Sailing Down Under, check
Flying all the way to Australia just for 8 days of sailing is not exactly relaxing, and not even very good for the environment. Nevertheless while this summer I was in the mid of my job’s boredom, I decided to accept my parents invitation to be their Skipper at the Witsunday Islands, as I was in desperate need for some recreational sailing. My father’s colleague Giulio and his daughter Sophia completed the crew of the little SeawindXL ‘Shearwater’, as we made our way through the tropical waters of the Great Barrier Reef.
The sailing has generally been great, thanks to the gentle trade winds and the kick of the swift spring tide streams. On the other hand we were less than impressed with the quality of the snorkeling, as the currents made for very low visibility at most spots. Knowing that sharks had been seen in the area reduced quite a bit the enjoyment of jumping in the water at the end of the day’s sail.
Overall…of course it ended too quickly! This little taste of Australia just leaves me with the desire to explore more in the next adventures. But for now it is just going to be winter sailing for a while 🙁
- Day 1: Airlie Beach – Sandy Bay (South Molle Island)
- Day 2: Sandy Bay – Plantation Bay (Lindeman Island)
- Day 3: Plantation Bay – Chalkie Beach (Hazelwood Island)
- Day 4: Chalkie Beach – Cateran Bay (Border Island)
- Day 5: Cateran Bay – Butterfly Bay (Hook Island)
- Day 6: Butterfly Bay – Black Island
- Day 7: Black Island – Sandy Bay (South Molle Island)
- Day 8: Sandy Bay – Airlie Beach