Logbooks:
| East Coast Cruising (2) | |
| England 2016 | |
| East Coast Cruising | |
| Darwin to Sydney | |
| Cape Leveque to Darwin | |
| North West Cape to Cape Leveque | |
| Hillarys to North West Cape | |
| On Board Singita, Perth to Port Lincoln |
North West Cape to Cape Leveque
East Cape Leveque
| Date: | July 20, 2015, 1 a.m. |
| Position: | 16 23.62 S, 122 58.26 E |
Given that it was a fairly early start again to catch the low tide we have chosen to anchor 2.5NM east of the Cape for the day & night, one to take in the sights & two, to use the slack tide again in the morning to head across King Sound & into the Kimberley.
I must make mention of my very special Dad today, it is his birthday. "Dad I know you will be reading this soon, wishing you a very happy birthday all the way from Cape Leveque to you in sunny (hopefully!) Worcester. Much love :-) xox".
Cape Leveque
| Date: | July 20, 2015, 12:10 a.m. |
| Position: | 16 22.64 S, 122 55.38 E |
Rounded Cape Leveque in just about perfect conditions, slack low tide & very little wind, couldn't be better! Captain is happy!
@ Thomas Bay
| Date: | July 19, 2015, 8:55 a.m. |
| Position: | 16 28.73 S, 122 52.90 E |
Anchored 5NM south of Cape Leveque for the night. Not a bad day but not as good as yesterday, wind & sea not as obliging however, we still managed to sail for 8 hours which is great.
We had a very close encounter with a baby whale, which was the smallest I have ever seen, he/she must have been born only recently. Deciding to come & have a look at us he/she swam on the surface right under the trampoline between the front hulls. We both held our breath as he/she slipped gracefully underneath missing us completely..........boy, it looked close!
Carnot Bay (Just north of)
| Date: | July 18, 2015, 8:56 a.m. |
| Position: | 17 5.32 S, 122 15.49 E |
Anchored at 4.30pm after a great day on the water in which we manage to sail for 9 hours out of the 10. The wind as predicted started of pretty fiesty but then after 11am mellowed to a lovely 5 to 10 knots & flat seas, Clawdette love it & so did the crew! First time in a long time that the wind was not on the nose.
Just an overnighter here, will travel Thomas Bay tomorrow.
@ James Price Point
| Date: | July 18, 2015, 2:55 a.m. |
| Position: | 17 29.66 S, 122 7.44 E |
After a week of fietsy winds we finally left Broome this morning at 6.30am. We were starting to get too comfortable as you do when you are in 'port' Our plan from here is to take a couple of days to get to Cape Leveque then travel east across the King Sound in the much calmer weather due on Tuesday.
Access to Broome is not great from a boat but paying great attention to tides & winds it can be done. Roebuck Bay is the better but it is exposed, Gantheaume Point is much better protected but not good access. We did manage to experience a little of the tourist towns vibrant personality whilst doing fuel & supply runs. We also met some great locals & 'Chris' we must make mention of & thank. Not only did we use his mooring he also assisted us greatly when we were ready to do our last shop for 6 to 8 weeks (!!) & lent us his car for a couple of hours.
@ Gantheaume Point
| Date: | July 11, 2015, 11:36 p.m. |
| Position: | 17 57.70 S, 122 11.46 E |
Funny thing this 'cruising', been in Broome now for 3 days & all we have done is two fuel runs with jerry cans into town & moved anchorage to get some shelter from the strong south easterlies that are predicted for the next 3 to 4 days. Broome anchorages are not the best, they are exposed, remote from town & due to the high tidal range landing a dingy, or moving, is all about timing. I have to say we managed very well given our lack of 'tidal' experience. We only got 'damp' when returning to the boat on day two, the wind had got up a little so the 2.5 klm trip back to the mother ship fully laden was a slow & careful one! Once there, unloading the 8 jerry cans & a full gas bottle from the dingy, which felt like a tiny cork bobbing around in a massive spa bath was challenging! There is nothing glamorous or ladylike at times!
Must say though, we are feeling a little inadequate at the recent anchorage, we have no attachments / toys!
Louise: Surely you have a copter stashed in the hull there somewhere lol!! Tell Stud size doesn't matter!!! July 13, 2015, 3:47 a.m.
Add a comment@ Broome
| Date: | July 8, 2015, 6:13 a.m. |
| Position: | 17 59.33 S, 122 13.81 E |
After 3 days & 3 nights we are on anchor at Broome. All good, everything went well, weather predictions were spot on, thankyou BOM, & boat performed well. Crew were a little frustrated at times, when sailing, with having to slow the boat down due the short, sharp & choppy sea state given that the breezes were perfect for much faster speeds. A celebratory red wine we feel is in order &, an early night!
Scott Fleming: Well done guys, thats a marathon effort! We know all to well that several overnighters two up is no mean feat :) We hope you enjoy your stay in Broome and we look forward to chatting to you both about it in the next day or two. Cheers from Blackwattle Bay! Scott and Sonja xx July 8, 2015, 12:41 p.m.
Mike: Well done guys, Jan & I did Broome to Carnarvon non stop, sure is tiring keeping away from all the moving and fixed obstacles up that part of the world!! Just a tip, they charge like a wounded bull ( $250 ) for going along side and getting fuel from the jetty there and it is delivered out of a 2 inch nozzle !!!! Jerry can if you can...enjoy...Mike and Jan ( who are now boat less having sold Steel Sapphire ???? ) July 9, 2015, 1:15 a.m.
Frank: Congrats on nailing the Broome milestone. Best wishes for the next leg! July 10, 2015, 4:48 a.m.
