Tiare Taporo III at Shaw Is. Whitsunday Group Lat. 20 degrees 30' S Long. 149 degrees 03' E

Well we are well in the Whitsundays now and in fact only 39 miles from Airlie Beach if we have to sail vectors - otherwise about 10 miles less as the crow flies.
We had a good sail today from Brampton - started off motorsailing with just the jib and double reefed main until the water tanks were full again and the batteries charged, then off with the motor and we shook one reef out of the main as the wind hadn't increased as forecast. We then sailed downwind vectors - first into Cape Conway on the mainland , then gybed over and managed (mostly) to lay the top end of Lindeman Is. The wind had increased again and was SSW instead of the forecast SE so we really tramped along hitting over 8 knots over the ground with some tidal assistance!! There were a few shoal areas and isolated rocks to watch out for and then sooner rather than later we were abreast of Shaw Is. Decision time. Whether to go in there for the night or carry on to the Lindeman anchorage. However, in this wind it looked as though it might not be as good as Shaw so we hardened up onto the wind which by then was gusting well over 20 knots - again!! We tacked several times to get up to the anchorage and finally dropped the anchor about 1430, having left Brampton at 0830 so a good day all in all.
The flora and fauna are all the same with all these islands - just scrubby hills with some good beaches but much of the foreshore quite rocky and inhospitable. As I write the wind has just gusted up to 21 knots but the anchorage is calm and we can get some needed R & R.
Hopefully Airlie Beach tomorrow. If anyone has the time could you please look up "Marinas Airlie Beach" and email us (or txt to 001161229471895) their contact details? particularly phone nos. I think there are only two. 'Ta very much as we have no internet access yet.
As always watch this space........
www.tiaretaporo3.blogspot.com

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