Creal Reef

Simon’s Relive https://www.relive.cc/view/vWqBZyzMeYq

Long time bucket list item achieved. Furthest offshore we have been 140klms NE Mackay. Unable to do in the past due to not possessing a chart plotter or GPS. No islands in sight to use as a marker.

We got away 0530 I had 140lts of fuel that gave me over our 20% safety margin for this trip. Simon had 155lts.

Love Sunrise on the water. On leaving the Harbour we had small lump that was probably left over from slightly stronger winds over night. Plus the sea can have little lump to it around land when all else is flat.

We were going to Creal with no stopovers scooting south of Keswick/St Bees and shaving south of Scawfell by about 5k our last prominent land mark. Sea flattening as we go.

About 100k out we confer our location Simon must of had problem with his chart plotter we could just see Penrith Island to reassure him maybe.

Not long after moving on a Dolphin decided to have a play with Simon’s Ski. This diverted his mind from were the hell are we. Seemed to us that he was done with us so we pulled up talking excitedly over the experience. Dolphin then starts jumping around us again such an experience of a lifetime.

He had enough fun and disappeared with still 30 klms to go with nothing but water for as far as the eye can see. We needed to spot that light tower on Creal to relief Simon and about 15k out I pointed it out dead ahead to his relief.

Arrived around 0830 the top of the tide, Dolphin delayed us . I had not seen so many Sea Snakes in one trip, no photo but see them often but not in numbers of this day. May be a dozen or more.

Not sure in planning what to expect out here but always plan the unknown trips to rising water or top of tide. Still noting depths on approach as sometimes there can be a shallow reef just off beach. So great the way it turned out for a landing and escape.

I put the Drone up to try share the beauty of it all. There is the Light House/Tower & Weather Station beside the Cay. The only Weather Station out on the water with exception to Hamilton & Percy Islands in this area.

Booby Birds were perched all over the structures as they do. Simon ducked back out to drop a line.

We top up our skis and make our return via Refuge Bay, Scawfell Island. Refuge Bay is a all tide bay but still need to monitor anchorage during an Ebb. We weren’t in any hurry until I remembered wind forecast off the coast was expected to pick up bit from 1300. So we bee lined the bottom of St Bees and across to Harbour were it lumped up little but hardly affecting our speed.

We arrive back at the Harbour without incident except my ski running dry out the front of Harbour after only 136klms that is totally out of the norm. After some investigation back home I found the front bolt to intake grate came loose and was causing drag. Reserve fuel is there for a reason so no drama.

Hope I haven’t prattled to much thanks for reading and to Simon for his company. We were blessed in this trip good just got better and all seemed to marry up. I am sure we will do it again as soon as the wind allows.