last week.  It was cool then, but even cooler today.  No one seemed inclined to go swimming, or even leave the boat.  We did enjoy being in the sun when the wind died down, but it was still too cool to really enjoy being outside.

Garyn and Jess gave the hammock a try for awhile, but eventually came inside where it was warmer.  We spent a leisurely afternoon, reading, talking, and playing cards.  Tomorrow we are off to Butterfly Bay.  Our time together is growing short too quickly.

All is Well With the 2 Sail R's, Garyn and Jessica, on SV Worrall Wind

Garyn and Jessica Have Arrived

Garyn and Jessica

Friday, June 8, 2012 - Cid Harbor, Hook Island

Dugong Beach

We arrived at Cid Harbor around noon and after lunch took the dinghy to the beach for a short walk through the bush to Dugong Beach.  At certain times of the year, the dugongs come here to mate.  The bay however today was very calm and we didn't observe any wildlife.

Change in the Weather Coming

The clouds in the sky indicate a change in the weather which corresponds with the weather forecast that predicts strong wind warnings and 40 percent chance of precipitation.  We will leave tomorrow morning and head to Hamilton Island Marina to pick up Garyn and Jessica.

Saturday, June 9, 2012 - Hamilton Island Marina

The wind picked up quite a bit last night and the gusts continually blew us to the end of our chain with a clunk and the boat would snap back into position.  Thankfully, we were stuck tight with our anchor and didn''t move from our perimeter ring.  When we were in this harbor a week ago there may have been 5 boats total.  Last night I counted 25 boats in this all weather bay seeking protection from the winds.

Seas are windy and choppy

We cast off the bowlines about 9:30 and bounced our way through the waves and wind that were on our nose to Hamilton Island.  We arrived at 11:30 and had enough time to dock, eat lunch, clean up the boat a bit, take a short walk down the street through the shops, and walk to the airport.  We watched the plane carrying our precious visitors land at 2:00 p.m., right on time.

Red on the left, Green on the Right - Entrance Channel

Yeah!  They're here and their luggage arrived too!  All is good!  We spent the afternoon walking around sight seeing,

Cast Marble Sculpture

Note the trees blowing sideways

doing some shopping at the grocery store which was well stocked and had everything we needed to replenish our provisions.  While walking around, we caught up with another cockatoo.  This one was enjoying a French fry dipped in catsup.  

Yep! The Perfect Amount of Catchup!

Oh! I'm in Heaven!

He was a good advertisement for the fish and chips shop, so we bought our dinner and brought it back to the boat to enjoy with a salad and cold beers.

We were all in bed by 8:00 p.m.  It had been a long day for the travelers.  

Sunday, June 10, 2012 - Back to Cid Harbor 

It is still overcast and cool, but the wind has subsided a bit.  We left the dock this morning after a quick walk to the bakery for sweet rolls, fresh bread, tea. and coffee.  Currently we are sailing with the wind and current pushing us toward Cid harbor at about 5.5 knots.

All is Well with the 2 Sail R's, Garyn and Jess, on SV Worrall Wind

Nara Inlet

Got a Cracker Mate?

Thursday, June 7, 2012 - Hook Island

During the evening, the wind rose from zero to 20 knots in Stonehaven Bay on Hook Island.  We cast off the mooring around 11:00 a.m. and headed toward Nara Inlet.  As we came out from the protected side of the bay, my freshly cleaned pilothouse windows were showered with a constant splash of sea spray.  There were white caps on the water.

We had about a 2 hour journey to our next destination up a well protected finger into Nara Inlet.

Keep Red on the Port Side

I followed Russ's course up to the anchor point, and we dropped our anchor in 27 feet of water.  Shortly after lunch, the charter boat Mischief sailed in and anchored in front of us further up the inlet.  One of the advantages of multihulls is to anchor in waters more shallow than our 2 meter draft allows.  We had seen  Mischief the night before at Stonehaven Bay and heard them on the radio with the charter company earlier in the day bemoaning that they were nearly out of water.  Apparently the tanks had not been properly filled when they got the boat.

Russ and I lowered the dinghy for a little excursion on shore.  The bay was quite calm and it was turning into a lovely afternoon.  Our guide book indicated that the Ngara people lived in this area for 9,000 years, and there was a cultural site close to where we anchored the boat.  We wanted to check it out.  On our trip to shore, we stopped at Mischief to see how they were doing and to see if they needed any water.  We have plenty.

There were two couples on board, Frank and Joanne, and Doug and Lorraine from Melbourne.  They were escaping from the nasty weather south to the Whitsundays.  They indicated they had enough water with no showers until they get to Hamilton Island for a fill up.  We were invited on board and enjoyed a nice chat and chilled glass of white wine before continuing on to the cultural site.

The tide was dropping, so we just tied the painter to a rock before heading up the trail about 170 meters to the Ngara cave and cultural site.   Once a fertile valley 9,000 years ago, Nara Inlet is now a bay (only 20-50 ft).   As the sea level rose inundating  the valleys and converting the mountains to  islands, the Ngara people relied more on fishing than on agriculture.  Eventually, they vacated the area with the advent of European settlements.

Late in the afternoon, we had two unexpected visitors to our boat....two giant cockatoos.  They were looking for a few crackers, but we didn't feed them.

As a no thank you, they just made a horrible screeching caw and pooped on our boat.

Ready?!

Aim!

Fire! 

 We spent a quiet evening on the boat listening to an audio book, Dragonfly in  Amber.

Friday, June 8, 2012 - Whitsunday Island - Back to Cid Harbor

Low tide was at 8:00 a.m. this morning.  To take advantages of the flood current, we weighed anchor at 9:00 a.m.  There are white caps on the water as we head back to Cid Harbor on Whitsunday.  On Saturday we will head to Hamilton Marina.   A film of clouds is blowing up from the south and the forecast is for increasing winds and scattered showers tomorrow.  We decide that we will go ahead and make a berth reservation at Hamilton Island Marina for Saturday evening.  Garyn and Jessica's plane from New Zealand will arrive around 2:00 p.m. tomorrow afternoon and it is a five minute walk to the marina.

We are excited about their arrival.  That's it for now.  I want to get this posted before we lose Internet.  Will try to post some photos later.

All is Well with the 2 Sail R's on SV Worrall Wind.

Hamilton, Whitsunday, and Hook Islands

Shaw Island Sunset

Monday, June 4, 2012 - Cid Harbor, Whitsunday Island

By 0845 we had pulled up our anchor at Shaw Island and with not a cloud in the sky and less than 10 knots of wind, we motor sailed toward Hamilton Island dragging our fishing line behind us.  Our son and daughter-in-law will be arriving next Saturday at Hamilton Airport and we wanted to check it out before their arrival.  

The fish aren't biting!

We motored into Dent Strait between Hamilton and Dent Islands.  Dent Strait is a no fishing area, so we pulled in the line with not even a nibble.  The tide current was with us and pushing us at 8 knots through the channel.  There were was a lot of tidal debris floating through the channel.

We had the opportunity to scout out the airstrip, harbor entrance, and buoys across from the Hamilton Marina.  We won't be staying long here as the buoys are $90.00 a night and a slip $120.00 night.  There are a dozen resort owned, red mooring balls, and two blue ones that are free.  Must be quite a scramble for the 2 freebies.

Hamilton Island Marina and Resort

Red = $90.00, Blue = $00.00 - Big Scramble

The marina is a bit pricey.  We've been told that we can pull up to the fuel dock for a pick up for 15 minute or less with no charge.  Otherwise the guest dock is $17.50 per hour.  Hope Garyn and Jess's plane is on time, and we can get in and out quickly.   Although I would like to stay a little longer and pick up a few supplies at the Hamilton Marina Grocery Store.  I guess we'll have to just wait and see how it goes.  The weather forecast for Saturday looks like rain and wind which mayl complicate the pickup.

