Hi David. Firstly, March might be a little early to be heading north – still a good chance of a cyclone in March and even into April.

The closest Marinas to the Kimberley coast cruising waters are Darwin in the east and Exmouth in the west. There is nowhere easily accessible in the Kimberley cruising grounds where I would purposely leave my boat unattended at anchor overnight.

The only towns near the coast with airports are Wyndham and Derby. Both have huge tidal ranges and flows, and definitely not suitable for leaving a boat at anchor unattended. And, being honest, they are not places I would expect a crew to babysit a boat for any more than a few days.

There are a few commercial moorings in Roebuck Bay in Broome used by fishing boats and charter boats, and also a number of private moorings in Gantheaume Point near Broome. They are mostly owned by the charter boat operators, and I suspect would be difficult to book in advance for a specific period. I would also be reluctant to leave my boat in Broome unattended, even on a mooring. There would be no security, and even though I have yet to meet a dishonest boatie, I’m told that they do exist. Gantheaume Point is relatively exposed and can also be a very rolly anchorage.

What you are planning is not unusual for bigger boats with professional skippers or crew on board, where the owner can leave the boat at almost any anchorage, then float plane or chopper in and out, leaving the crew looking after the boat. Something similar may be an option for you. IE. Fly in a skipper to look after the boat while you are away. There are many safe anchorages where this is possible, but it would be an expensive exercise getting crew and supplies in and out. There are a few airstrips along the coast where chartered light aircraft can land and transfer crew to your boat, which would make it less expensive. Otherwise, budget on $5-7K per trip to charter a float plane or chopper from Broome or Kununurra to get you in and out.

The airstrips are in the Berkeley River (probably the cheapest option with very safe anchorages). Kalumburu, then via Honeymoon Bay Camping Ground. Truscott Airbase, but Kalumburu would be better option. Hunter River, via Mitchell Plateau airstrip and short charter chopper flight to the Hunter. Horizontal Falls have float plans flying in day tourists from Derby and Broome where you can book seats on one of the planes.

Have fun planning your trip.

Ross

Hi Dave,

I’ve been talking to Shore Barge and there is a possibility they may improve the fuel arrangements at Truscott to a more permanent system for future dry seasons. But that wont be confirmed until next year. Shore Barge are the only sea freight supplier to Kalumburu, and supply the fuel for the town including the town’s mains electricity generators, therefore their delivery schedule has to be reliable, give or take a few days for unforeseen problems such as weather. Obviously there’s no guarantee, but you can feel comfortable that they will be there close to a prearranged schedule date. I have found them to be reliable and helpful.

The only other option is getting fuel off one of Paspaley Pearls mother ships. Their policy is 5,000 litre minimum orders and it must be ordered and paid for in advance before the mother ship leaves Darwin or Broome. They are a large commercial pearling operation and don’t encourage cruising boaties approaching them for small amounts of fuel and food etc. unless it is an emergency situation.

Have you considered carrying fuel bladders to get extra range?

Ross.

Hi Dave, With a 1000NM range you should comfortably get between Truscott and Dog Leg Creek. My last boat had a similar range, and we have done that part of the coast several times with fuel to spare. Our problem was running short on ULP for the outboard on our tender. We do a lot of exploring in the tender. It’s not hard to spend days in one area if you are prepared to go exploring the creeks, islands, inlets, beaches etc.

You are correct about trying to go too far. With just 4 weeks from Darwin to Dog Leg Creek and back, it would be a quick trip, and there’ll be many places you would have to bypass. I suggest you aim for the Hunter River area and judge from there if you want to go further west, or turn back to Darwin. The Prince Regent is not that much further on, and if you have the time and fuel, why not go there?

Be wary about putting yourself on a time schedule to get somewhere by a certain date, particularly if you have to pick up or drop off crew to a deadline. It can ruin your trip. There are many factors that can slow you down. If the weather turns bad, you shouldn’t put your safety at risk to get somewhere, just because someone has arranged to be dropped off, or picked up on a certain date. If you are transferring friends/crew, ensure they are flexible about dates, and they can change their schedule to meet yours.

Have fun, Ross