Ningaloo Coast
Tantabiddi
Sunday August 15 - Tuesday 17 25nm, 5hr sail
Sunday Departing Exmouth at 0615 hours we had, for the first time, a pleasant passage out of the marina, past Bundegi, and around North West cape. Whales were everywhere you looked, breaching, fin flapping, and some just ‘milling’ around, a research term for resting on the surface. Interestingly, whales have to consciously breathe and close down only half their brain whilst sleeping, surfacing every 30 minutes or so to take a breath. They also have a blow hole for each lung. Such interesting and majestic creatures, I never get bored with watching them. Some breached very close to the boat, and once again all I could do was gasp in awe.
Arriving at Tantabiddi at 1100 hours we all had a brief rest before snorkelling. It had been an early morning after all. We launched the dinghy and headed to the prime area of reef which was like an aquarium of exquisite coral and small electric coloured fish. We saw a couple of turtles to top off what was already an amazing time, and if that wasn’t enough we had an evening thunder and lightning show with soft rain. A perfect day.
Colin had arranged to pick up a DBCA mooring in Tantabiddi (no cost but booking required), which saved us having to anchor but provided an experience none of us had bargained on. During the night the wind against tide caused the boat to wrap itself around the mooring line, which meant the mooring ball was banging against the hull. This is not a little ‘thump thump’ I'm talking about here, this is ‘BANG BANG GET OUT OF BED BANG’. Colin felt compelled to investigate due to the consistency of the banging (normally he just goes back to sleep and it stops after a while) and because he suspected this might happen. Geoff was also up and between them they unwound the boat from the mooring rope using the dinghy. That was at 0100 hours, but no rest for the weary it happened again at 0300 hours. Same solution employed. Between that and my sandfly bites from Exmouth itching like crazy it was a restless night’s sleep.
Monday the boys snorkelled while I did a hookah dive. At the end we found a little turtle that was quite okay with being joined for a while on its leisurely swim.
There was no getting wrapped around the mooring line that night (thankfully because we’d packed up the dinghy) but there was a slight roll at times.
Sunday August 15 - Tuesday 17 25nm, 5hr sail
Sunday Departing Exmouth at 0615 hours we had, for the first time, a pleasant passage out of the marina, past Bundegi, and around North West cape. Whales were everywhere you looked, breaching, fin flapping, and some just ‘milling’ around, a research term for resting on the surface. Interestingly, whales have to consciously breathe and close down only half their brain whilst sleeping, surfacing every 30 minutes or so to take a breath. They also have a blow hole for each lung. Such interesting and majestic creatures, I never get bored with watching them. Some breached very close to the boat, and once again all I could do was gasp in awe.
Arriving at Tantabiddi at 1100 hours we all had a brief rest before snorkelling. It had been an early morning after all. We launched the dinghy and headed to the prime area of reef which was like an aquarium of exquisite coral and small electric coloured fish. We saw a couple of turtles to top off what was already an amazing time, and if that wasn’t enough we had an evening thunder and lightning show with soft rain. A perfect day.
Colin had arranged to pick up a DBCA mooring in Tantabiddi (no cost but booking required), which saved us having to anchor but provided an experience none of us had bargained on. During the night the wind against tide caused the boat to wrap itself around the mooring line, which meant the mooring ball was banging against the hull. This is not a little ‘thump thump’ I'm talking about here, this is ‘BANG BANG GET OUT OF BED BANG’. Colin felt compelled to investigate due to the consistency of the banging (normally he just goes back to sleep and it stops after a while) and because he suspected this might happen. Geoff was also up and between them they unwound the boat from the mooring rope using the dinghy. That was at 0100 hours, but no rest for the weary it happened again at 0300 hours. Same solution employed. Between that and my sandfly bites from Exmouth itching like crazy it was a restless night’s sleep.
Monday the boys snorkelled while I did a hookah dive. At the end we found a little turtle that was quite okay with being joined for a while on its leisurely swim.
There was no getting wrapped around the mooring line that night (thankfully because we’d packed up the dinghy) but there was a slight roll at times.
Yardie Creek South
Tuesday August 17 - Wednesday 19 36nm, 9hr sail
Another early start, leaving Tantabiddi at 0630 hours. Once again we had whales close to boat, seemingly close enough to touch. A small pod swam alongside us for hours at a reasonably safe distance, disappearing as we tacked back and forth a few times as the wind strengthened, then reappearing right beside us when we straightened up again. Whale spotting made the nine-hour sail fly by, and even though the breeze was on the nose it was a pretty mild day motor-sailing.
