Innholdsfortegnelse for March 17 i Cruising Helmsman

This year there are two Darwin to Ambon yacht rallies. The Darwin2Ambon is a new race and rally with a complete program to provide a full experience. As reported in CH, Indonesia has introduced regulations to make it easy for foreign yachts to enter. Yachts signing on to join the Darwin2Ambon 2017 will receive this ease of clearance in and out for 19 ports of call. Darwin2Ambon is partnered with the Indonesian Sailing Federation who will organise the yacht race program. The start of the Darwin2Ambon will be from Darwin Harbour on July 29th. The 2017 Darwin2Ambon is also supported by Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism, the Coordinator Ministry of Maritime and local governments of the ports visited. The winner of the race will receive the trophy, while rally winners will…

It is hard to describe my feelings when I saw the thick, black and green storm clouds roll towards us. While I did not feel any immediate sense of panic, I did experience a mixture of incredulity and dread. The sort of feeling I get when I am at the top of a steep roller coaster, another of my least favourite experiences. The adrenalin is yet to kick in but the realisation that we are in for a rocky ride is there in buckets. Thunderstorms are frightening enough with winds, hail and lightning, but when the base of this cloud began to descend and start to revolve it was obvious this was no ordinary storm. There was a detached feeling, like watching a movie, as the cloud formed a funnel…

This checklist was put together for several reasons: the most relevant being a distinct lack of factual information. For example the provisioning information we were fed, prior to leaving Australia, was not at all times clear. We also wanted to make a list with web links to make it easier for others. Keep a check on these sites as the addresses sometimes change. Australian ships registration Before a yacht can check out of Australia and be sailed overseas it must be an Australian registered ship. Download the info needed including the ships name, register to check if your vessel name is available, then fill out the forms. www.amsa.gov.au 406MHz distress beacon, AIS transceiver and MMSI database 1 Before heading offshore you will need a registered 406MHz EPIRB. 2 Plus, one…

WIN WITH YOUR PICS! Hi, welcome to the CH cruising pictures competition. Whenever space permits, we will be bringing you a spread of cruising pics submitted by readers, with the picture judged the best winning a one-year subscription to the two magazines in the Yaffa Photo Group, and the second-placed entry a one-year subscription to one of those magazines. Entries are always coming in thick and fast, and judging which is the best is proving a very difficult task. See if you agree with the judges’ choice. Before you abuse the editor, though, be aware the result was decided by an office poll! Winners should email philross@yaffa.com.au to organise their subscription/s. TO SUBMIT A PICTURE Email it as a high res jpg to philross@yaffa.com.au Please include an interesting caption saying…

A marine citizen science study has just recruited yachtswoman Susie Goodall to be its seafaring ambassador. The Secchi Disk Foundation has been promoted before in Cruising Helmsman (2013 and 2016) and the magazine is proud to be of assistance in making this study the largest marine citizen science project in the world. The global Secchi Disk study was established in 2010 by plankton scientist Doctor Richard Kirby to engage seafarers in a long-term study of the ocean’s phytoplankton in response to reports that the phytoplankton had declined by 40 per cent in abundance over the last 50 years due to climate change. To commemorate the September 2016 establishment of the Secchi Disk Foundation as a charity, it created the position of Seafaring Ambassador and were delighted when Susie Goodall accepted…

Wide Bay Bar blues For several years now, the movement of sand on the Wide Bay Bar has meant that the Hook Point directional light has guided mariners dangerously close to a shallow patch. The light has been adjusted by rotating it towards the north, but it has come to the end of its adjustment. To move the light north along the Fraser Island shore would cost money and also require the consent of the traditional owners. It is also possible that the bar might move south again, so the present light would be kept in case that happened and a new one constructed. Periodically Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ), which comes under the Department of Transport and Main Roads, conducts a survey of the bar and prints it as a…

When you live onboard a boat you live in a world of extremes. The highs can be more frequent and much greater than living ashore, but then again the lows can be much more intense. And sometimes terrifying. When I was speaking with other liveaboards to write this series of articles there were three broad categories covering the best and worst elements: the closeness and interaction with the elements; the experiences generated by living on a boat and the people you meet. Living in the weather rather than watching through double-glazed windows is a great privilege. It is one of the best aspects of living onboard a yacht. You cannot help being more connected to nature. This was one of the main themes from the interviews, everyone has a deeper…

