Six days in a leaky boat

From windy(!) Cooktown we sailed to Cape Bedford, with a horrific side-on swell that almost drove the poor Matey to jump overboard. Once nicely tucked in behind Cape Bedford she contemplated aspiring to a lengthy life once again. Next day we sailed on to Cape Flattery: a pretty spot with a long beach, lovely melaleucas and fresh water. Another day, and on to Eagle Cay, with Lizard Island, our ultimate destination, in sight. Although the wind was strong and the water choppy we snorkelled at Eagle Cay, excited by the colour and beauty of the coral, so much more healthy, it seemed, than much of the coral we had seen further south. We had Eagle Cay to ourselves — its shallow lagoon is surrounded by reefs, and only shallow-draft vessels can enter. We decided that lingering a few days at Eagle Cay was essential. That evening scotch-o’clock was celebrated in anticipation of magnificent snorkeling the next day …

Bail

But alas! The joy was muted when later that night Captain noticed water in the starboard bilge. Oh dear, a leak! After a night of three-hour bailing shifts, next morning we investigated the possible source of the leak (by bailing, drying with sponges and squeezing eyes and torches into inaccessible bilge access holes, and eventually concluded it was coming from the aft (rear) of the hull, possibly the rudder. During the night, around eight buckets of water had entered the hull: definitely bailable with the hand pump, but not a joy to contemplate, particularly if it got worse. A decision had to be made and bail it was — back to Cooktown, and then probably on to Cairns, prematurely, for haulout, against the wind. Urgh!

A rough nine-hour trip back to Cooktown required bailing at least four buckets per hour as the water was forced in by the pounding of the sea. No great problem to bail, but the anxiety was always present that the leak might suddenly become much worse (the ‘abandon ship’ procedure was revised). Fortunately, once at anchor again in Cooktown, the leak resumed at its original rate. Phew!

Then the thought dawned … if the problem were in the rudder casing, and we beached TC, maybe it could be sorted out in Cooktown ... So, beach TC we did on a toe-squelching patch of mud (in croc-infested waters). A significant damaged area in the rudder casing was discovered, where a sizeable section of fiberglass had chipped away. Epoxy it and all’s well — woo hoo!

But, of course, that would have been too easy. After a battle to refloat TC at high tide, as the half moon was approaching and tide heights were receding, the leak was once again evident as TC floated. Hmmm. The damaged rudder casing wasn’t the source of the leak, but at least it had been discovered and repaired, which was not a bad thing; definitely preferable to having it suddenly become a major problem at an inopportune time. Still, the source of the leak was yet to be found.

Fortune smiles

Meanwhile, Captain had noticed the Coast Guard at Cooktown had a trolley for hauling boats out of the water. After some investigation it was found to be the perfect size for TC (this is quite unusual), and it happened to be available. We could haul TC out of the water at Cooktown, and hopefully not need to retreat to Cairns. The good folk of Cooktown could not have been more helpful, especially Coast Guard Hugh, who patiently waited around for the tide to rise enough to sit TC on the trolley, while entertaining the Matey with his many yarns.

Some boat noises just don’t sound good. With TC sitting in the trolley the starboard hull was flooded again to force the leak to reveal itself. The hull creaked and groaned as the weight of the water made its presence felt, and not a moment too soon the leak revealed itself, up inside the centreboard casing. Matey was very relieved to bail this flood!

In Cooktown the slipway is a good place to make new friends (of the human variety). About 50 metres up-river from the alleged site where old Cookie and his mates patched up the Endeavour’s leaky hull, we were now planning to patch up TC’s leak. We were inundated by lovely boat people offering assistance, and just as Capt was contemplating procuring fibreglassing bits and pieces, some people we’d met more than two years ago at Yellow Patch (Curtis Island), who happened to have fibreglass patches on board, wandered by … ‘Er, don’t I know you from somewhere? …’

Getting into the centerboard casing to re-fibreglass it was slightly challenging, and the odd expletive may have been heard by the amazing paperbarks nearby with extraordinary girth and most likely several hundred years under their ‘belts’. No doubt they could tell many a yarn ...

Fingers crossed the problem of leakage has been solved!

Moon rise at Eagle Cay

Beached near Cooktown

Watch out for crocs!

Starboard hull stripped bare and awash 

Cooktown slipway

How roads should be constructed. No need to cut it down.

Admirable girth of many metres