Along the way we had a bit of fun playing with the AIS and then the Auto-pilot. We were happily anchored in the lee of Cape Bowling Green by 3.30pm and dropped the little Walker Bay dinghy in the water and tootled ashore for a walk around. It's a fairly windswept, barren place, with not a lot to recommend it apart from being an important breeding ground for some birds and turtles.
Sundowners were enjoyed watching the sunset.
Next morning we were off to Upstart Bay, 32nm turned into 40 as we spent the day tacking into the easterlies again, Jamie hand steering a lot of the time as we can't seem to get the auto-pilot to work well when we are close hauled into the wind - yet another thing we will have to sort out over time. Again a pleasant, sheltered anchorage in Shark Bay, Cape Upstart.
Fish and salad for dinner is fast becoming just a dream - we have had the line out trolling a great deal of the trip and I have decided that fish aren't found in the sea, but come from a little man who sells them already filleted.
On leaving Upstart we had an issue with our starboard engine - an alarm sounded, so we shut off that engine and on checking the alternator belt seemed a little loose, the engine smelt a bit hot but otherwise nothing much else to see (of course, the socket needed to tighten the belt is a 13mm - we have on board all the even sizes !! so a wrench did the job).
We passed Abbott Point Coal Loading Facility around 2pm - amazing looking place with huge ships waiting their turn to load up at the end of the jetty which is 2.75km offshore. The coal is sent out to the ships on a huge conveyor belt and around 50 million tonnes of coal is exported from here each year and there are plans for expansion which will make it the largest coal port in the world.
We entered Greys Bay, just out of Bowen at 4pm and when we turned on the engines to anchor, all seemed fine. But not for long - very soon the alarms were sounding again and the starboard hull was filling with thick black smoke which was also billowing out vent holes just above the engine bay into the cockpit. Engine off, anchor just using port engine, take a breath - and a look ..... grimy black smoke film covered the engine bay and the walls of the little starboard cabin. Nothing seemed obvious at first - the belt which Jamie had tightened was still the same, the oil level was good, when she had cooled we could see the coolant level was good too - hmmm - now what.
Then Jamie spotted the water outlet hose for the exhaust had popped off the exhaust water lock box - so that was why there were signs there had been filthy blackish water in the bilge. We put the hose back together, and test started it - pretty quickly it popped off again spraying filthy water at Jamie and around the cabin. Shouts from Jamie had me turn it off really fast.
This was bigger than we could handle !!
We spent a fair time googling Yanmar diesel marine repairs, not being able to do anything more (Sunday night), deciding we would have to get someone out here in the morning, feeling that we didn't want to negotiate our way into Bowen on only one engine. We would probably have to get someone up from Airlie Beach, it being the nearest biggest place.
Monday morning, awake way too early to call marine repairs and faced with a long wait IF we could get someone out to us, Jamie suggested we head for Airlie Beach and get it fixed there.
We sailed off the anchor, and left Greys Bay.
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| Turtles at Cape Bowling Green |
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| Sunset, Cape Bowling Green |
Next morning we were off to Upstart Bay, 32nm turned into 40 as we spent the day tacking into the easterlies again, Jamie hand steering a lot of the time as we can't seem to get the auto-pilot to work well when we are close hauled into the wind - yet another thing we will have to sort out over time. Again a pleasant, sheltered anchorage in Shark Bay, Cape Upstart.
Fish and salad for dinner is fast becoming just a dream - we have had the line out trolling a great deal of the trip and I have decided that fish aren't found in the sea, but come from a little man who sells them already filleted.
On leaving Upstart we had an issue with our starboard engine - an alarm sounded, so we shut off that engine and on checking the alternator belt seemed a little loose, the engine smelt a bit hot but otherwise nothing much else to see (of course, the socket needed to tighten the belt is a 13mm - we have on board all the even sizes !! so a wrench did the job).
We passed Abbott Point Coal Loading Facility around 2pm - amazing looking place with huge ships waiting their turn to load up at the end of the jetty which is 2.75km offshore. The coal is sent out to the ships on a huge conveyor belt and around 50 million tonnes of coal is exported from here each year and there are plans for expansion which will make it the largest coal port in the world.
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| Abbotts Point Coal Loading Jetty - 2.75km long !!! |
Then Jamie spotted the water outlet hose for the exhaust had popped off the exhaust water lock box - so that was why there were signs there had been filthy blackish water in the bilge. We put the hose back together, and test started it - pretty quickly it popped off again spraying filthy water at Jamie and around the cabin. Shouts from Jamie had me turn it off really fast.
This was bigger than we could handle !!
We spent a fair time googling Yanmar diesel marine repairs, not being able to do anything more (Sunday night), deciding we would have to get someone out here in the morning, feeling that we didn't want to negotiate our way into Bowen on only one engine. We would probably have to get someone up from Airlie Beach, it being the nearest biggest place.
Monday morning, awake way too early to call marine repairs and faced with a long wait IF we could get someone out to us, Jamie suggested we head for Airlie Beach and get it fixed there.
We sailed off the anchor, and left Greys Bay.
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