Through the Whirlpool Passage, Prince Regent River out into Hanover Bay

Saturday 22^nd June 2013

The St George Basin

Through the Whirlpool Passage, Prince Regent River out into Hanover Bay

morning on Purulba Creek

I was out of bed early again, outside in time to watch the light of day trying to break through the grey skies. I could hear the singing of the many small birds that had roosted in the trees above the NW bank. How peaceful!

I had dropped my fishing line into the running water thinking that I might catch a fish just after the tide had turned. Wishful think! All I caught were a few mossies!

0915 we were leaving Purulba Creek. The wind had changed to a strong NE; it was coming straight down the creek trying to push AR all over the place.

The waters of the Prince Regent River, St George Basin and the narrow passage out were bubbling with wind against tide (the tide was going out and so were we).

enjoying the ride

Outside the mouth of the river anchored in the St George Basin was a large tour vessel the Coral Princess. We had seen this boat last year while we had been at Lizard Island on the Far North Queensland coast. And here she is again! The tourists must have been up the river as the large tender on the top deck of the Coral Princess was missing and here we were coming out of the river with sails up. Just look what they missed out on! Hahaha!

As the passage narrowed from St Andrews and St Patricks Islands right through to Uwins Island, through Strong Tide Point and the Whirlpool Passage we had a most exciting ride, nothing like the quiet stillness of our entry a couple of days ago.

AR was doing anything up to 10.8 across the ground while only doing 3–4knts through the water. The whirlpools were huge, swirling in all directions making AR dance. It looked like a large gentle lake of still shinny sheen with circular disturbances but really it was the very treacherous whirlpools.

whirlpools

MrJ had a good grip on the helm wheel all the way through. He could see when a particular strong whirlpool was approaching or should I say that we were approaching and was able to make corrections at the helm with the steerage which made AR’s passage not so hairy.

Up ahead I could see two more yacht passing the entrance; it was that schooner and cat that we had seen down the bottom of York Sound. It did not look like that the boats were turning in. They must be going further south.

MrJ headed AR through the channel between Uwins and Mictyis Island; we were heading for Hanover Bay just to the south of the Prince Regent and St George basin. The passage is short and we were soon anchored (15’18.524S – 124’46.559E) off a nice sandy beach in deep water (7mt LW and expecting another 7-8mts at HW) next to a tourist fishing boat that had two tinnies full of people racing around the bay.

The weather was good, the sea was gentle and the anchorage was calm, calm enough to get some great reflection across the still water as the evening closed.