Arriving at an anchorage just south of Yardie Creek at 1530 hours we saw Sandgroper already anchored. Nick had told us about this spot during that morning coffee aboard Samsara, and I think it was the crew from Sandgroper who told him about it. The anchorage was new to us and can only be seen on Navionics if you turn on the sonar charts, which Nick had showed us how to do. It took two drops before the anchor held, possibly due to sand over shale, but it was well protected from the winds which were SSW and turned N during the night, and we barely felt like we were on the water. Colin was pleased to have found another anchorage to break up what would otherwise have been an overnight sail.
Tuesday August 17 - Wednesday 19 36nm, 9hr sail
Another early start, leaving Tantabiddi at 0630 hours. Once again we had whales close to boat, seemingly close enough to touch. A small pod swam alongside us for hours at a reasonably safe distance, disappearing as we tacked back and forth a few times as the wind strengthened, then reappearing right beside us when we straightened up again. Whale spotting made the nine-hour sail fly by, and even though the breeze was on the nose it was a pretty mild day motor-sailing.
Arriving at an anchorage just south of Yardie Creek at 1530 hours we saw Sandgroper already anchored. Nick had told us about this spot during that morning coffee aboard Samsara, and I think it was the crew from Sandgroper who told him about it. The anchorage was new to us and can only be seen on Navionics if you turn on the sonar charts, which Nick had showed us how to do. It took two drops before the anchor held, possibly due to sand over shale, but it was well protected from the winds which were SSW and turned N during the night, and we barely felt like we were on the water. Colin was pleased to have found another anchorage to break up what would otherwise have been an overnight sail.
Norwegian Bay
Wednesday August 19 - Thursday 20 25nm, 5hr sail
Departure was a tad later at 0715 hours after Geoff cooked oatmeal for breakfast. Go Geoff!
The whale action was non-stop with breaching, fin flapping, and lots of pods of three or four. They seemed to put on a great show as we approached, then go quiet as we passed, camera at the ready. Hmmm.
Though we’d talked about trolling for fish whilst heading south we hadn’t yet tried. Sunday was too cold (according to the captain), Tuesday was too rough (according to the first mate), but today was just right, a beautiful calm sail in an easterly breeze. Against protestations from the captain I insisted we go at it early, knowing our ‘very sustainable’ track record for catching fish, but 10 minutes after launching the lure Colin was pulling in a yellowfin tuna, and, to quote Monty Python, there was much rejoicing! I knew better than to take this as a sign of fish to come and the lure went back in, but we didn’t have another strike for at least four hours when Colin pulled in another yellowfin tuna. A tasty dinner we had indeed.
Coming into Norwegian Bay we saw a whale on the inside of the reef. That we did not expect. The bay is huge and it was easy to anchor in the sand. The pick stuck fast on the first drop and the water was turquoise and clear.
Wednesday August 19 - Thursday 20 25nm, 5hr sail
Departure was a tad later at 0715 hours after Geoff cooked oatmeal for breakfast. Go Geoff!
The whale action was non-stop with breaching, fin flapping, and lots of pods of three or four. They seemed to put on a great show as we approached, then go quiet as we passed, camera at the ready. Hmmm.
Though we’d talked about trolling for fish whilst heading south we hadn’t yet tried. Sunday was too cold (according to the captain), Tuesday was too rough (according to the first mate), but today was just right, a beautiful calm sail in an easterly breeze. Against protestations from the captain I insisted we go at it early, knowing our ‘very sustainable’ track record for catching fish, but 10 minutes after launching the lure Colin was pulling in a yellowfin tuna, and, to quote Monty Python, there was much rejoicing! I knew better than to take this as a sign of fish to come and the lure went back in, but we didn’t have another strike for at least four hours when Colin pulled in another yellowfin tuna. A tasty dinner we had indeed.
Coming into Norwegian Bay we saw a whale on the inside of the reef. That we did not expect. The bay is huge and it was easy to anchor in the sand. The pick stuck fast on the first drop and the water was turquoise and clear.
Chabjuwardoo Bay
Thursday August 19 - Friday 20 30nm, 7.5hr sail (18nm + 12 inside reef)
After weighing anchor at 0710 hours we headed outside the reef to head south. I have never seen so many whales. They were breaching everywhere you looked! There was lots of full-body breaches as well as fin slapping and smaller breaches, and lots of close encounters – too close for Colin’s liking but not close enough for mine. It seemed the mothers were teaching their young the tricks of the trade as a small fin would pop out after a large fin, or a big body would launch out of the water with a smaller body. How incredibly lucky we felt to be able to witness this special part of the life cycle.
