Only six miles away but a million miles from worry
When I retired from work my wife and I thought we would be able to settle into the grey nomads’ life of chucking it all in and sailing off into the sunset. That was the plan, but then along came…
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.
Slammed by a two-storey wave – Lisa Blair's adventure in the Southern Ocean
February 2, 2017: Slammed by a Two-story Wave Afternoon All. Well the day started out eventfully and didn’t really stop. Lying in bed looking at the B&G Zeus Multi-Function Display I was trying to figure out if I needed to…
The last Eden: unique, remote, beautiful Port Davey
Abel Tasman may have sailed right past it in 1642, the chart he produced showed only a smooth coastline keeping beautiful, unique Port Davey hidden for another one hundred and sixty years. Until in 1798, along came Matthew Flinders with…
Inaugural winner of Australian Sailing Cruiser of the Year Award: Alan and Patricia Lucas
Every year sailors gather at a night where various awards are presented to racing sailors who have excelled in their chosen sport for that year. It was at the Australian Sailing Awards night in 2015 that Cruising Helmsman realised there…
ARC Channel Islands 2017 – open for registration
Following the successful first edition ARC Channel Islands last summer, World Cruising Club are pleased to announce that entries are now open for ARC Channel Islands 2017. The first edition of the rally, run in association with RYA Active Marina…
Lisa Blair blog – sailing south and it's getting cold
Well I still can't believe I am here sailing south… This is three years in the making with so many hurdles and set backs to overcome. There was also so much to get done in Albany that I never really…
US West Coast Rally to the French Pacific Islands for 2018
ARC Pacific – new rally route from Los Angeles to Hiva Oa, via Mexico from rally specialists World Cruising Club, has been announced for Spring 2018 Hiva Oa, Nuku Hiva, Raiatea, Bora Bora, to name just a few of the…
All You Need to Know About Bay of Islands Sailing Week 2017
The Bay of Islands Sailing Week regatta is the biggest event of its kind in New Zealand, and was described by yachting commentator Peter Montgomery last year as “the best big boat regatta” in the country. As one of the…
Entries open for 2017 Quicksilver Port Douglas Race Week
In 2015 Port Douglas Yacht Club rebranded its Clipper Cup Regatta to what is now becoming a major event on northern sailing calendars. Rebranding the event as Port Douglas Race Week was a key development in elevating the regatta. This…
New Atlantic rally for cruisers announced
A new rally open to amateur sailors is now proposed by Grand Pavois Organisation with a route from Lanzarote (Canary Islands) to Marie-Galante (Islands of Guadeloupe). Called Rallye des Iles du Solei, it is promoted as a secure and supervised…
Caribbean season opener attracts record breakers for island rum dash
Bridgetown, Barbados (5 January 2017): With just 10 days to go before the start of the 2017 Mount Gay Round Barbados Race Series (16-24 January), the festival atmosphere in Barbados is starting to rumble. Overseas entries, including Tony Lawson’s record-breaking MOD70…
Spice it up with, and for, a long life
Without doubt my favourite flavour profile comes from South East Asia. Colonisation and trade have evolved the foods of the region to a spectacular cacaphony of aromas and tastes. From a typical spice rack, you could not really have done…
Delivering your baby: how to choose the right skipper
I was recently contacted by an acquaintance for advice on having his yacht delivered from North Queensland to Brisbane. This got me thinking that there are probably owners out there who do not know how to choose a good skipper….
With love from Indonesia’s Anambas and Natuna Islands
Our second visit to Indonesia took Steve and I to a very different and remote part of this vast island nation. We were participating in the Sail Malaysia “Passage to the East” 2015 yacht rally, which, for the first time…
The scourge of fibreglass: tackling osmosis
Eventually all yachties have to tackle problems with the layup material of their freedom machines, whether it be rot, rust or osmosis. It is just the nature of boats, the bottomless hole in the ocean that we so willingly fill….
