The last Hurrah.....

Port Douglas morning

Yes, the time has come, dear readers, to end the Endless Summer story. Today's blog will be the last.

We have certainly achieved what we set out to do. Endless Summer is safely in her pen at the Marina Mirage Port Douglas, and ready for whatever adventures are ahead for her.

Historic Sugar Wharf  - Port Douglas Image by Navman

Captain Bligh has returned to his home port of Tin Can Bay and the company of his lovely wife Pacifica, and one of their talented daughters, Miss Tracey. (Their other, equally talented daughter is overseas pursuing  a maritime career......of course).

Sea-Dog flies out tomorrow to the South Coast of New South Wales, but will return soon with Marina so that their adventures here can continue.

Sunset on a perfect day - Image by Navman

My good wife SasSea flies in tomorrow.  We shall be in Port Douglas for a couple of months while the southern winter rages cold and terrible.  There are many adventures to be had up here, and we intend to partake of all of them.

Endless Summer

To date you readers have made nearly 1300 hits on the blog from around a dozen countries. I feel that this a good outcome for something that was originally only created for close friends and family to follow. I have certainly enjoyed putting it together and I hope that you have found it entertaining, informative, or both. This has been an extraordinary month in my life. Thank you all for taking the time to share the journey.

Let the "Endless Summer" begin...

Until the next big adventure,
Bye for Now,
Navman

Just Cruisin'.......

Port Douglas is certainly a very cruisy place. Maybe it's the plethora of palm trees, or the perfect 28 degrees that it seems always to be.  Everyone seems to just chill out and enjoy the moment. It is certainly the lifestyle I like.

Yesterday Sea-Dog and I walked up to the Port Douglas markets looking for fresh fruit and vegies. There was a great selection of tropical and exotic fruits, and we bought a few things to try, including a stunning blood grapefruit. We just lazed around the rest of the day, though we did do a bit more cleaning on Endless Summer.

Today we got a few more minor jobs done in the morning, then took the boat outside for a bit of trolling along the coast up towards the Daintree. We didn't catch anything, but hey, when you are cruising in conditions as good as these, any fish you catch might be considered an interruption.

Dinner tonight was BBQ chicken kebabs in a hoisin marinade, on a bed of steamed vegetables and  scented brown rice. We had a plate of icy cold seedless grapes for dessert.

I don't have any photos for the blog today because I seem to have mislaid my camera patch cord.  However I have had a request for an update of the audience profile, and this is shown below.

As you can see, outside of Oz, there is a large US following, and a significant Russian presence. Thanks to all of you for continuing to follow the story.

Anyway, I think it's time for me to cruise right off to sleep. This troppo lifestyle is getting in my blood.

Till next time,

Navman

A Good Vibe……….

Snapper Island - but where were the Snapper?

Another great day today. We were up at sunrise and completed a few minor jobs before heading outside for a day of leisure.

After leaving the inlet and clearing the Marine Park Zone, we trolled up to Snapper Island. It was a perfect morning except that there were no fish to be caught.

Then we had a faster run for the crossing to Low Isles. Here we anchored in the lagoon and swam in the 23 degree azure blue water. The visibility wasn’t the best, but it was delightful anyway.

Low Islet - Almost too perfect to be real - Image by Navman

After a light lunch I donned my snorkelling gear and swam the 200m to the Low Isles fringing reef. Here there was an amazing array of fish and coral. 

Of particular note were a big blue parrot fish,  a 900mm wide giant clam and fish that was marked like a Dalmatian dog.

I managed to cause a bit of a panic on one of the day tripper boats. As I swam past on my way back to Endless Summer, they thought that I had become separated from their “pack” of snorkellers.  After some frantic “come back” signalling on their part, and some “I’m OK and there’s my boat over there” yelling on my part, we established that  all was as it should be.

It was a day made in heaven.  There was full sunshine, little breeze, and warm water – just the environment that I love.

