It was only as I turned to see my first classy lady,  Ali wave a last goodbye from the deck of "Halcyon" adjacent to Lion Island and we turned seaward that I finally realized the dream to take Classy Lady, a 15m Halverson Island Gypsy cruiser to the Great Barrier Reef was finally being realized. 
Twelve months of talking about it and five months of intense planning had arrived and with three mates we set out minds on the first leg, to cruise to Newcastle Harbour. This trip was not about getting to the GBR, but simply enjoying every nautical mile of the cruise.
The plans to organize four crews for the trip up and back, sort out options for harbour hopping up the coast, passing the exam for an unrestricted radio operators license, registering radio equipment, getting an MMSI for the DSC, getting the right charts etc was almost completely undone by a drip. Not the sort that my GP could fix, more serious, this was a diesel leak from the portside aft and port amidships fuel tanks and only three months to go to departure.

It’s a problem of 18 year old black steel tanks which were originally given a working life of 15 to 20 years. My options were to cut up the four tanks and pass them through the engine room companion way – a costly labour intensive option which would require 16 modular tanks being installed to regain the 5,000ltr capacity. Option two was to remove the floor and aft bulkhead of the saloon and take the tanks out whole – very destructive after having spent over $140K restoring Classy Lady to as new condition last year.

1606hrs Sunday 20<sup>th July

Reaching our harbour waypoint we arrived off Newcastle Harbour which was a welcome experience. After a day belting into head winds it was great to find calm water and wind that allowed manoeuvring into an unknown berth. Classy Lady has two 375HP Cats and a bow thruster and at 28tonns manoeuvring is usually a “calm” event. The marina indicated a berth on “A” arm, straight forward until we realized that “A” was the only arm without any signage. Obvious after we had trolled past “B” & “C”. Once tied-up and shipshape Brian, Stewart and Dick made their way to the local pub for a well deserved meal. I was still feeling the effects of a serious gastro attack and not interested in eating.

Monday 21st July – Newcastle Harbour</sup>

In the morning we got a good feel for the port of Newcastle with its diversified range of floating equipment including a floating drilling or exploration platform, a floating dock with an Australian Navy vessel getting her bottom cleaned and anti-fouled and a multi function dredge filling our section of the harbour. All this gave the impression that Newcastle is positively involved in things maritime. We guessed that some of this equipment may be destined for work on Sydney’s Desalination Plant.

We tracked the cause of the water from the galley dripping into the engine room and with the right tube of sealant and a couple of turns with a wrench, the water flow stopped.

           Wild Seas - "The Washing Machine"

^{Departed late for Southport a 12 hour run risking arriving in an unfamiliar marina in the dark. This was not one of my better voyage planning days.}

The conditions were comfortable with a SSE swell of 2-2.5 meters, beautiful blue seas and a light breeze. We were abeam the Gold Coast at 1700hrs and as the sun receded behind the skyscrapers the whole area gave a truly gold effect. We entered the Seaway at 1800hrs which comprise two approximate 500 meter parallel sea walls about 200 meters apart creating a substantial entrance to the Broadwater which runs south to Southport and north behind Stradbroke Island to Moreton Bay. The southern channel is about 3 nautical miles long and the 40 odd channel markers flash in sequence so distinguishing them from land based vehicle stop lights and other confusing illuminations. At night things don’t seem what they are and the marina at Southport tests ones manoeuvring skills. The entrance into the visitors arm is a 90 degree hook to the actual arm requiring a tight port then starboard turn before entering a narrow channel between the berths. It’s at this time in pitch black except for bright street lights that felt that Classy Lady just grew another 50%. We were close enough to marina lighting for the light to flare on the salt encrusted clears and screens to seriously impede vision and it took me three attempts to get the 5m of Classy Lady’s beam into the berth with a combined port and starboard clearance of only one meter. Can you imagine what the first beer tasted like?

Friday 1st Aug - Southport
      A day of rest and relaxation after washing the boat and another ships chandlers, I am considering having my newly developed addiction to ships chandlers attended to by a professional. The one at Southport was as good as it gets which devoured 2 hours of the day and three visits. You never know when that widget may come in handy

^{Saturday 2nd August - Southport to Mooloolaba
       0545hrs - Departed Southport on the last leg of this first section of the cruise being a 10 hour transit to Mooloolaba. Although calm conditions as we left, we were aware of a wind warning for 30kt winds abating to 10 to 15 kts. in the afternoon. It’s a special experience to watch the sun rise at sea and the ocean changing colour to arrive at that almost indescribable turquoise blue. Having set a standard, bacon and egg rolls were served at 0830hrs. At 1300hrs the seas got up but did not cause any discomfort.}

