November 11

We left Gloucester Island this morning early at 6am. We motored out of the Gloucester Channel which separates Gloucester Island from the mainland (which is called Cape Gloucester) and took a heading of 50M to the NE. We are headed for Hook Island today in the Whitsunday Island group (which is actually part of the Cumberland Islands, a large group off the coast of Queensland just North of Mackay, the nearest town of any size). The weather is partly overcast with about 45% cloud cover. Some dark clouds passed over just as we were leaving but it looks like a lovely day will develop as the sun rises.

The wind is about 8-10 from the NE and seas are calm with a 1-2ft chop. The distance to Nara Inlet on Hook Island is about 30 miles total, about 25 to go to reach the opening of the inlet. Nara reaches about 2 miles into the interior of Hook Island and reminds me a bit of Opunohu Bay at Moorea in the Society Islands as it has a twin, deep, inlet (called Macona Inlet) just next to it as Opunohu has Cook Bay next to it.

The wind is down to almost nothing. About 4-5k from the NE. It is now 10am and we have about 4 miles to reach the entrance to Nara Inlet. The sea is very calm now with almost no chop. Many sailboats can be seen in various directions. Many of the Whitsunday Islands are visible to us now besides Hook, our destination – North and South Molle, Whitsunday Island itself of course, and the tiny island we just passed Double Cone. Skies are cloudy with about 70% cover but no rain seems imminent. We should reach the anchorage in about an hour or so, a short day.

We anchored deep within the Nara Inlet at about 11:20am. The sky is mostly cloudy. The inlet is surrounded by mountains and is lush and green with pine trees and other vegetation. Large rocks and boulders surround the inlet.