Seaka's Voyage to Queensland.

[longdeepthinker]

G`day Phil,
Well done on reaching Coffs.Sent you a phone text earlier.

Looks like the wind might be moving around to northerly next couple of days,be patient,i am sure you can find something to do there for a while.

Plenty of rain here since you departed but nicer today.

As your brother said "keep it vertical mate!!!".

Look forward to hearing more news.

John.

[Dolphin]

G'Day Phillip, sounds normal so far. You will quickly find you cannot sail to a schedule. Take your time and enjoy it.
Ballina has no offlying island to the south to break the swell. The river just enters into the sea. Boats have been weathered in for weeks. When we left there the boat in front of us looked back and he said all he could see was the spreaders and then black antifouling. It was a white knuckle ride! The local sport at the Ballina RSL is to listen to the radio and when a yacht is leaving or entering the locals go to watch it handle the conditions. Oh what fun.
We went to Byron Bay that night but couldn't stand the rolling swell so did an overnighter to Southport.
Best of luck, Greg.

[Allen]

Hi Phillip,
hope you are enjoying your adventure, thanks for including us as envious observers.
cheers,
Allen

[Shaun]

If your following Seaka's blog, you'd know phil's computer has given up, so not sure when the next instalment will be.
Phil, when you get a chance, could you answer a few questions?

Have you used the inflatable yet, & any thoughts on suitability so far?
How are you going with the Nav...im wondering how often you enter your position on chart/log, or are you heading off then chucking a left!?
Have you used the spinnaker/gennaker yet?
Are you using the metho stove while underway?
What/how are you connecting to the internet?

your photos are great(keep 'em coming), the ocean looks beautiful there
cheers

[Phillip]

Hi All,

I am back on line

Will post blogs and photos later tonight.

Thanks for all the support and have I a story to tell.

Phillip.

[Phillip]

Good morning Top Hat'ers,

Here is the text from my blog, to see the photos go to the blog.
If all goes well today should leave here tomorrow.
Phillip
Bum's Bay, Southport.

Wednesday 13th April.
Well I left Iluka at about 0900 as I had to time it for a 1700 bar crossing at Ballina.
I know, everybody said don't do it, but....
There was very little wind again for the 8 hour voyage. My navigation is getting better in that I am recording the hourly positions and some in between when necessary. The wind eventually died completely and I motored for the last 30 minutes to the bar. The Ballina Bar crossing was not very hard, what we Camden Haven types would only call 'interesting'.
Anyway for better or worse I'm the first Top Hat [and the last] in Ballina for some time, I would say. The search for fuel drew a blank as all Lucas's fuel points were closed [I didn't go pass the ferry]. Enquiries with MR Ballina drew only basic help and I thought that there was a bit of contempt in their voices for me even being there! So anchored in the river, all I could do was await the morning.
Thursday 14th April.
The next morning at 0600 when asked about the bar they offered the information that one of the trawlers had said that it was the calmest for some time. So then the rush was on to get out, I moored at a wharf and ran two blocks to get 10 litres of diesel, forgot about the much needed AA batteries and food!
So with all my planets and stars lined up I approached the bar at 0625 as I timed the time between the wave sets and as my luck held a set went through and I was at the bar with the little 2 cylinder 10hp Nanni engine roaring its heart out. Well I ducked and weaved and twisted, as one can in a Top Hat, around and across until I had cleared the bar! I reckon they heard my woops of joy at the Ballina Marine Rescue [MR] over a mile away. I couldn't believe it, I had crossed the Ballina Bar both ways, on consecutive days and in a Top Hat and not once did I go through a breaking wave on that bar.
BUT, I WILL NOT BE GOING BACK TO BALLINA BY SEA EVER AGAIN!
So to all those who said so, you were right! But I can claim that I've done it!
The voyage out of Ballina to Southport would take 13 hours 30 minutes and this would be my first bar crossing at night. Talk about doing it all at once. During the day I passed Cape Byron with our most easterly point being Lat S28° 39' Long E153° 39'. Just after Cape Byron I was buzzed by two Hornet jets, they were too quick for me to get a photo. The most common wildlife seen during the day have been black with white dot butterflies! I eventually worked out that the Seaway faces NE and at 2100 I was anchored in 'Bums Bay' near SeaWorld. I had trouble getting out on the radio and had to phone in on approach to the seaway and when I logged off.
Friday 15th April.
First thing this morning I inflated the dinghy and fitted the outboard. First job was to do the laundry then arrange to get this computer repaired [which will happen Monday]. I then took the dinghy and went across the Broadwater to Australia Fair to do some much needed shopping. Got what I needed and on the way back to Seaka the outboard gave up the ghost. Well I needed some exercise so rowed the one mile arriving back just before dark. Against the tide too.
Saturday 16th April.
Next morning I found that there is a basic shower in the toilet block so took advantage of it. Tackled the radio first and could find no broken wires, so plugged it back together and got a 5 by 5 radio check, so must have been a loose connection. Tackled the out board motor next. Adjusted spark plug then checked the carburetor. Found the pivot pin for the fuel needle was not in its proper place. So reassembled and put the covers back on only to find another, or is it the same pin, sitting on the lockers! I went and had lunch before starting again. With the motor now correctly assembled off I went on a trail run around the moorings. Success, it flies, I reckon that the pivot pin had been out of place before I brought the motor! I spent the rest of the afternoon planning the next stage of the voyage. It's also starting to rain.
Sunday 17th April.
Cleaned ship as previous owner, Keith Laker came over for a visit. Keith volunteers on the square rigger Southwind and he said that one of the volunteers was apprenticed to Baker and built Mark 1 Top Hats, so I hope to make contact with him before this voyage is over. I also hope to see Southwind as she is headed north this winter also. Keith helped with timings on the next stage to Mooloolaba, for which I am thankful. Showers all afternoon, not looking good weather wise.
Monday 18th April.
Raining with strong winds. Sent computer off, then went to see SeaWorld. Had a cold wet [me too] day and by 1400 had given up and returned to Seaka. Computer back at 1600 and all's well, so into the blog to catch up.
General note about this mooring area.
The area is very rolly as the shipping, big and small, in the adjacent channel can do any speed they like and this also transfer's to those that pass through the moored yachts. Then we have the Cessna float plane, which maneuvers around Seaka on its way to and from the channel where it takes off and lands. Then there are the floating buses [based on the old LARC's] from SeaWorld and for some reason they go round going quack quack!! And above all that there are usually two or three helicopters going back and forth. So in really this is a rolly busy and noisy anchorage. Tonight the wind is blowing from the south straight into the anchorage and while Seaka is not rolling she is bouncing up and down.
Answers to some questions.
The 2.3m inflatable is great. It can hold 2 persons and the 2.5 Tohatsu pushes it along at a good clip. Navigation is done every hour [position marked on a chart] and sometimes every 15 minutes when approaching a reef, rock or waypoint. I'm always using the metho stove for that welcome cup of tea, black of course. My connection to the internet is via a Telstra Turbo Pre paid mobile broadband. I also have a large external aerial for it if required in areas of weak signals. Haven't used the spinnaker yet Shaun.

