Writing this "under the influence" following extended sundowners aboard a 41' Crowther Windspeed cat that hasn't been able to shake us off for days and days, no matter how hard they try allbeit screechers, kites or whatever on their part.  On some days we've "won". You know the drum... two yachts and it's a race.  A couple of days ago we flew Big Red, our S kite, up to about 26kts Tr (16 Ap). What a pair of desperates we've turned into.. Had it up for about 4 hrs for much of the way from Margaret Bay to Escape River. The cat bloke is a great guy but has a serious history as a multihull racer. He can't figure why he can't shake us off. All good fun.  Our water tanks have been gradually emptying, so lardy arse really hums.

Since Cairns there's mostly been highly developed SE trade winds with much low cloud cover, not conducive to stop-offs at no-croc reefs for snorkelling etc, but it has made for fast sailing. We stayed at Cooktown for a Captain.. and also Lizard for five nights and loved it.  Climbed Mt Cook... what a view, walked to Blue Lagoon etc.  Great evening gatherings on the beach with other cruisers.  Another lovely (5 star) anchorage.

We spent last night at the so-called Cape York anchorage which is just around "the top" on the west side and is literally within a few hundred metres off The Cape.  By morning there were just loose chains left behind... all the dogs had been blown off.  We set the wind speed alarm for 40kts and it briefly alarmed a few times during the early part of the night and wasn't far off it for the remainder.  That bloody intense HP system down south made for damn big breezes up here.  They say "a 1034 Hpa centre high down south (thru The Bight) means 34 kts up here" and so on down thru the HP pressure centres.  Methinks they are correct. (can we have some 1024 HPa highs then please).

We sailed the few miles to Seisa this morning.  Wow, what a cruisey sail through the islands and reefs under the lee of the Cape and to a lovely quiet, safe anchorage AND internet coverage and a supermarket. So here we are at 10 50.92S / 142 21.77E.  We may leave for Gove tomorrow evening, 350nm across The Gulf.

All is going well and we are looking forward to about a three week break in Darwin prior to departing Aus for Kupang and beyond on July 26th.

Now, not happy!... the watermaker is out of service due to a small crack and subsequent leak from the HP pump body centre block, so had to do three times pot water bunkering trips today to a beach tap with 6 jerries. Not getting any younger lifting them up and emptying them. Stuck it all in the port side tank (the high side for SE) in case another race develops across The Gulf... one never knows.  Won't attempt removal or repairs 'till Gove or Darwin and we already know it will be expensive.  It's the Clark pump (Spectra).

It's fab to be somewhere that just never gets cold no matter how nasty the weather.  If you ever wanted to lose yourself (apart from remote Tassie), these here parts would be a good alternative. Two pairs of boardies, three T shirts and a pair of Crocs would suffice for yonks.

Love, G & G.