Sailing Log Week 5 – Airlie Beach to Townsville

Sailing Log Week 5 – Airlie Beach to Townsville

This week was the fifth week I've lived on a sailboat and sailed the east coast of Australia.

We were finally ready to head north and leave the Whitsunday Islands behind us.

Airlie Beach to Double Bay

Our first anchorage was Double Bay, just a few hours sailing Airlie Beach. We set off early on a crystal clear, calm morning.

We had a decent 15 knots of wind off our stern with almost no swell. This made it a comfortable sail around the headlands and into Double Bay.

Double Bay Wildlife

We had heard that there was a lot of wildlife in the waters of Double Bay. This was immediately confirmed when we spotted a pod of harbor porpoises frolicking at the entrance to the bay.

We anchored just after midday and simply took time to relax and unwind in the secluded anchorage. Again we were the only boat in sight.

In the afternoon we spotted more wildlife including sharks, some turtles and huge eagles flying overhead.

Double Bay to Gloucester Island

The second day of sailing was another short detour to Gloucester Passage. Our plan was to anchor either directly off Gloucester Island or in front of Montes Resort.

Due to increasing winds, we opted for the latter, which offered a little more protection for the overnight stay. Although there wasn't much to explore, it was another beautiful place. We explored the beaches and cruised the bay in our tender.
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Gloucester Island to Cape Upstart

We decided that Bowen wasn't really a place we wanted to check out. Instead we decided to do a longer sprint past Bowen and into Cape Upstart.

For the long journey of around 10 hours we set off at 3.30am and sailed into strong winds and big seas. Although it felt a bit rough in the pitch black environment, it was nothing compared to what awaited us the next day.

Watching the sunrise over the water was pretty spectacular.

A few hours later, after losing a huge Spanish mackerel on a towline, we sailed past the Abbott Point coal loading facility. It was strange to see it in person, especially after reading so much about the controversy surrounding Adani's new coal train lines in the area.
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Cape upstart

We finally arrived in Cape Upstart in the early afternoon. The wind had picked up even more so we decided to sail deeper into the cape towards the mainland in the hope of better protection.

For those sailing and looking for an anchorage, I would strongly recommend choosing one closer to the Cape. As you sail inland, the hills become more exposed and the waters less attractive.

Cape Upstart to Cape Bowling Green

What a day. Another early departure for a planned 10 hour layover from Cape Upstart to Cape Bowling Green.

Bad weather

As we sailed out of the sheltered waters of the bay, the winds quickly increased to up to 30 knots as the swell increased. Rolling became uncomfortable so we had to cruise out to sea to avoid the waves breaking on the beam.

As the winds continued to increase and the waves grew higher, we continued our tack with a single reefed forward sail.

Towards the end of a wild run we still had the narrow, shifting sandbars just off Cape Bowling Green. This area is known as a rough place for sailors, complete with a 3500 ton wreck just off the spit.

Still, we pressed on, surfing down 10-foot waves while 30-knot gales pushed us from behind. We managed to reach a top speed of 10.6 knots with just half a sail on a single mast. Not bad for a heavy steel motor glider.

Cape Bowling Green Anchorage

After eight hours, just when we thought we would find a peaceful refuge from the harsh weather, we were hit by a sharp turn straight into the gale force winds heading into Cape Bowling Green.

The entire bay is completely flat and offers absolutely no protection from the wind from any direction. We saw a few trawlers raiding just inside the cape but decided against joining them as it didn't look too fun in the swell.

Instead, we sailed into the wind for almost two hours until we finally tried to anchor.

It took seven attempts to get the anchor to hold. Unfortunately, the mud in Cape Bowling Green just wasn't suitable for the strong winds.

Since we were exhausted and there were no boats or obstacles for miles in any direction from us, we simply put out most of our chains and took turns keeping watch so we didn't drag too far during the night.

The next morning we had trudged over a kilometer across the bay. We also discovered that the forward mast had some structural damage from the rough seas the day before and needed repairs.

Nevertheless we were all safe, Townsville was only a few hours sailing away and the conditions were a refreshing contrast to the previous day.

Cape Bowling Green to Townsville

It was a gentle ride to Townsville. We had gentle winds with almost no waves and only occasional clouds.
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We were hoping that once we arrived in Townsville we could head to Magnetic Island and enjoy our well-deserved time on the island. Instead we were forced to book a slip at the Townsville shipyard to carry out some quick welding repairs on the forward mast.

It looks like the next week will most likely be spent doing repairs and maintenance once Malaika is out of the water.

We can't always have calm weather, beautiful tropical waters and pristine islands. Sometimes we are faced with the storm and inevitable repairs or maintenance. It's a bit like life. Discomfort is a state in which growth thrives and what we learn from our difficulties shapes us.

So, as the famous Marine saying goes;

Smooth seas have never produced a skilled sailor.







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