One of the worst kept secrets amongst yachties is Middle Percy Island, home of the legendary Percy Island Yacht Club, where life membership is just $150!
Quoting from the PIYC website …..
” Middle Percy Island has a rich and varied maritime history, with a long established tradition of hospitality. It is one of the few remaining places on our coast where seafarers may freely come ashore, explore, and share a beach BBQ with fellow travellers amongst memorabilia of bygone days”
So you can imagine our excitement when after breakfast in Mackay marina the skipper announced that our destination today was Middle Percy Island.
To be honest I’d never heard of it, but after the announcement the stories came thick and fast.
59 nautical miles and around 9 hours later, we were moored in the magical bay in front of the “Yacht Club” surrounded by around a dozen other yachts.
The dinghy was lowered in record time and within minutes we were feeling the Middle Percy sand between our toes.
Inside the 2 storey A frame clubhouse, covered with relics from boats that had stopped in previously, was a welcoming party made up of a mix of locals and “blow-ins” offering cups of tea, local honey to purchase, big smiles and endless tales.
Watching the sun set over the ocean through the palm trees and moored yachts, was the stuff of postcards.
There’s no mystery as to why yachties keep coming back to Percy on their way North or South – it simply doesn’t get any better than this.
Or perhaps its the legend that 1500 gold sovereigns were left behind, buried under a rock by Jimmy Joss, the island’s first resident when he was taken away too ill to remain!
Here’s a a short video made by a fellow sailor that gives a great overview of Middle Percy Island:
