Captain's Blog

It had been a fine weather run through the Barrier Reef and Torres Strait, and across the Gulf of Carpentaria as we enjoyed calm seas and blue skies. However, as Saga Ruby approached Australia’s most northerly and least populated capital cities it was raining. Not the UK type rain, but a very heavy tropical downpour.

Visibility was near zero as we encountered the entrance buoys to Darwin harbour and it wasn’t until a couple of miles from the city that things dramatically changed. The sky cleared, the sun shone, and the heat and humidity hit. Oh boy, it was going to be a hot one today!

It would have been very hot aboard HMS Beagle when she arrived in 1839 for surveying the area. Her commander, John Clements Wickham, named the area Port Darwin after Charles Darwin who had been aboard for an earlier voyage. Darwin’s scientific achievements were still decades away, Wickham was simply naming locations after former shipmates.

Darwin has witnessed the Gold Rush and more recently devastation in a cyclone. The city is now modern and vibrant with world-class restaurants, trendy cafes, shopping centres and marinas. It is also claimed to be the world’s 4th most expensive city to live in. Today is Mothering Sunday however, and not surprisingly, the city was rather quiet.

Not deterred by the oppressive heat, my passengers ambled ashore to visit the city, the harbour, and the surrounding National Park. There was a cruise along the Adelaide River too, an opportunity to see the large saltwater crocodiles that make the wetlands their home. To cool off, a visit to Humpty Doo Pub is a must. It’s a typical Aussie bush pub serving ice-cold beer.

This was our final port on the Australian coast and so our show-time featured Australian vocalist Trevor Whittaker singing some Aussie favourites.

I can’t say I’d been looking forward to today as we were scheduled to anchor some distance off the shallow coastline and tender my passengers to shore. With a very fresh wind forecast and choppy waters I knew that things were going to be difficult and that the port stop may have to be cancelled.

Things were definitely lumpy and my morning announcement to passengers warned of difficulties in boarding the tender and risk of mal de mer en route to shore. I manoeuvred the ship throughout the day in order to provide shelter from the waves to aid safe boarding, and my crew worked hard assisting passengers on and off the tenders.

Cooktown is named after Captain James Cook who landed here in 1770 to repair his ship Endeavour. A statue of this great British explorer now stands in the harbour area. It is officially Australia’s oldest European settlement, things really coming to life with the Gold Rush of the late 19th century.

It soon grew to become one of Queensland’s largest settlements with an infamous reputation for taverns, brothels, and unsavoury characters. Those days are now long gone, and Cooktown is a peaceful place in tune with the Aboriginal culture.

By the early afternoon myself and my crew were all rather jaded, but a successful port stop in difficult conditions was achieved. It was with a sense of relief that we lifted the anchor and proceeded to sea, next stop Darwin in Australia’s Northern Territory.

The evening’s entertainment was a mystifying show performed by Moscow Magic followed by music for dancing by the Saga Ruby Orchestra.

The morning began with some intense concentration as I navigated Saga Ruby along the narrow entrance channel into Cairns harbour. There isn’t much room for error as the dredged channel is barely wide enough to fit. Not only did we dock safely, but we were alongside before the first of the rain showers deluged the ship. It is normal for the rain to fall whilst I’m outside manoeuvring the vessel and it is known in the ‘trade’ as a ‘docking shower’.

My passengers were soon off to see the splendours of tropical Queensland. The rainforest and aboriginal culture were on some agendas, others looked to the sea for their day with cruises out to the Great Barrier Reef and an opportunity to snorkel amongst the coral and fish in this warm water paradise. The independent souls wandered around Cairns or took the coach to quaint Port Douglas.

There was a good contingent abandoning ship for a few days as they jetted off to Alice Springs and Uluru (Ayres Rock) the spiritual centre of Aboriginal culture and world’s largest monolith. We’ll see them again in Darwin on the 14th.

For the ship’s crew it was time for our weekly emergency and abandon ship drills. At 10am the alarm was sounded and everyone went into action. In line with new guidance from the UK Maritime Coastguard Agency, we simulated a barbecue fire and put our teams to the test of dealing with exploding gas cylinders. It did seem appropriate that we would have a BBQ themed drill here in Australia.

Later I was back on my bicycle heading along the coastal cycleway that fronts the lovely town and forms a part of the well-manicured promenade park between traffic and the beach. Weather was hot and humid with some very heavy showers. A couple of times it was necessary to rest beneath a tree whilst the heavens opened.

Departure was delayed for around twenty minutes as we waited for good visibility to navigate the channel back to sea. Heavy rain meant that I couldn’t see the navigational marks and channel lead lights in order to safely proceed. Using the pilot’s laptop computer we used the internet to watch live weather radar pictures from the Cairns weather centre and were therefore able to see a weather window opening for our departure.

The Palm Court Orchestra presented an evening’s recital of works by Beethoven and Brahms before piano duo and comic team ‘Katzenjammer’ entertained with their usual mix of music and mayhem.

