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| Day 105 |
20 July 2000 |
| Aru Sea |
| "Rounding False Cape: The Re-Enactment" |
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We are 140 miles west of the mouth of the Digul River where the
Duyfken charted the coast, labelling it only as 'laoghlandt'
(lowland) and not giving it a name. This would have been a
dangerous time for Jansz because at the time he came here it
would have been a lee-shore, the north-westerly monsoon blowing
towards the land over a wide belt of shoal water. Quite a
treacherous coast for a ship like this.
It seems likely from the chart that at least some of the crew of
Duyfken landed at Digul River because the coast is recorded in
some detail. This was the first land on their voyage that was
unknown to them, so it follows they would have investigated its
prospects. That was the purpose of the voyage.
Jansz may have had some difficulty weathering False Cape and
there are some tell-tale wiggles in his course as he approaches
it, suggesting some frantic tacking to get out into deeper
water. His problem was the exact opposite of ours: while he
struggled to get further out to sea, I would like to be much
closer in than we are, to get some shelter from the south-east
swell and to give ourselves a better angle to make towards the
Gulf.
Jansz was clearly disappointed with the area. As soon as he
cleared False Cape he continued south, then east. If he had not
turned east he would have come to the coast somewhere very close
to Gove, where we are heading. Isn't that spooky?
The sky tonight has cleared completely for the first time in
weeks. The stars are amazingly bright in this clear air.
Directly ahead the Southern Cross points at an angle to the
horizon directly over Gove, our destination. Duyfken has all
sail set and is slowly plodding over the waves in the slowly
diminishing breeze, doing her best to hold the course. She knows
what will happen if she can't: the ignominy of engines and the
indignity of pecking at the waves like a chook.
But for now it is a beautiful night for sailing a jacht, and for
the first time on this re-enactment I am perversely comforted by
the knowledge that Jansz had a tougher time sailing past these
waters than we will have. If he could have known about engines
he would have longed for them here, to get him out of the
dangerous waters of the False Cape area.
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Peter Manthorpe
Master
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