We woke up to a double rainbow arching across a clear sky and disappearing behind Isla Coco’s. It had been a little out of our way and a bit on the expensive side, but this tiny island off the coast of Costa Rica was well worth the visit. We had spent five days exploring the island and snorkelling in the crystal clear waters but it was time to starting heading west. That morning the sea was calm but for a steady ripple of breeze that skipped across the surface. The horizon was a smooth, flat line of blue. It looked like a perfect day to start our 500 nautical mile passage to the Galapagos Islands. After breakfast we started to prepare for the day ahead; stowing the cabin and doing…

l was only twelve years old when I first saw Caraid. I had been with my father for a walk along the cliffs at Mornington, ending always at the yacht club. As I gazed out to sea one yacht in particular caught my boyhood fancy, it was the most immaculate eight metre yacht I had ever seen, owned then by Doctor H. Wilson. My secret childish dream was that one day I might own a yacht such as this. lt was inconceivable then that this would become reality some twenty five years later. Caraid, in the meantime, had gone to Geelong and then to Royal Yacht CIub at Williamstown. She was sitting in a pen, run down and covered in dust when I saw her and my mind went back…

International SOS and Control Risks, two of the world’s leading medical and security specialists, launched its ‘Travel risk map’ for 2017. Dominating concerns on a global level are potential terror attacks (71%), followed by the Zika virus (49%) and civil unrest (46%), with inadequate healthcare and road accidents both at 15%. However, the lesser considered but more common issues should also be taken seriously by the cruising sailor. Dr Irene Lai, medical director of information and analysis for International SOS, said: “while the Zika virus has had extensive media coverage, common medical issues which don’t make the headlines, such as traveller’s gastric issues or running out of regular medication, are more likely. “Road accidents are also a major issue and one of the top five causes of medical evacuation. A…

Abell Point Marina at Airlie Beach has plenty of things happening in 2017. Several years in the planning coomes to fruition with the construction this year of the Abell Point Parkway. This 2.5 hectares of private parkland is currently being developed to create a leisure hub within the marina precinct for both marina guests and the wider Whitsunday community. This is part of marina owner Paul Darrouzet’s vision to further cement Abell Point’s position as the destination marina of choice in Queensland. The parkway, when complete will boast an area of parkland with views back over the marina precinct. It will include: a 35 metre round splash park with water fountain play area; an intimate outdoor space for weddings and ceremonies; an open area for hosting concerts and events; seating…

I am eighteen and my life is a dull routine, a state of repetition where it is more routine than a code-based computer game. I wake up, get dressed, go to work, come home, play a little Minecraft, refresh my tabs on Gumtree and Boatsales, look at pictures and descriptions of beautiful wooden schooners and forty five foot ketches for sale for hundreds of thousands of dollars. I get lost in my own world for a while before eating dinner. Rinse and repeat. When I was not occupied with this cycle I was sailing or working on my little projects. Since I was fifteen it would be uncommon for there not to be a boat in our backyard in Perth; a dinghy or a skiff on which I was rebuilding…

Bavaria has updated its website Bavaria Yachts revamped its website to feature its comprehensive yacht and powerboat range along with the technical aspects of its shipyard production process. Australian agents, Ensign Brokers say the website is designed to be functional with easily found areas of information including shipyard production, styling and design, overview of all Bavaria makes and models, company news as well as details of all upcoming events and boat shows. Over 1000 sailing yachts and motorboats are manufactured on the shipyard of Bavaria Yachts in Giebelstadt, near Würzburg. Four production lines, each 125 metres long, a carpenter’s workshop where the entirety of the yacht is constructed, two halls to manufacture hulls and decks, are accommodated on a large surface measuring 200,000 square metres. A highlight of the new…

“Mayday, mayday, mayday.” “All ships, all ships, all ships this is the yacht Really bad day our positions is ***** ten nautical mile west south west of Port Denison. We have a crew member on board with a fractured leg and are taking on water and sinking. We require urgent assistance.” You may never have to send out such a serious message but, if you are a cruiser around the Australian coastline, sooner or later you will come into contact with one of the Volunteer Sea Rescue Groups that patrol our coastline and provide assistance to all vessels in trouble. The Australian sea rescue services are a chain of rescue units surrounding the Australian coastline which are staffed by trained volunteers. Every year they answer thousands of calls for assistance.…