Logbooks:
Darwin to Broome (Kimberley Coast)
Moored in Gantheaume Bay, Broome
| Date: | Aug. 14, 2015, 6 p.m. |
| Position: | 17 57.72 S, 122 11.47 E |
| Track to here: | Download |
This is going to be our final post for the "Darwin to Broome" logbook. Our next post should be in the "Indian Ocean Crossing" logbook - exciting!
Further to Cat's previous quick post regarding Broome, here is a more detailed take on the situation here and our experiences thus far. One of the philosophies that we try to live by with the boat is to use the boat for what it is design for. To get off the beaten track and see places that we could not see any other way. Places like Fiordland New Zealand, the Lau Group in Fiji and just recently the Kimberley. The price that you pay to see these pristine untouched environments is often zero to none boating facilities. But that's the deal - if we are somewhere where there are lots of marinas then we're probably in the wrong place and hopping from marina to marina doesn't interest us anyway. In most of these remote places you get by using fisherman facilities and there is always a way to get things done - sometimes it just take a bit more effort. Broome however takes this to a whole new level.
Gantheaume Bay certainly lives up to its reputation as "not yachting friendly". Its a bit of a stretch to call it a bay really. You actually are pretty much just anchored (or moored) in the Indian Ocean and just relying on the persistent SE trade winds to do enough to keep the seas flat as they blow off the land. They don't though. When the trade-winds are light the land-effect takes over and there is normally an afternoon seabreeze and the wind blows from the SW through to the NW making nights miserable as the boat bounces around just while your trying to get dinner sorted and go to bed.
On top of this the holding is terrible. We tried two times to get our anchor to dig in but it just wouldn't penetrate into the hard-packed sand, which is only shallow anyway with a limestone base just under the surface. Our friends on GDay with a Rocna seemed to do much better, which makes sense as the Rocna has more of a sharp spade-like point which would do better at digging in to the shallow hard-packed san. Our CQR and other plough-like anchors simply cannot plough into this bottom.
Fortunately, we got the contact of a local legend who hired out his mooring for $10 per night. We gave him a call when we arrived and within half an hour we were moored up on his massively over-built mooring. He also had an 80's series Land Cruiser for loan so we took him up on that offer, then he said he had jerry-cans he could loan us also - suddenly - we were in boating heaven!! That's the difference that a local contact can make - it can turn an otherwise crappy situation into pure bliss.
So on our first day of arriving within a few hours we had already done 120-litres of fuel in jerry-jugs and one round of shopping at Woolworths. The next day we got the 6 jerry-cans we had borrowed and our friends on GDay had another 12 we could borrow so we did 2-runs of 380-litres to top-up GDay and ourselves. We are still just a few short so I'll probably do 4 more jerry cans today.
Why all the jerry-can runs you ask? Why not just go to the huge commercial wharf where there is dockside fuel available? Well to top things off, there IS dockside fuel at the wharf but you need to get a "Baileys Fuel Card" because they don't take any other form of payment (I tried to plead with cash and credit card but no joy). So I phoned up the Baileys Fuel company and getting the card is easy-enough. You have to fill out a short form and do an online safety-induction test and they can express-post the card out to you. I phoned them on Friday and, as Broome is a regional town, the card MAY have arrived on Tuesday or Wednesday. So that was ok, but then I phoned the Broome Port Authority to find out about what is required to come alongside the wharf. Basically there is 3 separate forms that need to be printed, filled our and delivered to some office in town. Then there is a $10 per meter "berthing fee", I'm not sure how long it would take them to process these various forms and fees but they indicated it would take some processing time which was not good and with it being a Friday when we arrived it all just fell into the "too hard" basket.
As it turned out we pretty much had all our re-fueling done by jerry-cans on Saturday and it looks like we'll be ready to depart on Monday afternoon or Tuesday. If we had have gone with the dockside fuel we would possibly still be sitting here waiting for Australia Post and other bureaucrats to deliver permits on Wednesday. However, if I were doing this again I would have completed all the paperwork for Broome Port Authority before leaving Darwin and then just booked in a slot for dockside fuel at Thomas Bay (Cape Leveque) so we could have gone straight in to re-fuel.
The other thing that makes Broome very interesting for re-stocking is the huge tides and the shallow sloping beach. Its quite incredible. I had seen pictures of Cable Beach and knew the beach dried out for a long way at low-tide but nothing really prepares you for the reality. We currently have about 8m tides and the length of the beach between high and low tide must be nearly 0.5nm. At mid-tide you can actually watch the water moving up or down the beach and the water comes up at a rate of about 50cm in 10-minutes. If you park your car up at the soft-sand and leave your dinghy anchored while you fetch the car and drive it down to where the dinghy is then there's a good chance you will be swimming to get your dinghy. Leaving your car parked at the waters edge while you take a "quick run" out to the boat and back is a definite "no-no" as there's a good chance your car will be swimming when you return. The locals informed us that they lose about 1-car per week on average due to this type of thing. This gives rise to all sorts of interesting methods for stocking and handling the dinghy. Obviously its best to do things near the turn of the tide but ultimately there's no way to get around having to carry or wheel your dinghy several hundred of meters up and down the beach.
As mentioned though, the local contact with the mooring and car-hire has been a godsend and we have been able to get everything done in much shorter time than we expected. It seems like we'll be ready to go early this week on Tuesday or Wednesday. I have been watching the weather and the weather for the passage to Christmas Island with a possible stop at Rowley Shoals (Clerke Reef) looks almost perfect (touch wood). Currently forecast for 10-15knots of SE winds all the way to Christmas Island - if anything a bit too light as our perfect wind for downwind sailing is 20-knots from straight behind - we might have to bust out the spinnaker. We will probably have to motor the first bit to Rowley Shoals to get clear of the very light winds that are created by the land-effect here. The gribs indicate that we only start to get clean SE winds from about 200nm offshore.
Anchored at Broome
| Date: | Aug. 14, 2015, 1 a.m. |
We are anchored in the Indian Ocean near Broome and console ourselves that this rolly anchorage may help us to get our sea-legs back in preparation for passaging again. From a yachties point of view, Cable beach is like dating one of those high maintenance, princess types who is confidently unconcerned that her inconveniences may not be fully compensated for by her beauty...
After a few failed attempts to set the anchor when arriving not long past daybreak, we hung off the weight of our chain until polite-o'clock to phone a contact we had been given. He hires out his well built mooring to the odd visitor at a good rate and as luck would have it, it was free for the next week. At slack water we moved onto it and had a nice rest. Our luck did not end there however as he also would loan us a 4wd, brilliant! It came with free delivery to the beach and a few spare jerry cans to help us refuel. A far superior arrangement to a hire car which we would not be able to drive onto the beach to drop fuel at the dinghy. Refueling at the wharf had become a nightmare of paperwork and administration which would almost certainly have us missing a nice looking weather window to Christmas Island early next week. Instead we are giving ourselves a good upper body workout to fill the boat with around 600 litres of fuel via jerry can.
It is all work no play at the moment but we are making good progress getting our chores done. We have a strict timetable set by the huge tides. Otherwise we would have to lug all the jerry cans back and forth the long shallow beach, for we cannot drive the car down into the softer mud of low tide.
