Cruise: Geraldton to Albany

Leaving Geraldton on March 29th was a difficult farewell for us. Having visited “Gero” three times, the town had begun to feel like a second home and we hoped to return one day.We’d been recommended to visit the coastal town of Lancelin, which would take two days to reach. Day one consisted of 68 nautical miles to the Beagle Islands. Unfortunately, we just lost the light by the time we arrived. The islands, which host one of the largest sea lion breeding populations in WA, were therefore invisible to us. However, the loud barks of unseen sea lions alerted us to their presence long before we dropped our anchor.Arriving at an unfamiliar destination in daylight is always my preference, even if it means a pre-dawn departure. Day Two would be 84 nautical miles, so, true to form, we made an early start at 5:10. The noisy but unseen Beagle Islands remained that way. By noon, light winds gave way to a 25-knot breeze, pushing us along 7.6 knots. Two hours before reaching our destination, as we…