Port Douglas views - Image by Navman

Mid afternoon we tore ourselves away and made the run back to Port Douglas. After berthing and washing the boat we sat out in the cockpit with a beer to enjoy the last of the day.

Not long after new marina neighbours began to arrive. 

It is a long weekend here, and everyone was in a party mood and ready for a chat. 

We talked to the guys across from us who were filleting  a great catch of Nannygai, another couple on a great looking catamaran, and yet others who had come up from Townsville for the weekend. It was like a marina version of a neighbourhood party.

Dinner with a view - Image by Navman

Sea-Dog was hungry, so I started cooking dinner around 1730hrs. It was my version of  lamb Rogan Josh, with lots of vegies, plus extra chilli and garlic. The aromas generated caused some very positive comments. We sat down to eat in the last rays of daylight around 1830hrs., with the party in full swing on the marina all around us.

It is now 1930hrs and it is quiet again. Most of our neighbours have gone out for dinner to the Yacht Club. The lights from various boats are reflecting on the mirror calm surface of the water. 

Port Douglas certainly has a great vibe…

Goodnight all,

Navman

Settling in....

Our story is almost at an end.

Day by day the adventures of the high seas are being replaced by the peace and comfort of being in a perfect harbour. (Perhaps a bit like getting married, but I digress).

Twilight Cruise yacht returning - Image by Navman

Today we spent our time catching up on routine matters like minor repairs, refuelling, grocery shopping and the like.

We also met our marina neighbours and generally just hung around enjoying ourselves.

We are settling in to marina life.

There are a few day-trip yachts opposite us in the marina, and by now we can recite their on-board briefings just as well as their crews.
It's all very pleasant, but not as exciting as our trip up the coast.

Smaller things amuse us now, like the bandicoot which appeared on the floor in the outdoor dining area at the Port Douglas Yacht Club. It was very funny to see the range of reactions from the people at dinner. (And for the record, the wild barramundi we had for dinner was absolutely as good as it gets.)

It's nearly time to turn out the lights

On Wednesday next week I will be hiring a car to take Sea-Dog to the airport and pick up my dear wife SasSea.

That night will probably be the last blog for the Endless Summer story. Until then the frequency will decrease a little unless Endless Summer is involved in something a bit more interesting than sitting in the marina, pleasant though that may be......

Until next time,

Navman

Decisions, decisions, decisions.......

Yes, it was one of those days when important decisions had to be made.

Port Douglas twilight 1 - Image by Navman

The first decision, when to arise.

This was not hard to make because Captain Bligh had to be up, breakfasted and ready to be picked up by 0800hrs.

We bade him farewell for his trip back to Tin Can Bay. Today will be a long day for him.

He has to fly to Brisbane, then get a train back up the coast to Nambour where his good wife Pacifica will pick him up.

 His journey will be full of promise. The promise of sleeping in his own bed, the promise of returning to his loving family, and the promise of a long weekend away on his magnificent yacht Liberator. I am sure that these things will help him through the long day.

The Sugar Wharf  - Image by Navman

Sea-Dog and I decided to spend some time getting Endless Summer back to her pre-voyage state of cleanliness. We attacked this task with some vigour, and by 1030hrs, Endless Summer was looking quite sparkling except for a couple of small sections which we plan to attack tomorrow.

River boat - Image by Navman

Then it was time for a coffee, followed by a walk around the marina precinct to check out the refuelling facilities because the fuel tanks on Endless Summer are quite low.

Before we knew it was lunchtime, and we savoured a quiet beer in the cockpit whilst enjoying the passing parade of the marina.

Big decisions had to be made after lunch......should we do some washing, go for a swim, or in Sea-Dog's case, have a snooze. In the end we were able to fit it all in. The water was a cheery 23 degrees, though I did miss the fact that there is no surf up here. Still, you can't have everything.

Port Douglas twilight 2 - Image by Navman

We did a few tiny maintenance jobs after this. After a final twilight walk for photos, I cooked a chicken, basil and tomato dish on a bed of spicy brown rice for dinner.