Departing Thomas Bay for Broome
| Date: | Aug. 12, 2015, 6 p.m. |
| Position: | 16 29.57 S, 122 53.36 E |
| Track to here: | Download |
We have spent the past 48-hours anchored in Thomas Bay which is a large sandy shoal bay south of Cape Leveque. It is a fantastic anchorage in neap tides as the sand slopes very gradually up to the beach and you can get quite close (within 0.5nm or so), it would still be good in spring-tides but you would probably have to anchor very far offshore (say 1.5 - 2nm). The beach is absolutely glorious and very remote... but best of all... we have full mobile-reception! 3G and full bars - incredible!
We certainly feel like we are "back in WA" as the sandy beaches just extend for as far as they eye can see. Our friends from the catamaran "G'Day" who are anchored here with us will have to get used to this scenery because they have this for the next 800nm to Perth!
We had pretty fresh Easterly winds yesterday in the 25-30knot range for a few hours but, quite incredibly, it completely gassed off during the night (another "welcome to WA" moment with the very strong land/sea-breeze effects). This morning the winds are a bit more moderate in the 20-25knot range with the forecast for it to ease into the afternoon and swing Northerly. They seem like perfect conditions for sailing so we are going to take this chance to knock off the last 120nm to Broome directly as we don't want to risk getting stuck here with South to South-Easterly winds and motoring into it.
It should take us 24-hours so we'll have just the one overnighter, and if tonight is anything like last-night then we'll probably have to motor through the calm conditions anyway. Our friends from the catamaran GDay will be with us. This time tomorrow morning we should be anchored off Cable Beach in Broome.
This anchorage has been a great base to catch-up on our paperwork and bills that have piled up while we have been out of range for the past 2 months, as well as to phone-ahead and organise fuel, car-hire and customs in Broome. We were keen to organize as much as we can in-advance before getting to Broome because we have heard that Broome is not very "yacht-friendly". The anchorages are all quite exposed with wind-against-tide situations at most anchorages making things quite miserable. Couple that with the 9m tidal ranges and you can only go ashore for a few hours around high-tide - and even then you have a very long walk up the beach. We are keen to organize everything so we spend the bare-minimum of time there and are ready to go before the next round of fresh SE trade-winds come through. I'm hoping we can be provisioned, re-fueled and ready to leave for Christmas Island by Thursday the 20th (1 week from now).
Anchored at Cape Leveque
| Date: | Aug. 11, 2015, 1:02 a.m. |
| Position: | 16 23.55 S, 122 58.31 E |
| Track to here: | Download |
With glassy conditions yesterday we left Silvergull Creek early to check out Crocodile Creek. It has a little inlet with a deep hole at the end. Room for a couple of boats to access at the top of the tides to anchor and then watch the tide go down and leave them stranded in their little 6m deep blue pool. Quite spectacular with the red rock faces encircling. There is also a rather impressive stainless steel ladder which takes you the short hop up the the freshwater swimming hole and small falls. Off to one side are the remains of the impressive infrastructure of the boaters shack, the steel frame of which is unfortunately now washed downstream as an underwater hazard. It is easy to imagine yourself enjoying a few lazy days or weeks in this lovely spot but we have to press on. Next time...
With a forecast promising a couple of days of very strong winds we decided to cross to Cape Leveque. It was glassy calm and the tides helped push us over in good time. We are greeted by a long white sandy beach with a backdrop of salmon pink dunes and it feels very much like we are back in the Western Australia we are most familiar with. The landscape has quickly changed and we have most certainly left the Kimberly. We are still enjoying the buzz from the experience, sailing through that region was high on both of our bucket lists. We certainly could have spent a lot longer, seen a lot more and are starting to refer to this leg as the reconnoissance trip.
Regret at leaving the Kimberly behind is counter balanced by the excitement and anticipation of preparing for the next leg of our journey. From all accounts it will be challenging to provision in Broome which is a lousy port. We have some sporadic internet which is a nice treat, although now we can see all the mounting bills but at least I can post all the Kimberly photos.
Anchored in Silvergull Creek (Squatters Arms)
| Date: | Aug. 9, 2015, midnight |
| Position: | 16 9.98 S, 123 42.49 E |
| Track to here: | Download |
We decided to head off early again today as we did not fancy spending another day in a cloud of AV-Gas. The platform where the helicopters and tourists gather at the Horizontal Falls is just in front of the anchorage. Seaplanes land right next to you and the jet boats kick up an enormous wake as they roar past within meters of you. Between the noise, smell and bouncing it is such a relief when they all depart at 4pm. We made our way around to Yampi sound with a light breese teasing us, not quite enough to sail on. Passing the aptly named Iron Islands with the highest concentration of iron ore in the world, it literally looks like mother nature dropped little piles of iron around the place. We managed to get the right tide to pass through 'The Gutter' and as we did were greeted by a proliferation of mining infrastructure. Definitely getting back towards civilization now.
We anchored in Silvergull Creek and took the tender for a visit to Squatters Arms where you can swim in the old water tank. (Radio ahead and take booze to ensure a warm welcome.) It really was one of the trip highlights, hanging out with the gang and lounging in the tank. It was the perfect temperature and crystal clear freshwater which was just below your neck as you sat on plastic lawn chairs in around the in-situ bar table. A window cut into the side of the tank allows the water to flow out and provides a commanding view. Unbeatable.
Anchored at the Horizontal Waterfalls (Talbot Bay)
| Date: | Aug. 8, 2015, midnight |
| Position: | 16 22.56 S, 123 58.48 E |
| Track to here: | Download |
After a night at Sampson inlet we took off for Raft Point and Montgomery Reef. On the way we saw many whales, one lifting its entire bulk out of the water in a spectacular breach. On the approach to Raft point we saw our friends on catamaran G'day just ahead of us and watched them slew into the anchorage sideways, the tidal ranges in this area are immense and we are not even experiencing full springs. We slewed in after them and had a quiet afternoon/evening in preparation for catching the early tide the next morning to experience the phenomenon of waterfalls off the reef.
The best way to experience Montgomery reef is to sail the big boat right up into a small inlet in the massive reef an hour or two before low tide and then dinghy around. You are no longer permitted to walk on the reef. While it would have been really great to go 'inland' a little to see more coral and marine life, upon arriving to see hundreds of tourists from a pair of small cruise ships we completely respect why this must now be the case. Indeed, Mark and I had arrived as passengers ourselves having taken up G'days kind offer of a lift. It gave the added bonus of extra eyes on the reefy waters but in the end the passage was reasonably straight forward with only a couple of bits of reef poking into the channel and one shallow bank, so it turned out to be a very relaxing treat. It is a bit of backtracking and as always around here, dictated by tides but it was a tonne of fun to dinghy around the rapids created by the draining reef, while dodging the turtles. G'day being former dinghy racers and Avon Descent veterans, powered on ahead and gave us confidence to tackle some of the more turbulent areas which was great fun. Our high nosed Highfield ultralight in combination with the Tohatsu outboard was given a workout and performed brilliantly. We enjoyed about an hour out there before heading back to have lunch at Raft Point.
That afternoon we went around the headland to see the aboriginal artwork which is a short 20 minute walk uphill. The trek is very well marked now that we are getting close to touristy Broome. We are now contantly in the company of small cruise ships and fishing charters and this was no exception. We landed on a rocky little beach filled with tourists, one of whom was a former sailor and kindly helped carry the dinghy up. They were however just leaving so we did not manage to sneak in on their guided tour but better yet, had the site to ourselves. The hillside features many cool boabs and the artwork is prolific, depicting dugongs mostly. Some of the art had recently been refreshed in the traditional fashion and it was a nice contrast to see the work of an active community.
