We have had a mixed week at the Gippsland Lakes. The highlight was roaming the photogenic region and enjoying the company of our friends. We did a bit of moaning too as we have had to spend money on gear! But overall we enjoyed ourselves.
An aerial view of the Lakes
We love the Gippsland Lakes and have moored our previous boats here for many years. Every time we return we feel at home, safe and enjoy the peaceful feel. Australia’s largest inland waterways, this region is a network of lakes, marshes and lagoons covering over 600 square kilometres and separated from the ocean by coastal dunes known as the Ninety Mile Beach. Birds, marine life and furry creatures frequent many locations.
We discovered this handy map in our Lightroom Photo program. It shows the area we are in and where some of the photos were taken (marked with the red 5).
This week we are taking you to one of our favourite haunts: Rotamah Island. We escaped Paynesville and moored at Rotamah for a few days. Anui being a bit too big to tie up to the end of the jetty as we used to do with our old boat Take It Easy, we picked up a newly installed public mooring. Chris was brave enough to launch the new drone from the deck for the first time without shaking too much.
Rotamah is a very scenic spot with several lovely walks, including some to the Ninety Mile Beach. The only sounds you hear are bird song and the roar of the ocean as you get close to the beach. It is a soothing place.
We know the Lakes well but we never had the opportunity to see our favourites spots from the air until now. So it was novel to take the drone in the backpack on our wanders and send it up a few times to discover a new perspective! Here is a selection of aerial images taken during our walks on the island. They show case the ever-changing palette of colours and weather conditions.
The causeway track at Rotamah Island, with Anui at the top left 
Channels looking west 
Lacy waves 
Wade facing the drone! 
Looking east, towards Ocean Grange and the Bunga Arm 
Rotamah and Little Rotamah panoramic 
Close up of the Causeway at the Eastern end of Rotamah Island 
Ninety Mile Beach with a SW change coming! 
Looking east, the Bunga Arm, the Ninety Mile Beach and Bass Strait 
Looking west, Bass Strait, the Ninety Mile Beach Rotamah Island
And of course sunsets are often breathtaking.
Moaning about boat gear
We had a good run for a few months with no gear problems, but we have put a stop to that! While we were in the Lakes, we destroyed the furler for our screecher. We have to be thankful this happened in protected waters rather than out in the ocean!
The furler was a Profurl continuous line furler, likely an original piece of gear on the boat. It had been giving us grief for a while, with the sail increasingly hard to furl and unfurl as the continuous line kept getting caught in the drum. It finally gave way all together while we were getting ready for a little sail from Paynesville to Emu Bight last weekend. It was pandemonium for a while as the drum unscrewed itself from the deck fitting and came off with the partly unfurled screecher flapping madly. It was a bit exciting bringing the 100sqm sail back on deck by hand! No photos of that little event, but this is what the drum looks like. The thread to the bottom snap lock shackle is stripped, the bearings in the drum dead, the drum itself deformed and cracked. It certainly explains why the continuous line was getting stuck! It is officially defunct!
After talking to our sail maker, Mike Sabin at Gold Coast Sail Makers, we ordered a new endless line furler, a Profurl NEX 6.5, the new generation of what we had. More assault on the bank account!
Thankfully the furler was in stock and arrived promptly. However when came installation time, neither the head nor foot of the sail fitted in the pins of the new Profurl. So we won’t have a working screecher until we get that sorted in Queensland.
We did a bit more moaning then with the wind in our favour we readied ourselves to leave the Lakes.
As we post this we are sailing along the East Gippsland coast. Stay tuned for the story of our trip to the Skerries and Bittangabee.
Sv-Anui 
Wow, that metal seems too weak for the duty! The cracks are terrible but the drone photos are fabulous! Safe travels, guys! 🇦🇺
Hi John – yes well past its use by date. The drone is super duper!
i used to have a drone but sold it because of the ridiculous regulations both local and even federal. They believe that they know what’s best for the universe you know… No thanks. Too bad too because the desert is so beautiful from 400 feet!
Less restrictions here thankfully
It’s a beautiful place and you had it all to yourselves! Your title reminded me of a classic old Scottish song ….. one for Wade…… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qU75Xgmlww
Thanks Elgar!
Loved the drone shots, good to see you are underway again, enjoy. By the way a small parcel arrived the other day and I was expecting one as well so I opened it to find little black things. OOOPs not mine, sorry. all safe and sound at no 23.
Thanks Sue – The little black things are spare joy sticks for the drone! See you soon.
Love the geography lessons I am getting from you – should have known more about the Lakes than the name – great tutorial . . . and sent your drone photos to quite a few friends – they loved the photos and I the drone photo info I got back !!! Another silly question – how often do you have to touch land to fill up with fresh water . . . ?
Thanks Eha – we are rediscovering a very familiar region with the drone ourselves!
We can make our own water with a desalinator on board when the sea water is clean, generally once a fortnight. When we are in not so clean waters, like in the Lakes, we top up the tanks with town water. The water maker gives us independence from shore.
Great perspective of the lakes from the air. Its definitely on the list to explore with Asti at some stage.
Very fortunate time to discover the failings on the furler (If there ever is a good time ). I wouldn’t want that to happen when surfing downhill with 20 knots up the tail. Retrieval would be much more stressfull.
Safe passage.
Hi Graham, yes exactly! It’s bad enough in flat water and light conditions! The Lakes would be fun on Asteroid, lots of places you could get to where we can’t.
Fabulous picture! That sunset is splendid. Sorry about the broken gear. 🙂
Hi HJ, thanks for the feedback… As for the broken gear, it goes with the territory!
The aerials are super cool. Ninety mile beach is impressive but doesn’t look like a place I’d like to go swimming. I can see flash rips everywhere, and I wonder about the men in grey suits that are said to enjoy the cooler water.
Thanks for the update.
Hi Bill, yes the Ninety Mile can be quite dangerous. Lots of rips. Even Wade had a look but did not go in. But pretty spectacular!
Great photos of the lakes brings back memories when we first met you guys on Medina 2008 .
Gee, was it that long ago! Thanks for saying hello, Mick!
How were the mossies? We camped at Paradise beach last year on a drive to Melbourne and had to get into the tent as soon as it hit dusk to avoid being eaten alive!
Yes that’s what happens at dawn and dusk! We retreated inside the cabin too.
Well looking at the timing of your post you may have been passing out to sea while I was frolicking in the wild surf at Marlo. The weather around the and heading north still looks challenging. Looks like you had a good stay in the Lakes though. Happy sailing!!!
Hi Mick – we had gentle conditions to leave the Lakes… not gentle anymore as we run from a deep low to hide at Jervis Bay…wild ride!
Stay safe it looks wild up the NSW coast