Day 41 to 47 - Seawind Whitsunday Rally 2015

The annual Seawind Whitsunday Rally is an opportunity for Seawind owners (and those contemplating purchasing a Seawind) to get together and share some great sailing and some great social interaction. This year we had seven boats - two 1250's, three 1160's and two 1000's (us and Eclipse - a 1997 stayer). The Rally includes a daily 'race' that takes you around the highlights of the Whitsundays, an ashore activity that pits crew against crew, and plenty of opportunity to join other crews aboard their  boats for drinks or a meal.

This was our first Whitsunday rally and we had Graeme Nolan (ex-Seawind and activity organiser along with Steve Austin) and Lisa Kidd (marketing - Multihull Central) join us on the boat. Graeme is an extremely experienced cat sailor having built and sailed his own boat around the world whilst Lisa is relatively new to the whole sailing thing. They were great company and really added to our enjoyment of the whole event.

Double Fun working to windward (DS)

Rainy Day Colour

Following a 'meet and greet' function at Sorrento's (Abell Point Marina) the crews retired for an 'early' night to prepare for the challenges of the next week. Next morning the fleet headed off for 'Race' 1 - Airlie Beach to Sawmill Beach (Cid Harbour). It soon became very clear who was taking the racing seriously! Unfortunately the wind gods must have caught pneumonia or suffer from asthma as the wind died before the race was completed but we still managed to get an official finish.

The Double Fun Hawaiian Ensemble

After anchoring the boats off Sawmill Beach we all went ashore for drinks and had our first onshore activity - a sand crafting competition. This was also linked to a Hawaiian dress competition. Double Fun did well in the sand crafting and managed to take out the Hawaiian dress competition - not bad considering I used items from my normal wardrobe (maybe this is not a good thing??).

Merman

Next morning saw us all assembling for the next 'race' to Shaw Island. Needless to say, the winds were fickle and we had a late start and early finish with a much shortened course. While this was disappointing, I think everyone learned a bit about the vagaries of tacking angles when you are in a strong tidal flow - essential knowledge if you plan to do much sailing in the Whitsundays.

Graeme being a whisker pole

Seawind Troops coming ashore at Shaw Island (DS)

Shaw Island Dawn (DS)

Eclipse overtaking in the fast lane.

The next day we had a great race from Shaw Island to Solway Passage. The breeze was fresh and the sun even shone (at times). Despite getting a great start, Double Fun suffered the ignominy of being passed rather convincingly by Eclipse. Not sure what Lloyd and Wayne were feeding the old girl but she really got up and flew! I was tempted to call in the stewards but thought better of it.

Eclipse in front

Solway Lass - Tongue Bay

Once the fleet had assembled ashore at Whitehaven we had a beach cricket contest followed by a blind dinghy rowing contest (the less said about either activity the better!!). The anchorage was rather rolly so Double Fun, in the interests of keeping the Admiral happy, motored up to Tongue Bay. It was much calmer up there and I was able to take Lisa ashore next morning for a quick visit to the lookout and the Inlet. She also had a snorkel on the Tongue Bay reef and saw some great coral despite the murky waters.

Tame Bat Fish - Blue Pearl Bay

The next day dawned with beautiful sunny skies but absolutely no wind. After several delays and much debate the race was abandoned and the fleet motored up to Butterfly Bay. At Graeme's suggestion Double Fun carried on to Blue Pearl Bay for a bit of snorkelling. It is truly a magic place with clear water, tons of tame fish and some excellent coral. Cath and I have filed this one away as a 'must return' with wetsuits and camera.

On returning to Butterfly Bay we found all the moorings occupied so moved to Maureen's Cove for the evening. It is a lovely spot with excellent coral so Lisa went for yet another snorkel and really enjoyed it.

The next day was very much a mixed bag. Despite some misgivings from the fleet the race commenced on time and we all headed south to Bauer Bay, South Molle Island. The breeze built as the day progressed and it turned out to be an outstanding sail, albeit against the tide, with several boats finding that their tacks just didn't seem to be getting them any closer to the finish line. Several of us tried using VMG to key waypoints to assist but it did not work for us and we ended up coming in fourth.

South Molle Resort

There is a resort on South Molle that had definitely seen better days. Most of it is decaying but a small portion has been kept going for a backpacker tourist venture that mixes nights on a sailing cat with time at the resort. I wish them luck in keeping it viable! There are several good walks on South Molle but we decided to defer doing them until the next visit. That evening we were invited aboard Nimrod for a lovely meal and great company. Nimrod's crew of four included three psychiatrists and a GP so there was plenty of shop talk other than sailing.

Pair of Bush Stone Curlews - South Molle

The final day saw us racing from Bauer Bay to the southern part of Dent Passage. Double Fun had an outstanding start (if I may say so myself) and we lead the fleet for 90+ percent of the race. Unfortunately I cut things a bit fine coming around the bottom of Dent Island and Nimrod (1160) was able to sneak in front with a few hundred yards to the finish. That gave us a second across the line and our second handicap win. All in all it was a great day on the water.

