Year 2 – 23rd April 2025 -Keswick & St Bees Islands

We woke at a reasonable time and enjoyed the sun coming up. It had been a little cold in the night and so it was good to get a bit of warmth. We had a nice breakfast and chilled. I researched a bit more about the Whitsunday Islands and where we should go when the other guys come out at the end of the month. In doing so we researched a bit more about where we should snorkel where we are now. The guide suggested the best time is 2 hours before low water which we calculated to be about 12.00noon. We could not really snorkel where we are anchored and so a good place to go appeared to be Homestead Bay about a nm south of us opposite St Bees. We had passed this anchorage on the way in and there were some mooring buoys which were capable of taking Stormbird.

We therefore relaxed on the aft deck after breakfast and marvelled at the attractive scenery. We observed a beautiful sea eagle or two flying over the tree lined hill effortlessly soaring and moving at quite a speed without having to move their wings. We could see their white belly and black wings. Eventually they disappeared over the island to the other side. I tried to look at St Bees and see if I could see any Koala Bears with the binoculars which I imagined where living in the trees there. As I was sitting on the aft deck I saw a turtle appear about 30 meters away. It was a big healthy turtle and we could see its head coming up for air and then after its third breath it disappeared again, no doubt to eat some algae and green at the bottom. We could see cockatoos flying and they make such an awful screeching noise.

As the sun rose we could see more easily the colour of the corals and shallow patches. It was just nice to sit and watch the world go by which I am not very good at as I always seem to need to be doing something. When we changed the oil I had lost a small screwdriver so Paul went to investigate in the engine room. After a while he found it and it had fallen down into parts of the engine. I, with the help of a little bar managed to get it out which was satisfying. At about 10.45am we prepared to go down to Homestead Bay where there were some mooring buoys. We upped the anchor and it was covered in mud and sand and so a little forward movement of Stormbird cleared the anchor.  

We motored slowly down and passed some beaches and the grass runway and the ketch (twin masted boat) we had seen the day before was still there. Paul and I discussed picking up the strop attached to the buoy and I motored slowly up to it and Paul got it first time with the boat hook and he placed the strop over the front port cleat. The mooring said it took monohull boats up to 25m. We watched the buoy and checked it was holding well and there was a bit of a swell as it was coming round the headland. We got the dinghy down which was a bit challenging but we did it and put on our stinger suits to protect us in case of any jelly fish. This is no joke as Box Jelly Fish can kill you (like many things in Australia). Paul’s suit was Black and white so he could have been out of the black and white minstrels for those who can remember them. I had a navy-blue suit – so if you think of Robin (as in Batman and Robin) I was like that except it was blue. These suits are Lycra and cover your while body including your hands and just leave your feet bare and your face. They prevent jelly fish stings, hence their name.

We motored over to the nearby beach and what we assumed was coral. However, it was so murky and we could not see much and it is not advised to swim in those conditions due to the sharks. We therefore abandoned this area and headed down the Egremont Pass and came to another beach and we tried to anchor the dinghy. However, this was not great, was quite shallow and basically more weed than coral. We therefore went on further and came to another area which clearly had coral and manoeuvred through the coral to a sandy patch where we could anchor. We saw another turtle on the way. We also passed a black mat area which suddenly squirted black ink at us thankfully with little accuracy. What that was I shall never know. We anchored, Paul got out whilst I put on my suit and then we started to drift and before I knew it I was some way from Paul. He came back and grabbed the anchor rope to find no anchor at the end of it.

We therefore retraced our steps to try and find it. Visibility was not great and so we followed where we thought we had drifted from but we could hardly see anything. We were about to give up when I trod on something. I was not sure whether it was a big shell but when I reached down it was our anchor. How lucky we were to find it and it was safely tied again. As this snorkelling trip had not been that successful we returned to Stormbird who was rising up and down in the swell and it was not comfortable. We decided to return to the shelter of where we were before towing the dinghy as to get it up now would be challenging.

We motored slowly back and anchored again. We then had lunch relaxed and enjoyed the view but the water was quite disturbed as there is a big range of tide today. We both had a siesta. I had been sent an online tribute link for my brother Andrew and I was saddened and heartened to read the many and lovely messages that had been written. He clearly had touched many people and it brought it home to me that he has sadly gone and I will never see or speak with him again. I think since I returned to Australia the grief and reality of the situation has been shielded a bit but the reality of these messages hit this all home.

We continued to enjoy the afternoon on the aft deck, something I am rarely able to do and we enjoyed a sundowner before the sun went down at about 5.00pm (due to the hill on the Island). There as quite a swift breeze fanning us which was nice. We had bolognaise sauce (which I made a number of weeks ago) with broccoli and the enjoyed watching the stars including the Southern Cross. It had been a good relaxing day despite the conditions and we shall move on to Scawfell Island tomorrow.  

The Picture of the day is the view between the Islands from our anchorage.   

Need/Opportunity Year Two

I am in need of more crew from late June to Mid-July. In addition, there is one space from Cairns to Indonesia from mid-July - so if of interest do email me at  hine.nick9@gmail.com  

In year two I will be going from New Zealand to Sydney and hen up the Eastern Australian Coast, Indonesia and then through Bali, Singapore and on to Thailand to end year two about the end of November 2025.

The blog will continue as we continue the journey. If you have any comments or suggestions about the blog then do email me on hine.nick9@gmail.com