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DESTINATION
Crossing the Bight BOAT TEST
We test the Cruiser 51
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October practical
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BOAT REVIEW FEATURE
20 GALLEY GUIDE Nothing better than getting ideas on how to set up your own yacht galley than from a seasoned cruiser such as Heather Francis. 47 GETTING CHEESY Finding dairy product throughout South East Asia forced Kate Lyons to improvise, now she shares what was learnt. 50 A MOVEABLE FEAST Proving the exception to the belief that food while cruising must be salty hard tack, Jess Lloyd-Mostyn lays it on the table.
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58 UNRAVEL THE MYSTERY OF PROVISIONING Buying your yacht stores is not a dark art as Cheryl Ainsworth shows the how and what of provisioning.
destination 12 GIFT OF THE GAB Taking your time to cross a major water course is smart thinking and leads James Frecheville to some interesting locations while crossing the Bight.
62 BUILD YOUR OWN FUEL POLISHER Engine fuel is never pristine clean, especially when overseas, David Lynn shows how he built and regularly uses his own fuel filter and polishing system.
26 NIGHTMARE AVERTED If ever you needed confirmation of the generosity of sailors then Elaine Hazell’s story of disaster in remote Chagos will provide.
68 THE FEMALE FACTOR Cruising sailors are like rolling stones, but some women gathered together to organise a support network.
SPECIAL FOOD FEATURE
32 OUR HAPPY DANCER It may be a Moody design but Dini Martinez explains their yacht’s temper is anything but.
68 47
LET’S EAT A hamper full of food articles for those intent on providing proper food on long cruises. From what to buy to where to store it or even how to make it, this Food Feature will not spoil.
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40 CRUISING TO HEAL Sailing can be such a redemptive, restorative tonic for some people. The new owners of this yacht have such a story to tell.
44 MORETON BAY MEMORIES Reflecting on earlier times Petrea McCarthy evokes memories of a marvellous time growing up at a magical place. 65 OH WHAT A FEELING Emotions run high when sailing long distances and Marilyn Morgan experiences them all during her sea time.
DEPARTMENTS From the helm 4 Waterfront 6 Letters 8 Ideas locker 18 What’s new 35 Cruising chef 56 The Bavaria Cruiser 51 test starts on page 40. Image by Zooty Photography.
October 2015
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from the helm
A grand day out Another Sydney boat show has concluded and the subjective and objective results are in. Both organisers and exhibitors appeared to be happy with the numbers through the door and the quality of those looking at product and services. Cruising Helmsman certainly caught good vibes from those on the boats at the water venue and on the exhibition hall stands. According to the Boating Industry Association organisation the numbers were up over four per cent from last year. As last year was the first time the show was held in the two venues, Darling Harbour and Glebe Island, the BIA were happy that last year did not dim the public’s interest in all things nautical. Hitting over the magical 50,000 in visitors is a good sign. Having perfect Sydney winter weather may well have assisted in getting them through the door; but there was also a lot of selling going on as well. I did not get to discuss figures with all boat agencies but three told me they had sold more than three boats, monohulls as well as multihulls. By far the best days were the Friday and the Saturday for yachting. The weather certainly assisted there. The other two days of Sunday and Monday tended to be quiet. Although the numbers through the door were good, the people were mostly families on a day out or looking for a tinnie to buy. There were some movements in the boat harbour this year: Antill Marine is no longer the agent for Dufour Yachts. That agency has gone to Performance Cruising Sales (formerly known as US Yachts). Lagoon Catamarans has also changed agencies and will now be a part of the Windcraft Group in a dedicated multihull division of the company. Vicsail launched its new luxury brand, Amel. CH will publish a boat test of its 55 footer soon. In the exhibition halls all show space had been taken up and this is also a good sign for the industry. My favourite picks included the personal AIS beacon by Ocean 4
October 2015
Dawn breaks on the first morning.
Signal and on display by All Sat Communications. This is a great innovation in quickly locating and rescuing a MOB and we look forward to seeing more from Ocean Signal after its recent world buyout by ACR, which also has plenty of good safety gear. The recent launching of chandlery Ross and Whitcroft included the selling of the new clothing line from Marine Pool. We were invited to an introduction to Garmin’s latest equipment for sailing and it is interesting to see the range this company is starting to introduce. Traditionally a fishingoriented range, they are producing chartplotters and GPS that should provide good competition. Another company also making inroads into cruising yachts is Flir. They produce a well known range of security cameras for big boats but they also have an interesting range in thermal cameras. They are compact and quite useful in all sorts of areas on a boat. During the show I took advantage of the sales on clothing and accessories that all clothing suppliers provide. I bought a Musto wallet and a Musto toiletries bag. The funny thing is the toiletries bag is perfect as my action camera tote.
