Carol and John’s friendly beach house before Bulgul. Kayakers welcome! 

John’s overnight repair on the hole in my boat looked successful. He used epoxy filler and covered the whole thing with some magic silver tape. Just hope it holds up my frequent dragging over the beaches!

I was ready to go at 7.30 am, after a quick log-in to the internet. Who knows when I’ll get online again!

John drove his truck with my gear down after we carried my boat to the beach- Loading everything, same procedure as always…and for 6 day fresh water! 20 liters…

My plan was still that morning to cut across the Gulf in 4 days, 270 km from Cape Scott or Cape Ford to Cape Bernier. One more day’s paddle, and I would be afloat for at least three nights.

Today I had to pass through Peron Island North and South. It was connected by a reef, but John said even on low tide there would be a gap close to the southern island.

I came nearer, and it looked like the pass was close to the northern one?? Did I remember right what John said?

Eventually I was almost stuck again in a rocky reef field covered with knee deep water, but the tide was luckily at least rising. But I decided to jump out on the next solid patch and to give it a look from a bit higher perspective.

It was tough to see, but I decided I better gave it a try closer to the southern side as John said. Eventually I found the deep water channel and I was able to pass safely across the reefs between the two islands. The search just ate up a bit of time!

The long boring crossing of Anson Bay mad me thinking quite a bit about tomorrow’s planned 4-days crossing.

After that day’s paddle with lots of soul-searching and checking weather reports I eventually felt like NOT doing it. I simply didn’t feel like it. It would be only half the distance of the BIG crossing over the Gulf of Carpentaria, but it just felt like “been there, done that”…I couldn’t top the other one.

There won’t be any particular rest point at the end of the crossing, the weather was supposed to be calm the first two days, but then strong winds should come up, the boat was much heavier with food for three weeks than on the other crossing, and I still felt a bit overtired and had some swollen forearms from the previous nights and first two days of almost continuous paddling for 110 km.

Excuses, excuses…but my decision was made. I would paddle along the coast.

There was still a long leg of at least 75-80 km at the bottom of the Gulf, but that should be a piece of cake,,,

At Cape Ford I saw a steep beach on the western side, just in last light. At least the dragging of the boat was a bit shorter on a steep beach than on a flat long one…I arrived at mid-tide. It was still hard, tough work to get all gear and the boat up above the high tide mark. A trolley won’t be of any use on that one…at least next morning going steep downhill it should be easy. The little dumper at the water’s edge was no problem.

Text message from Freya via satellite phone:

13.27 129.52 Cape Ford, 55km, 7:30 am to 7 pm. Most beautiful sunset! 4days forecast! Not sure about crossing yet…