Sens de La Vie Sailing 2021- Passage to Cape York. May 2021

 

Sens de la Vie Sailing 2021- Passage to Cape York.

These South east Trade winds are very strong and with decent swells.  Sens de la Vie  sailed beautifully and was faster than some of the other yachts which surprised us as she would be  currently weighing close to 12 ton  with the new heavy batteries, full load of fuel reserves, 800 litres of water and all the provisions and personal effects, tools and spares on board.

Very happy with her performance as we zig zagged around the islands, reefs, shoals and negotiated a very busy shipping channel. 

We saw The Big Rig Crane boat as she made her way home from being overseas.   This Australian crane company have just completed a spectacular  world first of the history making bridge Build with a world record lift 300 meters above Turkeys Dardenelles Straight.  Adding to this incredible work being done in  a dangerous earthquake zone and construction in a Pandemic. 

The pillars that they craned will eventually support the World’s longest suspension bridge linking European and Asian sides of Turkey.  It’s a great story of an Australian company doing amazing feats of engineering.

Photos from Google

The weather continues to be overcast with patches of rain.  Unfortunately, not great for photography. The Top End Qld coast line is beautiful, gradually changing with less mountains, vegetation and  rocky outcrops with large boulders.  

We made passage to Nerian Bay.

 The following day  Flinders Islands anchoring off Stanley Island.

Doing long days  sailing to make headway on the many miles in front of us, also working with the weather and sea state which has been overcast and raining since we left Cairns.

Our next day was at Night Island.  These areas are very remote with only the fishing fleets and Cargo freighters traversing the North Passage.  Only a small number of yachts make these passages further north. We are fortunate to be in good company.

We will explore more the Flinders Island Group on our return and visit the many unmarked graves of those who died on  ships transporting cargo up and down this remote coastline.  The Indigenous Cave paintings on Flinders  Islands are worthwhile seeing. 

Photo Courtesy Google Flinders Island

Photo Courtesy Google Flinders Island

We are the "motley tail enders" going North to Darwin and Kimberly Coast, most of the other dozen or so boats from Qld sailing to the Kimberly are ahead of us but we remain in communication with them via a message group.  

Sea Leaf, Luna Sea Cool Change, Never Die Wondering and Sens de la Vie make up the tail end of the pod and in the weeks ahead it is most likely we will all find ourselves separated by a day or more either ahead or behind as we  pick our passages times and anchorages to suit our vessels and our interests.  

The randomness of meeting these like minded sailors making way across the other side of Australia is wonderful.  

We are in regular contact via radio chats with this cruising pod and all happy to meet at anchorage for sundowners and Yarns. 

We made for an overnight anchorage at Portland Roads.  The café was closed much to our disappointment but garbage run to council bins and internet was available.

Sens de La Vie and Cool Change Portland Roads

Historically Portland Roads is famous for a long wooden Jetty jutting out into the sea from the point and built for the local Gold Rush and WW2 was used for landing equipment and fuel for the three US Airfields in the Iron Range of the Cape York Peninsular. The Jetty played a major role in the development of the Cape.  Sadly the remains of the jetty are just a few pylons still standing covered in barnacles and large oysters.  

The next leg to Margaret Bay was challenging and our Lowrance chart plotter died.  After some frantic diagnostics, the verdict was its DEAD.  

We have paper charts, compass and a sextant, Capt Teza went old school in navigating.  Our back up of Navionics Charts and AIS on the tablet unfortunately we discovered we had not downloaded all the charts.  Cool Change loaned us their tablet, until we got to Seisia/ Bamaga at Cape York where will we have internet to get everything loaded up on Navionics and organise delivery of a new chart plotter to Seisia.  A complex task of getting this freighted up on a plane to Bamaga Air Port.

Margaret Bay  anchorage we stayed 2 nights.  A beautiful peaceful bay we stretched our legs at the beach forage for oysters and coconuts, enjoyed the company of the cruising pod and discussed the passage making to the top of Cape York.  

The Pod
Brian and Sandra Sea Leaf, Michelle and Dave SV Luna Sea, Lisa and Matt SV Cool Change

Our Tenders tied up on Sea Leaf for Sundowners

Capt Teza’s health and stamina is improving as we tested his strength climbing up a coconut tree.  Capt Teza is less energetic than his usual  ”Terarse” self.

 That is OK, it suits me,  a more relaxed, casual, slow Terry is less hectic with less of me frantically trying to keep up with him.  However, the loss of muscle tone and strength is a concern. Tasks that require muscle are harder for Capt Teza. On a boat there is a lot of heavy lifting and the body is constantly moving.  We hope that this will improve with time, but we are mindful it may be difficult to build the muscle back.

