Thursday 8th Nov 2012. 57 NM.
Capt Barry was up early at 5.30 am , and put on a load of washing. Phil woke at 6.00 am.
Next , Capt Barry did some tide and weather homework for passage options over the next few days.
Capt Barry and Phil lifted the anchor at 7.00 am , when the tide was 2.7 m . The depth varied dramatically , with 2.4 m under the props about 20 m west of the inside rock, then 30 m then back to 5 m crossing the creek to the southern approach way point to the Creek mouth.
Buoyweather was predicting reasonably clear seas and light to fresh winds up to Sunday , as was BOM. So it looked like good seas for the next several days.
On route Capt Barry did some share trading, sent emails in the hope of organising the replacement stabilizer fin , organised a replacement TECMA toilet switch to be delivered to Graeme at Surfers Paradise ( so Capt Barry could collect it when next in Surfers), and blogged.
Phil spent time at the helm, sleeping, and up on the fly bridge getting fresh air.
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| crewman Phil at the helm. |
We sighted more dolphins along the way, and did some speed runs , 22 + kts every two hours or so.
We arrived at Great Keppel Island , about 1.00 pm which is 8 miles off Rosslyn Bay, and after a quick fresh water wash of the stern of LAST WORD Capt Barry inspected the engine room , and noted that the port water pump was now beginning to leak oil, then launched the small tender and added the 3 hp motor ( and grabbed some spare fuel ) , and Capt Barry and Phil went for a ride to the beach to check out a couple of boats anchored in a creek off the beach.
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| now the port raw water pump starts leaking |
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| two sailing boats anchored in the creek off the beach. They were locked in till the tide was up again. |
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| one of the yachts , obviously there for some time |
After investigating the anchored yachts we were back in the tender headed for the resort on the other side of the Island. Capt Barry declared the trip too long to make in the small tender so we headed for shore and walked the rest of the way......chancing the sand flies.
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| Phil wondering whether to swim back to LAST WORD |
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| last word at anchor off Grerat Keppel Island |
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| the softer side of Capt Barry , snapping a pic of a bright yellow bird, which bird was caught in the act of giving Capt Barry .... the bird. |
We returned to LAST WORD for a quick dinner. Phil had tofu and Capt Barry enjoyed baked beans , cold , out of the can. Very efficient when it comes to washing up.
After dinner we enjoyed a bottle of wine with some music and good conversation on the back deck of LAST WORD , then Capt Barry introduced Phil to the art of SQUIDDING.
Capt Barry and Phil were on the boarding platform with Capt Barry showing Phil the technique involved to catch squid and hooked one in less than 10 secs.
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| Capt Barry with the first ....small squid |
As Phil stepped closer , for a good look at the squid, which Capt Barry was bringing to the surface, Capt Barry warned Phil to stay back until the squid had SHOT ITS LOAD OF BLACK INK.
The squid cleared the surface , took one look at Phil...... aimed..... and fired.
Well you should have seen Phil move.
Phil pirouetted, ducked, dodged and jumped back, all in the one manoeuvre, and .........managed to get out of the line of squirted black ink......without spilling his wine.
The look of utter shock on Phil's face was priceless, and Capt Barry took some time to stop laughing and regain his composure.
After regaining his composure , Capt Barry ducked downstairs and got Phil a dark coloured T shirt to swap for his evening attire. This was done in the hope of avoiding an unhappy discussion, at home, with the boss, when Phil returned home and explained why the black marks would not come out of his T shirt.
Capt Barry caught three squid before giving it away for the evening, then Capt Barry and Phil turned in for the night.
It was a shocking , shocking, shocking...... rolly night.
It was so rolly , and noisey with the water slapping the chines on the front of the boat, that about 3.00 am Phil moved to the saloon and slept on the couch.
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| Phil asleep on the saloon lounge |
It was so rolly that , Capt Barry decided to find another stop over , instead of Great Keppel Island, as both times LAST WORD has anchored there it has been a rolly exposed anchorage , even in a reasonably small swell.
TRIP : 6 HRS, Fuel 354 L, av 9.5 kts and 59 L/HR.
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