Phillip.

[Dolphin]

G'Day Phillip,
I noticed from following your blog that you are still in Mooloolaba.
We had the same problem. We were stuck at Lauries Marina for 10 days and decided to make the most of it by taking a trip by bus to Brisbane for some sight seeing. Sight seeing in Brisbane, yep we WERE bored. Might be a good chance to get out and take an antidote for cabin fever.
Most people are afraid of Wide Bay Bar. We crossed it at 4pm with a low and setting sun, no problems (in '92).
I met a tug skipper that used to tow barges across there and he regularly took a short cut across the bar to the south of the leads but I wouldn't recommend that, he had local knowledge and looking at Goole Earth it has closed up.
We also studied going around the top of Fraser Is. but you miss all the good spots. We stopped just inside the entrance at a small bay to the south of the channel. You can stop at Rainbow Beach if the bar is not right.
If you go to Gary's anchorage be sure to put on lots of bug repellant as the sandflies will eat you alive. An antidote to stop the itch if you get bitten is to apply roll on deodorant to the bite site.
"Work is the capsize on the sea of life, keep on sailing".
Really enjoying following your blog and reliving the trip, thanks for taking the effort.

[Phillip]

Hi greg,

Well it looks like I may have a go this Tuesday evening, but it's an overnighter as the low tide is now late in the day. High tide is about 0800 on Wednesday morning and the predicted swell is only about 1.3m on that day. What was the swell when you went across?

I will check with those that have done it before, and there are plenty waiting here, to see if that is feasible, otherwise it looks like going into next week, but [always a 'but'] there appears to be another low forming in the SE. So will just have to wait and see what happens.

Phillip

Duck Pond, Mooloolaba.

[Phillip]

Hi All Top Hat'ers,

Just about to get into the real part of this voyage, I'm due to leave Burnett Heads [Bundaberg] tomorrow for 'The Town Of 1770' thence to Pancake Creek, etc etc.

For those who haven't seen my Blog, here is the link: http://www.sailblogs.com/member/seaka/

Big day tomorrow, 53nm, so I'm out of here.

Phillip
Bundaberg Harbour, Burnett Heads.

[Dolphin]

G'Day Phillip,
What a sumptuos meal you have on the boat! Crab n chocolate slice. Do you need a crew?
While you're laid up in Pancake Ck, when we were there, I remember reading an extract from Capt Cook's journal in Noel Patrick's Cruising the Curtis Coast. It was exactly as it is today. He even described that in late May he took a coat with him as it was cold then. Seems like it still hasn't warmed up. He shot a turkey like bird, The bustard and he said it was the best meat they'd eaten since leaving England. Thus they named Bustard Head.
When we left Gladstone to go up the narrows we motored up to a channel marker and had to do 3.5 knots to stay abreast of it.
Keep on sailing.
Greg.