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

Cape Leveque to Darwin

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Leaving Darwin

Date:

Sept. 20, 2015, 7 a.m.

Well our 2 weeks in Darwin extended to 3, always the way! We were having too much of a nice time & wanted to wait for neap tides before heading off.
We've had a very nice time in Darwin, met some great people, including the young backpackers that did the 3 day tour of Kakadu & Litchfield National Parks. The whole trip was fun from start to finish, so much so that we continued to catch up with them all until very recently when the last one left to continue their travels. Our sightseeing continued locally courtesy Terry & Margi, friends of a friend in Mandurah. We had a number of very enjoyable days / nights in their company. Also we had great neighbours in the marina, Bruce & Kay & Ian & Marilyn with whom we socialised. Ian & Marilyn are travelling to Indonesia for 3 years & Bruce & Kay are heading back to Brisbane so hopefully, the latter we'll catch up with again.
Great time had all round however, can't get too comfortable, time to be on our way.

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Fannie Bay, Darwin

Date:	Sept. 1, 2015, 11:46 p.m.
Position:	12 25.50 S, 130 49.40 E

Safely anchored at Darwin after 46 hours of extremely calm motor / sailing. Who said Joseph Bonaparte Gulf was a problem, easy! Actually no, I'd like to say very good planning but more than likely good luck was on our side.
Today was the Captain's birthday so once settled we hopped into the dingy & went for drinks & dinner to celebrate at the Darwin Sailing Club.
We plan to spend a few weeks here catching up on 'stuff', restocking & sightseeing so have booked a marina berth for a week as Darwin is not the best place to anchor off, yes, more big tides!

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@ Lorna Shoals

Date:	Aug. 30, 2015, 11 p.m.
Position:	12 20.99 S, 130 15.35 E

After 39 hours of being on the same course we turn east & start the last 25nm to Darwin

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Berkeley River Mouth

Date:	Aug. 29, 2015, 3:30 a.m.
Position:	14 21.33 S, 127 45.97 E

Gee, this was a tough decision here we are anchored back at the mouth ready for either an afternoon departure or an early morning one, both of course with the high tide. Our next stop Darwin is some 240nm & a couple of overnights across the notorious 'Blown-apart' Gulf. The weather is predicted to be calm & we have a full moon so, even though we could have easily stayed in the Berkeley for another couple of days, when you're sailing you can't afford to miss the good weather windows either so unfortunately we'll be on our way after a fantastic 6 weeks in the Kimberley.

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Back @ Casuarina Creek

Date:	Aug. 28, 2015, 2:30 a.m.
Position:	14 23.25 S, 127 43.92 E

Travelled back up river today & back to Casuarina Creek as we wanted to do the walk there. The return trip was just a amazing, goodness knows how many photos we have! The relections in the still water are simply breathtaking.
Just after lunch we ventured up the fairly steep rocky scree to the cliff top & along more freshwater pools & moonscape. We did find enough water to splash around & dip our toes.

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Amphithreatre, Berkeley River

Date:	Aug. 27, 2015, 4 a.m.
Position:	14 28.96 S, 127 40.28 E

What a spectacular trip down the river today, grand, impressive & rugged. The river is navigable for approx. 13nm & we saw it all today, fabulous! Once anchored we took the dingy to where the salt water meets the fresh water another 1.5nm. During the wet season the run off would be spectacular but this being the dry season only some creeks are running & the river/creek beds look more like a moonscape with pools dotted here & there still with plenty of life in them including fresh water crocodiles. We also visited a very pretty freshwater creek, still running, with gorgeous pools with lily pads.
Most evenings the weather has been superb & the water a glass-off so we normally sit in the cockpit for dinner, this night was no different. There were all the usual beautiful birds singing & chatting before bedtime & all the splashes & movements in the water but then there was a really load gutteral growling & many splashes very close ovr on the bank. We quickly got torches but couldn't see anything. The 'noise' went on for some time but, not as loud & we have no idea what it was. Amazing stuff!

