WHAT'S IN A NAME

30^th July 2014

BOAT NAMES

As we noted and blogged last year, out on the water we see and hear on the radio boat names that bring a smile – or a grimace. 

Now naming a boat might reflect the nature of the owner, their passions or fetishes, hopes or aspirations or even disappointments, and certainly after spending many $$$ on a floating liability, you would think that the name would at least show some respect for the craft that they and their crew’s lives depend on.   But it ain’t necessarily so.

Go figure these boat names from 2014 and 2013:

2013

Ø  ARE WE THERE YET?

Ø  STOOL PIDGEON

Ø  PORK CHOP

Ø  THIS WAY UP

Ø  GOT MY WAY

Ø  LIFE’S A BOAT

Ø  BLING and THE BIG COHUNA (one a motor boat, one a yacht – guess which is which )

Ø  BOAT  -  yeah just Boat  - not funny Jan.

Ø  SEA SLUG (last years’ trophy holder)

2014

Ø  LADY HOG

Ø  THUG

Ø  MUD CRAB (only marginally better than Sea Slug)

Ø  COCONUT AIRLINES (on a Pacific roaming cat - not bad)

Ø  BLONDE MOMENT (WRITTEN IN REVERSE MIRROR IMAGE SCRIPT – ACTUALLY A VERY GOOD RACING CAT – ALSO NOT BAD)

Ø  LUCKY SPERM (SEEN OVERSEAS – GUESS WHERE  - YEP THE US of A  – THE OWNER THOUGHT HE WAS THE LUCKY SPERM – OH SO VERY VERY CRAS, IT ALMOST GOT THE PRIZE)

Ø  ENDORPHIN (ON A RACING CAT – NOT BAD)

Ø  DNA (LISTED HERE AS ITS JUST A BIT WEIRD – MAYBE THE OWNERS INITIALS)

 

BUT THE BEST ONE TO DATE THIS YEAR HAS BEEN AWARDED TO:

 

DILLIGAF  

A US Navy / submariners acronym for :

Does It Look Like I Give A (look it up on Google)

Brings a smile every time heard on the radio.

 

 

Will update this post with further unusual names at a later date.

Nice saying

  Food for thought for mariners:

          The pessimist complains about the wind.

          The optimist expects it to change.

               The realist adjusts the sails.

                   - William Arthur Ward (a dude from the US)

AROUND MAGGIE

S 19^o09’.50’’, E 146^o51’23’’

 

Around Magnetic Island & Townsville

We picked up friends Siv and John in the marina out at Magnetic Is. and then spent 4 fine and sunny days sailing around Maggie (as Magnetic Island is known to all – yet another aussie nickname ending in ie, y or o) before sailing back into Townsville Breakwater Marina where they jumped ship and flew back into winter (he he).

J&J, John n Siv

 

Hello sailor

Some History: Magnetic island –was originally called Magnetical Island by Lt. James Cook in 1770, because it looked like this area had magnetical anomalies - ie his compass acted up.  No such interference exists and my theory was it was probably the iron bar down the trouser leg of the bosun, carried for personal protection, or as a fetish.

Well balanced

 

Florence Bay, Maggie Is.

Day 1. Sailed slowly on just the new genoa from Nelly Bay round to Radical Bay for lunch – what a great name. After lunch of excellent chunky beef pies from the baker in Nelly’s Bay, we then sailed around to Horseshoe Bay – a lovely anchorage with a few small eateries and a even a pub.

Day 2. A walk to the WW-II forts built in 1942. Really just a gun emplacement high in the Maggie granite hills. Saw koalas, an echidna and importantly a snake – subsequently identified as a juvenile Taipan (read very very poisonous). Bloody thing moved like greased lightening too.

The WW-II observation post - nice view

 

At the fort.

Day 3. Spent the morning playing engineers assistants on Time2 and then John and I had a relaxing afternoon pretending to fish. We didn’t trouble the fish and they didn’t bother about us either, so again no edible fish. I think it’s possibly the cold water – only 21C. Our freezer has more room devoted to bait than to real food. I have told Jo it's good quality bait and we could eat it!

John, Mike, Lynn, J and Siv -
on the beach, Horseshoe Bay, Maggie

Goin' fishin'

 

Day 4. A sail in brisk breeze and motor into Townsville marina, where after a lovely sea- food lunch, Siv and John departed

 And then another few days in Townsville of reprovisioning and doing the dreary laundry.  Yes that’s right – it may come as a shock to you, but we are not above doing our laundry and still somehow have to cope with the other boring things in life.

Originally Townsville Post Office, now a brewery

 

So called CBD, Townsville.

 

Old hotel on the sea front

 

Originally the Customs House, now empty 

  Highlights of the last 4 days:

·         Having friends Siv and John aboard.

·         Exploring Maggie –a lovely peaceful place, bush and magnificent granite outcrops.

·         Seeing the wild life up close and in one case too personal. Whales, koalas, a snake and an echidna.

 

The pointy look 

 


Rock hopping level 1.01



Functional sculptures, The Strand, Townsville.
The ring-ins look a bit dysfunctional



There's that pointy thing again.
Maggie Is., Horseshoe Bay

 

Hammo to Townsville

S 19^o09’.50’’, E 146^o51’23’’

 

Hammo to Townsville

Overview: the past 10 days, with friends Pam and Will aboard for this section, have been filled with great days of sailing and some lovely anchorages. The crew and skipper all indulged in our daily ration of grog (read spirits and wine) but not the usual British Navy ration of ale – 1 gallon per day (4.5 litres in current parlance).

