CAIRNS
If you are considering spending the summer in the north, Cairns is an ideal cyclone hole. The many creeks branching off Trinity Inlet afford excellent protection. The Piermaster at "Cairns Harbour", located upstairs in the Reef Fleet Terminal near the Marlin Jetty, has a cyclone contingency plan available. Call them on UHF Ch. 16 for fore and aft moorings, or Cairns Harbour Marina generally has a few berths available. Alternatively, anchorage can be found north and south of the pile moorings. Many of the piles that will be remembered from years ago have been removed.  Some still remain.  North of the piles are a number of private registered moorings.  Please do not crowd into this area.  While these moorings may seem well apart, during wind against tide conditions they need every inch of that space. 

 While North Qld. can be very hot during summer, we find that by 11 a.m. a northerly usually starts blowing up the inlet. This is a "false" breeze, generated by the mud flats. Often, there will be no breeze outside. This is an ideal time to visit the Great Barrier Reef, as conditions are generally perfect. The occasional cyclone threat has never been a great problem in the many years that we have been cruising and summering-over in this area.

PORT DOUGLAS
Fuel can be obtained at the marina. We have found, in the past, that it was cheaper there than in Cairns or at the Port Douglas fuel dock. It is not advisable to swim at any inshore islands apart from Low and Lizard, and certainly not on the mainland due to the presence of crocodiles.

DAINTREE RIVER
Do not attempt to use the southern entrance as shown in the cruising guide. We have heard that it has not been usable for years. There is a fairway buoy a bit further north.  It can be hard to find but due to these buoys moving occasionally I will not give a waypoint.  Multihulls should be able to enter at all stages of the tide. Keelers need a bit more tide. Use your own judgement. We have found the shallowest area in the entrance to be around the green buoy. Once inside a nice anchorage is to be found behind the sand spit. If the wind blows up go to the first corner on the southern bank where you will find a hole where a keelboat could also anchor without any dramas. Latest reports (2001) are that the fairway buoy now sits in the mangroves on shore! However, the waypoint will at least get you in the right area.

COOKTOWN

There is no fairway buoy. The channel is now marked and dredged and there is a lot more anchoring room than in prior years. Anchoring depths can be found beyond where Lucas shows the sandbar blocking the northern access upstream - up to and beyond the first set of leads in 1999.

LIZARD ISLAND - is well covered by the cruising guides.

HOWICK GROUP OF ISLANDS
We are not impressed with Howick Island in appearance but as an overnight anchorage after leaving Lizard Island it is fine. In light winds Coquet Island is quite pretty. We anchored close to the fringing reef and dinghied into the "lagoon" which is clean and clear. Don't swim, as there is the usual croc. living in the area. We set some crab pots and promptly had one munched. We did, however, manage to snare a very large wire-netting cod in one pot so the fishing would be good. A multi could enter the lagoon by crossing the reef at high tide.

NINIAN BAY
You need to go a long way into this bay to anchor but the beachcombing on the northern shore can sometimes make it worth a stopover. You will need to dinghy across the bay.  However, the next bay is a much better anchorage.

BATHURST BAY
Take care as you come around Cape Melville as the wind bullets can be very strong. It is often advisable to drop sail, or reef, if you enter with a strong SE'r behind you. As you round the Cape check out the shoreline and you will see a large "W" painted in white on the rocks. As you get closer you may see "Water" also painted. Anchor further in the bay then dinghy back around the corner if you wish to collect good clean spring water. The hill is comprised of boulders sitting on top of each other, creating "caves". Follow the arrows into the cave, turn left and go up over a large flattish rock and down to the spring at the back. Use a bucket and funnel to fill your drums if the level is low. We have pulled out 70 gallons and not lowered the level at all. When you have filled the drums take them to a flat rock a few metres behind you. It slopes down at less than 45° and allows you to slide the drums to someone outside. This saves you lugging them all out.
DO NOT WASH IN THE SPRING.  KEEP IT CLEAN FOR THE NEXT VISITORS.

PELICAN ISLET
Not for keelboats but is beautiful for Multihulls. Good in SE'rs in an almost lagoon setting but no good when the wind turns more to the east.

LLOYD BAY (LOCKHART RIVER)
A long way in unless you wish to spend time in the area. Near the anchor shown in Lucas' Cruising the Coral Coast, he shows a creek leading to the river with no depths. This creek is used by large trawlers in strong winds so has plenty of depth.

PORTLAND ROADS
Usually a necessary stopover but uncomfortable. Rest and recuperate at the next stopover, Margaret Bay.

MARGARET BAY
Gore and Orton Islands appear to be part of the mainland as you approach from the south. The indentations behind them on Cape Grenville are actually beaches and this can be confusing. There is a much easier track through the Home Islands, down the eastern side of Gore Island. Lucas shows a dog-leg. Ignore this track and beginning roughly at position 120S 143°15.15E (given that GPS is more accurate now), travel at a safe distance, close to Gore Island and to the west of the rocks in the centre of Paluma Pass. Staying within approximately 70-100metres of Gore Island will keep you clear of those rocks. The reef on Gore is easily seen. We have always found at least 40' in this area. Travel straight through inside Passage Reef as shown by Lucas. We have never found anyone who could find their way around the dog-leg. Come around Cape Grenville using your own judgement but we have successfully guided monohulls through, going headland to headland and if it shoals we have headed slightly INTO each bay, instead of out. Margaret Bay is an excellent anchorage and, if you have the time, the walk through to Indian Bay on the southern side is interesting. Indian Beach is very pretty once you clear the mangroves and the beachcombing is fantastic. As usual, beware of the crocs. Try to leave the area as you found it.  Some irresponsible yachties a few years ago blazed a trail through with ag. bikes upsetting many regular visitors to the area.  The next hop to Escape River is a long day but can be shortened slightly by sailing across Margaret Bay and around the corner to Shelburne Bay. Once out of Margaret Bay no fishing is permitted for about 40 miles up the coast, so stow away those troll lines. The "no-fishing" zone extends up to around Bushy Islet and the Coastwatch aircraft will be on the lookout for lines.

