Escape from Escape River
Marita3
Mark & Helen Syrett
Sun 16 Sep 2012 05:18
We watched the crocodiles basking in the sun on the sandbank not far from the boat and then turned in for an early night having secured all the hatches. We were up and off by 0430 in order to catch the tide through the Albany Channel and round Cape York and beyond. Despite what the pearl farmer, who lived on the river, said on the VHF the depth of water turned out to be insufficient even though we were reversing our incoming track and leaving 2 hours after low water. In the pitch dark we bounced the muddy bottom, as did Camelot who were following, and it took about half an hour to free ourselves and get into deeper water---the incoming tide helped! No early breakfast for the waiting crocs whose eyes Gunnar had seen reflected in his torch light!
We managed to make up time and had an uneventful and fast trip round Cape York----5 knots of boat speed and another 4 knots of tide. This took us through the Endeavour Strait and out into the Gulf of Carpentaria and the Arafura Sea. The favourable tide ran out on us about 1500 but by then we were clear of the stronger flow rates.
Escape River was very remote and it must have been miles for the pearl farmer to travel to reach civilisation----as he said ''i never finished school'' but we reckon he had a good business.
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