A chance to save some history – can you assist?
My grandfather, Ivan Jones, was a dentist living at Bundaberg in the early 1920's when he decided he wanted to build his own yacht to sail along the reef. As far as I can work out, he would have…
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.
Tickets now on sale for Whitsunday Clipper Race Carnival
The Whitsundays will come alive with festivities and fun when the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race arrives in January 2018. The Whitsunday Clipper Race Carnival will be a two-week celebration of exciting regional events and activities from January 13…
ARC+ Cape Verde sets sail from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Sixty-eight boats sailing with ARC+ 2017 set off today, 5th November, from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria for the first leg of their Atlantic crossing, bound for Mindelo, Cape Verde. Twenty nations were represented on today's start line with 300…
Have you entered the Festival of Sails yet?
The 175th Festival of Sails in Geelong, proudly presented by Rex Gorell Land Rover, will be an event not to be missed, with some great names joining the racing on Corio Bay. Recently named as Victoria’s Yacht Club of the…
The prudent mariner – ignore risk at your (and crew and boat's) peril
In these modern times the dream of sailing the world has never been more accessible and I would add that it probably never will be again. It is an enticing and appealing dream to just sail away over the horizon…
Two American women and their dogs rescued after claiming to have spent five months at sea
When I first saw this one, a few things didn't ring true. Tiger sharks that big? Attacking a boat? And a broken spreader that couldn't be jury rigged? The mast was still up. They managed to contact a fishing boat…
Just 80 days to go until the Whitsunday Clipper Race Carnival
The countdown is on to one of the biggest parties the Whitsundays has ever seen, with just 80 days until the Clipper Race Fleet sails into town and the Clipper Race Carnival begins. The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race…
32nd Atlantic Rally for Cruisers prepares to set sail
The bustling city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is set to welcome the 32nd edition for the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) this November. Over 1600 sailors from all over the world congregate in the port city to begin…
Jon Sanders: Gold Coast to Sydney – yacht club musings
Queensland’s Southport Yacht Club is located inside the Seaway, waterways of the Gold Coast. The Seaway runs parallel to the ocean beach, its construction helped to make the Gold Coast what it is today. Big towers and lots of people…
Last chance to join stellar weekend of Pittwater cruising
It’s the last chance to join in one of Australia’s best weekends of cruising with registrations closing soon for the 2017 Multihull Solutions Pittwater Rally. Held from 24-26 November, the Multihull Solutions Pittwater Rally incorporates laidback cruising through the stunning…
Missing sailor, last heard from in Fiji, found in yacht off Saipan
NPR News. By Scott Neuman. One thing you can say about Rimas Meleshyus: He's definitely persistent. “I'm a very determined person,” he told the Whidbey News-Times in 2015. “I'm very strong.” Meleshyus, who is in his mid-60s, departed Hilo, Hawaii,…
Piracy declines in first nine months of 2017
The Maritime Executive In its third quarter report, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) reported a total of 121 recorded incidents of maritime piracy and armed robbery for the year to date, an improvement over last year's numbers and a significant…
Singapore fling: using AIS to cross the Strait
The ‘Wonderful sail 2 Indonesia’ rally was over and we were being checked out of Indonesia at Tanjung Pinang. Once the checkout formalities were finalised and we had the port clearance papers in our hot little hands we had a…
Owner's bad behaviour leads to change in cruising regulations for Langkawi
I confirmed the information below through a number of sources in Langkawi over the last weeks. Please add this for Langkawi check in and anchoring in Langkawi. 1: It is a requirement for yachts checking into Langkawi that they…
BVI Regatta definitely racing despite hurricane damage
With most of the Caribbean islands caught in the wrath of hurricane Irma and then Maria – two category five hurricanes that hit land and made history – the message from the organisers of the BVI Spring Regatta is strong…
Double gold for Abell Point Marina at Whitsunday Tourism Awards
It was a record attendance at the 2017 Whitsunday Tourism Awards at Hamilton Island this weekend. Over 340 attended the gala dinner with representatives from local tourism operators, regional and state tourism bodies, and local and state government, all gathering…
Kiwi sailor's heartbreak as boat sinks in mystery incident off Majorca coast
NZ Herald A Kiwi sailor has spoken of his heartbreak at losing his floating home of seven years in a mystery incident off the coast of Majorca. Jonny Smythe, 43, returned from a two-hour trip into town to buy glass…
Jon Sanders blog – the delights of Bundaberg
Bundaberg Queensland. East coast of Australia. Bundaberg region population near 100,000. Lush green. Plenty of rain in the region. Hmmm, must be talking about in other years. It's dry. In Perth on the Australian west coast (other side of the…
Crystalbrook Collection purchases Port Douglas’ Reef Marina and plans xxpansion
Australian tourism and hospitality group, Crystalbrook Collection, has today announced its acquisition of The Reef Marina in Port Douglas, which is now to be known as Crystalbrook Superyacht Marina, and its intention to invest a further $100+ million into the…
Clever recycling with a DIY inflatable dinghy refit
What to do when your dinghy is falling to pieces and you are fighting a constant battle between punctures appearing and patching them up? Bin it and spend $4000 on a new one? Go secondhand, where good ones are hard…
The strenuous life of a live-aboard ship's cat
My name is Bengie. I am ten years old, a female Bengal and have been the ship cat on Take It easy (and Medina before that) since I was a three month old kitten. So, I am well-travelled: lots of…
Exporting and importing: what are the rules?
