Cruising the Coral Coast

The title of this post is that of Alan Lucas’ book, owned by almost all east Australian cruisers and containing a wealth of information about where to go and what to see in and on the waterways of Queensland. As we have now reached as far north as we intend to go, from here on it is all about cruising and discovering or revisiting beautiful destinations. It is also about staying north while the weather is beautiful and we are unable to go home. So this book, plus information gleaned from fellow boaties, is what will guide us in our travels for now.

Dawn, Coral Sea

Ribbon reef 5

The captain was up before dawn on Saturday 15th August - just like Captain Cook 250 years ago he was keen to get moving, but not away from Australia! We wanted to continue our reef hopping adventures, in safety, with maps and technology to guide the way. At first light we raised the anchor, rounding Lizard Island and heading south east, passing numerous reefs and small islands, in a slight breeze and a rolling swell, glad of our chart plotter to show us how to avoid the dangerous rocks and shoals. We enjoyed breakfast and lunch as we cruised along, with breaking waves getting closer on our port side, reaching Ribbon Reef number five just after 2pm. We made our way past coral bommies in the clearest water we have ever seen - you could see the rocks and sand way below us in depths of over 50 feet! We picked up a mooring in the deep water, then lowered the dinghy and jumped aboard with our snorkels and masks, spending the next hour exploring the reefs nearby, hanging over the sides of the dinghy with our heads in the water, marvelling at the coral and fish we saw. The surf boomed less than half a kilometre away - this is the very edge of the continental shelf and the water depths reach the thousands just beyond the reef, breaking along the edge on the low tide, rolling in across the sea and rocking the boat as the tide rose. After a restful night we were up again but not quite so early; we waited until we had good visibility before moving. The Captain had made a track in on the chart plotter, so we followed it out again - the safest way to avoid the outlying coral bommies that rise up out of the depths. This was a shorter cruise, from Ribbon Reef 5 to Ribbon Reef 3. As we cruised along the swell increased and so did the breeze, rocking us as we travelled along. We spotted the mooring and made our way towards it - picking it up was a challenge in the windy conditions but with the first mate at the wheel and the captain wielding the boat hook we accomplished it in one go! We sat back, pleased with ourselves. Unfortunately the breeze continued to rise so we abandoned the idea of snorkelling or even going out in the dinghy, preferring to relax onboard Manookatoo and marvel at the reef surrounding us from the safety of the boat.

With a longer trip on Monday morning we rose early again, once more following the track made on the way in to return through deeper water. The wind and waves had abated overnight and we enjoyed a leisurely cruise past Irene Reef and Endeavour Reef before approaching Mackay Reef from the north - however, deciding there may be coral ahead of us we took a detour to the west before we picked up a mooring, once again in 40+ feet of water. There is a small sand cay here and there were lots of tourists walking the island when we arrived. Conditions were perfect for snorkelling but we waited for the departure of the tourist boat before taking to the dinghy and anchoring on the edge of the coral. The colours and variety of both coral and fish were stunning and we spent a lovely hour exploring before returning for a swim at the beach and a lazy lunch. The afternoon was a repeat of the morning; calm water, fantastic visibility and superb snorkelling. We decided not to rush from here; the weather is only improving and we are loving the location. 

With perfect conditions on Tuesday morning, we did our exercises on the flybridge before breakfast - with hardly any rolling it was a relatively easy experience! It was quite warm and we enjoyed a swim when we finished. After breakfast, when the tide was going down, we had another fabulous snorkel, then after lunch we did it again. There is something so peaceful about making your way slowly between the beautiful coloured coral and watching fish of many shapes, sizes and colours darting in and out of little hidey holes, chasing each other around - you can even hear them chomping on coral in the silence under the water. We enjoyed sundowners on the sand cay as the sun sank behind the mountains and returned to the boat for another quiet night.

We awoke on Wednesday morning to glassy conditions and dropped the mooring just after 7am, heading west until we cleared the coral and then turning south, cruising past Cape Tribulation and Snapper Island on our way to the Low Isles for another stay in one of our favourite spots. A couple of tourist boats were there as well as our friends, Yvonne and Andrew, in Tranquility Base. We picked up a mooring on the south eastern side, then dropped the dinghy in the water and cruised over to say hello before heading to the beach for a swim. With light breezes forecast for the next few days we were looking forward to enjoying the island and coral reefs, however it was breezier than forecast, so we missed out on snorkelling for the day, instead enjoying a couple of swims and sundowners onshore with our friends. That night the breeze picked up, bouncing us around enough that we decided to make up the beds in the saloon in order to avoid the worst of the rocking!

Sea conditions were much calmer on Thursday morning so after breakfast we loaded the snorkelling gear into the dinghy and headed ashore. The colours are a little muted here after what we have seen, but we still enjoyed exploring the area. There is a pole marking when the water is deep enough for snorkelling as it shallows over the reef at low tide, exposing many rocky areas. As the tides are currently quite high and low, we made sure to be out of the water before it became too shallow. Later that morning we borrowed a kayak and stand up paddle board from Yvonne and Andrew, realising fairly quickly that paddle boarding requires a level of balance neither of us has, but enjoying the opportunity to paddle around and over the coral. After a lazy afternoon, we met our friends ashore again for sundowners.

Low Isles, sunset

Friday was a much calmer day so we took the opportunity for exercises, followed by a couple of laps of the small island and a swim. As our friends are leaving at first light on Saturday, our get-together drinks were before lunch, then the afternoon was spent relaxing, catching up on odd jobs and swimming. We had also intended to leave in the morning, but the weather and conditions are too beautiful to resist staying another day. It is predicted to be windy all the following week, so we want to make the most of our time on anchor before returning to the marina for another week! We lazed our Saturday away, walking around the island, swimming and relaxing before another delicious al fresco dinner watching the tiny new moon sink slowly in the west. On Sunday morning we finally, reluctantly, let go of the mooring, cruising across to Port Douglas before breakfast. We expect to be in port for a week, waiting out the "big blow" that is forecast.

Courthouse Hotel lunch

We like to "make the most of" our time in a marina to catch up on things you can't do on anchor, including shopping and small repairs as well as meals or drinks out! We bought some fruit and vegetables at the market, visited the newly reopened Courthouse Hotel for a delicious lunch, had drinks with friends from Docklands, hired a car and restocked our bulkier food (and alchohol!) supplies. We enjoyed another Wednesday afternoon sailing trip. The first mate has a big knitting project underway, the captain always finds jobs that need doing on the boat. The week passed quickly but the winds continued....

Captain's log - Lizard Island to Port Douglas
Distance: 123.1 nautical miles

Fuel: 127.9 litres

Travel time: 18 hours 40 minutes