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Casuarina Creek, Berkeley River

Date:	Aug. 26, 2015, 8 a.m.
Position:	14 23.35 S, 127 43.89 E

Anchored overnight just outside Casuarina Creek

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Berkeley River, Entrance

Date:	Aug. 26, 2015, 6:15 a.m.
Position:	14 20.53 S, 127 48.51 E

Left King George River on a high tide this morning & made it back over the sand bars without incident. Our next stop, the Berkeley River, is even more tricky to enter, it too has numerous sandbars, luckily though Mark & Catherine had given us some lat & long way points for entry which we have loaded into our plotter so we are confident they will see us through safely on a high tide of course!

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East Arm, King George River

Date:	Aug. 24, 2015, 7 a.m.
Position:	13 59.16 S, 127 21.72 E

Moved to just outside the East Arm of the river today as there is a challenging rope & rope ladder climb to some freshwater swimming holes which sound very inviting! We went in on high tide the following morning & had a go. Roger managed it & took some photos from the top but me, being vertically challenged at the best of times, couldn't get a foothold in a part that was nearly my height so I didn't make it. I was very disappointed, I was really looking forward to a cool dip! Instead I waited on a ledge rather than in the dingy, out of crocodile reach!

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Twin Falls, King George River

Date:	Aug. 22, 2015, 3:30 a.m.
Position:	14 2.27 S, 127 19.61 E

We made it! Shallowest we saw on the depth gauge was 1.8m, we need 1.1m, so all good. Anchored at the end of the river, 6.5nm from the mouth & right next to the Twin Falls which, at this end of the dry season, are an occasional drip but still spectacular to look at. In fact the whole trip down the river was awesome, a definite WOW! The 100m high cliffs in the gorge in particular, just fabulous, rugged, shattered & very fragile! We actually moved anchorage 200m on Sunday as a part of the rock face collapsed in a thunderous roar behind us! We were fine but didn't want to risk anything bigger falling. We spent a couple of days enjoying the remoteness, although our first day was spent there with 'Hoot', Andrew & Jade's very nice Fusion 40 Catamaran. We had drinks with them after our climb up to the rim of the falls, maybe not the best as we were a bit smelly, it was a warm & steep climb! They visited us for morning tea prior to departing & all we were left with then was the beautiful birdsong & the happenings in the water in beautiful surroundings, stunning!

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King George River (Mouth)

Date:	Aug. 21, 2015, 7 a.m.
Position:	13 56.54 S, 127 19.68 E

We're very pleased with today's 10 hour effort, we didn't expect to manage the 50 plus nm to the King George River & had a couple of anchorages on standby just in case. We had to motor sail (one engine) the whole way given the very light conditions & it was great to experience Sir Joseph Bonaparte Gulf not 'blown-apart, it was a glass off!
Tomorrow, all being well, we are venturing up the river. We need to wait for high tide as the mouth has sand banks on either side outside & some inside. We travelled over at low tide late this afternoon to check it out first. Yep, pretty shallow! Captain's confident though so we'll give it a go.

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Rounding Cape Londonderry

Date:	Aug. 20, 2015, 11:45 p.m.
Position:	13 38.28 S, 126 56.07 E

This was the second & boy this one has caused some stress & concern over the last week or so. Cape Londonderry was mentioned to us by a local when we were in Broome, it was just a passing comment about it being 'seriously nasty'. To be honest, at that point we hadn't even heard of it & had no idea where it was, ignorance is bliss! Well a few weeks ago I found it on the map, it is the NW tip of the Sir Joseph Bonaparte Gulf, which itself has a notorious reputation & is commonly called 'blown-apart gulf!' So what could be so hard, just get the wind right & you're laughing right?! Well no, this Cape is different, (at least to us), this one has opposing tides & tidal ranges on both sides & we are not talking half an hour or so we are talking 3 or 4 hours different! For example this morning, the west side tide was coming in with a range of 1.8m & the east side was going out with a range of 0.5m. We waited for near perfect conditions to transit, neap tides & very little wind & it worked, all went just perfect! That said we could still see the turbulence created, the water is discoloured & currents very strong, I would hate to see it with even the slightest wind & spring tides, it would be a washing machine!

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Rounding Cape Talbot

Date:	Aug. 20, 2015, 9 p.m.
Position:	13 45.48 S, 126 42.44 E

Two Capes to be rounded today, first one easy, no stress!

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Cape Talbot

Date:	Aug. 20, 2015, 7:15 a.m.
Position:	13 48.74 S, 126 45.40 E

Total opposite to yesterday, smooth seas & gentle breezes for our short 10nm trip today. Anchored 5nm south of Cape Talbot ready for an early departure tomorrow.

