A distance of 750nm of remote nothingness is stretched out before us. I’ve pre-cooked meals, we’ve stocked up on snacks, and we estimate that we will be sailing into Darwin in 5ish days time. This will be the longest passage that Imogen has done. For us, it’s the longest since Noumea to Mackay. We departed Thursday Island, heading out into the Gulf of Carpentaria, which is shallow, rough, and thoroughly unpleasant! It’s also very hot and windy (at least the wind is from behind.)

I won’t bore you with how horrible the next three days were, but if you can imagine being in a tumble dryer, feeling so hot and sick and trying to turn yourself inside out….that was Angus and I! Imogen is made of sterner stuff. She just felt queasy. We lived on crackers and water for 3 days. Eventually, we made it to Cape Wessell (the sticky-out island at the western end of the Gulf). It was with great relief that we anchored for the night, had a proper meal, a shower, and a wonderful sleep.

The rest of the trip was ok (except for running aground on our way out of Cape Wessell😳). Thankfully, no harm was done, except a near heart attack! On an average passage, here’s how we usually fill in our time at sea when it’s not rough and we’re not suffering from sea-sickness…

Fishing: Great entertainment! It can be difficult to reel in a fish whilst under full sail. Totally worth the effort to be able to fill the freezer.

Cleaning up after fishing: It generally isn’t as bad as this, but there is guaranteed to be some mess.

Baking: Who wouldn’t want baked treats along the way? I only recommend this if it’s not too rough. This is often achievable, very satisfying, and a morale boost for the crew.

Read a book or listen to an audio book: I borrow books and audio books from the Auckland Library on an app called Libby. It’s free, and listening to an audio book is like escaping to another world (perfect if you’re not feeling well). I’ve discovered the Australian author Margaret Hickey. I can highly recommend this book, Cutters End. It keeps you guessing until the last moment, addresses a moral dilemma, and paints a very evocative picture of Outback South Australia.

Eating dinner together: It’s great to sit together in the cockpit at the end of the day to enjoy a hot meal. I generally pre-cook enough meals to last the passage. Generally, it’s something that can be heated up easily to have with pasta, rice, or potato. For example, spaghetti bolognese, chicken curry or beef goulash.

Sunsets: We try to take a few minutes to appreciate each and every one. They’re spectacular up here in the Northern Territory. We arrived in Darwin on Tuesday morning at 4.45am, 5ish (nearly 6 days) after leaving Torres Strait.