Departed Esperance marina at 630am to a favourable breeze and sun, albeit still a cold morning.  We reached Cape Le Grand at 9am passing the many islands that give Esperance Bay its nick name of bay of isles. The other name that it is known by is Recherche Archipelago.

When I first became infatuated with sailing around Australia I purchased a book by Jeff Toghill titled Circumnavigating Australia’s coastline,  published in 1986. Toghill recommends standing well out to sea and avoiding the Recherche Archipelago.  With the numerous islands and reefs, in those days without a GPS plotter, it would have been a navigational nightmare. Fortunately these days we have the navigation equipment to make it much easier and safer.

Unfortunately after 3pm the wind piped in at 25kts from the East, exactly what we had been waiting a week in Esperance to avoid and also why we planned to cross in late August, to avoid Easterlies which become prevalent in late September,  October and November. Additionally we had to enter Arid Bay in darkness, never recommended.  All very frustrating.

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