Gary's Anchorage to Mooloolaba

Sun 5 Sept 2010

Wide Bay Bar looking benign.

Up yet again at 0500, tea, toast, mainsail up, anchors away and we are trundling out of the anchorage at 0545 heading for Wide Bay Bar. There were a few spots of rain so the wet weather gear was ready but other than a bleak looking sky things were OK as we motor sailed down Wide Bay Harbour with the tide at 6 to 7 knots.

It may look pretty flat here but it was not.

The bar looked pretty flat as we approached waypoint 3 but soon looked rather lumpy as we were making 7 to 8 knots heading for waypoint 2 with wind against tide. The still picture does not show it but the video Michael took as he steered the bucking bronco Saaremaa through the choppy swell says it all. we started our bar crossing at 0800 and reported to Coast Guard Tin Can Bay that we were safely at waypoint 1 and across the bar at 0830 (Swansea is a doddle by comparison, its so quick to cross).

The wind was in our favour and we started to sail for Mooloolaba with the head sail poled out and goose winged. It took Michael ages to achieve this and then the wind veered from NE to NW so the pole came down again (is it not always the way?).

This is a shy Mooloolaba whale going down.

This Urangan whale is coming up. It blows every 20 minutes.

The seas and the wind eased so it was back to motor sailing again and we were making around 6 knots to arrive at Mooloolaba before dusk. Dolphins were greeting us and a couple of whales even put in an appearance, see pictures (yes they are genuine fibreglass whales not fake ones). Benny Boy sat the day out (he's saving himself for another time) while Raelene put in another sterling effort steering us all day.

A little drop of rain to wash the decks and us!

The weather remained overcast with wind from the NW until a change to the SE at 1400 and then at 1600 it started to bucket down with rain. What a difference a day makes (there could be a song in that) only 24 little hours. On a close reach Saaremaa's boom is superbly positioned over the cockpit to allow copious amounts of water running off the sail onto those below needing a shower or not (any visiting crew will not be charged for this extra service!)

Here we are at the Sunshine Coast with Old Woman Island just visible.

In the delightful photo of our arrival at the Sunshine Coast one can almost make out some buildings just beyond Old Woman Island. The sun seemed somewhat obscured and as we turned into the wind to drop the mainsail the rock and rolly swell gave us immense pleasure stowing the gear. Somehow the anchor ended up swinging off the roller due to the main halyard tripping the circuit breaker to on and the anchor down switch getting a brief knock. No damage done and the anchor was put safely back on the roller (it now has an extra clip to stop it moving forward until released).

The entrance to the harbour as we would like it. We were just a day too early.

The harbour entrance we could just make out as Anne steered for it following the leads in. Our berth was a tight turn in, with fortunately a slack tide but wind on the aft quarter pushing us towards a 40 foot Beneteau, Michael managed his usual "cockup" (excuse the French) but did not hit the Beneteau. In the pouring rain there were few (actually none) helpers around, how very unusual!!! Once safely tied up Anne logged off with Coast Guard Mooloolaba reporting that we were safe but damp.

After a shower and dinner we both nodded off in the saloon, being slightly stuffed or knackered even, then went to bed listening to the rain. Anne did not set the alarm for 0500, such a shame!! ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzz