Coral Sea Cruising Guide ~ Coral Sea Feature Film
A BOSS EXPEDITION
If we were union members, there’d not be enough money to pay us for the hardships and hard yakka we’ve endured these last five weeks. Nor would there be enough coin to buy the thrills and memories we experienced in those weeks in Nature’s kingdom.
The good ship Banyandah is presently racing through the scantily sounded waters between Pandora Entrance and Torres Strait, blown by strong winds upwards of 33 knots according to the weathermen. An intense, nearly stationary high-pressure cell has driven us rocking and rolling these last seven days, ever since leaving East Diamond Islet, 600 nm ago.
Our last report saw us departing Ballina, Northern NSW under low grey clouds heralding a change. We were the last vessel out before the notorious Richmond River Bar closed our home port, just as it had been the previous two weeks. On that fortunate ‘one day’ we made our escape to sail north for warmer climes while it rained buckets and blew stinko back home.
Our mission: To explore Coral Sea reefs and islets, film their exotic beauty and wildlife, and compare from a layperson’s view any changes we perceived from our previous visits out there in the 70s and 80s. In winter, the SE trades are reinforced during June, July, and August. Be that as it may, we had our own time restraints and wanted to film the seabird winter breeding season. Therefore we decided to pray for the best and take what was given, knowing we’d be lucky to get ashore on a few of the exposed sand islets. Also knowing our expedition may only prove to be a rough, fast trip to Torres Strait.
We are delighted to report that providence smiled upon our venture. A more complete report, a cruising guide, and Feature Film of our great adventure will be forthcoming at a later date, but in a nutshell here is what we achieved:
CATO REEF
WRECK REEFS
An overnight sail took us to Wreck Reefs, 67 miles further north, where again we experienced poor conditions, too dangerous to dive on the historical wreck site of HMS Cato and Porpoise. On a dark, stormy August night in 1803, those ships ran onto heavily breaking reef, one ship following the other. Matthew Flinders was on board the Porpoise returning to England with his charts and logbooks. All his notes and specimens collected during his Australian circumnavigation were lost. Motoring over the exact spot, we peered into clear shallow depths while also keeping a steady eye on the huge winter swell rushing at us from southern storms. Early summer would be a better time to explore the wreck site.
Experiencing a light NE wind our first day, we anchored in a small sand patch 60’ deep off the far west end, half exposed to the southern swell and half exposed to the breeze. Then presto, a southerly the second day allowed us to explore the northern side of Porpoise Reef. To our great delight we found a niche bitten out the reef like a giant shark bite adjacent to the cay and sufficient to anchor Banyandah in 40’ coarse sand, coral heads on all sides except for the hundred metre wide entry. Well protected from trade winds, the water is nevertheless quite active, especially at high tide when waves pass over the reef and around the cay.
KENN REEF
Another overnight passage took us 65 nm to Kenn Reef, where the lessening easterly breeze evaporated, leaving a blissful calm sea. Kenn Reef, located over 500 km from the Australian mainland, covers an area of approximately 40 km² that looks like a boot, 15 km in length with a maximum width of 8 km along the southern edge. The ankle or South Eastern Reef is the largest with three emergent sand cays on the SW part. The only permanent land, tiny Observatory Cay, about l00 m by 50 m and 2 m high has no vegetation. We found an excellent anchorage for all winds except northerlies with easy access to these cays from an extensive shallow patch over the purest white sand. But getting to this spot required careful visual navigation to avoid a large number of coral heads before passing over a shallow sand spit. But once in, we found Shangri-La. So much beauty floating on transparent blue running in all directions to deeper depths with slips of yellow white where brown clouds of seabirds noisily alight to circle in unison then settle briefly before taking flight again in recurring explosions of sight and sound.
