February 2004 Archives

We hope to take Te Moana north to Queensland later this year. So it seems logical to start with some books to help us do our planning and of course, anticipation is two thirds the fun.

So here are four guides which have been recommended by our friends at the RPAYC:

Cruising the Coral Coast by Alan Lucas ISBN 0-9581768-0-9
This guide is currently in its 8th edition (2003). Alan Lucas is highly regarded by the Australian cruising community for this and other cruising guides on Australia. Of course, for one guide to cover the entire coast of Queensland with its countless islands, the Great Barrier Reef and well renowned shallows is a greater challenge than even Alan Lucas can pull off. It was inevitable that some detail is missing. Some of this detail is filled in by the other well known guides for individual parts of the Queensland coast.

The Beacon to Beacon Directory by Maritime Safety Queensland (ISBN 0 73452531 1) 5th Edition (December 2002).
This covers the area from the NSW border to Bundaberg. It uses unusual but effective metaphore of a Road map or rather the Australian concept of a Street Directory to show how to navigate the area. The maps are clear and a terrific range of photographs of popular anchorages accompany the maps. No commentary or recommendations, but good solid information on how to find your way around coastal areas.

Curtis Coast by Noel Patrick (ISBN 1 86252 7377) Revised and reprinted 2003.
The latest edition of a guide first piblished in 1986 by a well regarded local sailor, updated and published by his daughter, Lynne Kornbrekke. It covers the area from Bundaberg to Mackay. Lots of detailed local maps and beautiful recent aerial photography sets this guide apart. A well organised layout and commentary makes it easy to use as a reference.

100 Magic Miles by David Colfelt (ISBN 0 9586989 1 0) 6th edition 2000.
This is the classic guide for those visiting the Whitsunday Islands. The islands covered are off the Queensland coast from MacKay to Bowen. This is the accepted standard for anyone cruising the Whitsundays. It has loads of information and accurate descriptions of passages and anchorages. Its reputation is well earned and a must for anyone sailing that area.

So, there we are. Some good books to use for our planning and use through the trip. Out of the above guides, I have used "100 Magic Miles" while on a various charter trips in the Whitsundays, the others are recommendations from respected friends/authorities. Anyone cruising the Queensland coast would do well to have these references at hand.

The logical place in Australia to buy any of these guides is Boat Books

Especially for John Bedogni from "Tres Bien", here are some pictures of Te Moana's bridle . For picking up a mooring buoy, we have a line which is secured to the cleat next to the anchor winch and a clip at the other end (bottom two pictures). We pick up the buoy and clip the line to it. The boat is now secure and we can take our time to attach the bridle to the buoy.

Enjoyed a sail with friends on Sunday. The weather was similar to last weekend and we went out of Broken Bay to cool down and take advantage of the calm conditions. I never pulled out my camera, partially because I was more focussed on interacting with our guests rather than recording the day for posterity. Anyway, it was a very relaxing day with excellent company.

After coming back to the marina to drop everyone off, we went over to Towlers Bay overnight. Working in North Sydney, it makes more sense to go there direct on Monday morning rather than go home in the Mountains on Sunday. So, after a quiet night on a mooring (plenty of choice spots on Sunday nights), we set off, back to the Alfred at daybreak.

Along the way, there was that moment of hesitation though... With the sun just peeking over the Peninsula, with Pittwater all to ourselves, having a long weekend seemed a very attractive option. Ahh... back next weekend.

Saturday was another one of those broody February days. Temperature in the mid thirties (C), a gentle southwesterly wind after a weak southerly change overnight. My first weekend sail after spending much of my time in the Nothern winter this year.

Joy and I made one of our beter decisions by heading offshore rather than to Cowan Creek which had been our original plan. While at other times we might have been frustrated by the lack of wind (it didn't get over 10 knots), all we cared about was enough breeze to cool us down. The boat sailed itself (with only a little help from the Autopilot), occasionally breaking 3 knots. As we passed Maitland Bay, I got my camera out for a few shots (eat your heart out, Peter Sherwood). But that was as energetic as we got. In the shade of the sails, with a gentle breeze cooled by the ocean water, we were in the best spot in the world...