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A DREAM COMES TRUE AT LADY MUSGRAVE ISLAND...continued |
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Our dream had come true. We first tried to come to Lady Musgrave Island in Masala in 2006, on our inaugural cruise. It wasn’t a good year weather-wise for cruising. We waited in Pancake Creek on the mainland for three weeks for a weather window to come out to the island, but in all that time the wind never dropped below 20 knots. We finally gave up.
The wind was also unsuitable on our way up the coast in 2009, and on the way back we got part way there then gave up, again due to unfavourable winds. At least earlier on that year we had managed a couple of great days at Wistari Reef and Masthead Island. Now, finally, after four years and four months, we were anchored in paradise.
The beauty of this spot is that being a completely enclosed lagoon, it doesn’t matter which direction the wind blows from. Given that the weather doesn’t seem to follow steady south-east trade wind patterns any more, but keeps doing 360 degree circuits every few days, such a place is a great relief.
That is not to say the anchorage is always comfortable, as you will see on the next page. When high spring tides coincide with strong winds from any direction, considerable wave action comes over the reef. And since the lagoon is so large, there is plenty of “fetch” to allow waves to build up. Consequently, sometimes it can get very rough. The one saving grace is that because there is no current inside the lagoon, the vessel always sits head to wind and therefore pitches, but at least it doesn’t sit side on and roll, which is much worse. Masala’s long waterline length means at any one time she is spread across several waves so she moves only a little, and her 14 tons laden does the rest. Comfy! |
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With a sigh of relief we picked our way through the coral bommies and anchored in 8 metres of clear blue water over pure white sand. A half mile away, the tiny 0.15 square kilometre island with its covering of rich green Pisonia forest, floated in calm, translucent water, fringed by a dazzling coral sand beach. |
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Above: at last, Masala anchored inside the lagoon
Top & Left: Lady Musgrave floats in a blue lagoon. The island is fringed by coral sands |