My Trip on Solway Lass | Sailing the Whitsundays
There is nothing quite like sailing through a tropical paradise on a ship straight out of Pirates of the Carribean and Solway Lass fits the bill to a tee.
History
Arguably the most iconic vessel cruising the Whitsunday Islands, Solway Lass embarked on its first journey in Holland during 1902. In the century that followed, she transitioned from supply vessel to war decoy, an ice breaker to a coastal trader, and a floating restaurant to her current role - overnight touring. The history of Solway Lass is rich and varied so it is only fitting that today she retains the ‘rustic’ old-world feel of a vessel from the 1900s.
The Vessel
Our trip left late afternoon from the Coral Sea Marina in Airlie Beach. After a quick safety briefing, we were introduced to the crew and shown to our cabins. While the 10 guest cabins are basic and have little light, they are fairly roomy by boat standards and the air conditioning makes them comfortable for sleeping. We were lucky enough to have a cabin with ensuite which meant we didn’t have to share the facilities but only quick ‘ship showers’ of 2 minutes were allowed as the vessel can only carry so much water. After settling in, guests were left to their own devices to enjoy the spectacular sunset until dinner.
The Vibe
Although Solway Lass is definitely not a party boat she attracts like-minded travellers of all ages from across the world. Fast friendships were formed with travellers from Canada, the UK, France, Holland and Germany and surprisingly well-priced drinks from the bar kept many up late chatting on deck.
Snorkelling
The next day we were up early at 7am for a breakfast spread of toast, cereal and a fresh fruit platter. While we all had our morning coffee fix in the sun, the Captain took Solway over to the eastern side of Hook Island.
Lucky for us, northerly winds made it possible for us to snorkel Mackarel Bay and we all quickly put on our stinger suits (vital for summer in the Whitsundays) and snorkels before being ferried over to the drop off by the glass bottom tender.
The fringing reef and drop off in Mackarel Bay was full of life and colourful hard and soft corals. The visibility was great - there were thousands of tiny brightly coloured fish that swarmed around you, colourful giant clams, wrasse, parrotfish, triggerfish, and groups of luminous baby cuttlefish that hovered curiously close by. There was so much to see that even after an hour or more in the water it was a shame to leave and head back to the boat.
Whitehaven Beach
Thoughts of the water were short-lived though as we returned to banana cake and cream sponge and learnt that after lunch we would be heading to the infamous Whitehaven Beach! As we headed south-east towards Whitsunday Island a light wind sprang up and the young but highly skilled and experienced crew began to ready Solway Lass to make sail. Solway is a square-rigged tall ship with two masts and 10 large sails - this provides plenty of opportunity for those on board to experience hoisting a sail or two if they wish and some great laughs for those watching!
Arriving at Whitsunday Island, the home of Whitehaven Beach and the largest of the 74 Whitsunday Islands, we were tendered into shore in Tongue Bay. The small rocky beach where we landed was a little underwhelming but 5 minutes along the boardwalk the view of Whitehaven Beach as we emerged from the surrounding bush was amazing. We’ve all heard that photos simply do not do this beach justice and let me tell you this is 100% true. Pure white silky sand and the clearest bright turquoise water you have ever seen - it was a tropical paradise on steroids.
Whitehaven Beach has the whitest sand you will probably ever see in your life and there is no better feeling than digging your toes into its velvety texture, but tourist beware - do not forget your sunglasses and sunblock! The silica sand unique to Whitehaven Beach reflects the sunlight and with very limited shade at the beach, unless you are a fan of looking like a lobster for the next week or so, it pays to be sun smart!
Hill Inlet
After a leisurely swim, we headed over to explore the water at Hill inlet. This area is a well-known nursery for baby rays and lemon sharks and it was a pretty unique experience having them swim around your feet!
At low tide, we re-grouped for the short walk uphill to the lookout over Hill Inlet. This is the best time of day to visit as the outgoing tide twists through the pure white sand and creates stunning swirling patterns in all shades of blue. Such a natural wonder really does take your breath away.
Delicious nachos platters awaited our return to the ship for afternoon tea and we all relaxed on the deck with a cold drink as we sailed to Hook Passage to anchor for the night. One advantage of exploring the Whitsundays on a tall ship which we all appreciated was the smooth sailing - there are not many sailboats that you can set your wine glass down on without quickly wearing the contents!
Dinner that night was again served buffet style - creamy chicken pasta, salad and garlic bread, yum! The sheer quantity of food available on Solway is very impressive and you sure get your value for money. You will never go hungry on Solway Lass!
Ngaro Cultural Site
Up early again the next day we enjoyed croissants as we motored up Nara Inlet on the southern side of Hook Island. Nara Inlet is a popular sheltered anchorage and we passed many private, bareboat and commercial vessels on our way through. Solway anchored in the bay and we were tendered into shore to explore a sacred Ngaro Aboriginal site and some of the oldest cave paintings in Australia. The walk up to the caves was steep at times but well maintained and suitable for all fitness levels. The view from the top was pretty special and Solway looked magnificent anchored in the turquoise water and surrounded by mountains.
The interactive displays at the Ngaro Aboriginal cultural site provided a lot of insight into the important but sobering history of Australia’s native people and many of our group left silently in contemplation of the severe injustice endured by the first people.
Rope Swings and Paddleboards
Back on Solway, the mood lifted as the crew brought out the stand-up paddleboards and the Tarzan rope swing. The next couple of hours were spent making the most of the sheltered waters of Nara Inlet - there were some epic swings from the bow of the ship and many laughs as the wobbly legs of the paddleboarders gave way!
After a gourmet lunch of cold meats and tuna salad, the crew set the sails and we began the relaxing journey back to the marina in Airlie Beach. As we cruised the waves, I reflected back on our trip. While it would have been great to snorkel in a few different locations, every trip on Solway Lass is different depending on the weather, tides and the Captain’s choice on the day.
Overview
Solway Lass is a great vessel to travel on if you enjoy having lots of downtime to relax and generally being left to your own devices so you can enjoy the Whitsundays in peace and serenity. You also need to appreciate Solway’s rustic nature and the fact that maintenance will always be ongoing on a vessel that is over a century old. But this is just part of the charm and if you are someone that can let your hair down and go with the flow, a trip on Solway Lass will be one of your favourite memories of the Whitsundays.
