It was a horrible hot windless night with lots of midgies
and I struggled to get to sleep, getting up several times to sleep in the
cockpit to cool off a bit. Eventually the temperature dropped until it was cold
and I needed the doona.
I got up with the sun and went for a troll and a look around
in the dingy as it was now low tide. The passage into the squatter’s camp had
dried up and I went over to the small boat anchored near us to say g’day and
bugger me it was Phil, from the squatter camp in Scott Free II.
Phil was just cruising around and making use of the water
supply to make his home brew and it was nice to meet the old bugger and hear
some of his stories.
Before it got too hot, we cleaned all the windows and the
clear dodger and Sirocco now looks so beautiful and the Kimberly looks so good
from inside the saloon and sitting at the helm.
Around 11:00 I whizzed back to the water tank for one last
swim and then we pulled the pick and headed over to Cockatoo Island to top up
the fuel tank before heading further east.
I called up Mick and organised to come along side at 12:40.
It was an old high concrete wall with a rock wall one end and nasty jiggered
rocks at the other end with a slight swell rolling through.
I was concentrating on bringing Sirocco along side without
bumping the rock wall while Putu was being directed by Mick about taking a
mooring line.
There were several ropes dangling and many fender buoys in
the water and while concentrating I wasn’t aware of the mooring line in the
water and then suddenly, I lost power of my starboard engine.
To my horror a mooring line Mick and Putu was messing with
had gone around my starboard propeller rendering that engine useless. Luckily,
I managed to maneuver Sirocco along side using only the port engine and we got
securely moored.
I filled one Jerry can of unleaded for $3.20/l and also took
on 87 liters of diesel at $3.00/l.
I cut the heavy mooring line around the prop and was still
unable to pull it free, so there was no option other than to go for a dive
under the boat to manually remove the rope.
I wasn’t happy about diving in crocodile infested waters,
but Mick ensured me there were very few crocks here as the sharks had eaten
most of them.
I donned my mask and flippers and jumped in and took a look
around. I was surprised to see there were no sharks or crocodiles, so I got to
work on untangling the heavy rope from around the propeller.
I had the job done in no time and bobbed back up covered in
blue anti-fouling and scrambled back onto the boat. Mick gave me a good blast
with the fresh water hose from four meters above to wash the salt and anti-fouling off
and all was sweet.
The Cockatoo Island mine is run down and in a state of
disrepair, although there is some work going on to try and reopen it. Some of
the houses can be rented if you would like to stay there and go fishing.
After a quick chat, we dropped the lines and headed off to
go check out Dog Leg Creek only eight nautical miles away. There was not much
there and the fuel barge was still out of action, but it would be a good
cyclone shelter if needed.
From Dog Leg Creek we headed to the Canal separating Koolan
Island from the main land where we could see the mine face and loading jetty.
There were haul trucking carrying ore up the side of the steep Island and an
iron ore tanker anchored near by waiting to be loaded.
We passed two tug boats on moorings as we headed for the
dreaded gutter, a very narrow passage where a ten-knot tide should spit us out
of Yampi Sound and into the open ocean. We were passing mid-way through an
ebbing tide and according to the Cruisers Guide it should be a fast ride.
As we got closer it became apparent the current was against
us which had me confused but I assumed their must be a long delay in the tidal
prediction. As we went through the gutter, I started the second engine and
powered through doing four knots through the whirlpools and strong tidal
streams.
We made it through without any drama and I was glad when I
bought Sirocco, I upgraded the engines from nineteen horse power to thirty
horse power Yanmars for this very reason.
After exiting the gutter, we headed for Koolan Island Boat Club
Bay where we dropped the anchor in ten meters, just half an hour before sun set and we relaxed for the night. We made contact with Fonster who were not far away
heading for the King Fisher Islands to anchor for the night.
Track Sirocco’s
progress
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