We left Mooloolaba reluctanly and said we would stop here again on the way up next season as there is still lots more to do here and it is a secure place for the boat.
We left at 5am to make use of the tide heading down Morton bay. The forecast was for NE winds so we hoped for an easy trip down to Manly. As soon as we got out of the channel we new the wind was out of the SE, more head winds in rough seas.
Numerous rain squalls went buy and the wind direction seemed to change from E to SE as squalls came and went. But the going was slow and we knew we would never make Manly before dark so decided to try the anchorage at the South end of Bribie island around in the channel behind island. We dropped anchor about 3pm and rowed ashore to check out the small village here. There was a nice waterfront trail that we took a long walk along and decided that this was another nice spot to spend more time on the way backup next year.
There were lots of birds here and when back on the boat before dark, you could here thousands of birds of all kinds making a tremedous noise.
We were up early again at 445am to get out of channel before tide turned against us and then to catch same down across the rest of moreton bay down to Manly. Again the NE forecast winds never came. The coast guard forecst was now SE to NE winds, great, and they were SE but at least they were light and we motored most of the way.
As a big rain squall was passing over us our engine alarm went of for its first time ever and I immedialtly shut it down. Lifted the engine cover off while Dorothy tried to get boat sailing so we would not get blown to shore. I saw right away the problem, the fan belt had broken and so the engine cooling pump was not turning, over heating engine. Fortunatly we had a couple spares so managed to get the engine going within a half hour. Dorothy got wet from the rain squall as to sail she had to turn the boat so the rain was blowing right in the side of cockpit behind the dodger.
After that everything went fine and we arrived off Manly harbor as another big rain squall came so we delayed our entrance until it passed, not wanting to go in a unfamiliar cramped boat harbor with poor visibility and wind and rain. After we entered we got lost as apparently they changed the harbor layour recently and it did not match our guide book. A couple of fellows in a skiff from the marina staff came and guided us to our spot and helped us in as I had called the marina just before arriving. We made it! Our new home for at least the next month.
Info:
Mooloolaba has a all weather entrance, no real bar to worry about, just follow the leading marks in, the swells steepen abit as you get near shore, but ok. Probably any tide ok, but it does get down to 9 feet or so ounce inside the basin. I felt more comfortable going in with the tide up a bit. Careful anchoring, it is easy to run aground around the edges of anchorage. We were at 26 41.378S 153 07.267E. Anchorage was a bit crowded we were short scoped in 8ft of water. But is a great place.
From Mooloolaba S to Manly we stayed 5 miles out until we got near Bribie Island then stayed close following the inside route round the end of Bribie island in the Beacon to Beacon book $37.00. Or just follow your chartplotter. We anchored on the inside of Bribie a mile south of the bridge, in 24ft at 27 04.946 S 153 09.423 E. In hind sight we should of anchored another 1/4 mile north as where we were, near the dock, it got quite bouncy for an hour with a tide rip and it was calm further up. Was lots of room to anchor. Nice spot to spend a couple of days.
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