The Adventures of Captain Ray Penson
Sailing Yacht Truce
Of course, the reality of cruising an area or coast is often different from the perceptions. This was very true of my cruise inside the Barrier Reef. I started the voyage in Gladstone, Queensland and finished the Barrier Reef section In Siasea, just around Cape York in the Gulf of Carpentaria, amazingly still in Queensland – Australia is a big place.
Finally, at last, by the 29th August the trades had moderated and I let go from the mooring as the tide turned to ebb and headed out from Cairns. Truce had been tied up there for nearly a month and developed a nasty scummy slime around the waterline. Time to sail it off.
After the injury to my left arm I have been sailing with just the headsail. Most of the time I have poled out the sail as its been mostly downwind sailing to the SE trades. The trades at times can be strong, gusting to 30+ knots occasionally. It looks like I have stressed the spinnaker pole and opened up an old break in the carbon fibre. This needs repairing before setting off again.
The wedding was for Natasha and her future husband Sam. Natasha is the daughter of my best friend Jim Britton. Unfortunately Jim passed away a short time ago. The wedding was delayed time and again by covid and unforeseen events. Jim did pick out the wedding dress, he did a good job as usual.
With the constant trade winds, sailing with just the headsails has been easy and really not much slower than if I also had the mainsail working. By sailing this way I have covered almost five hundred miles since departing Middle Percy Island.
The Adventures of Captain Ray Penson 