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West Governor Island

Date:	Aug. 19, 2015, 7 a.m.
Position:	13 57.41 S, 126 41.09 E

Well, we have got to admit to not enjoying the last 3 days too much & it was even the strong winds that caused the concern. They came & went for 2/3 days just as predicted, we had some feisty blows but felt very comfortable in the anchorage chosen. Our issue was the 'you bewt, all bells & whistles' water maker, a very important piece of equipment, it just stopped! So we spent the majority of 2 days very focussed on that. Cruising yachties are very conscience of water & power generally but it certainly makes you a lot more aware once facing a shortage! Our plan, with the help of sat phone texts back & forth to Pete from Maritime Electronics, if we couldn't get it working was to visit the very, very small but very nice camp ground 'next door' at Honeymoon Bay, to fill up our 7 containers (total 90L) with non-drinking bore water which we could use for everything but drinking & keep what was already in the tank (200L) purely for drinking given that we probably still have 2 weeks until Darwin, weather permitting. The very friendly campers were great & our containers were filled & back on board in no time & we felt much better! Good news, later that morning whilst waiting for the tide to change to head north, after bypassing a switch the dulcet tones of the water maker were heard, never thought we'd enjoy that gentle hum but it sounded great! Thanks Pete for all the help & advice, very much appreciated!
Feeling very chuffed & given that the tide had changed we headed off to Cape Talbot, or so we thought, the wind had other ideas! Within the hour It went from a lovely steady 10 to 12 breeze to a 25 knot feisty, gusty, shifting 45 degrees on & off our nose & whipped the sea up very quickly, not happy! So instead of fighting the elements we stopped after 10nm into West Governor Island for the night. Happy again!

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Mission Cove

Date:	Aug. 15, 2015, 8 a.m.
Position:	14 6.42 S, 126 42.78 E

Well what an interesting 24hrs that was! There we were nicely tucked up in Anjo Cove listening to the weather forecast on the SSB radio when a strong wind warning was mentioned, the only protection we didn't have was the direction the wind was meant to be coming from so, at 4pm we upped anchor & moved around the corner to a fairly exposed anchorage but better in the SE wind predicted. As we were planning to move the next morning we were fine for the night. We were up & away at 6am to do what should have been a very short 15nm hop east however, the tide & wind were both against us we lost that battle & went back in to Anjo Cove as the wind at that point was more ESE. Lunchtime came & the wind had settled a little so we decided to try again having 4hrs before sunset. Once out & sailing we realised that wasn't going to work either due to the wind dying & us needing to tack a number of times would take too long. So, rather than fight, we took the easiest option & headed on a good sailing angle down to Mission Cove, further south than we wished but we needed to 'hide' somewhere safe for a few days from the predicted 25 to 30 knots, so it was the best option, around Geranium Harbour offered little or no protection.

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Anjo Cove

Date:	Aug. 14, 2015, 6:30 a.m.
Position:	13 57.04 S, 126 34.12 E

Very good couple of nights at Freshwater. The foursome from Mojo had visited yesterday for coffee prior to leaving for McGowan Island to get fuel, that's the problem with power boats, they use way too much fuel! As a comparison we have used approx. 100 litres since leaving Broome four weeks ago & they used 180 litres yesterday! They very kindly brought with them a loaf of bread that they had made in the on-board bread maker, YUMMY! If we have missed one thing, it's our Lawson's bread at lunchtime.
After they left we took a trip up the nearby creek on high tide & climbed a small way up to some freshwater pools & falls, a very pretty area indeed. Even though it is fairly late in the dry season the falls & pools still had sufficient water in them to cool us down. The freshwater pools are safe to swim in as the crocs don't climb that far however, that said, we did see one when returning to the dingy which was tied off in the salt water creek at the base. You can never be too carefree, they need to be taken very seriously.
Today we are making our way through Eclipse Archipelago & Geranium Harbour, both fairly narrow, tide affected stretches of water & to Anjo Cove for the night.

