INTRODUCTION                                                             SALE RIVER AIR PHOTO

The Sale River, in the NE corner of Doubtful Bay, provides yet another interesting and challenging navigation exercise for the cruising yacht skipper confident to take on the 12.5 m tides in this area. The river can be accessed from secure anchorages to the north (Prior Point Inlet), west (Raft Point) or south (Red Cone Inlet) within the time constraints of the 6½ hr flooding tide cycle.

      WHAT TO EXPECT

Depths in Doubtful Bay outside the Sale River mouth are around 30 to 40m. However, there is a drying rockbar almost blocking the entrance to the river at low tide. When arriving at the river mouth about 2 hours before high tide, the rockbar causes a line of white water and overfalls travelling north north east across the mouth of the Sale River towards George Water.

Approximately 3.5 miles up the river there is a secure picturesque anchorage  (photo left and 1 on the map) throughout any tide cycle in a 5 to 15m deep hole, located almost midstream. 

Approximately 8 miles further upstream, there is another all tide anchorage (4 on the map and right) in a 3 to 20m deep hole approximately 150m long and 50m wide at low tide.  There is plenty of flotsam & jetsam here plus the odd mangrove jack and barra!

Between these two anchorages there are numerous sandbanks that dry completely at low tide (between 2 and 3 on the map and pictured left).

Immediately above the upper anchorage is a dog-leg section of drying rockbars and rapids (5 on the map and pictured right) approximately 1 mile in length forming the transition from the saltwater to the freshwater sections of the river. This in an interesting area to observe the rising tide from the rock ledges on each side, and there are possibilities for white-water rafting in the dinghy.

     TIDE LEVELS

Now for the tricky bit!  The first 5 miles of the river is open to the sea so that tide heights and times are similar to those listed for Lizard Island located to the north west of Doubtful Bay. Between the 5 mile mark and the upper anchorage, basically the east-west section of the river, drying sandbanks bordered by rock faces and mangrove mudbanks, progressively raise the low tide water level like a series of locks.

At the upper anchorage, the low tide level is estimated to be 5m above spring low tide level at the mouth of the Sale River; or approximately 1m below mean sea level. This means that only the upper half of the tidal cycle is ever experienced at the upper anchorage. We sat at the upper anchorage for six days from spring tides and into a neap tide period and our observations were as follows:

The end result, and the most important point for cruising yachties, is that on the highest springs of 12m, it is feasible to anchor in 9m of water at the upper anchorage and still have greater than 2m depth for a period of 4 hours at low tide.

PLACES OF INTEREST

Rapids and mini-waterfalls are common throughout the tidal rockbar area as both the rising and falling tides cascade through the large boulders.  Barra, salmon and fingermark can be caught across the rockbars at slack high or low water.

There are several sandy beaches and freshwater gorges along the upper parts of the tidal rockbar section of the Sale River. The largest beach (6 on the map and pictured left), is accessible by dinghy through the rockbar rapids on tides above 10.5m.  This beach is 100m long by 20m wide and is the preferred boat landing and camping area for tour groups from Derby. Swimming in the pool off this beach could be problematic as we have seen a large croc in this area.

Behind this beach is a clear freshwater stream running down a gorge through very dense luxuriant rainforest (right). One pool, approximately 100m upstream of the beach, affords a swim adjacent to a warm water spring surging up through a crevice in the rocks.

Further upstream above a small waterfall in the main river is the Sale River gorge (left). There are large freshwater lagoons with freshwater crocs (and possibly salties?) paperbark trees and rock pools with brilliant water lilies. Swimming in these could also be a bit risky. A risk most of us cruising in this part of the world are not prepared to take.

About 1 mile downstream of the anchorage, the sandbars stretching a further 4 miles downstream are completely dry for at least 4 hours after the low tide and offer an interesting stroll for exercise.  Explorer beware!   Being caught miles from the dinghy on a swiftly rising tide and surrounded by crocodiles could cause stress.