Cape Bedford Lat. 15 degrees 14.2' S Long 145 degrees 19.4' E

Left Hope Isles at 0730 and motorsailed in overcast conditions for 2 hours while we charged the batteries and made water. The overcast made spotting coral bommies when leaving Hope almost impossible but we followed "Even Bet" out very gingerly (mostly out of gear) and didn't manage to hit anything! Few reefs to dodge on the way north but a combination of plotting on the paper chart and trusting the trusty chartplotter (!) ensured our safe passage. Past Cooktown on our port side 13 miles south of Bedford. Saw the usual number of ships in the ship channel but none came close.
Poled the genoa out on starboard tack and managed around 5 knots until the wind started to die almost at Cape Bedford. The cape has a series of fairly high (200 metres) flat topped hills and fairly shallow water close in. Not like Cape Brett that's for sure! It was a total of 33 miles today. As we came abreast of the southern part of the cape the wind really started to die and we re-started the engine to come round and into the anchorage. The bay is a very wide mangrove fringed shallow bay singularly lacking in any visual appeal. However, there is no swell so we'll have a comfortable night.
Tomorrow straight to Lizard - similar distance.
Love from us...

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