2016 Sailing Season Comes to an End 23rd September

On Tuesday 13th September we celebrated the end of our 1016 sailing season with a wonderful meal at Summeries Restaurant (Thai) on Flinders Street East in the centre of Townsville with Andrew, Ric, Val, Peter, Geoff (a friend of Ric and Val's) and myself. What a lovely meal. The food was beautiful and we enjoyed the company of friends who all have a passion for sailing. We very much enjoyed the company of Ric and Val for the second half of this season on our trip to Lizard Island and we ended up at some places we would probably never have gone by ourselves, i.e., Vlasoff Reef. Hopefully we can catch up with them next year on our way back down the coast.

Stunning Kapok flowers light up the bush on Magnetic Island

On the 14th Karin, Paul, Isabelle and Emmalyn arrived for their two week stay in Townsville. We have been staying with them in an apartment in the town centre for a week. It took the girls a day to settle in and then they had a wonderful time playing in the park and swimming at the Rock Pool or the amazing swimming complex at Riverview. We have had a lovely week with our two little granddaughters and their parents. Isabelle just loves to drag her Poppy around to swing her on the swings or take her for a swim on his back. They have now gone over to Magnetic Island for four days to stay in a friends beach house at Horseshoe Bay. Peter and I went over on the ferry for a day to join in the fun and we found ourselves looking out at the boats anchored in the bay instead of watching the antics of the people on the beach, for a change.



Paul, Isabelle, Emmalyn and Karin at the Riverview Swimming Pool
(where else would you get a wonderful swimming complex like this free of charge?)

Tomorrow they will be back in Townsville and Paul has to go home to work. Commiserations Paul!!! Peter, Karin, the girls and myself will then spend four nights with Peter's brother Clive and his wife Virginia out at their farmlet 30km south of Townsville. It is near the Billabong Zoo so we will probably pay that a visit amongst other farm activities.

Poppy takes Isabelle for a walk

Then he gives Emmalyn a swimming lesson

 

There is only four more days before Karin, the girls and myself catch the plane back to Perth and that will be the end of my sailing for six months. Peter will be staying on for a month or so to spend time with his family and also spend time with the new girl in his life!!!

Olivia

Olivia comes in the form of a 13m Cavalier sailing yacht. We have sold Rene and are at the moment clearing her out and cleaning her for her new owners. Only a week ago a new boat was a twinkle in the eye, and then Ric pointed out the for sale notices in the window of the boat brokers in the Breakwater Marina and said to me, 'This is one for you Liz'. We thought we'd take a look and the broker came up with the idea of swapping Rene and a large amount of money for Olivia. He advised the owner of Olivia that he could sell Rene more easily than the bigger boat and as Olivia had been on the market for over a year this might be the way to go. After a bit of tooing and froing a deal was struck. Rene will probably be swapped again by Olivia's owner for a motor launch he has been eyeing off for some time - again along with a substantial amount of money. So Rene, our trusty little yacht, may have three owners in one week. She looks neat and tidy, if a little worn and hopefully will make someone very happy. She has sailed us safely over 7 500 nm since we left Albany in April 2013. Now I feel a bit teary! However, looking forward, we are now the proud owners of a beautiful new boat.

SV Olivia

Here are some of Olivia's statistics, taken from Peter's email to friends and family.

"I’ve just traded Rene in on a Cavalier 43, built in 1996 in Brisbane.  The previous owner (2^nd owner ever) decided it was too difficult getting anyone interested in buying his boat, so he took Rene as part payment, cash to make up the difference and handover happens tomorrow.  The whole process of making the decision to upgrade to signing the papers took 3 days!!!  Rene’s new owner believes he will have no problems selling Rene as she is a much lower value and should attract more interest. 

Olivia comes with HF, VHF, Radar, auxiliary diesel generator, 2 x chart plotters, 240v/12v system, smart battery charger system, 600ah house batteries + starting battery, 1,350 l water capacity in 4 SS tanks, 370 l diesel tank, refrigerator, 50hp Yanmar diesel motor, auto helm for rack and pinion wheel steering, feathering prop, near new rigging, Rocna anchor and 80 m chain (2 years old), spare CQR anchor and chain,  hot water system and shower/toilet facilities, gas stove and safety system, plus more – I can’t believe my luck!!!!  She’s a GRP cutter/sloop cruising yacht and I get to keep my dinghy, outboard and life raft, plus tools, nav gear etc. 

 Over the next few years we plan to head off into the Pacific, with New Caledonia the first port of call and Tasmania over the summer months before we head back home, one day."

 

 

Inspecting the saloon

 

So......we go out of the 2016 sailing season with a bang! Can't wait for next year and sailing in luxury.

Our blog will continue but we will have to change the title to 'The sailing Adventures on Olivia, 2017 And Beyond.'

 

Dunk Island to Horseshoe Bay, Magnetic Island 29th August - 6th September

Garden Island

Garden Island. The sand spit goes under. Rock 'n roll here we come.

The crews of Arkaydes, Chances, Bosonova and Rene decided that the morning trip to tiny Garden Island, just north of Hinchinbrook Island, was a really good place for lunch. We left early because we are generally slower than the cats and did not want to be left behind. On this occasion, sailing close to the wind meant that we were very competitive with speed and direction and we arrived first. We anchored close to the fringing reef on the north side of the island next to a small trimaran that was already there. The wind only blew at about 10 kts for most of the time and this anchorage behind the extensive sand spit was calm and protected. When everyone arrived we all went ashore and decided that a BBQ there for dinner was a good idea. Pete and his partner from the trimaran told us about the wonderful oysters on the south side of the island, reputably the biggest, best ones around. Peter was interested. I was not.