It stores both my action cameras and all its accessory clamping gear! I also can never go past Boat Books without purchasing something. There are some new shoe lines appearing as well, which should make for good Christmas presents. So keep an eye out for our December issue. On our stand we had a competition for a pair of Canon stabilising binoculars. Anyone who came to the stand (or Canon’s) and tried them out could see how easily these would be of use on a lurching yacht. Two other interesting items that took my attention was Rescue Tape and Sydney Marine Supplies. Rescue Tape, I reckon, is a product that should be on every boat. They turn up at all manner of shows as one of those spruiker booths. The tape is an instant repair tape that can seal all manner of things in a jiffy. Sydney Marine Supplies were selling an amazing wipe on gel coat. We bought some to trial at some stage and will report later.
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Beacon registration now online The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has given beacon owners more choice, with an improved online beacon registration system that went live on 15 September. The registration system on the AMSA website is mobile-optimised, handy for renewing beacon registration from a mobile or tablet. Providing proof of registration will also become easier, with beacon owners able to show beacon registration confirmation on their mobile phone or tablet via SMS or email. Vessel and aircraft owners can save their SMS or email on their mobile as proof of registration to
comply with the law from 15 September 2015. AMSA representative Christine Macmillian, acknowledged that this development is a result of feedback from beacon owners about registration stickers. “After reviewing feedback about the existing beacon registration sticker system, we quickly found that a more mobile friendly method of proving beacon registration was needed,” said Macmillian. “The new system gives beacon owners more Keep scrolling for exclusive options to save their iPad only images registration information on their mobile phone through an SMS or email.
“Registering your beacon could mean the difference between life and death in a distress situation. It can give search and rescue authorities important information to provide a quicker response.” said Macmillian. Existing beacon registration stickers will continue to be recognised until they expire or need replacing, then proof of registration will be issued through the new methods. Beacon registration renewal will continue to be Touch here to watch every free and take place video two years. 1800 406 406 www.amsa.gov.au/beacons.
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Trailable yachts annual season opener Trailable yachts will gather in Melbourne’s Docklands once again for its season opening event on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 October. The event builds on the success of the last three years where over 70 sailors with trailable yachts have attended a
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dinner to celebrate the start of the sailing season and participate in the Bob Couper memorial nautical trivia quiz, sponsored by Cruising Helmsman. Bob Couper was a legendary and regular contributor to CH with his column, `Ideas locker’ and
October 2015
his later book `Cruising essentials’. The sailing quiz is now being conducted annually in honour of the legacy he left behind and last year’s quiz winner, Kevin Corcoran of the Melbourne Trailable Yacht Club, is this year’s quiz master. Some trailable yacht participants take the opportunity to extend the event into a long weekend with a cruise from destinations around Port Phillip, take advantage of a special two night stay in City of Melbourne’s Marina and a return sail back to Port Phillip destinations after the weekend. In addition to the Saturday evening dinner, a ‘Discover sailing’ day is planned for Sunday 18 October
and the general public is invited to come and try sailing on a range of trailable yachts on Victoria Harbour. There will be a number of trailable yachts on trailers exhibited on the waterfront promenade which will help demonstrate the versatility of a trailable yacht. The event is being coordinated by Yachting Victoria’s Trailable Yacht Division with assistance from clubs and associations. The Discover Sailing event at Docklands is free for the general public to attend and provides a great opportunity to learn more about joining the social trailable yacht community. Information about learn to sail courses and some specific trailable yacht syllabus modules being developed will also be available at the Discover Sailing event.
