Flying Fish Articles

Members sites
Mike Bickell - Grandpa’s Maps


Gove – 12°12.04'S, 136°41.95'E
Ngyaku Bay, – 11°36.67'S, 136°15.72'E
Coral Bay – 11°11.80'S, 132°02.90'E
Alcara Bay, – 11°17.44'S, 131°47.94'E
Cape Hotham – 12°05.34'S, 131°15.70'E
Darwin, – 12°25.58'S, 130°49.22'E

Gove – 12°12.04'S, 136°41.95'E
Comment: Excellent natual harbour used by Bauxite commercial vessels so well buoyed. Anchorage is off Gove Sailing Club in Inverell Bay in 2.5-5m mud/sand, good holding. There are laid moorings to avoid, may be able to rent one , enquire at Gove SC. The sailing club can be a bit rough but very friendly and helpful. Rubbish by slip and water tap near gate to boat yard. Good Telstra signal. Shops are a longway in Nuhulumby. Ususally possible to get a lift. Taxi $30 each way. Good Woolworths, banks, butchers. Prices are more here, it 's along way from anywhere. Airport with domestic flights.

The Bauxite plant looks like something out of Mad Max films.

1) Information Submitted by George Curtis and Captain Bill Gibson OCC, harbour master
2) Date 2002 and 1980?
3) Harbour or Area Covered Include Lat & Long Gove, Northern Territory, Australia. 12°13’ S, 136°40’ E
4) Suitability and Attraction for Yachts Gove Harbour is a secure harbour in all weathers Nabalco mine for bauxite 17 miles away, and have a refinery and powerhouse close to the harbour. The town of Nhulunbuy is about half way between and has a modern little shopping centre, with free buses from the port to the town. Access to Customs, Immigration and Quarantine, Friendly Yacht Club
5) Marinas, Berthing or Anchorage Some moorings; room to anchor. Steer 0640T from 5 fathom beacon ?? to yacht anchorage off Yacht club. Good holding ground in mud and protected even in the cyclone season. (?? 1980 information – please confirm!)
6) Entry Ports Gove is a Port of Entry
7) Formal Requirements for Yachts Entering/Departing:
a) from/to same country Inform Port Captain of arrival
b) from/to abroad Clear with Customs, Immigration and Quarantine. See notes on Thursday Island and Cairns c) visa requirements Yes. Yes for UK Passport holders but can obtain an electronic visa in most travel agents prior to arrival in Aus
8) Location/Existence of:
a) harbour master Ch 16 – near Dundas Point
b) customs/immigration Ch 16 - near Dundas Point but will arrange to visit at Barge landing jetties.
c) health authorities Ch 16 - near Dundas Point but will arrange to visit at Barge landing jetties.
d) police In Nhulunbuy 15 minutes taxi from Gove Yacht Club
9) Control of Foreign Yachts Must clear itinerary on arrival. Import duty will become payable if a yacht remains in Australia for more than 12 months. However if the crew fly out the yacht can be held in bond and the time does not accrue from the point of view of duty. However the time does keep running on the Cruising Permit!
10) Attitude of Officials to Visiting Yachtsmen Very Friendly
11) Repair/Hauling Facilities Good machine and fabricating facilities. Most repairs can be executed. 2 careening grids and an 80 tonne mobile crane.
12) Sailing Directions or Charts Aus chart 715 is good. Well buoyed entrance for commercial shipping to bauxite ore berth. Fairway Buoy waypoint 12.10.5S; 136.39.0E. South of the ore berth, leave the light beacon and red buoy to port. Leave Harbour Island and Rocky Point well to port and leave the port hand buoy(QR) in position 12.18.8S; 136.42.4E guarding rocks to the North of the anchorage to Port. The anchorage is soft mud in the North East of Inverall Bay and Gove Sailing Club at the North East shore of the bay.
13) Cruising Guide and where Obtainable. Include Phone and/or E-Mail Northern Territory Coast by John M Knight. ISBN 1 86252 463 7.
14) Port Radio Services Ch 16
15) Weather Forecasts ABC radio. Darwin Radio Coast station
16) Yacht Club(S) Gove Yacht Club, P.O.Box 935, Gove, Northern Territory 5797. Listens on Ch 16. Very welcoming. and offers refreshment, meals and contacts for local repair work
17) Other Facilities:
drinking water At barge landing at commercial jetty. Ask permission form harbour master before berthing
fuel At barge landing at commercial jetty.
gas (propane)/gaz Not known; probably in Nhulunbuy
chandlers Nil at Gove - 4 in Darwin with daily air service. Probably limited supply of fishing chandlery in Nhulunbuy
bank in Nhulunbuy
shops/market Town Supermarkets in Nhulunbuy - 7 miles from port
restaurants/hotels Gove Sailing Club and Nhulunby
post office/telephones including mobile facilities Nhulunby
internet cafes Nhulunby
best mailing address showers At Yacht Club
laundry Machines at yacht Club
transport/air services Bus service and Taxis to Nhulunby. Regular Air services to Darwin, Cairns, Brisbane & Sydney. No trunk roads to the rest of Aus.
medical facilities/hospital Nhulunby is a well equipped mining town so presumably has good medical facilities.
18) Recommendations or Warnings We were warned not to swim because of crocs and box jellyfish and not to wander about in the bush at dawn and dusk because of water buffalo!
19) Other Information – please include here general impressions, opinions, comments or any other matter which might be of use to those visiting. We used Gove as our Port of Entry into Aus and encountered no problems other than no facilities for “Quarantine” rubbish which we had to keep with us until Darwin.


