CLIENT: Silver Youth Voyage
VOYAGE NUMBER: 20240917
FROM: Manly To: Hervey Bay
DATE: 19 September 2024
POSITION: Big Woody Is
REPORT: Blue Watch
We woke up to the bugle at 0630 hours and had breakfast of hashbrowns, tinned spaghetti and toast. During the day we continued to motor down the Great Sandy Strait and unfortunately were unable to raise the sails due to a headwind. Watches continued to rotate throughout the morning with individuals improving their navigation and helmsman skills. We dropped anchor at 1140 hours just off Fraser (K’gari) and descended to the saloon for a delicious lunch of Spaghetti Bolognese and toss salad.
Boarding the tender, groups of four to five were ferried to the beach, receiving a light drenching from the cold sea spray. Upon arrival the groups explored, swimming, climbing the decrepit jetty, wandering the beach (which was covered in soldier crabs) and walking the nearby tracks. These tracks had a historical significance as they were a memorial of the Z force, a group of Australian soldiers who trained on Fraser during the Second World War.
We returned to South Passage at 1500 hours and moved on once again. The skipper wanted to find a sheltered location to anchor for the night as the wind speed had increased and consequently the ocean waves had risen. Watches continued rotating and the anchor was lowered just off Big Woody Island.
The day concluded with another knot competition, a figure of eight, which the white watch won. A dinner of Chinese chicken and stir fry vegetables and cheesecake, cooked by our fabulous chef Cath, was both a nutritious and delicious ending to the day.