Welcome to wonderland
Cruising The Whitsundays Well here it is 2008 and the world continues to become a different place. We have a new federal government, Britain has a new Prime Minister and the good ol' US of A is looking for a…
Cruising
Dedicated to Cruising the world under sail including destinations, navigation, sailing tips, safety ideas, yacht & multihull reviews along with stories and insights for the sail cruising life in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
Resorts and marinas at a glance
Cruising The Whitsundays Want to wine and dine during your holiday, or simply plan your cruise around reprovisioning spots? This handy-at-a-glance guide compiled by John Champion will help you do just that. Peppers Palm Bay Long IslandSwing moorings either inside…
Boom times continue
Cruising The Whitsundays What's making the news? Plenty, says John Champion, who details here the latest on-water and on-land developments. On the waterMuddy Bay Marina, officially known as The Port of Airlie, continues to be built. Numerous trucks and excavators…
New Zealand's Top 10 Marinas
Dockside in the land of the white cloud Annette Tuncel checks out some of the best marina facilities for those cruising or planning a charter across the Tasman Sea. New Zealand is an island nation, a nation of people who…
Bareboat Charter Course: Wonderful or waste of time?
Put to the test Caroline Strainig checks out a trail-blazing course developed specifically for would-be charterers. Okay, so you’ve done a little sailing, and are dreaming of hiring a yacht somewhere. But you’re far from expert, and would love a…
Dire straits
DECKEYE VIEW: RAJA MUDA REGATTA MALAYSIA For racers and cruisers alike, there were as plenty of challenges on the water, and fun off it, reports Herb McCormick. The aroma was unmistakable, and given the circumstances, it was as sweet as…
Middle Harbour: Sydney's pocket playground
Destination: NSW Middle Harbour is just about perfect for cruising, Mark Cherrington discovers, as he explores Sydney's pocket playground and enjoys a hot contender for the city's best chocolate brownie. Tucked in between Middle Head and Dobroyd Head is the…
Aboard the good ship Nicolas
Feature: Chartering in Europe Many a devout sailor has been lured away from the “true” path by Europe's famous canal system. Betty Dack shares her adventure and offers some advice on how to follow in her footsteps. Bob and I…
Cruising with forward-looking sonar
Practical: Electronics John and Janet Read give the verdict on forward-looking sonar after putting it through its paces on a cruise to SE Asia. Janet looked up from her book. “Looks like a rock coming up, John,” she said. I…
Accommodating kids
Practical: Moving on board So you're planning liveaboard cruising with kids? Rohsaan McInnes gives the low-down on a subject that many parents approach with trepidation. How do you live on a boat with young children? After some initial modifications, we…
Two women and the world
High Seas Two women, alone, as in without men? Tracey Johnstone catches up with two women who have banded together to make their dream of sailing the world become a reality. Two confident single young English women, living their dream…
A different tack
SAILING LIFESYLES A lifetime's involvement in sailing boats still wasn't enough excitement for some, as Helen Hopcroft found out. People dream of the perfect sea change: a new life of sipping cool drinks on a shady veranda in the tro…
Geography of Hong Kong
DESTINATIONS: HONG KONG Who better to ask about sailing in Hong Kong than 1997 Sydney – Hobart race winner, owner of the Reichel/Pugh 45 Beau Geste, and president of the Hong Kong Sailing Federation Karl Kwok, which is why I…
Investing in flotilla fun in the sun
Crusing The Whitsundays Mediterranean-style flotilla fun in the sun is catching on in the Whitsundays as a marketing tool, reports Caroline Strainig. “Flotilla.” It's a word more synonymous with the Med than the Whitsundays, but that is set to change…
Anchoring: Just Cruising by Keith Fleming
Laying the anchor: Well done, it's the difference between a good night's sleep at an anchorage or a restless one filled with anxiety.Unlike the tinnie sailor who simply throws the anchor over the side and hopes for the best, the…
Timeless Tonga
Destination: South Pacific David Isom discovers a timeless land unspoilt by its increasing popularity when he calls in at the archetypal island paradise that is the Kingdom of Tonga. If you really fancy cruising around Tonga, there are only two…
16 tips for Stretching
Practical: stretching it Coastal and offshore sailing can place unusual stresses and strains on the body, with long periods of inactivity and then sudden periods of intense effort. Maria Grigg outlines the exercise routine she uses to ward off injury….
