Darwin to Lombok (Indonesia) 945nm leg

6th Sep - just leaving on a 6 day leg to Lombok, Rory has left BriZo in Darwin to exit Australia and apply for work permit in Bali to return to Perth. So Pat and I will be back to the only crew. In Indonesia Tim will Join us for the trip to South Africa. Tim is related to the crew Harry and Imo on Hebe whom we sailed alongside in 2014 and did part of that voyage accross the pacific. Pat and I will be looking forward to meeting Tim who recetly retired and some new conversation by Lombok !  Pat and I are also very much looking forward to spending 8 days or so in Lombok.

 

Torres Straits to Darwin

24th Aug Mid morning start to get over the bar at Escape river a nicer stop than expected. Then the short passage into the stunning Albany passage just inside the Torres straight - the weather had died as we enetered the Arafura Sea to cross the Bay towrads Darwin. This would be Rory's longest single passage, we were just 80nm below Papua New Guinea. After a days of motoring the weather kicked in with sloppy seas and F6/7 winds for a couple of days. Rory suffered a bit but recovered well the last day into Port Essington his first night anchour on the 28th. the next day we moved to Alcaro Bay to day stop and time our entry overnight into Darwin to make use of the tides. We arrived on the 29th August fuelled at Cullen Bay (went wrong side of entry markers - just got away with it!) then onto to Tipperary Waters Marina where we were 'locked in'. Darwin an outback city a tthe end of the Stuart Highway but useful time to catch up with work and rest.

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Contnuing inside the Barrier to Escape River.

From the 16th to 23rd we continued Low Islets, a sweaty docking in F7 and spring tides into Cooktown, the beautiful Lizard I. where we walked to the top and stood where Captain Cook had. This had been Rory's first overnight sail. Then to Flinders I. and into Escape river the last stop before rounding Cape york. it was the 23rd August. We caught and eat a Spanish Makerel.

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Sailing the Coral Coast to Cairns.

Had great weather and day sailing up the Coral coast since leaving the Whitsundays including Jonah Bay, Bowling Green Bay where we saw many whales again, then to Magnetic Island where we stayed two nights and enjoyed the island walks and a quick trip into Townsville and the mariners museum and on Magnetic saw our first Koala in the wild as we walked the WWII fortifications on Magnetic. We continued to day sail stopping at Orpheus I. and on my Birthday the 8th we had a windy morning sail into the Hinchinbrook channel with just 0.5m under the keel at the River Bar.  Played Doors 'This is the end' (theme to Apolcolypse now ) as we went up this Jungle river with both outlets to the sea.

Dunk I. then into Cairns on the 10th August, a bigger town for 5 days. Here we dived the Barrier Reef with Rory taking his first PADI certificate.

 

Previously: Sailing the Whitsundays

On the 28th June 2016 when we flew back to BriZo via Sydney to Brisbane where we stayed for 2 nights to recover from the flight. From the 2nd july Pat and I started to recommission BriZo from its land based cyclone cradle to the water on the 7th July. Another 2 weeks getting sails on, fixing pumps, tenders, engine and generator works and servicing and we were finally ready to test sail to  the Whitsundays on the 21st July.

We have been joined by our friends Sue and Rowlands son Rory who we plucked from a rainy Auckland during his world travels.

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We have now completed a stunning 5 days re-commissioning sail through the Whitsunday islands. All the main systems on BriZo are now working excellently and the crew responded well to being back at sea! A few more days while we await some parts from the UK into Airlie beach, then we will gradually head North on our trip to Darwin and beyond.

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