SHELBURNE BAY
Give Rodney Island and Round Point a wider berth than Lucas suggests as the reef appears to extend out further than his map shows. The sand dunes that he notes are actually about 4 miles further up the coast. The appearance of this area changes regularly.  The bottom, just off the beach is rock but sometimes the sand covers it totally. There are a couple of quite pretty beaches on the eastern side of Round Point between there and Thorpe Point. Of course, a large crocodile calls this area home so be careful.

ESCAPE RIVER
There are some rocks in the centre of the river beyond the first lot of pearl rafts in the main river. They can be hard to identify.  If sheltering from strong winds and the need arises to move further up the river, stay to the starboard side until you are beyond the rocks. In calm weather, Multihulls can anchor just inside the entrance behind Sharp Point. This does dry further in and becomes very bouncy on the incoming tide if you dry out. From here on you need to consider the currents rather than the tides. The tides and currents have no similarity in this area, due to the Coral Sea and Arafura Sea downloading into each other. Use the Hammond Rock Light details in the Queensland Tide Book. This will show you time of slack tide, maximum flow and direction.

ALBANY PASSAGE
Waypoint position (once again taking into account the GPS accuracy alteration this year) for the southern approach is 10°45.60S 142°37.52E. Don't go straight from the Escape River to this point as you must clear some shoals, Ariel Bank and Ulfa Rock. When you are entering Albany Passage (with the current) you will sometimes find it rough on the western side leading you to believe that there are shoals. We have never encountered anything in that area but it is much more pleasant to sail on the eastern side of the entrance to the Passage. It is not advisable to go against the strong currents in this area.  It's much better to wait for the current to be in your favour.

CAPE YORK
If you wish to travel in between Cape York and York Island this is quite possible and easy taking a little bit of care. Divide the distance between Cape York and York Island into half, and stay on the southern half, against Cape York. The other half has a dangerous rock in it. We have found depths of 20-30 feet right against Cape York and we have never had trouble seeing the reef. Anchor past the large rock near the beach, taking care not to drop the pick into the deep hole in that area. The low tide area will extend almost to the rock, which is visible at all times. Ashore is telephone, there has been a small takeaway (but no guarantee it is still there) and there is a small resort which has been operating at various times but may be closed now.

BAMAGA (RED ISLAND) - LOCAL NAME IS SEISIA VILLAGE
This is an excellent anchorage and our preferred Cape York spot. The anchorage inside the sandbar is for shallow draft vessels only but many keelboats anchor outside the sandbar. There is now a new small supermarket onshore, laundry facilities, take-away and service station.

THURSDAY ISLAND (T.I.)  Be aware that there are now restrictions on taking food out of the Torres Strait to the mainland.  Vessels over 7 metres must report to Quarantine before leaving the area.
Anchorage is best at Horn Island in our opinion. Ferrying across to T.I. is preferable to us than anchoring on a lee shore. The only additional information we can give you is in reference to Boat Channel. There is no need to travel along the POW side. About 100 metres beyond Jardine Rock you should be able to turn towards Horn Island and go inside the mud banks and the shoaling reef on Horn. This area isn't as shallow as it looks and we know of 54ft + boats that travel through here regularly. The shallowest spots are at either end. You will pass over a sandbar just beyond Jardine Rock and again at the T.I. end it shallows if you cut across the end of the sand spit jutting out from Horn Is. Once around the spit you will have "reef" on your port side as you carry on up to the anchorage. This route will cut a lot of miles off the trip into T.I. We do not believe Madge Reefs to be "reef". We have hit it many times in our dinghy and it appears to be mud.

CAPE YORK TO GOVE OR THE WESSELS
The information that we have been given by old-time fishermen and yachties who have crossed many times is to travel down the western side of Cape York towards Weipa crossing almost due west to Gove. For a 100 mile detour down a beautiful coastline you save 50 miles in the actual crossing and change the conditions from a beam sea to a quartering sea. We have found this to work very well and have enjoyed all our crossings while others leaving from, or heading directly to, T.I. at the same time have had very rough and uncomfortable trips. This is due to the two seas meeting about 100 miles west of T.I. creating a confused sea at times. The other advice that we have been given is to wait for the sea conditions at Gove to be 1.4 metres or less. Going down the western side of Cape York is easy. It has low grade sand beaches, sandbars do extend some distance out from each river or creek but we find that travelling in the 20 ft. contour line quite successful. The only rocky headland is Vrilya Point, which is a small very pretty area. You don't have to travel all the way down to Weipa. We go to Pennefather River but any distance you make down will assist in you having a more comfortable crossing.

Please remember that these notes are only our personal opinions but we hope that they will assist you in some way. This is not meant as a navigational guide. (The usual "rider"!!!!) If you have any comments, please email us at sokari52@hotmail.com .