Gladstone

My aim had been to transit down to Gladstone via the Narrows.
This is the waterway which dries at low tide- almost Secret Water stuff, for those familiar with my favourite childhood series of books by Arthur Ransome ,which passes between Curtis Island and the mainland.

On the north west end of the island is Sea Hill Light, and it is from here that ships enter for the port of Port Alma. Beyond Port Alma, the now, defunct for commercial shipping,  port of Rockhampton lies further up the Fitzroy River.

Cape Capricorn

On the NE side lies Cape Capricorn, a light once manned, as recently as the early eighties by light house keepers.I know, as it is one of the many that I went to when on board the Cape Moreton, servicing and resupplying the lights and the lighthouse keepers and their families.
Cape Capricorn light  lies on the Tropic of Capricorn.


Soon K'Gari would be leaving the tropics.

The tide was right for a transit through the narrows in daylight, and that was my plan.

On the day in question, the wind however started to back around and so instead of motoring down through the narrows, we decided to sail down the eastern side of Curtis Island.

K'Gari was unstoppable once she rounded Cape Capricorn.

Flying towards Gladstone- who ever would have thought it?

We entered  the harbour via the East channel, after dark. Having never been in or out of the North Channel, between Curtis and Facing Island ,now was not the time to try, in the dark and at low water.
Instead we took  the old tried and tested route and then anchored off Manning Reef until the morning when we could shift across to the marina, where the plan was to sit out the next 5 or so days of   SE'ly winds which was the forecast. Hardly a trial from my point of view as Gladstone was my place of employment for the last 12 years , so plenty of friends to catch up with.