Tuesday May 1st to Wednesday May 2nd
We departed for the overnight passage to Rosslyn Bay at about 9:30am local time and headed out past Little Woody Island. The first few hours we had a nice South South Western breeze, combined with the protection of Fraser Island it provided smooth sailing. As we progressed out of the protected waters and into the evening the seas and winds grew as we bumped and rolled towards our destination. We started a watch keeping rotation of 2 hours on and 4 hours off, with 2 or three of us required for sail changes. During my 12 to 2am watch I noticed the engine drop in revs a little then regain it’s momentum. I thought I was hearing things. As the night progressed Keith had dolphins jumping alongside the boat and a fishing boat pass by the rear of the boat. In the early hours of the morning I awoke to the engine running rough and decided to switch to the other set of filters to see if the cause was a blocked fuel filter, this immediately fixed the problem. The rest of the motor sail into the Great Kepple Marina was fairly uneventful. We are now fueled up and in a marina berth for the night while we wait for a package to arrive and do a few boat repairs. The Man Overboard units have been forwarded here by Muir Marine. Next stop will be the Whitsundays for a spot of snorkeling. Another 2 day sail away.
