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.
Following two shark attacks at Cid Harbour in the Whitsundays, one of which proved fatal, Whitsunday Escape has purchased 40 of Ocean Guardian’s FREEDOM7 shark deterrent devices. They will be included on all 40 of the boats in the Whitsunday…
The majority of boats and crews taking part in the 33rd edition of the ARC – the world's largest transocean rally for cruisers – have now arrived in their temporary 'home' of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Today, it was…
The first stage of the redeveloped Margate Marina at Baretta is now open for business. Sail and power boat customers are now moving in to the initial 50 berths which are complete with power, water and CCTV monitoring… ideal timing…
Abell Point Marina has been named the first marina in Australia to achieve a score of 100% on the International Clean Marina audit. In an assessment on 30 October, Abell Point Marina was re-accredited as a Level 3 Clean Marina…
The inaugural edition of ARC+ St. Vincent set sail today from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria marking the second wave of boats in the 2018 Atlantic Rally for Cruisers to begin their Atlantic adventure. They now are on their way…
Lisa Blair is attempting to become the first woman to circumnavigate Australia solo, non-stop and unassisted. She is currently off the north-west coast of Western Australia, where she had an unexoected encounter with Indonesian fishing vessels. Here is her latest…
Sailors in the north of New Zealand will be able to take part in an exciting week of non-stop competitive sailing from 22 to 28 January 2019, after two of New Zealand’s biggest sailing regattas joined forces to create a…
The docks of Muelle Deportivo in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria were a hive of activity this morning as crews of ARC+ 2018 prepared to lead the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers across the Atlantic. As so many boats now want…
By Annette Lambley on Stuff.co.nz A Whangarei yachtie, who was towed off rocks at the Poor Knights Islands by the Protector class off-shore patrol vessel, HMNZS Wellington says he has learned a few lessons. Lucas Remmerswaal had been enjoying his sail from Tutukaka Harbour…
A sailor with joint Australian and British citizenship has admitted killing his new wife who went missing from their catamaran off the coast of Cuba on their honeymoon. Lewis Bennett (41) has reached a deal with US prosecutors to plead…
Happy memories of my boating days are as wide and varied as are the different craft I owned: varying from single rowing shells to a prawn trawler. In between exists a number of fine yachts which I cruised and raced….
It is February and you are anchored in a little bay in remote Arnhem Land. For some reason you have been unable to communicate with the outside world for a few days. However, you have been watching the barometer as…
The Great Australian Bight separates western from eastern Australia. Like the Nullarbor Desert on land, the coast is inhospitable and there are no coastal towns in the 600 miles from Ceduna to Esperance. Large chunks of the intervening coastal waters…
Our story will be familiar to many. My husband sailed as a youngster and always dreamed of owning his own boat; he would sail it up the Queensland coast and possibly further afield. However, I had rarely sailed and did…
Censorship in media has been around for a long time. We all like to think we live in a society where the rights of free speech are enshrined by law and by morality. Well think again, how many times have…
Some sailors will be lucky enough to continue to sail well into their 80s but, well before that age, most will find they need to progressively curtail their activities. Various infirmities in themselves, or partners, may make it increasingly difficult…
Superstitions abound in all cultures, but you probably will not encounter a more superstitious bunch of people than sailors. Why is this? Most psychologists believe that superstitions evolve from a feeling of lack of control. Writer and psychology professor Stuart…
November 2, 2018. Lisa Blair is attempting to become the first woman to circumnavigate Australia non-stop and unassisted. At 6am Australian Daylight Time, she was off Cape York. Here is her blog from yesterday: Last night was fairly uneventful as…
72 yachts from 14 countries have joined the 2018 Go West Rally. Having set sail from New Caledonia and Vanuatu at various times over the past couple of weeks, 43 of the participating yachts have already arrived in Australia and…
A catamaran which sank off the Port of Airlie has prompted calls from Whitsunday Water Police for boat owners to ensure their bilge pumps are in working order, according to the Whitsunday Times. The 11.5m catamaran had been moored between…
Well I am still pleased to report all is going well on-board Climate Action Now, even if I am sailing a little slower than I would like in these light winds. Last night was another crystal clear evening and I…
It’s the last chance to join in one of Australia’s best weekends of cruising with registrations closing soon for the 2018 Multihull Solutions Pittwater Rally. Held from 23-25 November, the Multihull Solutions Pittwater Rally incorporates laidback cruising through the stunning…
Lisa Blair is facing sleep deprivation and the dangers of coastal traffic as she attempts to become the first woman to circumnavigate Australia in a journay that is estimated to take six weeks. Here's her latest blog: What a sweltering…
BBC News A ferry has hit several yachts and run aground off the Isle of Wight. The Red Falcon “came into contact” with a number of boats while trying to berth at Cowes Harbour, operator Red Funnel said. None of…
At a black-tie event hosted in the Whitsundays this weekend, Abell Point Marina were once again named Major Tourist Attraction for the region. The 2018 Whitsunday Tourism Awards was supported by over 370 tourism operators, employees and industry stakeholders gathering…
More than 370 people from across the Whitsundays’ tourism sector came together on Saturday in Airlie Beach for the industry’s ‘night-of-nights’ at the 2018 Whitsunday Tourism Awards, recognising businesses that have a solid business plan and continually innovate their products….
