Passage Notes: Sydney To Fraser Island

May was a month of sad goodbyes and new adventures …with lot of repairs along the way.

We kicked off the month with a continuation of a brief visit from my mother and sister who arrived in Sydney on April 28. It was a bit of a whirlwind, but a really good visit and one that was far too short.

Dreamtime Bondi Beach
Dreamtime

While I seem to be developing a knack for capturing images of random strangers, the ability to take decent photos of people I know and love continues to elude me. So instead, I share a shot that I took when visiting Bondi Beach with my mother and sister.

It was anchors up for the crew of Amandla on May 2nd, this time with our friend Ray onboard for the first leg of our journey to Newcastle via Pittwater.

With The Captain and Ray
With The Captain and Ray

It was difficult to say farewell to Sydney as it had been our home for six months, the longest time we have stayed in one place since starting our Pacific crossing in 2013. But when we saw dolphins jumping as we exited the Sydney Heads, I began looking forward.

Hornby Light On South Head
Hornby Light On South Head

And my time in Sydney was not over yet.   Our weather window was delayed, keeping Amandla in Newcastle longer than expected. Only a three-hour train ride away from Sydney, I decided to return on May 6 and spend 24 hours in Sydney with my mom and sister who had just returned there after a visit to Ayers Rock. My friend Marion joined us for lunch in Hyde Park.

Making His Move Hyde Park, Sydney
Making His Move
Hyde Park, Sydney

It was even harder to leave Sydney the second time and I look forward to returning someday.

Newcastle
Newcastle

The Captain took ill on 7 May with a bad virus but he recovered quickly and just in time to use the weather window that presented itself on 10 May. It was a blustery first day out with Gale Force winds, but it was great to be underway again. On 12 May, we made our first stop off for an evening in beautiful Byron Bay.

Byron Bay
Byron Bay

We had initially planned to sail directly from Byron Bay to Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world, but our internal freezer gave out so we headed to Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast, bypassing the bustle of The Gold Coast, for repairs.

Gold Coast Skyline
Gold Coast Skyline

An earlier investment in an external Dometic fridge/freezer allowed us to save our provisions. While it was disappointing to have to stop for repairs, it was nice to have a bit of time in this cute coastal town.

Fishing Off Point Cartwright The Changing Seasons - May 2016
Fishing Off Point Cartwright
For ‘The Changing Seasons‘ – May 2016

We were also delighted to spend time there with our friends Bev and Robbie from SY Mersoleil who had oddly enough had also stopped in Mooloolaba to repair their internal freezer.

Mooloolaba Beach
Mooloolaba Beach

We were able to secure a repairman through Mark (Sparky) McKee who runs Coastal Yacht Services just outside of the Mooloolaba Yacht Club. It took a few days, but with our freezer successfully repaired, it was anchors up for Amandla again on 18 May. SY Mersoleil stayed behind to wait for the delivery of a Dometic external freezer.

Call Of The Sea
Call Of The Sea

We sailed onward to Double Point and waited there until early the next morning to ride the tide into the inner passage at Fraser Island. Unfortunately as we were entering the pass at Wide Bay, Amandla’s engine gave out. It always seems to happen at a pass.  Luckily, this pass gave The Captain plenty of room to react.

En Route To Wide Bay
Rainbow Beach En Route To Wide Bay

When I was in Yachtmaster school in 2011, the tuition included a week long diesel engine repair course. As an introduction on day 1, we were asked to share our experience with engines.   I responded that ‘I’ve dated a few mechanics and will always be smart enough to have a good one on-board’. That still holds true for me today.

I barely squeaked by in the course with a passing grade, but clearly lack the smarts of a good mechanic. The Captain on the other hand is a natural with engine. His process goes something like this:

  1. Stage 1 – Problem arises. The Captain remains incredibly calm (and when he is calm, I know there is a problem). He puts the boat in a secure position (e.g. sails away from danger, drops the anchor, or puts the dinghy in the water as a precautionary measure if we require emergency propulsion in lieu of wind)
  2. Stage 2 – The Captain throws almost all hope overboard ‘we are doomed, this can not be fixed, the dream is over’. I have learned not to get on board in this phase as I have enough experience with his process by now to know he will get the problem sorted.
  3. Stage 3 – With a glimmer of hope remaining, The Captain faces the problem head on. ‘Let me see what I can do’ he says as moves into trouble shooting mode. I either stay on deck keeping a look out, perhaps distracting myself with a good e-book or, if my services are required, I fetch water to drink, hold the flash light, and pump out oil, coolant, or water as directed.
  4. Stage 4 – Success! The Captain has once again fixed the problem. We get underway and he happily recounts how he solved the puzzle. Life is good again. The dream continues.

