Lake Macquarie to Mooloolaba


After being delayed four days by a strong wind warning and huge swells along the east coast, skipper David joined me for the four day voyage to collect the crew in Mooloolaba. The first two days were smooth sailing with brisk southerlies on the back of the strong winds and seas easing a bit, we made good ground. David cooked delightful sticky rice concoctions for breakfast, lunch and dinner to help us both with arthritic inflammation and stabilise our stomachs.
Then in the middle of the night off Evans Head, we sailed into a lightning storm with wind and hail coming in through the door and windows. I had just been listening to a radio interview with a former rescue helicopter pilot on his worst rescue memory and it was off Evans Head when a yacht went down and 2 out of the 5 crew weren't found....

The 2 hour storm was like a practice in managing adrenalin and pushing down the fear. I didn't feel like we weren't going to make it, but focussed on some time in the future when I could look back, perhaps write about it in a blog on a sunny day on Bundaberg, and almost enjoy the experience...almost.
I sent a message out to Instagram as if it might be my last but didn't entertain contacting rescue or my family as I had confidence in the Buccaneer to get us through, and she did.
We pushed on around Cape Byron at 2am and on to the Gold Coast for a sunny dolphin welcome at lunch time on Friday. A pretty quick trip thank to the Perkins Diesel and the South Easterly winds.
Got to catch up with Natasha for a bit of Sushi at the aptly named Paradise Point, but the kids were having too much fun with their friends to come and see Dad.
The next day was an easy run out of Moreton Bay and into the most excellent Mooloolaba Marina around 8pm for a reunion with the kids at Aunty Tanya's Beach-side Palace and a few days of rest and repair.
We made it!