At 1600hrs we could see the entrance into Mooloolaba and slowing to 6 knots as we proceeded through the breakwater entrance and up the river past the professional fishing berths to the marina. This marina must have to most generous width between arms of any I have visited so manoeuvring between the arms was simple however as I moved my trusty bow thruster to port to help turn the bow, absolutely nothing happened. Not a big problem – more a surprise. The smooth conditions enabled an easy berthing and so another job was added to the list.
We found the fault with the bow thruster. It was a voltage sensitive relay located under the main double bed in the forward cabin with a loose electrical terminal which had prevented the bow thruster battery from charging up. Vibration can be the enemy of electrical wiring & machinery.

<sup>Sunday 3rd - Mooloolaba Marina
We took Classy Lady around to the fuel wharf for a fill. 1636ltr at $1.90. The local Queenslanders get a 9.4cents subsidy from their state government but the “N” after my vessel registration number on the hull gave me away. In jest it was suggested that I should shop around for a “Q” but getting the same style may be a problem. I did some calculations and our current consumption worked out to 45ltr per hour with two 375hp 3208 Cats and a 16kilowatt generator running 6 hours per day, I was pleased with the result. I didn’t do the same calculation on the grog as it far too complex.

Monday 4th August</sup>

It was the end of the first leg and time to sign off and head for the airport for the flights home. As a group of four we had worked very well as a team and really enjoyed each others company. We got to talk about many subjects as we cruised along – some of them were sensible and we also solved a diverse range of issues and problems. Its very pleasing to realize that as we acquire diverse skills though-out life, unique conditions gives us the opportunity to take them out once more and use them in a most productive way. It was a great two weeks and Stewart, Dick and Brian looked like they didn’t want to go. We all agreed that it was a very special time.
    We spent a couple of hours attaching the boat’s covers and checked all spaces to ensure that Classy Lady would be left as we would want to find her in a weeks time for the next crew.

<sup>Friday 8th August - New Crew - Mooloolaba

Dave and Charlie flew in from Sydney and joined Classy Lady at the marina. Their first tasks was to check the food remaining from the previous leg then visit the nearest shopping centre in Maroochydore and sort out the food provisions for the Queensland leg. We had previously set up a provisions chart with the help of Ali’s culinary expertise to ensure we had covered the basic food and drink provisions plus some treats. That afternoon I had a telephone call from Charlie & Dave confirming that the shopping was complete and stowed however what was more important was asking how the vessel’s Foxtel system could be turned on as the PGA was on Fox Sports. They’d worked out where the cool grog was so life was now great.</sup>

Saturday 9th August

Stewart, my son Jason and I met at Sydney Airport on the Saturday and flew to Maroochydore to join Classy Lady late that afternoon. Yes that’s Stewart who enjoyed the first leg so much he decided to join us for the second leg. Maybe he thought we were revisiting Yamba – that Blue Label port.

In the late afternoon we went through the introduction program of the vessels equipment including all safety and navigation equipment. This included the introduction to reading and entering waypoints into the GPS and creating routes. Even to the experienced skipper, it can be an unfamiliar experience to play with waypoints and routes in a marine GPS system.

^{Sunday 10th August - Mooloolaba to Wide Bay (Tin Can Inlet)}

0800hrs – departed Mooloolaba Marina proceeding down the river and out to open water through the breakwater walls. The sea was very calm with little swell which subsided to a flat sea later in the morning. We had a practice of changing watch every 2 hours allowing off watch to rest or do other things. At 1000hrs an alarm sounded at the upper helm which was caused by the GPS loosing satellite connection and consequently loosing the vessels position and disconnecting the autopilot. At this stage we were on autopilot so those on watch were monitoring our progress. Pressing appropriate buttons on the navigation equipment did not assist and so we quickly reverted to steering manually to a compass heading. We confirmed that we knew our location from reference to the hourly log and charts so we were not concerned about our position and progress. After trying many options it finally required a full reset of the navigation equipment power to regain the satellites and the vessels position.

1500hrs – referred to entrance information regarding entering Wide Bay, donned our life jackets and prepared to cross the bar.

