REPORT 31 - THURSDAY TO GOVE
Posted at 9:08 AM, Jul. 6, 2007
HANGING AROUND THURSDAY ISLAND
17 May 07 and Beyond
This report will be a bit different. I am going to be here for quite a while and need to do something to fill in the time.
I have had to send part of the autohelm to Sydney for repairs. Theoretically Australia Post can get it to Sydney in 5 working days. The lady at the Post Office said that I would be more like a week and a half. So far she has been right. Dad sent me a letter and it took 10 days to get arrive.
Some parts of the Isa Lei are starting to get a bit old and tired, and that’s not just the skipper. As well as the autohelm and the leak in the stern gland, the canvas sun shades are starting to come apart at the seams. My very classy “Radio Shack” digital clock is running at half speed. No, it is not a flat battery, I have already replaced it and there is no change. I have replaced three of the fluro lights. For two of them I have used long LED lights. They are great, particularly as they do not interfere with the AM radio reception.
Other tasks included the replacement of the Port/Starboard Light and the search for a fuse for my 240volt inverter. TI is a funny place; you can get just about anything you need, but not often. So far I have purchased the last Port/Starboard Light, missed out by two days on the last fuse and missed by an hour, the last pre-paid Next-G phone on the Island. New supplies are always on order, but don’t expect it on the next couple of barges. I still haven’t adjusted to Island speed.
I did an engine service the other day. It was probably the worst day I have ever spent on a yacht. To start I had booked wharf time to re-fuel and top up the water tanks. Mick had agreed to help out at the wharf. When I approached the wharf, they asked me to hang off for an additional thirty minutes. The boat that they put in front of me was late and took an inordinate time to conduct their business. My well known sense of patience got a real good workout. The wharf is non-floating and is designed for the ships Trinity Bay and Newcastle Bay. It is quite high. The delay meant that it was very high. The water and fuel supplies are also designed for ships. The pipe between the pump and the nozzle alone holds 70 litres. I only wanted 60. There were spillages everywhere. I also had to go ashore to the office to complete the paperwork. Almost could not get back on board; had to jump about five foot. Not good at my age and weight. When I went below, I discovered that the oversized water pipe had caused the tank vents to overflow. Managed to get Isa Lei back on anchor without further incident.
At that stage, I should have called it quits for the day. I was tired, sore and angry. But, once I have set a goal I keep at it, so I went on to the engine service. Draining the oil and changing the filter was done with little problem. When I changed the fuel filters, for the first time I was able to find a use for ALL of the supplied gaskets. So far, so good! I was starting to feel a bit smug. Should have known better, shouldn’t I? When I tried to bleed the fuel system, diesel went everywhere. I had put both filters on upside down. It wasn’t my fault, it was a new brand and they printed their labels the opposite way to the old ones. Sorted that out and started the engine to check for leaks.
Started the engine and with a torch checked out the joints. The way things were going, I’m surprised that I did not use a cigarette lighter for a torch. Oil was pissing out the back of the engine. On Isa Lei, to inspect the engine you have to take of the ladder that leads to the cockpit. The engine stopcock is located at the back of the cockpit. I managed, somehow, to leap out of the cabin (about 5 feet), and switch off the engine while oil was still flowing. I really had no idea where the leak was. I knew that the sump plug, filler plug, dipstick and filter were properly in place. I have been doing oil changes since I was about ten and had never had such a problem. Obviously something within the engine itself had let go, but I knew not what.
Fortunately Mick heard the odd bit of intemperate language. Iris was, after all less than half a mile away. So he came to investigate. Thank Hughie for an actual qualified mechanic. He traced the problem very quickly. The morons at the chandler in Cairns had supplied the wrong filter. And it was their fault, because I took a correct example with me when I made the purchase. They stated that the numbering system had changed. Might have to pay them a visit on the bike later on. The sealing ring was about ¼ of an inch too small. The oil outlets were on the outside of the filter. I did have an extra filter of the right type and some spare oil.
It only took about three hose outs to get rid of the sump oil. Wish I had access to a real shower though. The oil and diesel seems to penetrate right through your skin. Me and Mick had a beer!
21-24 JUN 07: THURSDAY ISLAND TO GOVE (NHULUNBUY)
Despite Telstra being unable to quite find where Thursday Island is and me having little to no faith in the autohelm, it is time to depart. I am getting boat fever and I need to get a move on if I am going to make it to Darwin in time to meet Deslee and to get South for Sarah and Brents’ wedding. Mick, Kylie and Gypsy on Iris took 72 hours to cross the Gulf of Carpentaria. The distance is around 350 nautical miles. Either way it is a long way to go without sleep and with a dodgy steering system. I plan to catnap in the cockpit and have purchased a couple of kitchen timers to make sure that I do not oversleep.
