To be sincere, I can’t consider it’s already the ninth week dwelling aboard Malaika. To say that point has flown can be an understatement.
This week on the Crusing Log, we departed the Hinchinbrook channel and set course for Dunk Island, situated roughly 11 nautical miles from the Northern finish of Hinchinbrook.
Scraggy Level
Our second anchorage in Hinchinbrook was additional to the northern finish, generally known as Scraggy Level.
This anchorage was pretty unremarkable by way of issues to do. Nevertheless, it supplied a relaxed place to put our heads and admire the untouched wilderness of Hinchinbrook Island. The mud was extraordinarily good holding, and the fishing even higher.
Resupplying on the Port of Hinchinbrook
We knew that we have been going to spend a good bit of time at Dunk Island earlier than reaching Cairns. So, we determined it was finest to restock our water and gasoline on the Port of Hinchinbrook.
Sadly, this lovely port has been uncared for of any dredging for a while. Actually, the precise channel dries as much as 50 centimeters above water degree at low tide!
In consequence, we stuffed up gasoline and water and motored it in with the tender. The homeowners of the Port of Name boating provides on the finish of the channel greeted me with typical North Queensland hospitality, and jokingly requested me to “inform the world!”. So right here’s me fulfilling his request.
Onward to Dunk Island
Creeks and rivers in North Queensland are lovely for crusing and anchoring. Nevertheless, there’s one thing in regards to the blue water that makes me miss it, even in rolling nights and howling wind.
So, after a few days within the Hinchinbrook Channel, we departed for Dunk Island.
The sail was calm and transient in mild winds. After arriving roughly two hours after hauling anchor, we grabbed one among three courtesy moorings and set off to discover Dunk Island!
Exploring Dunk Island
Dunk Island is a lovely slice of the Nice Barrier Reef Islands. Like most of the different islands that we had explored, there was a derelict and deserted luxurious resort.
Apart from the resort, there was lots for the crew to discover, together with snapping some photographs on the picturesque sandspit, a round-island hike via thick, tropical rainforest, non-public seashores, and better of all, free sizzling showers.
READ THE FULL BLOG POST: Exploring Dunk Island: Greatest Issues To See And Do
Set Sail for Cairns
After an unimaginable 4 days at Dunk Island, we hoisted each junk sails and continued North to Cairns.
We had recent 20-25 knot winds and 1.5 to 2 meter from our stern, which allowed us to glide and surf all the way in which into Cairns.
The unique plan was to cease at Fitzroy Island, nonetheless, that is solely a sensible anchorage in comparatively calm climate. As a substitute, we sought cowl simply reverse the Cairns marina, ending off an unimaginable week of crusing and exploring the Nice Barrier Reef Islands.
SAILING LOG: Reconsidering Plans
Initially, the furthermost northern level of the sail was supposed to be the Daintree River. Nevertheless, after mapping climate forecasts and juggling time restraints, the crew determined that beating again towards robust Southerlies wasn’t so interesting in any case.
As a substitute, the brand new plan was to move to the Low Isles, Port Douglas after which discover a number of the outer reef and Inexperienced Island, simply off the coast of Cairns.
Whereas it’s disappointing to not sail Malaika into the Daintree on this journey, everybody was completely satisfied to make the sacrifice to be able to spend extra time exploring the Nice Barrier Reef.
They are saying that point appears to maneuver faster with age, however have these individuals ever lived aboard a crusing boat? The popularity of time as our solely true asset has all the time been essentially the most highly effective motivator for me, nearly to a way of concern. Seeing unimaginable experiences fade away could be a saddening thought, however being grateful for his or her happenings is what I consider to be an important step in dwelling a satisfying life.
As time attracts ahead, and the current fades into the previous simply as shortly because it occurred, all that we will do is cease and edge the reminiscences into our minds, and maintain them there within the locker of life’s nice adventures.
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