Add a comment@ Eighty Mile Beach
| Date: | July 7, 2015, 12:30 a.m. |
| Position: | 19 41.98 S, 120 5.20 E |
After slow going against tide we have dropped down closer to the coast, currently about 10NM off. This will hopefully, given the wind prediction, give us a nice angle to track up the coast to Broome & keep the seas flatter. Well that's the plan!
@ Bedout Islet
| Date: | July 6, 2015, 11:30 a.m. |
| Position: | 19 33.48 S, 119 5.02 E |
Just rounding Bedout Islet, will now head inshore to stay out of the deep water & be in a better position to take advantage of the SE winds in the early morning
@ Port Headland
| Date: | July 6, 2015, 3:39 a.m. |
| Position: | 19 59.05 S, 118 26.51 E |
Just crossed the shipping channel for another busy iron ore port, Port Headland. We are not going in as we are continuing onto Broome, besides it doesn't sound all that exciting, our cruising guide mentions the red dust which gets everywhere! White boat & sails, we'll give it a miss!
Out of interest, the channel into port is 22NM long & there were 39 ships in & around when we passed, pretty busy!
Oh, nearly forgotto mention, courtesy of the travelling whales, we have been treated to six breeches, numerous flipper slaps & a tail slap with a twist!
@ Cape Legendre
| Date: | July 5, 2015, 10 a.m. |
| Position: | 20 21.02 S, 116 49.78 E |
We left Dampier at 2pm this afternoon as it looks like we may have a weather window to head to Broome. We are hoping to do the trip in one leg but that depends if the predicted weather holds & if we hold up!
We had a good week in Dampier, mainly preparing for the next leg & the Kimberley. Roger fitted new wheels to the transom of the dingy which are essential with the large tidal ranges up north.
Talking of tides, they worked against us staying onshore at the very welcoming yacht club in the evenings for dinners & drinks. We did manage it one night but after that the tide was out & dingys don't go too well without water under them! As it turns out probably a good job we were boat bound as the glasses of wine served were very generous to say the least! Don't think we would have lasted the week!
@ Dampier
| Date: | June 28, 2015, 2:15 p.m. |
| Position: | 20 39.86 S, 116 41.75 E |
Arrived after a 15 hour day. Dampier is a big & busy port so a night arrival at night was a little daunting. However, all good, got to love electronic charts, absolutely spot on! Most difficult part was in the Hampton Harbour (for small boats) mooring area, dodging bouys & boats, all of which were unlit.
Planning to be here up to a week to complete sundry maintenance jobs, restock, refuel & a little R & R perhaps!
Jill: Just back from Darwin and checking in on your journey. We also loved Dampier and spent a week there on the way up and back. Darwin was just fantastic. Friends at Tipperary Waters, Margi & Terry are looking forward to meeting you. I'll give you their contact details in an email. Stay safe and enjoy the remainder of your trip. July 3, 2015, 7:01 a.m.
Add a commentCape Preston
| Date: | June 28, 2015, 7:39 a.m. |
| Position: | 20 47.97 S, 116 11.17 E |
Just rounding another, be it small cape. Left Port Weld at 6.30am as we have a long day ahead. Our next stop Dampier, some 80NM, so it will be an after dark entry.
We decided to try for a long day hop given that the recommended achorages are few & far between & that the weather is going to be the same for the next few days.
Managed a good sail this morning, full rig up, 7.5 to 8.5 knots in near flat water. However, alas all good things come to an end by 11am we were head on into the breeze again :-(
@ Port Weld
| Date: | June 27, 2015, 7:16 a.m. |
| Position: | 21 23.89 S, 115 32.79 E |
Dodged & weaved our way from Onslow all through the various low lying islands that cover this part of the coast. Amazing, in what felt like the middle of nowhere there were 13 big work barges on very substantial moorings. Looked very strange to us but they would have been very familiar to our friends James & Matt who have worked extensively on the exact same all over the world.
(Tip; for the best impression, for those of you following our Spot Tracker, change the image to satelite to view islands & reefs).
@ Onslow
| Date: | June 26, 2015, 11:41 a.m. |
| Position: | 21 38.13 S, 115 6.99 E |
Arrived at Onslow early afternoon for a quick supply stop, a few staples required, bread, milk & bananas for Roger's breakfast, yes, can't do without his bananas!
Onslow, very much an outback town, it has been supporting the oil industry that is just off the coast for many years. More recently it is now the site of the Wheatstone (gas) Project so there are a number of new buildings being erected to accommodate the various needs of that now & into the future.
All being well, moving on tomorrow to Port Weld.
Mike: Following your progress with fond memories of sailing the the Top End! Hope the weather holds for you both....Just remember to be out of the cyclone area (below the 28th) before Nov 1st, insurance companies don't like us yachties being up there then ???? Fair winds, Mike and Jan. June 27, 2015, 1:48 a.m.
Julie Ballinger: Thanks Mike, very good & important tip! June 27, 2015, 6:09 a.m.
Add a comment@ Serrurier Island
| Date: | June 25, 2015, 7:49 a.m. |
| Position: | 21 37.39 S, 114 41.14 E |
Arrived 3.30pm after a good last couple of hours. Just as predicted, wind <10 knots which reduced the sea state, much nicer!
We have a neighbour for the night, a very classy looking monohull :-)
Heading East!
| Date: | June 25, 2015, 2:30 a.m. |
| Position: | 21 45.07 S, 114 11.07 E |
Well all be new as we start 'over the top'. We head east & the wind heads west, not the best :-)