Update from Carnarvon and Shark Bay

There was a great deal to do once we’d made our decision to fly home to the UK. The most reasonably priced boatyard and one we already knew was Pickle Point Seafoods and Boatyard at Carnarvon. A haul out date was arranged for 29^th September.

 

Kneading the dough

We would have liked to use our vouchers for our cancelled Malaysia Airlines flights, but this meant spending 12 hours overnight at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. No food was available overnight and the lounges were closed until the morning. There was also a restriction on how long we could stop over at the airport, but no actual times were published. We continued our internet search.

Preparing for our international flights

We were impressed with the Covid safe practices put in place at Changi Airport, Singapore, where our night-time stopover would be five and a half hours. Prices were competitive also and we were able to book flexible tickets. However, Singapore is not on the UK safe list, so a fortnight’s quarantine at home is mandatory. We fly from Perth to Singapore on 9^th October and Singapore to London Heathrow on 10^th October. We have booked a hire car at Heathrow so we can drive straight home on arrival.

Carnarvon is a nine hour drive from Perth. It has an airport. We booked a domestic REX flight on 8^th October with free cancellation up to 48 hours before. Now we needed a hotel in Perth and more internet searching led us to a suitably priced hotel, which we booked for two nights as our flight to Singapore does not depart until late evening. The final booking was for an overnight room not far from the boatyard for the night before we fly from Carnarvon.

Monkey Mia jetty

We could relax a little after this and plan a trip to Shark Bay. We made bread and lists of the food onboard which needed to be eaten first. Then Jeremy noticed a skin eruption or wart just below my collar bone. Another internet search told us we should have it checked out. We took the dinghy ashore to the boat harbour and walked into town. The pharmacist said to see a GP at the medical centre across the road. It was Friday and there were no appointments until next week. We were advised to go to the hospital. We walked to the Emergency Department. I was seen by a triage nurse and as they were busy with emergencies, I was asked to return later. I saw a doctor at about 4.00pm that afternoon. Although, a diagnosis can’t be made without a biopsy, she assured me it was not a melanoma, but I should see my own GP when I return home. The skin eruption was treated with liquid nitrogen and I had to take a course of vitamin B3 tablets.

We weighed anchor on daughter-in-law, Erin’s, Birthday and motorsailed 48nm to Herald Bight in Shark Bay. We saw whales, dolphins and a turtle on our journey. The first night was OK even though we were about a mile from the shore in 3.1m. The wind increased overnight and became increasingly gusty. The next day a gale force gust dragged the new Rocna anchor. We started the engine and motored towards the shore watching the depth decrease until we were as shallow as we dared. We re-anchored and stayed put. It was too windy to go ashore in the dinghy.

Monkey Mia Resort

We had lighter S-SE winds the next day, so we motorsailed south to the world famous Monkey Mia Resort. A local fisherman arranged a free mooring for us for three nights. Thank you, Marco.

Calm seas for a change

Jeremy started with the symptoms of a urinary infection while we were in Herald Bight. Fortunately, everything returned to normal after 24 hours. It was while we were ashore having lunch at Monkey Mia that his symptoms returned. Back on board SD, he began a course of antibiotics.

We left Monkey Mia when Jeremy felt better and motored south towards L’Haridon Bight. This eastern area of Shark Bay is poorly charted. Some of it has not been surveyed at all. We had a cruising guide and thought we would find the deep channel that led into L’Haridon Bight. Alas, it was not to be. We ran out of water and went aground. Jeremy was keen to keep looking for the channel. I was not. We turned back and motored to Cape Rose about four miles north of Monkey Mia. Jeremy was not well again the next day, so we did not go ashore.

Gale force gusts

On Monday 7^th September, we weighed anchor after making some bread. We motorsailed around Cape Peron to Gregories and anchored for the night in pleasant conditions. We had intended to go to Denham the next day, but it was becoming obvious that Jeremy probably had a secondary infection and needed to see a doctor. There is a nurse’s station in Denham but no doctor. It was decided to return to Carnarvon about 45nm away and go to the hospital the next day.

Force 6 at anchor

In the hospital at Carnarvon, the emergency doctor confirmed a secondary infection and prescribed ointment and another course of antibiotics. Swab tests were taken and sent to Perth. We stayed on anchor at Teggs until 14^th September, experiencing strong winds with gale force gusts to 38 knots. When the weather calmed we took SD into the boat harbour to fill up with water. Friends from yacht Sandale and another yacht from Fremantle Sailing Club were tied up in the harbour awaiting suitable weather to head south. We were invited aboard and were sad to have to refuse.

Sunset at Teggs, Carnarvon

All three yachts left Carnarvon on 14^th September. Jeremy was feeling better and did not want “harbour rot” to set in! We motorsailed to Gregories and the other yachts must have sailed further south in Shark Bay because we did not see them again.

Going fishing!

After a calm night at Gregories we motorsailed to Denham and picked up a mooring we have used before. A yacht called Chinook, from FSC, is moored nearby. Strong winds began to blow soon after tying up and they increased overnight. This morning the mooring buoy had disappeared. Fortunately, over a month ago, Jeremy had tied the mooring line to a ring under the buoy, so we were still attached. Today, he has attached a second line. We’ve had the anchor drag alarm on since we arrived. Better weather is forecast for tomorrow.