Mummy and Nicholas caught a cab early this morning for Mackay town central to catch a bus up to Proserpine for their flight to Sydney.
Jasmine and Daddy prepared the boat together for the trip, locked hatches, topped off the water and threw the lines (Jasmine did a wonderful job) and with lifejackets on, we headed out of the port into 25knot winds and 2m seas/swell on our way to Goldsmith Island (30nm away). At an average speed of 6knots, that should take us approx. 5 hours.
It was a lovely sunny day. The wind and waves were mostly on our starboard quarter creating the unpleasant rolling and corkscrewing motion we have had over most of the trip, especially given the first hour of travel is over quite shallow waters (4-8m under the keel). This made the seas quite rough, choppy and the waves closer together. We didn't see any other boats, except all the many cargo coal ships anchored off the port on the horizon to the East and South. There is a tiny island off the North East entrance to Mackay (probably only 50m long), with high tide, we took the inner path over the shallow water (with 3m under the keel).
The seas didn't get any smaller, but they did get slightly further apart as we approached Goldsmith island. The waves also grew in size and now appeared to be slightly over 2m and very rough with cross waves, rolling steady "swell" from the south at 2m and "seas" (wind waves) of 2m from the South East. Daddy is able to measure the height using the yacht stern. The solar panels in the arch are approx. 2.5m above the waterline. Looking at the tops of the waves as we head into a trough, we can therefore make a rough estimate of the waves. For those reading who have not been offshore, the yacht drops into the troughs and for the larger ones, they are large enough, typically once they reach 2.5m high, where you cannot see land and the whole hull of the yacht, even when standing in the cockpit, is lower then the tops of the waves. The first time this happens is especially disconcerting, as you think the waves will roll over the yacht, but no... as the wave approaches, the yacht simply rises with the wave, rocks and rolls... and then drops into the next trough.
With the following sea (waves behind us pushing us along) our speed had picked up and was over 7 knots. We were catching the waves (effectively surfing them) on our way to Goldsmith island. The trip from Mackay to Goldsmith was 4 hours. If that sort of wind and waves occur on a regular basis, it will slow the trip back to Sydney.
As we approached Goldsmith Island the wind and waves picked up further. Seas (wind waves from the South East) near Goldsmith topped 2.5 with the occasional set of 3m and the wind was now constantly above 30 knots and screaming through the rigging. We furled our already 'reefed' jib. The waves had whitecaps and the foam had streaks with spray flying across the ocean and covering the yacht and wetting Daddy. Jasmine went below and played on her iPad on Mummy and Daddy's bunk. Another yacht was spotted 1 nm ahead as we approached Goldsmith Island, it was also making a sprint to the North Western side of the island in an attempt to seek shelter. It must have come from one of the other smaller islands next to Goldsmith (Linne Island or Tinsmith Island). We rounded the South Western head of Goldsmith Island just as an especially strong gust hit us and Daddy watched the wind indicator (a critical measure for bragging rights) hit 44.7 knots, luckily we had dropped our sails as that would have given us a real good lean.
We rounded the south West corner of Goldsmith Island through the passage between Farrier Island (which is a small island next to Goldsmith Island) and into relative shelter, primarily from the waves.
We headed up the Western edge to the more northerly bay and anchored as close to the beach and cliffs as possible for shelter. The wind howled up over the hill and into the bay, and despite being in the protection of the waves, the wind came over the island in bullets (gusts) that were 25-30knots. Once second there would be no wind, then bang, a gust would hit, the rigging would scream and the boat would even heel (simply from the wind on the sails and the sail bag), then it would be calm again. Repeat, repeat. Amazing!
The anchor dragged slightly, about 20-30m before holding fast, but this left us a little further off the island than ideal with the strong currents from the tides that travel north south along the edge of the island rocking the yacht during the tide changes. Being in closer to the shore and inside the headlands gives a bit more protection from this current. Daddy decided to leave it and fix it, move back inshore and attempting to reset the anchor, the following day.
Looking over at Farrier Island, which is a small island with a beach and grassy flat at the Eastern and Southern sides (protected from the Southeast winds and waves by Goldsmith Island, and the Northern end, no more than 300m from tip to tip, rising up a hill with trees and shrubs to a rocky cliff of about 20m high. On that island is a small number of very basic buildings. They all looked quite abandoned, although that may be because we could see a couple of trees knocked over and tree and other debris scattered over the grass and beach from Cyclone Debbie 5-6 weeks or so earlier.
Goldsmith Island, despite the strong winds and boiling ocean we could see ripping around the point, was beautiful! Goldsmith Island is also far larger, about 20+ times the size of Farrier Island in area. It is approx. 4km long and about 1.5km wide at its widest point. The Island is not exactly north south, but probably more 20-30 degrees off with a more NNE to SSW lie. It is an island with two bays on the Western side (we were anchored in the more northerly one and we saw two yachts, including the one we followed earlier, anchored in the more southerly one opposite Farrier Island). There are also 2 bays on the Eastern side of the island, although they are shallow and not currently offering any protection from the South East wind and the waves. Each bay has its own sandy beach, we were anchored approximately 100m (now that the anchor had dragged slightly) from the beach. It was a wonderful location. The island has a camping area and a bush toilet but otherwise is unoccupied. We had the whole northern area to ourselves.
As it was now getting dark, we didn't immediately go ashore but put on our mooring light. We put the items of gear back away that had fallen out of bunks during the trip, had showers and Daddy cooked dinner which we enjoyed watching a movie. Tomorrow we might try and move the yacht back closer to the shore (again) and see if the anchor will set and explore the beach. Being closer to the beach and the cliffs at the end of the beach might give slightly more protection from the bullets of wind.