A thoroughly enjoyable few days with the Waplings on board Pilgrim.  We packed in sailing, fishing, snorkelling, paddle boarding, relaxing, exploring, swimming into 4 days!  There was plenty to keep the kids entertained and Budgie the dinghy was a hit!  

Itinerary this time was:
Hamilton Island to Nara Inlet via a swim and prawn lunch at Henning Island.  Nara Inlet there were paddle-board v budgie races, exploring on the beach and a new bait recipe was put to the test by the boys.
Next day we took advantage of the glorious weather and headed to Hill Inlet for the walk to the lookout before heading down to Chalkies.  Lee, Sarah and the kids hung out on the beach for hours only radio-ing back for refreshments to be sent over by paddle-board as the afternoon sun started to set!
We weren't sure if Chalkies could be beaten but gave it a go the next day and headed to Whitehaven.  Another success but it was time to head to Sawmill Bay for the night to allow for an easy trip the next day to Airlie Beach.

The time flew by but we squeezed plenty into the short trip...please come back again  - we loved having you on board!

Geoff, Helen and Nicola joined us for 6 nights of exploring the Whitsundays.  The itinerary was based on the weather and the limitations of having little Nicola at 10 months old on board.  

Depart Hamilton Island Marina on 6th September - head straight to Whitehaven Beach
7th September - Motored to Chalkies for some fishing (Helen) and snorkelling around the reef (Geoff & Helen) - beautiful anchorage and less rolly than Whitehaven.
8th September - Sailed to Butterfly Bay.  When Nicola was having her lunchtime nap - Mum and Dad went for a little snorkel.
9th September - with strong winds forecast in couple of days time we decided to find shelter in Nara Inlet for the night.  On the way there we stopped at Blue Pearl Bay for a snorkel and then headed to Nara.  The aboriginal cave paintings were a great family trip before Helen took to the fishing rod again!
10th September - a windy ride to Sawmill Bay to seek shelter for the last two nights.  We tried our luck at crabbing but sadly only small ones so they were returned to nature.  Despite the weather we were very protected so there was more fishing, walking and exploring to be done.

A lovely few days with the Saxby's - Nicola took it all in her stride and seemed to love the experience!  Let's hope next time she'll be pulling ropes!!