^{Monday 11th – Tin Can Inlet via Great Sandy Strait to Urangan}

0800hrs – departed Tin Can Inlet with perfect skies and flat seas for the much anticipated cruise through the inside passage of Frazer Island. The latest information is essential for this transit and the chart available from the Queensland Government is very detailed and provide for efficient navigation. Depth varies through-out the transit and on low tides touching the bottom should not be considered exceptional, though best avoided if possible.
     0930hrs – the celebrated toasted bacon & egg rolls were cooked and served and all in the world was right. Heading north the channel markers are numerous and keep you on your toes. Good lookouts with binoculars provided ample warning of course changes which can occur every few minutes. We saw dugongs and dolphins and the views of sandy channels and inlets of Frazer Island. I was reminded of our family visit to the Frazer Island resort of King Fisher 10 years ago. The only obvious indication of this resort is the long wharf which receives the guests daily. The lack of visible resort buildings is a great example of ecological sensitivity to the area.
     As we entered Hervey Bay we made a sweeping port turn picking up a special marker and channel markers which led us into the marina at Urangan where we berthed at 1330hrs. In the planning stage for this trip, I had contacted all the marinas we would use and confirmed that they could provide a berth for our size boat. In most cases they asked that we simply confirm 24 hours before arriving and a berth number would be provided as we approached the port.

Tuesday 12^{th – Urangan}

What was thought to be a complete fix of the toilet system was not to be as the system continued to sporadically top up the vacuum. It was now a job for Stewart and me. As Stewart called for the Teflon gloves and I became increasing nervous when he asked for a tin of Vaseline, I knew we were close to solving the problem.

^{To get to Lady Musgrave in good time with plenty of daylight hours available we departed Urangan at 0515hrs just as the sun started to light the night sky. There are many shallow areas outside Urangan harbour entrance stretching for many miles north and east so staying with the channel, cardinal and fairway markers is important. The sun rise was spectacular with strong reds flooding the morning sky. The seas were calm, the sky clear and a great cruising day was in the making. As we headed north east across Hervey Bay we were soon to see our first whales of the day breeching in the distance. It’s always a sight to excite the imagination although remaining clear of these wonderful mammals is important to preserve their desire to allow observation.}

1300hrs – One of life’s special moments was about to unfold as we noticed a pod of whales travelling south about 3 nautical miles off our starboard bow. The whales were breeching and making quite a sight and our distance closed to about 1 nautical mile. As we watched the pod pass us by we noticed one of the whales had broken off and was heading back towards us. The distinctive shape of the whale’s broad back breaking the surface indicated that it was heading straight for us. We decided to bring the engines to neutral and with a 1.5 meter swell just maintain engine movements to keep the bow into the swell. Within minutes this 10 meter whale was along side us as close as if berthed in the same pen. It was extraordinary. There was a clamour for cameras then hands reaching out of windows with cameras attached, to get the perfect shot before it was all to late. What we did not know was that this whale had come to play and for the next 20 minutes provided us with a gentle display of massive movement. One moment its head was vertically stationary 2 meters out of the waters and just 2 meters off our beam as if to observe us.  

<sup>Our problem was that we had no steering due to a collapse of the two steering ram seals, so entering Yepoon from the north required a turn to port as we entered between the two breakwaters and with a strong north East sea
pushing us onto the approaching breakwater, its was a time for cool heads and good timing on the engine controls which got us into port safely. This time however we completed the entry with style and grace which caused a minute sigh of relief in my deep sub-conscious.    1500hrs – tied up in the marina and soon made our way up to the marina café where ice coffees and others went down very well.

Monday 18th  Rosslyn Bay
A day for shopping and boat jobs including cleaning the diesel filters and water strainers, drinking water filter, fix a patch on the dingy and replace some deck corking. The crew was very willing to keep Classy Lady looking good so a full boat tub was completed before we hauled ourselves onto the local bus for a ride to the shops. The locals seemed very friendly and the bus driver was no exception helping people or waiting for them whilst they sauntered to the bus. Eventually we arrived at one of the local shopping centres and Charlie Dave & Jason went food shopping whilst Stewart and I checked out other interesting items like Dick Smith goodies. Eventually the shoppers returned by taxi with all their bags and Stewart & I returned by the local bus. On our return we contacted the fuel wharf and were told that due to the rush to get fuel we would have to book a time for a fill at 1600hrs. We had to take the boat and stand off the fuel wharf for 15 minutes whilst a boat was completing their fill. It was explained that other boat could rush into the marina and take our spot at the fuel wharf if we weren’t already inline. We purchased 1793 litre at $2988.00 excluding the rebate of 9.4 cents per litre. for Queenslanders.</sup>

^{uncomfortable night with constant rolling due to the tendency for wind to turn a boat beam on.
Wednesday 20th Nth East Percy Island}

Due to the rolling action during the night, next morning we moved position further away from the gap between Walter and NE Percy which was funnelling the wind. This proved successful for two reasons; it reduced the roll and provided a great fishing spot which during the day provided such a bountiful catch of red emperor, mackerel and bream. Approximately 25 meals of quality fish was caught and filleted. For the fisherman, the world was again well and exaggerated stories flowed of fish caught and thrown back because they were too big to fit in the boat. This was when we had our first medical issue with one of our crew suffering from a recurring hernia problem. Not an emergency but did require rest and consideration.

