Another weekend planned

[sunshinecoasting]

I have been looking at the weather all week here and decided that this weekend should be near perfect for a light sail so I am packing the boat up tonight ready for a 6am departure to Mooloolaba for a weekend aboard and hopefully some whale watching. Weather man says 1.2 - .8 meter swell and light to 10 knot winds, but I have heard that before...... I do not have a new headsail yet so will be just flying the main, I dont plan on anything special just cruising up to 2 nM offshore as long as conditions remain good, it it picks up I will just muck about in the harbour, maybe even wet a line and see if those blips on my finder really are fish.

Report on Monday, Dennis.

[Mac26Mpaul]

Sounds great, weather is fantatic at the moment. Blue skies, 24 degrees Celsius, Winter is hull eh Ahh Queensland, wouldn't wanna live anywhere else

Weekend? Saturday, I'll be doing some silly course for work and Sunday, yard work and grandma visiting...... I'm really hoping for a day trip to Jumpinpin next weekend for a BBQ and a walk on the beach, but the missus is already banging on about having to study for her latest exam. Meanwhile poor Little Annie waits patiently under her cover in the backyard......... .............

[sunshinecoasting]

Hi Paul, I hear ya, my boat isn't even kept at my home, not enough room so I keep her at a friends place about 15 minutes drive away, drives me nuts. I went and checked her out last Sunday under her heavy silver tarp and she looked great but lonely, I find myself just sitting in the cockpit day dreaming when I do that, wife thinks I'm nuts, well she's probably right. Just booked in to the Mooloolaba marina for an overnighter Saturday so doing it in style this time, it's a really nice Marina and $40 a night or $200 a week, that's cheaper than a caravan park and a really cheap weekend away on the yacht in my book. Does your wife know that sailing and fresh air are very conducive to study and beneficial to memory function????

[Mac26Mpaul]

Now that would drive me insane too. I have to admit that I do on occasions pour a double scotch and just go sit in the boat in the backyard, no 3 and 6 year olds, or Admirals to annoy me, very relaxing. I actually got busted last week when the missus started knocking on the side of the hull telling me to turn the dam music down...

Marina sounds good, hope to get up that way sooner or later...

She would happily study in the boat if it were just me and her, but the 3 and 6 years we'd be sharing the boat with, will turn her off that idea real quick......

[sunshinecoasting]

LOL, I have a 14 year old but I clearly remeber when she was 6. If you ever plan on a trip up here with the boat you must let me know in advance, happy to meet out on the water or ramp plus I can show you where to anchor overnight for free, it isnt strictly legal but keep quiet and unobtrusive and you can spend a nice night or two amongst the million dollar homes. I am happy to leave my car and trailer in one particular boat ramp without being too concerned about it too, well lit, heavily used 24/7 by fishing guys so always someone about and you can see it from the river. Petrol is easy to get here too, we have a service station only 150 meters from a good sandy beach that you can run up on to.

[Mac26Mpaul]

Sounds good Dennis, we will get up that way sooner or later

[Tempus]

OK. You guys are making me jealous. I'm switching to semi-retirement next year and am about three years from full retirement. Presently living in Blue Mts west of Sydney (nice enough, but not that much sailing in Blue Mts) and working in Wagga (ditto), so our much-loved but under-used & under-tarp is sitting alone for far too long. We're looking to retire in the SE-Q area...somewhere between Hervey Bay and Noosa. It looks and sounds like a great area and I must admit that move time can't come soon enough.

The idea of getting her out so frequently that the tarp remains un-used is very appealing.

You guys keep posting so I can live vicariously through your posts until we move up that way!!

[Fresh Breeze]

Hi Guys, I hope Dennis you have a great weekend. We would have been out also but the Captain had to play golf down at TCB, Tin Can Bay was just right with a slight westerly. Next weekend will be a go for us, get our out from under the great big trap and down to the Great Sandies for a weekend for a bit of sailing, fishing, crabbing and just chilling out with a cool wine watching the sun go down, Just Great!

Tempus, the best place to be is here on the Fraser Coast

Cheers

[sunshinecoasting]

Hi fresh, great to hear from you again, and Tempus I might tend to agree that the Sandy Straits might be the best place for retirement if sailing is in your future, take a gander at Tin Can Bay, great place to live if you seek peace and quiet, still close enough to Gympie or Sunshine Coast for shopping when needed and great step off point to discover the sandy straits with the boat.

My weekend was superb, I cant say the sailing was eaxtraordinary as the winds were often too light, in fact I found myself about 1 nm off the headland just drifting on glassy waters, sail just hangin' there doin' nothing, I had the entire Sunshine coast vista in front of me and the glass house mountains as a backdrop, 25 deg c, full sunshine and virtually no swell, it was hard to take, glad to be back at work........not. I did manage to get some decent winds from time to time though, Saturday morning the wind was up to 14 knots at times and i did experience just over 5 knots under main only for a while, it was lovely, however most of the sailing was more around the 4 knot mark. No whales spotted to my disappointment. The highlite of the weekend was my wife getting the courage to come on board, she has not been keen to come back to the boat since our maiden voyage where she got very freightened by the experience, she still wont sail yet but she did motor with me in calm conditions and sat for three hours achored in the harbour just drinking coffee and chatting about the weather etc. she even had a short swim off the transom (too cold for me) and enjoyed it so things are looking up. I had an altercation with a beacon at the marina (trying to avoid paddle boarders, they are everywhere and have no idea that boats cant stop quickly) having to come to a stop while this guy just looked at me and didnt move, the wind was broad on the port side and pushed me sideways in to the beacon pile, in itself that didnt do any damage but as I reversed to come away the bow rail hooked up on the ladder of the beacon pile and damaged the bow rail, so badly that I couldnt bolt the mast to it to come home, I had to rope the mast to it instead. Some gentle panel beating will suffice but next time I 'm just going to run the idiots over, the fool even had the gall to glare at me like I was an idiot when he was the cause of it, some people are just thick and thats all I have to say about that. That aside it was a spectacular weekend, a little sunburn and a lot of fun.

