It seems we tangle with East Coast Lows more than we’d like to…
Years ago we were camping on Fraser Island when one of these intense weather systems roared down the coast. Whilst most people left the island we simply relocated to Central Station and then hung on to the tent all night! We spent the next week exploring a largely deserted Fraser Island as the ferries didn’t run for days. It was magical 🙂
Last year when we sailed through the Great Sandy Strait we found ourselves keeping watching all night in the Susan River as the wind gusted up to 40kts. When the weather forecast started showing signs of another one we decided to be better prepared this time.
Last night we anchored at South White Cliffs, let most of our anchor chain out and ensured we had plenty of room to swing if the wind changed. It was a noisy night with the rain drumming on the roof and the rigging howling with the wind but we stayed safely anchored. Sometime during the night a monohull moored about a mile away either decided to move or found himself with a dragging
anchor. Whatever the reason there was a busy five minutes aboard Roobinesque as we tried to figure out in the dark if he’d moved or we’d moved! I’ve never been so grateful for all my night-flying experience. It’s really quite disorienting in the dark with the rain beating  down…
This morning by 10 o’clock the wind had blown south and the rain had slowed to a drizzle. We know it’s going to blow again from the west later today so we’ll move anchorage to somewhere more protected from that quarter.
For now it’s a day for catching up on blogs, contemplating revamping my blog and reading! And there will be plenty of writing this afternoon as well.
I may be able to con Graham into another game of scrabble, although I think he’ll want a guarantee he won’t end up with 7 vowels in one hand!!
If you’re in SE QLD I hope the weather hasn’t disrupted your weekend too much 🙂
