Whitsunday wanderings and my first manta ray encounter.

We set off for no particular destination in the Whitsundays, my only timetable commitment being in five days time, for a haulout at Mackay.

The SE'ly was  by now decreasing and would allow an easy passage across to Hook Island, so that was as good a plan as any. The wind faded  away to a glassy nothing, and we motored the last couple of miles and picked up a mooring in South Stonehaven Bay. Water was again  less than clear, but at LW, having watched boat after boat of snorkellers splashing about at the southern end of the bay, we ventured in for a snorkel, as most of the boats had by now  departed. We drifted down towing the dinghy and sure enough there was some respectable coral and even a giant clam or two.
Note to self- it turns out Optus reception was precisely one mooring further to seaward from the one we had selected!

Over the next few days we meandered from Stonehaven to St Bees Island,firstly  sailing down through Cid Harbour, noting the MV Banks, a fishing vessel from Ulladulla which went ashore during Cyclone Debbie in May 17, was till there - high and dry on Daniel Point.

MV Banks 

 Passing out  through Hunt Channel under sail, we encountered 3 motor vessels,2 of  which easily met the criteria to be pronounced as Hullabaloos. The term comes from my favourite childrens book series- Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome . The  "Hullabaloos" are  a party of noisy holidaymakers on the river who are damaging the riverbanks and wildlife.
Although we were not on a river, these ghastly power cruisers slow down for no one, ignore the simple rules of the road, about who gives way to who and don't give a damn about the wake they cause, as they for some reason (known only to themselves) must at all costs , including deviating from their course, cross ahead of a yacht under sail. Guess it just shows, you don't need manners or brains to own a stink boat.

https://youtu.be/YDTMSK7YAFE

For the first time in my life since the resort was opened  on it,  I ventured within a stones throw of  Hamo, as it seems to be universally referred to by boaties. Not sure I have missed anything and we certainly didn't stop there. Opposite Hamilton Island is Dent Island- somewhere I have been, when replenishing the lighthouse which stands on its western side. Dent Island leased under the same arrangement as Hamilton, is now the golf course for Hamilton Island.

A lovely and for the first time in days , solo anchorage , was found at the northern end of Lindeman Island , when we anchored off Boat Port beach . Going ashore in the late afternoon for a spot of exploration, revealed a campsite is available here, b.y.o everything. There were masses of shells piled up on the NW tip of Lindeman- to us it didn't look as though anybody has been here for many months, perhaps since TC Debbie last year? Overwhelming and very obviously, it occurred to both of us, that here ankle deep in shells, the thing that was missing that has been so constant over the last two and a bit years was the complete absence of several feet of plastic detritus. Not a single plastic drink bottle, fishing buoy, piece of footware, nothing but driftwood and shells!

All alone off  Boat Port beach Lindeman Island 

Another anchorage which we tried was Brampton Island- yet another now closed resort, can be found on the North side of the island. This southern  end of the Whitsundays is far less crowded than the islands to the north when it comes to finding anchorages and solitude.

Well that was solitude until we arrived at  the pair of islands, Keswick and St Bees. The wind now being from the north, the southern ends of the islands were the go. We sailed there comfortably until in the lee of Keswick and the wind died, then  it appeared as though we had arrived into a major traffic system, monohulls motoring past at full tilt, towards Homestead Bay.
For obvious reasons as it turned out, as the anchorage is relatively limited really. On our way we checked out the bays on Keswick, which had a small swell rolling into them despite the now northerly wind. Continuing on to Homestead Bay, we decided it was way to crowded for us and went to inspect the next bay to the north in Egremont Pass, which seemed bereft of boats, despite having an apparently similar look to it on the charts, depth wise and on the google earth (GE) photo we had available. Current flow was the issue, as well as a rather sudden rise from 10m to 2m depth over potentially crunchy stuff, so we left the bay to itself and after one drop of the anchor in another bay to the south which resulted in grinding noises , which had me heaving the anchor home , before the weight even came on to it, we elected to go back to one of the bays on Keswick.
The swell stopped rolling around the point as soon as the tide stopped ebbing and it was a very pleasant anchorage which we shared with only one other catamaran, who was anchored in the diametrically opposed corner to us.
Went for a snorkel at about 1600 which was LW, but water was relatively murky, with visibility  when once in the water, of only a couple of meters. I think on neap tides and when the sun is at its zenith, this might be worth another look, as the coral looked ok.

 What didn't look ok, was my first encounter with a manta ray. It loomed out of the murk to my right and as I was still trying to  remember to breathe and as  my brain was now telling me  it was ok as it wasn't a shark, it swept past me. Its 'wing' span, to I imagine what were  my saucerlike eyes, was wider than I am tall.
Enough!
 I have it on my list to swim with manta rays, but I have long envisaged this would be in clear water, so I could clearly see them gliding past, rather like slow motion David Attenborough footage, not a murky sweep past, that left my heart thumping.