CLIENT: Island Storytellers Voyage
VOYAGE NUMBER: 20231006
FROM: Manly to Manly
DATE: 7 October 2023
POSITION: Canaipa Passage
REPORT: Red Watch
Dawn broke with the sun squeezing itself through the clouds, as a dedicated team elbow greased their morning frustrations into the brass while our source of daily energy was being prepared by the expert galley Queen Cath.
The day started ominously with a good 25 Knots while we still at anchor. The crew all rose early barely leaving the screeching bugler the opportunity to roust any crew from their bunks. After all the crew had their cold and hot breakfast, we prepared for the day and its challenges with life jackets and wet weather donned we prepared to raise anchor.
An angry anchor winch squealed and complained as it dragged up half of Moreton Bay’s seafloor mud. One of our motley crew did a great job in squirting off this gooey mud as many of us covered our tormented ears.
We set sail heading for Lamb Island. When heading past the south eastern point of Peel island the sails were reefed, two reefs in the main and one in the foresail due to the 25-30knots. As the day progress though a series of rain squalls with wind gusting to 25 knots and low visibility we sailed at good speed towards our destination.
While nearing Lamb we dropped the sails and motored to anchor near the jetty. Many guests and some of the crew took a short rib ride and local minibus to the Writers festival event on Lamb Island. This event was to have been held on South Passage. However due to squalls the event secretary decided to hold the event on the Island.
On return we sailed to Canaipa Passage to anchor for the night. One of our guests, Duane Hamacher (who wrote a book with elders and Indigenous knowledge holders; ‘The First Astronomers’), shared some of his knowledge on Indigenous astronomy and the relationships with western astronomy. We learned how to use our hands and fingers to measure degrees in the sky to work out navigation positions. This could be as latitude and compass positions.
White watch, to the sound of gusting wind, settled into their watch as most of the rest of us retired for bed after this eventful day. David