Early starts abound with the current tide timings and the next morning we took off at 4am to catch them around to the Kimberly tourist mecca, the Horizontal Waterfalls. We arried in time to partake of the afternoons crowds of jetboats, helicopters, seaplanes and even a low flying RAAF plane. We headed through the first 'horizontal waterfall,' a narrow pass through the cliffs to pop out in the centre of a long narrow sound, oddly at the middle of its length. The huge amounts of water create the most amazing turbulence beyond the gap and we idled the motor to let gentle whirlpools swirl us around. G'day were just accross the sound but had chickened out of dinghing through the second and most boisterous waterfall. If those rapid racing veterans weren't going through, we certainly weren't. However we come back an hour later when the tide was slightly more settled and had terrific fun passing down and up again. The Highfield and Tohatsu performed admirably in their toughest workout yet and we remained remarkably dry as we chicaned through whirlpools between the rock cliffs and up at least a metre of water height. It was quite a buzz and we were very glad to have G'day with us for safety and the confidence to tackle it in the first place. The departing seaplanes dipped overhead as we buzzed around. Somewhere out there are some awesome ariel photos of us.
Anchored at Raft Point
| Date: | Aug. 6, 2015, 10:46 a.m. |
| Position: | 16 4.55 S, 124 27.28 E |
| Track to here: | Download |
Another early start to catch the favorable tides down to Raft Point. It is almost impossible to catch the right tides to go to Montgomery Reef and then pass through to Talbot Bay (Horizontal Waterfalls), although you desperately want to do that. Instead we have to go to and from here at Raft Point to see Montgomery Reef. We were fortunate enough to jump on another cruisers boat, this boat-sharing makes sense because you all come back to the same point and it is a bit wasteful to take multiple big-boats if you don't have to.
Anchored in Sampson Inlet
| Date: | Aug. 5, 2015, 3:39 p.m. |
| Position: | 15 30.44 S, 124 28.33 E |
| Track to here: | Download |
We managed to catch the favorable tides all the way from Saint George Basin and averaged a very nice 9-10 knots in order to get to Sampson Inlet before sunset.
We nearly had a major mishap when we tried to cut the corner and take the very narrow "Quinlan Channel" north of Umbanganan Island in the Rogers Strait. The tide was pushing us onto the reef and it was near impossible to tell which way to turn and also where the passage was. I believe we were too far south. Fortunately we turned northwards (to starboard) and then aborted trying to enter, but it was no easy feat with 3-4 knots of current running through. We very easily could have been pushed up on the reef at that time.
We since met another boat that had almost the same thing happen. I can only advise against trying to take this passage unless in completely slack water where you can easily have time to probe and survey the passage.
The southern creed of Sampson Inlet is lovely and a convenient distance to reach from Saint George Basin (if you catch a favorable tide the whole way).
Departing Saint George Basin
| Date: | Aug. 5, 2015, midnight |
| Position: | 15 28.40 S, 124 58.85 E |
| Track to here: | Download |
Prince Regent River is a challenge but we have had fun here. The anchorage at Polorus creek was definitely not mud as promised in the guides but rocky boulders. The 4 knot current that rips through was strong enough that in combination with our shoal keel we were sailing on anchor, unnervingly close to the narrow gorge walls and over rocks that jumped up to a hair's breath under us. We could hear the chain rumbling loudly over the rocky bottom at low tide. So we re-anchored in the brief slackwater at the turn of each tide to lay our chain cleanly to try avoid wrapping around a rock and getting caught without enough chain for the 8.5m of tide variation, or worse, getting the anchor snagged. We sure as eggs were not going to get in the water to retrieve it. Later that afternoon our friends on catamaran G'day turned up.
We had to raise our voices to talk to each other with the noise of the fish jumping after bugs in the moonlight, ricocheting off the gorge walls. The roaring splash of a crocodile bailing up its dinner against the wall next to our boat was rather spooky. The next morning we loaded up the dinghies with extra fuel and set off early on the rising tide with G'day. After their experience aborting the anchorage at Camp Creek we all decided that a marathon dinghy run in the relative safety of each other was the best way to explore further up. As we came across a sand bar half way up we felt that decision was vindicated and more so as we rounded into the famous Kings Cascades. Definitely the prettiest waterfall I'd ever seen. We enjoyed a quick slash with the cockatoos and a pelican overhead before heading back down to Camp Creek. It is certainly possible to bring the big boat up here but it would be rather stressful and we had enough fuel to do the 30nm round trip in the dinghy.
As we closed in on the head of Camp Creek we could see an improvised sign but could not quite make it out. We anchored the dinghy cafefully so that we could retrieve it in the rapidly rising tide and walked around to the sign. Mark and Keith got there first loudly proclaiming that it warned of a crocodile attack here last month, suggesting not to swim. They then exclaimed with alarm as they realised they were a few meters away from stepping on a 3-3.5m croc that was perfectly camouflaged against his rock.
We quickly retreated to a rock ledge and then got the camera out. Walking up the picturesque stream, G'day's dog managed to scare a very large Kangaroo out of the grass, it has all been rock wallabies up until now. We wandered around to find a shady ledge from which to keep an eye on the sharp toothed handbag sunning itself while we ate lunch. Our strategy was to get back before the tide turned so that we could move anchorages and this worked out perfectly. That night we were expecting an even lower low tide which would make the spot untenable for us so we took our now, very clean anchor and headed out into the Saint George basin. There was a strong sea breeze but we were very comfortable once tucked up in one of the Southern creeks. We got a side of the large mackerel smoking and had a really nice dinner with G'day who'd decided they would also prefer to get out of that dubious anchorage.
G'day took off the next morning but we needed another day to finish servicing the toilet (delightful fun) and get the boat packed up. Just as we were finishing our chores the radio lit up with the sound of Clawdette hailing us. They are friends from Perth that we've known for some years and after many troubles with the mast of their lovely catamaran they are finally off and cruising accross the top of Australia so it was particularly nice to spend the day catching up with them and exchange notes as we headed in the opposite derections. We spent the afternoon celbrating together, drinking champagne and watching a pair of good sized crocodiles circle our boats.
The sun has just risen and in spite of the amount of champagne comsumed last night we managed to make the early start required to catch the tides back out the narrow passage past Whirlpool and Strong Tide Points. Currently we are clipping along at 13 knots and it looks like there is a little breeze which we will hopefully manage to sail on and make it all the way around to Sampson Inlet.
On every leg of our sailing journey so far we seem to learn the importance of an aspect of sailing, adding another tool to our knowledge set. In the top end of Australia the exaggereated element has been tide and I do not think we will ever underestimate the value of planning to harness its potential strength again. In this part of the world you can sail on land and walk on water, as long as you are quick about it. The sun is only just starting to gain some heat and in the two hours since it began to illuminate the horizon we have covered 25 nautical miles, 2.5 times our usual avaerage pace. Our aim is to cross Hanover bay rounding High Bluff and turn back down towards the land as the tide turns to go with us. If we have gotten this right we will be able to cover 60nm before lunch, usually a full days sail. If however we have gotten this even slightly wrong it could still take us until well after the sun sets...