Carnival times in Trinidad
Destination: Trinidad Jim and Linda Collier take time out from circumnavigating the world to experience one of the world's great events – the Trinidad-Tobago Carnival – and to do some much-needed maintenance. Our 31-day Atlantic crossing astern but still fresh…
Seven golden rules for boatbuilding success
Practical: Building a boat When accountant Fraser Petrie told his friends he was going to build a boat, they thought he was crazy, even more so because of his profession. But – as Fraser explains – you can come in…
Sail Thailand in 2008
Destinations: Thailand Fronting both the Pacific and Indian Oceans, Thailand has over 1700 nautical miles of tropical coastline to entice both racing and cruising sailors, writes Fiona Harper. Whether your interest is sprinting around the buoys, or cruising among the…
Water management: Just Cruising by Keith Fleming
JUST CRUISING BY KEITH FLEMING Once you start your cruising life water takes on a new meaning so catching rain can be an important way to keep your tanks full. To design an efficient water catcher you need to look…
Southern Shores
DESTINATIONS: ADELAIDE AND PORT LINCOLN Will 2008 really be the ‘last time’ for South Australian yachting legend Dick Fidock’ Richard. H. Fidock AO has sailed in and probably won nearly every keel boat title or event that South Australia has…
Making your own backrest
Practical: Seating Sick and tired of having an aching back? Bob Couper solves the problem of the lack of back support on many boats with this handy $46 do-it-yourself transportable backrest-cum seat. I find sitting in the cockpit of Spindrift…
Working with an endangered species
High seas With his tongue firmly planted in his cheek, David Daniel muses on the problem of finding a reliable tradesman when necessity dictates. Have you played yet? It's the new national pastime and it's called “waiting for a tradesman!”…
Where West Wind went
Feature: Bluewater sailing Jackie Parry joins a classic thoroughbred for a delivery trip to Hobart. Will West Wind make it? Jackie tells the story. The tangy smell of the salt-laden breeze and the late afternoon muting of colours surrounded the…
Puttering in Patagonia
DESTINATIONS Following their ice adventures in March, Commitment completed a 4-week expedition heading north through the famed Patagonian Canals of Chile and Tierra del Fuego. Tony Mobray reports the boat is now berthed at Puerto Mont in Chile, at roughly…
Loch Ness family flotilla
Loch Ness family flotilla That monstrous thing, sibling rivalry, reared its ugly ahead amid the majestic Scottish Highlands, recounts Kevin Green. The competition began long before we'd even got on the water with my little sister racing up from the…
Destinations: Tonga
Island honeymoon Heading off into the unknown with a few friends and 50 or so complete strangers on a sailing regatta is perhaps not everyone’s idea of a romantic honeymoon, reports Traci Ayris. Tonga’s Kalia Cup Rally in July suited…
Postcard from Dubai
POSTCARD FROM: DUBAI Training base for the mighty America's Cup winning Alinghi team and very likely a venue for some of the Acts in the next Cup, Dubai has a lot to offer the travelling sailor who may want a…
Sydney Harbour: Jim Murrant
Then and now I hope you’ll forgive me if I wax a little nostalgic. It won’t last long but it is necessary to set the scene for this month’s column. I first arrived in Sydney by ship late in 1947…
Out of cruise control
Practical: Sail-training Can race training help a cruiser? Caroline Strainig finds out when she enrolls in the Eastsail ready-to-race course. There were yachts within a few metres of us on both sides and about another 20 or so within 200…
Don't leave home without it!
Practical: Bluewater cruising Now an old salt after a cruise through Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, Trish Comer reflects on the things she definitely would not leave home without next time around. The old catch-cry from a…
Communicating in cruiser-land
Practical: People skills Having trouble meeting people, or getting on with them when you do? Or don't quite know how to repel unwanted advances in a way that won't cause offence? Chris Sharpley takes some of the mystery out of…
Investing in a charter yacht
Practical: Buying a boat Putting your yacht into charter is one way of financing the repayments for that brand-new, you-beaut production yacht you've been dreaming of, says Ross Moncrieff, who did just that with his Hanse 34. In late November…
Outboard on board
The fewer the fixed weights aboard a performance trailer sailer the better. We all know there are fixtures aboard such as the rigging and centreboard that can't be moved to windward to keep the hull as flat as possible upwind,…
Heading to the hotpots: Just Cruising by Keith Fleming
Heading to the hotpots The most popular cruising grounds for longer range trips lie in the northern Pacific and SE Asia, but the magnificent Kimberley's could also be included because of their remoteness. Our closest major cruising area is Papua…
Quality of life on board: Just Cruising by Keith Fleming
JUST CRUISING WITH KEITH FLEMING When transferring from shoreside living to living full-time on board a cruising boat, there is no reason to downgrade your lifestyle. It is just as important to keep healthy and live a comfortable life. This…
Record Reward
The Adelaide-Lincoln record was smashed and the Lincoln regatta remains as enjoyable as ever, by Bob Ross, words and pictures SOUTH AUSTRALIA'S most dedicated offshore campaigner, Geoff Boettcher earned a milestone reward when his Secret Men's Business 3 broke the…
How couples cope
Holding onto that “lov'in feeling” can be hard when you are cooped up together for long periods. Rosemary Jilderts interviews cruisers for their tips. Ron and Trish Steineck,Geraldton, WA.Scuttlebug, 11.6m Jensen Coral Sea Catamaran The Steineck family has spent four…
Taking the waters
Destination: Brisbane Water The small, land-locked destination of Brisbane Water has a lot to recommend it, despite a bar and bridge, says Alan Lucas, who has made it his land base when not out cruising in Soleares. Brisbane Water is…
