PORTLAND ROADS TO ESCAPE RIVER

8 September 2023

Portland Roads was a bit of a disappointment for me.  The weather was a bit windy for my small dinghy and there was nothing tempting me to go ashore.  After an average comfort night at anchor I decided on an early morning start north again. 

The Barrier reef is starting to close up towards the coast now with the shipping lane running between the coast and the reef.  The sea inside the reef is much calmer and swell is diminished making sailing northwards on the SE trade winds a delight.  Its also good to see the commercial shipping sailing up and down the lanes, adds a bit of interest to an otherwise deserted strip of water.

We sailed northward making good time passing Middle Reef, Kemp Rocks and Inset reef before coming up to Home Island Passage just before noon.  The sail through Home Islands was beautiful, calm and scenic with the fringing reefs clearly visible.  After Home Island I had a look into Margaret Bay which the cruising guide says is an excellent anchorage.  It didn’t look too inviting to me and as the day was still young and the wind fair we sailed on leaving Sunday Island to starboard towards Shelburne Bay or Schelburne Bay as it is called on the more modern charts.

Just after two in the afternoon we anchored close in under Round Point in 5m of water.  There were no other boats here, but a catamaran came in later in the afternoon.  Its now becoming unusual to see another cruising boat.  The anchorage was good and sheltered, I had a relaxed afternoon and made some more fresh water. 

The next day it was an early start again for the trip of about sixty five miles up to Escape River.  The forecast for today seemed changeable and the morning was overcast and cloudy.  The wind was good to start with and we sailed past Viking Reef and  Cairncross then the rain started.  The visibility reduced, the sky became very overcast and the temperature almost became cool.

Unfortunately the wind almost died and we had a slow damp sail up to the Escape River entrance.  The wind came back strongly as we entered the Escape River across the bar and at five in the afternoon we were anchored in 8m water.  The wind was blowing but the water was calm inside the river.  Escape river is much bigger that it seems from looking at the charts and there are extensive drying banks.  There is a pearl farm in the river and pearl floats are marked on the charts, I didn’t see any floats or activity so maybe its no more.  Once again we were the only boat at anchor.

There is obviously a weather change coming but the forecast doesn’t seem to give any clues.  I will wait overnight and see what tomorrow looks like.  For rounding Cape York I would really like to have easy weather and hopefully get in close and anchor.