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.
JUST CRUISING BY KEITH FLEMING. Preventing sudden gear failure can be avoided if you identify the problem areas early. OFTEN the first indication of trouble with a boat is catastrophic, like the mast suddenly falling down. Now why the heck…
In a bid to restore links with the beautiful Molluca archipelago, a flotilla of Darwin cruisers set off for the region, reports voyager Cathy Gillett. Our voyage began in July 2006, when 18 boats sailed the 295nm to the Taninbar…
The voyage across the Indian Ocean to the beautiful island of Sri Lanka was well worth the effort, reports cruiser Lynelle Parker. Some of the happiest times on board our yacht Chappie are the first days of a new passage;…
Heading up the far north Queensland coast is about as good as it gets, reports Keith Fleming from the deck of the cruiser Sealark 2. Coral Sea cruise The magical islands and coastal wilderness of north Queensland are a big…
Crossing oceans, exploring remote islands and being self-sufficient are just some of the interesting aspects of living the cruising life, reports Lynelle Parker. If we were to start our cruising days over, I think we'd have a much better idea…
Fancy a night in a luxury resort? Or simply dinner at a top a la carte restaurant? Caroline Strainig checks out a marina with a strong resort flavour where cruisers are welcome. At the marinaMany sailors believe the best thing…
Destination: Lexus Port Lincoln Regatta Commodore's welcome South Australia is a land of big skies and cascading peninsulas falling into azure blue gulfs, as typified by the beautiful Port Lincoln. For those who've just sailed from Adelaide or elsewhere to…
JUST CRUISING BY KEITH FLEMING. Cruising in foreign waters can be dangerous so considering some basic security matters makes sense. Just as you would make plans for your navigation on a partial or complete circumnavigation so you must make plans…
CLASSIC CRUISE Taking the famed Gypsy Moth IV cruising along the Top End while also being part of a social sea-going experiment was an amazing experience, reports Andrew Bray. Many places on the north Queensland coast were named by British…
Tahiti Pearl Regatta Even minus wind, sailing in Tahiti provides a tropical feast for the senses. Photo essay by Andrea Francolini. A REGATTA without wind? Yes, this year. But that proves to be a minor detail when you are in paradise….
Sailcare Tips by Norths An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Proper sail maintenance is easy and takes little time, and can make a big difference in the life and performance of your sails. Whether you have…
Feature: Cruising jargon Cruising Helmsman March 2009 Simon Kent gives us a crash course in cruising and cruising jargon in this fun A-Z. Ais for anchor The earliest anchors date back to the Bronze Age and were simply big rocks….
By Alan Littlefield Recently a cormorant has taken to sitting on my starboard spreader at daybreak and watching the sunrise. I am partial to do this myself, (watch the sunrise, not sit on the spreader) and I am glad…
By Alan Littlefield Dreamagic (a Bavaria 44) has now successfully completed her voyage from Pittwater in NSW to her new home in Cairns. On the way we managed to fit in the Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race, a few…
By Alan Littlefield We can't help it can we? Get two boats on the water and they race. I can remember my early days of sailing home in a Cole 23 under the Harbour Bridge. It was a beautiful…
By Anne Wilson A land as old as time itself swathed in the mysteries of the exotic east has expanded to become arguably the world's largest floating warehouse. We crossed the shipping highway between Batam Island Indonesia and the island…
By Chris Radford, Navico I know some of you will be thinking “well he works for Navico, so of course he's going to say it the best thing since sliced bread”, so I'll leave the introduction to Navico's Broadband…
Walking aft to our tower, I saw our Ocky strap bowstring tight and the trolling line singing. Shocked and alarmed I jumped back shouting, “Hey Jude. Oi! Come look. Something huge is hooked up.” We nearly always troll a fishing…
By Jack Binder “Lucky, lucky, lucky,” that's how my sister described it. I should have known better. Tradition says beginning a voyage on a Friday is a bad omen. Fuelling this ominous portent – our last shakedown began Friday the 13th….
