WIIN Slow Boat to Broome (11 – 28 June 2008)

Dampier, a harbour of red dust and a great yacht club Hampton Harbor Boat & Sailing Club, free membership to visiting yachts and what you get is: NO charges to use the club amenities, cheap meals and reasonably priced beer, BBQ’s, big screen TV to watch footy on Friday nights, dingy dock (no traipsing through the mud at low tide in the dark), and walking distance from the only supermarket - the ideal cruising yachts club.
We caught up with an old work mate of mine, Ray Boskell and partner Alana. Ray lent us his 4x4 to do our grocery shopping and deplete more of the cruising funds, (an aerial for mobile phone (suppose to be getting away from those things), a couple of extra crab nets, 3 extra 20ltr petrol drums and guess who bought herself a digital underwater camera, not that I’m complaining as I got a free IPod nano with the deal) in Karratha 24 Km away.
On Friday night we caught up with my cousin (we haven’t seen each other for nearly 20 years - a very close family) Bev Mckelvie, partner Jeff and daughter Zoe for a meal at the Sailing Club. Ray also came out to the Sailing Club and we visited him in Karratha for a couple of meals. One night we had take-away from the local Chinese restaurant, and I must say the best Chinese I have tasted in a long time, so if in Dampier give them a go.
As Selena had worked for Woodside in her old life a visit to the Burrup Peninsular was a must, driving out there she started seeing signs of all those assets, she had spent time on in SAP. After 4 days shopping, socialising, spending, sightseeing and washing, it was time to start for Broome.
Sunday morning had showers and squalls, not a nice day to take visitors sailing, but we headed out for Flying Foam Passage with Sail Away Too, Sunseeker and with Ray and Alana onboard, towing their 4 metre tinny. After a couple of hours motor sailing through Dampier harbour, and much improved weather, Ray and Alana departed back to the boat ramp, with the idea to visit us for a week or so when we get to Queensland.
We overnight at the north end of Dolphin Island, next morning headed for Bougner Entrance, near Cape Lambert, via Delambre Island where we stoped with Sunseeker for lunch and a snorkel to test the new underwater digital camera – lots of coral and colourful reef fish. After a rollie night the plan was to sail to Point Sampson and Cossack, but we had upset the weather gods again in some mysterious way and had strong east winds and a choppy confused sea. We were held up crossing the Cape Lambert harbour channel with 1 iron ore ship leaving and 2 more berthing. We changed our mind about visiting Point Sampson and Cossack with the current weather so headed for West Moore Island on the south side of Depuch Island, Sunseeker decided to return to Dampier a good move as we would come to see later.
The anchorage was well protected from all directions but the east at high tide, no prizes for guessing where we got the weather from, rollie at high tide twice a day, nice the rest of the time. So for the next 7 day we stayed put here, while a strong high down south in the bight brought us strong easterlies and gales. On West Moore Island the old pearling accommodation is being turned into a fishing lodge run by the Low family Shann, Merri, Kelvin, Daniel & Heather, who made use very welcome, I’d recommend anyone passing by stop for a night ( http://www.westmooreisland.com.au). We visited Depuch Island one afternoon to see the local aboriginal rock art and some graffiti left from the crew of the HMS Beagle in 1840 (see Depuch Island photos).
The weather finally changed, so it was goodbye to the Low family and off to the high seas again, 20 hours later we dropped anchor at Spit point just north of Port Headland, a few hours sleep then off we set again this time overnight to the Eighty Mile Beach where we anchored just off the beach to wait out a strong easterly wind warning, which never came, BOM strikes again. The next day we were Broome bound and after another overnight sail sunny Broome appeared over the horizon. It has been a quick sail from West Moore to Broome but we were trying to use the weather windows and find some warm weather as the last night sail was so cold we both had to retrieve our polar fleeces, wet weather jackets, beanies and someone even her ugg boots from storage in the forward cabin where we hoped they were going to stay for many months or if lucky even years - another one of the joys of sailing. The plan is to spend a couple of weeks here before heading to the Kimberley’s.

Check out the photos by clicking the link on the right hand side.