EASTER REPORT 2012-04-10
Easter has come and gone again, and long weekend (or longer) boating is done now for me until the Interclub Bay Cruise in September (begins this year Sat 22nd Sept).
True to form, I managed to completely cock-up the boating venue for the break, whilst for a change, the weather proved to be magnificent for boating.
Years ago on previous trips to Lucinda Bay I marvelled at the beautiful benign anchorage with its sparkling clear water and white sandy bottom, now unfortunately after two years of trying to organise a trip and meeting place for boaties of all persuasions to gather, it appears that in spite of all of its beauty and attributes, Lucinda Bay has decided that it may not behave well enough to consider a re-visit next year.
Gorgeous boating weather, but very sloppy anchorage made even worse with the morning westerly making it a tad uncomfortable, so much so that most deserted for calmer areas.
So to my boating version of the Easter break. Having already bought the boat around to the club on Thursday, I loaded up and headed off leisurely on Good Friday for the M8 beacon (a turning mark for the Gladstone
The maxis are one thing, and an experience to be there that close as they flew past, but it was our club boats and how they were doing that held my interest. Samuri Jack has already established quite a buffer in front of the closely competing Dream, Midnight Oil, and Synchronicity, all were seriously “trucking” when they eased sails going around the mark from a reach to a broard reach almost a shy run. The creaking noises emitted of straining sheets is truly something to behold.
Without waiting for all the tail enders to get through, I up-anchored and headed over to Lucinda Bay, and anchored in about 8ft of water an hour off low tide. A bit sloppy but ok.
David and Susie in “Kai Mana” and Ron and Carol in “Attitude” had already ventured into the calmness of the Blue Hole, Rob and Val in “Foxy Lady” went south to the Sand Hills to get into the Blue Hole on the next mornings tide, whilst there were a few club boats at Lucinda including Derek on “Shar Shar”.
Before dusk we were joined by Scott and Roseanne in “Miss Toorbul”, and by then it was getting even more sloppy.
After an hour or two solving the worlds problems with Scott, they up-anchored and headed back to Redcliffe, and I went to bed.
With the next morning and the wind from the SW, it was “rolling the milk out of my coffee” there and the anchorage was being quickly deserted. I considered options of joining others in the Blue Hole and Sandhills area where Peter of “Eyewitness 1” was, along with the others, or even going north to join those including Clive in “Lucky Lady” in the Bribie Passage.
In the end I headed back to the club where I could continue giving the boat a much needed spring clean, which I then did over the next couple of days, returning to my pontoon mooring on Monday.
So valiant cruisers of all boating types, please be aware that whilst I do try hard to organise something on regular monthly basis for us all to enjoy and participate in, my record of picking weather conditions with our cruises can only improve.
Even our usual monthly Bribie weekends have been fraught with bad or deteriorating weather, so hopefully under the law of averages, they will only get better.
The next weekend/day trip is planned for Sat/Sun 12/13 May – Bribie. Make the effort and join us.
David Mason-Cox
“Sunshine”
0419 711488
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