Cooktown, windy Cooktown

It only seems like yesterday, but 8 days have past since we left Gove on Wednesday 27th October. After refueling Kiella and with some timely help from Ken who was delivering a yacht to the east coast, then we helped him refuel with his 180 litres; saw us leave the harbour at noon.
The previous evening Manureva, one of the boats from North Goulburn come in to anchor, a great excuse for a get together. It would have been so easy for us to have stayed for another day or two as the stories that are told and all their experiences are wonderful to listen to.
The weather forecast for the Gulf crossing was good, well if you can back on an accurate one for up to 48 hours. 25nm from Seisia, 33 hours into our crossing we had at 2000hrs one of those situations that go…” isolated storms, winds up to 35kts with showers over the Gulf today”. Boy the timing could have been better, but after 2 hours pushing into it with spray going over the top of the boat we still managed 7 kts. We finally dropped the anchor at 2300hrs.A stiff whiskey or two; we toasted one another for making it safely. We did the 350 nm. in 35 ½ hours with an average around 10 kts. Considering the direction of the swell and winds, [of course we had to bash into them all the way] we did a mighty job. The average time for yachts is around 4 days. Two that we had met in Gove had 2 goes at the crossing and turned back because of the conditions.
Friday saw us transfer fuel from those wonderful bladder tanks, and generally check over Kiella.Why we had water in our generator heaven knows, but phone calls to Mark soon sorted out the problem.
Saturday 30th, before sunrise saw us slip away from Seisia after listening to some great music and singing the previous evening. This explains why the few locals who live on their boats were dressed up and going ashore. We planned to put as much water under the keel as the weather dictated. After rounding Cape York the seas began to ease so Margaret Bay inside Cape Grenville was our plan. Eleven and a half hours later we dropped anchor.
A lay day on Sunday and we decided to walk across the peninsular to Indian Bay were the rubbish that has been washed up over the years was so disgraceful. Some enterprising folk had marked the walking track between the two bays with anything blue, so we added to this with thongs,[ all sizes];rope, kiddies toys, tooth brushes ,rakes ,safety helmets ,buckets etc.
Monday the start of another month,[ only seven and a half weeks to Xmas] and to Lockhart River to take on fuel, then to Night Island. This peanut shaped mangrove cay at evening is the home to Torres Strait Pigeons who fly in from the main land in there thousands. Thankfully that the wind was louder than the haunted hooing sound that they make.
Dawn on the water is lovely with the sun making an attempt to break through the clouds on the far horizon .Lately we have seen lots of these as to cover the distance we need to travel, early starts are mandatory. Melbourne Cup day and we have know idea what, who or whom; but we are planning another day heading S/E into the now familiar swell that increases as quickly as it decreases. A rolly polly anchorage in Ninian Bay , home to Dugongs, had the Fruno working overtime that evening as what you read about and what is fact can be deceptive.
Cooktown we have heard many conflicting stories about as to the anchorage and space in there, so it was great to see ample room for us to anchor on Wednesday 3rd November. Ian chatted to another boat and learnt that 6 had departed that morning, thankfully.

We plan to be in Cairns on Friday or Saturday as the winds have increased ,and will spend 4/5 days there while we have the motors checked out and generally catch up with some R and R for us both plus restocking food etc..Flynn tells us that he and Kai may meet us and spend time going south with us; that will be wonderful.
8 days since we left Gove so we think we both deserve some pampering after this huge effort, 758.36 nautical miles.
Ian has remaindered me that we have done 1208.65 since Darwin, boy and still along way to go.