Tiare Taporo III at Nara Inlet, Hook Is., Whitsunday Group Lat. 20 degrees 08' S Long. 148 degrees 55' E

After re-fuelling at Abel Point Marina we left this morning for a few days out around the islands. The wind was forecast to be 15-20 knots but we had prolonged gusts up to 27 knots and mostly above 20. We were close hauled on starboard tack with reefed genoa and single reefed main and fair screamed along doing over 7 knots at times. Scuppers sometimes under and salt water all over our newly scrubbed decks - perfect for them. Dennis helmed all the way across (10 miles) and had a grin from ear to ear. Just like it used to be when the old girl as "Reflections of Wellington" was around Cook Strait was the verdict. She revels in a bit of rough!! He of course was an early owner when the old girl was based in Wellington.
We sailed into Nara Inlet and then just inside were becalmed by the lee of the land. You have to be careful there because there's a reef to port as you enter but it's all on the chart and is also marked. We have gone as far as we could up the inlet - about two and a half miles. It's very pretty with wooded slopes and reminiscent of the Marlborough Sounds but nowhere near as deep. We are anchored in 22 feet of water.
Yesterday we had completed our provisioning and impressions of Airlie Beach are simply that it's a bigger Paihia in the Bay of Islands. Warmer and slightly more tropical looking but essentially that's what it is with legions of young foreign backpackers everywhere. Mostly female it seems to us and all wearing the regulation "uniform" of short shorts with the fashionable ragged edge!! One never gets tired of observing!!
It now seems that for a variety of reasons we are not going to Darwin this year. We've worked out that even if everything went absolutely to plan (and in this cruising life it hardly ever does!), it would be a very tight schedule to get to Darwin on time to get Indonesian visas, re-provision and join the Sail Indonesia Rally which leaves Darwin on July 28th. If we really pushed ourselves and the boat we could probably do it but we'd miss seeing so much as we'd have to be on the move constantly just to cover the distance. There's another 1,800 miles to go to Darwin. And there are family issues back in NZ which may mean Jean has to return there a couple of times so, all in all it seemed a wise decision to defer the voyage north until 2013. The big disadvantage is that as we are 65 now, more years become much more significant than when one is younger. And there is the issue of cyclones. We will need to have as foolproof a cyclone strategy worked out as we can - whether that's here, Bowen, Townsville or Cairns, we're not altogether sure at present. And, apart from cyclones there are the north Queensland summers to prepare for. We were reading the cruising guide and specifically about the Nara Inlet where we are anchored right now. In Jan. 1970 cyclone Ada hit the northern Whitsundays. In Nara Inlet many boats had taken shelter and most were destroyed with 13 lives lost. Not the place to be, that's for sure.
Now though there are many marinas behind high rock walls and also recognised cyclone "holes" such as the Hinchinbrook Channel just south of Townsville and Trinity Creek upstream from Cairns. Hopefully we'll have the situation adequately covered. The drill is, if you're not in a marina, and not all marinas are safe by any manner of means, go well up a tidal creek (with the crocodiles!!) and tie yourself to the mangroves with anchors out fore and aft. Everything movable is removed from the deck (awnings, sails, dinghy, covers, etc.) and you then hunker down and wait it out. Hopefully none of that ever happens but you have to have a strategy.
Watch this space........
www.tiaretaporo3.blogspot.com

----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com