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Freshwater Bay

Date:	Aug. 12, 2015, 8 a.m.
Position:	14 0.75 S, 126 10.88 E

During the morning we had been passed by a 48ft power boat, Mojo. Which, as we found out after a radio chat, was on delivery to Port Douglas Qld from Fremantle by Geoff & Gai & friends, Roy & Karen. They were headed for Freshwater Bay so when we turned up Geoff very kindly invited us over for drinks so off we went to the 'dark side', a power boat! Good, lively couple of hours!

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Passing Bougainville Reef

Date:	Aug. 12, 2015, 5:30 a.m.
Position:	13 52.81 S, 126 4.34 E

Well what a good day today turned out to be! Started off very slow with very little wind & motoring. We had planned to travel 35nm today & it was going to be a long day! However, at 11am the wind increased to a very pleasant 8 to 12 knots & we set sail enjoying the very comfortable flat water. Luckily it all continued, by 1.30pm we had passed our planned stop so continued on for another 20nm to our next stop, Freshwater Bay. It was finally good to get in some really good hours of sailing.

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Cape Voltaire South

Date:	Aug. 11, 2015, 6 a.m.
Position:	14 16.14 S, 125 35.40 E

Travelled north from Swift Bay to anchor overnight at Cape Voltaire South in preparation for an early get away to catch the end of the flooding tide to assist us through Voltaire Passage & across to Parry Harbour, 35nm to the northeast.
Whilst relaxing having a cuppa this afternoon we were joined by a humpback mother & newborn calf who looked so cute & small! We were entertained for about an hour by the calf flapping & slapping it's tail & pectoral fins, it was as if he/she had just found out that those bits were actually attached! I was hoping that they would stay overnight in the bay as I love to hear their 'blows' when it's dark & quiet, it's an awesome haunting sound but, alas they slipped away to entertain elsewhere :-(

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Swift Bay, Art Creek

Date:	Aug. 10, 2015, 3:40 a.m.
Position:	14 31.92 S, 125 35.70 E

We were recommended to visit this bay & creek by Mark & Catherine, (Tuuletar) & we're glad we did. The Aboriginal art in this area is apparently some of the best in the Kimberley. We took a dingy in on high tide the following morning to check it out &, yes, it was good & easy to access which was even better. Mind you that said, we did have to pull up at a beach next to mangroves & home to a 3m crocodile, bit nervous! Luckily we didn't see him/her!
Nearly forgot! We also got a real treat the previous evening, a mantra ray filter feeding in the bay, very special!

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Katers Island

Date:	Aug. 10, 2015, 1:30 a.m.
Position:	14 27.62 S, 125 29.57 E

Passing west of Katers Island en-route to Swift Bay

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Capstan Island

Date:	Aug. 9, 2015, 7:30 a.m.
Position:	14 34.55 S, 125 15.73 E

Overnight anchorage only

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Rounding Cape Pond

Date:	Aug. 9, 2015, 5 a.m.
Position:	14 42.79 S, 125 7.27 E

Left the beautiful Porosus Creek, Hunter River behind & headed North towards Augereau Island for an overnight stop before attempting Scott Strait, another notorious tide affected narrowish waterway. However, as we made reasonable time & the weather was very good to us we pressed on to Capstan Island which is at the end of the Strait. All went well in the Strait, must be getting used to this swirling water!

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Kartja Island

Date:	Aug. 9, 2015, 1:30 a.m.
Position:	14 57.61 S, 125 10.27 E

We are heading towards Kartja Island where there is, appranently a very pretty 'Rainforest Ravine' at the end of a 3nm drying inlet. We did want to visit but the tide is not in our favour so we'll give it a miss & keep going. Shame, but the tide dicates all!