^{Thursday 21st Nth East Percy Island to Scawfell Island}

0800hrs – weighed anchor and headed out on the 6 hour transit to Scawfell, another island with good protection. We had clear skies, 0.5m swell 5kts wind from NE and logged onto Coast Guard Thirsty Sound CH 81.
Two hours north of NE Percy we witnessed our first encounter with algae. It’s very unsightly to see this beige/rust coloured algae floating in very long strips. We saw strips up to 2 nautical miles long and about 6 meters wide. We were told that it’s due to excessive super phosphate being washed into the sea which promotes accelerated algae growth.
1440hrs – dropped anchor in a well protected bay at Scawfell, another deserted island this time with great sandy beaches. Paperback novel stuff. The sea was very flat and it was easy to see meters below the boat. It was likely that the dingy would get plenty of use the next day and so we decided to repair some small patches which over years of use had worked loose. Jason was to be the dingy skipper for the day’s events and Dave Stewart and Charlie were to be the gun fishermen.

^{Sunday 24th - Scawfell Island to Abel Point Marina
0615 – Weighed anchor and with little of the last days swell evident except for a SE 1 meter swell and overcast skies we started on the last transit of this north going leg. Passing islands as we moved towards the southerly end of the Whitsunday group, it became obvious that we were heading into busier waters. At 0803hrs we logged onto VMR 448 NE of Carlisle Island and at 0830 the last of the bacon & egg toasted rolls were being prepared down in the galley. Moving through the main shipping channel we passed an army beach landing vessel which would be dropping off supplies to one of the islands.
We were heading NE off Hamilton Island towards Abel Point and it was about this time that we realized that we would need to thread our way through one of the Hamilton Island Regatta races. Skippers with one intention in sailing vessels of varying sizes were crossing our course ahead of us. Dave who was the least experienced sailor was on the helm and absolutely wanted the chance to take Classy lady through this armada of vessels. It was quite challenging working out their courses and speed compared with ours and picking our course of least problem. We had ocean racers hard over flashing past knowing that if there was a collision it would be us to carry the can. It was with great class that we steered a near straight line adjusting the speed when required without causing any other vessel to change course. Dave couldn’t get the smile of pride off his face.
At 1230hrs we logged off VMR 448 and logged on with VMR Mackay.
At 1320hrs we arrived at Abel Point logged off with VMR Mackay and following radio contact with the marina, proceeded to berth P3. Lines secure it was time to finally relax and reflect on a great trip. Jason Charlie & Dave were leaving us on Monday so as Stewart and I were staying on for another couple of days we decided to forgo the usual cleanup and all visit Airlie Beach for lunch and a look around.}

^{Monday 25th Abel Point Marina.}

Charlie, Dave & Jason departed for Sydney and Melbourne respectively and Stewart & I got on with catching up with end of cruise jobs etc. Whilst working for P&O back in the 70s, I encountered the great Aussie tradition of souveniring with steam iron, bed sheets and towels all considered legitimate collectables. The only items that disappeared on Classy Lady were food and alcohol.

'The Hook up'
After a couple of hours fishing, Mark starts 'feeding' a pair of Cobia who have taken up residence under Classy Lady. Presenting the baited hook is of no interest to them but when pieces of bait are casually thrown into the water they suck it in like there’s no tomorrow. After a frustrating hour of trying to combine loose and hooked bait we enlist the help of Roy (who had been full of advice on how to catch the fish- you know the type). He proceeds to use the well tried 'Stewart Thomson' method by smearing his hands with bait and then the line and hook before attaching the bait, all the time Mark is feeding the Cobia with morsels to keep them interested and also changing the hook from a red to a brown coloured hook. The next cast one of the fish takes both the loose bait then the baited hook and takes off - with Roy hanging on as the small reel screams in protest. Before long Roy is pushed back into the lazerette and Mark, myself and Brendan are simultaneously instructing Roy on fighting and landing methods. Eventually Roy gets the fish to the back of the boat "you beauty". Mark decides to take the line and drag him in over the marlin board and......bugger, with a flick of his head the Cobia parts the line and is gone. I think Mark is going to cry, and then I think Roy is going to whack him with the rod. You couldn't buy entertainment like this! During the afternoon a couple of fish are landed and dispatched to the galley, cleaned and filleted ready for dinner. Dinner is prepared by Mark who displays a real talent in the galley and is immediately and unanimously promoted to 'Chef" by Skipper and the rest of the crew.

