CLIENT: Remote Islands Voyage
VOYAGE NUMBER: 20220526
FROM: Rosslyn Bay to Mackay
DATE: 26 May 2022
POSITION: Pearl Bay
REPORT BY: White Watch
We departed Rosslyn Bay at 09:30 and hoisted all the sails with a one reef in the main in a 15 to 20 knot wind on a starboard tack and sailed between Great and North Keppel Islands. The swell and wind increased during the day to 25 knots upsetting the stomachs of a few passengers. We were visited by by a dolphin and a white-headed sooty (sea bird) hitched a ride on the helm. We did our first jibe after lunch, and this settled the motion of the boat as the building swell was now coming from behind rather than abeam, to the relief of some of the passengers and crew.
As we got closer to the mainland, we enjoyed rocky islands covered in hoop pines. We dropped sails as we approached our destination of Pearl Bay. We dropped anchor at 16:00 and did a shore trip to explore the beach and the flow banded rhyolite (volcanic rock). We returned to the ship before night fall.
We were salivating to the aromas of dinner whilst undertaking a knotting contest, which was “stolen” by red watch by 1 second. A delicious dinner was finally enjoyed after the mash was eventually prepared. The day ended with a dazzling display of stars on a moonless night with lightning flashing in the background.