Croc on a rock at the top
The top of what you may ask? The top of Australia and, for a lot of people, the very tip of Australia is the highlight of the trip. Cape York is not only the name of the peninsula, it is…
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.
Living it up on a small hotel
Small Hotel is a Seaway 25 trailer sailer built in 1978 and designed by the late Doug Peterson. Although the design was originally more racing orientated, we have found her to be a handy small cruising boat. The fractional rig…
Synchronise your cabin and navigation lights
We have all had the experience of walking from bright daylight into a dark room. Initially we cannot see a thing, then slowly the room appears to brighten as our eyes adapt to the reduced light. This happened to me…
Should you flotilla before you fly?
Who amongst us has not dreamt of sailing the Greek Isles? Images immediately spring to mind of one’s self lounging on the deck, looking Photoshop-gorgeous of course, glass of wine in hand, gentle wind blowing through the hair against a…
Tohatsu M2.5A: a little kicker
Released on the Aussie market in 1988 and discontinued in 2006, the M2.5A was a derated version of the M3.5A originally released in 1975. It was a simple direct-drive, two stroke that suited small inflatables and dinghies and racked up…
Russia to celebrate 200th anniversary discovery of Antarctica by Bellingshausen
MercoPress Russia's tall ships are to undertake a round-the-world trip to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Antarctica's discovery by the Bellingshausen-Lazarev expedition, according to official information from Moscow. In effect, 2020 marks the 200th anniversary of the discovery of Antarctica…
$500,000 yacht breaks mooring at Warrnambool and drifts on to rocks
A missing $500,000 Warrnambool yacht, which is believed to have broken free from its moorings in rough seas on Monday night, has been located, reports Andrew Thomson in The Standard. Acting Sergeant Lana Roberts said the yacht Patricia Mary disappeared out…
Fast Facts: What are the Trade Winds?
The Maritime Executive Early commerce to the Americas relied on the trade winds – the prevailing easterly winds that circle the Earth near the equator. Known to sailors around the world, the trade winds and associated ocean currents helped early…
Report: Rogue waves are getting more extreme
Research led by the University of Southampton suggests that rogue waves are occurring less often, but becoming more extreme. Waves are classed as rogue when they are over twice the height of the average sea state around them. From trough…
Severe Tropical Cyclones forecast coincides with World Meteorological Day
The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting two severe tropical cyclones to make landfall this weekend, bringing dangerous conditions to parts of the Northern Territory and Western Australia. There are 'watch' and 'warning' zones for many Gulf of Carpentaria communities as…
Queensland continues “war on wrecks”
The state government’s campaign to rid Queensland’s coastline of derelict vessels has moved into overdrive in recent months on two fronts – the present and the future. On the present front Maritime Safety Queensland (and, in some cases, the owners…
Fast Facts: What are the Roaring Forties?
The Maritime Executive Sailors call the latitudes between 40 and 50 degrees south of the equator the Roaring Forties. During the Age of Sail (circa 15th to 19th centuries), these strong prevailing winds propelled ships across the Pacific, often at…
Destructive wind gusts likely as Cyclone Trevor approaches North East Queensland
Cyclone Trevor was officially named at 5am on Monday as a tropical low in the Coral Sea intensified overnight into the Category 1 system. Trevor was expected to move west-southwest before strengthening and making landfall near Lockhart River late Tuesday…
Classic schooners set up their own regatta series
Following the founding of the International Schooner Association (ISA) at a meeting during last September’s Regates Royales in Cannes, so the first ever event purely for classic schooners will take place off Capri in May. The ISA, the Circolo del…
From young turk to Pirate Pete
Whitsunday bareboat charter company Cumberland Charter Yachts posted up a great story recently. It relates the story of how one young bloke went from being an itinerant penniless backpacker to owning his own yacht, now available for charter through CCY….
Ponant competition winners thank the sponsors
During the summer break, while you dear readers were enjoying your Christmas fare, mysailing works hard to deliver a daily Sydney Hobart Yacht Race newsletter. During the last race the newsletter included a competition in collaboration with Ponant Cruise Lines:…
Two missing after French yacht capsizes off Falklands Islands
Maritime Executive On March 6, the offshore survey vessel Seabed Constructor helped to rescue an injured sailor from a damaged yacht. The Constructor had just finished a successful mission to recover the voyage data recorder (VDR) from the wreck of…
German sailor lost overboard credits his jeans with saving his life
NZ Herald. By: Tom Dillane A German tourist owes his life to a pair of jeans he used as a makeshift lifejacket while lost at sea for over three hours off the Gisborne coast. Arne Murke was knocked from a 12-metre…
Registrations Open for 2020 Mediterranean Escapade
Registrations have opened for the 2020 Mediterranean Escapade, which is set to become one of the most popular international rallies when it is staged from 7-12 May. Hosted by Mariner Boating and Multihull Solutions, Mediterranean Escapade is expected to draw…
Millionaire's wife “sneaked out of hotel” to make fatal solo yacht delivery
The Daily Mail. By Joel Adams For Mailonline An inexperienced yachtswoman died as she attempted to sail her new boat single-handed around Land's End after ignoring advice from experienced sailors, an inquest has heard. Mary Unwin, 65, had bought the Seagair…
Missing man who fell from yacht in Tolaga Bay found after air search
A 35-year-old German man who had been missing after he fell overboard from a yacht off New Zealand's East Coast has been found alive and well, New Zealand Police report. A search had been under way for the man, who fell from…
Kiwis take safety seriously
From Yachting New Zealand's Briefings. By Angus Willison. The recent report in the fatal accident involving Imedi during the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac highlighted a number of things all keelboat sailors should be aware of. The most notable things…
One person injured as yacht crashes into railway bridge
CBS Miami reports that a person was injured when a yacht crashed into a railway bridge in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday afternoon (February 28,2019). The US Coastguard is investigating the incident, which saw the Brightline train service stopped as the…
Cat-astrophe avoided on Fraser Island
The Bundaberg-based RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter has flown two men and a cat to safety, after the 38 foot vessel they were sailing on ran into trouble just after midnight. The chopper was called to the eastern side of Fraser Island,…
Australian Navy survey to improve Sub-Antarctic charts
Maritime Executive The Royal Australian Navy is gathering data to update Sub-Antarctic nautical charts with the deployment of its Laser Airborne Depth Sounder (LADS) Flight. The plane is currently deployed to Invercargill in New Zealand to undertake survey operations over…
The curious case of Lyme’s sunken sailboat unfolds
The Day, Connecticut. By Mary Biekert. Lyme — A 53-foot sailboat that sank off the Connecticut River in Hamburg Cove’s icy waters late last month was finally raised and towed away, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday. As of 12:30 p.m….
