Mackay Harbour/Eimeo – Brampton

Sunday was the only good forecast in a week and didn’t it show at the Mackay Harbour boat ramp. I arrived at 0530 to join the queue that had me about 20th in a line of 200m. Turned out Ross was a few cars behind me, it was still dark. Spoke about other options and decided to go through with it here. The line moved along OK considering, launched and found close parking on verges that ski trailers could fit. Moved out of the Harbour 0615, sun not up but light enough.

Conditions were flat with a slight long swell, we set a pace of about 55kmh, keeping an eye out for Leeroy and David. They launched at Eimeo at about the same time. Found David in Turtle Bay, Brampton trolling and caught up with Leeroy a bit further on.

Done the obligatory beach anchoring at the resort and had a good look around. I was interested to see if there were remains of the rail line that brought visitors in from the jetty where the Ferry landed from Mackay.

Found the line and the Train, what a bonus then we found a train driver.

The out going tide had left our ski’s just out of the water, had no problem getting them to swim again. Back south out of the passage and headed up west coast of Brampton probing into some Bays scouring the coast like a patrol with me out on the wing because I am gutless and I don’t have insurance.

At Western Pt near the bottom of the tide, Ross found himself a little cave that he could take the ski into about the size of a single garage entrance 4-5m long. I was spewing my new waterproof camera’s battery had flattened, such was the disappointment that I didn’t think about the mobile until later.

Continued on across the northern end around Edgell Rock and Maryport Island. There’s a wreck marked on the charts on Carlisle’s northern end on west face. I mention this because I keep forgetting to have a look for it, maybe someone will remind me one day. In 5 weeks I have been to Brampton 3 times, so no doubt it will come up again.

Now making our way down eastern side of Carlisle conditions afforded a bit of a spurt, my ski was doing 87kph shy of its best 89kph. Back at Turtle Bay we could not see where David had got to, found him in behind Helvellyn Rocks. There was half an hour or so to kill, so a decision was made to go across to Cockermouth Island. From where we were it looked like a small Island and I knew that it’s alot longer than a our view afforded. We didnt have the time to go around it and I didnt see the point of burning fuel, but never had a chance to say so. But glad we did go, as it turned out the crossing had a few klm’s of short choppy shit that seem to appear quite often I think through the currents, winds and channels or shoals that create these conditions in different areas. Tide moving opposite direction to wind or waves (wind against tide)

So by the time we arrived we turned back, just off Carlisle a Whale was breaching. Mother with calf was visible, she was breaching the surface upside down, showing her white underside. While I was thumbling with the mobile and tracking along side at a sensible distance, managed to NOT get any decent images, I cant see the LCD screen in sun light and when hands are wet the touch screen button doesn’t always work and it gives me the shits.

Back to Harbour into the Fog, couldn’t see land for it and I didn’t give it due respect. In future I will decide my route home from a known point, take out the compass and use it. Less accurate from 10klm out and near useless with nothing to take direction from. But in a pinch I would head west and hopefully fog would clear or lighten enough to see mainland to get your location.

So I was heading for Harbour, they were heading for Eimeo running on Leeroys GPS/Sounder. As I got closer to the fog it was very thick and on the water, I quickly high-tailed across to them. It must have lasted a few (maybe 4klms), another lesson learned. Always check the trip meter knowing your current klms, at certain observations like entering the fog, 10klms from Hevellyn Rocks it is always something to refer back to and I don’t mean for writing blogs, but it can (the 10ks is my guesstimate). As we travelled through the fog a large centre console appeared out of the fog on my left heading northish about a 100m or so away. A quick glance told me I had been spotted and well away.

High vis orange hat and yellow rain coat hopefully stood out like beacon on me, not very trendy but should be considered. Another great photo opportunity missed, in the fog would have of been great, wasn’t about to piss about with the mobile. Fog cleared and we went our separate ways back at the harbour about 11, Ross headed off to his commitments. I worked out how to fuel up at the mariner 43ltrs unleaded std 91 octane all they had @ $1.21 lt. Ready for Keswick but that’s another story. Leeroy said they had to wait till 11.30 for the tide to come in a bit to get the skis out at Eimeo.

George