Marina Fever, Cairns Style

Things get busy at the big end of town

Far away and for many long nights and days, a team of dwarvish craftspeople, toiling under an ancient mountain, had woven and stitched, forged and hammered, putting every fibre of their being into delivering us between 43 and 44 square metres of the finest cross cut US made dacron sail that the internet can buy. And lo! as sun dawned on the morning of the 2nd it was delivered unto us by Ralph, of Ports North, in his mighty golf cart buggy, the
marina office at Cairns being too far away to carry such a hefty package on foot.

Platypi and a Pub

We've been in Cairns for about three weeks now and plan to head off tomorrow further north.



View from the Esplanade

Our beautiful new main sail arrived yesterday from Hong Kong and it was a bit like Christmas as the crew gathered round to unwrap the enormous box. The anticipation had been killing us.

A Grounding at Mourilyan Harbour

Finally the wind and swell settled enough to set off from Dunk Island to Cairns.


Able Sea Monkey found this plate sized starfish on our last day at Dunk.

This is a 70 nautical mile stretch so rather than attempt in it a single day we headed for Mourilyan Harbour south of Innisfail.

Being Resourceful in The Family Islands

We are tucked snugly into Brammo Bay at Dunk Island (Coonanglebah) for our sixth consecutive day of a Bureau issued Strong Wind Warning. There are far worse places we could be sitting it out in.

Third Mate whittles in a beach shelter built by one of the kids who lives full time on the island.

In which we Venture into Fish'n n Crab'n Heaven or How the Captain Visits the First Circle of Hell

The magnificent, almost untouched wilderness of Hinchinbrook Island beckoned to Arjuna from across the channel to our mooring at Orpheus Island. Its 1200 metre peaks hidden in the cloud-wrack beckoning the crew to make a summit attempt. Its endless waterways teeming with fish said to be desperate to jump into passing boats. The serenity of the Hinchinbrook Channel, legend.

Mighty Hinchinbrook, girt by cloud and mangroves