It might have been only 18nm as the crow flies to get from Norwegian Bay to Pt Cloates, but when you’re tacking into a 20 knot headwind it adds a lot more miles. I was at the helm when I saw two whales very close and heading straight for the boat. I gasped a few times to alert the others and we steered away slightly, but we needn’t have bothered, they disappeared without incident. That close encounter was a bit of a heart starter.
Once inside the reef at Point Cloates we motor-sailed to Chabjuwardoo Bay with a lookout for bommies not charted, of which there were many. You couldn’t really tell you had reached the bay, other than on Navionics, as it was all very much the same up and down the coast, so when I asked where we were going to anchor Colin just said, “We might as well stop here” and I dropped the pick. It held fast in the ongoing southerly.
Click images to enlarge
Thursday August 19 - Friday 20 30nm, 7.5hr sail (18nm + 12 inside reef)
After weighing anchor at 0710 hours we headed outside the reef to head south. I have never seen so many whales. They were breaching everywhere you looked! There was lots of full-body breaches as well as fin slapping and smaller breaches, and lots of close encounters – too close for Colin’s liking but not close enough for mine. It seemed the mothers were teaching their young the tricks of the trade as a small fin would pop out after a large fin, or a big body would launch out of the water with a smaller body. How incredibly lucky we felt to be able to witness this special part of the life cycle.
It might have been only 18nm as the crow flies to get from Norwegian Bay to Pt Cloates, but when you’re tacking into a 20 knot headwind it adds a lot more miles. I was at the helm when I saw two whales very close and heading straight for the boat. I gasped a few times to alert the others and we steered away slightly, but we needn’t have bothered, they disappeared without incident. That close encounter was a bit of a heart starter.
Once inside the reef at Point Cloates we motor-sailed to Chabjuwardoo Bay with a lookout for bommies not charted, of which there were many. You couldn’t really tell you had reached the bay, other than on Navionics, as it was all very much the same up and down the coast, so when I asked where we were going to anchor Colin just said, “We might as well stop here” and I dropped the pick. It held fast in the ongoing southerly.
Click images to enlarge
Maud's Landing
Friday August 20 - Monday 23 10nm, 2.5hr sail
Friday’s departure was planned for 0700 hours to hit the shallowest part of our passage at high tide. Careful attention had to be paid to avoid bommies, again that may not have been charted. Successfully avoiding contact with anything other than water we motored inside the reef to arrive at Maud’s Landing at 0930 hours, anchoring easily amongst four other sailing vessels.
Saturday, taking the dinghy around Maud Point and as far as permitted into Coral Bay, we traversed the sand and reef to get to the settlement. I had forgotten there was a small shopping centre, and luckily we were able to stock up on Scotch Fingers before the captain ran out, otherwise someone would have been walking the plank for stopping him from buying them in Exmouth.
The wind and waves picked up that afternoon so we declined drinks on Infinity, but promised to catch up for coffee the following day. The captain, Andrew, had been over in his kayak earlier to say hi, having seen Fat Blue Sky in Quindalup. At morning tea we met first mate, Donna, and got to check out their beautiful yacht with all the trimmings, including a sprung mattress!
Click images to enlarge
Friday August 20 - Monday 23 10nm, 2.5hr sail
Friday’s departure was planned for 0700 hours to hit the shallowest part of our passage at high tide. Careful attention had to be paid to avoid bommies, again that may not have been charted. Successfully avoiding contact with anything other than water we motored inside the reef to arrive at Maud’s Landing at 0930 hours, anchoring easily amongst four other sailing vessels.
Saturday, taking the dinghy around Maud Point and as far as permitted into Coral Bay, we traversed the sand and reef to get to the settlement. I had forgotten there was a small shopping centre, and luckily we were able to stock up on Scotch Fingers before the captain ran out, otherwise someone would have been walking the plank for stopping him from buying them in Exmouth.
The wind and waves picked up that afternoon so we declined drinks on Infinity, but promised to catch up for coffee the following day. The captain, Andrew, had been over in his kayak earlier to say hi, having seen Fat Blue Sky in Quindalup. At morning tea we met first mate, Donna, and got to check out their beautiful yacht with all the trimmings, including a sprung mattress!
Click images to enlarge