Start Loc: Cooktown (15o 27.68'S, 145o 14.78'E)
Narrative: We spent yesterday at Cooktown. We went ashore late morning and started by arranging with the owner of Cooks (sic) Landing Kiosk to come alongside his jetty in the morning and fill up our water tank. We then wandered down and had a look at the History Centre, had lunch at the Sovereign Hotel, went to the James Cook Museum, and finished the day by grabbing a few grocery items before heading back to the boat. We ran the engine twice for a total of 1 hr 40 mins.
We needed tide this morning to get across the small bar and into the channel of the Endeavour River. I worked out that 10:00am was the absolute latest we could leave the outgoing tide to still get across, otherwise it would be a little after 2:00pm before there was enough water again. As it turned out, we raised the anchor at 8:30am and crossed into the channel before tying up at the jetty. We filled the forward water tank, paid the $10 fee (which we were not made aware of until after the fact!) and cast off again at 9:28am to motor out of Cooktown.
Once clear of the channel, I continued motoring NE until we reached the 10m depth contour, and then set sail. Throughout the day the wind was E (and a little south of it), mainly 15-18kts, but occasionally dropping to around 10kts. Seas were 1-1.5m. When we raised sail we had around 17kts true wind. Our NNE course was to have us on a close reach and I expected apparent wind to be around 20kts. So we set the main with one reef and unfurled the head sail to 110%. This point of sail had us making 7-7.5kts over ground.
After about 2 hours we were clear enough of Cape Bedford, and we altered course to a more northerly heading, bringing us on to a beam reach. The wind dropped slightly and we had already gone to the full 130% head sail, so we shook the reef out of the main. We maintained this point of sail for almost 2 hours, our course bringing us between Low Wooded Island and Three Islands. Speed over ground was 7-8kts, and there was one half hour period when we covered 4nm.
Once we had the top of Low Wooded Island abeam us we altered course slightly west again, to a more NNW heading, to bring us in to Cape Flattery. This heading had us on a broad reach. The wind had dropped slightly and, being on a broad reach, apparent was now less than true wind speed. Our speed also reduced, making 4.5-5kts through the water and 5.5-6kts over ground. We rounded Cape Flattery, crossed the shoal running north off the cape, and anchored in the first bay on the north side of the cape at 2:50pm. We anchored in 3.5m of calm water in good holding sand.
We covered the 37nm in 5hr 20 mins, averaging 6.9kts over ground. It was a great sail, maintaining good speed. Even better is that if the wind remains easterly, we will still have good sailing once we turn and head back south in a few days.
We have had interrupted sleep over the last few nights as we have had to get up several times throughout each night to shut hatches as it starts to rain. Once the shower passes we open them again as we need the circulation. And then it rains again! It has been mostly showers, but we had a good downpour at one stage last night. I think the wet season may be breaking and we will be in for more rain.
Tomorrow we will make the short hop to Lizard Island, which we can see about 16nm to our NNE, and spend a couple of nights there.
End Loc: Cape Flattery (14o 57.17'S, 145o 19.87'E)
Distance run: 37nm (cumulative: 1815nm)
Engine hours: 1 hr, 43 min (cumulative: 18 hr, 35 min)