[attachment=384]gove.jpg[/attachment]


Ngyaku Bay, – 11°36.67'S, 136°15.72'E
Superb sheltered anchorage on Raragala Island in the Wessels. Its on the east side but once tucked up in the boot nothing gets in. We were told about this by a Gove local. They use it as a cyclone hole. Mud/sand good holding in 5-8m. Dont go too far in as it shallows abruptly. An excellent place to wait for Hole in the Wall slack water. Hole in the Wall is a narrow short clean passage between Raragala island and Guluwuru island to its north. The tides can run at 6-9 kts so slack is essential but is very short. Tide turns west at approx HW Darwin +2.5 hrs. Infact we found it to be nearer HW+3. It 's a case of hover and wait. The eastern entrance can be very rough wind against tide.

There are other good anchorages in the Wessels particulary Two Island Bay after rounding Cape Wessel is recommended.

Coral Bay – 11°11.80'S, 132°02.90'E
There is a good scale chart of Port Essington and CM93 charts are accurate. There are many good anchorages around this long fiord like bay. Some have strong tidal flows but all are well sheltered. In Coral Bay , to our surprise, there is a small resort that welcomes yachties. We enjoyed their swimming pool and had a very welcome meal $40/head 2 course set meal. Lots of Crocodiles around. Anchored in 3.5m off the resort jetty. This is all Aboriginal land. It was our understanding that a permit was required to visit these areas however boats that attempted to get permits found no one answered emails. phones or post. Many yachts anchored overnight but did not go ashore and kept clear of any settlements. None of us had any problems as a result.

Alcara Bay, – 11°17.44'S, 131°47.94'E
An easy bay to enter and wait for the tide to round Cape Don. 4m sand. Plenty of room. Dundas Strait requires using the tides carefully. It is reported to get very rough with adverse wind/tide conditions above 20kts. Round Cape Don 5.5hrs before HW Darwin. There will be adverse tide along the south coast of Melville island but it is not too strong. In theory you then get fair tide from Cape Hotham all the way to Darwin.

Cape Hotham – 12°05.34'S, 131°15.70'E
Anchorage in 4m in a small bay. The reef is abrupt but visible. A good stop fro the night before continuing on to Darwin. There are several options along this coast.

Darwin, – 12°25.58'S, 130°49.22'E
A large, busy commercial harbour. Its one of those places that 's a meeting point for yachts leaving Australia. Most repairs can be undertaken but be aware some things will need shipping up, repairs may need sending south, and although there are several chandleries they tend to have limited stock. Bias Boating on Stuart Highway is good. Prices are higher in Darwin for everything. Anchorage is in Fannie Bay or Frances Bay. Both can get lively in afternoon seabreezes. Marinas at Bayview (expensive), Cullen Bay (often full, expensive with a one off $250 lock fee), Tipperary Waters ( similar price to most Qld marinas, cruiser friendly, bus/shops outside), the Duck Pond/Boat Harbour(occ has space if fishing boats are out, basic). All the marinas are accessed via lock. Fisheries must clear you before entering a marina, phone or see website.

Big city ,good shopping, airport for domestic flights. Lots to see and the gateway to the Lichfield and Kakadu National Parks.

Darwin Sailing Club are very hospitable to visiting yachts and have a slip for landing dingys if at anchor. Water and laundry facilities too.

Dinah Beach Cruising Club near Tipperary Waters marina welcome visiting yachts. They have moorings to rent, a dingy dock, water, laundry at Tipperary Marina, and 2 careening grids in good condition. More informal than Darwin SC. There is a galley with a well priced , varied menu.

Duty free fuel is available from the fishing dock only, once Customs had issued the correct forms. Duty free supplies from the airport Duty free shops. Beer and Wine are cheaper from the supermarkets.