Australian yachts arriving home are being told their yachts have to be imported and, perhaps, include a duty to be paid. When friends left Australia in 2013 they queried entry requirements and were told: “None. Just turn up.” Photos to…
The life of a live-aboard 5: equipped for comfort
Living onboard a boat can be as simple or as complicated as you want. All you basically need is a way to make the boat go, a way to stop her and a way to tell where you are. But,…
Green with a blue horizon: first time crossing
When I first saw that glimpse of land at 12:05pm on the 11th May after 31 days at sea, tears welled up in my eyes as a sense of relief. That lingering question that had been in my mind for…
Irma sinks cruising couple's dreams
By Angela Daniels of The Herald Live. Left with nothing but a borrowed pair of shorts, a T-shirt and a phone, a Port Elizabeth woman and her husband are now trapped on a Caribbean island after narrowly escaping Hurricane Irma…
Cruising rally added to NZ's Coastal Classic
The New Zealand Mutlihull Yacht Club has teamed up with 36° Brokers and PIC Insurance Brokers to offer an alternative Coastal Classic for those wanting a more relaxed kind of journey north The all new Cruising Rally is aimed at…
Jon Sanders back in Australia with words of wisdom on Noumea
Jon Sanders arrived in Bundaberg yesterday (August 28, 2017) and now just needs to sail to the other side of Australia to complete his 10th circumnavigation of the world. Here is his latest blog, sent while in transit from Noumea:…
Port Stephens: the capital of Australia
Looking for a safe anchorage while sailing the New South Wales coast? After a quick stopover on your rapid journey north or south? Or are you looking for a quiet out-of-the-way place for memorable beach barbecues, with swimming beaches, fishing,…
Shaggers get together with Hands Across the Blue for prostate cancer
This weekend the Shag Islet Cruising Yacht Club will host their annual rendezvous in Gloucester Passage, Whitsundays, Queensland. With over 1000 boaties, all Vice Commodores of their own special part of the world, joined together for a weekend of festivities…
Sunshine, smiles and support on ARC Channel Islands 2017
The second edition of ARC Channel Islands, organised by World Cruising Club in association with RYA Active Marina, came to a close at the weekend following a week long cruise exploring Cherbourg, Guernsey and Alderney from the rally's start port…
Jon Sanders – in Noumea and pondering the vagaries of the Pacific winds
“Noumea” New Caledonia a long Island kinda lies south-east to north west. 30 N Miles wide and 220 miles long, sort of. Plenty of reef. The fringing reef well out with several well posted passages into the Lagoon. Once inside…
Installing an anchor winch
I must be really showing my age; the other day a lovely young lady stood up and offered me her seat on the tram. After I got home a long look in the mirror confirmed the sad fact, time has…
Drone on: using the new tech correctly
We all want better photographs of our boat and the beautiful places that we visit, but we are normally restricted to sea level unless we can find a convenient hill to climb. Recently, small camera drones have become affordable. They…
Fishing in the Pacific: how one crew do it
Sandy is the fisherperson on our boat. She has always loved fishing and the pile of fishing gear that was on board when we bought the boat is probably her secret reason for wanting this particular vessel. Our steady donations…
Up the far canal in a yacht
We all have a dream. We wanted to circumnavigate the world and part of that dream was to go through the French canals in our own yacht. In 2009 we finally found the yacht we were looking for in New…
What use are a yacht's polar plot for cruising?
These days you will often find published in boat brochures and boat tests, a diagram showing the performance of a particular boat. The diagram is called a polar plot and a typical one is shown in figure 1. Understanding how…
34th Musket Cove Regatta – time running out to book
Sailors from around the Pacific and beyond are already signalling their intention to be part of the legendary Musket Cove Fiji Regatta, which will be staged from September 15-20 this year. Such is the interest in the colourful event, that…
Mystery sailboat towed to Limassol port
Angelos Anastasiou of the Cyprus Mail Online reports a strange case of a sailboat with a broken mast and no crew: A crewless sailboat, which had been spotted some 90 miles south of Limassol two weeks ago but not found by…
Retired teacher rescued after storm rolls sailboat in near freezing temps near Iceland
Richmond Times – Dispatch. By Bill Lohmann. Three Virginia sailors, including a recently retired teacher from Richmond, were plucked from the cold waters of the North Atlantic on Wednesday after their 40-foot sailboat rolled over in stormy seas 200 miles…
Jon Sanders muses on trade winds, food and what awaits in Noumea
Jon Sanders is nearing the end of his 10th circumnavigation of the planet. When things go quite on board, his mind goes into overdrive and he commits his random thoughts to paper – or rather, his computer. This is his…
