We've had a lovely few catch ups with Anapa's Jen & Tony, meeting his daughter & hubby & also celebrating Jens birthday aboard! Skipper has been having a wow of a time pulling out port starter motor when it failed to go brooom, putting on brand new spare only to discover it wouldn't work, so he ended up stripping both, found a cheap stripped bolt in the new unit, replaced that, cleaned bearings on old unit, painted both & put new one back on & BROOOM! Rod woke to a strange slapping sound under the boat & it seems we caught a tinny, no idea who it belongs to & only 1 paddle!

We have moved around to Horseshoe bay for the next week or so anchored beside Sailaway - Pat & Pete with Ionian Sea behind them & Anapa in front who we will join this afternoon for sundowners!

So we have had a long day, managing a big 3 nautical miles per hour, whilst getting smashed for half the 60 nm trip with 20 knot winds on the nose! It's taken nearly 11 hours to come straight to Magnetic Island, Bolger Bay as it's going to blow 25kn plus for the next couple of weeks. We will move around to Horseshoe Bay for more protection tomorrow & catch up with Anapa who also arrived here from down south. Oh & fyi, bug screen worked a treat, no bites!

We have just anchored at Haycock Island, inside Hinchinbrook Channel at Lucinda end. We're yet to decide for how long as we need a big tide to leave & follow awesome Lucinda jetty out & over to Orpheus Island. It is so incredibly beautiful traversing the channel, approx 3 hours. I have taken some panoramic shots to give an idea, so click on pic & turn phone.

We have left the wind on tide chop, that was not supposed to be at Goold, (we're thinking the islands, when close together, form ruts maybe, would love a bathymetric chart of the area)! Our friends/neighbours from the marina on Ionian Sea came up & joined us yesterday & have also come around and anchored back at Macushla/Missionary bay with us. We will probably hang here for a few days. Tit bit for you - Apparently the cooler weather brings out more crocs from hiding to sun themselves on the beach!

We have returned back to Goold Island & will hang here for a few days. Just watched a shark fin cruising along beside us!

So it effectively took us 2 hours turn around to Clump Point & back on mooring at Dunk Is, we will head off (early again) tomorrow back to Goold or Macushla to tuck in, for maybe 10 days for the blow. I took a few good shots at Dunk Island from ashore so will put them up.

We have just moved 'Bubble' over to Clump Point (think Mission Beach) taken tender to boat ramp & caught a cab into town, a lot safer than anchoring closer to the shops but having to pull tender up on the beach & risk stray crocodiles! A nice little trip through the trees, into town with jerry cans, we're full w/ 500 litres of diesel, we just like to keep back ups.

We've come up to Dunk Island & picked up 1 of only 2 moorings so we can get off the boat & go for some wandering on the beach, we'll hang here for a few days, maybe!! Had lots of 15mm baby crickets & big black field crickets at Goold Is, once the screen was up no more bugs, yay!

We've made our way gingerly around the reef, prefering to go on the outside of Garden Island than between it and Goold Island & have anchored out a bit as it is quite gloomy & can't see the bottom at 2.6mtr (just gone high tide). We've not been here before, so are using other vessels anchor spots as a guide. It's quite a pretty area with 4 little beaches, & a 4km & 13km round trips walking trails, with only 40 permits at a time for campers. We've come here to make water as much too murky at Macushla Anchorage & I can finish the screen!!

A rather swelly trip up, albeit in 4 hours at 7.9kn, very overcast & drizzly here at Macushla/Missionary Bay, Hinchinbrook Island, as opposed to previous visit, was near perfect conditions. We'll hang here for a few days & then go & explore Goold Island where we can make water, too murky here, plus don't want to annoy crocodiles!

Up early & away with a pleasant sail to pickup a mooring buoy at Little Pioneer Bay, Orpheus Island. I've nearly completed our cockpit screen, just need to machine it up after lots of pinning & tacking! Skipper had to dinghy ashore, hop on the bus & then ferry back to Tsv to pick up a couple of spare fan belts (after the brand new set we just had delivered to us, went overboard)!! He has since completed various engine jobs & replaced dodgy laminate inside cupboard by the stove. We'll head on up to Macushla Bay anchorage atop of Hinchinbrook Island (on the outside, not through the channel) where I will promtly put screen up to prevent midges from terrorising my ankles!

Another busy day yesterday, back into marina & washing, whilst skipper did 2 runs filling up jerry cans, fully loaded now with 620 ltrs of diesel to play with! We up-anchored this morning (which took nearly 20 mins due to practically clay like substance stuck fast in the chain) & have returned to Horshoe Bay for a few days to wait for next little blow 25-30kn to go through & give me time to finish cockpit screen.

