Bribie Island escapes worst of Cyclone Alfred as system lingers

Boat owner Christopher Skafte is in tears.

He did everything he could to save his trimaran 'White Bird', one of three washed onto the rocks of Bribie Island this week.

It had already sustained some damage, but he'd hoped it would ride out the wild weather. 

The council put a mooring block in, and his friends helped him tie up the boat so it wouldn't journey further down the Pumicestone Passage.

But by Saturday morning, large strips of it had torn off and blown onto the grass after strong gusts from ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

"The solar panel is missing, and the left side is gone," he said.

"I tried to get the recovery team and the SES to (help lift it off the rocks) but they were too busy, and I understand that completely.

Mr Skafte bought the boat when it was damaged in 2018 and put a lot of work into fixing it up with his son. 

They raced 'White Bird' through Moreton Bay, and even lived on it for 18 months.

After suffering a brain haemorrhage, Mr Skafte couldn't take to the water like he once did. He moved to Dalby from the island after separating from his partner but still checked on the boat regularly.

Now, Mr Skafte wonders how he'll afford the repair bill, as he's uninsured and currently living on a disability pension.

"I really want to (repair it). It was built in 1980… it's a famous boat," he said.

"It was an awesome boat… We loved her."

'Bit of a fizzer'

Strong winds and heavy rain broke off branches in Bongaree overnight, but residents say they were relieved the storm wasn't as destructive as forecast.

The cyclone was initially predicted to cross near Bribie Island as a category 2 event but was later downgraded to a category 1 and then a tropical low.

There were early signs of hope on Friday, with calm conditions and a dozen turtle hatchlings crossing safely into the ocean before the storm hit.

Darren Woodward lives over the bridge in the nearby suburb of Sandstone Point. He says the cyclone was a "bit of a fizzer" compared to what locals were expecting.

"There was a lot of wind, not much rain," he said. "There's still a lot of wind around and now we're just waiting for the rain from the low."

Raylene and Paul Teague travelled to Bribie from Murrumba Downs, north of Brisbane, to grab breakfast on the island. It was a clear run, with very little traffic on the route.

"We're here for breakfast but nothing's open," Paul said.

"Really, I think Bribie escaped quite well compared to what was predicted," Raylene said.

In the seaside suburb of Woorim, Sharon Bell lined up with other locals to grab coffee after losing power in Bongaree.

Around 5,500 homes had power out across the City of Moreton Bay as of Saturday morning. There's no indication of when the electricity will be switched back on, but Ms Bell heeded the warnings, so her pantry is fully stocked.

"(It was) a bit noisy, didn't have a great sleep," she said. "There was a little Grevillia tree that flew over but that was about it."

Engaged couple, Annabel Templar and Aiden Mellor huddled in their Woorim home last night.

Mr Mellor said he was expecting the worst, having seen cyclones before, but the night was relatively uneventful.

"A bit of wind, a bit of rain. It was a bit boring ... which is good for us," Mr Mellor said.

Weather system 'not over'

While the cyclone looks to have run out of steam, the Mayor of the City of Moreton Bay, Peter Flannery is warning residents of potential impacts on frequently flooded roads.

"Council is preparing to mobilise crews to start conducting damage assessment and beginning clean-up work to ensure public safety and begin to check all council facilities so they can be declared safe and ready to reopen," Mr Flannery said in a statement.

Overnight there were 9 calls to the SES in the Moreton Bay region, with numbers expected to increase in the coming days.

"This situation is not over, and I know we will be able to support people with the excellent planning already in place," Mr Flannery said.