At night as if to taunt us, a huge array of fish swim in the torch light under the back of the boat.

Later that evening Roy gets a call that he had become a Grandfather for the third time with the birth of his daughter’s son. Both well.
......................................

 

Pictured Below - "Classy Lady" at anchor in
'Refuge Bay' Scawfell Is. The water colour is
unbelievably aqua blue.

Monday 22nd - with Mark in full control of the galley we are treated to the first of many full cooked breakfasts. All thoughts of trimming a couple of kilos on the voyage are tossed overboard. We take the dinghy on a fishing excursion around the point of the island but return after a couple of hours with nothing to show for our efforts. Later we go ashore and walk along the 2 k of sandy beach. This is a beautiful place well cared for by the National Parks & Wildlife who have constructed a toilet facility with adjacent BBQ facilities. The island offers safe and protected anchorage together with a bay of crystal clear water, sandy bottom and safe swimming. Heaps of sea rays cruise around the sandy shores as we walk along the beach.
Back at the boat Mark and Roy don their snorkelling gear and inspect the bottom of the boat. The water is so clear that the full length of the boat can be seen from one end. Roy is impressed with the job the shipwrights did at Abel Point with the props and rudders etc.

With the forecast of South Easterly winds to 25 knots in the next couple of days, we decide to proceed on to Port Clinton on the mainland tomorrow, skipping a day as we have heard from a Past Commodore of the club, that it is a good anchorage.

Tuesday 23rd
0645hrs - we leave Scawfell Island and head south to the Percy Island Group. Whilst 'on-watch' I spot what appear to be two seagulls standing on something in the water.

Wed.24th
0650hrs – having checked the weather forecasts and entered the waypoints the previous night we weigh anchor at the Percy Islands and head off to Port Clinton.

On route we have a surprising whale encounter. During the morning whilst I am 'on-watch' at the helm, we spot a whale laying on the surface just a few hundred meters off our starboard side. It seems to be very lethargic and is not moving. Thinking that this whale may be caught up in some nets or injured, we decide to go across for a closer look. Now at this stage I was still unfamiliar with low speed manoeuvring of Classy Lady other than cruising along in open waters so to my surprise when I moved the gear in to neutral unlike my vessel, Classy Lady’s 30tonns just kept cruising along, the momentum leaving us parked off the beam of this huge humpback whale a little closer than I had planned. The whale it appears was having forty winks just laying on the surface and now rudely woken by us sitting there looking at it. It rolled slowly over and opened it's very dark huge eye to look at us while "Moby Dick" thoughts go through my head as to what the whale will do next.

Friday 26th

0700hrs - The weather forecasts are not good indicating 3 meter swell from the south with a 10 second period. We decide to poke our nose out to see if the conditions will allow a transit to Rosslyn Bay Yeppoon and the comfort of a marina. It is understood that if conditions are too rough we will return and spend another day in Port Clinton to wait the weather out. We head off toward the entrance with all loose gear stowed and secured, anticipating a bit of a rough ride. The sea is short and running about 3 - 4 meters on the nose and straight away Roy is not happy with the conditions, we consider however that this initial rough patch could be a 'bar effect' at the entrance and so we press on. As we clear the southern headland we cop the full force of the sea conditions and wind, short wind waves of at least 4 meters and wind gusting to 40 knots plus. We don't have to wait long for the Skippers decision as Classy Lady is picked up by a particularly nasty, short, steep wave which passes under us leaving Classy Lady suspended in mid air - or that's what it felt like as all 30 tonnes of Halvorsen came down with a thump. Roy spotted a gap in the seas putting the throttles down full and spun "Classy Lady" around. After 20 minutes of fighting the stern’s desire to breach we arrived back at our original anchorage.
I've seen some nasty conditions over the years but that morning would take the cake.

