Mooloolaba to Double Island Point and a chance encounter at sea

Day two of our trek north dawned bright and calm for our leg to Double Island Point. It was clear there was going to be no repeat of the previous day’s high speed sleigh ride as we motored out through the mouth of the Mooloolah River to be greeted by an absolutely flat sea.  We raised the mainsail in the hope we may find some wind as the morning progressed but right throughout the day the motor was never at risk of being turned off.

Flat seas and a very light following breeze greeted us as we left Mooloolaba

Mudjimba or Old Woman Island and the Twin Waters Resort

Coolum - the home of Australia's living dinosaur, Clive Palmer.

 

It was one of those passages where you set the throttle, set the autopilot and sit back and let the hours pass by as watch the coastline slip by. We were about two miles off Noosa National Park when we did get a big surprise though. A power boat heading south suddenly made a major course change and headed directly towards. As it approached, a quick peek through the binoculars revealed a familiar face at the wheel. Noosa based friend Mark Wacker and his daughter Kimberley were on their way to Mooloolaba when they spotted the our boat in the distance and decided on saying a high seas hello. So there we were, bobbing around chatting across the water as if we had run across each other in the street. After taking obligatory pics of each other’s boats it was bye-bye and we were both underway again.

Long time friend from our motor racing and Harley Davidson days, Mark Wacker dropped by for a chat off Noosa

Strenuous work - not

Karen on the bow chatting to some visiting dolphins

Approaching Double Island Point

Oh the serenity - except for the 4WD traffic jam on the beach

 

We reached Double Island Point with out further ado and spent some time picking THE right spot to anchor. Even in these very light conditions, there was still a small swell rolling around the point while the south easterly breeze was blowing over it.  That is a normally a sure fire recipe for a sleepless rolly night but we had a plan to fix it.

About as straight forward a passage as you could get

These swells smashing onto the point also sweep around it into the anchorage

 

We picked the most sheltered spot from the swell we could.

It gets shallow any closer in

 

The ketch in front of us anchored normally and the wind is holding her beam on to the swell coming around the point causing her to roll. We rigged a long anchor snubber off our sheet winch back at the cockpit and then let out enough extra anchor chain to allow the bow to blow around to face the swells. We rode up over them rather than suffer the usual rolly polly. It was the first time we tried this technique that we had discovered on another cruiser’s blog and we were very pleased with the good night’s sleep it provided – until the alarm rang at 4.45am for us to get up for our trip across the notorious Wide Bay Bar, but that’s another blog.

The coloured sands of Rainbow Beach

 

What worked

The long anchor snubber secured on the cockpit winch worked a treat to hold the bow into the swell and prevent the boat persistently rolling.

What didn't work.

Nothing. It was a calm motor sail with no issues.

What we did right

Relax along the way.

How we screwed up

We didn't which is always a good thing.

Good night from Double Island Point!

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