Foraging for Oysters

Margaret Bay

I often turn on the stern deck lights at night to see what may be in the water, particularly looking for squid, on this occasion we got a bit of a fright seeing a sea snake trying to get into the tender.  We shut off lights and went to bed. 

Snake at our stern

In the morning as we were all hauling up our anchors Sea Leaf warned us  over the radio “ check your chain lockers as a bloody sea snake has wrapped its self around the chain and made a home in the chain locker”.  It was removed rapidly by the Skipper of Sea Leaf, Brian.

Photos Courtesy of Brian "Sea Leaf"

Snake in the Chain Locker of Sea Leaf

Later in the day , when we all anchored in Escape river once again a radio call from “Sea Leaf” now renamed by Capt Teza  “Sea Snake”  , Skipper Brian not amused. 

“ You are not going to believe this but another Snake in my BBQ” .  

Another Snake in the BBQ on Sea Leaf

Responses

“ do you have a wildlife licence to export native snakes  70nm from their native habitat?”

“you need a goat or a mongoose”.

“on the Barbie……….did you eat it?”

We are a caring bunch of sailors.

Sea Leaf Making Passage

 I gifted a bag of Snakes Alive lollies when we got to Seisa, on going jokes have been very entertaining.

  Jokes aside, I would not have been comfortable sleeping on that boat until every nook and cranny was explored.  Brian and Sandra from Sea Leaf had a late night whilst they did many checks for more stowaways.

The reality of this  "Snakes on Board" situation is that we are coming into areas that nature does not have any boundaries, we are the intruders.  These areas of coastal waters are wild remote habitats with little population on shore impacting on the local fauna and flora. The snake incident was a reminder to all of us to keep watchful of nature.  It is not uncommon to hear stories of a  crocodile  that has made a sunning perch on your stern duck board or sugar scoop.

We are also in regular contact with Border Force Plane Patrol 33 and later further North Border Force Patrol 11.

Border Force Plan fly over and contact

They monitor on channel 16 but they also scan all radio channels.  Radio Channel 72 is used Ship to Ship. I am sure we have entertained the flight crew of Border Force with our humorous banter between the The boats on passage.

Escape River has a pearl farm, contact was made via radio by one of the sailing pod.  The pearl farmers were happy to welcome us to the pearl operations station, looking forward to a chat.  On this occasion weather dictated that we need to get over the top before a big blow comes our way.

Photos Courtesy of Google

Escape River 

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We were first to haul anchor in the morning,  the other yachts  were going latter to work the tidal currents in Albany Passage.  Our Passage was around Albany Island, but latter on inspection of the entry into the channel we went through the passage with no difficulties with tide or currents.

Amazing scenery. I was elated to sail around the Mainlands northern Most Point, Cape York.

A very special moment and achievement for us both.  Its not easy sailing these waters, the currents, shoals, shipping channels and the winds are very challenging.

Rounding the Cape

As we rounded the Cape I think both of us thought we would be welcomed on the other side of the Cape by  a nice calm anchorage.  Fierce winds, choppy seas negated a beach visit to walk to the tip and we made way for a calm anchorage at Little Rocko Island just in the Endeavor Straights near Possession Island.

The early explorers and maritime history is fascinating in this area. I enjoy,  when we have internet researching the areas history.

 

We watched the local lads diving for crays in croc infested waters with little visibility. The swift tidal  movement of water in the passage means it is not clear until you get down below 2 meter depths.

Seisia,  Cape York was our next port where we will stayed until  the new chart plotter is procured.  

The rest of the Pod dispersed to Thursday Island and Luna Sea was already at Seisia anchored. I would have loved to have gone to Thursday Island but priority was to get the chart plotter organised as we can’t go any further without it and we needed internet to get our Tablet Navionics all downloaded.  We will catch up with Sea leaf and Cool Change in Seisia in the next couple of days. 

This is the way of a sailing pod making passage around Australia, leap frogging or visiting other areas of interest are individual to each vessels crew,  but at some point we will meet up with them again.  

Some of the yachts that departed earlier are far ahead on there way to Darwin. Some will spend more time in Darwin for repairs, quick fly home to family and taking time to explore around Darwin.  It may well be that we might catch up with the main body of yachts going to Kimberly Coast in Darwin.

Either way the camaraderie and sharing of information has been most helpful.  

Sailing No Regrets  is just one of the Catamarans  and they have a UTube Channel. Their interests are diving on shipwrecks and remote reefs, producing travel docos.  Their Utube channel is current to our sailing passage. Check it out.

The next blog will be about our week at Seisia. Lots of surprises, great memories, fascinating history   in the good company of Lisa and Matt from Cool Change.