Yes, it has been a tough day at the office, but you know that someone has to do it....

Goodnight from paradise,

Navman

We have arrived............

Yes, after sixteen days, 1450nm (2700km) steaming, and many adventures, we arrived this morning in beautiful Port Douglas.

Sea birds at Yorkey's Knob

The day began magnificently, with cloudless cerulean skies and the comforting warmth that FNQ provides so well.

We had a magnificent run up from Yorkey's Knob. The sea was calm and the (light) wind was behind us. The coastline between Cairns and Port Douglas is very pretty, with a large mountain range not far from the water.

Sea-Dog and Captain Bligh check the channel into Port Douglas

After so many long days, it was kind of strange to be stopping before lunch. Going into Dickson Inlet at Port Douglas, a restrained hush fell over us all as we each realised what we had achieved. For Sea-Dog, this was the culmination of twenty years of dreams. For Captain Bligh it was the end of yet another successful boat delivery. For me it was something to cross off my bucket list, for I have long wanted to go on a journey such as this.

And we did it well. Endless Summer performed almost perfectly, with only very minor issues that we had to sort out. Mostly it was also a very comfortable trip. The ocean managed to put us out of our comfort zone a few times, but not at any stage did I feel that we were in mortal peril.

 We have spent the rest of the day relaxing in the sun, and chasing up some issues with the raw water strainers and the battery charger. But now is not the time to be discussing such arcane matters.

Beneath the palms at Nautilus - Image by Navman

Sea-Dog took Captain Bligh and I to dinner at the Nautilus, a very fine restaurant in Port Douglas.

Here we dined on delicious tuna tataki, whole coral trout and tropical fruit sorbets. It was a wonderful celebration of a fantastic trip.

I can think of no finer way to celebrate the occasion.

As I write this I am sitting quietly in the dark on the rear deck of Endless Summer. The marina is still and there are few sounds except for a recording of  jazz piano playing on a boat somewhere.

We have arrived. I have arrived.

Bonne Nuit,

Navman

Flying towards the finish

Moonset over Mt Townsend - Image by Navman

It was another high speed day today. It was also our last full day of travel, as we only have 25nm to go to reach Port Douglas.

We were up before dawn to do our vessel prechecks and have a quick coffee before setting off.

Sunrise over Cleveland Bay - Image by Navman

By sunrise we were out in Cleveland Bay and heading north at our customary 20knots. It was an incredible site with the moon setting to the west and the sun rising in the east.

The sea was calm again and I was able to prepare breakfast for Sea-Dog and Captain Bligh whilst steaming along at "full noise".

This has always been a fun challenge, to prepare and serve nutritious and tasty meals, with limited ingredients, basic facilities, and boat conditions. It is one of my favorite boating pleasures.

Everyone is heading north - Image by Navman

The original plan was to head north for a bit, then slow to trolling speed for an hour or so. After this we were to  follow up with a snorkel between Fantome and Orpheus Islands. This is a fantastic snorkelling spot, with magnificent coral, giant clams and an amazing array of fish of all sizes, colours and descriptions. Today was not our day for this activity however, as there was a southwesterly breeze blowing at a steady 10-15 knots.

With no fish on the troll, and our snorkelling plans scuttled, a change in plan was the order of the day. We decided that instead of overnighting at Dunk Island anchorage, we would push on to Yorky's Knob marina, about 10nm north of Cairns. This we did, and by 1700hrs we were tied up in Yorky's with our customary beer in hand.

Marina neighbours  - Image by Navman

Tomorrow will be the last day of our journey. Already we have travelled over 1400nm (2700km) in the fifteen days since we left. Like the Tour de France, our last day will be largely ceremonial. We will leave here at a leisurely hour and plan to be tied up at our berth in Port Douglas marina by midday. Doubtless I shall have further reflections upon that tomorrow.

That's all for today,

Happy Boating,

Navman