Great Sandy Straights and Wide Bay Bar

In order to continue our southward journey onthe Great Sandy Straight, we had to be up very early to be at an extremely shallow "dog leg" in the channel, for high tide. We are back in a part of the world where tide changes are big and currents can help or hinder your progress while underway. This particular spot is only 3 feet deep at low tide and 13 feet deep at high tide; we need a total of 7 feet to float the boat across. It was a game of follow the leader, as there were a gaggle of boats lined up to make the passage through. Slow going, but not a big challenge. We have to anchor up again at the end of the channel beside another sandy strip, as we need to cross the bar the next morning on high tide. Tonight's high tide would get us out into the open, but then we would have to travel overnight to get to our next marina stop. Hey, we're on holiday, no schedule -Yet! It's not really so tough to hang on the hook and watch what the Aussies do and we have a dinner date on Oso to look forward too. It is amazing how shinny you can make boat stainless with a couple of spare hours, rubbing away and enjoying the sunshine. The Aussies on shore are all busy bouncing around in their 4x4's staking out the prime beach fishing spot for the day/afternoon/night. We are at a place called Tin Can Inlet inside of Inskip Point. As far as I can see, the whole of the eastern side of Australia is one great big sand pile and the locals love to play in it, fishing, surfing, camping, sunbathing and 4x4ing, Oh, and boating too.

 

Next morning: our journey through the Wide Bay Bar at 6:30 am is uneventful (just how we planned it). You call into the local Coast Guard office and get the way point coordinates to follow as the sand bar changes with weather conditions and water movement, then just connect the dots with your boat to get to the outside. We are blessed with a gorgeous flat ocean so no big swell to bob over and no wind waves to splash through. We are now headed to Mooloolaba Marina and the water conditions are fantastic. You'd never guess that we are in the middle of one of the biggest "storm factory" pieces of water in the world. Somebody is watching over us and we are Thankful. At this point, we are about 150 miles North of Brisbane. So after Mooloolaba (mouthful!), Oso Blanco will motor on into the Manly Harbour in Brisbane and we will do a night passage around Moreton , North Stradbroke and South Stradbroke Islands to gain the passage into The Gold Coast Marina (slightly south of Brisbane) which is our final destination. The inside passage is just too shallow for us to comfortably navigate. For now, we are basking in a great day of cruising under a clear sky and even clearer waters, the 25 degree C temp. makes it pretty much perfect.