Doorstep cruising: PNG, a short hop into a different world
Where to next? Jim and I had sailed across the South Pacific, spent two seasons in New Zealand and Vanuatu and were in Australia. From this point, most crews head north to Darwin, join a rally to sail through the…
Top 20 security tips for you and your yacht
It is reasonable to assume that the small crew of a private pleasure vessel travelling through remote areas of Australia or an overseas country may at some time encounter a stranger wanting to board their boat with nefarious intentions. Most…
Looking for a white Christmas? Enjoy the sand on the Surin Islands
After spending six weeks of day sailing and island-hopping our way through the spectacular cruising grounds of the Krabi Coast, Phang Nga Bay and the western side of Phuket, we were making way for the almost deserted Surin Island group…
ARC cruising rally comes to a close in St Lucia
The 31st Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) came to a rousing conclusion last night, 17th December, with the final Prize Giving ceremony held at the Beausejour Indoor Facility in Saint Lucia. Crews, friends and families of more than 200 boats…
The magnificent Seven: Sydney's top spots for sailing – in partnership with expedia.com.au
Already known worldwide as one of the best harbours to visit, Sydney Harbour offers so much more than just climbing the bridge, swimming its beaches or catching a show and a drink at the Opera House. Whether you own your…
The 31st Atlantic Rally for Cruisers sets sail from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Following years and months of planning, two weeks of preparations and provisioning and final hours of farewells, the yachts taking part in ARC 2016 made their way out of Muelle Deportivo in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria this morning. There…
BIA asks yachties to fill in survey for South Australia
The CEO of the Boating Industry Association (BIA) is inviting boating industry, yachties, boaters and other stakeholders to complete a survey that will inform the South Australian Boating Strategic Plan to boost boating participation and guide investment in maritime infrastructure…
ARC+ Cape Verde sets sail from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
The fourth edition of ARC+ Cape Verde set sail from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria today, Sunday 6 November, bound for Mindelo in Cape Verde. During the course of a glorious morning of sunshine, boats paraded out of the marina…
How to keep fishing fun for all: a simple system for cruising yachts
Picture this: a stunning sunny day, anchored in a sheltered bay, glass of wine in one hand, Cruising Helmsman magazine in the other, kids and their friends fishing off the back of the boat. I am just about to fall…
Picking up a backpacker, crossing the Strait was a hit with this miss
Crossing one of the roughest pieces of water in the world without any sailing experience? What would you call it: naive, risky, brave? Would this be another crewing horror story? German adventurer, Gesine and her skipper, John Allen share the…
Keeping the hordes at bay, big meals from a small galley
Breakfast for the kids in my life could and would be easy. Just about any kind of commercial breakfast cereal with an obscene amount of sugar would appease them and torture us. Not on my boat! In past columns, I…
Winter on the rock has much to offer
There are a number of bureaucratic issues that complicate life for non-EU citizens planning to enjoy extended cruising in the Mediterranean. There is even more so if you are wanting to live-aboard in the winter off-season, rather than go to…
Don't get hot under the collar, build a bimini for the tropics
A bimini for a cruising yacht today is so much more than just a sun screen. It can be a base for an electrical power station, dinghy davit, part of a cockpit long sunshade or a very serious asset to…
The Malacca Straits has a history that is far from cruisey
Californian film-maker Bill Babington and I were intrigued to cruise the 850 kilometre stretch of the Straits of Malacca (Selat Melaka), a passage connecting the Indian Ocean with the Pacific Ocean. Our six week journey up the coast of Malaysia…
The way of the dolphin, the original old salt
It was calm and peaceful as we weaved our way through an array of flotilla and mooring lines. “Thar she lies; that’s her,” the old man exclaimed with a measure of impartial authority, as if she were the only vessel…
Entries open for Sail Maldives Rally
Entries are now open for the first edition of the Sail Maldives yacht rally – set to be one of the most exotic and spectacular events of its kind. The Indian Ocean archipelago is gearing up to welcome participants from…
Average to above-average cyclone season expected for Australia this year
Australians should start preparing for a return to a more active tropical cyclone season in 2016–17, according to the Bureau of Meteorology outlook released today. Climate Prediction Services Manager Dr Andrew Watkins said Australians should expect an average to…
Keep nature natural: don't feed the tourists
Commercial fish food or chum sold by dive shops may break the equilibrium of the food chain but it is not the worst thing. The true wonder of underwater encounters with rays, sharks, whales and dolphins makes their popularity understandable….
On the ocean no one can see you naked
I lay in my bunk gripping the sides with white knuckles, feeling the painful legacy of this rough passage on my upper left arm. The bruise, now looking very impressive, happened last night when I was in the cockpit having…
Light of my life – and fridge to my beer
A nice romantic title, but if you are expecting a Mills and Boon story better keep on looking. Light, in this instance, is sunlight and how we can turn it into electricity. Romance is often described as “electric” but I…
Beautiful and that is the way to keep it: use GBR buoy moorings
When cruising far north Queensland (FNQ), everybody wants to spend some time in the water on the reef. Either scuba, hookah, free diving or snorkelling, we all love to experience that special outer reef world close-up. The biggest impediment is…
My top three reef anchorages
For many cruisers (your author included) one of the most appealing images of the cruising lifestyle is sitting at anchor in some very beautiful and secluded spot, surrounded by nothing but sea and scenery. For those cruisers (again including your…
Sails with whales: keeping in the good books
During autumn and spring in southeast Australia, cruisers head north for the winter and head south again for summer. At the same time, humpback whales are also beginning their annual migration between their summer/winter feeding grounds. With increasing numbers of…
Schengen explained: how Aussies should sail in the Med
Some members of the European Union joined together in an agreement to facilitate the movement without passports of people across the borders of the member states, thereby applying restrictions on the movement of people from non-member states. Citizens from some…
Options for seeing the Mediterranean: pros and cons explained
Lounge in the late afternoon with your yacht moored stern to a quay in a tiny port on a Greek Island. The world wanders by and, after a cool gin and tonic, you decide it is dinner time. Across the…
