THE NIGHT PROMISING TO BE A STORMY ONE.

Again carrying the extract over from yesterday:

'residents at Canon Valley Beach saw her

pass there just as darkness was setting in

and the night promising to be a very stormy

one'.

I am constantly drawn to this simple, revealing report: 

- It was not just one resident but a 'number' of residents who saw Yongala passing en-route to Armit and Gumbrell Islands. This is proof enough for me the report was legitimate. Why would the 'residents' say otherwise?? A community of liars??  I very much doubt that!!

- Visibility, despite encroaching darkness, was good enough to identify Yongala.

- Captain Knight, based on the above statement, was not taking an unreasonable risk going through the inside passage.

- The storm had not yet struck = 'promise', but there were enough indications to suggest that the 'night was going to be a stormy one'. This in itself was adequate justification, bearing in mind wind predominating from the south, to continue at a cracking pace for Townsville.

The more I think about this and search for answers the more sympathy I have for Captain Knight whom I assumed, based on superficial information, to have been reckless. By this account Captain Kmight's decision to continue on without seeking anchorage was JUSTIFIED.