First wave of ARC+ 2018 away
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…
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.
NZ Navy ship rescues yacht off Poor Knights islands
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…
Aussie sailor pleads guilty to killing wife before scuttling catamaran
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…
One man's sailing life: from racing to cruising, a history
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….
Under pressure? Then you should go with the flow
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…
Taking smaller bites, crossing the Great Australian Bight
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…
When is the right time to set sail?
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…
Things that make you go beep
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…
Old sailors never die, they just rejig their yachts
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…
Tempting the sea gods: renaming your boat
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…
Lisa Blair reaches Cape York on Australian circumnavigation
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…
Record number of yachts join the Down Under 'Go West' Rally
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…
Check your bilge pumps – catamaran sinks off Airlie Beach
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…
Light winds slowing Lisa Blair as she heads north-west to Cape York
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…
Last chance to join 2018 Multihull Solutions Pittwater Rally
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 Australian circumnavigation – warming up in Queensland waters
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…
Isle of Wight ferry hits yachts at Cowes harbour
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…
The Whitsundays vote Abell Point Marina the region's Major Tourist Attraction
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…
Gold for Cumberland Charter Yachts at Tourism Awards
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….
Mary to Straddie: A father son moment
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…
Northwest Passage #3: Nome to Cambridge Bay
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…
The tragedy and the mercy: the sad story of Donald Crowhurst
“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…
The impossible dream? Avocet's first voyage.
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…
Buying a boat in SE Asia: hints and tips
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…
Birkenhead Point Marina first in Sydney to achieve 5-Gold Anchor Platinum status
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…
The final voyage of the Patanela, the Aussie boat that vanished without a trace
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, sailor and co-founder of Clean Up Australia has died
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…
Stranded yacht to remain on beach until new owner is tracked down
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…
Aussies singers set to shine at the 2019 Festival of Sails
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…
Rally motivates Kiwi cruisers ahead of summer boating season
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…
Dredging program is adding depth to Canaipa Passage
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…
Info sessions to help you sail from Australia to SE Asia and the Pacific
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…
Fewer cyclones than average predicted for northern Australia this summer
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…
After more than two and a half years studying coral in the Pacific, Tara will return to Lorient on October 27th
On October 27, the research schooner Tara will return to her home port in Lorient, Brittany (France), after collecting over 36,000 samples on coral reefs in the Pacific Ocean and sailing more than 100,000 km. The Tara Pacific mission,…
Dr Tom Mullholland embarks on another mission
Dr Tom Mullholland will follow a pretty simple set of guidelines during his six month circumnavigation of New Zealand – make a difference, have some fun along the way and try not to annoy anyone. He’s bound to achieve the…
Two arrested after yacht reported stolen from Arbroath marina is seen off Angus coast
The Courier.co.uk. By Jim Millar Two people have been arrested after a yacht was allegedly stolen from Arbroath marina at the weekend. The drama unfolded when Montrose and Arbroath lifeboats were called out at 7am on Monday morning just north of…
Stung: just what is a jellyfish?
“No worries” said the skipper, a noted marine biologist, already in the water, “You don’t find stingers out in the open ocean. Just jump in, you’ll be fine.” Famous last words in my experience. On one memorable occasion a few…
Northwest Passage #2: there is no place like Nome
After finishing her 2016-17-summer contract with the Australian Antarctic Division, former multihull ocean racing sailor and cofounder of the Australian Wooden Boat Festival, Cathy Hawkins, sailed monohull, Abel Tasman, 4,427 nautical mile from Australia to Kushiro, Japan. From July she…
Can you cruise with a cat?
Having a pet on board is a much debated topic. Many cruising folk will say that having a pet on board will tie you down and is too much work. They say that international border crossings are difficult and you…
Cruising through the Cold War
The waters approaching Örö are treacherous. Submerged rocks abound and, if you do not pay attention to your charts, you will end up swimming in the cold Baltic Sea. It makes sense, then, that the inhabitants of this Finnish island…
