Gary’s Anchorage to Tin Can Bay

In the marina at Tin Can Bay

Today we were greeted with plenty of sandflies which attacked us as soon as the sun rose.  So we were desperate to leave.  But as we waiting until we had enough information from the various marinas and BOM so that we could decide what to do, the phone rang and it was the Tin Can Bay Marina.  After a bit of discussion we were able to pick up the last berth for a cat at the marina.  This meant our fate was sealed.

We looked at the weather and the more we looked the more we could see that we were not going to make Mooloolabah, although the wide bay bar looked pretty good.  So after the availability of the marina berth, it was decided to go to Tin Can Bay and hold up there until the upcoming bad weather pasts.  It looks like it is going to take over a week before we are in a position to move south again.

So we set off towards Tin Can Bay, and it was very calm.  We got a surprise when we pulled the anchor up.  Well actually two surprises.  The first was that the anchor winch worked flawlessly…  The second was we pulled up a folding chair wrapped around the chain.  We tried to salvage it and dispose of it appropriately, but we dropped it, so it is there for somebody else at a later date.  We had to motor for the rest of the Sandy Straights, but finally when we got into the last hour, the wind came up and in a good direction and we had an excellent sail right to Tin Can Bay.  Very fitting for our last day.

So why is it our last day, well we have decided that we should leave the boat here to sort out a number of issues at home and then come back in a week or so and complete the last bit of the journey then.  Tomorrow we have a couple of seats booked on the bus and we will get home tomorrow night.  So this is our last blog for the trip, at least for now.

It was actually a really sad day for me.  From my perspective, it has been a fantastic trip.  Hilary found it a bit tougher.  It is something I wanted to do since I was first given a book by Alan Lucas, about Cruising the Qld Coast when I was probably 12 years old.  It is a fascinating and beautiful place indeed, but it is not that forgiving and sometimes tough and rough going.  We built the boat to do this trip and today it was an understanding that we had completed that journey.  I wished that Ross was here to share it with us, and indeed I really missed him on this trip, but it just wasn’t to be.  I am thankful that at least Hilary and I managed to do it.  So we had a fitting sail to end the journey for now and although the days sail has ended, we still managed to meet some nice people that we have been sailing beside for the last 3 days.  Everybody is on their own journey, I suppose, and sometimes our paths run in parallel for a bit.

I took a bunch of not very relevant photos, so here they are.  I will probably do a few more for the last part of the journey, but it will be a week or so.

So for now, this is the last blog from us.

Allan and Hilary.

Well we were expecting an anchor, but got a chair. Well we still had an anchor, but that came later.

Leaving the sandflies at Gary’s Anchorage.

Not a lot of wind coming down the Sandy Straights

The entrance of the Wide bay Bar. But today we will not attempt it.

Looking up from the engine bay.  The sail did a mighty job.

We had enough wind to keep moving some times.  Looking north towards where we came from for the last month and half.  The journey coming to an end.

Looking towards Tin Can Bay

Just about the last bit of sailing.

And the sails are set for the last time on this part of the trip.

Then at the end, the wind came up and we were off.

My home for many hours over the past 3 months.

Arriving at Tin Can Bay

Arrived and settled in a very narrow marina. One boat aborted as it was just too tough, but we were stupid enough to try and somehow managed it.

The final sunset. Well a 7/10. Bye for now.