Later that morning we discover the thump off the wave dislodged a light fitting straight out of the bathroom deckhead and also partially 'popped' the emergency cut-out button on the generator, which we discovered later when trying to start the generator for a cup of tea. Prior to our aborted departure we had encountered an intermittent winch problem when bringing the anchor up which was repeated when we dropped the anchor on our return. We spend most of the day checking out all aspects of the winch and after removing the winch from the foredeck and finding it in working condition, Roy - our resident electrical engineer, verified the problem as a lack of current due to a faulty main circuit breaker under the lower helm seat being the suspected culprit. After checking with a meter and then short circuiting the wiring around the circuit breaker, Roy establishes normal albeit temporary operation. This was a good result as dragging up the anchor by hand in a 30 knot wind was not an exciting thought as 70meters of rode in 10 meters of water was allowed in these windy conditions.
Port Clinton is a wide expanse of water surrounded by low hills to the south and east. Its not the place to exercise your curiosity as notation on charts warn of unexploded munitions spread throughout the area from years of target practice by the military.
Later that morning a flotilla of 12 Maritimo cruisers arrive in Port Clinton after coming north with the weather from Yeppoon. To our relief the wind backs off during the night providing a better night sleep.

Saturday 27th
0630hrs – listening to the radio we confirm that the Maritimo vessels are heading off line astern toward Nth East Percy and we also decide to head out and have a look at the conditions to confirm a transit to Rosslyn Bay. As we reach beyond the south head of Port Clinton it is obvious the conditions have abated so we continue for Rosslyn Bay.

1330hrs - We arrive at Rosslyn Bay after a great run with conditions getting calmer as we headed further South. We secure Classy Lady in its allocated berth and decide that Mark and I will go and do some grocery shopping while Roy and Brendan give the boat a 'tub'.
We find 'Woolies' after a bus trip into town. Mark has a menu in mind for the next couple of days and we proceed to fill the trolley with the Chef's requirements. Two blokes who hate shopping centres are not a great combination but we survive the ordeal and quickly tick off our list. We also stock up at the bottle shop with the necessary refreshments.

Sunday 28th

0830hrs - we depart the berth and cross the marina to the fuel wharf to top up on fuel. This becomes an exercise in credit card stupidity. When the pumps are unattended the purchase is by credit card only allowing a limited dollar purchase before resetting the pump. To do this PINs are required for each purchase and it takes six separate purchases to finally take on 700 litres. Guess who couldn’t remember their PIN number? We are finally at sea once more and into our routine, cooked breakfast, watch-keeping and wondering the mysteries of that beautiful blue ocean. Pancake Creek is a fairly open anchorage and we settle in on anchor with a group of other boats in the outer harbour at 1620hrs

Monday 29th

0550hrs - due to weather forecasts of impending high seas from the south in 2 days time, we head off directly for Urangan after deciding not to visit Lady Musgrave Island - a trip for another day. This was also influenced by the lack of a normal functioning winch and Lady Musgrave is very dependant on a good anchor with the ability to pick up quickly day or night and move if required.
1705hrs - We arrive at Urangan after a good run down. Urangan Marina has great facilities and we enjoy a nice meal at one of the marina restaurants. Because of the windy conditions (25knots) in the Great Sandy Straits, we stay over an extra day at Urangan and have time to give the boat a good clean up. Roy insists we go for a walk and visit the local ship’s chandlers shop - he really does have a problem with these shops and is reluctant to leave until he has browsed all the shelves just in case. He says that his therapist is onto it. Tuesday night we go to the local Yacht Club for a couple of welcome tap beers and a great meal.

 
  Pancake Creek anchorage

Wednesday 1st Oct

0550hrs - Weather fine, wind calm, a top day to go down the Great Sandy Straights. We break from the usual 2 hour 'on watch' routine and suggest a 1 hour watch as this transit can be more tiring for all. We break the jobs out - Mark on the helm in manual steer mode - no autopilot today! Brendan and Roy were on the charts with me on the binoculars spotting the next markers. Unbeknown to us at the time Mark had no intension of passing the helm to anyone else. He was having too much fun on this lively leg. Who would argue with the chef? 
The Great Sandy Straits behind Fraser Island is a unique experience as channel markers are plentiful but dispersed such that with the winding of the navigable channel, there can be a chance that the closest marker may not be the next to visit and great care must be taken to observe all markers together with the chart. With a depth under keel of less than I meter at times channel markers are not to be missed.

After a successful and beautiful cruise down the Straits we arrive at Tin Can Inlet with its mix of fishing, sight seeing and leisure boats and tie up at the marina for the night. Mark spots the local fishing Co-Op and starts planning the meal for the night. Tonight it will be a seafood feast with the last of our caught fish complimented with some great local prawns all cooked to perfection - there is no end to Marks talents in the Galley!

