a crazy few weeks

It has been a crazy few weeks since our rendezvous with Waterfront in Yeppoon. The weather has certainly dictated our choices and fortunately our decisions proved to be the correct ones.

This season our plan has always been to get our saloon windows replaced in Maryborough, at the end of the sailing season. Unfortunately, like many Fusions, our glass windows have delaminated and crazed.

The Mary River winds its way from the Sandy Straits, K’gari Island (Fraser Island), to Maryborough. So, with Waterfront, also a Fusion, planning the same, we planned to rendezvous at Great Kepple Island and then to travel south together, to Maryborough. We actually finally met up in the Keppel Bay Marina (we both booked some ‘rest’ after surviving the previous night’s storm).  It was also an opportunity to meet up with our friends on Vivacious. After one night at GKI it was time to head south.

First stop, Yellow Patch. Yay!  A great decision.

Waterfront with prime position in front of the big sandhill.

We love Yellow Patch. It’s such a great place to photograph.

There was one boat in Yellow Patch when we arrived, Elangeni (that tiny mono in the photograph which draws 1.8m for those who might be interested … we draw 1.5). A yacht we’d met way back in 2020 out at Fitzroy Reef. We were with our friends on Aqualibrium then. We revisited those memories with Elangeni and contacted Gerry and Robyn (ex – AQ) … “one word … Fireball!”, Robyn replied. And yes, Dave produced the Fireball once again (and the Captain produced one of Gerry’s special reds). Great to revisit those memories!

Dinner aboard Waterfront. We hadn’t quite got to the Fireball at this stage, but one of Gerry’s reds was greatly appreciated. And, our trusty sand pump is still working after nearly 40 years! Unfortunately we had no success with the sand pump this visit.

We enjoyed sunset drinks up on the sandhill one afternoon.  Can you believe one of our group scrambled up the highest point of this spectacular sandhill to join us for drinks … and no, it wasn’t me, nor the Captain.  It was the oldest person in our group, an amazing effort Dave and he wasn’t even puffing!

We stayed an extra night in YP.  The days ahead were looking rainy and particularly stormy with thunderstorms forecast for days on end. We knew we had to beat a southerly change that was going to last a week but while the northerlies and their wind strengths were fine over the next few days, it was the storms that were concerning us, especially hearing of two catamarans (who we both knew), who had both been hit by lightning just recently. Not to mention we needed a sleep-in after a late night with Dave and THE Fireball.

Amazing isn’t it? I got the drone up way higher than I’ve been before. A great place to do so.

A good decision.

Another good decision was Waterfront’s suggestion to delay our departure from Pancake Creek to Bundy.  Instead of two days sailing, we do one long day bypassing Bundy and sail straight to the Sandy Straits but it needed to be a very stupid o’clock 4.30 am departure, arriving at Big Woody Island in the Straits in the dark … we were in!

It was a kite run the whole way. It was an epic 110 nautical mile kite run from Pancake Creek to the Sandy Straits.  Cruising with our friends on Waterfront is always fun and when there’s two boats?! Both Fusions, same start and we both arrived at the Fairway Buoy together only metres apart. Right on sunset. An epic day!

So while the plan is always to cruise south as the weather allows, we did have a timeline this season. We needed to be in the Mary River by the last week of November and with a week of SE winds approaching along with our desire to return home, the timing was right. We also avoided those thunderstorms!

The sun is up at 4.30 am now (eeek), the days are long and the heat is on.

The 2025 season has come to an end.  Its pack up time.  A very different pack up and perhaps another adventure?  More to follow in my next post which will the last for the season.