The Narrows.....

Big ships..... 

After a leisurely morning checking the boat and doing some last minute provisioning, we left Gladstone Marina at around 1430hrs.



Gladstone Harbour was just as busy today as it was last night, with vessels going everywhere.


And what a range of vessels, with everything from small outboard-powered workboats to giant barges, dredges and tugs.

And barges....

Again, the AIS system was an excellent safety aid, and we were able to negotiate the vessel traffic safely.

It was also reassuring to know that Endless Summer was showing up on the navigation displays of the vessels that we were encountering, meaning that they could see us electronically as well.

The  Narrows is a waterway which runs north from Gladstone harbour. It separates the mainland from Curtis Island and goes for about 30nm (50km).  Below the Narrows, the southern end of Curtis Island is dominated by an enormous construction site for a new Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plant.

In places the channel is only a few metres from the bank - Image by Navman

I have wanted to navigate this stretch of water for a long time and I was not disappointed. Originally the owners of the LNG plant were going to build a bridge over the Narrows, and this would have prevented all but the smallest vessels navigating beneath it. Fortunately, the views of local people and  boaties were heard, and the bridge is not going ahead (for now).

After passing this LNG construction site, the scenery is wild. This is mud crab country, and apart from a few houses built by the crab fisherfolk, there are few signs of civilisation.

Endless Summer (black triangle) apparently out of water!

The channel is not only narrow, it is very shallow, and in parts dries completely on very low tides. Even during periods of normal tides, it is important to time the journey through the middle of the Narrows to coincide with the high tide. This was the main reason for our late departure today.

"Mutineer" exiting The Narrows

We made it through without incident, thanks to Captain Bligh's skill and local knowledge.

By 1730hrs we were anchored safely in Mosquito Creek which is towards the northern end of the Narrows. By 1735hrs we were enjoying a beer in our tranquil surroundings, with not another soul in sight.

Dinner tonight was Chilli Chicken with stir-fry Asian style vegetables on a bed of brown rice.

Tomorrow we will head back out into the ocean for the run up to Yeppoon.

By the way, we heard today that wind gusts of up to 47knots were recorded just off Gladstone yesterday. No wonder it was such a wild ride!

Good night all,

Navman