Progress was slow as we steamed towards Brisbane. The East Australian Current gave us its full 4 knots which, combined with a headwind, reduced our speed to only 15 knots. It wasn’t surprising that we arrived a couple of hours late into Brisbane but all was not lost as my passengers were able to enjoy our cruise up the Brisbane River to our berth in the morning sunshine. With tours rescheduled to the afternoon and a later sailing time organised my passengers would still be able to make the most of this idyllic part of the world.

Tours took my passengers into the city of Brisbane, as well as to the superb beaches of Queensland’s Gold Coast. The pier side was a modern complex of shops and cafes which was enough for some, whilst others took public transport into the city – a high speed catamaran with an all day ticket for only $5. I took an even cheaper option, getting astride my bicycle and following the riverside path passing Brisbane’s suburbs, parks, and marinas. It was a good ride on a lovely day and I rather enjoyed myself.

Some passengers had a chance to see some of Australia’s flora and fauna with guided tours in 4-wheel drive vehicles into the Aussie bush. ‘Roos, lizards, possums, and Koalas were all sighted on the adventure. Lunch was predictably a ‘barbie’ washed down with a ‘tinnie’ or two. And entertainment over lunch? Boomerang throwing lessons, of course!

As my last passengers boarded in the evening we began casting off our lines. It takes 5 hours to escape the confines of the river and Moreton Bay and it wasn’t until 2330 that we were finally at sea once more. Next stop Cairns, 854 miles and two days at sea but still the same coastline of this state Queensland, so vast this country is.

Stepping from the aeroplane at Sydney’s Kingsford Smith airport was a great pleasure. Not only could I stretch my legs after what seemed like days of travelling, but the warm Australian summer air cosseted my weary frame. Already I found myself saying “G’day” instead of “Good Morning”, and I looked forward to an outside lifestyle wearing short sleeves and shorts.

I was soon whisked from Botany Bay into the centre of New South Wales’s capital. I arrived at Darling Harbour at 8am with an hour to wait until Saga Ruby was due to dock. Feeling invigorated I went for a walk around the bars and cafes of this harbour-side tourist district. Things were already coming to life as people sipped coffee whilst others jogged along the quayside in the morning sunshine.

I was back in time to see Saga Ruby’s lines being sent to shore as she tied up alongside. Soon I was back aboard my second home and meeting many familiar passengers with whom I have sailed with before. A couple of hours briefing from Captain Rentell was enough to have me up to speed with all things shipboard and ready for the next couple of months in command.

For my passengers (yes, they’re mine now) it was the start of a couple of days enjoying the sights and sounds of Sydney and it’s surrounds. There were city tours, harbour tours and even seaplane tours of the city and its magnificent natural harbour known as Port Jackson. Sydney Harbour Bridge, Darling Harbour, Circular Quay, The Rocks, Luna Park, Centre-Point Tower, Kings Cross, Chinatown, were all on people’s itineraries. Visits to the billowing sail-like Opera house included performances of Verdi’s La Traviata for those musically inclined. Some ventured farther to the beautiful beaches, including Bondi of course, and also to the magnificent Blue Mountains.

Sailing on a warm and still night we eased out of Darling Harbour, under the bridge, and past the Opera House. The city and sights were all illuminated making for a spectacular departure as we bid farewell to Sydney. With pilot disembarked we increased to full speed, 486 miles to run along Australia’s east coast to Brisbane in Queensland.

In fact the journey around the south of South Island was a little windy, but not too bad, and we took the opportunity to head into Dusky Sound and then Doubtful Sound before heading further north.

The morning weather had been rather overcast, with rain at times, but the clouds parted for us to see more than just a little blue as we headed into Milford Sound around mid afternoon. It was a pleasant interlude and had most folk on deck to see the towering cliffs reaching straight out of the water up to well over three thousand feet. After a suitable viewing interval we turned and headed out, despatching the pilot before we turned the last bend back to the Tasman.

The first of our two days crossing the Tasman Sea was fairly comfortable, with light winds and a somewhat confused swell. The second however, gave us a good taste of the ‘Tasman Devil’, and can best be described as the ‘Roaring Forties’ at their best. The great delight though, was the wandering Albatross that seemed quite unperturbed by the elements and continued to criss cross our track all day, sometimes with wingtip just millimetres above the waves.

Hobart was welcome, in more ways than one, and passengers were soon away on their tours and wandering into the city in pleasant sunshine. The old quarter, not so far from the ship, had a mix of bars and shops blended into old warehouses and contemporary buildings. Just up from the quays lovely bungalow houses, built in the early 1900’s with their typical covered porches and corrugated roofs were a reminder of perhaps busier times.

In fact the port, ship wise, was rather quiet. Even so, it had a greater security presence than many a port I have recently entered. I was advised that the increasing costs of security have actually resulted in some vessels abandoning Hobart completely. A great shame, I would suggest, as our passengers returned with glowing praise.

We sailed back into the great bay that shelters the city and headed first east, and then to the north around Tasman Island, just catching for a while the south westerly swell curling around Tasmanias’s southern cape. Sydney is next, many folks are leaving, including my wife and I. Captain Neil will be here to bring the ship home. We wish fair winds and a safe passage.