Woodwark Bay

We're anchored in Woodwark Bay, 7nm north of Airlie Beach and I think you may have to get us out of here with a shoehorn. For such short distance from Abel Point Marina, there's hardly anyone here, mostly longer term cruisers rather than speedy bare boat charterers. And it's peaceful and lovely.

We have local dolphins cruising around the boat and even 50m off the dingy when we went ashore yesterday. Tried our luck fishing (not for dolphins)...no luck...yet...

At the end of the bay, there are some houses which apparently use to be a set for a series called "Tales of the South Seas"  in the 1996/97 but which has now been turned into luxury accommodation. It can be yours for $4400 a night for a couple.

We think we'll move tomorrow...maybe....

Hill Inlet and Whitehaven Beach

Possibly the most famous location in the Whitsundays and for good reason - it's spectacular! We anchored in nearby Tongue Bay thinking it would be a quiet anchorage before heading to the beach the following day. Not so, I think every backpacker dive/sightseeing boat was anchored there when we arrived and then when the day trippers left, the overnight backpacker dive boats arrived and they were huge.

Having said that it was a nice anchorage and a convenient place to stop to head to the look out or to the beach. I really think the  view to Hill Inlet is hard to beat.

Scott even had to perform a "rescue" from one of the backpacker tenders had a motor failure. But it was so windy and with only 3.3hp on our outboard trying to tow a bigger heavy tender, they couldn't get too far and other help was called for.

Distance travelled recap

Ok we now have reliable internet for a few days so I'll be able to get to updated .....first lets go to the statistics.....

Distance travelled from Lake Macquarie to Hamilton Island: 955nm
Number of crew: 2 until Coffs Harbour. "Dangerous Cargo" taken on board in Coffs - 3 crew
Number of days sailing/motoring: 15
Number of Port/Anchorages: 12
Average swell: 2m
Average winds: North 10kts
Days in safe anchorages due to high winds (>30kts SE): 4
Number of overnight passages: 3
Watch times: 2-3 hrs each
Heavy weather passages: 3
Whales: 1 (4 breaches)
Extreme dolphin session off the bow: 2
Seasnakes: 1 BIG snake on it's way to Hayman Island
Turtles: many
Fish caught: Will leave this stat to the crew
Buzz by Coast Watch Patrols: 1
Bar crossings: 3
Number of tankers: 25
Best investments: New chartplotter at helm, radar at night and in storms, AIS for tanker alerts
Mishaps: 1 failed battery at Coffs Harbour
Favorite places: Great Sandy Straits (otherwise known as "the back passage"), Scawfell Bay, Pancake Creek Bay, South Percy Island
Amount of beers, wine and food consumed: heaps!
Scrabble score: 2 games all (decider pending)

Samaya has exceeded our expectations for comfort, performance and safety.

Detailed trip record (nm).
Swansea to Broughton Island 36.3nm
Broughton Island to Coffs Harbour (1 overnight passage) 153nm
Coffs Harbour to Mooloolaba (2 overnight passages) 238nm
Mooloolaba to Tin Can Bay (Fraser Is) 60.5nm
Tin Can Bay (Fraser Is) through the Great Sandy Strait to Moon Island 40nm
Moon Island to Pancake Creek Bay (leaving anchor at midnight) 102nm
Pancake Creek Bay to Rossyln Bay (Yeppoon) 73.4nm
Rossyln Bay (Yeppoon) to Pearl Bay 47.1nm
Pearl Bay to Percy Island (South) 50.5nm
Percy Island (South) to Scawfell island 69.6nm
Scawfell island to Butterfly Bay (Whitsunday Island) 62.0nm
Butterfly Bay to Hamilton Island 22.8nm

Butterfly Bay to Hamilton Island - Mission Accomplished!

 One of the shortest legs of the trip so far, at 22nm. For the first time in 3 weeks we were able to have a leisurely cruise towards our lunch stop of Cid Harbour (north of Hamilton Island) before heading towards the Marina berth in amongst the super yachts.

Here's to our able crew "Dangerous Cargo"

samaya and friend

samaya next to the salubrious Yacht Club

Scawfell Island to Butterfly Bay

As we were well and truly among the Whitsunday Islands, we were able to travel past many of the islands towards Butterfly Bay on the north of hook island for a well deserved rest stop before heading to Hamilton Island.

In the early evening we we treated to a visit of (what we think) was a batfish, the size of a dinner plate which cruised around beneath the boat.

yes - it's a fish

The next day we spent doing what you do in the islands....reading, swimming and snorkelling.

South Percy to Scawfell Island

Another long day's overall uneventful motorsailing highlighted by another dolphin visit on the bow of the boat. We think these were Common Dolphins which were smaller than the Bottlenose Dolphins we had seen a few days earlier. Delightful as always.

Scawfell was voted the best anchorage so far by skipper and crew despite the cruising guide only listing it as a "stop off" anchorage. It seems to be a favourite anchorage for commercial and recreational fishers. We arrived late in the afternoon so another visit here is on the agenda.

Pearl Bay to South Percy Island

A full day of motorsailing to reach South Percy Island. The weather was improving slowly with the swell subsiding. The highlight of today's passage was being buzzed by a coastal patrol plane and being asked to identified ourselves and the last port and next planned port.

Coastal Patrol (wb)

South Percy turned out to be a pleasant surprise. The cruising guides only mention it as a stop off on the way north but it was another pretty anchorage and well worth a return visit.

South Percy Island (wb)