Passage to Prudhoe Island – Montague Sound

Saturday 15^th June 2013
Passage to Prudhoe Island – Montague Sound

morning in Krait Bay

all we caught was sea weed

MrJ and I had planned to stay in Krait Bay for a couple of nights to wait out the strong winds, that was till we had anchored in the bay and then the plans had changed. Two more nights of the swelly rolling was not something to look forward to so we did the next best thing. We weighed anchor to sail three quarters of the way across Montague Sound to find a fabulous sheltered anchorage (called Shelter Bay) in Prudhoe Island.

MrJ and I took our time to enjoy a relaxed breakfast after watching another special sunrise to leave Krait Bay at 0715.  Both sails were hoisted as AR rounded the point; there was a good wind to push us along.

What magnificent huge sandstone rock formations I saw as we sailed past Cape Voltaire; washed by the weather and sea. The cape was a green grass covered point with a heavy dark red cliff face jutting out from the lighter sandstone surrounds.

Cape Voltaire

Most of the islands in the Montague Sound, which was the path through that MrJ and I had chosen, were of the same huge light reddish and whitish sandstone with brilliant white little sandy beaches against the stark blue sky with a scattering of white clouds and an aqua marine blue/green sea. All seaward islands from Long Reef above Institut Island to Camden Sound are part of the Bonaparte Archipelago.


rock formations

At 0830h WST we were able to get a weather report over the HF radio.Weather - Northern Territory Border to Kuri Bay
Saturday 15^th wind ESE 15/20/25,
sea 1/2mt, swell 1mt from the west
Sunday 16^th wind ESE 15/20,
sea 1/1.5mt swell 1mt from the west
Monday 17^th wind ESE 15/20,
sea 1/1.5mt  swell  less than1mt

passage between Prudhoe and Quoy Islands

To get to Prudhoe Island we had to sail (with both sails flying – best sail we have had for some time) across Montague Sound. MrJ headed AR between Tancred and Cleghorn Islands and then at 1030 we were sailing between Bishop and Clerk Islands before rounding the top of Prudhoe where we brought the sails in before entering the narrow channel between Prudhoe and Quoy Islands.

1140 MrJ and I dropped anchor in Shelter Bay a large bay on the SW side of Prudhoe Island (14’25.331S – 125’15.128E) with great wind and sea protection on the westerly side of Prudhoe Island. Shelter Bay was surrounded by those high sandstone blocks to shelter SE to the NW and had Quoy across the channel to protect from the west leaving a small gap facing slightly S, but then it would all depend on where in Shelter Bay that you set your anchor to as where the gap would lie. AR was a fraction closer to the western side near a rather sharp headland in 8mt at half-tide and very good holding.

my days usually start at sunrise and finish at sunset - Prudhoe Island