I wake up early (before 6 am) and discover Mike is awake too. Neither of us can be bothered to try to get back to sleep and I decide to catch up with the blog. It takes me so long and I resent the time I spend doing it when I have people here I want to be with. I am very pleased with myself that I get completely up to date before Johanne shouts down to see if I want bacon and eggs. What a treasure.
Steve and I go to get the anchor up but even before the bridle is off, the windlass starts to slip and cannot pull the chain up. Steve starts to pull it up by hand but there is nearly 100 feet of heavy chain down and it will do his back in. I slip the hook back on to hold the chain and stop it feeding out unexpectedly, then Mike comes forward to have a think. He ties another hook onto a warp and uses the windlass itself to wind the warp round and pull. They pull up ten feet of chain at a time and then when the hook reaches the windlass Steve puts the second hook on the chain at the bow roller and detaches the first hook and moves it down the chain and they pull up another ten feet, repeating this until it is all up.
Photo: “It takes two, babyyyy!”
All the time they have been doing this, the wind has been strengthening. Having no wind for days, we now have 20 to 25 knots on the nose, just what you need when fighting to pull an anchor up, and not something which makes for comfortable sailing.
We set off just as I disappear downstairs to get washed and tidied up. By the time I come up, we are pitching badly and I feel sea sick. Just as I emerge into the cockpit. a wave crashes against the boat and Johanne and Isabella nearly fall off the side cushions. After that, they clamber into the cockpit and stay there until it calms down a bit. I go and lie down on the side cushions feeling sorry for myself, and within half an hour, the novelty of a rough, lumpy sea having worn off, Johanne and Isabella lie down too. The ferocious wind makes everyone don their fleeces, and eventually a blanket comes out too.
Photos: Pathetic and cold, the females
After a couple of hours, the wind and the sea start to calm down just enough for for me to get into the galley and cook the huge Aussie burgers for lunch.
We arrive at Shaw Island and it takes a couple of attempts to get the anchor to set as the holding here is soft, gloopy mud and it can’t get a good grip. Eventually though, it seems to set and we let lots of chain down even though it isn’t very deep just to help us hold. We are on the other side of the bay where we saw the fantastic antics of the humpback whale a few days ago, but unfortunately there is no sign of it today.
Photo: Johanne and Isabella on the sunny side of the boat
Mike and Steve strip down the windlass and wash out the fine sludge that has found its way in. They hope that this will stop it slipping (the fine silica paste was probably acting as a lubricant).
Photo: Washing down the windlass
Photos: Sunset from Shaw Island
We settle down to a meal of mahi mahi and spicy potato wedges. This necessitates the use of the oven of evilness which is normally a major problem as it makes the boat too hot. Tonight, though, the heat is welcome as we sit down to eat.
Later on, still clutching our glasses of wine, Johanne and I go out to look at the stars again. No lying on the trampoline with our legs in the air like in the Caribbean though – much too bloody cold – and after a couple of minutes we scuttle back in to the relative warmth of the salon. It’s horrible to think that we are already on our way back to Mackay, with all that entails.
Mike sets the anchor alarm for the second night in a row. This soft stuff doesn’t inspire much confidence.
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