Mackay
We stayed in Mackay for three days. Our engine is still
blowing steam although it isn’t getting overly hot. Through a process of
elimination now we have decided that it must be a raw water blockage. We
managed to get a diver to check the leg and clean the holes that let the sea
water in so hopefully this might fix the problem. We also bypassed the seawater
strainer which we will replace with a clear topped one that we can look into.
Andy was the local diver and at $40 for about 45 minutes work I thought was a
great guy, We spent our time here doing maintenance on Dreamagic and enjoying
the pub and fish and chip shop. The hotel here puts an effort into what they
offer, the food is good, there is live music and Sunday afternoon we spent
enjoying a cold bottle of White, listening to an excellent guitarist and
watching the ramp rage on the 5 lane boating ramp as macho mine workers whose
sudden wealth has allowed them to buy the best utes and fishing boats try to
bully their way down the ramp with their trailers to retrieve their toys.
Mackay to Thomas.
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| On the beach at Thomas |
We left Mackay just after dawn and made our way to Thomas
Island. The wind is at last being favourable to us and we sailed to the Island
relatively easily. Thomas Island is one of our favourites and is also just outside
the cruising grounds of the Charter Yachts from The Whitsundays so we always
see it as the gateway to the Islands. We chose to anchor on the south side as
the forecast was for northerlies and anchored in a picturesque bay where a live
aboard mono and a Sunsail Cat were already parked. As is our custom we went
ashore to fossick for shells and then returned to DM for an afternoon nap.
We decided to set a fire on the beach and took the dinghy
around to the other boats to invite them to join us. We built a great fire and
initially thought our offer had been declined but Steve and his wife the Live Aboards,
and Kate, Nigel and Tom, from the Sunsail Cat brought their dinghies ashore.
Steve and his wife, (sorry I have forgotten your name but if you ever read this
let me know and I will edit it) had just sold their house and were in the
process of moving aboard. Nigel, Kate and their son Tom were up from Sydney.
Nigel was a keen sailor and ‘worked in corporate’. What a great evening! We
swapped nibbles and stories, and enjoyed the warmth that sailing brings to people
who are from widely different backgrounds but share a common love .
Thomas to Hamilton
Island
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| Fuel Wharf at Hammo |
We left Thomas before there was signs of life on either of the
other boats and made the very quick trip around to Hamilton Island, or “Hammo”
as we pretentious sailing types call it. Our previous visits here are well documented but
we went onto the fuel wharf and refueled before calling the office for a berth
allocation. Previously Hamilton Island insisted on escorting you to your berth but this
time, because the berth guide or whatever he calls himself was busy they told us where
to go. A very brave move, or else he hadn’t realized who they were dealing with, because I know Rona does not like being told where to go.
Rona didn’t like our berth allocation and decided Dreamagic
deserved better. Another phone call to James at the office, and the berth guide
was out at double time and guided us onto Millionaires Row, right in front of
the Yacht Club. Now that is more like it! He tied us off, only charged us $105
per night instead of $120 and, after another period of major suck up, departed.
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| How would you like to pay for that? Before you get off the dock |
We actually like Hamilton Island in a perverse sort of way.
The entire Island is owned by one family and wherever you go and whatever you
do, the prices are controlled by them. However it is very well done,
spectacularly looked after and very upmarket. Wherever you go people are
helpful, courteous, and make you feel like a guest at a 5 start resort. We had
cocktails at the Yacht Club. $18.50 each is expensive but the views are to be
admired, especially as our boat is centre stage on the view looking at the
harbor. A couple at the next table left their drinks to have a cigarette at the
end of the deck. The steward collected their glasses without being asked and
took them to the couple. We went to the
pub for dinner and during our meal asked the pot man if there was an Anzac
Service the following morning. He didn’t know but came back with an answer, a
map of the island, and gave us advice on the best way to get there. Well done
guys.
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| In her rightful place |
We were berthed next to a sister ship to Dreamagic called
Ozsea. The owners had owned theirs from new and sailed it extensively in the Mediterranean
. We compared notes, shared stories and generally agreed that the Bavaria is
the best value for money yacht available and the 44 is the best of breed. But
then we would wouldn’t we? Having mutually congratulated each other on our obvious
great taste in yachts we departed for Nara Inlet.
Nara
Another of our favourites, Nara has also been well documented
by us before. This time, as always it did not disappoint and we had a great,
safe anchorage and settled to watch the charter boats come home to roost. Nara
is a popular first anchorage for many charterers and its interesting to see how
they handle the boats. Capt’n I Know Boats comes past standing in the bow of
his rubber ducky like Capt’n Cook about to claim Nara for the Queen while his 8
year old son is driving. He soon sat down when the kid turned the boat too
quickly. Then there is Master “I am only
following orders” who has been told that he has to start his engine for a hour
every morning and
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| Hitch hiker in Nara |
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| Moonrise over Nara |
Magnetic Island
We planned to go to Montes Resort at Gloucester Passage for
the night and left Nara to arrive at lunchtime. The wind was blowing up to 20
knts from the South East and Dreamagic scooted across the Whitsunday Passage
but when we got to the resort we realized that anchorage had no protection whatsoever
should the wind increase. We considered Bowen but the bay is equally open to
the south. We did try to call the Yacht Club to see if we could get a berth in
the harbor but they don’t answer phones until 4.00pm so we decided to push on
to Magnetic Island about 120 nms away. Dreamagic is a very easy boat to do
these long stints on, and Rona and I seem to have got them down pat so we
settled into the trip with tea, chocolate, a great curry at sunset, more tea,
lollies, and finally just before daybreak we made Horseshoe Bay. This bay is large, beautiful and easy to
enter. Or at least it was before the powers that be put a row of shark lines
across the mouth. Unlit, not even a bit of reflective tape I saw one pass by
very close to the starboard side of the boat. I immediately put Dreamagic in
neutral but the next one ran up our starboard side and the boat stopped.
Fortunately it was around our keel rather than our saildrive leg and luck was
on our side as we reversed, trying to get away from it. The bouy went under the
boat and just as I was contemplating diving on it at dawn, after 24 hours with
no sleep, and where a bloody shark or two may already be down there, it broke
free and we were clear. We motored into the bay as the light was improving,
dropped anchor in about 4 meters of water and retired.
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