Back home again

All too quickly, the time came to head back to home base at Mooloolaba.  We had a weather window between troughs, so took it last week (Friday 28^th September).

Wide Bay Bar from Inskip Point

 

Crossing the bar on sunrise

 

We crossed the Wide Bay Bar just as the sun was coming up – speccy!  The forecast northerlies didn’t kick in till about 11am, so we used the iron sail for the first few hours. We had the best trip!  The wind picked up a notch off Noosa so we reduced sail and were still skipping along averaging 7-8 knots!

Our welcoming committee off the Mooloolah River mouth at 2.15 was a pod of whales, breaching, fin waving and generally enjoying the choppy conditions!  AWESOME!!

 

 Off Noosa

 

 Fin waving off Mooloolaba

 

This little fellow was just off the Mooloolah River mouth

 

Now it’s unpack the boat and secure her for a few months while Greg heads off on his next adventure – helping his mate sail a 76 year old wooden mono from Gove to Tin Can Bay later this month.

Still in the Straits

We spent an enjoyable couple of days with other friends from the SunnyCoast, Ivan and Carol, in late August. We even had enough wind coming from the right direction to sail so we headed for Garrys. The fish wouldn’t co-operate no matter how many lures the guys threw at them!  

Greg & Ivan about to set the crab pots

 

When they left, we headed to exploring Teebar creek, not far from Tin Can Bay, for a week.  The fish there are also few and far between – only the little ones are left though I did manage to out fish Greg at one stage! When I caught my fourth fish for the day, he was ready to throw me overboard though the tiny hardyhead that was smaller than my lure doesn’t count!

 

Glass out in Tin Can Inlet - not a good day for sailing!

 

Entering Teebar Creek

 Anyone can catch big fish!

 Greedy little thing!

 

The birds are everywhere – photographing them is a challenge though some of them have posed for me.

 Brahminy Kite

Spoonbills

 

 Whistling Kite

 

This huge porker appeared on the beach up from the anchorage on low tide - the first time we've seen a feral pig in the Straits.

Feral pig at Teebar Creek

The weather is doing its usual thing – beautiful for about 4-5 days, then windy for a couple of days, before turning perfect again!  The mornings are still chilly but the days are just to die for.  The sunsets have also been turning it on for us!  Magic!  A very speccy place to spend a bit of time!

 

Sunset at Smooger Pt, off Tin Can Bay

Playing in the Sandy Straits

We’ve had a very sociable couple of weeks in the Straits, firstly with Ross Cooke, and then with our cousins, Kathy and Nev Lord, who live at Tin Can Bay. We took them to one of our favorite spots in the Straits, Garrys Anchorage, for a couple of days.  Kathy loves fishing and had a line in the water most of the time.  However, the fish just wouldn’t co-operate.  She did manage to land a small whiting that was only marginally larger than her lure! 

Garrys Anchorage

 Kathy fishing

 Nev fishing

Greg had more luck though and fed us all with the 67cm flathead he caught! The crabs were around but all too small or female though we did manage to catch a couple of legal sand crabs for lunch on their last day with us.

Greg's flathead

When they left, we contact Sunny Coast friends, Gabriella and Peter, who came up for an overnighter last weekend.  Their very excited young 7 year old son, Ruben, had a ball especially when sitting in the helm seat while we were sailing down Tin Can Inlet!

 Greg with Gabriella, Peter and Ruben

With the school holidays coming up shortly, we’re hoping to lure our son and his family here too!

Underway at last

We finally cut the tap root and left the pontoon at Mooloolaba on the 6^th August.  With our sailing mate, Ross Cooke, on board, we had an excellent sail most of the way north to Double Island Point.  The wind decided to die about an hour south, so we ended up motoring the last little way.  We tucked under the Point in Wide Bay, found a nice calm anchorage and toasted RA as he sank below the horizon!

Approaching Double Island Point

Our first whale of the season off Double Island Point

 Greg on watch as we rounded the Point

 A beautiful and calm anchorage under the Point

 Speccy sand blows

 Sunset over Rainbow Beach

The next day, we crossed the Wide Bay Bar via Fisherman’s Gutter, our first time using this route.  The water was so calm there were no breaking waves on the entire bar - the calmest we’ve ever seen it!

Ross Cooke on the helm

We’ll spend the next 6-8 weeks playing in the Sandy Straits visiting old haunts and exploring new ones.

On the move again

Time for a haul out in preparation for this year’s cruising season!  We safely exited the Mooloolah River past dredges, workboats, sandbars and paddle boarders before motor-sailing to the southern end of Bribie Is for the night.  Absolutely beautiful weather for boating – motor boats that is. Not enough wind for sailing!

The Glasshouse Mts off Caloundra

.

Sunrise off South Point

 
We overnighted off South Point at the southern end of Bribie Island before heading to the Caboolture River on the tide the following afternoon. 

These guys kept an eye on us as we entered the river

Early morning in the mouth of the Caboolture River

We're currently anchored opposite the boat ramp in the mouth waiting for the tide to take us upstream to Monty’s for our haul out tomorrow afternoon. Then the work will really start! In the meantime, we’re relaxing while we can.