From the Captain Garry McKechnie 25-28/03/06

March 25
The winds have moderated slightly and we have had a good nights sleep at anchor on the north side of Taylor Reef. Our first site this morning is near a sand cay on the SW corner of Taylor reef. Colin drops Johnston, Andrew and Guillermo from the zodiac. The rest of the crew stand by on Pelican. About half an hour later with the inflatable back on board we depart for our next site at Ellison reef. The punishing schedule keeps all the crew busy but no complaints are heard as we motor sail north west towards Ellison Reef dodging Beaver, Eddy and other unnamed reefs en route.

The work develops a routine. We arrive on location. We deploy inflatables and scientists to carry out surveyÕs. Marina continues the dive training sessions with Ewan, Pedar, Lwayne and Matty. Andrew and Johnston and Guillermo from the GBRMPA team spend some time each day specifically training the boys about the coral so they can be included in the survey teams as soon as their diving skills are up to speed. Then everyone is brought back on board Pelican and we sail or steam to the next site. The boys are now doing much of the deck work on Pelican as well as maintaining watches, steering, and anchoring. They are also taking an interest in navigation and can now take bearings, adjust them by applying magnetic variation, to True and lay them on a chart.

We have been staying at anchor most nights and raising anchor early enough to travel to the next site in time for the days first dive. This works well because it enables us to go to anchor while the sun is still high enough to see the coral. We can anchor safely without damage to either the vessel or the coral.

March 26
We motor sail to Hedley Reef where we deploy the inflatable for Johnstone to survey the western side. Hedley has a picture book lagoon which is very sheltered even in the gusty conditions. We squeeze Pelican between numerous coral bommies in the lagoon and come to anchor on a sandy bottom in about 14 metres. Johnstone takes the larger inflatable to check out another site on the exposed side of the reef while the rest of the crew take the opportunity to snorkel in the best conditions we have seen for some time.

After lunch we reluctantly raise anchor, thread our way out between the bommies and set a course for the Frankland Islands. Hedley would be a fine place to spend more time but our schedule calls us on. The Frankland islands are about 24 miles due west of Hedley Reef and about 25 nautical miles as the crow flies SSE of Cairns. We make excellent time and drop anchor at Russell Island in the Franklands just before sunset. These are the first wooded islands we have visited since the PercyÕs nearly 2 weeks ago. They are steep and thickly wooded. As the closest islands to the path of Cyclone Larry, Andrew is keen to assess the damage to the vegetation, beaches and sand spits as well as the coral. From Pelicans deck we can see that many of the trees have been partially stripped of leaves and there is floating debris in the water. But overall to my untrained eye the islands seem to have survived reasonably well.

March 27
Dive surveys are made at Normandy Island by The GBRMPA team while Marina does another under water navigation exercise with Matt and Ewan . By midday everyone is back aboard Pelican and we take leave of the beautiful Franklands and head directly for Cairns. We dock at Marlin Wharf around 1700. After berthing and cleaning up the boat Pedar, Ewan and Matty take off to visit family. This is their first time off since we started and with family to look after them I give them free time until our departure which is scheduled for Wednesday morning, two sleeps later. The rest of the crew will continue to work and prepare Pelican for our next leg to Cooktown. We will have a change of crew again here and are very sorry to lose Jayne our cook who has done such a great job of feeding us for the last three weeks.

March 28
Our new cook (also Jane) arrives this morning and spends the day with Jayne provisioning and learning the idiosyncrasies of the galley, fridges, stove, gas systems and the rest. Colin and Lwayne who has no family in Cairns have been working steadily to prepare Pelican for an early departure on Wednesday. By sunset on Tuesday most of the work is done. We will take on fuel in the morning. I will introduce the other new members of our crew then as with all the coming and goings I have still not met them all. Tonight will be an opportunity for everyone to go out for a meal and few hour off before it all starts again. I am hoping to clear cairns by 0900.

Happy sailing

Garry McKechnie