aggressive! The muddy made a delicious meal for dinner that night...

We left GulawinKU for Boucaut Bay, near Cape Stewart running before a strong S/E wind with poled out genoa, ( thankfully we are not going the other way, this wind would be monotonous if we tacking into it) the in this area the wind changes to E/N/E around midday, sometimes with a surprised jibe of the mainsail.

Next day sailing to Cuthbert Bay, S/E wind again, surprised to be receiving phone signals from our mast mounted antenna, so I rang Kay to keep in touch, lots of the Aboriginal Settlements along this coast seem to have mobile and broadband, we went ashore when we arrived at Cuthbert Bay a lot of the beach here is covered with pumice stone and volcanic rock, must have been lots of upheavals here a couple of million years ago, Phil caught another mackerel so Sylvie made a mackerel mornay, not bad at all.

Short run today to North Goulburn Island to stay the night at Mullet Bay, sounds alright, but we didn’t see any mullet, lots of mackerel and tuna chasing sardines, had a walk ashore found a bogged Suzuki, looks like it had been there for 10 years. We were invited aboard “Jemimah” (a mono we have been travelling with since crossing the Gulf) for an evening meal. Rosy had made a delicious chicken curry followed by sticky date pudding and thickened cream…yummy to say the least. A couple of nights earlier Mike & Rosy had a treat of bangers and mash aboard Spindrift (quality meal at short notice)!!


On Saturday we left for Malay Bay running with a poled out genoa again. A strong wind warning was issued for today however it did not seem to eventuate (approx 20 kns). When we arrived at Malay Bay Phil and Barry went ashore. Being the hunters and gatherers of the crew they managed to seek out an unlucky mud crab. The resourceful pair found a rope on the beach and back at the crab hole Phil says “put the rope around his claws”. “What a good idea” says Barry as the crab tries to take the end off his finger!!! The Northern Territory mud crabs seem to be particularly aggressive! The muddy made a delicious meal for dinner that night.

Next morning we sailed onto Cobourn Peninsula and to Port Essington. We visited the aboriginal museum at Black Point (near the end of the Peninsular). Alcraro Bay is the next anchorage approx 25 nm from Port Essington. After Alcaro bay we sailed on passed Cape Don and into some tide rips and on to Cape Hotham, and spent the night in the mouth of the Adelaide River. On Wednesday morning the tide coming out of the Adelaide River gave us a sling shot that carried us all the way to Darwin, now anchored outside the Darwin Sailing Club, then into Tipperary Waters Marina, going through the lock was a bit hairy, but we didn’t lose any fiberglass coming through. Phil and Sylvie leave the boat here in Darwin and fly home, Spindrift will miss them.

From here we go with Darren and Kirilly, to the Berkley & King Georg Rivers, and then on through the Kimberley

Thanks for the comments from Sandy & Tom and Stu & Narelle, also Phil and Belinda, Liked your comments, Phil , leaving memories not dreams, pity you’re so far away in Sydney, you could have fitted in one of the legs