it’s a wrap

I think this is the only season we haven’t dropped by Lady Musgrave on the way south, but sometimes things just don’t go according to plan.  W E A T H E R is G O D!

So my last snorkel? Yes, way back at Beaver Reef four weeks ago. I’m certainly not complaining as we have had such a terrific season with the weather, visiting the outer reef numerous times and for extended stays.

Once we got to Great Keppel Island after the Percys, the forecast revealed a stretch of very ordinary weather. Rain, wind and storms were on the way. This is not a very exciting post I’m afraid.

After catching up with Jo and Kevin from Vivacious (who now live at Yeppoon) and J9 (ex Ilikai) we had a crazy mad fast screecher sail from the Keppel Bay Marina to Pancake Creek, where we sat out the first of the SE fronts that were engulfing the SE Queensland coast. We were cosy and we actually enjoyed our few days of r & r.  

The guys enjoyed Kevin’s latest toy at Yeppoon, blowcarts. They need strong wind and a flat beach at lowtide. Both boxes were ticked.

Our next two sails were the opposite.  Little wind so lots of motoring, but definitely not a big enough window for Lady Musgrave. Another SE front was on the way.

We had a two-day window to get down to K’gari (Fraser Island) where we spent a week hiding in the Sandy Straits with Waterfront and J9 nearby (and several others). An opportunity to start some packing up early. 

A motor sail from Bundy to K’gari, the prize at the end … a swim in the Kingfisher pool and a stunning sunset at Kauri Creek.

Then it’s all about the Wide Bay Bar. How many times can one look at the weather forecast??!! Tide, swell, wind and time, seemed to dominate our thoughts. 

It wasn’t the calmest of bar crossings with a 1.6m swell and little breeze, and it was lumpy. 14 boats crossed.

A mixed bag passage to Moreton Bay … screecher, kite, motor and finally a short screecher run.

So here we are packing up The Bossa after another fantastic season. 

It’s raining, raining and did I mention it’s raining? Not ideal as many items need to be rinsed, washed and cleaned, removing the season’s saltwater, and ideally, packed away dry. A horrendous packup really!

It has been a wonderful 2024 season. Up until the last few weeks, the weather was certainly kind, allowing us to visit several outer reef locations as far north as Cairns. We didn’t get to Lizard Island but visiting our friends in Cairns was always a priority this season and we enjoyed several days at the Cairns nearby reefs.  We had several other outer reef trips, particularly north of Magnetic Island, with glass-out days and coral cays being standouts. We had a fabulous 10 days with our friends Lynn and Greg on board. And of course, catching up with our ‘tribe’ on the water is always a highlight.

Here’s a few favourites … remember you can touch/click each photo for a larger view …