We arrived at the Gold Coast this morning at 12.30 am. A long sail from the Clarence River. 15 hours at sea. The sun is setting here so early. Dark by 5.30. So lots of hours sailing in darkness. No moon, cloudy sky, pitch black. We crossed the Gold Coast Seaway bar in darkness and then anchored (also tricky in the dark). My first ‘overnighter’! I did it! We did it!
So what do we do at sea? Not much. Strangely the hours seem to pass quickly. Little things punctuate the journey … chatting about the boat traffic on the chart plotter, looking for the fishing tinnies, checking the weather, going to the toilet, making ‘umpteen’ cups of tea, texting Easy Tiger (sailing with us), fishing (Easy Tiger’s influence), morning tea, afternoon tea, lunch, dinner …… ANYTHING to pass the time!!!
Crossing the Gold Coast Seaway (in darkness) was a big one. It’s all about the tides, the swell and the wind. It’s all about the timing and the planning. Having our (new) friends on Easy Tiger to do all this with, has added so much to our journey. Lots of fun, laughter and story-telling, and serious planning too.
Bossa Nova crossed the bar earlier than Easy Tiger … “How far from the bar r u?” “30 mins … u gonna put the kettle on?” “Bugger the kettle. I’m over cups of tea. N having a bundy!”
The Gold Coast is half way to the Whitsundays.
