Beyond the Barrier Rally – Part 2

Marion Reefs

7/8 June:  We left Saumarez Reefs around 0545, heading for Marion Reefs. 

Marion Reefs is 310 nautical miles east of Townsville, but from Saumarez, it was another overnight sail for us of some 180 nm . The Reefs consists of six main reefs, however we would be focussing on two areas with sand cays, Paget Cay and Carola Cay.

We sailed all day and all night, once again, in very squirrely seas.  We were grateful to arrive in Marion Reef at Paget Cay around 1320 on 8 June.  Stunning surrounds with a long stretch of sandy coral cay and a crystal clear anchorage in topaz waters.  The first thing we did after anchoring, was to throw on our togs and leap into the water!   Later, Graeme went for a spearfish at an amazing bommie, but the water was too clear making it hard to sneak up on the fish, so his speargun didn’t have the necessary range, and then the sharks arrived early so Grae returned empty handed. He had some problems with the shark shield too – it didn’t seem to be operating!  

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We had happy hour on Paget Cay in the company of frigate and brown booby birds. Due to the messy seas on passage, many people still had their ‘sea legs’ and it felt like the cay was rocking.

9 June:  We were extremely fortunate (and grateful!) that the lovely couple from Indigo (Tracey and Julian) offered to mind Jamie for us so that Graeme and I could go for a scuba dive together in the morning.  Peter (skipper of the mothership, Phoenix) took us out in his tender, Johny, to a dive site about a mile from the anchorage that they were familiar with.  Graeme was away into the water quite quickly.  Unfortunately, just as I was about to get in the water with all my gear on, my BCD (inflatable vest) failed.  It had a split hose (the hose where you inflate and deflate the device), so that was it for me diving!  (Yes, OK, some people dive without a BCD. I’m yet to reach that level.) I snorkelled over the top of the group of 3 bommies while the rest scuba dived.  It was a pretty dive, with plenty of coral and fish life.  Graeme came back to report gorgonian fans (a flat filigree tree of coral, found in deeper water, usually brightly coloured and beautiful to discover), as well as giant clams and resident reef sharks.

In the afternoon, we joined Mischief, Walden and Indigo for a snorkel off the beach near a wreck, which proved extremely rewarding, with a maze of channels to explore, a huge variety of reef fish of all sizes and colours, including anemone fish darting in and out of anemones, long toms and an unusual school of angelfish.  We also saw giant spider shells, cone shells, massive hard and soft corals, and sea snakes.  A great dive, culminating in a bottle of champagne shared on the beach before heading back to our boats for the night.

We spent the night enduring more rock and roll than an Elvis concert, after a change came through with the wind turning from the North to the West, then South, then settling on Southeast. It was forecast to only be 10kts, but it brought with it wind squalls up to 25kts, and heavy rain.  Picture trying to cook dinner when you alternatively have to hold on to the kitchen bench to keep from being flung backwards into the loungeroom, or wedging yourself against it so that you don’t end up on top of it!  Sleeping in conditions where you keep becoming airborne is also not as much fun as it sounds. 

10 June: The next morning, some claimed it was the rolliest anchorage they had ever experienced.  We were certainly up and down (more up than down!), rearranging things and stuffing cupboards with towels to reduce the clinking of bottles and glassware.

In the morning, Graeme went for a spearfish with Leyton from Walden and the guys from Discovery.  He returned with a spotted sweetlips – a delicious reef fish – but only after outwitting the sharks!

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We packed up and headed the 10 miles to Carola Cay, another sand island in the Marion Reefs.  Indigo and Mischief were very trusting, following us as I visually navigated from the front deck.  Goolara, one of only 2 powerboats on this trip (and absolutely beautiful!), moved along the reef edge, pulling in fish after fish.

We anchored outside the rest of the boats (who had come over the day before) in about 13m of water, amongst deep bommies.  We made bread and did lots of cleaning up before making our way over the sand cay for our first coral cay happy hour. 

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We walked up the sand hill to the weather station, but didn’t get too close as the zillions of birds were coming in to roost. 

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Returned to the boat as the sun was beginning to set, and had a much nicer evening, with red emperor for dinner (thanks to Forfar from Sarisha for a few magnificent fillets!)  That evening, I wrote a bit of a poem about the rally, including all the rally boat names (in bold). I’ll include it here as we wrap up this blog.

Ode to the Inaugural Beyond the Barrier Rally, June 2021

A-sailing I will go
It’s my passion, don’t you know?
Off on a voyage of discovery
Like Marco Polo so long before me

Not alone!
Not solo will I be
But rather with my rally friends
Goolara, The Bach, Ruela, Mika and Kalani

And we’ll call on pneuma; God’s breath,
As we cast off our lines,
To fill our sails and speed us
To distant, warmer climes

And our boats will dip and glide
And rise in the sea
Each one contributing
To an ocean symphony

And when it rolls all night
And the cruising gets tough
Or the fish won’t bite
Or the waves are rough

I will remember my dreams
Resolute will I stay
And like a phoenix from the ashes
I’ll rise and face the new day
 
Then we’ll find our own
Slice of paradise
And we’ll sip cool drinks with mint
And plenty of ice

And hell no, I won’t be bored none!
What with
Fishing diving snorkelling yoga
and playing “Where’s Walden”

I’m sure at some point
Mischief will find me
And I’ll prob’ly get drunk
Or at least a bit tipsy

We’ll go for sundowners
On some lonesome coral cay
Where the waves lap the shore
Listen: Can you hear what they say?

“Sarisha, sarisha”
It’s a musical sea whisper
And it’s there that I’ll find my serenity
As the sun sets over an indigo sea

So, I’ll leave you with this
As I head out to sea;
If I have nothing else, I’ve got my Down Under Rally shirt
And my dignity

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