Pete also had a humorous story about Cooktown.
After arriving and negotiating the bar they motored into the lagoon and dropped their anchor near an old guy on a motorboat. Pete yelled out to him and asked if he was in a good spot. The old guy said, "I dunno. I'm not a local. I'm just waiting for the wind to drop so I can get out." Pete asked, "How long have you been here then?" The answer was, 'Seven F#^**+g years!!" We all laughed. Cooktown is very windy.

Val and I walked around the sand spit and wondered if, when the tide covered the spit, whether our anchorage would become uncomfortable as the wind blew the chop towards us. In fact at one stage during the night I briefly woke up as Rene began to roll around. The wind was still light so it didn't bother us too much. Garden Island would only be a reasonable anchorage in the calm weather we had whilst there.

Macushla

An optical elusion. The sand on Shepherds Bay was dead flat. The mineral sands colours caused it.

Next morning Peter and I made the move around the sand spit south towards Macushla. We had to tack across the bay into a choppy uncomfortable sea. Not long afterwards the other three cats joined us and we spent a comfortable night anchored off the beach there. Peter and I walked to Shepherds Bay, on the eastern side of Hinchinbrook Island, along an overgrown track. The walking track at the end of the beach, which leads to the ruins of the Cape Richards Resort, is very overgrown and difficult to see so at this point we walked back along the beach. This is a lovely anchorage with good protection from the SE winds. There was some discussion between us all as to whether we would motor down the Hinchinbrook channel in the calm water or if we should sail down the eastern side of the island. As the weather forecast said E 10-15kts all day we opted for a sail down the eastern side of Hinchinbrook to Orpheous Island in the Palm Group.

Juno Bay, Fantome Island

It took Peter and I all day to tack down the eastern side of Hinchinbrook Is. The wind never really went east and continued from the SE so we had a long trip. Luckily the wind was light and so it was not uncomfortable, just long. We anchored in Hazard Bay as the sun went down along with Chances and Bosonova. Arkaydes managed to pick up one of the courtesy moorings in Little Pioneer Bay for the night.

Peter and I wanted to take another look at the old leper colony ruins on Fantome Island so the next morning we pulled the anchor after an early breakfast and made our way around the corner into Juno Bay. Just outside Hazard Bay we noticed whales lounging in the warm tropical water. There was a mother and a calf loafing in the water and as we motored by they took no notice of us at all.

Cow and calf outside Hazard Bay

Four boats were already anchored in Juno Bay when we arrived and our mates turned up soon afterwards making a total of seven boats in the bay. Arriving early was essential for those wanting to explore ashore. Last time we had been caught out at low tide when the sea disappeared over the shallow sand and reef leaving us to wade through the ankle deep water towing the dinghy. All I could think of was how many stonefish were lurking in the shallows. This time we timed it well and landed Lily on the beach and spent several hours poking around in the ruins and just made it back to the beach before the water became too shallow to motor out.

Juno Bay from the hilltop behind the leper colony ruins

Gary and Annie from Chances invited the crews from the three boats in our group over to a Pizza night. They cooked yummy pizzas on their BBQ and the rest of us contributed to the toppings. Neville from Bosonova cooked an apple crumble which was delicious. It was accompanied by rich double cream. Yum! Yum! Thanks for a lovely night everyone.

Magnetic Island

Light easterly and north easterly winds were forecast for the next day so we left Juno Bay early to begin our journey across the open water to Horseshoe Bay. We motor sailed the whole way in the light winds and dropped the anchor in time for a late lunch. Our favourite spot was available and we are enjoying settling in to our favourite island for the last three weeks of my sailing year. Several of the boats that were at Lizard Island and Cooktown are here with us along with crews from Dunk Island. I think someone is organising a group dinner at the Man Friday Mexican Restaurant in Nelly Bay. I hope it happens before we take the ferry to Townsville on Friday for dinner with Peter's family. Between walking, socialising and boat jobs our days are full. We take the ferry to the mainland every few days to see family and do some shopping. Yesterday we hitched a lift with Arkaydes back to Horseshoe Bay. Ric had to drop Val off in Townsville as she was flying to Sydney for a week to see her family. While she is away Ric is going to beach Arkaydes so he can clean the hulls and remove the green slime that grows there before they head south again. Peter and I will give him a hand. Apparently the tides on Monday are suitable for the job.

Two old codgers driving Arkaydes to Horseshoe Bay.

On the way back to Horseshoe Bay Peter had a go at driving Arkaydes and we set off around the south side of Magnetic Island. The wind was about 15kns from the SE and Ric put up the sails and off we went. Suddenly he yells out, "What was that?" One of the fenders had untied itself from the deck and had blown over the side. The sails were quickly lowered and back we went to try to locate it. No luck, even after two passes. The wind must have blown it further than we thought. Eventually we gave up, but by now the wind was stronger and Peter and Ric decided to take the route north around the island past Cape Pallarenda. Off we went. I decided to keep a lookout for the fender, just in case. Then there it was bobbing across the waves on it's merry way towards Pallarenda Beach. We rescued the 'errant beastie' not long afterwards, much to Ric's relief.

Peter (the turncoat!) driving a cat (Arkaydes) back to Horseshoe Bay and he appears to be enjoying it!!

It is only one week now until Paul, Karin and the girls arrive in Townsville for a short holiday. They want great grandpa to meet Isasbelle and Emmalyn and also to catch up with their friends and the rest of the family. Paul is here for a week and Karin and the girls two weeks, so I am going to help Karin with the girls when we fly back to Perth on the 28th September.