MELLISH REEF
The 233 nm voyage to Australia’s furthest bit of real estate took 54 hours of easy sailing, landing a scrumptious Green Job fish just after sighting its white line of breakers. We’d been to this reef twice before, in ‘78 and ’82, and Mellish, lying about 1100 km east of Cairns was our main focus. Heralds’ Beacon, its sand cay 600 m by 120 m and rising just a few metres above the high-water mark was wildly active with clouds of seabirds as we anchored in 40’ fine coral sand near an above water coral boulder marking the boat channel into the lagoon. Banyandah had enough swinging room to a reef awash ahead with breaking coral patches well astern. At times, a nuisance southerly swell attacked our beam-ends, especially at low water, creating an uncomfortable roll.
Our second day dawned grey and windless, perfect for our jaunt to the north end of the lagoon to look for the remains of the French warship Duroc, wrecked there in 1856. As if providence smiled upon us there was a negative tide at midday, perfect we thought to walk the seaward edge where we believe the Duroc had struck. She being a steam vessel we hoped to find her boiler or metalwork.
Imagine being 1100 km from help and piling into a ten foot tinny equipped with basic survival kit then powering 5 km away to explore a raw, exposed bit of Nature – just the two of us! Watching our treasured sanctuary grow smaller, we pondered what it must have been like for those unfortunate souls stranded on this reef over a hundred and fifty years ago. Three long boats had been immediately dispatched with 33 men to seek help from Copang, while the Captain, his wife and child remained on Heralds’ Beacon with about 40 men. For the next 50 days, exposed to the harshest conditions and suffering hunger, thirst, and sickness, they laboured building a 45’ boat that they named The Deliverance then set off for Timor. All survived.
LIHOU REEF
After a wonderful eight days at Mellish, we set sail for Lihou Reefs 252 nm west using a light southwest wind that increased to 20 knots making our landfall rather bumpy. Lihou is a series of reefs connected by shallow, narrow passages, unsafe to enter. Our last night, hard on the wind with those reefs a dangerous lee shore getting closer as we aimed for the last reef, the crash and rumble robbed us of sleep.
Nicking into the lagoon through overfalls was exciting, but we could not find an anchorage close to a nearby sand islet, forcing us to anchor behind the main barrier reef a fair distance off. Exposed to both sea and wind, the Banyandah sat comfortably unaffected by current while she bobbed up and down in 2’ to 3’ swell. The islet too far away to entice a visit, we stayed the night then sailed on.
EAST DIAMOND ISLET
On shore several species were breeding, including the Frigatebirds and Red-footed Boobies, so our cameras rolled and clicked for the next five days. Climbing the light structure gave a whole new perspective, as did sending our GoPro aloft on the parafoil kite. And Jude was in heaven talking to all the creatures as we made a doco explaining the habits and features of each group.
After four weeks in the wild, as if on cue a new wind system arrived. Forecast strong winds sped us north for Torres Strait. Our “mainsail from hell” stayed aloft only until midnight when the wind reached 20 knots. After that, two headsails poled out kept Banyandah running straight as an arrow towards Pandora Entrance 550 nm NNW.
Four days, almost to the hour, traversed the 550 nm needed to escape the Coral Sea’s heavy seas, where rushing through a two mile gap in the Outer Barrier Reef at Pandora Entrance brought lesser seas and everywhere a mess of obstacles to dodge.
Jude loves her stats; in 35 days from Ballina, Banyandah made good 1730 nautical miles, anchoring 14 times at eight reefs, our new Manson anchor, The BOSS biting first time every time. We burnt a grand total of 50 litres of fuel and consumed 100 cans of beer and twelve bottles of wine. You’ve got to admit we’ve got our priorities right!
Now, it’s onwards to Darwin…..
Dream, Explore, Discover, and Stay Safe
Jack and Jude
So good to follow you both on your latest trip. Very exciting and inspiring. Enjoy xxx
Lots of love Trish
Hi guys,
Great to hear from you. I loved reading the blog, once again and loved, loved the photos.
Much love and thoughts
V&D XX
Always a great read guys. I’m going to start watching your DVD’s very soon.
Ted