0550hrs - we head off early and prepare for the crossing of the Wide Bay bar and the transit to Mooloolaba. Following a line of cruising yachts our crossing of the bar was uneventful; however this was a good day, on a bad day however the turbulent white water, tidal currents and winds can make this a nerve wracking experience. I wouldn't want go through there on a bad day!

1235hrs - We arrive at Mooloolaba after lunch and proceed to the fuel wharf for a 1350 litre top up. Mark and I are entertained by the various folk walking past as we fill the tanks. Most non boating folk are gob smacked at the rate at which us boaties can make a diesel pump spin it's little dollar wheels, bit like a crazy poker machine only it never pays out! A couple of young blokes walk past and one say's "Geez I didn't earn that much last year". As Roy responded "there is no mercy" and we have to pay the extra 9.4cents being from NSW as well - bugger.

We loose our chef today as Mark's wife is picking him up tonight and he will leave to enjoy a holiday with his family from the area. Tom will join us today as the new crew heading south and with his wife will join us this evening so we have a farewell/welcome dinner at one of the marina side restaurants.

We wonder how we will cope without our fantastic Chef!

Friday 3rd

We leave Mooloolaba and head off on the last leg of our voyage to Southport and Tom's place at Hope Harbour. We have a smooth cruise with the last hour seeing the wind pick up behind us. By the time we arrive at the Gold Coast Seaway we have a run-out tide with a brisk Nor-Easter pushing against it. It made for an exciting entrance to the seaway with Roy being busier than a one armed taxi driver eating a pie. After nearly two hours inside the Broadwater and up the Coomera River we arrived at Hope Harbour and secure "Classy Lady" to a pontoon at the bottom of Tom and Karen’s garden. During an engine room inspection Roy finds the starboard engine battery warm to touch and after further investigation decides that a new battery is required. That night it’s a short walk to a great Thai restaurant for what was the last in a series of great meals and wonderful experiences.

Roy Reports:

Saturday 25^{th Oct}

I return to Hope Island with Graham and Stewart - you remember the barnacle and start to prepare Classy Lady for the last leg of the journey. Having installed the new battery I then ran up the engines only to find a trace of raw water hitting the port fuel tank. This is found to be from the port engine raw water pump and so a visit to get the pump rebuilt with new bearings was planned as the first job before departure in three days time.

Sunday 2^{nd Nov}

0715hrs – departed Coffs Harbour for Port Macquarie in overcast skies with a 1.5m southerly swell. Within 30 minutes a mother and calf was sighted abeam of Classy Lady and within 5 minutes the calf had closed the distance and surfaced within 1 meter of the boat. We had previously slowed keeping a safe distance but the whales don’t always follow the same guide lines. They soon disappeared and we returned to cruising speed.

1420hrs – arrived at the Port Macquarie fuel wharf for a fill and then to the marina berth.

Monday 3rd Nov – We had a days sightseeing visiting the historical museum, Flagstaff Hill with its grand lighthouse1821 and then lunch of local pie & chips. A walk along the river to the seawall bordering the south side reveals individual rocks that make up the retaining seawall enhanced with personnel artwork by visitors and probably residents for a small price to the council. In many cases its Mary loves Fred stuff but some of the work reflects great emotion and talent.
 ^{On our return, we observed a grand old lady, the Halverson wooden vessel, "Silver Cloud". It’s undergoing a major restoration and we were able to appreciate the quality of workmanship being lavished on this lovely vessel. It will be very special sight to see her on Sydney Harbour this year.}

Thursday 4^{th Nov}

This was a significant departure as it was our last marking the end of a 6 month project for me.

0600hrs – departed Port Stephens on a direct course for Broken Bay. We had decided to take the direct route avoiding Newcastle as a low pressure area down south was sending winds north on Friday and we wanted to avoid them.

As we approached the large vessels moored off Newcastle the winds changed to the west at 27knots and the seas developed a 1.5m swell. We passed the last of these vessels just south of Norah Lighthouse. The winds and swell lasted until we were clear of Stockton Bite which seems to generate its own weather pattens. The sea then acquired an oily surface. By now we had devoured the last of Stewart’s bacon and egg rolls and thinking of what life must be like when you’re not cruising. The first sight of Sydney were the tall building of the CBD when abeam of Terrigal.

1305hrs – made contact with Sydney Coastal Patrol to log-off. “Where have you been?’ was the response. It was only after a couple of seconds that I realised that one of our crew from the third leg was on duty in the radio room and he knew of our return today. I took his assertive question to mean that he had missed us and just wanted to show he cared.

