Got up at 5.30 am but couldn’t get clearance to leave as there was an ore carrier departing and the female port controller in the tower said we had to wait till it had gone. 45 minutes later there was still no sign of the ore carrier.  Finally after we requested a compromise she allowed us to up anchor but we had to stay outside of the channel markers which we could do as it was high tide. We were well clear when the ore carrier eventually made its appearance.  I dont know what the controller looks like but the image I conjoured was similar to a police woman I encountered in Launceston recently.

Good strong Easterly morning wind had us doing 8 kts in the morning but it dropped to 10 kts breeze so we motorsailed in the afternoon. It was a glorious sunny day and great to be at sea again in favourable weather conditions.

Depuch Island is quite pretty with impressive piles of deep brown boulders interspersed with lush green patches.

We could sse the loom of Port Hedland 60 nm to the East as that industrial centre continued to load iron ore 24/7. Curiously at 4 am you could actually see Hedland’s lights, somehow they must have been refracted and bent around the horizon.