I moved Isa Lei from Horn Island to Thursday on Wednesday (as mentioned before, Captain Cook and crew really did start to run out of names) in order to get a head start, and to allow Telstra an extra day to deliver the modem. Good theory, but ultimately pointless: Telstra failed, I only saved about 40 minutes and I did not sleep all that well due to the rough water against Thursday. The plan was to set off at around 1230. That way I could get out in time to catch the West setting, flood tide. The channel can run at up to 7 or 8 knots, which is more than I can motor at.
Setting off, everything went well for the first one maybe two miles. The ship, Newcastle Bay was heading off at the same time. She was behind me and wanted to overtake. She called on the radio and, when I responded she asked me to go to a working frequency. As I went below, I tripped, spilt my coffee and bashed my knee. I also neglected to engage the autohelm and Isa Lei did a 90degee turn to Port. By the time I got everything sorted and changed frequency, Newcastle Bay was thanking me for turning out of their way. I assume that they had asked me to turn to Port.
Once clear of the Islands, there are about 17 of them in the group, I set the course for about 240degrees and unfurled the headsail. Nothing to do now, other than sit and wait for the Northern Territory to appear in around three days time. There is quite an extensive shoal area to the West of the Torres Strait. It is apparently very popular with turtles. I saw a half a dozen in the space of a couple of hours. Unlike most of my previous encounters, they did not seem to be at all concerned with my proximity.
I am starting to worry that I am too well known in the area. I was buzzed very fast and low (not Air Force fast and low, but still impressively so) by a Coastwatch aircraft. They immediately called me on channel 16 by name. There is no way they could have read the yacht name as it is all but obscured by the dinghy. Maybe I am a star in “Australia’s Most Wanted Lifestyle”, or even “Australia’s Most Wanted Bachelor”? More likely I am on plain old “Australia’s Most Wanted”. Whichever, it is a bit of a worry.
By 1830 (sorry, 6.30pm), I was 34 miles from TI, with 306 more to go. Just before 10pm I had a large cargo ship heading approaching from the stern (love that radar!). I gave him a call and he assured me that he was aware of my existence and would clear me by a wide margin. Nice to know that he had seen me.
I ran into a couple of problems with the catnapping. Firstly, I can’t fit in the cockpit. I have slept there before, but that was at anchor, when I had removed the wheel. Also, with all the bouncing and heeling, one of the timers had become a bit dicky. The other one seemed to get stuck at times. I ended up lying on the floor of the main cabin and using both timers at once. It was so rough that most of the time I did not make it the whole 20 minutes anyway.
Mick had warned me that during his trip, the wind picked up at night and he reefed down at dusk. I had intended to do so anyhow, but the first night the wind was starting to die off and I was considering raising the mainsail. Just as well that I am an idle bastard and did not bother to do so. About 9pm the wind really started to howl. By 1am I was down to less than half a headsail and was still making better than 6 knots.
22 Jun
7.30am and I have covered 105 miles, with 235 to go. At about 8.45 I saw a couple of whales. They were quite small, looking more like enormous dolphins. They were black-backed with a very tall, thin dorsal fin. I thought that they might be killer whales, but they were never close enough to get a good look and I saw no evidence of white bellies. I did hear on the radio that minke whales had been sighted of the coast, so I will settle for that. I did take photos, but there is no evidence of them in the frame.
Got mugged by more than 2 dozen dolphins. They are black and much smaller than those down South. They played around the bow for over an hour, popping up with the surge like so many champagne corks. By now the heady was fully exposed the main was up with a single reef. I guess that I was giving them a really good ride.
Come night fall, I had double-reefed the main, but had the engine running to overcome a temporary lull in the wind. Helped keep the fridge cold too.
23 Jun
Starting to feel really, really tired. From about 10 pm, the main was still double-reefed and I have reduced the headsail to less than a third. The sea is not overly large, but it is steep with very little back. Isa Lei is heeling and sea-horsing quite viciously. I have bruises all over me. I had the interesting experience of watching my vitamin C jar fall off the table, up into the shelf above where it is normally stored. Even the fridge is attacking me. When I open the lid, it often slams shut on my arms, wrists or fingers. I have developed the habit of putting my head in the way. It hurts less and there is little chance of damaging anything important. The fridge almost took off my finger at one stage. It has a ring-operated catch. Just as I opened it the boat heeled and I lost my footing, with my finger jammed in the ring. For a second, all my weight was hanging off that finger. Fortunately, my feet made contact with the chart table and I was able to take the load until we were on an even keel.
