Getting closer

Hi Benn, indeed it's nice to be back on board though we did have a great 2 months in WA with a week in Melbourne on the way home. Going to spend a week in Mooloolaba then head for Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Been a bit wet and windy!!

Left Mooloolaba this morning for Myora then onto Raby Bay tomorrow for 4 weeks. Was a very bumpy trip with winds gusting over 30 knots and a lumpy and confused seas. I though Bluechip was a submarine there was so much spray around! Ended up taking us 6 hours for the trip with the only casualties being the boat hook and the doormat which were both washed overboard! Lovely in here now and a few good showers have washed most of the salt off!

Andrew, may I call you Andrew, seeing Benn has outed you...anyway...did you come into the bay at the top, or brave the point Lookout bar off Amity, (like the fishing trawlers, i.e. true trawlers), and come in there, seeing you ended up at Myora..?

Why I ask is the last time we came down from Tangalooma, Myora was a bit of a detour, so we thought we'd be smart and instead of looping down near Peel Island, we thought we would take a 'short cut', and try the Rous Channel. But it proved so circuitous, it ended up even more of a detour, so we crossed that off any future travel route list.

Hi Peter, we headed straight from Mooloolaba to the top of Moreton and then ran down the west coast hoping for some shelter from the wind but no joy as it was southerly all the way and the infamous chop was not much fun! We were heading for The Gutter but it was blown out so around to Myora for a very late breakfast! Boat handled it all well though not our preferred weather for boating!

Pete
The Rous Channel does give a scenic tour .... of sand bars. I use it a bit and try to time the tide but because it is circuitous as you say you always have tide against you somewhere along it. For high tide the west end of Rous is 45 minutes behind Amity. At low tide it is 60 minutes behind. Amazing really as its not that far distance-wise.

Its the South Passage Bar that connects Moreton Bay at Amity Point to the ocean. No bars any where near Point Lookout. When living on Straddie in the mid 80's I crossed the South Passage Bar many a time in trailer boats. But I also spent time looking for folks whose boat had overturned on the bar. That was when I was part of the Volunteer Marine Rescue. These days I would need a very good reason, and ideal conditions, to try and cross it in my current boat - its just too damn shallow, and the deeper sections move around a lot.

Hickers
Hope you enjoy Raby Bay. Robbie runs the marina there very well. And his diesel prices are about the best going around in this part of the world. I took on quite a bit of fuel there not so long ago, and paid 102 cents after the discount he had going at the time for newsletter subscribers.

Ask Robbie about Little Ships Club, at some point there was some tie-up with them and fuel discounts too. I was a member there years ago when living on Straddie, and the facilities on shore were pretty good even then. I have not made it back yet so not sure what they are like now. It is hard to find a spot to anchor at One Mile and then you have to dinghy to the club, but off-season it might be OK.

South Passage Bar. Yes, that's the name I couldn't bring down. And yes, I had me points a bit mixed up. Haven't spent a lot of time on Straddle - or Moreton Island for that matter. Mainly looking at them from the water really, so the geography is mostly out of sight.
Hickers, those Clipper 45s are lovely boats. If I was to win Lotto....ah well...dream on...

After few months in Moreton Bay and the Broadwater we start the trek north tomorrow from Marina Mirage to the Whitsundays and perhaps Townsville. First stop Horseshoe Bay, then Mooloolaba, Sandy Straits, and Pancake Creek should take of the next few weeks!
Clipper put in a cocktail party to display their new models however in spite of great food, wine and music we escaped without a new boat. (We did love the new pilot house 50 though)

Will be the last cocktail party for a while!



Hickers
Clipper 45
No Fixed Address

Mate,
Looks like a great departure party.
Enjoy the trip hope to catch up with you and Tamara further up the track later in the year.
Saw Waverley in Mooloolaba yesterday and Duncan said he was heading to Cairns this year so he will be on the Northern track.
Safe travels.
Benn & Gayle

Thanks Benn, we look forward to catching up after your European and Swains adventures. You can show us thru Townsville!!


Hickers
Clipper 45
No Fixed Address