Anchored at Purulba Creek, Prince Regent River
| Date: | Aug. 2, 2015, midnight |
| Position: | 15 29.73 S, 125 9.99 E |
| Track to here: | Download |
We have tide hopped overnight from Bigge Island to reach Prince Regent River. The artwork at Wary bay, (Bigge Is.) is great and very easily accessed as long as the tide is high enough to dinghy over the fringing reef. The island itself a little less so and was quite a bit out of our way in the end. The anchorage at Wary subject to swell and would be a challenge in unsettled weather. The Bureau of Meteorology forcasts have been highly inaccuarte lately but fortunately it is light enough that we've only been mildly inconvenienced. In hindsight though, getting to see the art in the south of Swift Bay may have been enough but you don't really know that until you get there. The unique and notable thing about the Bigge island artwork is the men with pipes, white men in boats and of course the most photographed piece in the region, the Kaiara face.
We did a six hour hop in the light of the full moon to reach a comfortable bay next to Bat Island, where we slept through the ebbing tide. Anchoring right in the centre at 10m HW, 3m LW, worked out perfectly and we woke to catch the flood tide at dawn and in time to see the early sun light up the beautiful red cliffs surrounding us.
A short hop later we were slewing forwards, sidewards and nearly backwards at 11 knots past the aptly named Whirlpool Point and Strong Tide point. We made our way into Saint George Basin, home to the largest concentration of mangroves in the southern hemisphere and some amazing tabletop mountains. We are currently dodging rocks down the gunshot staight of the Prince Regent River with the intension of anchoring at Purulba creek and exploring this area for the next couple of days. We've got the last bottle of leftover wedding champagne on ice with the hope of overlapping with some friends from Perth coming East on their catamaran Clawdette.
Update: After spending our first night here the anchorage leaves much to be desired. The bottom seems to be an uneven rock and we are worried about getting our chain wrapped around large boulders on the bottom. We have to have 36 meters of chain out as we currently have 8.5m tides, but the width of the creek is only about 80 meters. As the tide rips through at 4-5 knots at the moment the boat slews at anchor to within a few meters on either side and the undulations on the bottom are quite alarming. After a bit of surveying we can't seem to find any other/better spot which has enough depth at low water on these spring tides. We pulled up the anchor at slack water last night to ensure it wasn't snagged and we seem to be able to get it up easily enough, but we might limit our time here to the bare minimum and move out to one of the muddier creeks in the Saint George Basin at the mouth of the river.
Anchored at Bat Island Bay
| Date: | Aug. 1, 2015, 10:27 a.m. |
| Position: | 15 6.61 S, 124 55.20 E |
| Track to here: | Download |
In order to catch the tides from Biggi Island we had to depart in the afternoon and passage throughout the night with arrival at this part of the coast around midnight. We required a large and open bay in order to anchor at night and this Bat Island Bay is perfect for that. The bay is almost perfectly semi-circular with gradual depths coming up in the center. Drop the anchor in the middle of the bay and it should be fine.
Anchored at Wary Bay, Bigge Island
| Date: | July 31, 2015, midnight |
| Position: | 14 28.11 S, 125 8.65 E |
| Track to here: | Download |
We launched the port-a-bote and decided to go exploring the upper arms of the Hunter River, following flocks of white herons up to the rock bars. As the guidebook promises the area is very scenic. The cliffs are a striking liquorice allsort of black and ochre but the latter has a softer salmon hue in these parts. A variety of birds of prey wheel majestically overhead and even in the height of the day we are treated to a chorus of birdsong. The jabiru does not let us get very close but the huge blue-grey egret/heron(?) eyeballs us dismissively before finally launching his bulk to glide upstream. We arrive at the Dorian falls rock bar just as high tide has turned and find ourselves surrounded by the spectacle of dozens of large threadfins leaping half out of the shallow water to round up tiny baitfish, we have of course not brought any fishing equipment.
Even the mangroves in this river system seem ancient, in the wider reaches they have immense, gnarled singular trunks and are more spaced than the sapling like overgrowth we are used to. At high tide we putted around in the dinghy chasing fishy ripples through the watery forest. None show any interest in our offerings. We shifted anchorage to the Porosus creek where Mark gave fishing another attempt but he only managed to attract the attention of a small crocodile. As the bities emerged he retreated to enjoy watching the sunset and the fish jumping after bugs all around us. A particularly bright moon gives the sense of perpetual twilight, managing even to reder the colours of the cliffs.
Early the next morning the sounds of what turned out to be a procession of helicopters roused us. They follow each other in a neat line on their prescribed tour, clearly a cruise ship has arrived. We managed to dress and were enjoying morning coffee on the back deck when the procession of boats arrived for botanical tours through the mangroves.
With the luxury of time we wait for the high tide then explored right up the arm to the head of the creek. It was our most enjoyable dinghy tour yet, this extensive area is filled with a labyrinth of mangroves and you can work your way up through one of many different ways until the mangroves almost touch overhead near the rock bars. The birdlife was plentiful and varied and the crocodiles not so shy. We saw several of them in the 2.5-3.5m range with both parties keeping a respectable distance.
After a morning of touring Porosus creek we left the Hunter river and motor sailed back up to rainforest ravine, arriving just prior to another nice sunset. This morning we got up to catch the rising tide down to the ravine in the dinghy. The rock formations in this bay look like a ruined ancient city, with pillars, tumbled walls, terraces and worn statues. Mark & I particularly liked one we dubbed lego-man bust. Further up between the narrow rock walls mangroves start, the tallest we'd ever seen. They alone were worth the dinghy trip. We found the rock bar and scrambled upstream. It was very pretty and we found a nice spot umungst paperbarks, ferns and native lavender for a dip which was remarkably bug-free. We could easily have relaxed there all day but knew that we'd be stranded by the falling tide so dragged ourselves away.
We've redubbed the port-a-bote the port-a-raft as it takes on too much water now to be a real boat. Nevertheless it has done its job and we are able to relax more in these rocky areas than if we were using the RIB.
Mark has gotten pretty good with planning our passages to work the huge tides and we caught the falling tide out to Wary Bay, Bigge Island, famous for its artwork. At 7.5-8.5 knots it was a relatively quick trip.
Anchored at Rainforest Ravine
| Date: | July 30, 2015, 10:17 a.m. |
| Position: | 14 51.74 S, 125 13.99 E |
| Track to here: | Download |
Another one of the "best billabongs" here. There are some freshwater waterholes that are small enough and clear enough to easily check for crocs and you can also keep an eye on your dinghy at the same time.
If you want some more shade and seclusion then there's a nice walk up the creek to where it forks. Take the fork to the left and there are some lovely waterholes there for taking a dip. Very cool and refreshing place.
Anchored in Porosus Creek (Hunter River)
| Date: | July 29, 2015, 10:14 a.m. |
| Position: | 15 0.55 S, 125 24.71 E |
| Track to here: | Download |
Moved down towards the entrance of the river to prepare for heading back up to Rainforest Ravine and Biggie Island.
Anchored at Hunter River
| Date: | July 28, 2015, 3 p.m. |
| Position: | 15 0.64 S, 125 27.00 E |
| Track to here: | Download |
We left Hunter River and headed towards Bigge Island 2 days ago, however the weather forecast forced us to re-evaluate our route. A strong wind warning from the SE made us realize that it would be difficult to head SE into the entrance of Hunter River against a 30-knot headwind so we decided to change course and head straight for the Hunter River while the conditions were still glassy. It turned into a day of motoring nearly 70nm from Swift Bay to Hunter River. We dropped anchor just on sunset near the mouth of the river, yesterday we came the last 5nm upstream.
