Welcome to the Whitsundays

Early morning starts are rather mandatory on the water. This way you can do the miles in daylight and if there is time at the end of the day you can go ashore for a walk or just sit back and enjoy a drink or two. Having sundowners with traveling boaties is lots of fun as we all reminisce on the day’s voyage or past adventures.
Leaving Pancake Creek at first light we followed the snail trail on our plotter and Ian pointed out the spot were he anchored with Flynn and his mates in 2003. Having the latest Furuno gear on Kiella is tops, but the phone calls to Taz are still happening as we encounter another glitch. We have our manual and he has his, although I feel it is not referred to often.
The passage to Island head Creek was lumpy and bumpy as the quartering seas built up as the day proceeded. We managed to make a light lunch and just snack on fruit. At 1405 we heard the sound of a dam big truck, and as we both were up on the chardy deck at the time turned around and there was Coast watch in their plane, a bit low. We where duly called up as KKK as a start. After answering some questions and I’m sure having our photo taken this I’m led to believe is the start of scarring the …… out of us.
With the forecast still SE 20 to 25 increasing to 30, we decided to keep going while we could surf down waves, boy do we. Twenty –two kts, so far and she handles it well better than I do on the odd occasion.
Another early start, as it turned out not that early as the winch played up and we had to lift the last 15plus by hand. The problem has been sorted out and we both are much more the wiser for this test if it were to reoccur .
The wonderful chart plotter tells me that we are 8nm, from Brampton Island and our anchorage for tonight, maybe the next, who knows, welcome to the Whitsundays.