Of course, The Captain was able to trouble shoot the issue at Wide Bay (paper in the fuel line…don’t ask) and we made our way to Garry’s Anchorage at Fraser Island without further incident.

Moonrise Garry's Anchorage
Moonrise Garry’s Anchorage

Next Leg: Fraser Island to The Whitsundays

Submitted For Cardinal Guzman’s ‘The Changing Seasons’ 

83 comments Passage Notes: Sydney To Fraser Island

Beautiful images and happy end, what more can we hope from a blog post? 😉 I love it how you know your Captain. Wishing you happy adventures ahead!

Thank you so much Manja! We are now in a marina in Airlee Beach. The Captain is giving the engine a good look over with a local Yanmar Repair Man to avoid future failures. We had 3 more engine issues on our way here ?. More of that in my next post. Loving your new blog layout btw.

badfish says:

Lisa, you just keep getting better and better, and when you don’t have graffiti to shoot, you shoot everything. I was going to say I love the boats in the harbor, and do, but then then next few shots are even better. Hey, I lost the list of places you’ll be going. Can you resend? I still haven’t decided what is what with my summer. Still here at home.

Feeling the love Mr Badfish. Thank you! I am a little less happy with the shots I have taken since this post but I have many opportunities for photos in the future. Yay to that.
I hope your travel plans bring you our way. You are always welcome aboard.
Our plans are emerging…we now are considering two different rallies with a plan to select one in the next few weeks.

1) Sail Indonesia Rally – rally schedule here but still being finalized. The pros of this rally are that they seem to have their act together a bit more than the other rally we are considering.
2) Sail Maluku – rally schedule here but it is my understanding that there is much more to be added to this program. The pro of this rally is the areas they plan to visit.

So if you can either wait a little longer until we select a rally and they finalise their schedules, that would be awesome. Alternatively, if you can just leave it up to fate, why not just plan to be in the general area at a in August or September and then meet us wherever we are sailing at that moment. Or other.

We will be in Darwin from July 8 to 23.

badfish says:

WAIT! You want me to wait? Ha! That’s my middle name, girl. I wait with the best of them. I wait till something sweeps me into the world. It’s not even waiting, it’s living in my mind. I’m fine with fate…I have no clue which way the wind is blowing at this very moment…good thing I have no sails to worry about. Or coolers. Or generators. Or hulls. Or barnacles.

? Well hopefully nothing sweeps into your world before we finalize plans. Today, we are leaning much closer to Sail Indonesia! Watch this space ✨

badfish says:

OK…sounds like you’re the kind of decision maker I can understand!!

?

Okay – We have decided to go with the Sail Indonesia Rally. We leave Darwin on July 23. Their schedule is as follows

Kupang July 27
Alor August 7-9
Wakatobi August 11- 17
Ereke August 18 – 21
Buton August 22 – 25
Bau Bau August 26 – 3
Bombana September 1 – 6
Medana Bay Lombok September 22 – 28
Lovina Bali September 22 -28
Karimunjawa September 30 – October 2
Kumai October 4 – 8
Manggar October 10 – 14
Belitung October 15 – 19
Bangka Tengah October 20 – 24
Batam Bintan October 25 – 28

Interested?

badfish says:

OK! KUPANG! That’s a BIG maybe! I have plans till mid July. Then…don’t know. Stay tuned.

? Cheers to that! Hoping we can turn that BIG maybe into a warm WELCOME aboard ⛵️

garym6059 says:

Sounds like all is well minus a few hiccups. Stunning photography, but I’ve come to expect nothing less from you :).

Aww shucks Gary! You are very kind to say. We ended up having a few more hiccups along our way to The Whitsundays but managed to live to tell about them (next post will tell all). I guess the lesson is to enjoy the moments between the hiccups. Those moments were glorious.

Great to read of your progress, Lisa. Obviously there’s a lot more to sailing than just hopping on board and weighing anchor. Your Captain sounds so competent though, and I’m sure the two of you make a really good team. Love your photo of the small child running in the midst of all those gulls. In fact I love all your photos. A superlative gallery. Safe voyage to you and The Captain, and I look forward to your next episode. xx

Thank you for your lovely compliments Sylvia. I guess we are both lucky to have men in our lives who are very handy. Yours renovated your dream home and mine is helping me to make my circumnavigation dream a reality. Lucky indeed.