What a day! Departed Horseshoe Bay for the "Duckpond" - outside of the marina then anchored & were greeted by Ziggy & Tessa - Pelargic II waving from the rockwall & organised to borrow their car. Dashed around town picking up various items, with obligiatory visit to Uncle Dans', Coles & the butcher $900 gone & will see us through another 2 months ish! Skipper took 1st load back to Bubble whilst I tended to washing & collected package & sat with bday boy Josh. Upon Skppers return to marina, we loaded tender up again, another mad dash back to vessel, unload, get esky, drinks & back into marina for cyclone de-brief bbq & catch up with friends, then back to boat at 19.30, phew! After hanging casual, no pressure for the last month, (other than daily nightmare cockpit cover workout) & a few engine & anchor winch issues all is done now, but to fill jerry cans tomorrow then we will head on up to Orpheus Is after brief overnighter at Maggie Is.

Enjoying our time, tucked in at Horseshoe Bay, avoiding the strong South Easterlies barrelling up the entire east coast. We've had our friends on "Swift" drop of a few orders for us & can now set up our new dinghy anchoring system (so I don't have to lug tender up on the beach)! Skipper is now repairing oil leak on starboard engine & I am making a new cockpit screen with finer netting before we head on up to Hinchinbrook Island & mass attack of Midges.

After a lovely few days of gently bobbing, cool breezes & overcast skies (& now polished stainless rigging & staunchions) we have cruised around to the other side of Maggie Island & dropped anchor in a quite sedate Horseshoe Bay for an upcoming blow. We'll hang here for a few days & a catch up with Swifts' Rob & Judith before we decide what comes next. I should point out Skipper was given a used kayak & replaced my paddle board "Kat's Island", I've had it for 27 years & fibreglass was sodden, apparently! As always, click on pictures for enlargement.

We have finally departed the marina & have dropped anchor at Bolger Bay NW of Magnetic Island. No chance of any solar power as very overcast today, which makes it a perfect opportunity to polish the stainless.

Pre- departure update, we were going to leave today but have been rain delayed & will finally be at anchor come Saturday! Doing our final jobs, Skippers' serviced the main winches & furler lines washed, they were going green. We'll do a final fresh veg top up & laundry & a few catch up's with friends then we're off.

Let's try this. Woo hoo, it's working. I'm back, had some issues with YIT server. Well, I spoke to soon about the rain stopping, it's been endless & breaking all kinds of records. Floods, shops & roads closed, & a repreave at present from the deluge. Rod has now finished both engines (in closed hatches) & moved onto the generator, this weekends project, changing over to new glowplugs (makes the genny fire up). We're pretty much loaded up with our stores & spares & all sections organised, just delayed on washing covers, nothings drying. We're down to 24 days remaining in the marina & can't wait to be on anchor again. Oh apparently there is an issue on email alerts if anyone is using them, currently not working! Going out to Ardo's for lunch today with Ziggy & Tessa.

Nearly 3 months of non-stop rain has finally come to a end & water has subsided, roads have been re-opened & groceries are getting through. Skipper has serviced the Port side engine doing a cylinder head overhaul, starboard engine to follow. Had a build of barnacles in the inlet & hoses to the A/C pump, (the day it was 40 deg) so extremely hot whilst clearing the hoses etc, but clever skipper got it back up & running. Had a fun afternoon/evening with friends for my birthday yesterday with strawberry & mango daiquiri's, champagne & tiramisu!

Well heavens, it sure has rained on us here....(understatement of the year), crikeys, absolutely pouring & currently no end in sight! One minute hot as, next wet as, oh well, wet season really taking it's toll here this year, massive floods etc, but we're all good & no real ingress into the Bubble, but for stitching in clears not waterproofed! We had a great day in the wet for Australia day bbq (was to be up top) moved onboard. We caught up with some friends from Vic, who get very wet out in crazy weather, great to catch up. Whole trees down, branches strewn & debris floating in the water with crocodiles & we're about to get another weekend full of water. Not much else happening I'm still reading, onto my 19th in a row as skipper has started ordering parts & spares for engine & taking head off & servicing injectors etc. Looks like it will be clear weather for my birthday at least & we'll all be back to moaning about the heat!!!

Our fortnightly update, been super hot here, as to be expected, with about 5 more weeks of the worst left, so not to much outside activities. Skipper has replaced both toilets with new LED blue toilets seats, very cool, & has spent considerable time updating our Open CPN Charts. We have emptied one front locker, preparing for a paint job (too hot) & offloaded our old scuba tank! I've read several JD Robb books, excellent. We have both spent the day making new bridles for Pelagic II, me a 3 strand splice, skipper doing top job on a double braid. We are preparing for Australia day celebrations with a bbq & pavlova up top of the marina. Happy Birthday Mum.

We are now back in Townsville after our nice trip away. I managed to get a lot of gardening done with my new knee coming along & made good use of the Skipper doing several jobs around the house! We have now decided that we are over the heat & desparetely wanting to get back out on the water & in it for a swim, paddle boarding etc away from all things FNQ wanting to eat us! We had a crocodile in the marina 31st Dec, so no going near the edges! Unfortunately we are not covered by insurance until the end of cyclone season so we're stuck here, we will just start getting our stores back up & readying Bubble for her next venture.