Passage - The Whitsundays to Magnetic Island

18th to 26th June, 2021
After spending a few months in the Whitsundays in 2020 we decided to pass through the region relatively quickly. It is an idyllic area but quite difficult with a doggy who needs to be toileted on land, really expensive marinas and no insurance cover if damage when anchored at Airlie Beach.

John and I booked into Port of Airlie marina which is the most economical, is closest to town and has a well-maintained car that we can borrow to re-provision. Over the next few days, we did all the essentials: cleaning the boat, washing clothes, flushing motors, food, fuel, Bunnings and the bottle shop. We took advantage of being in a town and had sunset drinks and a lunch at the Sailing club, listened to the band at the pub (from the beach) and went to the markets.

Tallis loves Airlie Beach as he always gets a couple of walks a day. Once though we left him on the boat whilst we went out and he peed over one of floor hatches where all our shoes were stored. That took a bit of cleaning up. He never pees on the boat so this was obviously a deliberate action meant to create maximum impact.

We continued north to Gloucester Passage. This is the furthest we have sailed before. We had spent a few days here with Kath (Admiral) Brummit when we had the charter boat. Needing more rest and relaxation we stopped for a few days walking along the beach and laying in the sun.

Bowen is only 12 nm from Gloucester Passage and it was an easy two-hour sail with the jib only. We anchored in Gray’s Bay near Queen’s beach – a lovely spot.

There was a movie crew filming just off the shore and we found out it was for a movie called The Reef: Stalked. We haven’t heard anything about it since. Avoiding the cameras, we went to shore and walked around the headland, past the big hotel and caravan park and cafes down to the beach. On the way back we checked out the lookout.

It’s 42 nm to get the Cape Upstart which is an eight- or nine-hour sail at five knots an hour. After we took Tallis ashore for a wee walk we found a water problem – no water coming from the tap. John was able to get it started at times so we balanced the likelihood of getting parts in Bowen or Townsville and Townsville won. We had also rung a few chandleries in the area and nothing doing. Thank goodness

the wind was doing the right thing and we got to Cape Upstart in seven hours.

The next morning, we decided to stay and regroup – we had an inconsistent water supply, there were containers of water everywhere, the bloody starboard motor started turning off when in idle and the dog vomited everywhere. Life on a boat is great. On the plus side we managed a walk on the beautiful beach and a stunning full moon that night.

The final leg of the passage to Horseshoe Bay on Magnetic Island is 69 nm and the longest day for us yet. John and I had decided not to break up the trip at Cape Bowling Green as yachties call it Cape Rolling Green and if we don’t get a good sleep everyone is a little cranky. We started before dawn but it wasn’t dark due to the full moon. We had a great breeze for most of the way getting up to 10

knots and got in by mid-afternoon. We all had a little kip enroute – sort of pretending we were on watch on a long ocean passage.

Despite the annoying technical issues (see how chill we’ve become) we planned to stay a week or so and check out the island. There are so many boats in the bay – a really yachties haven.

Next: Hanging around the Townsville Region