Thursday 31^st. 0548 start for an even longer day today, 78 nautical miles to Magnetic Island. Wind from the SSE but variable between 5 kts and 0 kts. Motoring only today. By 11 am Breakaway is abeam Cape Bowling Green, a long, low, shrubby, sandy spit with one tree standing at the end of it. With the aquamarine water, cloudless sky and the sun shining bright and warm at 24º, it looks good enough for a holiday brochure. And then I see dolphins. Perfect.

Cape Cleveland at 2 pm and now Townsville and Magnetic Island are in sight. The sea has been dead calm so while the engine is running I have used the microwave as a convection oven and cooked diner for tonight. Stuffed aubergines in the Turkish style. Yum.

1600: Anchored in Horseshoe Bay on the northern side of Magnetic Island. A palm fringed bay with sand the colour of Sydney’s northern beaches and a few houses amongst the trees, a wee bit rolly but so beautiful we will stay here for a few days. A popular anchorage I would say by the number of boats here.