Year 2 -3 July 2025– Magnetic Island to Great Palm Island
We woke to blue sky day but it was quite cool first thing until the sun rose and started to warm us all up. There had been a breeze in the night which had moved us round a little. As I was having my tea I noticed three catamarans heading off early in the direction we intended to go. We all got up and had a fruit and yoghurt breakfast. There was a little breeze and we hoped to sail to Great Palm Island which was about 27 nm away.
Once we were ready we talked through upping the anchor and the passage plan. I went through the preventer system (which prevents the boom form crashing over to the other side) so the new crew had an idea what to expect. They went forward and brought the anchor up well under instruction which was good so they should remember going forward. We motored out of Harbour Bay and prepared to sail as there was about 10-12 kts of wind.
We put up the main in full for the first time and then put us on course to Great Palm Island. We then put the traveller down (this enables you to slide the boom across more to one side or the other) and then we attached the preventer and put the main right out as we were on a broad reach. We then pulled out the genoa and checked our trim and set up for the sails. We were then sailing along nicely doing 5-6.2 kts. The weather was nice and there was a little swell but we rode over it and made progress toward our destination.
We got toward the end of Magnetic Island and unfortunately the wind dropped and we had to put on the engine and motored for a while. The wind came up again so we continued to sail. I put on the generator and then the watermaker as it had not been used for a while. It all worked well and I filled the port tank which was satisfying.
William and Nicola decided to do the daily checks and to turn the fruit. In the walkaround which I did with them we found a number of things which needed attention and they then set about doing those tasks which was good. The check list is a good way to get to know the boat. Darrel made a salad lunch with tuna which we had whilst under way. The wind died again so we motored again and approached Great Palm Island where there were lots of small islands around. A fast catamaran ferry passed us as we passed the Southwest edge of the island and William who was on the helm helmed us in. There was a town to the left and two beaches and an airstrip. There was a large fire going on and the smoke was luckily blowing away from us.
We motored slowly forward and the depth reduced to about 8m then 7m and then I suddenly saw a load of coral bommies and we quickly turned away from them and went out a little further and anchored in 8m of water. We set the anchor well and had some tea. It was my turn to cook supper so I made a chicken curry which took a while. We had a sundowner as the sun went down about 5.30pm and the sky varied from different shades of pink to orange before it slipped below the horizon. Mark made some guacamole with carrot sticks as a started. The curry followed and the plates emptied and everyone seemed to enjoy to my relief. The wind died and we had a calm evening chatting and listening to music.
Great Palm Island, usually known as Palm Island, is the largest island in the Palm Islands group off Northern Queensland, Australia. It is known for its Aboriginal community, the legacy of an Aboriginal reserve, the Palm Island Aboriginal Settlement (also known as "the Mission"). The original inhabitants of the island (and others in the group) were the Manbarra people, also known as the Wulgurukaba, who were removed to the mainland by the Queensland Government in the 1890s. The island is also sometimes referred to as Bwgcolman, which is the name given to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from disparate groups who were deported from many areas of Queensland to the reserve in 1918, and their descendants.
The island has an area of 55 km2 (21 sq mi). The official area figure of 70.9 square kilometres (27.4 sq mi) refers to Aboriginal Shire of Palm Island, which includes nine smaller islands. It is off the east coast of Northern Queensland, situated 65 kilometres (40 mi) northwest of Townsville, and 800 kilometres (500 mi) north of the Tropic of Capricorn. It consists of small bays, sandy beaches and steep forested mountains rising to a peak of 548 metres (1,798 ft). The ocean surrounding the island is part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, where extraction and fishing are regulated.
Along with nine of the other smaller islands within the Palm Islands group, it falls under the local government area of the Aboriginal Shire of Palm Island. It is the only inhabited island within the Shire. It is not known what the Manbarra people called the island before colonisation. The island group was named the "Palm Isles" by explorer James Cook in 1770 as he sailed up the eastern coast of Australia on his first voyage. The name "Great Palm Island" for this island goes back at least as far as 1866. There was an American air base here in 1943 where they serviced and flew Catalina sea planes.
The picture of the day is Darrel and William on watch.
Need/Opportunity Year Three
In year three I will be going from Thailand to Sri Lanka, India, Maldives and then on to Chagos, Mauritius, Reunion, Cape Town, St Helena, Azores and back to the UK. I am looking for crew from Mauritius/ Reunion Island to Cape Town and from Cape Town to the UK. If of any interest do email me.
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