Year 2 – 5 April 2025 – Gladstone -Hummocky Island

If anyone reading this and is free from late June to mid July 2025 to come to Australia then do contact me as I am short of crew during this period at present. In addition, there is a space from Cairns to Indonesia mid-July so if you are interested in either or both then please email me.

We had a quiet night although it rained again but we were in a flat calm anchorage and there was no wind. When we woke it was warm and sunny, little wind and some small fluffy clouds indicating high pressure. We decided to get going at about 7.30am as it was 6.5nm back to the marina and about 16nm to the exit of the channel to Gladstone. We were not sure where we were going to go as it may depend on the wind, which was going to be light. We upped anchor and retraced our track out into the channel. We had taken the log (speed log) out the day before, cleaned it and put it back with the arrow directly pointing to the bow of the boat as it was slightly skewed to the right when I took it out. This meant emptying the locker and taking up the floor in the area where it is housed. When you take out the log there is a powerful jet of water and you need to get the bung in quickly or you get a facefull! As we continued down the channel there was an enormous gas ship with 4 oval gas containers on it being moored by 4 tugs as we passed the LNG site.

As we motored David made a cooked breakfast of scrambled eggs, mushrooms, bacon and beans on toast, which was a perfect start, which we had to eat whilst looking out and negotiating the channel. We motored for about an hour and a half and then decided to exit via the East Channel which skirts around Facing Island. There had been little other commercial traffic and it was a lovely warm day. Once we got to the end of the East Channel we tried sailing but the wind was too light. We could either go and anchor on the inside of Facing Island which was not far or go on to Hummocky Island some 24 nm away.

We decided to go on to the Island as it apparently has a nice anchorage and I thought it would be good to see an Island. We had 2 days to use before we have to be back to Gladstone Marina.  I hoped the wind would pick up but it stubbornly stayed about 4-7 kts all day.  We passed the end of Facing Island which looked pretty and continued along the East side of Curtis Island and then on to Cape Capricorn (Latitude 23.5 South and official entry into the tropics – which are between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn) named by Captain Cook.

Hummocky Island is a small Island some 7 nm North of Cape Capricorn (also known as Mount Chappel Island). It is famous for its Black Tiger snakes which are highly venomous and which are twice the size on the Island than on the mainland.  I am not sure I am going ashore!!.

We motored on and after a few hours we came round to the North of the Island where there was an indentation and a small beach. We anchored in the bay and luckily there was little swell so we just gently swayed up and down slightly. I used the binoculars to see if I could see any snakes but I could not. We were the only ones here again. We had travelled 51 nm since Graham Creek this am.

We had a rest and enjoyed the afternoon in the sun. We then sat on the rear deck and admired the Island and its colours with its rocks and foliage. The sun began to go down and we had a sundowner and watched the sun disappear behind the mainland revealing its contours in sunset. The moon came out as a half-moon.

We had a pasta pesto supper with salad. We will head back tomorrow and hope there will be some wind.  The picture of the day is the approach to Hummocky Island.  

Need/Opportunity Year Two

I am in need of more crew from late June to Mid-July. In addition there is one space from Cairns to Indonesia from mid-July - so if of interest do email me at  hine.nick9@gmail.com  

In year two I will be going from New Zealand to Sydney and hen up the Eastern Australian Coast, Indonesia and then through Bali, Singapore and on to Thailand to end year two about the end of November 2025.

The blog will continue as we continue the journey. If you have any comments or suggestions about the blog then do email me on hine.nick9@gmail.com