Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2018 i Cruising Helmsman

I GOT THE MANIA Dear Phil, Thank you for publishing the very nice picture of me and my friend Ian Hansen but I am not sure if Peter Mounsey, or I, should be more insulted. Peter for the fact you didn’t recognise it was not him, or me for you thinking I looked 88. But seriously I should not be confused with a genuine sailing legend like Peter. I have known both Peter and Ian from our short-handed association days and their recent voyages in Smoky Cape should be celebrated and acclaimed. Regards ANDREW PURNELL Ed sheepishly replies: thanks for the correction Andrew. In the good old days I could have blamed such an error on a sub-editor but, sadly, those days are gone and I must ‘fess up to…

SHELLS of molluscs were discussed in previous lessons in Cruising Helmsman; this article takes a detailed look at other interesting items that beachcombers have discovered. SAND The first obvious thing of interest to beachcombers is the beach itself. In spite of what people who live in the tropics say, some of the best beaches are found in southern Australia. Most tropical beaches are made up of sand that is coarse and made up of calcium carbonate (limestone or chalk) most of which is derived from coral. Coral is continually being broken up into particles by waves and the action of predators. What they do not tell you in the travel brochures is that much of the coral sand of tropical beaches has passed through the guts of parrot fish. There…

BOAT owners are aware of the need to carry regulation safety gear on their vessels. Authorities have strict regulations as to what is required when going cruising. So, what do the powers-that-be want? In Queensland, where I live: an emergency positioning indicating radio beacon when operating more than two nautical miles from land, plus a signalling device, V-sheet and PFDs for each crewmember. Many boats carry liferafts plus there are some multihull owners who are so convinced that at some stage their catamaran will flip they attach ropes underneath the wing deck. But is all this enough? Do these precautions ensure our survival in the event of an unfortunate accident? I clearly remember an incident in 1983 when a trawler sank off Lodestone Reef near Townsville. Ray Boundy was the…

ABEL TASMAN is a 23 metre Bermuda schooner derived from the elegant lines of America 1, which was designed by George Steer. With her clipper bow and tumblehome sides, she was built in 1981 in Westerbroek, Netherlands and is skippered by Antarctic and Arctic expedition support vessel operator, Roger Wallis. Abel Tasman’s steel hull is ten millimetres below the waterline and 8mm above which makes her ideal for passage making in these high latitudes. Balancing on the sides of Abel Tasman’s tender we clutched the necks of our wet weather jackets so freezing salt-water spray, coming in jets off the bow, detoured past our necks. Sheets of dollop-sized snowflakes streamed past us rapidly smothering everything in their united whiteness. We were cautiously motoring into Nuuk’s black evening looking for Abel…

Clipper race tops a remarkable year for Abell Point LESS than a year after the devastation of Cyclone Debbie, Abell Point Marina at Airlie played host to leg five of the Clipper Round the world yacht race. Arriving in January this year, just nine months after Debbie, twelve Clipper 70 yachts took over marina arm M and enjoyed the delights of the ‘Whitsundays Clipper Race Carnival’ for the ensuing two weeks. After the official arrival at Airlie township, where the mayor of the city provided them the ‘key’ and said they could do whatever they wanted, the crews and visitors took advantage of the functions planned and the sights to see at the Whitsundays and surrounds. The next day was a chance to put on the good gear and catch…

CHESTERFIELD, or not? Iridescent blue patches sparkle across the waves and schools of flying fish burst from the water, the gossamer wings opaque as they glide just above the sea. Floating across the tops of the waves for hundreds of metres they disappear with tiny splashes. Seabirds wheeling and plunging headfirst into the water as they chase baitfish, or maybe flying fish, tells us that we are closing in on Chesterfield Reef. A small dark bird wings its way past the stern, dipping its breast into the water periodically. It doubles back several times to check out the boat for a potential resting spot, but changes its mind and flies on. The forecast: 25 knot to 30 knot winds and four metre swells in coastal offshore waters around Bundaberg within…

THE starter’s gun fired and we were off and racing from Thursday Island with the next stop Tual in the Kai Islands, Indonesia. Well, really, there was no starter’s gun or a race for that matter but, get a group of sailing enthusiasts in the same bay at the same time heading the same way and well, it is on. Though no one will admit it. It was mid-July and the day had dawned clear and bright and the tide was just right for an early get away out of the anchorage. The shakedown trip from Cairns to Thursday Island was behind us and now we were off on an adventure with new friends. It was the first overseas cruise for some of us. So I had better back the…