It's hard to tell here if the wind warning ever actually came to fruition. The wind is a pleasant 5-10 knots most of the time. We are fortunate enough to have the entire river to ourselves, except for the many crocodiles and the odd charter-plane which flies overhead. Today we are opening out the port-a-bote (which is slightly more crocodile-proof than the inflatable) and heading the last 4nm or so upstream to the waterfalls at the top of the river.
Tomorrow we'll sail back out of the river with the SE winds behind us to Rainforest Ravine and then back up to Bigge Island. Its a nearly 70nm backtrack to get back to Bigge Isand but at least we will be sailing it and we won't have to be motoring into any headwinds.
Anchored at the entrance to Hunter River
| Date: | July 27, 2015, 10:07 a.m. |
| Position: | 15 3.09 S, 125 22.79 E |
| Track to here: | Download |
Another big day of covering distance after we changed our plans due to the weather forecast for strong SE winds. We decided to go first to the Hunter River to avoid motoring into strong SE winds, we arrived here at a little after sunset again and dropped anchor in this large and open bay. A good spot if you are arriving after dark.
Anchored at Art Creek (Swift Bay East)
| Date: | July 26, 2015, 10 a.m. |
| Position: | 14 31.80 S, 125 35.64 E |
| Track to here: | Download |
Today we moved over to the Eastern side of Swift Bay to check out the place they call "Art Creek". Very good artwork here also, but probably not as good as the spots in the SouthWest of the Bay which we saw yesterday.
Anchored at Swift Bay
| Date: | July 25, 2015, midnight |
| Position: | 14 32.16 S, 125 33.28 E |
| Track to here: | Download |
After a night in Freshwater Bay the forecast was showing light variable winds. We needed to make some water and charge the batteries anyway so we decided to have a day of motoring in the glassy conditions.
We were intending to head around to Parry Harbor which was only 18nm away however once again we had favorable tides and we were making good time so we decided to head across the Admiralty Gulf and try to make Cape Voltaire - a good 40nm in total.
Conditions were unbelievably glassy, I've really never seen the ocean so incredibly calm. We could see our reflection almost all day and there was zero swell. The conditions around the two Capes that we rounded are meant to get rough when there is a wind against tide but we shot through them both at 8-9 knots with not even a ripple in the water. Watching our wake extend out behind us for as far as the eye can see is mesmerizing.
The sun was setting as we went through the Voltaire Passage so we dropped anchor at Krait Bay for the night which is right next to the cape. In those conditions we could have dropped anchor anywhere really - or even just drifted for the night. This morning we got up and did the last 2-hours down to Swift Bay. Conditions were more of the same and look to persist for another 36 hours.
It was great conditions to drop the dinghy and explore the bay to find more Aboriginal rock-art sites. The two sites in the SW arm of Swift Bay are probably the best we've seen yet and in spectacular locations. Tomorrow (Sunday) we'll head out to the East Arm and explore the art-sites around there. The wind is forecast to come up again on Monday so we'll hopefully be able to start sailing again down towards Bigge Island.
Anchored in Krait Bay
| Date: | July 24, 2015, 9:49 a.m. |
| Position: | 14 14.62 S, 125 35.77 E |
| Track to here: | Download |
Deciding to skip the Admiralty Gulf it was a long passage from Freshwater Bay to Swift Bay. We weren't gong to make it so we dropped anchor here at Krait Bay just after sunset. Nothing remarkable about this bay and there was a swell coming in from the north. We would be up early the next morning to keep moving.
Anchored at Freshwater Bay
| Date: | July 21, 2015, 11:10 p.m. |
| Position: | 14 0.76 S, 126 10.96 E |
| Track to here: | Download |
It's sunset and we've just dropped anchor in Freshwater Bay. Our guide book warns us that this is the busiest bay in the Kimberly but for the very first time since we left Gove, we are alone. The winds calmed yesterday to 15 knots and we sailed off anchor at Jim's Bay in company with our Catamaran friends. We had perfect conditions to round the notoriously choppy Cape Londonderry. With a full rig, favorable currant and perfectly flat sea, things could not have worked out better. Managing 8-10 knots most of the day, the wind even shifted with us as we rounded the Cape so we barely had to touch the sails. The boat was so flat we had soup for lunch. We also managed to overtake most of the Catamarans to whom we'd given a sporting head start. (The wind direction was a little to much from behind to suit them.)
With that terrific speed we were anchored very early in the afternoon at the Governor Islands and had plenty of time to relax. The fishing was pretty good and several of the Cats got fish but we had packed up the port-a-bote and with reports of a 6m crocodile who calls the Islands home, beef sounded good for dinner. We had a pot-luck catch up with 5 other boats (16 in total) on one of the larger Cats, most of them had come to our wedding and we had not seen them since, other than to wave at them passing us in the other direction. We had a really fun night which carried on a lot longer than anticipated.
Despite last nights party we did manage an early start to catch favorable tides through the Middle Rock passage south of the Eclipse Archipelago. It was just as well that we had favorable tides as we matched our personal best boat speed of 14 knots over ground. The winds were much lighter today but we were able to motor sail for a while as we headed for Jar Island. The water was like a sheet of turquoise satin disrupted only by our wake, which peeled off as far as the eye could see and by all the jumping fish which would not touch our lures. We dropped anchor next to the National Geographic's passenger ship Orion. They had kindly left tracks for us to follow to see the aboriginal artwork dotted around the place in some spectacular caves. It was definitely the best we've seen and the setting was particularly impressive as you really could imagine a tribe dwelling there. Certainly beats a white on white gallery.
We are now about to sit down to a side of spotted mackerel which we just managed to land as we were coming into Freshwater bay. We've been treated to another beautiful sunset to top off a great couple of days.
It looks like we'll be heading around the next Cape Bougainville on Friday and we might bypass Admiralty Gulf and head straight for Swift Bay south of Cape Voltaie.
Anchored at Governor Islands
| Date: | July 21, 2015, 9:39 a.m. |
| Position: | 13 56.80 S, 126 41.80 E |
| Track to here: | Download |
The forecast for Cape Londonderry was 10-15 knots from the SE and we sailed with the tide from Jim's Bay around to Governor Islands in style. We averaged 8-9 knots most of the way with close to perfect sailing conditions in totally flat conditions.
There was no abnormal waves or conditions at Cape Londonderry however you could see the tide-rips and whirlpools and I could imagine that it could get ugly with a stiff breeze.
Anchored at Jims Bay
| Date: | July 19, 2015, 11:10 p.m. |
| Position: | 13 46.21 S, 126 59.61 E |
| Track to here: | Download |
The last few days in King George River have been terrific fun and much more social than anticipated. As we entered the bar, we waved to the fleet of Catamarans we first met at the top of QLD all headed back out in a neat line. We were sailing in company with Exotic Escort but were not expecting to find so many other boat in there also. We significantly lightened the alcoholic load of all the boats while we waited out some stiff trade winds together. It was early morning when we crossed the bar and made our way to Twin Falls. The low sun gave the colours of the soaring cliff faces and rock buttresses a rosy lift. Winding down the canyons it is easy to see why this is considered by some to be the highlight of the Kimberly.
After a day at the head of the twin falls we decided to get out of the way of all the cruise boat tour groups and headed back towards East Arm. The port-a-bote managed to convey us safely past the rather large and rather close water lizard (certainly bigger than the dinghy - gulp) to the climbing rope along side the almost dry East Arm falls. Needless to say we scaled the first few meters of that VERY quickly. Admittedly we found it quite a challenging climb but oh so very worthwhile. The pools and smaller falls at the top could not be more picture perfect, it is exactly what you would design if you were creating the ideal outback waterhole. We enjoyed a swim and relaxed at the top with friends, taking our time in the hope that the resident crocodile at the bottom of the falls would find something else of interest. Our climb down was even more hairy and Mark unhelpfully suggested the jump into the water below might be the easier option...
