The things you see

High Seas

Crocodiles, crabs, pigs, pelicans, groupers and poachers are among the sights and creatures Peter and Doris Sayre encounter on the western side of Cape York. Peter tells the tale.

Doughboy River, on the western side of Cape York, is a pleasant anchorage, and a few cruising boats can often be spotted there during the annual migration north and south. Three couples and their boats were anchored there for a couple of days earlier this year - Doris and me in our South Coast 36 ketch, Head Office, Rick and Brenda in their 12m Grainger catamaran, Low Profile, and Wasa and Rae in their Elite 11 catamaran, Spanish Dancer, We all enjoyed the pleasant anchorage and everyone saw things that needed a gun or a camera - crocs, crabs, pigs, pelicans, groupers and poachers.

Croc at home
A crocodile was the first thing someone spotted, on the bank behind Low Profile, soon after anchoring. It obviously considered that bank his home territory because he could be seen on it from time to time.

Everyone set crab pots and took walks on the beautiful beaches stretching from the mouth. The walk on the southern beach yielded floats by the hundred, some nice egg-shaped shells, all sorts of flotsam - including two gas cylinders - and a very interesting set of tracks. These turned out to be the tracks of a hermit crab - just when the camera didn't go walking - and they made a crazy path up and down the sand.

We all got together for sundowners one evening and then some of us checked the pots just before dark. This caused a bit of consternation, but a big buck crab was brought back and everyone returned with limbs intact. The camera was brought out this time. A second crab came to play the next morning, so a crab lunch was organised on Low Profile.

I was washing the pots and bait holders at the stern of our tender in the morning when I was surprised by a grouper coming up for a look. Bait fish were thrown over, but it wouldn't surface for that. However, his huge silver shape was clearly seen under Head Office, complete with his attendant cleaning fish. But no hope of a photo.

The croc was back on the bank again, seemingly completely oblivious to the birds walking and feeding around him and two black feral pigs that wandered along the sandy riverbank. We saw evidence of pigs from Cooktown all the way around the Cape to the Doughboy River and actual pigs several times. Roast pork could be an alternative to fresh queenie, barramundi and mangrove jack? Perhaps not - no gun anyway!

Mystery boat
The crab lunch on Low Profile was, of course, superb, and we were all yarning replete on the aft deck afterwards, as one does, when somebody noticed a strange-looking barge appeared to be coming in the channel. Binoculars were shared around. We concurred it seemed to be a foreign fishing vessel, which had to be illegal.

Doris and I volunteered to phone the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) Bamaga on our satellite phone, and we all went back to our own boats. AQIS obviously passed on the information to Customs, who called back to say that a plane and boat would be dispatched and gave us the 1800 number to call if the boat moved.

Head Office was closest so Doris and I could see clearly what was happening and out came the camera. We were dismayed to see the crew drag a huge silver fish over the side and bludgeon it to death with a large wooden mallet. It was probably our sociable grouper, and it seemed such a senseless waste of a tough, beautiful and big fish. Mission apparently accomplished, the foreign boat then weighed anchor and slipped back out the channel to head out to sea.

This was about the same time as we had planned to depart, and we had hoped to get a closer photo. However, it was a relief that the foreign boat went first because we really didn't want to get close up and personal. From the channel we could see them steaming northwest into a dark cloud.

As all our boats came up to the beach outside to anchor, Doris was quick to point out a white inflatable dinghy with a black outboard high and dry on the beach with no other boats in the vicinity. "Yeah, right, darl. Four pelican power as well!" Adrenaline heightens the imagination.

Enter Customs
Then a Customs plane flew low over us and into the sun. Great excitement again, so Wasa called them on the VHF radio. He was told it was all "under control", and the plane flew the same low passes for a couple of hours. We were called by the plane a little later, asked the usual questions about our boats, and then told everything would be resolved within the hour.
The next radio voice was on channel 16. "Foreign fishing vessel, this is Australian Customs vessel Dame Roma Mitchell. Stop your engines as we intend to board you." This was repeated three times, and we heard no response. Just before midnight the satellite phone rang with Customs on the line to let us know that the boat had been apprehended. Yeah for the good guys!

Radio talk next morning had it that the crew had been taken into custody and the boat destroyed. While enjoying a great fine reach down to Jackson River, we received another call on the satellite phone. This was an official thank-you from Customs in Canberra to all the boats and confirmation that the boat had been destroyed and its crew taken to Weipa. It was great to hear of a good outcome. The grouper at least had a burial at sea, and we will continue seeing all sorts of things - no gun, only camera.

Authors:
Peter and Doris have been cruising for five years, mostly on the Queensland coast, initially on a multihull but now a monohull. Gladstone is their homeport. Next year they plan to cruise to Darwin and the Kimberley.

What to look for at sea
* Possible unauthorised landings by foreign vessels.
* Merchant ships at anchor unusually close to land, islands or other vessels.
* Vessels outside normal shipping lanes.
* Ships signalling or being met by small craft.
* Yachts and pleasure craft in remote or unusual areas.
* Anyone making landings in remote areas.
* Unusual objects at sea or ashore (e.g. buoys, rubbish, signalling devices).
* Salvage operations on shipwrecks.

What to tell Customs
* The time, date and place of the incident.
* What you saw or heard.
* A description of the people and the transport involved (e.g. planes, boats, trucks).
* Registration numbers or call signs you saw or heard.