After our recon of Hamilton Marina Area we scooted around the corner to Whitsunday Island and Cid Harbor where we dropped the anchor by 12:15 in 23.2 ft of water at 1/4 low tide.  We should still have plenty of water under us at low tide.  There were about 5 other boats in the bay with us.  Data cell coverage was painfully weak, so we didn't do more than briefly check our mail before giving it up.

S   20 15.758

E 148 56.456

Cid Harbor on Whitsunday Island

The bay was well protected from the wind, but there was a small swell that rocked the boat throughout the night in the light of the full moon.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012 - Butterfly Bay, Hook Island

As the tidal currents would be most beneficial around noon for a run to Hook Island, we spent a leisurely morning in Cid Harbor.  I slept in late, but Russ awoke early and took this lovely photo of the moonset in the rosy glow of the dawn.

Moonset at Dawn

At 11:15 we pulled up the anchor, turned on the motor, and cranked up the water maker.  It was the first time we had turned on the water maker since we had been in Vanuatu.  For the two hour journey to Butterfly Bay we made about 24 gallons.

Rock Peninsula Between the Wings of the Butterfly

Butterfly Bay

Butterfly Bay is on the east side of Hook Island and is shaped like a butterfly with a peninsula of high rocks separating the two wings.  We tooled around the east wing before deciding on snagging a buoy in the west wing.  This looked like the most protected of the two bays from an expected southwest wind.  Since we were the first boat in, we had the pick of buoys.  Technically, you aren't to tie up for the night until after 3:00 p.m.  We were an hour early, but there were a dozen buoys and not another boat in sight.  Alas, there is no internet connectivity in this bay.

S 20 04.442

E 148 55.470

This bay is supposed to have the best snorkeling in the Whitsundays.  The sun was out, but breeze and ambient cool temperature made getting in the water unappealing.   Since we plan to come back with Garyn and Jessica, we decided to wait for a snorkel and hopefully a warmer day.  Boats started to trickle in around 3:30, which is the anchor time expected from the charter boats.  We pulled out the table and chairs and arranged ourselves on the Lido deck to watched the boats come in and snag their buoys.  Everyone seemed to be pretty proficient so there wasn't much entertainment value in the watching.

A big motor cruiser pulled in an moored up next to us.  There were seven men and no women on this boat.  Two of the guys came over to talk with us and were very impressed that we had sailed from America.  When they returned to their boat, we could hear them tell the others that we had sailed from San Francisco.  As a response one of them started singing without the actual words, New York, New York.  We think he meant to sing, I left my Hear in San Francisco, got his geography mixed up.  No worries mate.  It was party time for these blokes.   I wore my earplugs to bed.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012 - Stonehaven Bay, Hook Island

Once again we waited for the tidal current to be close to slack before heading to Stonehaven Bay.  With no Internet connection, we broke out the satellite phone and gave my mom a call.  She is in a rehab center right now getting her strength back after a pulmonary embolism and blood clots in her legs.  It's definitely hard to be so far away at times like this.  It was nice to hear her voice, and she promised she is working hard to get out of the rehab center...not a very restful place.  Wish she was here with us.

We ate lunch and pulled up our anchor for the one hour hop around the corner.  Russ had set up a nice route through the passage between islands and we skirted potential hazards.  There are many islands some of which have long shallow reefs connecting them.  The reefs are exposed at low tide, but dangerously concealed at high tide (until you hit them).

Sticks mark the shallow reefs

The Whitsunday Islands look a lot like the Pacific Northwest, San Juan and Gulf Islands.  There are rocky cliffs and pine trees that come right down to the water.  Our night in Butterfly Bay reminded us of being in Emerald Bay in Lake Tahoe, particularly with the bullet winds that zipped down  from the mountains periodically and blew the boats to end of their mooring tethers.

When we arrived at Stonehaven, again about an hour before official tie up, there was one other boat in the bay and the people on the boat were snorkeling in the reefs that were beginning to be exposed as the tide started to drop.  

Can you see the coral head just under the water's surface?  