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Porosus Creek, Hunter River

Date:	Aug. 7, 2015, 7 a.m.
Position:	15 0.02 S, 125 24.65 E

Had a lovely, very scenic part motor part sail through the spectacular Prince Frederick Harbour to the mouth of the Hunter River & into, the even more spectacular, Porosus Creek, where the beautiful colours in reflections both morning & afternoon were simply stunning. 'Porosus' means crocodile in Latin so we were hoping the creek lived up to it's name. On entering we passed the Parks & Wildlife power catamaran, 'Worndoon' which we had seen in May whilst on the hardstand. She is an extremely well equipped vessel & we were fascinated what she would be doing here. Well, turns out the crew are currently estimating the crocodile population using the methodology from a 1980s study which was done when crocs were seriously endangered due to hunting for skins & eating. In some areas their research is finding that populations have increased 300% which is great, I think?! Matt, Danny & Todd called past to tell us not to be alarmed as the cruised up & down the creek at night shinning touches. They stayed on board for an hour & we were very interested in their work & findings. They called past again later & showed us a 8 month old croc, which we got to hold, they were about to release him/her back after taking some d & a samples.
Very gratefully we accepted their gift of some bananas as Matt, the skipper, is a little superstitious he didn't want them on board. We're not at all so now my Captain is happy again, bananas with breakfast!
The following morning more visitors, this time Jean & Matt, an English couple sailing aboard a beautiful 57ft Beneteau. They left Southampton, England 3 years ago & are circumnavigating the globe. Spent a nice couple of hours in their company & also joining us was a 1.8 to 2m shark that was for some reason swimming around our rudders. We were going to take the dingy further up the creek in search of a croc or two however, there was no need, we had obviously anchored in the territory of a 3m one who spent the next 3 hours cruising around us & then basking in the sun just opposite the boat. They are seriously to be respected, 200 million years on earth they know a thing or two!

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Hardy Point & Cape Torrens

Date:	Aug. 7, 2015, 1:15 a.m.
Position:	14 58.87 S, 125 3.07 E

Left at 8am this morning to run north with the tide. We have turned around Hardy Point & are now heading for Cape Torrens, after which we turn SE & head for the Hunter River, our next stop.

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Careening Bay

Date:	Aug. 6, 2015, 6:45 a.m.
Position:	15 5.94 S, 125 0.33 E

This bay was on Roger's to do list at it was the bay in which Phillip Parker King careened his leaking cutter, 'Mermaid' in 1820. A beautiful big boab tree just in from the shoreline still bears the carved inscription. Amazing to think as you touch the tree how things would have been back then, how brave they all were, it was great to experience to 'feel'.

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Ivy Cove

Date:	Aug. 6, 2015, 3:45 a.m.
Position:	15 3.14 S, 124 57.81 E

Once through 'Whirlpool Alley' the wind had picked up & we were faced with a gusty 25 to 30 knots, not the best to be in but all coped okay. Our planned anchorage at Careening Bay would have been too exposed & so would our next choice, Bat Bay so luckily we had a third option, a very pretty Ivy Cove in which we anchored for lunch to wait for the wind to settle, which it did & we sailed over to Careening Bay only 7NM away.

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Whirlpool Point

Date:	Aug. 6, 2015, 12:30 a.m.
Position:	15 13.08 S, 124 50.37 E

Another good ride!

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Strong Tide Point

Date:	Aug. 5, 2015, 11 p.m.
Position:	15 21.44 S, 124 54.81 E

Left at 5am this morning to venture the 10NM back up past Strong Tide Point & Whirlpool Point, it didn't disappoint! The guide says 'not for the faint hearted' & they are correct! Once again the Captain did a great job of steering us safely through

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Spitfire Creek, St George's Basin

Date:	Aug. 5, 2015, 8 a.m.
Position:	15 20.77 S, 125 5.34 E

Today we decided to move across to the NE corner of for a couple of reasons, one to explore a little further & two to try to get away from the debris floating in & out of the creeks & getting caught somewhere on the hulls. We're not talking small branches here we are talking half trees in some cases! Getting woken up at 5am with banging on the hulls is not good! Obviously much more damage could easily be done to rudders, props etc. Luckily in some cases the birds give you the heads up that something big is a drift! That was also the reason behind our decision not to venture up the Prince Regent River &, that it was 17NM up & 17NM back both trips timed with the tides otherwise you are stranded, just seemed a lot of fuel & perhaps stress?? We were glad we did move, the scenery was stunning on the north east side.

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St George's Basin

Date:	Aug. 4, 2015, 5:30 a.m.
Position:	15 28.38 S, 124 58.75 E

St George's Basin wasn't originally on our itinerary but we wanted to meet up with Mark & Catherine on their boat Tuuletar. Mark is the developer of this website & the middle son of friends in Perth. He & Catherine have been live-a-boards for 18 months & have travelled extensively around Australia, New Zealand & Fiji . They are on their way to Broome before tackling the Indian Ocean & across to Mauritius, Africa & beyond! It was fabulous to be able to spend the afternoon & evening with them sharing stories. Safe sailing always to them!
Must mention that also listening to our stories was a 3m crocodile who, must have been enthralled as he/she spent about two hours stalking the back of Tuuletar & made the 50m distance to Clawdette, by dingy, seem a long way!

