The Masteka Log

a Whitsundays chronicle

Day Three

The Masteka Cup

A whale at breakfast, Naked Lady Beach, Boris's coral trout, and a race that ended at a bar.

The Whitsundays · Monday 27 July 2026

A humpback whale surfacing a metre from the hull

Good morning. A humpback, one metre off the hull, mid-breakfast.

Some days the itinerary plans you a whale. This one invited itself.

Morning watch

Breakfast on the go

Underway early, coffee on the bow and breakfast served while the anchorage slid astern. The sun came up over the hill like it had been rehearsing, and the day set off north with intent.

Sunrise over the hill, first light on the water.
Breakfast on the go, aft deck edition.
08:54

The whale says good morning

Then the water folded open a metre from the boat and a humpback said hello. It stayed. It circled. It rolled under the hull close enough to count barnacles, while twelve people abandoned breakfast and filled the rail with phones. Nobody breathed much.

Humpback whale visible under the turquoise water beside the boat
The whole shape of it, just beneath the surface.
The visit, on film. Sound up for the blowhole.
Mid-morning

Naked Lady Beach

On to Thomas Island and a beach that needs no marketing department: Naked Lady Beach, Lindeman Islands National Park, sign and all. Skis went in for a paddle, a giant turtle cruised past for inspections, beach pickleball broke out, and the sand collected the morning's sunbathers.

It’s official. Thomas Island, Naked Lady Beach.
The beach itself, ski parked stage right.
Blue water through casuarina trees at a rocky lookout
From the lookout above the beach, through the she-oaks.
Doubles in the shallows.
Beach formalities.
The sunbathing division, hard at work.
Mic, fully recovered and beach ready.
Midday

Eleven kilometres north

Then the fleet split. Three ocean paddlers pushed off the beach and pointed north for an 11-kilometre open-water leg, chasing the boat up the passage. The rest of us monitored proceedings from the bow cushions with Coronas, which is also demanding in its way.

The distance squad, pre-departure.
Away. Eleven kilometres to lunch.
Close shot of a double surf ski, two paddlers mid-stroke
Caught mid-stroke from the rail: the double eating up the miles.
The support division, hydrating responsibly.
Lunch

Boris’s coral trout

The paddlers hauled aboard to the smell of it: a whole coral trout, roasted, dressed in salsa verde, and by unanimous acclaim the meal of the trip so far. Boris, the chef, took a bow. The fish, regrettably for the fish, did not. Poached pear to finish, in case anyone doubted the kitchen was showing off.

A whole roasted coral trout on a platter at the saloon table
The coral trout, whole and glorious. Chef Boris, take a bow.
Up close. It had a good run.
The poached pear finale.
The afternoon

The Masteka Cup 2026

Underway again towards Happy Bay, someone said the word race, and diplomacy left the vessel. Two double skis over the side: in boat one, the seeded world-champion pairing of Mark Williams on sweep with Sean as the engine. In boat two, the self-described backpacker boat, Nick Edmonds steering with Claude at the back, hanging in there. It was close. It was tough. It remains, officially, undecided.

Race launch. Note the absence of handshakes.
Boarding under race conditions.
The seeded crew, looking seeded.
Race face, backpacker division.
The Masteka Cup, as it happened. Stewards are still reviewing the footage.
Steward’s inquiry — the bar detour

Before any finish line was crossed, one crew was observed heading inland, their ski riding a resort quad bike, escorted by cheerful local staff, in the direction of the bar, where a cold Corona was administered. The photographs below were submitted to the stewards as evidence. The stewards have retired to consider, possibly also to the bar.

Exhibit A: the ski, ashore, in transit to refreshments.
Exhibit B: the accused, in remarkably high spirits.
A sports watch showing the message Abnormal high heart rate detected
The official race telemetry has concerns.
From the stewards — verdict of the day

To be continued

The official finding on the inaugural running of the Cup, as dictated to the log:

“A close, tough race, and an undetermined finish — to be continued as we progress with the Masteka Cup 2026.”
The race stewards
Golden hour

Counting the tails

At anchor off Happy Bay the boat softened into evening. The bow turned photo studio for the whites session, the spa filled for the day’s official recount, whale tails were tallied, and the sun did the rest.

The whites session, bow studio.
Golden hour, dressed for it.
The recount, conducted from the spa, with counsel present.
The sun setting over layered islands, gold across the water
Day three signs off in gold.
Last light, best seats.
After dark

Sean strikes back

Just before dinner, with the stern lights turning the water electric blue, Sean answered the day's only unresolved question that wasn't the Cup: rod bent, line tight, fish landed off the swim platform. The engine of the champion boat, it turns out, can fish too.

Sean lifting a fish from the electric blue water at the stern
The strike, under lights.
Sean holding up his catch, grinning
Sean and the catch. Boris has been notified.
Dinner

Service, with fire

Dinner arrived under open flame: the crew finishing the main at the table with a blowtorch while the recount of the day ran its full length. The whale, the trout, the Cup, the fish; all entered into the record, some with embellishments the stewards allowed to stand.

A crew member finishing the main course with a blowtorch at the table
The main course, finished at the table. With a blowtorch.
Flame over the platter as the table looks on
Boris's kitchen does not do quiet finishes.
The late show

Cards and cabaret

The table then turned casino, cards dealt across the saloon while the gold sunglasses came out and the evening's entertainment took over. There is video. It has been entered into evidence.

Cards spread across the saloon table mid-game
The saloon casino, open for business.
A guest in gold aviator sunglasses holding court at the table
The gold sunglasses signal the start of the late show.
The cabaret, as broadcast live from the saloon.
A winning hand of cards held up at the table
A winning hand, declared with confidence.

A whale at breakfast, a trout at lunch, and a Cup nobody won. Yet.