Girt by Sea

We reluctantly departed the fair waters of Lady Musgrave  after four days. The sea, which now coursed through our salty veins, was calling us on. Our start was very reluctant indeed and we didn't end up exiting the reef until after 1000 hours putting paid to our extravagant plans to cross vast miles of ocean.

"Isolated"danger mark. We interpret
these more freely as a "generally dangerous mark"

Instead we made a pleasant course North towards another reef called Fitzroy. 

Edge of the coral, departing Musgrave

On the charts, Fitzroy Reef looks very similar to Lady Musgrave except it lacks an island / cay and has more crunchy coral bommies within the reef and a narrower entrance. Also the entrance is shallow - a point worth mentioning since on entering the lagoon, the depth jumped from minor-tingling-in-the-toes level to all-hands-to-the-bilge-pumps level without warning. Inevitably, we heard the sickening scrape as our beloved colony of barnacles was knocked free from the bottom of the keel. Barny, Hercules, Herb...we'll miss you guys.