CAPE WILBERFORCE
It is just over 20 Miles N-NW of Gove.
The tide floods WEST.
The area between the Cape and the first of the Bromby Islets will be rough on an ebb tide if a fresh Southeasterly is blowing.
A more pleasant passage will be made during the flood.
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The gateway to Northern Territory and Indonesia
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Distance from Gove—45 Miles
Tide Direction — Floods EAST
Best passage time — Slack water, or 1st hour of the ebb.
Length of passage — approx. One Mile
Minimum width — 48 meters
Minimum depth — 8.8 meters
Maximum current — depends on who’s telling the story!
According to Australian Pilot — approx. 9Kn
‘Hole in the Wall’
On your way to Darwin ……….
Cape Wilberforce is just over 20 Miles N-NW of Gove.
Here the tide floods WEST.
The area between the Cape and the first of the Bromby Islets will be rough on an ebb tide if a fresh South Easterly is blowing.
A more pleasant passage will be made during the flood.
CAPE WILBERFORCE
AT A GLANCE
The Gugari Rip has been the foundation for many a Yacht Club “best yarn”, but with a little planning this passage could be one of the highlights of a voyage. It also reduces the distance to Darwin by approximately 35 miles if calculated against the Cape Wessel route.
This distance from Gove Harbour to the entrance is 45 miles and the best time to enter is during the first hour of the ebb tide. The last hour would also be OK but if you arrive late, you would be confronted with the flood tide and a rough entrance if a fresh South Easterly were blowing.
The passage can be made at any stager of the ebb, but if you choose to pass through at full ebb on a spring tide you would certainly not have time to relax and enjoy the scenery and you would probably require a change of underpants when you were spat out of the Western exit!!
Tide times are approximately 1 hour before Gove and if it is not intended to pass through on the same day, overnight anchorage are at Elizabeth Bay Wigram Island, or Raragala Bay in it’s South Western arm. Raragal Bay is a good and interesting anchorage but is 10 miles South West of the “Hole”.
When approaching the “Hole” from Gove, the entrance can be very difficult to see if you have been set slightly North. The best approach is to lay a course a mile or so South of the entrance and steer this course until it is sighted. There is a very good anchorage one mile South West of the “Hole” exit.