At about 1.30am I realised that the bilge pump was shorting out and draining the batteries. I tried to disconnect it, but the connections were so corroded that I couldn’t unscrew them. Luckily it was the automatic float switch that was the problem. A judicious application of the wire cutters solved the problem, as long as I remember to turn on the manual switch every now and then. Just another task to be undertaken in Darwin.
By dusk I had crossed into the NT and changed all the clocks. I discovered that the GPS only allows for time zone changes of one hour, not the ½ hour that I needed. Just another complication until I get to WA. We are now 288 miles from TI, 52 miles to Gove. Just on sunset, a sea bird, about the size of a gull, but with black wings landed on the dinghy. Looks to be settling in for the duration.
24 Jun
By midnight I was down to no main and half a heady. The wind started to drop, but I was pretty close to Gove and did not want to arrive in the dark, so I just left it as was.
Once inside the shelter of the peninsula, I decided to take a nap. Unfortunately, because it was so calm, I really fell asleep and did not wake with the alarm. Still don’t know how ling I slept, but it was very scary to wake up knowing that I had gone too long. Luckily, I was still on track and still safe.
At dawn the seabird left without a word of thanks. Did leave his calling card on the dinghy though. I get the feeling that it makes a habit of hitching home with passing yachts. Dropped anchor at 0730 off the Gove Yacht Club. Saw Iris, but she was a bit close to the shore for my taste. Time to have a really long sleep.
FROM/AT: |
Thursday Island |
TO: |
Gove | |||
|
DATES: |
21 Jun 07 |
|
|
24 Jun 07 | ||
|
LAT: |
120 11’.8S |
LONG: |
1360 42.2 E | |||
|
DISTANCE THIS REPORT |
348 |
BEARING TO HOME: |
138 |
DEG MAG | ||
|
DISTANCE TOTAL: |
3173 |
DISTANCE TO HOME: |
1495 |
NAUT MILES | ||
Gove (Nuhulumbuy)
Well, Gove is a bit of a change of pace from TI. There is shower ashore, which I have made much use of. That was the first “real” shower since the 29th of Apr in Cooktown. There is an actual Woolworths supermarket, service stations, etc. Even have had a decent real coffee. The only drawback is that the Club is about 14 km from town and the only way in is to hitchhike. Fortunately, the locals, many of whom live on their boats, are very understanding and lifts are easy to come by.
I walked into the Yacht Club and the barmaid gives me a hug and a kiss. Yeah, Kylie is working the bar. Mick got a job the day they arrived. He was hitching back from town, mentioned that he was a mechanic and looking for work. His lift did a U-turn, introduced him to the boss and left him there to start work. Kylie was slack and did not get a job until the second day. At Kylies’ suggestion, I moved Isa Lei closer to shore. It was a good idea. I arrived on Sunday morning. By Sunday afternoon there was a strong wind warning for the entire NT coast. That warning stayed for a full week. The anchorage was very chopped up and dinghy trips were unpleasant if not actually dangerous. So the shorter trip was very good.
Kylie and Mick are getting settled. They have bought a car and a second dinghy. It helps the commuting problems, and hopefully their bludging yachtie mates.
Gove is a bit of a revelation. In the middle of nowhere, there is this large, dirty, industrial complex. This is my stern view.
SEE SEPARATE PHOTOS
Fortunately the trade-winds are still consistent and they blow the coal smoke and alumina dust the other way.
At night-time the sun sets behind the plant. Being in the tropics, with the generally clean air and a very low sun, the combination of clouds, smoke and dust make for some pretty spectacular sunsets. This is the same view at night. I think that it is a pretty good photo, but still does not do justice to reality.
SEE SEPARATE PHOTOS
4 Jul
I have done some time and space for the passage to Darwin. It is just under 500 miles. I do not want to get there before 20 Jun. There is a yacht rally from Darwin to Indonesia that leaves on the 19th. There are 120 yachts taking part and I figure that the marinas and anchorages will be pretty busy until then. The trip will take between 6 and 10 days, with one non-stop passage of 210 miles. The main problem is going through some of the straights. They are quite narrow and generate some big currents.
This trip will also mark my transition from the Arafura Sea to the Timor Sea. The list of where I have sailed is getting impressive: Pacific Ocean, Tasman Sea, Coral Sea, Torres Strait, Arafura Sea. Soon, well in a year or so, I will add the Timor Sea and Indian Ocean.
The upshot is that I will be here until at least the 10th of June. Actual departure will then depend on the weather forecast.
Take care,
Bruce