CRUISING THE TOP END

from Groundswell September 2020

by Cruising Yacht Club of South Australia

MARINE ACADEMY REPORT

When Peter Donovan and Paul Judge set off on Take That Too in late 2019, their intention was to sail up the east coast and through to south east Asia. The boat had travelled as far as Cooktown and back to Cairns when the pandemic had the boys rethinking their international travel plans. Pete decided that perhaps, given the situation, it was best to bring the Adams 50 back to Adelaide for the 2020 summer and asked fellow Club members Matt Richards and Traci Ayris to jump aboard for the trip south. Arriving in mid-June the four mates provisioned the boat which was moored at Bluewater Marina in Cairns before heading out and turning right. The first hop was to Fitzroy Island for some snorkelling and hiking, followed by Orpheous to swim with the giant clams, then to Fantom Island in the Palm Islands Group. Fantom Island proved interesting to explore. A former leper-colony, the island’s fascinating (and disturbing) history was brought to light in a great documentary, later enjoyed at anchor. Next was a stay in Townsville’s Breakwater Marina, one of the best marina experiences of the trip, then down to Dunk Island where the resort was closed as it was still bearing the scars of damaging cyclones but the walking trails were open. From Dunk it was a leisurely cruise through the Hinchinbrook Channel to Airlie Beach then across to the Whitsundays. As the news of closed borders in Victoria came through, the rush to get down the coast didn’t seem so appealing and the tentative decision was made to leave the boat in Brisbane and return to South Australia while it was still possible to do so. In no hurry to get back to the cold while the South Australian-Queensland borders seemed to be safe, the foursome took their time to enjoy the Whitsundays. Butterfly Bay, Cid Harbor, Long Island and Shaw Island proved to be good anchorages in the prevailing southerly breezes. A brief stop in the Mackay Marina (a great marina but you need a car to get to the nearest supermarket) then it was a long jump out to Percy Island to visit the world-famous Percy Island Yacht Club. This is a MUST DO for any yachts travelling the Capricorn Coast. The A-frame on the beach contains memorabilia of yachts who have visited since the 1960s. Pick up some Island honey or top up on limes, use the great fire pit and kitchen facilities, hike the island and make new friends, there’s no place like Percy. This proved to be the most trolly-anchorage we’d encountered but a quick relocation east of the lagoon outlet proved to be a great idea and a good tip for those intending to stop in. The next leg was to Hervey Bay where we overnighted behind Woody Island, outside Kingfisher Resort on Fraser Island and Garry’s Anchorage, before heading in to wash clothes and re-stock at Tin Can Bay. Tin Can is a wonderful and picturesque stop for yachties with plenty of places to park outside the marina for boats without a deep keel. While the majority of the breeze came from the south, there were a few days when a lovely northerly kicked in to help Take That Too down the coast. On our travels along the coast we were fortunate to see some of our beautiful marine life up close including Angel Fish, Batfish, Wrasse, Manta Rays, Turtles, Humpback Whales, and Stingrays. With the border bubbles looking a little dubious, Peter, Paul, Matt and Traci finally jumped on a direct flight to Adelaide from Brisbane after packing the boat down in Manly’s East Coast Marina. They’d spent nearly two months aboard, entirely in Queensland. COVID restrictions are certainly impacting on the ability for cruisers to easily traverse Australia’s coastline and unless things change in a hurry it seems as if cruising closer to home will be pretty popular this summer.

Traci Ayris