Happy, happy Bay

After spending the day on Manatee in foul weather we departed Goldsmith Island at 1140hrs with S-SE winds easing to 10-15kts. Our plan was to spend a few days in the Shaw Island/Lindeman Island vicinity. As we approached the area the air was thick with smoke from Island burn-offs conducted by National Parks. One of their helicopters was also buzzing overhead-relaxing not!



Smokey anchorage


The great thing about cruising the Whitsundays is that there are plenty of anchorages not too far apart. Unfortunately on this day most of them were very smokey! We headed off to Long Island anticipating that if we anchored on the western side the island would absorb some of the smoke. We were doing 6kts under mainsail so entered Long Island Sound (waterway between Long Island and the mainland) where the eddies reduced our speed to less than 2kts. We were very pleased to find Happy Bay where we anchored at 1730hrs.



Happy Bay anchorage

There were three resorts on Long Island when tourism was big business, the first called Paradise Bay on the southern end of the island appeared to be shut, The second, Palm Bay had pretty much closed until a caretaker opened it to yachties on a BYO basis. We later met crews who visited regularly. The third resort in Happy Bay appeared to be functioning, with a seaplane dropping visitors off at the jetty which kept us entertained the next morning.

 

 

 

100 Magic Miles states "Happy Bay...opened in the 1930's and it went on in a homely style for many years. Happy Bay has a sense of history about it, cannonballs and old wrecks having been found on the beach, testimony that the island and Port Molle used to be a favoured stopover for early ships - including beche-de-mer fishermen and survey ships, some of the latter probably having some gunnery practice while at anchor."

 

The next morning was bright and sunny and Ruby alerted us to dolphins around Manatee. Happy, happy day! 

We left after lunch to have a gander at Shute Harbour and Daydream Island (actually called West Molle- but not sure that name would entice visitors!)

 

Shute Harbour


Once we left the protection of Long Island, our fabulous sunny day became hazy with smoke. We headed north until the air was clear, anchoring at Airlie Beach at 1500hrs.