The Adventures of Captain Ray Penson
Sailing Yacht Truce
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.
I love the Hinchinbrook Channel. For the first time since departing from Gladstone I have had a wonderful sleep without rocking and rolling. The creeks here are flat calm, the swell cant reach them. The scenery is wonderful and so far the mosquitos and sand flees have been absent.
The idea of making fresh water from seawater on the boat is very appealing and adds another level of independence to cruising. But such a luxury comes at a cost - money, space, added complexity and power. Being mainly single handed with a small yacht my freshwater requirements are modest, most off the shelf water makers didn’t fit with my needs. So, I thought why not look at making one to fit the boat and my expectations.
Monday morning, there was a light breeze for a change. I hopped in the dinghy and headed ashore for a walk and look around Townsville. I didn’t really see anything of significance. There were a couple of Irish Bars, I made a mental note that a pint of Guinness and some Irish grub may be a good idea in the evening.
I didn’t go ashore the first day, there was a strong wind warning and being anchored in shallow water on short scope decided to stay on board for safety. Tomorrow is another day and I feel my arm is starting to heal so another day resting will help, the orange pig can rest on deck for another day. My hope that the rolling would stop here has been shattered, but it’s only a small lazy roll unless its high water.
I awoke early the next morning to find only a slight improvement in my injured arm. This is frustrating, I am fed up with looking at the shore and going nowhere. Resting here isn’t working. The thought of spending another day on the boat in confinement was depressing. I can’t rest and unable to get ashore. As much as I wanted to spend some time in the Whitsundays it isn’t going to happen. I must admit to feeling a bit woeful. I gave myself a stern talking to, pulled myself together and am now looking at the positives again. A new plan was called for.
I awoke this morning feeling very sorry for myself. My left arm was painful, I couldn’t use it, couldn’t lift it. I had done something terrible last night. My first thought was something was broken the pain was that bad. But, the swelling would have been worse for a fracture. Must be a strain or pulled muscle.
Finally, after southerly winds, northerly winds, rain and a rolling swell the weather improved, allowing a run ashore without being tipped into the surf. I had started the day off trying to sail north to Digby Island but the wind disappeared, so I returned to West Bay to explore.
After anchoring at Percy Island I was eager to get ashore. But it was just too rough and the wind too strong to put the dinghy in the water. I stayed on board and scanned the shoreline with binoculars. We rolled all afternoon and reached a crescendo coinciding with high water just before midnight. Only then was some sleep possible.
An early morning departure from Hummocky Island to take advantage of the southerly wind. Unfortunately, the breeze continued to decrease and by ten in the morning the tide was taking us backwards. Reluctantly I started the engine and we motored towards Keppel Island, arriving just after one in the afternoon.
The Adventures of Captain Ray Penson 