Good to have a catch up on your activities. The Captain sounds a handy sort of chap, if a tad pessimistic about his own abilities – or maybe that’s just for show! Great pictures, as always.

? Definitely a bit of show there Anabel (somewhat like an Opera) but always with a happy ending. Thank you for catching up with me and for your compliments on the images.

I’m with Badfish Lisa. You get better and better. I love the photo of the boy at the wheel, and the beach from behind and well I love them all. The stages of the Captain’s process had me laughing out loud. Wonderful to hear of your progress and that all is well. Big hugs.

Awww – you are lovely to say Sue! And I am glad that The Captain’s process gave you a chuckle…I had a lot of fun writing that one. And lucky us, we had several more engine problems on the way to The Whitsundays so plenty of opportunities to see that process in action. The good news is that we survived all of them, made it here in one piece, and had a mechanic in to look at The Captain’s work..of course it passed with flying colors.

You seem to have friends all around the world, hon, and it really isn’t any wonder. You always make me smile. 🙂 You seem to handle all the hitches that come your way, and just look at these photos!!! The glint on the water around the fisher folk, and those ‘chess men’! Sublime 🙂 🙂 Happy ongoing journey, hon.

I am blessed with great friends and family indeed. I just wish they’d all come visit (hint, hint). You always make me smile too Jo. And thank you for such kind words I the photography.

Fascinating, so inspiring… 🙂

Thank you for your kind words Drake!

Lovely photos as usual, Lisa, and glad to hear things are going well (despite the engine trouble!).

How lovely that you got see your mother and sister. Good luck as you continue on your adventures!

Their visit was a treat indeed Britta, but far too short. They promise to come visit me in Singapore. I think we finally have the engine issues sorted but time will tell. Thanks for your kind compliments on the photographs.

Most visits from loved are far too short–especially when you’re traveling/living abroad. At least you got to see them. Oh goodness, I can’t wait to see your pictures of Singapore. I’ve never been there, but I miss Southeast Asia everyday.

We should be there by November – my first visit to SE Asia. So excited

I’m excited for you! SE Asia is so magical.

Oh Lisa, so sorry we didn’t get to catch up again. I’m actually heading to Sydney for the first time in about 6 months next week, can you believe it?! What a lovely post this was, I love your insight into the captain’s mind, very cute. Mooloolabah is a great place, I’ve spent a few happy times at the beaches there in the past but I’ve never made it to Fraser Island, can’t wait to see your shots from there. I love your Gold Coast skyline and the boats docked in Newcastle (I was there in March but didn’t get the camera out). Anyway, happy travels! xox

Ahoy Desley! So disappointed to be missing you in Sydney but we are in Australia until July 23 so if you make your way up the coast or over the top for any reason, give us a shout. Thank you so much for your kind feedback on the post. I actually thought of you when I took that shot of the Gold Coast skyline – it was the first place that we saw of Queensland (albeit from a distance) and Queensland makes me think of you. We sadly did not make it to Brisbane, but are still enjoying our sail along the Queensland coast. Currently in Airlie Beach waiting on some parts and then heading out to do some snorkeling in the Whitsundays. Queensland is delightful.

Vanessa says:

Lisa so happy you are living your dream life sailing the world.

Thank you so much for visiting my blog Vanessa and for such kind words. It was great to hear from you here and on Facebook (I am just starting out on that platform). Hearing from you makes me homesick but I still have one more ocean to cross before heading home.

Ladybuggz says:

Wow! I love your life!! maybe in an other life I’ll come back as a Porpoise! (did I spell that right?) and guide sailors out to sea! You’ve got a great captain! So many of the names of the places your have shown are some of the names around here, Hornby Island was across from my fathers home (on the East Coast of V.I) and a lighthouse was just on the inner side, I used to love foggy nights laying in bed listening to it blow! I spent almost 4 yrs down at the beach rain or shine, painting (chasing the summer boys, and just listening to my walkman and watching the waves and boats! You’ve got such a great life! Take care and be safe! Can’t wait to hear of your next leg!!
<3 T.

I would love to come back as a porpoise or a butterfly…or mermaid if there is such a thing :-). I just looked up who exactly this ‘Hornby’ fellow who had lighthouses and islands named after him. Apparently, he was quite the seaman. You can read all about him here I love lighthouses and look forward to seeing a few more as we make our way up the coast. And a lighthouse on a foggy night is just what romantic stories are made of. Would love to see you right a short story about your Hornby Island days and those boys of summer.