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St George's Basin

Date:	Aug. 4, 2015, 2:30 a.m.
Position:	15 13.08 S, 124 50.37 E

Well, what happened to the strong winds?! Luckily they didn't arrive so we upped anchor to head off to the St George's Basin. Access to the 'Basin' is through a meandering 10NM long channel which at the end is fairly narrow. All the tidal flow in & out of the Basin which, in places is 10NM long & 8NM wide, & the Prince Regent River, which itself is 54NM long (!!), runs through this narrow gap & meandering channel. Needless to say the 'gap' is called Strong Tide Point & the swirling water in the channel is at a whole new level for us. At one point coming in Clawdette was facing at 90 degrees to where she was going, that was seriously un-nerving! Luckily the captain kept a cool head!

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Dennis Bay, Tengarra Bay

Date:	Aug. 3, 2015, 7:30 a.m.
Position:	15 19.55 S, 124 40.14 E

Anchored overnight, tucked in under high cliffs to protect us from the strong winds tomorrow.

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Brecknock Harbour / Roger's Strait

Date:	Aug. 3, 2015, 2 a.m.
Position:	15 27.47 S, 124 36.44 E

The weather forecast predicted a strong wind warning for Tues & Wed & given that we had the notorious Brecknock Harbour & Roger's Strait, (no relation to the Captain!), to tackle we decided to head off today in much calmer conditions. The Australian Pilot Guide details Roger's Strait as a 'treacherous passage' so one feels a little apprehensive to start with! However, once again with the right tides & weather we cruised through with no issues, even the swirling water wasn't too bad & we were able to take in the spectacular scenery along the way.

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Sampson Inlet

Date:

Aug. 2, 2015, 4 a.m.

We had planned to spend the day whale watching however the weather thought different! Not that it was bad, but just enough wind & waves to make a leisurely whale watch uncomfortable & the anchorage at Deception Bay was open & exposed so we decided to head to a very sheltered Sampson Inlet 13NM away. The inlet is used as a cyclone mooring & it is easy to see why, it is a very protected 'L' shape which only dries out at the head, there is good depth & tidal flow is reduced by the protected shallower bay outside.

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Deception Bay, Camden Sound

Date:	Aug. 1, 2015, 4 a.m.
Position:	15 38.45 S, 124 25.89 E

We had originally planned to do a number of excursions from Raft Point however the spring tides put pay to all. They didn't work for a trip out to Montgomery Islands & reef & Red Cone Creek. The latter, we decided we didn't want to be in a narrow channel with a 12m range tidal flow! Life up here is SO dictated by the tides it is impossible to do everything. So, instead we headed for Deception Bay, 28NM north. We thought the trip would take around 5 to 6 hours & to catch the correct outgoing tide we couldn't leave until 12pm which could have meant an arrival in the dark, which we are not keen on. However, what a ride we had! With a full rig up, the breeze, beam on at 10 knots was just perfect & had us cruising beautifully at 8 / 9 knots but then we got the planned tide assisted ride which saw our speed pick up to 12 plus knots, we arrived in 3 hours! Apart from the swirling turbulent water it was fantastic & gave us time to do some whale watching at this end! The west coast whales migrate to this 'Sound' & give birth & breed. Even though it is the end of the season we still managed to see 3 pods.

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Raft Point, Doubtful Bay

Date:	July 31, 2015, 9:45 a.m.
Position:	16 4.40 S, 124 27.00 E

Had an early start this morning to catch the tide for our sail across to Raft Point in Doubtful Bay. Our course will take us 5NM south of Montgomery Reef which apparently creates some great tidal flows. Very light winds again today, less than 5 knots. With a full rig up we are doing 4.5 knots hard on the wind, so that tide is helping!
Nearing the end of our trip we had a surprise visit from a humpback whale which surfaced about 3m off our port transom step, he /she was cool but we were a tad shaken, maybe a little too close! Our second wildlife encounter was with a 2m hammerhead shark that cruised by looking for dinner, luckily we weren't going to be on the menu!
Raft Point is a great spot, very spectacular rock & cliff formations, some 200m high & matched only by the water depth of 24m! Our deepest anchorage ever! Also spotted our first wild Boab tree, which to me look like good old fashioned milk bottles!

