Bunkered down in Pancake Creek

Since last Thursday or Friday (I forget), we've been in Pancake Creek, hiding from the 25-30kt southerlies and 3m seas. There are about 15 boats taking protection in here just now following wind warnings from the bureau.

Where's Pancake Creek, I hear you say? It's 30 miles ESE of Gladstone and 60 miles north of Bundaberg  under the lee of Bustard Head-Clews Point headland.

There is an inner and an outer anchorage. The outer one is easy to access, not as protected and seems alarmingly close to a breaking shoal in low tide. The inner one, where we are now, has to be accessed (by deep keelers like us) at higher tides, but is more protected. Both are subject to strong tidal streaming which can get a bit strange in high winds especially when you are pointing on the tide but sailing on the wind from behind on the anchor chain! Exposed sand banks are only 20-30m away on either side at low tide.

Samaya and near by sandbanks (low tide)

Oh, to help us feel secure at night, I set up an anchor alarm in case we drifted, only to sleep through it when it went off at 3am! As it turned out, we weren't drifting but we had moved around quite a bit. Fine tuning in anchor alarm setting required.

All in all it's a pretty place to be and we're trying not to climb the walls - reading, baking, blogging, net surfing, eating, napping and doing $2 puzzles from the Yeppoon Op shop. Haven't been to shore yet as we're reluctant to leave the boat in these strong winds and tides. Looks like we'll be here until Friday or Saturday before heading to Fraser Island and the Great Sandy Straits.

Sand sailing cart?

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

Pictorial Update - Pancake Creek Bay

This anchorage was an unexpected pleasure....true to Johnston ("man who attracts snakes") form, Scott and I went for a short walk on the headland rocks only to be greeted on the way back by a relieved Will letting us know that someone was airlifted out of the same headland area the day before from a suspected death adder bite!

Finally catching fish 

Anchorage north Moon Island to Pancake Creek Bay

A midnight start to make some milage across Hervey Bay past Bundaberg and then into a beautiful anchorage called Pancake Creek Bay. The highlight of this passage was seeing a nearby whale breaching about 3 time - absolutely spectacular!

Today was a rest day to wait out a strong wind situation that is currently along the Queensland coast. At the moment it shows no signs of abating. We're in a lovely Bay so touch base with land on the beach for a while, finally caught some fish for bait (ask the Skipper and crew about proscuitto and curried bread sometime!) and caught up reading and emails.