We tied up on a mooring, narrowly missing a coral head as we approached our buoy pick:

S   20 06.181

E 148.54.260

Tidal Drop Exposes the Reef

On Golden Pond

Hooray, we have Internet.  Yesterday, was the due date for Garyn and Jessica's New Zealand Friends, Jessie and Simon, to have their baby.  No word, so I guess Baby is late.  Garyn and Jess are in New Zealand this week so I know they would let us know if the baby arrived.  After we checked our mail, we broke down and decided to go snorkeling, even though it seemed a bit cool.  The late afternoon sun was casting a golden glow on the rocks and water, and we couldn't resist.

We dug out the stinger suits (which we didn't really need - not one jelly fish in sight), and our short dive suits, snorkels, fins, masks, gloves, etc., lowered the dinghy into the water and did a drift snorkel around the coral reefs as the tide was dropping.  The water clarity is not the best due to the tidal swings stirring up the water, but we saw stag horn coral, soft corals, cabbage corrals, and lots of fish. I saw one fish that was about a meter long.  Not sure what it was, but it gives me the creeps when the fish are that big, and lurking underneath me.   It was a shock to get in the water after almost 9 months of being dry.  The water wasn't freezing, but it wasn't real warm either.  We lasted about 45 minutes and were glad to get out and take warm showers.

I fixed tacos for dinner, and we finished listening to the Overlanders.  It's quiet in the bay, and the boat is hardly moving in the still of the night.  If it weren't for an occasional bump of the buoy, we could be on land.

All is Well with the 2 Sail R's on SV Worrall Wind.

Islands - Brampton and Shaw

Yippee!  The Sun Is Out.  It's a Glorious Day - Sunday, June 3, 2012

Saturday, June 2, 2012 to Brampton Island

By the time we fueled up on Saturday morning, it was 10:00 a.m. before we left Mackay Marina.  Earlier we said our goodbyes to Vija, and waved off Boree, all heading out today.  After a week of wind and rain, this was the most promising day for departure.  It was still overcast and drippy, but the winds were down and the seas were beginning to calm.

Coming into Brampton Island

We motor sailed for just over three hours and arrived at Brampton Island.  We were the first boat in the anchorage.  By 3:30 the tide had reached its low and we sat in about 15 feet of water.    The rain persisted off and on through the afternoon and evening.

Rain, rain, go away!

Jetty at Low Tide on a Rainy Afternoon

We heard our friends on Vija trying to make contact with Mackay VMR, but their radio was not strong enough.  We were positioned between them and Mackay so we relayed a position report for them.  They were about 15 miles farther north than we were by night fall.  While the wind was quite pleasant for us, it was slow going for Vija who only has a small outboard attached for extra push.

They hope to be in Bowman by 4:30 tomorrow afternoon.  I think the wind is going to have to blow a lot harder for them to make that time frame.  They are sailing non-stop.   By nightfall, we had four other boats anchored in the bay with us.  I fixed a shrimp and green pear curry in coconut milk for dinner.   As the evening progressed the clouds began to thin and we could see that hiding somewhere behind them was a bright moon.

Sunday, June 3, 2012 - Yippee!  The Sun is Out!

Jetty at High Tide on a Glorious Sunny Morning

We have decided that even though the sun is out and it would be beautiful hiking today on Brampton Island, we want to get to our destination and do some scouting about before Garyn and Jessica arrive on Saturday.  By 9:30 the tide had reached it's high.  We wanted to wait a little so that we would benefit from a northern ebb tide push.  We pulled anchor about 10:00 and set our course for Shaw Island, about 25 miles north.

Heading Out for Shaw Island

Wispy Clouds Crown the Mountain

 The wind was less than five knots, so we motored the entire way.  The sun was out, the seas were flat, and it was absolutely glorious.  Since we were getting a good push from the current and moving along at trolling speed, we decided it was a good day to throw out the hand line to catch fish.  I started off with a 6 inch pink thingy with a hook (technical term for something or other - you can tell what great fisher people we are).  No bites.  After lunch, I changed the 6 inch pink thingy that skittered on top of the water, to a heavier 9" green and yellow thingy with a hook.  This hook had enough weight instead of skimming, it traveled about 1 foot under the water and did a constant zig zag.  Pretty cool, but still no bites.