Fraser Island is beautiful. I’ve been there many years ago, when I first traveled to Australia and I loved it!

Beautiful indeed. Pictures coming in the next post. I wish we could have done the 4WD thing and a swim in the freshwater lakes but time and boat issues precluded those activities. Still, we enjoyed our time there and got to see much of the island’s beauty along the west coast.

Lisa, BadFish is absolutely right. You’re exceeding all expectations. These photos are breathtaking and as usual, you’re such an inspiring writer.
I’m glad you made it to Fraser, and that you could see your family once again. It’s sad but heartwarming, isn’t it? Inside and outside freezer working, the captain healthy and lots of adventures ahead of you! This is like paradise! Wishing you a safe and uneventful journey!
Hugs! ?

Your comment has me smiling from ear to ear Lucile. Thank you for your kind words. We had a few more engine problems on our way to The Whitsundays but think it is all sorted now. We are headed out to Hook Island for a few days and will return to Airlie Beach to pic up some spare parts and a camera on Monday. Life is good

Great to hear! Life should be good. Hugs.

Two images I particularly like amongst a great selection

Oooo – I’d love to know which ones as your judgement is always spot on! Thank you for your kind compliment and continued mentoring. So psyched to see the 1st edition of OYD Magazine out. Delightful!

A wonderful catch up with your travels, Lisa. You’ve had a lot of unexpected events but, in a way, the unexpected makes the journey more memorable. And allows for a lot more photo opportunities. 🙂

You are totally right Ann. We did have a few more hiccups on our way to The Whitsundays but I think we got it all sorted now. Still, with the sailing life, we can often expect the unexpected ⛵️

I guess plain sailing or clear sailing is a rare happening!

? We always expect the unexpected ⛵️

Liesbet says:

Congratulations to the Captain. And to you for picking one that is a good mechanic. 🙂 Mark reacted pretty much in the same way, every time there was a boat issue. Great shots, Lisa and I am glad you made it to Fraser Island after all. The evening photo there is one of my favorites and I also liked the boy and the fisherman a lot. Enjoy the Whitsundays. Sydney will fade soon when you come upon all the remote beauties of Australia and further afield. And… You will be back one day.

I’ve been hearing from many readers that their partners react the same way as The Captain and Mark. Must be a guy thing ?
Thank you so much for the compliments on the photos. The ones in my next post aren’t as good, but they are all I’ve got..and I’ll have many more opportunities in the future. We have lifted anchor and heading to Hook Island for a few days while we wait for our packages to arrive in Airlie Beach. Nice breeze, partly sunny skies, calm seas. It’s a good day

Great report. Paper in the fuel line? That’s a new one. Glad it was sorted out.

Well I am pretty certain we’ve learned our lesson on the paper in the fuel line…next time, we’ll make sure to remove the little piece of absorbent paper from the bottom of the fuel filter before we put in the diesel ?. Thank you for your visit and compliment on the past.

Good to hear that you and crew are sailing along, Lisa. Sounds like there is no problem that your team cannot handle. First the freezer, then the engine back to all good. It must have been very nice to spend time with family, and I’m sure turning back around was worth the journey. It may have been short, but I am sure all of you cherished the time together 🙂

That is a spectacular night shot of Garry’s Anchorage, and what a round moon too. You do have it in you to do night shots 🙂 Sail safe and well. Mr Wobbles waves his two long arms at Amandla, wishing all on board well and warm <3

A compliment from you on a night shot means the world to me given your talent for long exposure! I think my decent night shots still fall into the ‘I got lucky’ category, but I’m working on it :-).
It was great to see family and I hope to have the chance to see them again in Singapore. My cousins may come there for a visit too! Big hug to Me Wobbles ?❤️

Michele says:

I love your beautiful photos, as always. The challenges in your journey always help the sweet and beautiful moments to be all the more special. It seems you are prepared to tackle what life, weather and mechanics throws at you! Safe travels to Fraser!

You are right about the challenges making the good moments that much sweeter ?. As far as preparation, I often think in the darker times ‘my whole life has been preparation for this moment, I can handle this’. We’ve had a few more ‘challenges along our way to The Whitsundays but hope they are behind us. Headed out to a remote anchorage for sone snorkeling while waiting for a few packages to be delivered on Monday. The snorkeling should be sweet indeed!

Marjorie says:

You breathe some life into my world as a corporate minion. I love that you let us travel vicariously with you on your adventures!

