Whitsundays Part 1

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="1ccd05a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>DRUMBEAT</B></FONT><B>    </B><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="DRUMBEAT"><B>home</B></A></div> <div> back to  <A HREF="id94.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Voyages"><B>Voyages</B></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="1cdd2123.jpg"> <div> <B>Whitsundays Part 1</B></div> <div> <A HREF="id223.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Whitsunday Part 2">Whitsunday Part 2</A></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> Home again</div> <bR> <bR> <div> It sure felt good to be home in the Whitsundays!  Words cannot describe this area for cruising yachties.  There is an anchorage for every occasion, from well protected (but usually crowded) inlets and harbours, to gems where you can be alone for days.  We are not  'resort hoppers', so we rarely take up a mooring or berth in a marina, prefering to be on anchor with a line over the side or snorkelling the reefs.  Homecoming for us also meant taking out friends and relatives for a sail, or a weekend.  Unfortunately we have also to attend to business, which plays havoc with the tight sailing schedules.</div> <bR> <div> Not long after we arrived, Zam from Allyacht Spars arrived to fit the whisker pole and the furler for the drifter.  Unfortunately, we are still unable to order our mainsail, so we have been sailing around with the borrowed headsail.  We have set up the gear for the spinnaker we bought 2nd hand from Gordon, so we have done a bit with that as well.</div> <bR> <div> The winds have been stronger since arriving in the Whitsundays, so we have been able to stretch Drumbeats legs a little.  Once the wind gets up around 20 knots, the small headsail seems to work fine, making it pretty interesting.  We are very pleased with Drumbeats 'manners'.  She handles easily on any point of sail, and is very impressive up-wind, sailing at 25-30 degrees of apparent wind on autopilot (steering to wind angle) without wandering off more than a few degrees.  Can't wait to get the full suit of sails!</div> <bR> <div> We have added a few photo's of the first month around the Whitsundays.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="569a93f0.jpg" border=0 width="425" height="319" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="25" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <IMG SRC="58fde280.jpg" border=0 width="222" height="296" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="40" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> We took Brian's parents, Kelvin & Dallas, as well as his sister Carolyn and her husband Polbert out to the Islands.  Plenty of fishing action.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="56ea93f0.jpg" border=0 width="425" height="319" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="25" VSPACE="0">Haley's friends came out for an 'over-nighter' on Drumbeat to celebrate her 13th birthday.  A day not to be forgotten......my ears are still ringing!!</div> <bR> <div> The girls wake up to  a Whitehaven morning, after a Whitehaven night......slowly</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="80d95e20.jpg" border=0 width="405" height="226" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="25" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <div> Haley's 13th Birthday</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="80e3f8b0.jpg" border=0 width="319" height="395" ALT="Damon & Caleb with their Mackeral." ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="25" VSPACE="0">We went out to Bait reef with the Price family from Airlie Beach.  On the way out Caleb spotted one of the lures go off, and after some coaxing, was persuaded to haul it in.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="574a93f0.jpg" border=0 width="425" height="319" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="25" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> A trip to Bait Reef is not complete without a swim with the Giant Trevally (GT's).  Extra fun when your 'mates' throw pilchards at you!</div> <bR> <bR> <div> fish, fish, fish</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="5783fa90.jpg" border=0 width="319" height="425" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="25" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="576a93f0.jpg" border=0 width="425" height="319" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="25" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <div> Landing a 1.4m Wahoo on the way out to Net Reef with Brian & Jan Dodds, from Innisfail.  They were taking a break from cleaning up their tropical fruit tree farm which was decimated by cyclone Larry.  Brian & Jan own 'Another Angel', the Chincogan 40 who's 'hand me down' headsail we currently are using.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>  and more fish</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Damo needs a hand to hold this one up.....excellent eating fish.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Linda turned 40 and had a few friends out for a painting day.   This was the day we hit 20 knots crossing the channell in about 30knots of wind.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="592902c0.jpg" border=0 width="400" height="300" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="595902c0.jpg" border=0 width="400" height="300" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="20" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Arty Farty's</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Haley spent hours making a very decadent Chocolate Cherry Ripe Cake.    <FONT SIZE="6" COLOR="#000000" FACE="HELTERSKELTER" >40 Ahhhh!!!!</FONT></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="59723900.jpg" border=0 width="291" height="400" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">    <IMG SRC="59990450.jpg" border=0 width="400" height="325" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> We caught up with Iain and Cheryl off Drumbeats little sister "Extra Chilli"  (a Bob Oram design, built by Streamline Catamarans in Hervey Bay.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="59d58340.jpg" border=0 width="600" height="308" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="5a72cd40.jpg" border=0 width="300" height="212" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="5a92cc90.jpg" border=0 width="300" height="201" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="5b3f4770.jpg" border=0 width="500" height="375" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="40" VSPACE="0">Iain and Cheryl loaned us their 'Viking' kayak for a couple of weeks while they were in Airlie.  This gave the kids a great deal of independence and freedom.    So when the 'Chillies' moved on we invested in a couple of our own.  While the kayaks were being freighted up from the Gold Coast with some friends, the kids made flags to match.</div> <div>                      <IMG SRC="5ad2cc60.jpg" border=0 width="300" height="198" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="5af2cb80.jpg" border=0 width="300" height="184" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div>                                 <FONT SIZE="7" COLOR="#000000" FACE="HELTERSKELTER" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="7" COLOR="#000000" FACE="HELTERSKELTER" > Canoedling</FONT></div> <bR> <div>     </div> <div> <IMG SRC="5b5f4770.jpg" border=0 width="500" height="375" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">      <IMG SRC="5b7f4770.jpg" border=0 width="500" height="375" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="5c66ee80.jpg" border=0 width="366" height="488" ALT="Marlin" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="4" VSPACE="5"></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> We caught this poor little marlin near Hayman Island, which is well known for game fishing.  No game fishing here though, just 'haul him in'!!  We let him go after the picture.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>