1/2 March - at sea

On our way along the Queensland Coast to Yorkey's Knob in Cairns. We are transiting the Great Barrier Reef and passed the Whitsunday Islands early this morning. It's hot and really humid but quite a lot of cloud.

Yorkey's Knob was named after a local fisherman called Yorkey who lived on the rocky hill (knob) adjacent to half moon beach in the 1880's.

3rd March
Arrived in Cairns this morning to more rain. We are at anchor and so needed to get the tender into Yorkey's Knob. We had intended to get a trip out on to the Barrier Reef but decided against it as it is so wet and the Reef is about one and a half hours out. We caught the shuttle bus into town hoping it would stop raining by the time we reached there. Sadly not!
It wasn't a good day for anyone. Our dining neighbours spent $500 on a seven hour trip out at a Reef and didn't see anything. Only those actually scuba diving did.

Captain's Anecdotes

To pull your finger out - an expression used when the gunpowder in a cannon was pushed in by finger and held there so it didn't blow away but had to be pulled out just before firing.

To get the sack - in the days when it wasn't easy to get men of quality to join the navy they had to take on anyone as they needed the hands. At the end of the voyage those no longer required were handed an old linen sack and told to pack their things.

Posh - Port Out Starboard Home. When wealthy passengers could afford to choose their cabins each way to avoid the strong sun on either side.


4th March
We are at sea today on route to Alotau, Papua New Guinea. Hot but windy. No rain at least!