Later that day all the boats gathered at BBQ beach, a spectacular little patch of white sand, suprisingly bug-free, ringed in neat mangroves and overhung with epic strawberry and cream cliffs. As if it couldn't be any more perfect right? Wrong. A couple of the boats got there early to improvise a large marquee and gather the firewood. We enjoyed a lazy day lunching and chatting until late in the afternoon with about 16 other cruisers.
We took off rather early the next morning to catch the high tide back out across the bar. With a two week stretch of very low tides coming up, this would be our last opportunity for a while. We made it out just prior to the top of the tide, by the slime of our antifouling and anchored for the night at the beach in the Northeast tip of Koolama Bay. The winds were still very strong and gusty so we spent the day doing some boat chores, taking a little stroll on the beach and sharing a drink with the other yachties. It was a bit of a rolly night but we are none the worse for it. We are currently anchored at Jim's Bay, also a little rolly, in the company of seven other boats all mustering in anticipation of easing winds tomorrow and the chance to round Cape Londonderry or take off for Darwin. The sail up was not too bad with 20-25 knots of winds and a moderate, somewhat choppy sea. We decided to give Glycosmis Bay with its famed aboriginal artwork a miss as the swell was heading straight into the fairweather anchorage. Our friends gave it a go today and reported that it was very bouncy and made for an 'exciting' dinghy ride but that the abundance of artwork was very impressive. It would have been nice to see it but we are well aware that we have not got anywhere near enough time to see all the treasures of the Kimberly this time round. We are consoled with the reports from other boats that some of the best examples of aboriginal artwork are still to come.
Anne and Jim Merton: Jim so pleased that you went to his bay, but has a seniors moment, cant remember when he was up there to name it. Aug. 9, 2015, 8:45 a.m.
Add a commentAnchored back in Koolama Bay
| Date: | July 19, 2015, 9:33 a.m. |
| Position: | 13 55.11 S, 127 19.49 E |
| Track to here: | Download |
We left the river again this morning as the tides were turning neap and there was a chance that we could be stuck in the river for a week or two if we didn't make it across the bar today.
Anchored at BBQ Beach
| Date: | July 18, 2015, 9:22 a.m. |
| Position: | 14 1.42 S, 127 20.28 E |
| Track to here: | Download |
This is the location of the anchorage that we used when we took the big boat down to BBQ Beach. The actual location of BBQ Beach is among the mangroves at approximate location (14 01.3006 S, 127 20.3707 E).
You think there is nothing there when you pass it in the big boat, but when you are in the dinghy and get close then you can see a little pass through the mangroves and a sandy beach behind.
We had a great day lazing with the other cruisers here around an open-fire and its also a good place to burn some rubbish (take the cans or other unburnables out of the ashes after so you leave nothing behind).
BEWARE WHEN GETTING OUT OF THE DINGHY. THIS IS THE TYPE OF PLACE WHERE A CROC WOULD LOVE TO LURK AROUND THE MANGROVES. Fortunately the water is very clear but I wouldn't spend too much time with your feet or ankles in the water when you get out of the dinghy.
Anchored at East Arm
| Date: | July 17, 2015, 9:12 a.m. |
| Position: | 13 59.16 S, 127 21.73 E |
| Track to here: | Download |
A good anchorage when the winds are blowing strong from the SE to E and if the other parts of the river are funneling the wind a bit.
The dinghy around to the East Arm Falls (approximate location 13 59.2825 S, 127 22.8670 E) and then vertical climb up the wall to the billabong at the top is very much worth the effort.
We found the difficulty of the climb to be under-rated by all the guidebooks that we came across. Its definitely not for the fainthearted. Its about 20-meters pretty much straight up a vertical cliff face. If you happen to slip or fall then there's a nice big croc waiting for you at the bottom, so that's just not an option. Many of the other cruisers chickened-out and some of the older cruisers simply were not up for it physically.
We were doubting whether it was worth the effort when we were about 3/4 of the way up and nearly turned back. However when we got to the top you are rewarded with probably the best billabong on the Kimberley Coast and it may well be the best billabong I've ever seen in my life. It is picture-perfect and absolutely perfect for swimming in. The difficulty of the climb removes the crowd of other cruisers so its possible to lounge around the billabong all day having it just to yourself.
I would strongly recommend that you take a cool-box of food and drink, take a good book and a deck-chair. Figure out a way to hoist them up the wall and you could be satisfied at this place for many days.
Anchored at the head of King George River
| Date: | July 15, 2015, 11:10 p.m. |
| Position: | 14 2.30 S, 127 19.58 E |
| Track to here: | Download |
Came across the sandbar this morning as planned without a problem. Very shallow across the seaward end of the sandbar with 2.3m of water on a 2.5m tide. Getting out will be interesting as the tide ranges are decreasing over the next few days.
We came right up to the head of the river, dropped anchor and did the spectacular bushwalk up to the top of Western Australia's highest waterfalls. Unfortunately, the waterfalls are pretty much non-existent at the moment due to an unusually dry season. We were able to dinghy right up underneath the tiny trickle that is wetting the cliff face and still didn't get any water in the dinghy. There are the usual spectacular billabongs/freshwater swimming holes at the top though. The highlight of the river is the height of the gorges that surround you. The red cliffs are much taller than the Berkeley river and very awe-inspiring.
We'll probably stay here until the trade-winds abate in order to round Cape Londonderry where the strong tidal flows from the Gulf of Carpentaria meet the equally strong flows from Western Australia - which means more washing machine action. It looks like the winds won't ease off until early next week so we'll be here several days.
Anchored in Koolama Bay
| Date: | July 14, 2015, 9:10 p.m. |
| Position: | 13 55.08 S, 127 19.46 E |
| Track to here: | Download |
We've spent the past few days anchored in Berkeley River waiting for the trade-winds to abate before making the 50nm hop up to King George River. In the end the trade-winds didn't look like they would let-up for at least another week, so we decided to just go for it. We also had plenty to keep us occupied with bushwalking, swimming and lazing around the many billabongs and waterfalls in the Berkeley River. I'm a complete convert to the waterfall-shower concept, I haven't had a shower on the boat since Darwin and it doesn't look like I'll need to for a while.
The timing with the tides was awkward anyway so it was beneficial for us to wait those few days anyway, otherwise we would have had to leave in the afternoon and arrive at King George by night. We decided to go this morning as high-tide (which we needed to cross the sandbar at Berkeley River to exit) was right on sunrise at about 5:30am. The forecast for today was 15-20kts reaching up to 25kts in the morning. We were quite concerned about the wind and chop because we had heard it can get messy on the sandbar when there is a bit of wind and sea. We heard mixed-reports about taking a different route out around the southern-end of Reveley Island, but we had our track-in from when we entered across the sandbar to the north of Reveley Island and I was keen to follow that out.. it was a case of better the devil you know.
