I’m happy to report that we have finally made it through the Torres Strait, It was not an easy feat, but we managed to do it with some luck and skill!
The last section of the strait is extremely narrow and shallow, with many reefs and islands to avoid. I had been concerned about getting through in daylight, as the visibility is crucial for spotting the hazards. I had considered anchoring for the night, but eventually decided to push on and we made it into clear water before sunset, leaving just a couple of shoals to navigate through into open water. Generally, I would be very cautious of a 9-meter patch, but when the rest of the depth is 13 meters, it doesn’t seem too bad.
Of course, the strait is not the only danger we faced on this voyage. Since I have so far been attacked by birds and several vicious flying fish, I am very cautious of what nature can throw at you. After reading today a catamaran that was sailing from Vanuatu to Australia sank after being attacked by sharks I have something else to consider. Sure, it turns out to be an inflatable catamaran that probably shouldn’t be at sea, but on top of the killer whale attacks elsewhere on yachts, you can imagine my mounting horror wondering if a saltwater crocodile had ever climbed up the back of a catamaran. And now I can’t relax.
The down side of starlink has become apparent. I just googled "crocodile climbs onto catamaran" and there are pages of results and it's even worse than I thought with terrifying headlines like "Huge crocodile launches itself into boatload of fishermen". Oh.
