17 August 2010
The alarm was set for 06.30am but we were already up and about. We peered out of the fore hatch across the bay and the gloom of our surroundings said it all about how I felt about the place. Lying in my bunk last night my imagination had run riot. Every time I heard noises through the hull I imagined the crocs lying in wait. By 07.30 we had enough light to see the pearl rafts. I have to lean right out over the bow to put the clip on to the spade anchor. Normally this does not faze me one bit, but now I don my lifejacket and clip on to the front forestay. If I fall overboard then it is curtains for me! Going out over the sand bar the wind was back up to thirty knots which made for an exciting exit into the lumpy seas but we still had 2.6 metres under the keel with a rising tide. The skies were grey and overcast, a complete contrast to the last few days. What a relief to be away and out of there. All those pearl rafts and all those crocs. I shuddered at the thought of it all.
Tip Top!
The relief to be out of the Escape River was infinite. Once we had turned downwind we rolled out the genoa and it was all we needed to set us on our course for the Albany Passage 14nm away. Thor 1V followed us in and once again David's timing was absolutely spot on. We swept through with a knot of tide in our favour just before the turn. In half an hour we had drawn level with Cape York. We had rounded the top of Australia for the second time. It was a great moment for us all and an even greater moment for Voyageur. Looking back my log of 2006 I discovered that we transited this passage aboard Stella on the 17th September, one month later but the same date in the month. We tucked in behind the lee of York Island hoping for shelter from the strong winds and intending to stay put for the night. But a horrid squall swept over us and caused a change of mind and plan. We decided to head straight for Horn Island, a good anchoring spot and better shelter. The wind was now blowing like crazy and all I craved was a calm anchorage and a peaceful night's sleep. We dropped the hook off Horn Island and uncorked a bottle of bubbly. We always celebrate the big moments in this way and rounding the "Tip" must surely count as one......
Susan Mackay