Anchorage: Alcaro Bay, Cape Don NT 

A wild pristine adventure where fish are abundant and human habitat is sparse


Fishing....National Park Wilderness....Aboriginal Culture....History

  
Situated on the Coburg Peninsula north east of Cape Don, north of Darwin, in the Northern Territory, Alcaro Bay is almost as far north as one can get without leaving the country.The Coburg Peninsula is one of the most evocative destinations this vast continent has to offer, a compilation of raw, wild beauty, combined with superb fishing, in this far-flung corner of Australia.
Well known for sport & fly-fishing, prominent species include mackerel, giant trevally, salmon, mangrove jack and barramundi.
World Heritage wetlands, sandy island cays with their white sand beaches, mangrove lined creeks, bird life, crocodiles and other wildlife inherent to Arnhem Land.
 
The Cape Don wilderness lodge provides accommodation in the historic lighthouse keepers homestead, for a maximum of 12 people.Guests at the camp can take tours through the spectacular Arnhem Land escarpment, and also view ancient Aboriginal rock art.		 Photo Credit Cape Don Lodge 
Anchorage
Northwest facing Alcaro Bay lies between Cape Don and Popham Bay and is protected from the prevailing E-SE trades.As with all boating in the Northern Territory extreme care must be taken in these often murky, tidal waters: much of this coastline is still unsurveyed and navigators should adopt a prudent attitude. Turning into the anchorage from about the centre of the bay, we motored in with nothing less than 4mts below our keel.Other vessels though, have touched bottom traversing a similar route: it has been said that the head of the bay can be shallow. Anchor in 3mts over a mud and rock bottom. There is a tidal creek hidden amongst the mangroves in the southern corner of the bay where barramundi fishermen can try their luck.Beware of the crocodiles that have been sighted basking on the bank here.		  

Strong tidal streams inhabit Dundas Strait which lies SW of Cape Don at the N end of Van Diemen Gulf.Vessels travelling from Darwin must traverse this stretch of water on approach to Alcaro Bay. The waters around the cape are dangerous, often with rough water and six knot currents swirling around the reefs.Accurate tidal predictions are essential when planning your passage through the Van Diemen Gulf on approach to Cape Don: the calmest water is generally an hour either side of slack water.Tidal streams are complex, but generally flow east and south on the flood and north and west on the ebb.

Anchorage location:  Lat 11deg 17S  Long 131deg 48E

  
Checklist
Best Time to Go The northern tip of Australia is affected by E-SE trade winds, which often blow consistently around 20- 25 knots.The dry season between April and October usually means consistent wind strength and direction interspersed with short periods of little or no wind.The movements of High pressure systems that traverse the Great Australian Bight often influence the wind strength, or lack of.Tropical cyclones are a serious threat in the humid wet season, with the official season November through to March.
How Long to Get There Travelling with the right tide is essential. John Knight's cruising guide is essential reading for cruising the Top End, with particular importance placed on the excellent tidal atlas, which illustrates the rate and direction of tidal streams through the Van Diemen Gulf. Day tripping north from Darwin, it is feasible to reach Cape Don in two days.Gunn Point in Shoal Bay is a reasonable overnight stop in light SE, approx 30nm NE of Darwin. From Gunn Pt it is approx 85nm to Alcaro Bay, which can be traversed in one tide cycle if your departure is timed accurately, via the Marsh Shoals and the Vernon Islands, arriving late on day two.
Fuel & Provisions There is no opportunity to obtain fuel or water at Alcaro Bay. Vessels should be self-reliant and ensure they provision in Darwin before setting out for the Coburg Peninsula. However, in an emergency, it may be possible to obtain assistance from the wilderness camp located at the historic Cape Don lighthouse.
Cruising Guide Northern Territory Coast Cruising Guide by John Knight
Charts: Paper AUS442 Cape Don to Cape Wessel and AUS308 Goulbourn Is to Melville Is
Charts: C-Map Cape Melville to Busselton
Destination Info Cape Don Tourism and Top End Tourism
Zoning Coburg Peninsula is part of the Garig Gunak Barlu National Park, which incorporates the Coburg Marine Park. Visitor permits are not required
 
 

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