Our research showed Fannie Bay to be the anchorage of choice. It’s easy to get to as you approach Darwin, but the charts show most of it with a depth under 2 metres. At 2 metres we’re on the bottom so we knew we’d have to anchor a long way out.
Approaching from Thursday Island there is a big island blocking a direct line to Darwin. It can be sailed around adding an extra day or 2, with the last 150 kms being a beat into the wind to get to Darwin, or the route between the island and mainland can be taken. It has some narrow reefy bits and tidal streams that can exceed 4 knots. To get it all working for you, you have to pass Cape Don right on its high and then ride the flow all the way to Darwin. Because Darwin’s high is 4 hours after Cape Don you get about 8 hours of push to do over 60 miles. But you still need to average around 8 knots which is probably manageable, just. Our problem was that we’d reach Cape Don’s high at 2 am. Not a great time to be entering tricky waters. The other concern was that with the anchor windlass worn and unreliable the fall back position of throwing out the anchor and waiting for the next tide if we found we couldn’t do the whole run in one stretch, was dodgy at best. We decided to play it safe and go the long way around.
The beat from the west coast of Melville Island was awful and we motorsailed into a sloppy, grumpy sea. We pitched like a rocking horse the whole way and by nightfall we were only a couple of hours out of Darwin, but with over 20 vessels showing up on the AIS, most at anchor, we did slow, lazy circles all night and tackled the entry in daylight.
For the first part of the entry we had the tide with us and made good time, passing a few of the biggest, most powerful tugs I’ve ever seen. Then the tide turned and we limped into Fannie Bay at 2 knots. There were a lot of masts so we knew we’d found the right place.
We were about an hour off low tide so once we’d found the best spot, we weren’t going to hit bottom because we were nearly there already. The trick was to let out enough chain so we’d still have scope for at least a 4:1 ratio when we were sitting 6 metres higher!
It was nerve racking and I don’t know how many times I ran through the calculations, but we must have got it right because we’re still here and haven’t touched bottom. With our draft we’re one of the furthest boats out and it takes 10 minutes to reach shore from here.
Once ashore there is a clean beach to leave the dinghy, and the Darwin Sailing Club is right there. It has a great view over the bay, a bar, reasonable meals (for Darwin) and the bus into town is just about right outside. For $3 you get to the centre of town and can use the same ticket back within 3 hours.
Dinghy strategy here is all important. We only had to drag the dinghy 75 yards back to the water a couple of times before we learnt to time shore time with the tides. I can usually drag the dinghy, but the wet sand here is the kind that sticks to your feet so you’re constantly dragging the dinghy against suction. Now we go in on a rising tide or just before the low so the dinghy gets pushed up the beach as the water comes in.
The first time we climbed the stairs to the club we saw a sign for those about to go down to the beach, warning of crocs which have been seen in the bay, and stingers (jellyfish).
While we’ve been here we’ve had the super moon, and the super tides that went with it. We went ashore an hour before low tide and noticed the tide was a lot further out than we’d ever seen it before. We beached the dinghy and I set the anchor as far as it would reach in the direction of the shore. The beach was very flat and it was a longish hike.
We were gone for 3 hours and when we got back we thought the dinghy had been stolen, until we spotted it 100 metres off shore. No problem. I’d seen how flat the sand was. I’d just walk out to it.
By the time the water got to my chin I was more than half way. It would take more time to go back than get to the dinghy. Gentle breast stroke so as not to disturb the water too much and I eventually got there. While I was catching my breath for the leap and slither into the dinghy the thought crossed my mind that this is about when Hollywood makes it happen. That thought and the outboard leg did wonders for my launch into the dinghy.
That night Sandy was keen to catch something a bit bigger than the bait that swims around the boat. A night or two before she’s hooked something really big and lost it along with the hooks etc.
We’d just finished watching a movie when the reel on the big rod croaked out its line. It was erratic and at times it seemed she’d lost this one too. Eventually she had it in close to the transom and its eye gleamed like a diamond in the torchlight. I had no idea shark eyes did that. This was quite a beauty and as I lifted it up it was about a metre long. Working way too close to its teeth we tried to get the hook out but eventually decided to cut the line right at the hook. It swam off to show its buddies its latest piercing. Talking to a local, the advice was not to bother fishing here because the sharks will have anything of reasonable size before you can get it to the boat.
We’ve been here for nearly 3 weeks and in that time we’ve knocked over more than half the jobs on the boat list, Sandy has had a trip to the dentist and visited family down south. I went to get a prescription from a local doctor (controlled hypertension), told him I’d had a few lightheaded spells. He took and ECG and I ended up in hospital overnight for observation and tests. Fortunately all is well so our journey continues, with the advice to hold on tight.
Darwin is hot. Sandy went from 35c here to 5c in Newcastle. It was when we were going ashore for the trip to the airport that we saw a huge turtle swimming towards us. He was massive with his head held high until he decided to dive. Now all we need to see is a dugong, and maybe that croc!
It never seems to rain in ‘winter’ and we leave all the hatches open and cockpit sides up with no fear of a scramble to close up at night. The sunsets are beautiful but all the same... a red ball sinking through the haze into the sea. The air force has a squadron of F18 Hornets here and what was a novelty has become an ear splitting nuisance, although they do look good. I also saw a squadron of Mirages fly in which surprised me. I thought Australia had sold off its Mirages, but maybe not.
We have the good fortune to have some extended family here. Marion and Warren have been here for a year and Marion has been happy to run us around which is a huge help when carting outboard motor etc. We had them out on the boat with their 3 kids a week ago and they all seemed to have a good time. Hannah and Connor both caught a few fish which Sandy now has in the freezer for bait. Christopher, the youngest, has way too much energy to sit holding a rod for more than half a minute.
I guess that about brings things up to date. We’re starting to get seriously itchy feet again so the sooner we can hoist the sails and head for the Cocos Islands the better.
Until next time...