By Jack Binder Hello seafarers and settee sailors. I thought I'd offer two glimpses from our life that happened while preparing Banyandah for her Southern Ocean crossing When guests of the Fremantle Sailing Club, I awoke feeling a bit old…
Sharon and Julian Smallwood enjoy life in the fast-lane (well sort of) when Airlie Beach and Hamilton race weeks come to town. The cruising life follows a different agenda to most, but that doesn't deter us from entering into…
by Sharon Smallwood Leaving Bundaberg at the end of July, I had assumed we'd be a little late in the season to find many other boats, especially this far south. Surely those with any sense would have already escaped the…
By Fiona Harper. Sitting out the cyclone season Cruisers heading north, who find themselves waiting for the cyclone season to finish do have an alternative to sitting out the hot windy summer in Fremantle. There are a number of safe…
Alan Littlefield tackles some heady heights on his Bavaria 44, Dreamagic, on the eve of the 2009 Cairns-Louisiades Rally. I am not generally fond of toilet humour. It's not a funny subject, but heads on yachts seem to be a…
John Champion delves into murky territory when he boldly goes where few cruisers would go if given a choice. Our cruising homes, like land-based ones, require toilet facilities that can reasonably be expected to work when needed. Unlike shore-based plumbing,…
Sharon Smallwood profiles one of SE Queensland's most memorable ports – Mooloolaba. Mooloolaba is probably best known as one of the towns collectively comprising Queensland's Sunshine Coast. For the cruising sailor, it is not only the gateway to this region…
What do you do when you have a few days up your sleeve before or after a bareboat holiday in the Whitsundays? Well, if you're a sailor who wants to improve their sailing, some sail training, of course! While in…
Cruising Helmsman March 2009 By Sharon Smallwood Sharon Smallwood and her husband Julian explore one of Australia's most remote regions. Perhaps it was the lure of places closed to casual visitors. This certainly aroused my interest. Perhaps because Brilliant II…
Chris Ayres tackles the controversial issue of compulsory pollution insurance for boats over 15m in Queensland. If my boat is over 15m, do I have to take out special pollution insurance before visiting Queensland? A reader from Darwin, Bill Shorter,…
Caroline Strainig shares some memories and pictures of the 2008 Darwin to Ambon Yacht Race & Rally and reports on plans for this year's event. Surfing the net can get you into trouble. For years I had thought it would…
Having a novice friend along for a cruise? Caroline Hynes tells what the experience is like from the crew's point of view and gives tips for others following in her footsteps. I had just started my summer holidays from school….
From the land of fine dining to tourquise waters and white sand, William Merritt details his warm weather escape plan. Speaking as a Melbourne-based yachtie, I’m aware that our northern neighbours rarely consider sailing south. To be honest, I can’t say…
Tony Little combines work and pleasure when he cruises his Seawind 1000 from the Gold Coast to Lady Elliot Island to teach a first-aid course. In addition to teaching Coxswains courses for the Gold Coast TAFE and invigilating radio courses…
Adding weight onboard can make quite a difference to stability, performance and even comfort. There are two points to be considered. The loading of fixed items like furniture and tanks, and the loading of everything else that you take on…
Destination: PNG Guy Chester, who helped organise the event, was among those who set sail in the first-ever official Louisiades Rally. In 2002 I was sitting on the beach at Nanuya Lailai of Blue Lagoon fame in Fiji. I had…
Destination: Suvarov Meryle Thomsom's world circumnavigation is now long behind her, but there is one place in particular that she will always remember – Suvarov in the Cook Islands.“Suvarov is the most beautiful place on earth, and no man has…
Destinations: West Indian Ocean World girdling sailor Lynelle Parker and husband Lloyd found their voyage west towards Africa an intoxicating mix of scenes and scents. A popular passage west across the Indian Ocean from both northern Australia and from South-East…
Destination: Queensland Jill Knight explores Curtis Island's Yellowpatch, a dramatic sand-blow-coloured orchre south of Queensland's Keppel Islands. Just as there are fashions in après-sail wear, I think there may be fashions in anchorages. When my brother regularly cruised the Queensland…
Electrics are the hidden but essential part of any cruising boat. Nothing will work without a good electric system. So many problems occur during an extended cruise because of breakdowns in electrics. If you cannot start the motor, it is…
How does Australia stack up compared to other countries when it comes to visas and officialdom? Maria Grigg asks international cruisers for their candid opinions. In the past few years I've met many overseas cruisers and often asked how they…
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