THE VOYAGE BEGINS

These are the voyages of the Sailing Catamaran Maripi and her crew Robyn and Chris as they leave Scarborough and turn left during Winter 2012.

Getting ready to leave

The time has finally come around – Easter 2012.  There are just a few last minute things: the cockpit windows are old and scratched and our shakedown cruise in the rain confirmed the really poor visibility.  So, we are replacing them with new aluminum ones.   There is a two week wait for them to be manufactured and installed.

The going away parties

We have a Rotary send off (pirate breakfast).

Breakfast of Pirates

And then we have an “at boat” for an inspection of Maripi and a few drinks.  (Thank you to Sandy and Alan for use of your entertainment area.)

Next we put the supplies aboard and were ready to go.

 Maripi packed and ready to go 

We then wait for the Wide Bay Bar to be suitable for crossing: less than 2m swells and preferably less than 1.7m.  And we wait.  Willy Weather says the swells are at 3 metres on the Thursday and then start to slacken off.  Finally on Tuesday 24 April, the forecast swells are down to about 2 metres and there is the favourable morning high tide. The winds are northerlies so we will most likely have to motor but it is our window to leave.  We decide to leave at noon on Monday using the outgoing tide around the bottom of Bribie and a 20 hour trip to the Wide Bay Bar over night to arrive at sun up to get the last half of the incoming tide.

  

Newport to Wide Bay Bar

We leave as planned at 12 noon and the first part of our journey out of Moreton Bay is pleasant enough.   As usual, the wind was coming from where we want to go – a north-easterly so we motor out of the Bay.  

 Scarborough in the distance 

Once we get off Caloundra the easterly swells started to build and the wind becomes more northerly.  We have the headsail up and one motor on doing about 4.5 knots – slow! 

 Can you make out the Glasshouse Mountains?

The wind comes up as we are off Mooloolaba and we drop the headsail as the wind is coming from the north, directly where we were going.  We put the radar on and dodge some anchored commercial vessels and avoid a car carrier coming into anchor to pick up a pilot for the entry into Brisbane.  

We are off Noosa by 2230 and the swells and chop are quite rough.  Robyn comes on watch at 0130 and by 0330 and we approach Double Island Point still under motor.  When the wind went around to the west, Robyn had the headsail out for a while.  The wind and swell calmed down a bit and we arrive at the first way point for the Wide Bay Bar crossing just as the sun comes up at 0600.  The swell was still around 2 metres but quite regular.  

The Wide Bay Bar is a dog leg crossing where we head straight towards Fraser Island for about a mile then turn 50 degrees and travel for another mile with the beach on one side(starboard) and the sandbank with breaking water on the seaward (port) side. There are breakers on both sides of us on the first leg in also. The swell is directly behind us and we surf some swells and see 11 knots momentarily on the GPS.  From Waypoint 2 to Waypoint 3 (the Mad Mile) it is quite rough as we travel parallel with the breakers on our port side.  We did not feel unsafe and Maripi is a very seaworthy boat but we are glad to reach waypoint 3 and turn away from the swell and breakers and head between Fraser Island and Inskip Point.  

We are the first vessel making an inwards bar crossing that morning and we signed on with Coast Guard Tin Can Bay. 

Finally the waters start to calm down as we are opposite Inskip Point.  We enter the Great Sandy Straits and anchor at The Bluff.  Maureen and Barry our friends from Spirit of Kalahari had anchored and wait for us there overnight.   It is great to see them and we enjoy tea, coffee and some homemade date loaf on board Maripi.   

After about an hour, we depart The Bluff for Kauri Creek which is quite close to Inskip Point. Maureen and Barry continue on to Tin Can Bay. 

Robyn navigates us across the very shallow entrance into Kauri Creek and pronounces that Kauri Creek has not changed in 25 years since she was there last.

We anchor about 0900, turned the motors off and go to sleep.

  Anchored in Kauri Creek