Inquest into death of millionairess Ona Unwin seven years after she disappeared on yacht trip
Cornwall Live. By Lee Trewhela. The disappearance of a millionaire’s wife, who went missing while sailing from Cornwall to her home in North Devon, made international headlines in October 2012. Now almost seven years later the inquest into the death…
Margate Marina’s redevelopment surges ahead
Following the commissioning of the first 50 berths at Margate Marina last October, work has now resumed after the Christmas/New Year break. Construction has recommenced with the 150m major extension of the attenuator/breakwater and the next 73 berths. The attenuator/breakwater…
Building a better boating highway on Australia's east coast
With the majority of Australia’s population base centred in the capital cities, and the political focus quite often also concentrated in these areas, it’s easy to forget about the coastal regional towns that bind the east coast and provide for…
Head into history: Inaugural Andaman Islands Yacht Rally
The coral and fishing might not have quite lived up to the expectations of some crew, but all 27 participants from 13 yachts that participated in the inaugural Andaman Islands Yacht carnival, 20th February to 21st March, agreed the whole…
Put a lid on it: the humble esky lifesaver
Boat owners are aware of the need to carry regulation safety gear on their vessels. Authorities have strict regulations as to what is required when going cruising. So, what do the powers-that-be want? In Queensland, where I live: an emergency…
Fire on board: content warning of burn injury images
Over sundowners one evening a topic of discussion debated the safety of gas stoves versus kerosene stoves on board. Of course, one could argue the negatives and positives of both. Helmet and Cornelius, aboard Panta Rai, had a kerosene stove…
Thursday Island to Tual
The starter’s gun fired and we were off and racing from Thursday Island with the next stop Tual in the Kai Islands, Indonesia. Well, really, there was no starter’s gun or a race for that matter but, get a group…
Notice to Mariners – Mooloolah River Bar
Latest Mooloolaba Entrance Information Department of Transport and Main Roads – Maritime Safety Queensland NOTICE TO MARINERS 065 (T) of 2019 Issued by Brisbane Maritime Region on 13 February 2019 Area: Brisbane pilotage area Locality: Mooloolah River Bar Activity: Shoaling…
Weddell Sea Expedition calls off search for Shackleton's Endurance
The Weddell Sea Expedition 2019 and the icebreaker S.A. Agulhas II have reached the last known location of Ernest Shackleton's ill-fated ship, the Endurance, which was crushed by the ice and sunk in 1915. According to the director of the…
Magnetic north gets unexpected update
Scientists at the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) have updated the World Magnetic Model (WMM) ahead of schedule due to unexpected shifts in the Earth's magnetic fields in the Arctic. Typically a new WMM is released every five years…
Three destinations collaborate to promote sailing
Bernews Three destinations are joining forces this summer to introduce discerning travellers to a new ‘Bermuda Triangle’ of sailing, luxury and lifestyle. The Bermuda Tourism Authority, NYC & Company and Discover Newport announced a joint destination marketing collaboration during a…
Sunsail Whitsundays launches Coral Coast and Great Barrier Reef Bareboat Flotillas
In an Australian bareboat industry first, Sunsail Whitsundays will commence professionally led bareboat flotilla sailing adventures exploring the outer Great Barrier Reef and Queensland coast as far north as Magnetic and Dunk Island. According to Sunsail Whitsundays General Manager, Sedron…
Wooden it be nice: Last day of the Australian Wooden Boat Festival
The last day of the Australian Wooden Boat Festival 2019 will see the Admiral’s Sail. The large fleet of tall ships will sail out in company to salute Her Excellency, the Governor of Tasmania aboard the motor launch Egeria, positioned off Regatta Point….
Wooden it be nice: Parade of Sail
For those people turning up today to Hobart it would be a bit disconcerting to see the famous Constitution Dock empty of wooden yachts. On the day prior to the Wooden Boat Festival the idea is that all boats due…