 A day or 2 visiting favourite haunts on Hammo.

Either a small ship or a large toy. Either way its just proverbial dick waving.

At the impressive Hammo Yacht Club - for a look see

At the Hammo yacht club, succumbing to drinks

Sailed briskly across to Woodwark Inlet from Hammo in 15-24 Kts breeze. No swimming there due to it being mainland hence croc territory,  - met 3 Robinson Crusoe types on the beach who seem to eke out an existence on creaky old yachts held together with fencing wire, by catching fish off their boats and having a daily BBQ on the beach, with copious amounts of grog. Sweet until the liver gives out.

Old disused lighthouse

Then to Gloucester Passage / Monty's, a narrow channel between the mainland and the large and very hilly Gloucester Island. Idyllic conditions and we stayed 2 days, just chillin’.

Modern cameras get so much user friendly

 

A rolling cloud at Cape Gloucester

Bowen mural

Pam takes the wheel

A quick day visit to the town of Bowen – a VERY quiet place almost moribund without the large murals, then onto the cutesy named Cape Upstart  for an overnight anchorage – again a brisk downwind sail at speeds to 13.1 Kts in 18-24 Kts breeze with the sails partly furled (reefed), where we explored the beaches and rocks.

Then a slower sail to an overnight stop at Cape Bowling Green – so named due to the cape headland being a very very long sand spit – as flat as the proverbial bowling surface? Fishing in murky waters yielded 3 nice 75cm juvenile sharks, which went back in to grow some more. And next day another brisk 34 nM sail onto Townsville – the second largest city in Qld, but the city centre seems oh so quiet. Like many places we have visited, the locals seem to prefer to frequent the suburban malls rather than the so called CBD. John visited a dentist there for a filling fix etc. The Strand beach front is a stand out for a walk to the mornings coffee fix. Just as well caffeine is still legal.



Star jumps for exercise

 

Another jump

 

Captains seats on the beach

 

Cape Bowling Green

 

J&J and Cape Upstart rocks

 

Cape Bowling Green - deserted and unique

 

At Monty's

 

Kirra Kirra in the background

Good museum and Maritime museum at Townsville.

Bulky gloves were one way of slowing
down the bosun's drinking

Nice rocks

Seafront Townsville art



Lateral branches on the figs are self supporting -
just like Kirra Kirra

Seafront baths  - named after WW-II battle
reflecting Townsville's army association



Mock up of the Pandorra in the Townsville museum,
the ship that retrieved the mutineer's from the Bounty on Tahaiti



And we bid adieu to Pam and Will, who were sooo enthused to fly back to Melbourne, now experiencing one its’ coldest winters for some decades. Good snow season down there though. Our temperatures here on the FNQ coast moving higher daily with top temps about 25-28^oC and sunny with no rain for some weeks now and low humidity – nice.

 

Now I will have to admit that a taste or 2 of Small Cask Bundy rum that Will smuggled aboard was very pleasant and changed my view on the Bundaberg distillery – they can make decent rum, just not that often.

 Major disappointment of this section – no fish!! In fact one day Will and I fished for 2 hours and couldn’t get even a bite!

The Strand - Seafront Townsville

Highlights of the last 10 days:

·         Having friends Pam and Will aboard

·         Visiting Gloucester Passage and Monty’s resort  - swims off the boat and beach

·         Reaching Townsville and exploring its’ attractions.

Mackay to Hamilton Island

MACKAY TO HAMMO

S 20.35’, E 148.95’

After a flying visit back to Melbourne, we are back out sailing in generally sunny weather and some days have been warm enough to encourage us to go for many swims off the back of the boat.

Like flies to a honey pot. Each triangle is a ship at anchor waiting
to take on coal off Mackay 

Passing one of the ships at anchor  - they usually have
 1-2 nmiles between each ship, so easy to thread our way through.

After the chill of Melbourne winter, this sunshine is very welcome to boost our Vitamin D levels.

Several great nights were had dining on boats and restaurants in Mackay marina with friends Lynn and Mike from Time 2, and Lea and Tim from Gemini Lady.

 

 

 



Dinner time on Gemini Lady. J&J and Mike and Lynn



 

The SE breezes have been brisk so many good sails north from Mackay, with overnight anchorages on the north side of Brampton Island, where the closed down resort is looking more forlorn than last year, Goldsmith Island, and one of our favourites, Thomas Island. A small reef shark had been washed into the salt water pool at Brampton, along with several other good sized fish. Hopefully a high tide will come along and free them all before too long.

Burning Point at the south-western tip of Thomas Island  has a large and protected bay with lovely deserted beaches.

Old turtle on the beach at Goldsmith Is. That's me on the right.

Jo getting excited by the scenery

Burning Point, Thomas Island.
Its a "feel the tranquillity" type of place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We also stopped overnight at Lindeman Island - another closed down resort, sad to see but Bali and the like are so much cheaper.

A brisk sail in rising winds to Cid Harbour behind Cid Island where we had walks through the lush forest to Whitsunday Peak (400+ metres high) and around to Dugong Beach.

 

Lone tree on a rock

Sand patterns with yachts at anchor

More sand patterns - Sawmill Beach, Whitsunday Island