25) Western Australia: Vansittart Bay to Darwin. 10 to 28th September 2014.

To leave Vansittart Bay we had to go through the last narrow rock strewn passage to return to Napier Broome Bay. On our way west we managed to fluke perfect conditions to get through this narrow passage. So we knew what to wait for – early in the morning so no wind and a slack tide to give minimal current. We anchored in the lee of Mary Island and waited till the next morning. At 9.30 we pulled anchor and motored to the strait. Still no wind so off we went keeping Middle Rock to port and Mary Island and the mainland to starboard. It was slack tide but we still had plenty of current which helped push us through the numerous eddies and confused water at 7.5 knots/hour. Just as we got through the wind arrived and we were able to sail to Sir Graham Moore Island and we anchored just outside Circular Cove. 

We were returning to Darwin and had visited most places in Napier Broome Bay, so we quickly retraced our steps and checked off West Bay, Mission Cove and The Governor Islands.

There were only two big hurdles to jump to get safely back to Darwin and frankly we were not looking forward to either. Cape Londonderry and the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf can be very nasty if you cross either in bad conditions. So in preparation to round Cape Londonderry we anchored in the lee of Cape Talbot, in George’s Bay overnight and studied the tide gauges and weather charts to calculate the right time. The next morning at 1030 hours we caught the ebb tide to help carry us out of Georges Bay and up around Cape Talbot, to the 40m line to safely keep away from the reef. We then had the tide against us for a period of time as we got closer to Cape Londonderry and could only manage 2.9 knots/hour on full power. We persevered and luckily reached the confused waters of Cape Londonderry on slack tide, which is what we ideally wanted.

Cape Londonderry is where the Timor Sea which flows from the east meets the Indian Ocean coming from the west. So even in ideal conditions this place can be notorious for a rough sea state. It is known by many sailors as “the laundry’ for obvious reasons. Today the wind was light and there was minimal swell which helped lesson the height of the waves considerably. All of a sudden the flood tide kicked in and we were getting 7.5 knots/hour with the motor just idling. What a difference the right tide can make.

Rocky reef hazards on entering Butterfly Bay.

On our way west we had not checked out the bays that lie just south-east of Cape Londonderry. So this time we decided we would anchor for the night in Jim’s Bay and then Butterfly Bay the following night. 

Both bays are very shallow so you can only go in so far and to do this safely low tide is best. Both bays have drying reef systems partially blocking the entry and both are subject to the Timor Sea swell coming from the east. Luckily the weather was benign and the easterly swell was tolerable overnight.

One tiny flipper mid photo.

Back in Koolama Bay for the night Peter spied a turtle on the beach laying and burying her eggs. The turtle was pretty hard to see as it was right on dusk and from the boat she was obscured by the sand berm, but we could just make out her flippers working overtime, so she could return to the sea.

When we crossed Joseph Bonaparte Gulf from east to west at the start of our Kimberley adventure, we had long periods of time overnight with no wind at all. We didn’t have the fuel to motor so we just had to bob around waiting for the wind to return. We couldn’t anchor because it was 50 to 60 m deep.

Eric Island.

This time on our return we decided we would sail south along the west coast of the Gulf down to the Berkeley River and then cross at around the 20m depth line. Providing us with the opportunity to anchor if the wind died overnight. So off we went south, staying at Seaplane Bay and then Eric Island for overnight respite. 

Large sand dunes all along the coast.

We really wanted to see the Berkeley River as the weather was too rough for us to enter when we were here last, about 4.5 months ago. So this time we arrived several hours before high tide. We then got out in the dinghy and with a line and rock started measuring the depths before, across and after the sand bar that blocks the river mouth. 

Signs of civilisation - Berkeley Resort.

We then returned to the boat and were mulling over whether to attempt the crossing when a large catamaran crossed the sand bar and entered the river mouth successfully. We quickly radioed to find out their track and depths. There was a problem the shallowest water they encountered was 1.9m and it was just before high tide. 

So decision made there was no way we could attempt the crossing as our keel needed at least 2.5 m of water at high tide to safely cross. 

We realised that it was neap tides and had it been a Spring tide we would have had another metre or so of water at high tide which would have allowed us a safe entry and exit for the Berkeley. It was just not going to work out for us this time. There was no way we were going to wait another two weeks for a Spring tide to see the Berkeley River. So decision made we got in the dinghy and went over the bar and up the river for a short but quick look around – that was the best we could do.  

Entrance to the Berkeley River.

It was quiet calm so we stayed just outside the Berkeley River for the night and deciding that if the wind picked up during the night we would head off. Leaving early the next morning we sailed south east towards the 20m line but the wind died for a few hours, so no chance to anchor so we just bobbed around. It then returned in the late evening and we were able to sail again with the main and jib straight across the Gulf on the 20m line. As luck would have it we had 15 knots from the northwest all night so we decided not to anchor as the sea was lumpy and would not give a good night sleep anyway.

A very tired hitchhiker.

We were going to anchor overnight just inside Treachery Bay in the south-east corner of the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf, but we arrived too late. The ebb tide was flowing out of the river into the Gulf very fast creating huge waves when it hit the wind pushing against it. We needed a flood tide in but wind against tide is always a no go. 

So given the good wind conditions we sailed north along the east coast of the Gulf and up to Port Keats, part of the Northern Territory. We had sailed 23 hours non-stop so all we wanted to do was sleep. We arrived Darwin Harbour three days later after anchoring overnight at Cape Keith and Fog Bay. All three anchorages were uncomfortable due to the wind coming from the north and north-west as it was late September these are the dominant winds at this time of year.

We were so excited to be back in our temporary home and see our good friends, Gayle, Brian, Amanda and Greg. It was also great to be able to go to the shops and get fresh food and not so great to return to work. But well the plus side of that would be money!!!!

Though it was sad to be at the end of our Kimberley adventure. We had sailed all the way to Derby and back in two days short of five months. We had seen so many special places that many people never get to see because the Kimberley is such a remote destination. We had no major malfunctions on the boat and we never got into too much trouble. We had also met some special people - sailors and locals, along the way. 

All round it was a rich and rewarding experience and one we will never forget.