PIT STOP IN GOVE

21 September 2023

Gove anchorage, in Inverell Bay is mostly a peaceful place.  With the easterly and southeasterly winds there is no sea or swell intrusion.  The wind when it gets up is only a minor disturbance.  So that’s good.  The downside is that Truce is becoming a dirty red colour, the same as everything around here.  It’s the windborne bauxite dust that settles everywhere.

Gove is dominated by Rio Tinto who have a large bauxite mine in the area.  The bauxite is carried from the mine site on a long conveyor belt before it is loaded onto bulk carriers for export.  For some reason I had always thought of bauxite as being grey, but no, its red and relentlessly invasive.

Being at the top of Australia Gove is quite a warm place, in fact it gets hot.  Sleeping at night is often a damp affair when there is not much breeze.  To assist with shade and ventilation I have made a low profile wind scoop for the forward cabin hatch.  This provides shade during the day and delivers a cooling stream of air at night into the cabin – at least when the wind is blowing.  The scoop is still in development / prototype stage and made from an old piece of canvas.  It will improve over time, a work in progress.

Of course there are still the constant repairs and maintenance issues to attend to and Gove is a good place to catch up.  On the way across the Gulf of Carpentaria we had a couple of strong wind gusts and this resulted in one of the mainsail slugs breaking.  This is quite an easy fix to sew a new one on but now I am running out of spares so need to look at sourcing a few more for the spares kit.  They are not a common size in New Zealand and the last ones I managed to get from a chandlery in Waikawa of all places.

Before and after repair of broken mainsail slug. Phot Ray Penson

Gove yacht club is open five nights a week and serves drinks and food.  The food is excellent but on the expensive side in line with everything up here in Arnhem land.  The folks up here that I have met so far are all super friendly and helpful.  A couple of days ago I was offered, and accepted, a lift into Nhulunbuy which is the closest town with a supermarket. 

In the evening there is often an informal meeting by the beach for sundowners.  A bit of an old boys club but good for a chat and to learn local stuff, including the opinions and collective wisdom, devoid of PC baggage, of the remote living, elderly Australian male.  

Essential items are being attended to in Gove. I will top up the diesel tanks, load some provisions, beer, laundry and refill the spare cooking gas cylinder. Now I have the water maker I am free from the toil of lugging jerry cans ashore thank goodness. At anchor I have been running the water maker for an hour a day. This keeps the tanks topped up and allows me to have a nice long shower every afternoon as the sun goes down to cool off and refresh, such luxury. The simple things in life can make you so happy.