Return from Darwin

Cullen Bay Marina has limited facilities, charges extra for power, which is metered, but is surrounded by wonderful restaurants and a grassy beach to watch the spectacular sunsets.  It was great to be able to kayak around the loch and leave our kayaks tied to the jetty, but by the time we hauled them back on board they had lots of barnacles and green growth.

It was a stormy early start after a rolly night at Fannie Bay and as we neared Cape Don the rain began, almost horizontal so the boat was well rinsed. 

Our first overnight sail of 32 hours to Valentia Island with Nomad Davina went calmly, the water temperature stayed at 29 degrees C.  Through the night we hot-bedded on the couch taking 1 or 2 hours each and swapping back to the helm.  It’s still tiring especially if you have lots of sail changes, but smooth seas help.

A 6 am start from Valentia Island and another overnight sail of 33 hours to Galiwinku, where we anchored in the channel.  Because of Covid we weren't allowed ashore, the rollout of vaccines has been painfully slow in remote communities.

A juvenile crested tern decided to hitchhike on our solar panel while the parents circled around and kept an eye on their kid.

Ghost nets from trawlers are still a big hazard around these islands, sadly entangling lots of marine life.

A day sail through the eddies of the Bromby Islands and we were back in Nhulunbuy with 5 other cats who we had met along the way, some from Qld, some from WA and Tassie.  And now we have sailed across 6 seas:  Tasman Sea, Pacific Ocean, Coral Sea, Arafura Sea, Timor Sea and Indian Ocean.  PHEW!!