After another relaxed start to the day, we set off from Shaw Isalnd at about 09:30. Motoring against the tidal flow we were soon clear of the narrows and set sail in a pleasant breeze that gave us around 5 kts. With the sun shinning and the seas flat, a gentle sail across to Hamilton was just the thing. Of course, we shortly found ourselves in the lee of an Island and in the midst of a lull so for a while Pilgrim was all but stopped in the calm blue waters of the Whitsundays. Being in no hurry however, we simply accepted this and drifted on, enjoying the tranquillity until the wind again built to a perfect 15 kts.
As often happens, somewhere enroute on this day, my I’Phone sprang to life as reception was restored from some unseen tower on the mainland. With the opportunity to call 'My Mary' I did so and spoke to her during a respite she was enjoying at work. Now consider this; She is at work, I am in the Whitsundays, she has difficult customers and the like, I have perfect sailing conditions, she is in the middle of relaying some routine but important administrative matter when I interrupt with an excited call of; “Whale, off the port bow about 200m!” A young whale had gently surfaced for a breath of two and slipped beneath the waves to reappear a few minutes latter. All this, of course, is probably NOT the sort of thing you want to hear when trapped in your day to day working routine. I rather feel that Whales and workers are probably not a good mix.Arriving at Hamilton we had a protracted wait for a berth but that was of little concern really as we were there in good time to celebrate Pauls 60th Birthday, an event that was to continue all the way to Whitehaven, our next stop.
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