Here is Arjuna

In April 2014, while Arjuna sat down at Sheridan Flats in the Great Sandy Straits thinking we were having strong winds, Cyclone Ita sat over Lizard Island for around eleven hours and ripped the place to shreds. However, not having seen the place before, the clear surrounding waters were obvious even from a distance although the island itself looked barren. When the southeaster blows, which it does often, 400-450 days a year on average in fact, Watson's Bay on the northern side is the place to drop your plow. There were about ten boats in the bay when we arrived which we understand is on the empty side. Being a marine park A area we saw the obligatory batfish wander up at our arrival. A few reef sharks also swam over to check the newcomer out. The water was the clearest we had seen since Lady Musgrave Island so the bottom was clearly visible through the depths. In fact, it was the first time on the trip we could swim along the anchor chain and see our trusty hunk of iron embedded in the sand.

This be a  fine island

Windy Week of Whitsuntide

The entire week after Whit Sunday (seventh Sunday after Easter) is known as Whitsuntide or Whit week. At this point if I was the Captain, I would be able to insert some hilariously self referential "Whit" play on words - but it's beyond a First Mate. 

Submarine vision (Second Mate)

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.

Gale force winds at Fraser Island and a lunar eclipse.

Arjuna in finer weather - note keel positioning.

The low pressure system from Cyclone Ita met with a high pressure system from the Tasman sea somewhere over the southern Coral Sea to bring us gale force south easterly winds.

We found a good anchorage at Sheridan Flats on the west coast of Fraser Island on Sunday morning, set our anchor well, crossed our fingers and toes and bunkered down for a storm that lasted through Monday and Monday night.