Pentacost Island

Presentation Night - Hamo (DS)

Cath in uniform - One Tree Hill (DS)

The fleet assembled at Hamo Marina and the Rally formally finished with a great meal at Sails restaurant. The presentations were casual and everyone had an opportunity to bag their colleagues in other boats. Double Fun ended up coming third in the regatta - the first SW1000 so we were pretty happy with the outcome.

All in all it was a great experience and one that I would recommend to any Seawind owner who can get their boat up here (or even charter one if they cannot). I certainly learned heaps about sailing the boat and met some really great people.

(I am indebted to Dave Straton for the photographs marked as 'DS' - he is an outstanding sailor and great photographer)

Day 39 to 40 - Abell Point Marina

The weather remained pretty average for the next few days with rain squalls and strong winds. Clearly the weather gods do not read the tourist literature as this is meant to be the time of year when the sun shines, the breezes are gentle and one can do nothing better than sit outside and work on the tan. Must the be the bloody politicians! They just can't get anything right these days!

We used the time to clean the boat and do some essential maintenance not to mention shopping for the Rally. I also used the time for some daily teleconferences on several work matters.

The tides at Airlie are not enormous but they are certainly sufficient to beach a large cat and work on the hull as we witnessed one day at Shingley Beach near the marina. If only we could do it that easily on Lake Macquarie!

Day 35 to 38 - Abell Point Marina & Airlie Beach

The weather is as bad as predicted and it would not be too much fun hanging off a pick in most of the anchorages with two little girls getting cabin fever. ben and Nikki walked them into town along the excellent boardwalk and they discovered some great playgrounds and the lagoon. On returning to the boat they caught up with a relative and her son. They have lived in Airlie for some time and love it.

That evening we headed off to the local Hog's Breath Cafe. As members of the Shag Islet Cruising Yacht Club (aka 'Shaggers') we get a discount and they are major sponsors of the Club.

How dare they!

It was the first time that we had taken the girls out for a dinner and all in all it went very well. I did get to see many of the local sights carrying one or the other of the girls when they needed 'time out' but hey, that is what granpa's are for!

Happy Campers at Hog's Breath

Unfortunately time ran out for the visitors and it was time to fly back to Sydney. We had initially planned to sail across to Hamo but the conditions were still pretty rough and none of us wanted the girls to end the holiday on a low with sea sickness etc. The decision to take the ferry across was an easy one and proved to be prudent as it was quick and relatively smooth.

Cath and I found the boat rather empty without the joyous laughter and giggling of the girls but there was enough work to be done preparing for the next activity - The Seawind Whitsunday Rally - to keep us fully occupied.

Craft on the boat - Painting a Yacht of course!

Day 34 - Brisk Sail to Airlie Beach

Unfortunately the forecast was looking pretty terrible with rain and strong winds for the next few days. Rather than run the risk of getting hammered when returning to Hamo we decided to sail across to Airlie Beach so that the girls could get ashore and explore the great parks and playgrounds along the Airlie beachfront. Ben and Nikki were also hoping to catch up with some relatives who live locally.

After a lovely quiet night we awoke to strong winds and rising seas. To help make up for this we saw our first (and so far, only) dugong. It was quite close but did not hang around for a photo.

We hoisted a double reefed main and headed off to Airlie via Hook Passage. With the wind behind us we were really honking but the traffic heading the other way wasn't having any where near as much fun! After seeing the keels on a rather large charter cat launch out of a wave we were not too surprised to see him do a 180 degree turn and high tail it back to the passage. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall during that discussion!

The trip across Whitsunday Passage was moderately rough and vindicated our decision to go early rather than wait for things to really build. Unfortunately the girls were a bit green around the gills and Tamara was not a happy camper for much of the trip. i now know where they get the model for 'Grumpy Cat' - she really fixed me with a laser-like stare and there was no doubt that I was being held personally responsible for her misery!

Needless to say the folks at Abell Point Marina were outstanding and we got a great berth away from the masses but close to the amenities. We finished the day off with a baked lamb dinner.

Day 33 - Tongue Bay & Hill Inlet

The weather is finally being nice to us! We had a great motor sail around to Tongue Bay to find everyone and his/er dog had a similar idea. It appears that the tourist operators have finally realised that the money is at Hill Inlet rather than the southern end of Whitehaven Beach.

We anchored amongst the masses and quickly went ashore to check out the lookout and the Inlet. The  tide was high and the views from the lookout were spectacular - every bit as good as the tourist posters. We had a great paddle in the Inlet seeing plenty of small stingrays and other wildlife in and around the lagoons. There were two catamarans anchored in the Inlet behind the large sand spit.

Hill Inlet from lookout.

We returned to the boat for lunch to find ourselves virtually surrounded by turtles. They are easy to see and you can hear them exhaling when they come to the surface. Amazing to see so many!

Later we decided to go ashore on the falling tide to see another side of the Inlet. It really is quite different as the sand flats become enormous. What was really interesting was the amazing wave patterns in the drying sand - so many different patterns going in different directions. Hey Tim - want to do another PhD?


The only down side to the day was getting the dinghy back to the boat - there is just so much coral along the beach that it becomes a real challenge when the tide goes out. No harm done so just another one of life's little experiences!

Dead trees - small lagoon off Hill Inlet

Ben spending quality time with family.

Patterns in the sand - Hill Inlet

Day 31 & 32 - Caves Cove & Butterfly Bay (Hook Island)

As we transited around the western side of Hook Island we came upon Caves Cove which is just before Stonehaven. The skipper decided that all the moorings at Stonehaven were likely to be occupied and as there was one free at Caves, why not take it for the night? I can now answer that question! Because hanging off a bloody great mooring buoy in a wind on tide situation does not lend itself to a very settled night! Ben and I were up most of the night trying to figure out how to tame the beast that sounded as though it was going to batter the hull to pieces. Needless to say, the two princesses slept right through the whole thing (I mean there kids not our respective partners - they had a rough night as well).

Next morning we decided to bypass Stonehaven and head straight to Butterfly Bay. Needless to say we noted some empty moorings on the way!

Finally in the water

Butterfly Bay was much more pleasant with calm seas and much better behaved buoys. We explored a few beaches but decided not to snorkel as the visability was pretty average.

Day 29 & 30 - Hamilton Island to Sawmill Bay, Cid Harbour.

Checking out the ocean wildlife.

Monday morning saw us cast off our lines and sail up to Cid Harbour. After doing such long legs on the way up, you forget that the distances between anchorages in the Whitsundays are all relatively short. In less than an hour and a half we were safely anchored at Sawmill Bay along with several other yachts. Our paths had already crossed with several of them and it was nice to catch up and exchange news.

The New Crew

Sawmill Beach has a National Parks toilet and picnic facility that looks relatively new. There are also some memorials for CAPT Cook in recognition of his exploration of the region. Two walking tracks start at Sawmill Beach - an easy one to Dugong Beach and a more challenging one to Whitsunday Peak. We did the the easy one as a group and the kids loved wandering through the forest.

Bush Stone Curlew

After setting ourselves up on one of the picnic tables we suddenly noticed that there was a bush stone curlew standing in the scrub a few feet from us. He seemed entirely unconcerned about our presence.

Ben opening coconut

Tamara getting ready for Sundowners

Ben reading to Tamara.

Tamara & Hayley

The following day Cath and I scored the baby sitting duties while Ben and Nikki headed off to do the peak (along with a boat load of Hamo Island staff on their day off). We had a great time exploring the beach and collecting 'treasures' while Ben & Nikki were rewarded with some outstanding views from the peak.

Yet another tropical sunset.

The day was finished off by the Ben & Nikki clan having a swim off the back of the boat.


Needless to say we then introduced them to the obligatory 'Sundowners'.

Day 27 & 28 - Airlie Beach to Hamilton Island Marina

Provisioning completed, we decided to sail across to Hamo in preparation for the arrival of eldest son, Ben, his wife Nikki and our two grand daughters - Hayley (2 1/2 y.o.) and Tamara (15/12 old). They are planning a 10 day holiday with us on the boat if both parties can survive the challenges that this might pose.

We learned a valuable lesson on the trip across to Hamo. The experts are not kidding when they say that picking the tide is a vital bit of navigation planning in the Whitsundays! We had very little wind and what we had was on the nose for the whole trip. This, coupled with up to 2 kts of tidal flow against us, made for a frustratingly slow trip. To cap off the day I had the pleasure of dismantling the Jabsco electric toilet and fitting the service kit. Like most repair jobs on a boat it seemed a bit daunting at first but turned out to be pretty straight forward and the repair worked fine.

The less unsavoury innards of the toilet.

Hamilton Island Marina is efficient and functional but did lack that more personal touch that we so much appreciated at Abell Point. The fees were also double the SICYC discounted rate at Abell but you do get full access to all the island's facilities such as resort swimming pools etc.

The family arrived on schedule and we spent the afternoon at one of the resort pools. While there we ran into an old Army doctor friend and his wife who were attending a conference. It was great to catch up for a quick chat.

Day 25 & 26 - Abell Point Marina

Thursday and Friday were taken up with re-provisioning and trying to find a service kit for our Jabsco electric toilet. Abell Point Marina has a free courtesy car that can be booked for 1.5 hours. It is a very nice, new Hi-Lux 4WD ute. Shag Islet Cruising Yacht Club (SICYC - aka 'Shaggers') also has two courtesy vehicles that can be booked for 3 hours. They are ex-taxis with over 570,000km on the clock but work just fine. Between them we were able to get our shopping done and eventually track down the service kit. The local Home Hardware store in Cannonvale has a massive boating section with a very impressive range of spare parts.

On Friday Pete left us to return to his home, family and own boat. It was sad to see him go - he is a great friend, a great sailor and a mean hand in the galley. While Cath and I could have done the trip on our own, having Pete with us made for a much faster and safer passage. We hope that he gets to do the trip again on his own boat.