Many Brisbane-based cruisers will be interested in traversing the waters of the sunshine coast to and including the Great Sandy strait (GSS). My son and I recently made a delivery voyage over this stretch of the Coral Sea, commencing in…
Abel Tasman is a 23 metre Bermuda schooner derived from the elegant lines of America 1, which was designed by George Steer. With her clipper bow and tumblehome sides she was built in 1981 in Westerbroek, Netherlands and is now…
“All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity.” – T.E. Lawrence The story of Donald Crowhurst and the saga…
In 1953, on the banks of the Tamar River, a freshly-built cutter sat in the pine shavings and sawdust waiting to be launched. She measured 12.8 metres and built of King Billy pine with celery top decks. She had a…
Thinking of finally buying your dream boat and setting off into a cruising lifestyle? Daunted by the actual details of looking for a suitable boat, or the costs of purchasing and setting the boat up for long-term cruising? Keen to…
The Birkenhead Point Marina has been awarded the highest possible accreditation under the Global Gold Anchor Scheme with 5-gold anchor platinum status. This is the first marina in Sydney Harbour to achieve this status. With only seven marinas across the…
Pedestrian TV. By Josephine Rozenberg-Clarke. Exactly 30 years ago today, on October 16 1988, a 19-metre schooner called the Patanela set off on a month-long voyage from Fremantle, WA‘s busy port city, with an end destination of Airlie Beach, part…
Ian Kiernan, a man who was inspired to co-found Clean Up Australia after competing in the BOC solo around-the-world race in 1986/87, has died of cancer, aged 78. He also competed in 13 Sydney Hobart Races and represented Australia at…
This one is going to take some sorting out! According to a report by Stuff.co.nz, the man who ran a yacht aground on New Brighton beach near Christchurch in NZ has sold it and claims the new owner will have…
Visitors to Geelong’s waterfront are in for a triple treat over the Australia Day long weekend, with a stellar line-up of artists set to entertain crowds at the 2019 Festival of Sails. Music legend Russell Morris, formidable vocal duo Vika…
Having a deadline to get their new boat prepared in time for the PIC Coastal Classic was perfect motivation for Hanse 400 owner Tim Honeybone to also have the boat sorted for their first full summer cruising. The…
Earlier in the year, we warned yachties who intended travelling between the Gold Coast and Brisbane of two “pinch points” in the Canaipa Passage where yachts with a draft of around 1.5m were running aground at low tide. The Gold…
Would you like to know more about sailing from Australia to Indonesia and SE Asia or destinations in the SW Pacific such as New Caledonia, Vanuatu & Fiji? Join the Down Under Rally Team for our “Sailing Asia and the…
Issued: Monday, 8 October 2018 The Bureau of Meteorology is advising residents in Australia's northern coastal regions to prepare for the potential impacts of tropical cyclones. The advice comes with today's release of the 2018-19 Tropical Cyclone Outlook. The outlook…
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