whale watching2011

[solo]

Hi, I am back in Redcliffe after spending September in Hervey Bay. For the last 4 years I have spend the month on my whale watching tour. I towed the boat to Tin Can Bay,where there is a very good boatramp. I sailed 4 days to Wathumba Creek what is my base ,a very safe anchoridge. My GPS shows 265.35nm, a max.speed of 7.1nm and an avg of 3.2nm. I got some nice fish ( on the days when I was not out whale watching. For nearly a week Tosca was the only boat in the creek, real peace! They say that the whale pop. increases by 10% a year, they realy are every where, often coming real close to the boat. they are about 3-4 times as long as the Investigator but I was never worried. Near the end a number of TS turned up but I have never seen an Investigator there.On the way back to Tin Can Bay I had 15-20 kt wind,some times increasing to 25 NW-NE. I sailed all the way with just the genoa up. Well I had a great time.
I have a home made genoa reefing system,by using the old furler and sliding a 30 mm pvc pipe into the pocket with the wire luff. It worked very well. I would not use it for racing but very good for single handet cruising. I never changed sail once in 3 weeks
Gunter

[LarryW]

Hi Gunter.
Sounds like another great trip. Good idea with the genoa reefing system. I have some free time now and am planning to be using the boat a lot. I'm going to give your reefing system a go.

Great pictures of the whale and the creek. Sure looks peaceful.

Larry
Victoria Point

[Yara50]

Great to hear from you Gunter. A quiet achiever! Your month afloat sounds amazing. Please tell us more. It sounds like it would make a good story for the "Cruising Helmsman". If you need help editing I am sure some of our literary types would be happy to lend a hand.
In the meanwhile I looked for Wathumba Creek on Google maps and could only find a road on Fraser Island, on the East side, but the creek is on the other side. Video of the area is great, and explains where it is. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kjBJpgNDOA
Did you sail up the Sandy Strait, or on the East side of Fraser Island?

[solo]

Hi Ian,here a few answers to your questios. The only sensible way to go north from Tin Can Bayis via the Great Sandy Strait. To go along the east coast of Fraser Island one has to cross the Wide Bay bar,ons of the most dangerous of the australians east coast.I did cross it a few times but in good weather on big boats .Also there is no shelter any where on the east coast of Fraser. In the Great Sandy Strait are plenty of safe ankoridges, islands and creeks to ride out bad weather.I dont know of a better 18ft cruising boat then the Investigator. I do spend a bit of time on "Tosca", appartfrom3-4 weeks every September around Fraser Ido often go for 3,4 or 5 days on Moreton Bay. There is plenty of storage on the boat. I have a 5 hp Honda,25 watt of solar, good for anker light, cabin light (all LED ), GPS, VHFradio and auto pilot. On safety gear I have an EPIRB,and sailing solo I always wear my harness. All lines are going back to the cockpit.
I do love my cruise at Fraser Island. Every year I say this is the last time but by May or June I start planning again but by next year I will be 74. It is nice to see some good old frinds there and make new ones every year. May be I will even see an Investigator there one Year
Regards Gunter