Lake Macquarie

A little Optimus in a dinghy race on a big Lake

We took a few days TOIL at the end of  November after a very busy time at work to sail around Lake Macquarie.  This is our old haunt but we haven't been here for over a year as we missed the 2012 Heaven Can Wait Charity Yacht race.  The Lake  is great on our 20ft trailer sailer, Solar Mist, but Eileen misses the vastness of the open ocean (and a bigger boat).

Pittwater Weekend

Eileen at the helm

Great long October holiday weekend in Pittwater and the Hawksbury, north of Sydney. Eileen is at the helm in a stiff breeze after just rounding Lion Island.  Our little Solar Mist loves a stiff breeze.

Darwin - We made it!

Fanny Bay Darwin

We left Cape Hotham at 3am to catch the tides through the channel off Vernon Islands.  We arrived at Fanny Bay, Darwin at about 11am.  Dinner at a restaurant tonight (7 July) and the promise of a fresh water shower and a non-moving bed in a hotel.  The end of an adventure - 32 days at sea, 1380 nm, 52 night hours sailing - dolphins, crocodiles, sea turtles, sea snakes, fresh mackerel and tuna.  It was a delivery trip and we would have loved to stay longer at many of the places we passed and wished we had a better dinghy so we could have gone ashore to explore more when we did anchor.  But now writing this 5 months later we are ready to go to sea again - but in a bigger boat.

Liverpool River to Cape Hotham

Malay Bay

Change of Plans !! After listening to the HF radio weather forecast we decided to hazard a night time passage between the Goulburn Islands (saw a Navy Patrol boat anchored) and past Cape Cockburn and on to Malay Bay for an overnight rest before going on through the Bowen Straight on 2 July.  Heavy smoke with the burn off on Croker Island.  We rounded Danger Point and tucked in the little bay on the Western side for the night.  The next day we woke to strong winds so double reefed the main and made our way to Coral Bay on the north western side of Port Essington.  There was an Eco Resort there which was not that friendly to yachties, charging $25 just to set foot on the land or get some brackish water.  By this time we were running low on food and water so had to pay.

Eco resort Coral Bay

We had a two day layover here waiting for favourable winds.  Took a walk along the beach only to find out that crocodiles live in the Billabong just past the trees we were so happily walking near.
Finally we decided to make the run to Darwin, leaving Coral Bay at 10pm.  Moonlit night with no wind so we motored all the way. Around Cape Don at 2am the wind picked up and the seas swelled.  For the next six hours we had 30+ knots and wild seas across Van Diemen's Gulf.  By daybreak we were exhausted and found an anchorage at Escape Cliff on the western side of Cape Hotham.

Across the Arafura Sea

The next 4 posts are being published on the same day as we have not had internet or telephone coverage since Gove.  The "top end" of Australia is very empty country.

 We had another overnight crossing out of the Wessel Islands but this time light winds and calm seas and moonlight - all missing when crossing the Gulf.  It was a good night of easy watches.  Around 9 pm Eileen was having a catnap when she heard whistling sounds.  She went out to the cockpit to see a large pod of dolphins swimming so close to the boat we could almost reach out and touch them.  These dark forms would  skim under the water then in unison emerge to surf over the waves with the moonlight glistening from their sleek bodies.  They stayed with us for about 10 minutes - Magic.

Now the weather forecast is for 30 knot winds on Monday so we have come closer to the coast to Liverpool River and a safe harbour.  There is a good size Aboriginal community at the end of the bay called Maningrida.  We may have to stop there for some water as it will be a close thing to have enough until Darwin.  We still have at least another 4 days of sailing and who know how many days waiting for sensible winds.

Humpy on Entrance Is. Liverpool River

Through the Hole in the Wall

In the Hole in the Wall

Had a great run through the infamous Hole in the Wall, or more properly called Gugari Rip, known for its 10 knot tidal rip.  We timed it perfectly and had 2 to 4 knots going with us and zipped by some fantastic scenery.

Giruliya Bay

Just around the corner from the Hole is a top anchorage in Giruliya Bay.   The six other yachties who had anchored there had a big BBQ on the beach cooking the fish they caught while sailing.  Yachties are the only inhabitants in this area – no sign of any other humans though inland are some Aboriginal settlements.

Crocodiles at Wigram Island

Tidal races - good fun

Wigram Island

Back on the ocean again.  Had a lovely sail in the Arafura Sea from Gove, around Cape Wilberforce, through some challenging tidal races of the English Company Islands  and then a beautiful anchorage on the western side of Wigram Island.   

In the morning Rob was sitting on deck and noticed an odd looking rock sticking up on the low tide beach.  Then the ‘rock’ started swimming towards the boat and got about 15 metres away before it slowly sank out of sight.  Don’t think we will be swimming here.

Layover in Gove

So 60 hours of challenging sailing for the scenic views of the bauxite works of Gove Harbour.

At night the entire place is lit up like a satanic monster.

We had a three day layover here waiting for the winds to ease.  Met a few very friendly and generous locals and went into the only town for hundreds of kms, Nhulunbuy, to stock up on some provisions.

Crossing the Gulf

The big crossing – three days and two nights of continuous sailing to traverse the 380 nm across the Gulf of Carpentaria.  The first half of the trip was fine – a bit of a swell in the shallow water but pleasant 15 knot wind off the port rear quarter.  Then the wind increased to 20 – 25 knots and the water became like a washing machine – Waves higher than the cabin of Jolie Brise and coming from all directions.  Bob and Rob were in the cockpit getting wet and I lay in the V-berth groaning and being tossed first up then down then sideways.  It all came to an end about 10 pm Saturday the 23^rd when we anchored in Gove Harbour after 60 hours of sailing and 30 hours of very unpleasant seas. (We are publishing this 7 days later because this is the first time we have had internet and telephone coverage)

Catching up on the story

We are having a second day lay over at Seisia waiting for a weather window to cross the Gulf – a 60+ hour non-stop passage.  So we’ll use this down time to fill in the bits of the trip when we were out of contact.