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Melomys Island

Date:	July 29, 2015, 8:30 a.m.
Position:	16 9.56 S, 124 4.27 E

Ended up motoring to our next anchorage, the winds were very light. We tried the screecher a couple of times but each time only managed to hold it for about half an hour. Disappointing as it looked good! Our original plan today had us travelling about 50NM but we have realised that in the Kimberley that is too far to much to expect in one day due to the tides. Six hours is about it so we have revised our plans to try to do no more than 30NM per day. So, here we are at the first additional stop, Melomys Island. Scenically very different, quite low lying, very green with a good cover of medium trees, wide mud banks & mangroves on the outer edge. Yes, very good crocodile territory! May be here two nights as Friday wind & tide are predicted to be more favourable for our trip across to Raft Point. Talking of tides, as we seem to constantly, because of the full moon we have some 12m spring tides coming up!

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Turning to head East

Date:	July 29, 2015, 5:30 a.m.
Position:	16 9.83 S, 123 51.99 E

Left the Falls at 10am to catch get a tidal push back up north, worked well! 1300rpm on one engine & we were cruising along nicely in flat water at 5.5 knots.
Once again, the scenery is amazing, so many islands & gorgeous waterways between them, photos really don't do it all justice.

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Horizontal Waterfalls, Talbot Bay

Date:	July 29, 2015, 2 a.m.
Position:	16 22.52 S, 123 58.40 E

What a fabulous couple of days we have had at the falls. It's all action here, the 3 tourist helicopters, 4 seaplanes & 2 fast big rubber duckies are continually on the move, with the seaplanes taking off right next us, what a buzz! The Tourist Barge that has been set up at the mouth of the outer fall services all, is very well run, friendly & professional & doesn't invade the natural beauty & ambience of the area. Tours, mostly from Broome, are morning, afternoon or overnight. All credit to the owners/managers, they are doing a great job of providing access to one of natures natural wonders.
We took a scenic flight in one of the helicopters with 'Tomo' yesterday, what a thrill! He very kindly did a lap around Clawdette before venturing off over the many creeks & waterways that are local to the area & of course, over the falls. Talking of the falls, given that the tidal flow was low during our visit we actually ventured halfway into them in our rubber ducky, I must admit to being a little apprehensive as the narrowing gap became swirls & whirlpools just before we turned around.
In summary, otherwise this log entry will be too long! All spectacular & fantastic!

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En Route, Horizontal Waterfalls

Date:	July 27, 2015, 8 a.m.
Position:	16 17.16 S, 123 52.21 E

Prior to leaving Dugong Bay we took a short dingy trip over to what, in the wet season, would be an impressive 150m high waterfall. No water today but still an impressive cove. We left at 11.30am to catch the tide for our 16NM trip the famous Horizontal Waterfalls.

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Dugong Bay, Talbot Bay

Date:	July 26, 2015, 7:30 a.m.
Position:	16 24.48 S, 123 53.55 E

Unfortunately though today was a motoring day, the moderate wind was back on the nose & there was plenty of dodging & weaving through islands, shallow bits & rocky outcrops. Scenically it was a lovely day, with numerous islands which looked for all the world as if they were joined, sometimes it was hard to see a way through from even a short way off.

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The Gutter, Koolan Island

Date:	July 26, 2015, 3:30 a.m.
Position:	16 9.84 S, 123 46.81 E

Just through the very narrow Gutter, easy to see how getting the tidal flow wrong could cause some stress!

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The Canal, Koolan Island

Date:	July 26, 2015, 2:30 a.m.
Position:	16 7.39 S, 123 42.14 E

Left Silver Gull Creek at 10am to catch the tides correctly & take a short cut past Koolan Island through the 'Canal' & the 'Gutter', both narrow with strong currents, a near slack outgoing tide was required. The plan worked well & all went smoothly.

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Silver Gull Creek, Yampi Sound

Date:	July 25, 2015, 9 a.m.
Position:	16 9.93 S, 123 42.37 E

Overnight anchorage only, still lovely though! All being well we are off to Dugong Bay tomorrow.

