Favourable Winds to Mooloolaba 21st - 26th August

Off To Tin Can Bay

Waterfront Tin Can Bay

At 6am we pulled the anchor in the Susan River and motored out towards the main channel in the Sandy Strait, against the flood tide. This only lasted for half an hour or so, until we turned south in the Great Sandy Strait. The idea is that you should follow the flood tide to the shallow patch at the halfway mark and then as the tide turns catch it down the rest of the channel to the south. We timed it perfectly and had no trouble negotiating the sand banks at Sheridan Flats. We passed plenty of other boats as the day was beautiful and everyone was out on the water enjoying the lovely weather.

Just before the exit to the Strait at the Wide Bay Bar we turned into Tin Can Inlet and motored the 5nm down to the township of Tin Can Bay. There are more boats in this patch of water than people in the town. Everywhere you look there are boats. We anchored in a clear spot opposite the entrance to Snapper Creek and from here had easy, although distant access, to the dinghy dock at the Tin Can Bay Coast Guard. We visited them to get the latest co-ordinates for exiting the Wide Bay Bar as the bar changes constantly. They were most helpful. After stocking up on fresh fruit and veges, bread etc, we  decided that two nights here was enough, so we motored back to Pelican Bay for the night to enable us to get an early start for the bar crossing.

The car ferry rumbles past for the early morning run.

The Wide Bay Bar

Rising at 5.30am had us ready to leave our anchorage at 6am, with way points entered in on the chart plotter. My job was to watch carefully to make sure we followed the course closely. The car ferry to Fraser Island was ready for a 6am departure from the sand spit and we counted 17 cars loaded on. There was even two that could not fit and had to wait for the next ferry trip. People were obviously going to make the most of their day over on the island.

The crossing went without incident as the morning was still, although very foggy. We couldn't see that far ahead which was a bit disconcerting, but we could see the odd large wave rolling down the sandbank nearby. I watched another boat with his AIS on in front of us take the old co-ordinates and try to cross further south than we had been advised. Peter and I watched him and sure enough all of a sudden he turned around and backtracked. Then he went further in the wrong direction. We could see ourselves involved in a rescue, but thankfully he managed to negotiate the bar without any help from us. The boat was named Beachball and we imagined him bouncing across the bar through the breaking swell - an appropriate name we thought. The fog prevented us seeing the action. The moral of the story is - Contact VMR Tin Can Bay to get the updated co-ordinates for crossing the bar.

Mooloolaba

The Neighbours at Mooloolaba Anchorage

After a pleasant motor sail south we arrived at Mooloolaba at about 4pm and we entered the river and motored up to the anchorage area. The area for anchoring here is not large and is quite crowded at times. It took us a while to find a spot between a motor boat and a small yacht. The current here is not very strong, but against the wind the boats all got up to some serious wind over tide antics. I awoke at midnight and decided to take a look as we were closer to others than I was comfortable with. I should have stayed in bed like Peter and hoped for the best. After two hours of stress watching Olivia and the little yacht doing 360s around their anchors, and almost touching, Peter got up. Of course the boats were by then in opposite directions from each other and he decided I was over reacting and went back to bed and began quietly snoring away. In the end I couldn't keep my eyes open so gave in and joined him in the bunk. No-one bumped into us, of course, and I got the, "what on earth were you worried about?" brush off. Luckily the motor boat left early in the morning and we re-anchored a little further over and now we have a very good spot for our stay here. Anyone who anchors too close now will have to move, not us.

The Walk from Caloundra to Dicky Beach

 

We have taken the bus to Caloundra for the day and walked miles along the foreshore, explored Mooloolaba beaches and canals and sampled some of the coffee shops. Yesterday Ric and Val, from Arkaydes turned up and we had dinner on Olivia. It was great to catch up with them. We are going to stay until Wednesday, and if the weather permits will then leave to journey further south. Ric and Val are on their way north with a new little, black cocker spaniel named Lexie. She is very cute and is beginning to adapt very well to the sailing life. She came to dinner as well and at one stage I discovered her in the front cabin with her head buried in something. When I spoke the guilt was obvious. She slunk off. She had got into the rubbish bin a discovered a cheese wrapper and was having a sneeky lick at it while we weren't looking. Naughty girl!

Lexie - new crew member on Arkaydes