Curlew Island to Mackay Marina – 27 June 2008

Curlew Island to Mackay Marina – 27 June 2008
Erica didn’t hang around the Percy Islands for very long because of the uncomfortable anchorages. We soon departed early one morning for a great sail to Curlew Island in the Guardfish Cluster of Islands. Along the way we made radio contact with our friends from Brisbane on the yacht, Imagin and a rendezvous was arranged for Curlew Island later that day. Curlew is popular because it has a long sandy beach but like most anchorages we’ve experienced so far, it suffers from some rolling. Mid morning saw Imagin on the horizon and we both sailed into Curlew’s sunny bay at lunch time (see photo). Dinghies were soon launched and we were ashore chipping oysters off the rocks at the northern end of the bay, before a swim and sunset drinks back on Erica (quick trip back to Imagin for more Gin!!).

The weather was warm and sunny with some wind but not unpleasant - after a few days R&R the crew of Imagin led the crew of Erica on a scrub bash (by foot) up the second highest peak on the island. As we got higher, the Eucalypts thinned out and we enjoyed spectacular views of the surrounding islands (see photo). This exertion was topped off by a great lunch where our dinghies became re-acquainted (see photo) and as lots of lunches do, ended in sunset drinks. After our previous late night, rough dinghy trip between anchored boats in the Percy Islands, we have tended to give the late evening dinners a miss, unless securely tied to a marina!

After a delightful week at Curlew it was time to sail off again. With the offer of a calm marina berth in Mackay, young Erica was off with swell under her transom and good winds in her sails - she was giving us a great sail again. Approaching Mackay, her crew were pleased to learn that there would be no shipping movements that day, and Erica made her way with relative ease through the flotilla of 20+ ore carriers queuing at anchor just off Hay Point, the major harbour in the area. Mackay marina (see photo) is part of another harbour precinct located a little out of the CBD of Mackay and we have used our time here to catch up on minor maintenance and extensive reprovisioning, before welcoming guests for our next sailing leg to the Whitsundays.

Island Head Creek to Percy Islands – 12 June 2008

Island Head Creek to Percy Islands – 12 June 2008

Our last day in Island Head Creek, after a week of storms, was capped off with a fantastic 5km+ walk along a deserted beach in brilliant sunshine. At Pinetrees Point at the end of the beach we found the local inhabitant made from flotsam & jetsam collected by the many sailors who have walk this beach before us (see photo).

From there we motored on glassy seas with large rolling NE swells past Cape Townsend, where the Australian Military play their war games, to the Dukes group of Islands. We anchored at the small but pleasant Hunter Island after negotiating the 3 knot opposing currents in Lola Mantes Pass and as the crew said, we are all over Lola and her strong currents! The Dukes are privately owned and run as Farm Stay holidays and have Cattle and Deer roaming the island, restricting access above high water mark, but we managed walks along the beaches and over the rocky headland in our 6 day stay which included sheltering from winds, again above 35 knots.

Next stop was the Percy Group of Islands where we enjoyed an 8+ knot sail from Marble to South Percy - great fun and it was good to be sailing again. The anchorage at South Percy was rolly but the island offered great walks and we met up with the crew of Kieara C who shared our small anchorage (see photo). Not only was the company good but they know how to fish and we were invited over for a Mud Crab and Chilli pizza and great night drinking plenty of wine. The only problem being we had to return to Erica on a pitch black night and rough seas – a very sobering way to finish the evening.

From South Percy we had a quick sail in 20+ knots to the famous West Bay on Middle Percy. At West Bay the Island owners and visiting sailors have constructed a hut, the “Percy Hilton”, where visiting boats for more than 60 years, have displayed their boat names - some with a story about their crew (see photo). West Bay is not a good/smooth anchorage but certainly worth the effort because of the Hut and also the enclosed harbour/bay which can be entered at high tide through rugged rocks covered in razor sharp oysters (see photo).

Erica’s crew is only just surviving the eating, drinking and limited walking!

Cape Capricorn to Island Head Creek (31 May 2008)

After a quick sail past the lighthouse at Cape Capricorn Erica sailed on to Hummocky Island to shelter from a developing southeast front moving up the Queensland coast. Hummocky may not be the choice of anchorages but we were entertained by thousands of small (4” to 6”) fish constantly swimming under Erica. After a day’s swimming and walking we sailed onto Great Keppel Island which was a popular tourist destination before the resort closed. The island has well established walking tracks and some of the best Island beaches on this part of the coast. In the shelter of Svendsen’s Beach we anchored for two days enjoying the walks and swimming from the beach which was almost deserted even though there were up to seven boats in the anchorage (see photo). Being three weeks since we had restocked it was time to head for Woollies at Rosslyn Bay/Yeppoon where there is a peaceful but spectacular marina behind the rocky headland.
Not wanting to stay ashore too long we headed off in what we thought would be good weather bound for Port Clinton. However after a wet and windy night we relocated 16nm up the coast at Island Head Creek. As the name implies there is an Island at the head of this creek (in SA this would be regarded as a river!) which makes entering interesting among the sand shoals and rocky islands. This is a beautiful place and great to explore but we are currently anchored well up the mangrove to escape the 40kt gale blowing in the ocean outside the entrance (see photo). Yacht cruising isn’t all sun, reefs and deserted islands but even the bad weather brings its own spectacular scenery. All the crew are eating and drinking well and longing for a walk on a long sandy beach!