As we approached Shaw Island, I reeled in the line.  It was a great day for us to be fishing, but apparently the fish weren't interested.  Any fishing advice out there?

Anchored at Shaw Island Next to Another Nauticat

We are in a lovely bay off of Shaw island, anchored in 20 feet of water at low tide.  There are two other boats in the bay with us, one of which is a Natuicat 521, Salamander.  It is the no wood, wish we had style.   Not sure, but I think this may be the first time we have seen another Nauticat since we left Mexico.  We may contact them later and invite them over for a sundowner.

Tomorrow we will be in the vicinity of Hamilton Island where we will pick up G and J.  The wind is picking up a little and there is a gentle lapping as the water ripples past the boat.  We're BBQing hamburgers tonight (had hoped for fish...oh well), and looking forward to the full moon as there isn't a cloud in the sky.

All is Well With the 2 Sail R's on SV Worrall Wind

Leaving Mackay, June 2

WW is Snug in Her Slip During High Winds and Rain

 After a week of strong winds and rain, the system is weakening.  We almost left today as the winds died down to 15 knots, but the seas have yet to follow and are still 2-3 meters.

Marina grounds have a Hawaiian feel.

Tomorrow looks like a good day to resume our trip north.  We are in a Marina that has exceptionally high and low tides.  Even when the tides are high, the poles to which the piers are attached still have a lot of height for cyclone surge.

Breakwater Protects the Marina

One of the dock workers was telling us that when the last cyclone came through, the waves were crashing so high against the breakwater (in the background), the huge cement blocks were being pitched into the harbor.  You can't see it from here, but the breakwater has a 2 lane road on it and stands 20 feet above high tide.  Glad it's not cyclone season.


We only have three short, half day hops to Whitsunday Island. We will turn Spot on so that you can follow our path.   Garyn and Jess arrive one week from tomorrow.  We are so looking forward to seeing them.

The family we met at Middle Percy is returning today from land life in Cairns with some parts to repair their boat.  They hope to get SV Vija as far as Townsville this weekend, about 189 miles away.

Mackenzie, Katie, Ari, and Cary

SV Vija - 28 Feet of Projects

All is Well With the 2 Sail R's on SV Worrall Wind.

Fiji Rummy

Rules for FIJI RUMMY

While we spent many balmy afternoon and evenings in the restaurant bar at First Landing Resort in Fiji, Cruisers Ken and Lori on S/V Trim and The 2 Sail R's Roz and Russ on SV Worrall Wind took the cruiser game of Baja Rummy and spiced it up a bit with some localized historical events and strategies.

We call this version Fiji Rummy and introduced "cannibals" and "coups" to the play.  Cannibal cards allow players to cannibalize developing books in other players' melds.  Coups are a high point collection of wild cards that pretty much overpowers the other players.    Coups are hard to muster and cannibalism doesn't make friends.  Throw in the ability to jump your turn by calling for cards and collecting more than one discard and the throat cutting begins.

The game is obviously a little less social than Baja Rummy, but amusing and more strategic.  I've posted the rules on a separate page in the event anyone wants to give it a try.  The link to the rules can always be found in the left hand column of our blog.   If you come up with another twist, let us know. If you don't understand the rules, contact us or make up your own.  It's all in the name of fun.  Cheers!

Bingo In Paradise...in Blue Water Sailing

Russ's article on Bingo in Paradise has published in the June 2012 Issue of Blue Water Sailing.  West Marine usually carries these magazines if you are interested.

Bingo in Paradise is a short photo/article feature of our experience in Vanuatu engaging a village community in a bingo game.  This is certainly one of our most memorable experiences.  Photos taken by cruisers from  Worrall Wind, Skylight, and Emily Grace, all participants in the event.