Mooloolaba to Great Keppel aboard SV Bardoo

Bardoo was designed by Sparkman Stevens and built by Halverson in their yards at Bobbin Head in 1973 and launched in 1974.

She is a 52′ Triple Planked Canadian Oregon Carvel Ketch with a 14’11 beam and 7′ draft.

Yes, we did set all these sails and the huge MPS.

www.bardoo.net  - see "sailing adventures" "Mooloolaba to Keppel"

Owners Dave and Linda Ashendon

The new owners, Dave and Linda, have just completed a major 2 year refit and are at last reaping the rewards. I was lucky enough to be invited to join them as crew from Mooloolaba to Great Keppel. Bardoo is truly magnificent and I had one of the best times ever afloat. Many, many thanks to you both. 

25 April  Mooloolaba to Double Island Point, 12 hrs, moderate SE wind.

26 April  Double Island Point to Lady Elliot Island, 25 hrs, moderate SE wind

27 April at Lady Elliot Island in very rolly anchorage

28 April  Lady Elliot Island to Lady Musgrove Island, 4.5 hrs, moderate SE wind

29 April  Anchored in lagoon at Lady Musgrove Island - good diving and snorkelling

30 April  Short sail out of lagoon as unsafe lee shore with strong wind warning to Fairfax Islet

1 May    Fairfax Islet to North West Island, 11 hrs, light to moderate wind, perfect spinnaker run

2 May    North West Island to Great Keppel Island, 41 nm,10 hrs,light to moderate spinnaker run

3 May    Second Bay, Great Keppel Island, anchored sheltering from 30 kn SE wind

4 May    Wind moderates and sail 7 nm to Great Keppel Island Marina at Rosslyn Bay so Dave's son can visit.

5 May  Leave marina and anchor off Yepoon Sailing Club in delightful calm water. During the night a horrible and unexpected swell stopped us all sleeping.

6 May    Early morning motored back to the marina in time to buy stores in Yepoon and wait for new crew Peter and Diana to arrive.

7 May    Leave marina and sail for 4 hrs in 35 kn on the nose winds back to Great Keppel Island. Bardoo and crew handled it well.

8 May    Anchored at Great Keppel. Still wind 30+ knots. Fishing.

9 May    Anchored at Great Keppel. Still wind 30+ knots

10 May   Repeat of day before.

11 May   Repeat of day before and still forecast of 30 knot winds for next day

12 May   Sail 7 nm back to Keppel Bay Marina in 30+ knots wind - exhilarating sail.

13 May   The end - until next time.

Linda took all the photos except the first one and the one of the two of them 

 

 

 

The MPS and the mizzen staysail blew out but the spinnaker survived . 

These sails were well past their use-by-date and needed replacement anyway. Now Linda is pondering on the design for the new MPS and spinnaker.

 

We ate Dave's 16 kg wahoo for many nights

 

 

I know that several weeks in a confined space with people one hardly knows is many peoples idea of hell - but I'd do it again any time on a yacht like Bardoo and with owners like the Ashendons.