It
feels like we are cruisers once more. Yesterday we left Airlie and
travelled a short 14 miles north to Langford reef, south of Hayman
island, and picked up one of the public mooring balls. With current
opposing wind we lay neither to the wind, nor to the current and paid
the penalty of having the mooring ball tapping on the hull. This was
only a lunch and snorkel stop so no so more than a nuisance. I went
swimming for the first time in two months. The last time at Broughton
island near Port Stephens. Since them we've either been in exposed
anchorages or dirty water.
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| Pearl bay |
Snorkelling
on Langford was fine; visibility was reduced by cloudy water but I
did see plenty of fish and a fine cuttlefish in the shallower depths.
There is a two hour maximum limit for the mooring balls to give
everyone a chance to visit each place so we moved on to Blue Pearl
Bay, Hayman island. The two hour limit is between 7am and 5pm which
means if you pick up a mooring at 3pm you can stay on it overnight.
When we arrived at Blue Pearl it was full – all balls taken and
boats anchored off. We anchored and then saw a power boat leaving
and quickly darted across to hook our spot for the night. This also
moved us closer to the beach and I swam to the shore for more
snorkelling fun.
Coming
back to Jackster I found the squatters had moved in; under the hull
we had 8 large bat fish in residence and keeping David and I company
while we cleaned the waterline of accumulated weed.
As
I said we were cruisers swimming and messing around in our boat. It
was also a beautiful place to watch the sunset and warm enough to eat
dinner in the cockpit.
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