I remember how excited I became when Roy offered me the opportunity to crew on “Classy Lady” from Broken Bay up to Mooloolaba. I had previously completed this trip some years ago but in reverse and in two and a half days. This time however the itinerary allowed for “gentleman’s hours,” that is, being under way in daylight hours only and being able to sleep soundly at night without the rock and roll. One to two day stopovers were also planned for in selected ports
Before we even departed however, I received a phone call from Roy who casually asked me if I would like to carry on to the second leg from Mooloolaba to Airlie Beach. Consideration of my affirmative response took less than a millisecond before executing cartwheels and back-flips.

My emotions on departure were somewhere between excitement and enthusiasm and certainly not apprehension. Roy was very controlled in his emotions which could have been related to an untimely gastro problem which if not held under control had the potential to create an unfortunate atmosphere within the confined space of the wheelhouse, which would not have been the manner in which we would choose to depart.

As Roy reported earlier, Classy Lady did receive quite a battering from heavy seas all the way up to Port Macquarie but damage was minimal and the seaworthiness of the vessel was well tested.

The crew, Dick, Brian and myself and under instruction from our esteemed skipper, became proficient at setting a course to the next port and transferring co-ordinates into the Raymarine GPS Navigation System which in turn was linked to the auto-pilot. Technology has come along way since my days at sea.

An amusing incident occurred whilst in Coffs Harbour. On returning from a morning stroll and on the board walk, I was approached by a NSW Maritime Officer who asked me if I was Stewart Thomson and was I from “Classy Lady”? When I replied to the affirmative he surprised me by accusing me of being responsible for a diesel spill. After my emphatic denial in a trembling voice, he promptly burst into fits of laughter and admitted that my daughter (who is also a NSW Maritime employee) had put him up to it. Furthermore, the original intention was for him to approach “Classy Lady” in the company of Water Police Officers who in turn were to inform us that they had received information regarding a section of hull having been removed and consequently suspected us of transporting illicit drugs. Roy would surely have succumbed to a serious relapse of his earlier gastro problem had this escapade gone ahead as planned.

On arrival in port, various duties had to be performed such as washing down to remove salt and spray. All duties were performed with eagerness and gusto as ships rule No1 dictated that the mainbrace would not be spliced until the vessel was shipshape, hence the enthusiasm.

Arrival at Mooloolaba signalled the end of the first leg and the end of the trip for Dick and Brian. We celebrated in style with a slap-up barbeque dinner at Brian’s Maroochydore unit. Roy and I flew home for a few days prior to returning to Mooloolaba and meeting up with the new crew for the second leg, namely Jason, Dave and Charlie.

The Queensland leg proved to be the most exciting to me by way of visiting remote ports, uninhabited islands with beautiful blue clear water which delivered to my trusty fishing rod, many different colourful (and very tasty) tropical fish.

The blue clear water, terrific scenery, warm tropical days and great mates all made life good.

We duly arrived in Arlie Beach and once again sadly farewelled our shipmates and headed for home.

I had a few days at home prior to Morag and myself heading over to West Australia for a three and a half week touring holiday and on return I received a phone call from Roy asking me if I would care to rejoin “Classy Lady” for the return leg Hope Island to Broken Bay. Well!! I reckon I had a flight booked for the Gold Coast before the phone conversation ended. I tried to convince Morag that Roy really required my marine engineering skills but I suspect that it was more my ability to rustle up egg and bacon rolls whilst “Classy Lady” was rolling through 15-20 degrees.

On this the final leg, the crew consisted of fellow BHCC members Graham and Tom.    We had an enjoyable and largely uneventful passage down the NSW coast and spent extra days in Yamba and Port Macquarie which was good.
As we neared home I reflected on just how well the engine room had performed over the voyage. Especially the two 3208 Caterpillars which apart from a salt water cooling pump malfunction, had pushed us effortlessly and economically to the Whitsunday Islands and back again.

I felt quite nostalgic as we passed the old familiar sights of Lion Island and Barrenjoey Lighthouse and reflected on all that we had experienced since passing these same marks heading north some three months earlier.

The highlights were many however our encounter with our adopted humpback whale would have to be the most memorable. Truly nature at its best! The most rewarding experience would be the friendship and camaraderie of my shipmates.
Some of the guys I knew beforehand and some I only met for the first time on “Classy Lady.” You are a great bunch of blokes. I lost count of the times I left the saloon table and went to bed with tears of laughter streaming down my face.
Roy, you are a great skipper as well as being a fun bloke and a good mate. I sincerely thank you for the experience and having me along on the trip of a lifetime. It was a blast.!!!
Sincerely

The Barnacle