Well aren’t you lovely to say. I am so happy to finally have gotten around to signing up for Facebook so I can follow your adventures on the home front . Your kids are adorable. Don’t work too hard ?

I really look forward to these posts, Lisa. 🙂 Your IG’s are a great teaser and then getting to read more to the story is just icing on the cake. Enjoy your day and safe travels!

Thank you Lisa. The intermittent Internet has me playing catchup but I hope to be sharing more teasers on IG soon – Of course, intermittent Internet has its advantages. I am currently sitting in a lovely little anchorage with 0 – 1 bars of 3G watching the water greet the land. There is a hiking trail nearby…think I’ll give it a go this afternoon. (Written in Nara Inlet)

themofman says:

Captain, my Captain!

? Indeed ⛵️

Traveller at heart says:

Lovely, lovely photos esp the men playing chess. It’s exquisite!

Hope you have minimal engine trouble on your next leg of the journey. Safe sailing!

I am delighted to hear that you enjoyed the photos! Sadly we did have some more engine trouble along the way but I think it is finally sorted. Fingers crossed

As usual, Lisa, your images are amazing! Your travels sound way cool! Glad to read you had some time with your mom and sis! So important! And, really, who needs a maintenance class when you have a handy man around, right? That comment must have gotten some giggles! Bon voyage and see you on your next journey!

Ahoy Terri. I am writing this response from a lovely little anchorage off Hook Island called Nara Inlet. No internet here, so I’ll be delayed in sending. We had a cockatoo on board this morning which was a real treat. This afternoon, we are setting out for a hike.

Thank you for the compliments on on the images and the story. My line did indeed get a few chuckles and a few ‘I can’t believe she just said that’ looks :-). And thank goodness I Have my handyman aboard as we had several more engine problems en route to The Whitsundays. I think they are all sorted now

Gorgeous photos as usual! I love The Captain’s process as you described it. My very handy husband has a similar process and I have learned to stay out of the way as he works through it. I used to let the “all is doomed” phase upset me. Now I just sit back until it becomes the “I can make this work” phase.

Ahoy from Nara Inlet off Hook Island, a lovely little anchorage with no internet but plenty of cockatoos and hiking trails. Like you, I used to totally freak out during the all is doomed phase, but after a few ‘voyages’ through the process, I saw a pattern and learned to relax, and now, even chuckle a bit. We are lucky to have ‘handyman heroes’ in our lives. Thanks for the compliments on the photos ?

Dreamtime or songlines? 😉

?

Both equally appealing.

lexklein says:

I’m going to say it was worth the engine breakdown solely for that moonrise at Garry’s Anchorage, which you would have missed if sailing straight to Fraser Island, right? (You may feel slightly differently about it!) All great photos, as usual, and I’m glad to hear that the various troubles were all fixable and behind you now. Wish I could meet you and Badfish somewhere in the Pacific!

I wish you could come meet us too! You are always welcome aboard. The engine challenges continued as we made our way up to The Whitsundays but are hopefully sorted now. And you are right. There is always a ‘light’ at the end of a challenge. That moon at Garry’s anchorage made the delay worth it.

What a wonderful update Lisa with such extraordinary photos! I love following you along! Looking forward to the next update!

I love having you along on the journey Nicole. Sorry I’ve been a bit slow on responding to comments. Internet very intermittent out here.

Dina says:

Gorgeous impressions! Aaaaah, I envy you … 🙂

Thank you ?. I am a very lucky girl to be able to travel to do many awesome places under sail.

I love boats on water at marina photos. Lovely.

Delighted to know you liked that image Karen. I love when the waters are calm enough to present such clear reflections

That chessboard is freaking awesome. I want one like that in my living room! 😀

? How cool would that be! When I have a living room again, I want one too. ?

Mona lisa says:

Dazzling photography,and cheerful end,I cherish it how you know your Captain. Wishing you upbeat undertakings ahead! Sounds like all is well less a couple hiccups. be that as it may, I’ve generally expected nothing less from you :).
http://www.ranthamborejeepsafari.com/

Loved this. I’m from Sydney and I lived in Newcastle for seven years. Your life sounds like such an amazing adventure.

Ahoy from Colombia Carly! We’ve sailed a long way from Newcastle over the past three years but that hidden gem remains high on our list of favorite places (as does Sydney). Can’t wait to sail back!. You are blessed to be enjoying an ex-pat life in Vietnam. If I had to drop anchor for a couple of years and live a land-based life, Vietnam is the first place I’d head.

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