Cape York paradise at Portland Roads
We’ve have witnessed 2 breakdowns in the past 2 week – one yacht got towed in about 10 days ago, and earlier the same day, a fishing boat was also towed into our bay.
The fishing boat had a blown up motor, and the yacht a broken rudder.
I took some photos of the yacht getting ready to be towed. The people who owned the yacht had to wait here (not such a bad place to be stuck) for the tow boat to arrive.
There is some quite interesting history in the naming of Portland Roads (Cate will write an a post on this soon). The ‘Roads’ is short for Roadstead which is an old nautical term for shelter.
We often have boats, yachts and ships moored in our sheltered bay. Everything from sports-fishing (Nomad Sportfishing), motherships from Seaswift, to passing yachts. We also have huge container ships further out to sea.
Some of our groceries are delivered by the Emu Bay – the ship moors every two weeks during the prawn season. We also can get gas and fuel.
A tiny little cameraman sailed into our bay today.
The Muckle Dayley at Portland Roads
Our bay is approx 220 kms south-east of Bamaga at the tip of Cape York, and about 800 kms (by road) North of Cairns.
I was surprised – I assumed that it had been launched from the point just up the road about 250 metres, and I hadn’t seen a car and trailer drive past.
So I wandered down to talk to him.
I should say here that his boat is tiny – it is an eighteen foot (yes that is about 5.5 metres) catamaran called “Muckle Dayley” after his second daughter.
It is basically 2 canoes bolted together with bit of mesh between them and a mast.
He hadn’t actually come from around the point, but from Port bloody Morseby!
And that IS Port Morseby in New Guinea.
The Muckle Dayley is an eighteen foot two inch Prindle catamaran.
Prindles are generally very well regarded in the sailing world as rugged and durable cats.
Zoe and I stood with him next to the “Muckle Dayley”. You can see just how small his boat is.
Greg Seamus and Zoe beside the Muckle Dayley
That being said I wouldn’t do what Greg is doing. He told us about having crocodiles nudge him in the night when he was sleeping on the thin nylon mesh that is his deck.
This is 30 cm from the sea! My sphincter puckered as he told me.
He had many adventures along the way – met lovely, hospitable people living on tiny little islands just off New Guinea. On one of these a man swam out to pull the “Muckle Dayley” in to shore, then put him up for the night, fed him royally from their meagre food stores and sent him on his way again.
Greg's living space on the Muckle Dayley
He encountered the hugely strong tidal currants of the Fly River, met a lovely couple, Shelley and Justin, and their two boys on Thursday Island (coincidentally we also had met them a year or so ago).
His living quarters on his cat were tiny – I was gob-smacked at just how small a space he had on the boat. It really was tiny; he also had to tether everything or store it in the 2 waterproof bags he had. Water was stored in the hulls in 1.5 litre bottles.
He had a small dome tent, and a little folding chair.
Muckle Dayley - life boat
Small solar panels powered batteries for his phone, GPS and UHF radio.
He did have a lifeboat, again just looking at that scared me.
(And, yes it is the surf ski!)
He left on a quite windy day and last we heard was on Lizard Island and was about to sail to Cairns where he planned to end his voyage.
Muckle Dayley leaving Portland Roads
I was very impressed with what Greg had done – it was a pleasure to meet him.
Muckle Dayley Sailing Out Of Portland Roads