Bathurst Bay

Saturday and Sunday were spent at Lizard Island, snorkeling and bushwalking.  On Monday, 11/06, we had a dawn start away from Lizard Island to Bahthurst Bay.  It was a 15 hour sail, 78 nm.  We woke to an alien landscape of bizarre hills that looked like a giant dump truck piled rocks on top of each other to make mountains.

The next day we sailed to Flinders Group Islands where I saw two sea turtles and there is rumoured a 2 m crocodile lives in one of the creeks.  We didn’t bother to go ashore to meet it.  

Flinders Group Islands

Early Morning starts

The next couple of days were more pre-dawn starts first to Morris Island then to Portland Roads, each day doing about 60 nm.

On Friday the 15^th going from Portland Roads to Shelburne Bay we had the company of two dolphins who played in our bow wave for about 10 minutes.  It was a thrill watching these beautiful creatures.

Saturday was a 4 am start out of Shelburne Bay to Escape River.  On the way a mad German 70 year old ex-Lufthansa pilot sailing his 42 foot Beneteau single handed caught a 10lb tuna and gave us half.  It made an excellent fish curry.

Day 12 at sea was very exciting.  We went through the Albany Passage and over the Top End of Australia.  Beautiful!

The Top End

Now we are relaxing in the lovely little town of Seisia, indulging in fresh water showers at the camping grounds, doing our laundry and socialising with all the other yachties.  More yachts arrive each day and we now have quite a crowded anchorage of 24 boats of all shapes and sizes (we are the second smallest) and from a dozen different countries.

Over the Top

No internet or phone since Cooktown.  Low on water.  Total isolation. ARGHH! No gin, running out of white wine, seriously contemplating drinking own urine. Boat started small and getting smaller every day.  Skipper pushing us 15 hour days with 4 am starts.  We have been at sea for 12 days and gotten off the boat only 3 times.  Travelcalm has become my friend.  Had to go ashore to get water at Portland Roads and were attacked by sand flies.  Now covered in red welts.  Rumours of crocodiles lurking in the creeks so didn’t dawdle.

Albany Passage

Lizard Island

Now we are in Seisa with 3G service and people.  Aahh signs of civilisation.  There might even be a little shop where we could treat ourselves.  We will go ashore after lunch and check out this busy metropolis of about 160 people.  Coming over the top through Albany Passage and around Cape York was spectacular.  Beautiful country and saw a whole crowd of people at the very tip taking happy shots while we took happy shots of them from the water.  When I say crowd, it was only 6 people but after days of only seeing one or two people at a time on other boats, 6 is a crowd.  Definitely would be nice to spend more time here as some top anchorages with fantastic scenery.

Low Isles to Cooktown via Hope Island

Scudding across the waves at 6 knots plus, gull wing rig looking good.  Convoy of boats going from Low Isles to Hope Island but then we were on our own track to Cooktown.  Arrived after lunch to explore the town which was getting ready for their annual re-enactment of Captain Cook's arrival in 1770 where he stayed for several weeks to repair his ship, the Endeavour, after hitting a reef.
We discovered  that sailing the trade winds means starting the day with 15 minutes of activity setting the sails then relaxing the rest of the day and in Eileen's case trying not to be ill and taking several naps.  Hugo, the wind vane, is our loyal servant who does all the work needing only an occasional sharp rebuke and tweak to get him back on course.  Then at the end of the day there is another 15 minutes of activity anchoring and securing the boat followed by sundowners and dinner. It is exhausting!

Yorkey's Knob to Low Isles

Welcome to far north Queensland.

After a few days of provisioning and maintenance to get Jolie Brise ready for sailing we left Yorkey's Knob for an easy first day sail of 30 nm to Low Island.  Pretty anchorage with lots of other boats.

Well only 4 days until we fly to Cairns. Long range forecast is for scattered showers, temperatures in the mid 20's C and light SE winds. Beats the frosty weather we have been having in Canberra.

All this foolishness first started when we bought Solar Mist, a venerable Sunmaid 20 built around 1982. As our first boat on which to learn to sail she was ideal, easy and forgiving of our many mistakes, and learn we did, from tentative L plate sailing days on Lake Burley Griffin (mind that ferry!!) through two seasons of twilight racing at the CYC to our first ocean cruise, yes the "big one" from Batemans Bay to Moruya on the NSW South Coast.

    And plenty of fun in between, racing on Lake Macquarie, Lake Illawarra and the iconic Marley Point and cruising on the Hawkesbury, Sydney Harbour (Mind that ferry!!!!) and the Gippsland Lakes. We have learnt many things, first getting cold & wet can be fun and more importantly ferries DO NOT change course to avoid small sailing boats!

First Post

On our Coastal Skipper course

This is our first post just to see how its done, hopefully we can erase our mistakes later.
To gain some sailing experience and knowledge we signed up for the Coastal Skipper course out of  Lake Macquarie.  We had five days of chart reading, blind navigation, night sailing, a bit of rough seas - pass the bucket, quick! - and excellent  teaching from Chris on Sea G.  So  we are feeling a bit more confident to face the open ocean on our Cairns to Darwin trip.