S/V BeBe

As you can see by this photo the wind died just as suddenly as it had started, so the boys got to go fishing by themselves. We made Zachary wear a life vest since he probably wouldn't be able to swim very long with his arm in a cast. Jamie handled the dinghy like a pro. Of course, what would one expect of a child who has lived aboard a boat and been cruising the Pacific Ocean for 6 years.

Jamie caught a rock fish, but his parents couldn't positively identify it as an edible species so they threw it back into the sea. Zachary got several bites but each time the fish broke the line and stole the lure. The line on his rod and reel is very low test strength and the fish were too big for it. All the small lures are now gone so we used pieces from the mackerel we caught the other day and baited the final hook with that. Zach got another bite on the bait but something really strange happened. The hook disappeared! The bait was still on the end of the fishing line and the knot was still tied, but the hook was gone! We have no idea how that could happen. The boys had a great time fishing even without catching anything for dinner.

We went ashore to buy milk, bread and eggs for the next week or so. Don't know if we will find any more stores between here and Cairns. Bill and Zach walked the beach while I sat in the shade and admired the scenery. Horseshoe Bay is a perfect place to anchor for weeks if we had the time to do so. A pretty palm-tree lined beach protected by shark nets; several restaurants; mokes or cars for rent to explore the island; jet skis and paddle boats for rent on the beach as well as several other aquatic devices to ride or be pulled on; and even an occasional bus to Nelly Bay where one can catch a ferry to Townsville for a day outing. Wish we had more time to sit here and enjoy, but we were delayed with Zach's broken arm and have a deadline to reach Cairns by last week of July so we can be prepared for guests to arrive August 1. And we hope to spend a few days at Hitchinbrook Island along the way, so it is time to move on.

Tomorrow morning we leave -- next destination is Orpheus Island, about 35 miles north of here. Tonight we had drinks and snacks on S/V Esprit and said goodbye. They are also headed north but at a slower pace. They might catch up with us in Cairns just before we depart for Darwin next month. The photo at right was taken as we sailed up the eastern side of Magnetic Island. Some of the rock formations looked like carved art works.