The winds were a bit calmer in the morning so it was blowing about 15kts as we were crossing at sunrise. It made for a pretty exciting crossing as the confused-seas and breakers across the sandbar that the guide warns about certainly did not disappoint. We crossed at a 4.3m tide and had minimum depths of about 3m when we bounced down into the trough of a wave. The sea was peaking right up and breaking at the top so we had to turn and plough through white-water periodically. While for us it was moderately exhilarating, another 5 knots on the wind-strength and about 0.5m on the sea would have made things very interesting indeed... probably best to follow the advice of the guide-books and give it a miss in those conditions.
The sea-state for the next 5nm or so from the river-mouth was similar. Very peaky, choppy and generally awful. Fortunately, it was fast with 20-25 knots of wind behind us and as the tide started to ebb north the sea calmed down as we got a wind-with-tide situation. We were making about 8-9 kts running downwind with a poled-out full jib.
We nearly made it all the way to King George with the tide but unfortunately it turned against us about 7nm from the entrance to the bay. I was expecting the tide to gradually decrease and then go slack for a while before gradually increasing in the opposite direction. Unfortunately not here. We hit a section of about 1-mile of very confused and steep seas, pretty much all white-water, where the tide suddenly went from 2-3 knots with us to 2-3 knots against us and the wind which was hitting a pretty solid 25 knots by that stage. Once we pushed through the whitewater section for 10-minutes or so the sea calmed down but it was a very slow final 7-miles.
All said and done it was not a bad passage, but we got a little insight into what the Joseph Bonapart Gulf can look like in messy conditions with spring-tides. Very choppy, very steep seas, strong tides - a complete mess. We're not able to enter the King George River now with the spring-tide ebbing all afternoon so we'll stay anchored out here and enter the river tomorrow morning on high-tide at 0700.
Anchored near Casuarina Creek, Berkeley River
| Date: | July 11, 2015, 2:30 a.m. |
| Position: | 14 23.29 S, 127 43.92 E |
| Track to here: | Download |
Yesterday we got the port-a-bote out to go exploring. We have been lugging this fold up dinghy around since we purchased Tuuletar and have been suspicious of it's value but have to admit it is nice to be able to scrape along the rock ledges to get ashore and not worry about the tender. The port-a-bote took us all the way up to the head of the Berkeley River to the 'rock bar' where the cliffs fold down into the plains and back up again into the tablelands beyond. The rock formations along the now quiet river hint at the immense amount of water that passes through here in the wet season. We also climbed up a small waterfall nearby to see the prettiest little lilly-filled waterhole you could imagine. Thankfully a small monitor lizard was the only reptile we had to share it with so we chanced a swim.
We then took the big boat back upstream to anchor at the mouth of Casuarina Creek. The journey through the narrow gorge is (at risk of overusing the word) spectacular. We had originally planned to head up into Casuarina Creek to anchor at the base of its waterfall but we were a little slow this morning and missed the high tide. We did not feel like trying to chance the passage on the falling tide so settled for a dinghy ride up there instead. We enjoyed a shower under the waterfall just because we could and even managed to be almost fully dressed when a couple of other dinghy's came burning around the corner. Socialising with other cruisers on rock ledges at the bottom of waterfalls is becoming a habit up here. Tough huh.
After a quiet drink with the other cruisers we enjoyed our Crocodile tail steaks on the back deck, (definitely not something we caught ourselves but very nice all the same.) Whilst watching rock wallabies, sea eagles and Jabiru.
This morning we took a longer climb up the cliffs to walk along the string of waterholes at the top of the Casuarina Waterfall. Apart from the picturesque waterholes and stunning views down the cliffs we were exploring the rock ledges for the reported aboriginal artwork. We probably missed a lot but did finally find a terrific spot on a high ledge with a wonderful variety of rock art figures. On the way back we found another couple of smaller examples and enjoyed another splash in a water hole.
We scrambled back down the cliffs and headed around to the base of the waterfall for another shower. This time we came prepared with soap and all but did have to keep our bathers on this time as our friends had anchored in the basin. We enjoyed a leisurely afternoon helping them to lighten their alcohol stores and were even joined by a lone indo-pacific hump backed dolphin towards dusk.
Anchored near the head of Berkeley River
| Date: | July 9, 2015, 3 p.m. |
| Position: | 14 28.96 S, 127 40.30 E |
| Track to here: | Download |
Apologies for the delayed post. We arrived at the entrance to the Berkeley River as planned yesterday morning at mid-flood tide. Although in theory we could have entered the river directly (based on my tide calculations and information we had regarding depths) we decided to hold off for about 1.5 hours to wait for the tide to rise a bit more. The breakers on large parts of the sandbar were a bit disconcerting. We were glad we did wait because when we came through the depth came up to less than 1m of water below our keel which always gives you a bit of a fright.
Info for other cruisers in 2015: We entered almost exactly when the tide was at 3m, 2 hours before high-tide. Following the waypoints from the Kimberly Cruising Club guide (direct route in), the shallowest depth we got was 2.7m
After entering the river we motored the last 14nm or so up the river to the further anchoring point. The journey up the river was absolutely spectacular and everything we had imagined and more. Soaring red cliffs, narrow gorges with waterfalls all sprinkled with cliche Australian bushland creates a truly unique and beautiful scenery. Cat and I kept commenting that this is Australia's "Fiordland": beautiful rich land where you can survive on a subsistence diet, waterways that allow you to penetrate deep into the country, calm anchorages and mind-boggling scenery... and this is just our first anchorage.
We are now anchored near "The Amphitheater" which is a large circular enclosure of vertical red cliffs. We are anchored here with one other boat called "Exotic Escort". They went for a walk and kindly gathered firewood to throw down the cliff while we opted for a bit of a rest. In the early evening we went in and had a BBQ dinner around a campfire on a rock-ledge at the base of the now trickling waterfall in the amphitheater - a most fitting start to our Kimberly cruise.
Across the Joseph Bonapart Gulf, we had to motor the last 12-hours or so almost all the way across the Gulf due to lack of wind. As a result we (fortunately) didn't get to see any of the short and steep chop that the Joseph Bonapart Gulf (known locally as the Joseph Blown-apart Gulf) is famous for. We did however notice the strong currents which pushed the boat off the rhumb-line. Continually adjusting the autopilot got tedious so our track across the Gulf wavered north and south of the rhumb-line by about 5-10nm either way.
The sea, although glassy and extremely calm for us, did have a persistent short and sharp ripple which caused us to roll a little. Normally in calm conditions like we had (< 5knots) the sea would go completely milky-smooth but in the Gulf here it seems the never-ending tidal forces and competing land/sea-breezes create a persistent ripple which gets quite uncomfortable in more than 20 knots.
Today we are going to try some of the bushwalks and freshwater-hole swimming that are mentioned in the excellent Kimberly Cruising Club guide.
Cruising down the NT West Coast
| Date: | July 7, 2015, 12:30 p.m. |
| Position: | 13 10.55 S, 129 47.85 E |
| Speed over Ground: | 4.5 |
| Heading (True): | 200.0 |
| Wind Speed (kts): | 8.0 |
| Wind Direction (True): | 90.0 |
| Sea state: | slight |
| Swell (m): | 0.0 |
| Track to here: | Download |
We had a perfect day of sailing yesterday. After leaving Darwin we had favorable wind and tide for most of the day our speed rarely dropped below 7 knots. From Charles point we were able to run with the full main and jib poled out all the way around Charles Point and even as we started heading south the wind followed us around as the afternoon sea-breeze caused the wind to come from the north.
