Cruising Log—14...Island Head Creek

There are a number of anchorages to choose from, our favourite being on a bank about 5m deep right out in the middle of the estuary. The abundance of room and the views of the heavily-wooded, granite-slabbed ranges tumbling into the harbour waters more than compensate for continual exposure to the trade winds.

The bank on which we anchored lay opposite an arm of shallow water that penetrated westward well into the ranges. It was lined with mangroves and flooded at high tide, so we were able to explore up a long way in the dinghy. It yielded some magnificent views of the impressive Notch Mountain, which looks as if a giant has used thumb and forefinger to pinch out a section of the rugged mountain top. The waters below teemed with big stingrays and turtles too numerous to count.

Over the next few days of trolling Leanne caught a Broad-barred Spanish Mackerel (yum), a Bump-nosed Trevally, a Club-nosed Trevally and a very aggressive Striped Seapike. This last fish is long, sleek and high-powered in the Barracouta style. While in the net it thrashed around trying to bite anything within reach, with its mouthful of long, wicked teeth.

Both Trevally were only rated two stars out of four in our book, but in fact they were very sweet to eat. The Seapike was rated two stars as well and its flesh seemed soft and mushy when filleted. However, it cooked up beautifully, wasn’t mushy at all, and turned out to be quite a meaty feed with very few bones.

At low tide the arm dries completely. This forces the fish that hang out in the arm at high tide to retreat and congregate in the deep main channel at low tide. The bigger pelagics lie in wait. The fish can run, but they can’t hide. So we trolled in the dinghy along the edge of this bank each day at low tide, and it was a bit like visiting the local fish market – take your pick of the fish of the day.

A forecast of wind rising to 30 knots saw us remain in Island Head Creek for another six days. Most days it was too windy to get off in the dinghy. We had but one more day of fishing, during which Leanne caught the strangest fish to date – a Wolf Herring. This silvery fish was half a metre long, only about 50mm high and about 20mm thick, built for speed, and as you can guess from the name, its mouth sprouted the most amazing collection of fangs you’ve ever seen. It yielded two long but very thin fillets. It tasted OK but was riddled with fine bones liked curved needles. It took forever to eat, picking tiny bits of flesh at a time, and was quite risky because of the bones, which probably explains the one star rating. We wouldn’t bother again.

While at Island Head Creek a number of personal issues concerning the cruising life and our interaction with it and each other came to a head. As a result we decided to give cruising away and head back to Brisbane, the future uncertain. We departed Island Head Creek under an emotional black cloud, which affected our decision-making about when to transit the entrance channel. We had waited until the tide was running out so we would have it with us for our return to Pearl Bay. This was a bad mistake as once in the channel with no possibility of turning around, we encountered massive standing waves with breaking tops where the strong ebb current hit the incoming swell and wind. It was a truly intimidating sight, stretching far into the distance.

Leanne was piloting the boat under motor. Strong wind on the nose precluded the use of sails. As Masala hit each wave she buried her nose into it then burst clear and soared skywards, before plunging down the back side. Before even stabilising she would hit the next wave. As she reared up, water poured down the decks on both sides. For over half an hour we were pounded in this fashion, but Masala was magnificent. Her fine bow cleaved the waves apart and, even when she became airborne and dropped into a trough, her deep v-shaped hull smoothly opened the water to produce a soft landing. It was a bit like riding a bucking bronco, but in slow motion. It is under conditions such as these that the pedigree of Masala’s hull design comes to the fore, and the strength of steel and great construction is a blessing.

Back at Pearl Bay we continued to agonise over our cruising future. An extract from the log typifies the highs and the lows that left us emotionally exhausted and confused: “Anchorage at Pearl Bay is now very rolly. Stressed so couldn’t sleep during bad rolling at night. Needed Relaxa tablets. Our cruising future is in doubt, with both Leanne and I trying to come to terms with ourselves and each other, and the stress of cruising these waters. At this stage we don’t know what we’ll do. Today we saw our first whale of the trip, a Humpback, in Pearl Bay.”