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.
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….
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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….
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 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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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….
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…
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…
Whether you sail a one man Laser or a 90 foot catamaran, the chances are you’ll be benefiting from modern technology, from glass reinforced plastic hulls to the latest carbon fibre sails. Strip this tech away however and how would…
This year was the 32ndDarwin to Ambon Yacht Race, hosted by Dinah Beach Cruising Yacht Club. A fleet of 16 yachts with more than 100 crew from nine countries set sail from North Australia bound for Indonesia on 13thAugust 2016….
While we all dream of deep water cruising, the shallower waters and bays are cruising grounds in their own right. A trailer sailer offers a great way to explore and enjoy these places. Trailer sailing can also be a great…
Whenever two yachties meet in Western Australia it takes only minutes for their conversation to turn to bridges. Those bloody bridges that separate the river yacht clubs from the ocean. Those bridges that require river folk to lower and raise…
Bievinedos Cuba! Talk about the best welcome to a country we have ever had to date. After rolling around in a beam swell and dodging a few commercial ships who were oblivious of our sailing vessel, we safely passed through…
The warm sun on your skin, the gentle rustling sounds of water flowing along the hull and the cool ocean breeze on your face. These are some of the thoughts that come to my mind when thinking about sailing. For…
Every Christmas my dear old Mum would scour the shops for anything with an anchor on it. She cornered the market on paperweights, letter openers, pencil boxes and bon bon dishes. The really sad thing is, they all went in…
So the long awaited boating trip to Port Stephens has been and gone. We, being Caitlin and Ella (15 and 12 years old respectively), believe that everyone who came with us is all a bit wiser for it. Our family…
What are needs? Food, shelter, air and fresh water. That is all very well until your husband wants both of you to live on a yacht for many a long year. Who wants long years unless they are enjoyable? In…
It is almost a generation since 1994, when GPS finally relegated celestial navigation to being just an intermittent, time consuming and relatively inaccurate backup method of position fixing. It is true GPS was preceded by the Transit satellite system from…
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