Breakaway

Blogging

Sunset, Horseshoe Bay

Sunday, 10th: Out of the marina at 0624 to catch the high tide and back to Horseshoe Bay. Arrived 0827 and Carr then spent the day with his charts planning the route for the next day’s sail to Orpheus Island. My book supply is rapidly being consumed - I probably should polish the chrome or something but it is too hot to be working outside in the sun. Southern friends: read this and weep, or should I say shiver.

So I spent some time learning how to blog and how to insert the photographs we have taken. I then had to learn how to do them together. Hope this works.

Wigs and gowns

Friday 8th: This afternoon, while sipping my cappuccino in a delightful outdoor café, a number of barristers headed up the street to the law courts. Shades of a former existence. I much preferred my outfit of shorts and tee-shirt to their hot wigs and gowns. Then I remembered that the coroner’s report into the disappearance of the three men aboard the catamaran Kaz II in April last year was due to be handed down and they were off to hear his findings. The coroner found the deaths were caused by a freak accident when one of the crew had attempted to free a fishing line from the yacht's propeller and fell in the ocean. Another crew member fell in trying to rescue him and the skipper was then knocked over by the sail (boom) trying to get to the other two men. Once in the water, it had been impossible for the three men to get back to the yacht due to the conditions. I now have a new rule on Breakaway – no fishing while underway. Besides, what if we caught a fish? I would then have to work out how to clean and fillet it.

Townsville

Wednesday, 6th. Headed for Townsville but had to wait for the high tide to negotiate the channel into the marina. Left Horseshoe Bay at 1035 and on the way we investigated the many pretty bays of Maggie that we had seen from the land. Arrived at the marina channel right on high tide but even then it came down to .9 of a metre under our keel. It is usually full with local boats but we were lucky to secure a casual berth among the large live aboard population. Once again, there were building sites all around us as developers make the most of water views, same as in Mackay and Abel Point.

From the water, Townsville is the prettiest town we have seen so far with a beautifully landscaped 2.5 kilometre beachfront park and promenade with many leisure amenities. Behind the parks and on into town are some magnificent government and commercial buildings dating back to the mid 1800’s, most sensitively restored. The Customs Building in particular attracted our attention. Guess who left "her" camera behind on the boat?