It's time to move onto new adventures. My visa for Indonesia arrived yesterday, I can get going again to continue my journey, visit new places and meet different people.
HEADING TO INDONESIA
Voyage Logs
PIT STOP IN GOVE
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.
ENTERING A NEW SEA
I have sailed the seven seas. But, never before have I sailed on the Arafura Sea or crossed the Gulf of Carpentaria. Now I have. My stop in Seisia was excellent apart from a couple of days when the wind blew too hard for me to get ashore in the little rubber duck dinghy, at least not without a soaking or risk of being blown to Timbuctu.
AROUND THE TOP END
Truce is once again the only boat in the anchorage and its quite a remote and dark place at night. The second night was too much, I decided to get around Cape York in the morning no matter what the weather was doing.
PORTLAND ROADS TO ESCAPE RIVER
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.
FLINDERS TO PORTLAND ROADS
Another early morning start, we departed from Stokes Bay before six, the sky was just starting to lighten in the east but in the anchorage it was still dark. We arrived and departed from Stokes Bay without seeing the shore. The reason for an early start today is that the run up to Morris Island is around sixty miles and I do like to get anchored and settled down if possible before sunset.
CAPE BEDFORD TO FLINDERS ISLAND
The sail to Lizard Island is a far less strenuous undertaking, just 36 miles and with the perfect wind of around 10 knots it was a very relaxing ride. We saw dolphins and whales on the way, arriving at the Lizard Island anchorage early in the afternoon. The anchorage is very scenic and the water crystal clear with fish swimming all around.
DEPARTED CAIRNS
Finally, at last, by the 29th August the trades had moderated and I let go from the mooring as the tide turned to ebb and headed out from Cairns. Truce had been tied up there for nearly a month and developed a nasty scummy slime around the waterline. Time to sail it off.
MAINTENANCE IN CAIRNS
After the injury to my left arm I have been sailing with just the headsail. Most of the time I have poled out the sail as its been mostly downwind sailing to the SE trades. The trades at times can be strong, gusting to 30+ knots occasionally. It looks like I have stressed the spinnaker pole and opened up an old break in the carbon fibre. This needs repairing before setting off again.
BALI AND A WEDDING
The wedding was for Natasha and her future husband Sam. Natasha is the daughter of my best friend Jim Britton. Unfortunately Jim passed away a short time ago. The wedding was delayed time and again by covid and unforeseen events. Jim did pick out the wedding dress, he did a good job as usual.
The Adventures of Captain Ray Penson 