We had a very comfortable sail to the channel at 6 knots and as we passed Dingo Beach there were some expensive looking homes along with the older beach cottages that had probably been in families for generations. With the tide pushing us along we decided to take in all sails and motor through. The last thing we needed was the wind backing a sail and working against us at a critical spot.
The entry to the channel from the east is marked by a red beacon which you pass on your port side. Then a combination of red and cardinal beacons mark a strict route that zigzags through, the shallowest parts being less water than we have keel on a low tide. We still had 2 hours in hand to the bottom of the ebb, but we far prefer tackling these tricky areas on a rising tide. That way any mistakes or out of date information can be rectified with the rising water.
But we zigged where we thought we should and zagged where we had to and in half an hour we both started breathing again.
It was another smooth sail across the flat waters of Edgecumbe Bay to Stone Island, a small, low lying sandy island just off the town of Bowen. It was the first of the shallow anchorages we would have to use on the way to Townsville. There was no shelter from the wind and we motored into the beach as closely as possible to get away from the rolling swell. We dropped the anchor in 3 metres of water and had a reasonable night, even though the changing tides and wind fought with each other, giving us peace at times and a rocking horse ride at others. This was to prove typical of big shallow, exposed anchorages along this stretch of coast.
The next morning we motored out to where we could set our course and had a good sail to Cape Upstart. The wind has been steady and the sailing very good. We average 5 – 6 knots most of the time with little swell. On this stretch we noticed some War of the Worlds type aliens on the horizon but fortunately they showed no interest in us. As we got closer we found they were far more interested in coal. Huge cranes, conveyors and loaders were feeding the holds of a cargo ship with another thirteen at anchor waiting their turn. The loader is a good distance offshore it looks a little strange to see a concrete dock on its own where two smaller ships or one large one can tie up and all there is is a long conveyor from shore and two huge loaders that can move behind it to whatever position is needed to reach the holds.
Late in the afternoon we rounded Cape Upstart and were surprised to see how many little settlements there are along its western shore, particularly as there doesn’t appear to be any road access. The swell rolls around the cape and we decided we had enough daylight to make it to the southeast corner of the bay, as far from the swell as possible. What we didn’t realise is how flat the terrain is there with no protection from the wind. Again we seemed to sail for miles with the bottom just 4 meters below. When we had set the anchor we had another night of tide and wind giving us a mixed ride.
The sail to Cape Bowling Green was mostly a motor sail with very light wind. The highlight was a whale display. There were at least 2 of them and while they were more distant than we would have liked, each time they surfaced they’d roll to one side sticking a flipper straight up in the air before diving and the size of the flipper was staggering. Black on top and grey beneath it must have stuck out of the water 6 metres. We’ve never seen anything like it. All too soon they decided to go wherever whales go when the show is over and we were left trying to guess the size of the big one.
It’s very easy to see how Cape Bowling Green got its name. It’s a long curved spit of sand that reaches out into the ocean like a sickle, some almost at sea level and other bits a few metres higher. The furthest bit has one tree on it, and a bit further back there is a section with a few more trees, and sticking up in the middle of them are 3 palm trees. Again we decided to head deeper into the shallow bay and with the wind now on the beam and flat water we were amazed at how easily Wind Wanderer held 8 knots. It was a great half hour. Once again we pushed in towards a beach for miles with the bottom dead flat 3.9 metres below us. When it dropped to 3.5 we set the anchor, again having tide and current at odds with each other, but this time was the worst ever. Not only were we over-riding the anchor as we tried to set it, we couldn’t swing into the wind. Eventually we powered into the wind and powered back again to get the set, and immediately swung over the chain and sat there with it streaming under the boat. I knew it was set so I put a waypoint on the chart plotter. Now, drag if you dare! We never moved an inch, but until the tide changed in the early hours we were stern to the wind and waves smacked up under the transom with such loud thumps that Sandy eventually moved to the cockpit, where she still didn’t get much sleep.
This morning we got going early and with wind a constant 1 – 2 knots from everywhere and nowhere we’ve motored all the way into Cleveland Bay. Magnetic Island is straight ahead and we will anchor somewhere off Townsville. There’s not a breath of wind and Robin is flying in at 7pm to join us for a couple of days. He’s timed it with a work visit to their office here so it will be good to catch up again.
Until next time...