Malua the Thoroughbred

Malua, as you may well know, is a famous Australian horse born in Tasmania. The horse Malua was the most versatile Australian thoroughbred racehorse in history.  Malua won over distances ranging from 5+1⁄2 furlongs to 3+1⁄4 miles (1,100 – 5,200 metres).  The term "Malua's track" was coined to name that portion of the Flemington Racecourse where he showed excellence and speed.

In 1884 he won the Melbourne cup.  Carrying 9 st 9 lb (61 kg; 135 lb)  In 1888 he was switched to jumping, not so unusual in those days and he won the VRC Grand National Hurdle.  He then had a very successful stud career.

Malua was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2003.  In the suburb of Ormond in Melbourne, there is a street named after the great horse (Malua Street).  A memorial to Malua was erected and opened in October 2009 in the Deloraine Museum, in the town where he was born.

With that pedigree front of mind, I set off from Bundaberg on my way home to Bermagui.  To say Malua had the bit between it's teeth would be an understatement as we flew south with the wind behind us.

I left Bundaberg at about 4:30 am to try to make the tide at narrows in the north of great Sandy Strait to the south of Fraser Island.  Eye Candy also left Bundaberg early and was in hot pursuit but fail to catch me as I entered the shallows at Sheridan Flats just one hour after the top of the tide.

I had my track going north as a guide and tried to follow that as best as I could but turned to port when I should have turned to starboard and nearly went aground.  When through the shallow it was on with a race towards the entrance at the wide bay bar.  I had to stop for the night to wait for the next mornings tide.  The following morning the high tide was at 1300 with the tide rising or flowing into the great sandy straits.  Not the best scenario for a quick exit.

I arrived at the sea entrance of the wide bay bar near Tin Can Bay at about noon and immediately hit the incoming stream full on.  My speed dropped to 2.5 knots and Malua battled against the wind and short chop.  It was a battle to make headway to the virtual way-points some miles out to sea but still behind the bar.  The wind at about 20 knots at this time was almost on the nose, the swell small but short so Malua took every hurdle in her stride as we made our way towards the finishing line of the bar.

On reaching the bar we turned to starboard and up came the main as we started to lengthen the stride for the next finish at the Gold Coast Seaway entrance. That was about 135 nm or 24 hours at 6 knots.

The sun set but no moon rose as we continued south.  The wind started to head south so by 2:00 am it was a full on beat into very confused sea and many large vessels wanting to come inside me (shoreside) as I raced south.  About 3 hour before dawn the wind and rain started – not a light rain but a full-on down pour which reduced my visibility to a few miles.

I was now abeam of Brisbane with large ships entering and exiting the seaway and five trawlers steaming north.  With all their lights on it is easy to sea them but one can not make out their steaming lights (Red and Green) so you don't know in which direction they are travelling.  They do not have any AIS signal and don't listen on VHF Channel 16 so there is no response to calling them.  It is just get out of their way.

I was keeping a good watch but out of no where a well lit trawler appears not 100 m from my port bow.  I turned the wheel and held my breath expecting to catch the keel on the net towed behind but thankfully Malua continued to race south averting that fence and off to the finish line.  Here the tide was in my favour but the sea was very confused as it crossed the shallows of the Seaway entrance.  I made it through and turned to port towards the Seaworld anchorage.  Bums Bay I understand, but I dropped the anchor attached to a nice shiny galvanised chain in sand with about 4 m of depth under the keel.

After stowing the sails in the cover and clearing up it was time for a shower and a well deserved beer.  Food then off to bed….

No need to go ashore and re-provision, I just had to wait for the right from the north to sail south.  This leg would be the longest but easy if the wind was  from behind and the current running south.

I did not have to wait long for the right weather forecast for this leg to sail to the next resting stage which was 400 nm away – that is almost 3 days at 6 knots.