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Crocodile Creek, Yampi Sound

Date:

July 24, 2015, 8 a.m.

What a great 24hrs! We did manage to get in & raft up alongside Scorpio II, Rich, Emily & John, who we had met the day before. Gosh it looked close going in but all credit to Roger for his cool & superb helming skills. It was really strange to watch the tide run out & to be left in a 6 meter deep pool surrounded by high cliffs, awesome challenge & experience. We spent the day swimming in the upper pool which was wonderful & shared a BBQ in the evening with our neighbours. It has felt weird at times being surrounded by all this water & not being able to even dip your toes. We waited for high tide at 4pm & once again Roger steered us safely back out & onto Silver Gull Creek. Should also mention we left a 'Clawdette' plaque along with many others that had visited before us.

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Entrance, Crocodile Creek

Date:	July 24, 2015, 3:30 a.m.
Position:	16 9.19 S, 123 39.86 E

Had a lovely slow sail across Yampi Sound, the wind was very light at 5 knots, with a little tide assistance we did the scenic cruise at 4 knots. We are anchored at the entrance to Crocodile Creek waiting for high tide, this creek is very shallow & pretty much dries out at low tide. It does however leave a 'pool' at the waterfall head of the creek in which we are hoping to 'sit' for the night.

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Coppermine Creek, Yampi Sound

Date:

July 22, 2015, 4 a.m.

Travelled the 3NM up the creek & anchored for the next couple of nights. Beautiful wide creek with many pyramid shaped hills on either side which are covered in medium size trees & other greenery, didn't really expect that. Have seen many signs of life with lots of activity in the water, loads of fish & a variety of different species of dolphins herding them all day. Interesting though each species arrives at a different time in the day, they are never here together. Our first afternoon here we were chatting about crocodiles & laughed that we'd probably go the whole trip without seeing one, well that all changed at dusk when a 1.5m croc swam up to the back of the boat & spent the next 20 mins hanging off & checking us out, felt a little un-nerving I must say to be the ones on the menu! As our low transom steps may have looked a little too inviting to him/her once the stalking was over Roger quickly installed the new Croc Proof Fence!

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Entrance, Coppermine Creek

Date:	July 22, 2015, 12:20 a.m.
Position:	16 10.74 S, 123 35.04 E

Left Silica Beach this morning at 6am, one to avoid any further issues with the low tide at 8.30am & two, to run with the current, much better! Currently anchored at the head of the picturesque Coppermine Creek waiting for low tide to pass & allow us to enter without any concerns, less stress, good for all!

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Silica Bay, Hidden Island

Date:	July 21, 2015, 8 a.m.
Position:	16 12.62 S, 123 27.36 E

King Sound remained calm with light winds for our sail across, in fact too light at the end & we needed to motor. We knew we were going to catch a change of tide on approach & we did! For the last hour we motored at 5 knots but only achieved 2 knots (!) towards our destination, it felt the longest hour! We went ashore & experienced the white silica squeaky sand, stretched our legs & got a few photos. After that we settled down for the night, or so we thought! Low tide was at 8.30pm so a quick check of the depth sounder revealed a shock, we were in less water than calculated even though we had anchored part way into the low tide in 10 meters. On investigation we quickly worked out that the outgoing tide had 'pulled' us to a shallower part of the bay & the amount of chain required for high tide had allowed us to move that far. A tense few hours passed whilst we manovered the boat back only to have her drift back again. Luckily all good in the end & no harm done, another lesson learnt & a few more grey hairs!

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Buccaneer Archipelago

Date:	July 21, 2015, 1:30 a.m.
Position:	16 20.37 S, 123 2.27 E

Sailing in a lovely 10 knot breeze out into the Buccaneer Archipelago, islands everywhere!

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Kimberley Bound!

Date:	July 21, 2015, 12:31 a.m.
Position:	16 23.62 S, 122 58.26 E

Left Cape Leveque this morning heading across King Sound to Silica Bay at the top of Hidden Island, a run of approx. 32NM.
We will loose coverage from here on in so updates to the log could be few & far between over the next 6 weeks. Our Spot Tracker will still be on when we are moving so that should let you know where we are. Roger's phone may work, 0418889994 & mine, 0414996892 will be in a Satelite phone & will be access every 2 or 3 days.