Year 2 16 July 2025 – Marlin Marina- Cairns –Kei Kecil – Indonesia – about 1,160nm

William and Nicola got up early and went off the Supermarket. When I got up the freezer was only about minus 4 so it was not as cold a required. I messaged the engineer and he said he would come at 8.00am. When he came he adjusted the gas and finished things off and said it should cool down more, especially when we were underway as the freezer had a plate on the hull to help it cool. I had my doubts but there was nothing more I could do at this stage as we needed to get going.

The Customs officers came at about 9.00am and checked us out of Australia. Once the freezer man left we could start putting things away again and cleaning and tidying up the boat for departure. I went through the boat with Adam internally.

We got rid of the rubbish and put things away as we were going to sea. I went through the passage plan and had put waypoints all the way up the internal channel inside the Barrier Reef and the route out through the Torres Straits, helpfully obtained from the Queensland Government. Once out of the Torres Straits we have been given two suggested waypoints by the Rally to take us west along the top of Australian Waters before we would turn North to get across to Ngiar Varat – the Island where Kei Kecil is the bay on the Northwest side. Between Cairns and the Torres Strait, we will need to watch out for cargo ships coming up and down the internal channel. After the Torres Strait the issue will be the fishing boats and large fishing nets. One boat which had left early had to pass a 7nm long net.

Once we were ready we started the engine and got clearance from Cairns VTS to leave the marina and to enter the channel out of Cairns as it is shallow either side of the channel. We eased out of our berth at about 11.25am and had the excitement and slight trepidation of another long passage in busy waters. It was a lovely sunny day with unfortunately little wind. We motored out and put away the fenders and ropes. We had to motor out for a few miles to get into deeper water before we could turn on to our intended course. We had a cup of tea and biscuits to get us going. It was a shame I did not have much time to see much of Cairns due to maintenance issues but it is sometimes like that and it was important to resolve certain issues before Indonesia.  

I had decided we would have two on each shift with Adam and I taking one shift and William and Nicola the second. We would have three four hours shifts in the day between 8.00am and 8.00pm. Then there would be four three hours shifts at night so we would be rotating and not always on the same timed shifts. Adam and I started the first shift from 12.00noon to 4.00pm. William and Nicola made lunch and a chilli supper in advance and which would do two meals.

We initially passed Port Douglas which we had thought of going to. Port Douglas (Kuku-Yalanji: Jabulkanji) is a coastal town and locality in the Shire of Douglas, Queensland, Australia, approximately 60 km (37 mi) north of Cairns. In the 2021 census, the locality of Port Douglas had a population of 3,650 people. The town's population can often double, however, with the influx of tourists during the peak tourism season from May to September.

The town is named in honour of a former Premier of Queensland, John Douglas. Port Douglas developed quickly based on the mining industry. Other parts of the area were established with timber cutting in the area surrounding the Daintree River and with settlement starting on lots around the Mossman River by 1880. In November 1996 United States President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton chose the town as their only holiday stop on their historic visit to Australia. When dining at a local restaurant they witnessed a couple's wedding certificate. On a return visit on 11 September 2001, Bill Clinton was again dining at a local restaurant, when he was advised of the September 11 attacks. He returned to the United States the following day.

On 4 September 2006, television personality and conservationist Steve Irwin died at Batt Reef, off Port Douglas, after a stingray barb pierced his chest during filming of a documentary called The Ocean's Deadliest. Irwin was filmed snorkelling directly above the stingray when it lashed him with its tail, killing him almost immediately. The event was widely reported in Australia and overseas. We visited his zoo when I was in Brisbane. It is such a shame he died in those circumstances when in the prime of his life.  

We passed Cape Tribulation (Kuku-Yalanji: Kulki) which is a headland and coastal locality in the Shire of Douglas in northern Queensland, Australia. 

Cape Tribulation was named by British navigator Lieutenant James Cook on 10 June 1770 (log date) after his ship scraped a reef north east of the cape, whilst passing over it, at 6pm. Cook steered away from the coast into deeper water but at 10.30pm the ship ran aground, on what is now named Endeavour Reef. The ship stuck fast and was badly damaged, desperate measures being needed to prevent it foundering until it was refloated the next day. Cook recorded "...the north point [was named] Cape Tribulation because "here begun all our troubles".

The day continued and the wind refused to get about 4-5 kts. It was lovely and sunny and very beautiful as we motored along the coast. We put up the main but it did not give us much help. We had to watch out for not only cargo ships but also fishing boats and dive boats heading back to various ports. The afternoon wore on and the sun began to dip. The hills and mountains began to be like silhouettes with layers you could see into the distance. The sun went down and we prepared for dark by switching our instruments to night mode.

William and Nicola had taken over at 4.00pm and we had supper at 7.15pm. The chilli with rice, parmesan and squashed avocado was filling and delicious. Adam and I took over at 8.00pm and were soon monitoring cargo ships, fishing boats and various lights to check where we were and that we are not going to collide.

The night beckoned. At least we have started and hope the wind will fill in and we can get back into the shift routine. The picture of the day is Stormbird back heading North with our Rally flag on the port side.  

Need/Opportunity Year Three

In year three I will be going from Thailand to Sri Lanka, India, Maldives and then on to Chagos, Mauritius, Reunion, Cape Town, St Helena, Azores and back to the UK.  I am looking for crew from Mauritius/ Reunion Island to Cape Town and from Cape Town to the UK. If of any interest do email me.

The blog will continue as we continue the journey. If you have any comments or suggestions about the blog then do email me on hine.nick9@gmail.com