Day 5: Blaksleys

Lovely day today. Steve did some fishing before breakfast and caught 3 bream which was pretty exciting, except they were under-size.  He gave up after that, obviously we were anchored over a fish kindergarten. Decided not to move on today after our stressful episode last night. Watched our position closely through both high and low tides. No dragging.

bom warning

The pointer indicates where we’re anchored!

About 3.30pm a ‘dangerous thunderstorm’ hit (as described by the Bureau of Meteorology). We were prepared and had a contingency if we were to drag and dammit if we didn’t – directly towards a power boat that had just anchored before the storm hit. Steve jumped onto the outboard and we motored to support the anchor and stop going back any further. Scary! Particularly as it was hailing and Steve had to sit out there in it. No doubt we would have hit the other boat if he hadn’t.

hail storm

Note the hail, and poor Steve!

Fortunately it was a fast moving storm and all over in about 15 minutes. We then retrieved our anchor to discover it had been fouled with some scrap rubber stuff which prevented one of the flukes from digging in. Reset anchor.
On the up side a very large cat that was anchored down from us also dragged his anchor and moved right over where we would have been if we hadn’t also dragged. A guardian angel?
More storms forecast so we’ve now put out a second anchor. Another unsettled night I fear.

after storm

A couple of hours later!

Day 4: Horseshoe Bay to Blaksleys

The wind was forecast to return to the south east, so Horseshoe Bay was no longer suitable. We left early for Blaksleys Anchorage on North Stradbroke Is. It was only 5+nm and took us 2 hours in light fluky winds. There’s a small beach here – 20 minutes walk from one end to the other, and there are lots of families camping. They come over on run-abouts, set up camp and use the boat for fishing, and also dragging screaming children behind them in inflatable tubes. Not the most peaceful place. But hey, I hope my grandchildren get to experience similar fun and freedom as they’re growing up.
We christened the yabby pump at low tide, gathering enough yabbies for fish bait. Mmmm I could already taste the fresh fish we’d have for tea. But … neither of us could be bothered fishing that evening!
We’d just finished dinner and were inside obliviously reading or talking when the skipper from the boat down from us hailed us. We were dragging our anchor and were awfully close to him.
It was weird – wind against tide with wind winning. We were bow to the south, anchor line under the boat and behind us. So in the dark we retrieved it and reset it, 3 times before we hoped it had set. Up and down all night checking to see it was OK.