when there’s two boats

We left Keppel Bay Marina in the company of Chances and Vivacious. That’s three boats!

Once the wind eased after a few days in the marina, there was a ‘conga line’ of yachts heading north, not just our three. Our plan was to sail three long days through the Percy islands to the Whitsundays before yet another stint of strong wind arrived.

It seemed to become a pattern that The Bossa always left last. The ‘stupid o’clock’ getups aren’t really my thing but when it’s about tide, distance and wind, and I suppose the mention of a ‘race’, I do obey my captain as any crew should (I’m sure there’s some surprised laughter right now 🙂 ). 

Long passages can be tedious as well as exhausting and always a tad boring, but not the last four days. Strong SE winds have meant some brisk sailing … and when there’s two boats??!! It’s a race!

Race One … ooops I mean Day One … Keppel Bay to Island Head Creek – 54 nm

Squalls dominated this leg. 

While it was reasonably calm early and a downwind start, our spinnaker was going great guns, flying down waves and slowly hauling in our sneaky early starters (along with others not in our ‘race’), but gusty conditions took over. Vivacious and Chances tacked downwind with their mains and headsails, avoiding the square angle, but The Bossa’s strategy was to just head straight for the ‘finish line’. The binoculars observed some strange carry-ons on Vivacious way out to sea … they were stalled and just what were they doing??!! With Kev’s high-vis vest on, we could see lots of activity on the foredeck, high drama. Maybe a fish, tangled lines or maybe they were just a bit rusty after spending so much time in cruise mode now they are living at Keppel Bay. Not really their style to completely stuff up!

The wind reached 23 knots and with Vivacious finally moving forward and then putting a reef in their main after their carry-on, it was time to get the kite down! 

Line honours to us! Chances second, Vivacious third. Penance for third was dropping your dinghy in, collecting the second placers and celebrating on the winning Bossa.

Race Two … Island Head Creek to Middle Percy Island – 50 nm

After our lethargic start yesterday, you would think we’d be on to them.  But no, there had been limited discussion about a start time, so we think the other two boats decided we needed a handicap. The captain stuck his head up early, they’d already gone! Leaving at a ‘sparrow’s fart’ they call it. When the captain is last to leave, he gets a bit frantic. As I’m stumbling around dressing as fast as I can, shouting out I need a loo visit, I can hear the anchor coming up.  No chance I can brush my teeth.

We hoisted the spinnaker again! Strategy. Vivacious and Chances don’t have a kite, so with the wind square behind us, it really was a no-brainer.

What a great kite run we had. All the way to the A-frame at Middle Percy Island. 

With Vivacious out in front, the challenge was set.  Chase them down.  A radio call set the finish-line course, all we had to do was get there first.

Line hours to The Bossa!

Same day, same location, same weather, but we don’t all have great days. With a mainsail and screecher with a following wind, the crash and bash of the boom and sails can be challenging, even infuriating. Chances were already on Trade A Boat looking for a power cat by the time they dropped anchor at Percy. Their day didn’t get any better either when the high tide waves filled their dinghy while we enjoyed a bbq ashore that evening.

Race Three … Middle Percy to Scawfell Island – 61 nm

This was a big passage. Our longest race … I mean day!

Can you believe it … they were gone again and we even go up earlier, in the dark!  Handicapping they said.

This was our third day of spinnaker sailing. The seas were calm, the winds a tad lighter with some motor-sailing needed and there was a bit more wind angle, which made their mains and headsails much more competitive. A third! But remember, we were a late starter.

This passage will be remembered for the dodging of whales (not for the ‘race’).  We all saw so many humpback whales, including mothers and calves. As we rounded the opposite side of Scawfell Island to the others (hoping for an advantage of course), I spotted a whale only 50 metres ahead of us. The captain scrambled to the helm (from the loo) diverting our path, me the camera of course. The whale cruised by undeterred only 10 metres away.  Phew! Here’s its tail.

Race Four … Scawfell Island to Goldsmith Island – 30 nm

At last … a short day. A sleep-in.  And yes, we were still a late starter. 

Crazy Lil Thing joined us for this passage.  No spinnaker, just our main and screecher. After chasing down Crazy and Chances, Vivacious was a tad trickier. We had a great duel right to the finish line. Gaining ground, we got ever so close. A radio call came through from Vivacious.  Watch out for the whales ahead. We didn’t see any. Tactics?!

As we approached our agreed finish line, there was high drama. Vivacious tacked right in front of us. “Hold your nerve”, Kevin had told Jo who was on the helm. They then gybed their main, gathered speed and beat us to the line.  We were shattered (not really). After 30 nm, there was only a few boat lengths between us.

Days of long passages are tiring and can be somewhat boring. We’ll often troll a lure but not on these passages. While the fish couldn’t possibly read Halco on the lure’s label, they would have certainly struggled to chase it down, as we were all going way too fast. It was also way too boisterous to reel in a fish. So a bit of friendly ‘racing’ certainly passes the time.  Thankyou to Chances and Vivacious for a great few days. Great fun!

We are now sitting out days of very strong winds in the southern Whitsundays at Goldsmith Island. The bullets (wind gusts) over the hills are peaking at 30 knots, rain is intermittent, big tides have us joggling around … and we are staying put … and there’s several more days of this coming!