Cheers, Dennis.

[Mac26Mpaul]

Retirement? Geez I wish I could afford that... Guess I will have to wait a few years first (about 20 or 30 )

Sounds great Dennis, great that you got the missus out there again too. Be gentle this time alright Soon you will be having some great family trips!

It all sounds lovely, but it didn't happen unless there's photos

[Fresh Breeze]

Hi Dennis,
Yea, we've got a few of those idiots to up this way at Tin Can Bay but they are not paddle boarders which are like push bikes but on the water, but ours are the pedestrian's standing on the boat ramp watching the dolphin feeding, they just don't get out of the way while you are trying to back down the ramp to launch and they always give you a look like "What the h++l are you doing! I was here first!" and they take all the boaties car parks too which is quite annoying, but by 8.30am the dolphin's have had their fill and leave so we just time it accordingly.

But it sounds like you had a calm weekend hope the weather holds for us for this weekend. Still got to figure out how to up load photo's.

Mac26Paul. about retirement, the best advise I can give is just enjoy life any way you can and get out on your more

See you on the water soon

Cheers

[sunshinecoasting]

Retirement? Geez I wish I could afford that... Guess I will have to wait a few years first (about 20 or 30 )

Sounds great Dennis, great that you got the missus out there again too. Be gentle this time alright Soon you will be having some great family trips!

It all sounds lovely, but it didn't happen unless there's photos

I'm a long way from retirement too, pending any Tattslotto win. I didnt take many photos but here's a few I snapped on my phone.


No wind and anchored in Mooloolaba harbour having a coffee, Mooloolaba dead ahead and Maroochydore to the right.


Two Nm off Mooloolaba, beating in to a nice 12 knot South wester, doing about 4 knots GPS (ignore speedo, shows speed while motor running and needle freezes when you turn motor off), Mt. Coolum just to right in distance, you cant see it but I was smilin'


Point Cartwright Pilot station just off port bow (just right of outer shroud cable), 2 Nm miles out to sea, Mooloolaba left ahead, Maroochydore right ahead, shipping channel just behind me.

[Relackson]

Hi Queenslanders

Spent a few days with the live-aboard brother on his catamaran in the Southport area a couple of weeks ago. Got me thinking about my travel plans next winter - cruising the Gold Coast-Brisbane seaway. I live on the Bass Coast - right at the bottom of the mainland. I was very impressed with Qld July weather.

Please advise/comment on my proposed plans:
- drive to Gold Coast or Brisbane
- leave the car and trailer at a yacht club/marina (is this possible, if so any suggestions as to where)
- spend a couple of weeks cruising
- return to car and trailer, put boat on trailer and leave there for another 2-4 weeks
- use public transport to catch plane home
- come back a few weeks later
- launch boat and leave car and trailer again
- a few more weeks cruising (how far north can I go - would it be possible to sail/motor from Bribie Island to Fraser Island?)
- use public transport to go back to car and trailer
- drive to boat, load it on
- drive home.

The few weeks back home because the admiral doesn't want to be away from home/ granddaughter for too long.

Any advice, comment, etc. most welcome.

Thanks

Stan

[bartmac]

We live on the north coast of NSW and have been eyeing the same area (Gold Coast/Brisbane)....lots of waterways to explore (bought a emap for the region and wow there's a lot of places to go).Been trying to work out the most southerly point we can launch and leave tow rig....with the same thought of leaving the Mac & trailer for future use although given the short distance from home not sure about leaving our Mac....so used to having it at home in terms of mods & maintenance.
One problem we have found whilst towing a mac with our truck (18-19metres overall) along major multi lane highways is fine other road users on secondary roads appear to HAVE to get by you no matter the blind corners ,crests etc......

[Fresh Breeze]

Bartmac & Relackson,

There is lot's of things to see and do on both Gold Coast & Sunshine Coast, was our old stomping ground back in the 60-70's (gee that makes me feel old) For us our long term plan is to sail from our home base (Tin Can Bay) right up to the Whitsundays winter next year.

And yes, Bartmac we have the same problem on the Bruce H/Way north, it's all single lane and in a very bad way of repair. The last time we put in at Hervey Bay, on our way back home we could not get over 90kph for the condition of the road, and boy, did we get some abuse from truckers on the UHF was not nice. Some drivers are just too impatient, we have seen so many near misses, it's much safer on the water.

Stan, Yes it is possible to sail from Brisbane to Bribie Island and on to Fraser Island it may take a good couple of weeks of sailing.
What we do before embarking on a trip that we don't know the area well, we ask the locals yachties for advise on the best way through, they are always ready to help with tips and a good yarn.

Full Sails
Cheers