BEACH front, harbour front, waterfront, a boat has more front than a department store window. In every location you are guaranteed 360 degree views: ocean, harbour, city; or maybe there will be idyllic bush scenes, coral atolls or other scenes of idyllic island life. On a boat your views will never, and I can promise never ever, be built out. Plus you get to select your neighbours. Sick of the neighbours with the yapping dogs that crap on your lawn? Or those neighbours that host death metal band rehearsals and all night parties? Or even just those that always seem to be watching you from behind lace curtains? On a boat you can just leave ‘em behind! No longer put up with pesky people. Tired of spending all weekend slaving…

MYSAILING.COM.AU/CRUISING LOGOF Lose one get one free, or at least for the price of a dollar. One Colorado couple lost their yacht and most of their belongings when the yacht hit something and sank in Florida recently. An extremely good samaritan decided to let them buy one of his yachts for $1 to get back to the good life. http://www.mysailing.com.au/cruising/good-samaritan-replaces-sunk-cruising-boat-for-1. PARDEY POOPER A story from Lin Pardey always rates well on the mysailing website. This one about entering the notorious Mooloolaba bar under tow and getting pooped is an exceptionally good tale from the Taleisin that almost had Lin deciding to retire from sailing. Originally appeared in the September 2017 Cruising Helmsman. http://www.mysailing.com.au/cruising/won-t-you-come-home-bill-bailey-the-wave-that-was-waiting. facebook.com/CruisingHelmsman…

WHEN the boss says that he wants his five million dollar, 43 metre luxury sailing yacht delivered from Thailand to Palma de Mallorca in Spain so that it can begin a winter refit as soon as possible, then there is really no other way to get the boat there except for going through the high risk area (HRA) for piracy: the Arabian Sea, through the Red Sea and then the Suez Canal. Although the peak for piracy incidents was several years ago there is still a high potential for piracy in this area. The reason attacks do not appear that often now is more due to the security measures taken by most vessels that transit this area and the constant naval patrols by coalition forces, than lack of threats. The…

OVER sundowners one evening a topic of discussion debated the safety of gas stoves versus kerosene stoves on board. Of course, one could argue the negatives and positives of both. Helmet and Cornelius, aboard Panta Rai, had a kerosene stove on board and were adamant it was the only way to go as they believed that gas on board was very dangerous. It goes without saying that a gas explosion would have the most devastating outcome. My husband Bryan and I witnessed a gas explosion when we were anchored off Kudat, in Sabah Malaysia. Local fishing boats were all tied together near the shore. Crew off one of the boats was cooking with gas when all of a sudden it exploded in a boiling liquid, expanding vapour explosion (BLEVE). Screaming…

INNOVATIVE RECYCLING KEEPS THE BOAT BUDGET INTACT Like many new owners, Michael Ball wanted to improve the boat he had just bought. This urge to upgrade and personalise a new-to-you boat is quite common, but it has its pitfalls. Initially, we decide how much we can afford, find a boat within our budget and then spend thousands more adding and changing things. There is always something to fix or alter with any secondhand boat. However, without restraint, this can lead to overcapitalising, or worse running out of money due to unforseen expenses. While Michael’s Compass Innovator Pisces was functional, exterior items needed freshening up. Michael replaced the shade cover over the centre cockpit and investigated the cost of new covers for the cockpit cushions and steering pedestal. The fabric alone…

THE two boats bobbing alongside each other could hardly be less alike. The first was a solid and homely 39 foot steel ketch fitted with broad berths, a library and curtain-covered portholes. The other was a futuristic 65 foot trimaran with a spartan interior dubbed the ‘French Aluminium Cigar’. The two skippers were, likewise, strikingly different in appearance. One was spare and wiry, the other bold and muscular. In nature and philosophy too, the differences were stark: the former restlessly pursuing truth and enlightenment while his confrere sought speed and adventure. The year was 1969 and the two men were the renowned sailors Bernard Moitessier and Éric Tabarly. Neither had met before, but each was fascinated by the other’s boat: Tabarly in the homeliness of Joshua and Moitessier in the…