The Wessel Islands

Heading to the Wessel Islands, we first anchored at Wigram Island with Duet and Nomad Davina, after a hard slog through rough seas.  NLC were not issuing any permits for Aboriginal Land (to keep the population safe from Covid 19) so we weren’t allowed to go ashore.  We wouldn’t have anyway as a croc turned up at Duet’s stern, then cruised around between our boats.

croc visit

croc checking us all out

Next challenge, and a scary one, was the infamous Hole in the Wall, a small chasm full of eddies between Marchinbar and Raragala Islands.  We all agreed on the time of the tide change and sailed up there ready to go through.  Storms were building up and the wind gusts increasing so it was hard to tell what the tide was up to.  Furling up the sails, Peter started both engines, but even at 3000 rpm each we were only doing 1 knot against the current! 

Heatwave in The Hole.  Thanks Nigel and Kerry on Duet for the pics!

Duet and Nomad Davina ready to go

Intense concentration from Skipper Pete

With rocks either side there was little room to turn around so we pushed on.  Eventually the channel widened and the eddies subsided and we could sail through.  

Nomad Davina and Duet near the end of the channel

Sailing again...

There we parted company and headed up Marchinbar Island to explore a few anchorages.