Put in at Mackay Pioneer River Ramp. Planned loop was Baileys Islet > Scawfell Island > St Bees/Keswick Islands > Home. We headed out through Eastern Pt bar (that had enough water to pass over). Sea was a gentle swell in a rippled surface with a breaking overcast sky.
After about 10ks, was unable to see Bailey Islet. Leaving the east coast early morning you are mostly looking into the glare of the sun. I expected to be able to see Baileys by now but couldn’t. So took a sure heading for St Bees / Keswick, that stood out. After a few hundred meters there was Bailey’s, a low small islet. Stuck the course to Egremont Passage that runs between the Islands.
Last time I was in the passage it was like a Mill Pond, I had thought to have a bit of a break and check my partial charts for the Scawfell crossing. Looking for the ideal spot without going to far into the bays due to rocks and overcast sky unable to identify them. Kept going to northern end, where it became a short standing waves. My thoughts were to get out past this entrance and it will settle down, not to be. It was a consistent steep short waves. I hadn,t taken the opportunity earlier to consult my charts and now it had become a difficult task (that I didn’t attempt). Decided to go across to Scawfell. I hadn’t been to Scawfell before and couldn’t remember where the spattering of rocks were from the charts.
As we closed Scawfell I can see a bay that I thought may of been Refuge Bay. All the while I have been keeping an eye on what seemed to be fog further out. Refuge Bay was where we went ashore. The crossing St Bees – Scawfell at 0800hrs, the wind observations for Mackay was 4 with gust of 6 knots. The conditions faced would not be in line with 4-6 knots to me?
The wind had switched too the N from WSW and settled conditions during a stretch in Refuge Bay. Not that the conditions were real bad and not the worst I have encountered. There was a combination of uncertain aspects that concerned me at the time.
Headed off the around to the SW of island to check on the the fog out to SE that had dissipated or wasn’t there to start with?
I spotted a couple of whales break the surface off the SW side of Scawfell, not to reappear again. A revision of conditions and fuel, sent us to St Bees.
Travelled down the east coast of St Bees to Aspatra Island
Around the bottom of Aspatra, facing the SE point of St Bees
There is a Passage between St Bees and Aspatra. So went through, this stretch of water on the north side was small sharp chop for about 700m. Obviously a current reacting with wind and or tide.
Cruised across the northern end of Keswick and just down the western side. Making a line for Shoal Point area to then travel down past the Harbour and into the River.
Probably about 15klms off Shoal Point come upon a Turtle. Continued home journey, when I spotted a couple of whales breaching a kilometer or so away.
They circled this same area for 30 minutes. No breaching to be on display so off we went. On the run down the coast there where 3 other whale sightings. One off Flat Top Island a few klms outside the river mouth.
Was an unusual day conditions wise. Achieved the planned destinations (exception Bailey Islet) and I gained a bit more experience.
George
Jet Ski North Queensland 