Bay Rock (trip10, day2)

Anchored in the calm of west point for an hour to rest and eat breakfast.

Breakfast - A small table made with the hatchboard under the bunk cushion. Trangia stove in the cockpit and food box on bunk stows in the corner space.

From the hatchway i could see Bay Rock a few miles away to the NW.

Bay Rock is a lonely and remote place and used to have a manned lighthouse  (now on display at the Martime museum in Townsville).  The lighthouse was built in 1886 with a lighthouse keepers house next to it. It was to guide sailing ships and steamers into the quarantine station at west point.  In 1920 John Laswon was the last lighthouse keeper who lived on the rock with his wife family. Lawson was lost at sea when his small boat capsized on a supply run. One of the boats crew was also attacked by a shark and thrown into the air but survived and swam to shore with another crewman. The light was automated after this tragedy.

Weather was favourable light NE breeze and slight seas,,and was already close so decided to set course to explore Bay Rock.

West Point, Magnetic Island 

Bay Rock ahead, (Acheron and Rattlesnake islands behind)

The crossing was pleasant in the mid morning, rounded the seaward side (video) and anchored in the lee just beyond some fringing coral reef. A  half cabin power boat with two fishermen were already trying their luck,, so with someone else present it felt allot safer setting off in the scamp kayak for Bay rock's beach landing.

The dead coral at the top of the beach made pristine clink underfoot before the trail up was found, an old stone stairway made it easier to ascend in the blistering heat (34C and humid)

Teria and fishing boat at anchor with clouds over the Hervey Ranges on the mainland.

 Looking South back towards Townsville and Magnetic Island

Granite rock covered in orange  and white lichen overlooks the fringing coral reef below

 The site of the old house was flattened with coral carried up from the beach long ago but not a thing remained except low dry stunted shrubs and grasses. The rock reclaimed by nature.

Paddled scamp around the side of the rock,  over coral beds and past barnicle encrusted shores with a sea surge on them. The midday heat soon drove me back to Terias cooler bimini shade.

The trip back was good, sailed until becalmed behind Magnetic Island then motored through, skirting the almost invisible fringing reef there.  Fishermens open dinghys seemed to mark the reef edge and the smart phone app with GPS mark on a  google map fixed the Terias position and confirmed this. Navigation is a bit tricky here as middle reef also lurks in the straight. It is marked by two yellow and red navigation pylons at each end with cardinal markers on top. The app map helps before spotting the markers. Of course the good old laminated paper chart is always on hand too along with the tell tale compass on the hatch top.

Tacked back up to picnic bay for a breather, only to discover that the center board lift cable was stuck fast. The plate was still fully down. This would make re-trailering difficult if not impossible later on..better to "fix" it in tropical coral Picnic Bay rather than the crocodile habitat of Ross River's mangroves later on

No amount of cajoling would free it either from inside or under the keel snorkelling. So jury-rigged a rope outside the hull to pull the plate up into the case.

The trip back was about half speed under reduced sail with the external hull ropes taking 2 hours, but got Teria winched back on the trailer OK.