The Escape River

Well I've moved on from Horn Island and had an OK day getting here. 44 miles I covered and had a bit of everything in the way of conditions. The wind was fairly calm in the morning and I was able to get out into the open water and put my repaired headsail back up, then as I rounded Horn Island the current was with me as the sea was short and sloppy from the run out tide. The wind came up quickly and stayed all day around 15-20 as predicted, but before the sea could build too much I was in the lee
of Albany passage, a strait between the mainland and an island just south of Cape York.

After a nice calm run down the narrow strait I could see the whitecaps waiting for me at the other end. After pushing into 2 knots of current below Horn and through the strait, at least the twenty miles to the Escape river was sped up with 2 knots flowing with me. With the wind right up on 20 knots the trip was pretty rough and I had two or three hard bangs as a wave would force itself over the deck. The Escape river is uninhabited, save for a large pearl farm which takes up any possible anchoring
spot for three miles at the head of the river. There are a few fishing trawlers at anchor here with me.

A lovely sight yesterday afternoon was several flocks of magpie geese flying and turning. (I think)

With the same forecast for the next few days, then increasing, the prospect of doing the seventy miles down to Cape Grenville in such a sea is not inviting.

So with a sense of frustration I have to accept that I am going to be in this river a while....