At the moment, Honeymoon Bay is a Covid Restricted Area and not open to travellers. It’s unknown when that status will change. To keep updated on the restricted areas, including Honeymoon, see this WA Government website. https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-the-premier-and-cabinet/covid-19-coronavirus-remote-aboriginal-communities-travel

Even if Honeymoon does open again before the 2021 dry season, you will need to arrange the fuel to be delivered there from Kununurra in 200 litre drums and pay a small storage fee to the camping ground. I suggest allowing several weeks to arrange this in advance.

Kuri Bay is unclear at this stage. You will need to contact Paspayley Pearls directly around April. The contact details are in the Fuel In the Kimberley Anchorage Also depends on how much fuel you will need. They will generally only supply minimum quantity of 1000 litres.

Sorry I cant be more helpful. The only 99% definite options for fuel this year are Shore Barge from Darwin, which you also need to arrange in advance. The barge arrives in West Bay about every 2 weeks. The other is Dog Leg Creek in Yampi Sound. They have told me that fuel will be available from around April.

I hope to have more info from Paspayley Pearls as the dry season gets closer. But understandably, they are very cautious of making any commitments when the Covid rules can change in a day in WA. When I get more info on fuel availability, I’ll post it in the News and Events page.

Cheers, Ross..

Hi Broady, I assume you are planning to go 2021.

April/May is usually the time Darwin Boats head for the East Kimberley area for a few weeks at a time. The King George and Berkeley Rivers are a must see and you will find other boats there that time of year. It’s also the end of the “run-off” and end of cyclone season and trailer boats from Wyndham head up there after barra.

The Bonaparte Gulf can get very rough, particularly when you have to head back to Wyndham in south easterlies. Probably the best advice you will get, is don’t set deadlines to be somewhere on a certain date. Pick weather windows that are safe to sail in the Bonaparte Gulf, and if that means you have to sit and wait for a week, that is what you should do. You need to get accurate weather forecasts. Probably via your sat phone will be the only option.

It’s a long trip in a small boat and you are likely to be sailing by yourself for most of the trip until you get to the destinations like the KGR and Berkeley.

If your boat and its crew are well prepared and you have plenty of fuel, you will find it’s a fantastic place and you’ll love the trip.

Have fun, Ross

This is my opinion, not the KCCYC opinion. I would not worry about not having permits this year. If you don’t get the Native Title landowners paid permits, you will not get the Aboriginal Lands Trust free permits either, because they won’t issue most of the free permits until the paid permits are in place.

It is highly unlikely you will see a Community Ranger out there, except perhaps in the Freshwater Cove, Langgi and Raft Point area where they run paid guided tours for the charter boat punters. There were also plans to run guided tours at Jar Island this year but given the passenger cruise liner industry has been closed, I’m guessing the guided tours will not proceed at Jar Island.

I certainly would not cancel my private vessel cruise to the Kimberley this year just because I could not get the permits to go ashore. Take a hint here.

I spoke to Paul the manager at McGowan Island a few days ago. The Kalumburu township has been closed to everyone except essential services personal. I understand this will be reviewed mid-May, but I expect Corona-virus issues will extend the closure. The closure stops 4WD campers getting through Kalumburu to reach the Honeymoon Bay and McGowan Island camping grounds, which is the main reason McGowan will not open. Fuel will not be available at McGowan Island Camp this 2020 cruising season.

I’ve been advised that fuel WILL BE AVAILABLE at Dog Leg Creek in Yampi Sound for the 2020 dry season. However, the Cockatoo Island resort will not be open.

If you need fuel from any of the other remote Kimberley Coast fuel suppliers such as Paspayley Pearls or Shore Barge, do not assume they will have fuel available. Make sure you have enough fuel range between reliable fuel stops. Every boat will be topping up with fuel like it’s dunny paper at Woolies, so expect there may be shortages in the remote areas.

Corona-virus has impacted my business in Perth, along with most other businesses in Australia. We are in the middle of setting up systems to keep staff, customers suppliers etc. as safe as possible and to keep the business productive. Ros and I are in Darwin on our boat preparing to head west into the Kimberley in a few weeks but as Corona-virus is changing things on a daily basis we are considering staying within a day or two sail of Darwin in case we need to go home to Perth in a hurry.

It’s possible we will not make it to the Beach Party on 4^th July this year. But I’m sure the crews that do make it to the party will still enjoy it without us. I’m pleased to say that I have spoken to a few crews in Cullen Bay Marina in Darwin who are planning to be at the party. I think it’s fair to say that any boat crew that gets to the party is likely to have been in self quarantine for at least 14 days, just in the time it takes to sail to that area from the closest civilization. It should be a Corona-virus free party.

Besides normal hygiene to protect yourself against the virus, I suggest you be very wary about allowing others onto your boat unless they have been at sea and away from other people for at least 14 days. The same goes if you visit other boats at sea. I would forget about crew transfers or inviting friends to join me on board as crew for part of the voyage.

All the best and keep CV safe.

Ross

On my setup, the foam float gets dragged under by the weight of the chain. The float only needs to be big enough to keep the pulley off the bottom. Also, if you leave a little slack in the loop rope between the pulley and the beach, it has the effect of lengthening the anchor rode. Normally we only leave the dinghy for max. 3-4 hours while ashore, and it would be unusual for us to drop the anchor in more than about 4M depth. We mostly use the system with an ebbing tide, so the depth is lessening anyway.

It’s one of those practice makes perfect things. You will soon learnt what you can and cant do. I found out last year that the fold up anchors are useless in a breeze with a 700kg dinghy, and changed to a small danforth style sand anchor.

Cheers Ross

Hi David,

The 4 and 5 man details are in the Palm Island and Winyalkan Island Anchorage.

The Apartments is in the Osborne Islands Anchorage.

Both can be downloaded here after you have logged in as a member. https://kccyc.org.au/anchorage-pdf-downloads/

Cheers,

Ross

Thanks Mark. The Dambimangari Community have let me know the paid visitors permit is coming up this year, but I’m waiting for their on line application form to be completed before letting KCCYC Members know by newsletter.

See location numbers 40 and 41 on their location schedule for Camp Creek in the Prince Regent. Both are “Access with Traditional Owner guide only”, which is effectively no access at all if you’re on a private vessel, because you’re unlikely to see a traditional owner guide out there.

King Cascade is in the National Park and far as I’m aware, you can go there.

You’re probably aware of it, but the permits are land only permits – you can take your boat anywhere on the water.

Cheers, Ross