Gulf of Carpentaria

Marita3
Mark & Helen Syrett
Tue 18 Sep 2012 04:01
11:53.752S 137:53.756E
After a good first day and night the wind has died and we are having to motor. Excitement has been provided by 20 dolphins swimming by the bows of the boat weaving and diving and jumping and generally showing off for about half an hour. The water was clear so we have some good photographs. We were also spotted by Australian Customs last night at about 1930---they were flying off our stern and called us on the VHF to check our boat details---name, port of registration, last port and next port. They reappeared this afternoon and re-acquainted themselves with us but they were actually trying to make contact with a boat that was east going about two miles south---we could see her on the horizon. She looked like a Viking longship with a high pointed bow and stern. Having listened in on the radio she was Russian going from Darwin to Cooktown. Customs are very vigilant and we have to provide by email a weekly yacht report of our whereabouts and our sailing plans; despite that we still get 'buzzed'.

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