24 July 2024

Cape Cleveland off Townsville was a comfortable anchorage for the night. With SE to 15 knots and showers to the north, we headed for Orpheus Island. We ran “wing and wing” dead downwind across to Palm Island, where showers hit us. Winds picked up to 25 knots and seas built against the tide running through Steamer Passage. Once through, we had a lovely run across Challenger Bay past Fantome Island under the lee of Great Palm Island. With new moorings installed at Yanks Jetty, we stopped for the night there instead of the usual anchorage at Pioneer Bay. On shore, there was lovely coral around the jetty, and a couple of walks to lookouts, with the second one facing north over the mooring field.