Capt Cook and Cooktown

14th Aug 2010

With a plan to make either Hope Island or get all the way to Cooktown, we left early just as the sun was rising at 06:15. The wind was lighter than yesterday so we started out motor/sailing in order to keep a speed required to give us a chance at Cooktown and as things turned out, we motored pretty much all the way. Even so, it was a good trip with an opportunity to make pancakes for morning tea and the additional plus of a couple of wildlife sightings.

Enroute we saw a whale and calf playing in the ‘near shore’ areas around Cape Tribulation and shortly after we noted a basking shark drift by on the surface. So a ‘critter’ rich trip but the other thing of interest here is the proximity of the main shipping channel to the shore as shown in the photo right. It does look odd to see a big ship well inshore of us and extremely close to the beach but that’s the nature of this part of the reef, as is the predominance of Capt Cook features.

For example, Cape Tribulation, Cook named because, as he said in his journal, “It was north of this point that our troubles began”. He was right of course as just north is Endeavour Reef, the one he hit in 1770 and almost lost the ship. Recall we had Hope Island as a potential destination – well these are just little further north of Endeavour reef and it was here that Cook decided that as the pumps were finally keeping up to the leaks then that had cause for Hope. And so it goes on with Cooktown, on the Endeavour River; being the location of Capt Cook’s 48 days of repairs to Endeavour.

Entering Cooktown, I was surprised at how tight things were. This is after all just a small river with not too much water of places to anchor. Our first attempt found us in about 30 mm of water so we moved to a deeper spot in a neat line with four other boats. Once settled we had a walk through town (the photo is not mine) and back to the boat for dinner.