Sailing to Gold Coast, Days 5 & 6, Dec 4th / 5th

Wed 4th Dec.  We were allowed  to sleep in this morning – woke up at 4.30 am for a 5 am departure !!!  Today was going to be another long haul down the coast with less than ideal winds and currents, but at least we had all slept like logs in a yacht that hardly moved in the calm waters of Pancake Creek.  Sailing out around the headland of Bustard Head (Captain Cook anchored here…), we passed the lighthouse which had

helped to guide us in the night before, and then the town of 1770. (Yes, that is its name !!)   While the weather was perfect and the seas flat, unfortunately the wind was not only minimal but also dead ahead, so we had to motorsail (engine plus main sail) down the coast at about 4 -5 knots.  This was not enough speed to get us to the shallows behind Fraser Island on the high tide, and also get us across the later Bar at Double Island Point, but fortunately the weather turned a little more favourable in the afternoon and we had some great sailing which helped us catch up some time. 

So we (or rather Jamie !) had a decision to make.  Overnight in Bundaberg tonight and then just see how we get on the next day, knowing it was unlikely that we would get through in time, or should we sail round the outside of Fraser Island, so we didn’t have to contend with any shallows or bars ??  Wednesday today, we know there is a weather front due on Friday afternoon or evening, and we have to have a place to anchor if it is bad.  We also have to be able to get Neil to shore if we are delayed because he needs to get home as he has to go to work next Monday morning !!  Trouble is that if we sail round the outside of Fraser, it will mean an overnighter at sea, with a 36 hour leg to Mooloolaba.    We discussed it, agreed we had all had a

good nights sleep last night, so lets go for it !!   So we altered course, informed the Marine Watch, and headed out to sea to get around the north of Fraser.  (And Jamie had PROMISED not to take me out of sight of land !!!  He lied, the bars***d !!!!

Kept our eyes open for whales and other sights, but so far seen only sea birds and a couple of dolphins.  But the calm seas

made for easy sailing, even though we had to keep the motor running in order to maintain a reasonable speed that would enable us to reach our target.   Trolling lines were hung over the stern to see if we could catch some supper, and then Jamie gave Neil and I instructions for the life jackets and safety harnesses we would have to wear tonight, and how we would handle the night watches.  Once that was all done, the seas were calm enough for us to all play a bit of “Titanic” games up in the bow, while Roger kept us on course.  (“Roger” being the lovely autopilot,  who keeps us on the straight and narrow !!)

As darkness fell, we were well out to sea, and  I was off to cook supper – Again !!  Sausages, mash, onions and shirt-lifters tonight !!!  Oh, and gravy, of course !!  But no one told me about the angle of lean that Jamie and Neil were about to get on the

boat by using the sails, and as you can see from the photos of the cooker which is set on a gimbal, I was operating at quite an angle !!  Plates were sliding off the bench, baked beans wouldn’t go round in the microwave but just sat on the “low side” – But the final straw was when half the sausages took off into the sink just as I was about to serve them !!  Luckily a) the other two weren’t looking, and b) there was no actual dish water in the sink at the time !!   Anyway, in the end it all got eaten, and we started our evening of “watches” during the night.  Jamie wanted to stay up most of the night, so Neil and I alternated, one catching a little sleep down below while the other chatted to Jamie to keep him awake !!
 
Thurs 5th Dec  By morning we had made good progress and were now edging down the eastern side of Fraser Island.  There were big fires on the island, and not only was there a big smoke haze, but you could smell the fires, and we even had burnt leaves landing on our boat !!!

Later on, when we did our position checks, and tuned in for the latest weather updates for both along our route and for our destination on the Gold Coast, we realised we could make it the whole way if we kept going and did a 2^nd night run !!  So we discussed it, and agreed to it, as long as Jamie would get some sleep during the day while Neil and I stayed on deck.  Having made that decision, we pushed on as hard as we could, motor sailing most of the time to maximise speed, and when the wind and waves permitted, using the sails more.  To start with all was good – Reasonably calm seas, and although the wind was still not from the right direction, we were making the required 6 knots with

help from strong offshore currents.  For much of the early part of the day, dolphins played around us, zooming down the waves behind us, then beside us, then suddenly diving under the bow of Solitaire and coming up on the other side, before doing another loop and coming round again.  They were having a great time, and kept coming back for maybe 3 or 4 hours - Same dolphins because there was a mother and baby there, as well as one with very distinctive white markings on his back.  
I went for a nap for an hour or two, and when I came back on deck, the seas were rough and the wind was blowing up to 35 knots, and although they had made good time, Neil and Jamie had been working very hard in very unpleasant stern wind conditions.  As usual, I had managed to sleep right through the drama !!  We carried on in slightly calmer conditions, passing quite close to

a big cargo ship (one has to keep an eye open for these !!) and then, as the sun was setting, went into a big storm cloud band which looked impressive, but had largely blown itself out over land.  But suddenly the wind changed to a more favourable direction, and so sails were unfurled, and with me keep out of the way, Neil trimming the sails, and Jamie keeping everything in order, and we were off !  Speed picked up, and as darkness fell we were making great pace, still with the engine running in order to maximise the speed.  Not long after dark, we all suddenly heard a change in the engine note – And immediately Jamie shut the engine down, and we started looking for the problem.  Trouble was it was dark, the seas were quite rough (which made moving abut quite difficult, especially for an old landlubber like me !!).  There seemed to be no oil in the engine, despite the fact that Jamie had topped it up not long before on one of our regular engine checks.  After finding no oil leaks or puddles, Jamie started the engine again and suddenly found he now had no oil pressure.  Serious problem.   So while we were bobbing around like a cork, we discussed our options.   We were level with Mooloolaba, but the sailing conditions to the Gold Coast were favourable for us reaching there on the high tide.  But if we did, then without an engine we would still require a rescue tow to get us over the hazardous bar into the Broadwater and then to our berth.  Additionally, if the winds or weather did change over night, then we would really be stuffed !   So we opted for the wise and safe choice, called the Mooloolaba Coast Guard and arranged a rescue. 

For the next couple of hours we made sure everything was put away, the decks cleared for taking tow lines etc on board, and we worked out our plan for how we would proceed, what instruments we needed on, and those we could do without, in order to save power now  we had no engine to charge the batteries.

After two long hours, the Coast Guard tug finally arrived, although by this time we had managed to sail several miles closer to shore despite the rough seas and darkness.  We hitched up the tow line, and set off on the two hour trip at 7 knots into Mooloolaba. 

But the gods had more in store for us yet !!  While we struggled to keep Jamie awake on the way in by talking to him, just before we came to the harbour the Coast Guard had to shorten their tow line so we could weave through the port, and once we got under way again, Jamie found it almost impossible to steer, and we then realised that the tow rope had somehow got around the keel,  and maybe even the rudder and prop too, and was trying to pull the yacht around !  Anyway, he fought it for the last short distance to the jetty, and once we were there, we tried to get the rope off, but it was stuck fast somewhere underneath.  No more could be done now as everyone was far too tired, so at about 2.30 am we finished everything else with the Coast Guard, and turned in, absolutely exhausted. 

 

Rest of the pics here :-  https://picasaweb.google.com/117739775480775657932/SailingToGoldCoastDays56?authkey=Gv1sRgCM-C_uT61IK-_gE#