The only downside was that we were going too fast and it would have resulted in us arriving at Berkeley River on Wednesday night. Fortunately, the wind dropped off to nothing at about 9pm as afternoon (northerly) seabreeze switched back to the morning South-Easterlies. We just drifted for most of the night which brought our average speed down and was probably more comfortable and less stressful than trying to find an anchorage. It was completely glassy and, even though we obviously still had to keep watches as we were technically still "sailing", we did sleep very well. We had many porpoises visit us throughout the night and the streaks of green under the boat as they but tracks through the phosphorescence was quite impressive.
We'll keep tracking down the west-coast of the Northern Territory today and may start to head West to cross the 100nm or so of the Joseph Bonapart Gulf in the late-morning when we are north of Port Keats. That should put us at the Berkeley River at mid-flood tide tomorrow morning.
Departing Darwin (finally)
| Date: | July 6, 2015, 6 p.m. |
| Position: | 12 22.62 S, 130 43.32 E |
| Speed over Ground: | 7.5 |
| Heading (True): | 290.0 |
| Wind Speed (kts): | 15.0 |
| Wind Direction (True): | 45.0 |
| Sea state: | slight |
| Swell (m): | 0.0 |
We have finally weighed anchor and we are heading out of Darwin Harbor. We are approaching Charles Point on the Western end of Darwin Harbour now. Conditions are perfect as per usual here with 10-15 knots and we are sailing with our full rig up. We are only having to keep a sharp lookout for the many naval warships from all over the world which are here for military exercises.
We didn't end up leaving yesterday (obviously) because we broke the cardinal rule of not drinking (alcohol) the night before a passage. The Hardy family came around on Sunday night and helped lighten our load of left-over champagne from the wedding. We simply were not up for departure on Monday morning... there is nothing (NOTHING) worse than starting a passage on a hangover - its a surefire way of making your hangover last as long as the passage does.
We thought we might go Monday evening (last night) but the timing to get to Berkeley River is a bit awkward. It is 220nm which is about 44 hours if we go at our average of 5 knots. However often we will go faster than that when the winds are favorable. If we averaged 6-knots it would only be 36 hours. So we had a choice to make: a) leave Monday night and try to go fast to get there at high-tide on Wednesday morning, but risk that if we didn't keep up a 6-knot pace then we would have to wait out the front of Berkely River for up to 24 hours (until high tide in daylight next day); or b) leave this morning and take it slowly, averaging just 4.5 knots so we arrive there at high-tide late-morning on Thursday.
We took the slow option as it gives us more room for error with the tides at the other end. The tides are very important from here to Broome as the range can be up to 7 meters and most of the entrances dry-out at low tide. So you need to get it right or you will be sitting high and dry for a whole tide-cycle (12 hours).
.. with all that planning and preparation said and done - we are now leaving Darwin Harbor with a favorable wind and tide and doing 7.5 knots - at this rate we will end up there Wednesday night and have to heave-to offshore anyway - ahh the joys of sailing.
Preparing to depart Darwin
| Date: | July 4, 2015, 3:30 p.m. |
| Position: | 12 27.11 S, 130 49.41 E |
| Speed over Ground: | 0.0 |
| Heading (True): | 0.0 |
| Wind Speed (kts): | 8.0 |
| Wind Direction (True): | 135.0 |
| Sea state: | Slight |
| Swell (m): | 0.0 |
A new leg of the journey, a new logbook. Darwin to Broome. We have been looking forward to this leg, the Kimberley coastline. This is our "rest-time" in what is otherwise a pretty hectic year of covering distance, and it is also our honeymoon.
We are finally getting ready to depart Cullen Bay marina in Darwin. We originally thought that we would be here for 2 weeks however with the delay in delivery of an engine part as well as the general chaos that could be expected post-wedding we allowed ourselves one more week.
We'll leave Cullen Bay today and head out to anchor off Fannie Bay tonight (Sunday night). We'll then probably leave very early tomorrow morning and head down the Eastern side of the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf. We may anchor a night or two on the eastern side of the Gulf as we track down the coast and then cross the Gulf in a single over-nighter when we have a more favourable angle to the wind.
We got some nice little boat-projects knocked off in the past extra-week. I spent most of yesterday in the water swimming around the hull inspecting every square-inch. This will be the last chance I have to do things like check-anodes, rudder and antifouling before we head out of the marina into crocodile-infested waters. I certainly won't be jumping over the side until we are in Christmas Island which is about 2 months and 2,000nm away.
I am most-concerned about the rudder-condition as the biggest issues encountered by boats crossing the Indian Ocean seem to be rudder and helm-related issues. This seems to be due to the boisterous trade-winds and a significant cross-swell which cause the boat to slew heavily downwind and places a lot of stress on your steering gear. Two years ago a boat had its lower-skeg completely break off and the unsupported rudder ripped a hole in the hull at the upper-bearing - the boat had to be abandoned halfway between Chagos and the Seychelles. For this reason, we removed our rudder and serviced the lower-skeg bearing while in New Zealand 3 months ago. All the bolts and rudder still look perfect and secure same as the day we put it in the water. The hull is in perfect condition. The boat is in as good a condition as it can be for crossing the Indian Ocean.
It's interesting how, after you have settled down into a marina you develop a kind of "inertia". Boat projects start up, the boat gets ripped apart and you feel like you will never be ready to leave again. You manage to find all sorts of niggling issues that suddenly jump up the priority list and you feel like you simply can't leave until they are fixed. Though the reality is that you lived just fine with the issues before and you will get along just fine after. It has surprised me how much bluewater cruising is less about actual sailing and more about managing breakages and prioritizing needs from wants. If a part for your hot-water system, watermaker, fridge, etc. etc. breaks and it means you have to spend a 2 weeks in port waiting on a part then you have to make the call if its worth living without it. If you wait for everything to be perfect on the boat then you will simply never leave port.
As a result of the above I always find the last few days before leaving a secure port (or going on a passage) a bit stressful. However, the moment when you are sailing away from the shoreline and accept that there is nothing more that can be done - that you are completely self-sufficient - is pure bliss.... The endless running through your mind of the to-do list fades away into the back of your mind and you simply focus on the present moment. There's no point thinking anymore about what you should or could have done, no point having any regrets. To survive you must focus on the present moment, the next shoal, the next rock, the problems and breakages as they come appear. That almost Zen-like state of living in the present moment out of necessity is, I believe, part of the joy of bluewater cruising.
Pene Quin: So glad I came here to read your log.......the last 2 paras got garbled in my email ;) Congratulations to you both on becoming man and wife! I hope you've posted some pictures? Safe travels my friends xxxx July 5, 2015, 1:25 a.m.
Gerald Muir: Seems a long time now since i met you guys in Doubtful Sound & you have traveled some distance from then. Hope you guys have a blast on your wedding day!! Congratulations & all the best from the crew on the McKerrow Hope he bought a big ring for you Girl xxx P.s still studying my film & editing and been back to Doubtful twice since i met you guys their. Just missed you in Queenstown in February & Coromandel at Easter. Safe Journey, my friends. July 5, 2015, 7:22 a.m.
Roz Worrall: Happy to see the original posting on the comment page makes some sense. Looked like you were really hitting the sauce while contemplating the projects. ???? July 5, 2015, 2:01 p.m.
Julie & Roger: How true is your second last paragragh! We have just spent a week in Dampier, which flew by, preparing for our next leg to Broome. We left the comfort of a safe anchorage this afternoon &, you are right, still a few things not done on the jobs list! Safe sailing to you two hoping to cross paths in the Kimberley :-) July 5, 2015, 5:15 p.m.
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