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Be part of the Endeavour crew the Captain Cook Society The Australian National (Australia), who will share Maritime Museum is calling his knowledge of significant on adventure seekers and places along the way. history lovers to sign up and Endeavour will arrive in join the crew of the replica Brisbane on 16 October at James Cook’s 18th-century Portside Wharf in Hamilton vessel HMB Endeavour as it where it will be open 17 - 21 embarks on a new sailing October for visitors and program in 2015 and 2016. school children to climb on The 2015/16 voyage board and find out what life program features a voyage was like in Cook’s day. It to Brisbane this October and will depart for Sydney on 22 a longer voyage to Victoria October on a whale-themed and South Australia in voyage, conducting a whale early 2016, allowing people If you prefer a more from five to 12 days. At each count with a trained whale in regional Australia to leisurely sailing experience, port Endeavour will be open observer on board and arrive connect with this important sign up as one of four for locals to step on board back at the museum on 2 vessel. It is seen as part of ‘supernumeraries’ on each this national treasure. November 2015. Berths for the lead up to the 250 year voyage. As a supernumerary The 44-metre ship is sailed the ten-day Brisbane voyages anniversary of Cook’s arrival you can choose your level by a professional crew of start at $2,950. on Australian shores. of involvement while 16 assisted by 40 paying In 2016 Endeavour will For its first voyage enjoying the privacy of voyage-crew who learn firstembark upon a three month Endeavour will depart your own cabin, one of hand what it was like to sail voyage program during Sydney on 6th October the gentlemen’s cabins on the oceans during the great which it will sail to regional and will sail for ten the original Endeavour era of European exploration. South Australia and days in the footsteps of Keep scrolling here inhabited byTouch Joseph Banks Voyage crew sleep in Victoria, visiting Geelong, Cook up the east coast for exclusive to watch iPad only images video and his team of artists hammocks, learn how to Adelaide, Port Lincoln and to Brisbane. The crew and scientists. set sails, steer the ship and Portland. Opportunities will be joined by Captain stand watches. Full training exist to help sail the ship on Cook expert Malcolm R a i n ma n D e s a l i n a t o r s . p d f Pa ge 1 2 9 / 0 5 / 1 5 , 4 : 0 3 : 0 4 P M www.endeavourvoyages. AEST com.au. is provided. one of the legs, which range Nicholson, coordinator of
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October 2015
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letters
LETTER OF THE MONTH A challenging question to readers Dear Phil, The more I walk on our once pristine beaches the more I feel compelled to write you about the appalling situation happening. Last year I sailed from Brisbane to Eden and now back up Australia’s east coast stopping at many beaches along the way to the Whitsundays. I am yet to walk on a beach where I don’t see any rubbish and litter on it. Pollution is not a new issue in our lives but I wonder what we are all doing about it. I wonder, as your readers read this, what they are thinking about the rubbish that finds its way to our waterways and beaches? I believe that all those cruising and fishing our waters are very conscious about rubbish disposal by taking all our rubbish ashore to be disposed of appropriately. It is mainly coming from shore and being washed into the oceans from stormwater drains.
It is interesting to learn that rubbish in the water and items washed up on land, kill our wildlife both in the ocean and those on land. The animals are either mistaking it as a food source or becoming entangled in it, causing strangulation, laceration or restriction in movement. All these result in death. I think we have all seen the images from various sources of media of dead birds cut open to reveal their stomachs full of various sizes of plastic and small bits of rubbish that they digested thinking it was food, or of turtles with deformities of their shells from being wrapped up in plastic as young ones and endless images of marine animals being muzzled eventually dying from starvation. Only recently on the news a diver found a dead turtle in the water at the Gold Coast Seaway so entangled in fishing line it could not swim to take a breath or get to its food source. If the animal had not drowned it would have starved to death.
WIN WITH GROTTY YACHTY CLOTHING Submit your letters to the Editor and be in with a chance to win a Tee from Australia’s own sailing brand. This month’s winner should phone m: 0411 271 387 to claim their prize!
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October 2015
It is all enough to bring you to tears. What are we doing about it? The rubbish I see on the beaches is astounding. On every single beach I walk on I find without fail: rope, fishing line, fishing nets. Plastic bottles are serious issue as they are found by the 1000s. Discarded larger items like plastic fuel containers, plastic chairs and tables, crab pot floats and tin cans and discarded glass is a serious issue. I no longer walk ashore without shoes on as on every beach I walk there is broken glass from bottles or food containers. Tin cans are also a health risk; their lids attached are like razors waiting to slice your foot open. Another problem we see starting to happen is the cheap camping chairs that fall apart and are left on the beach. What is upsetting is people have come to the beach with their chairs to enjoy the beach and then leave their rubbish behind. Is this sheer laziness? I pose the question as to what is the answer. I know some people will say well pick it up. Sometimes that is not that easy. We are not a large vessel by any means and dealing with our own rubbish is an issue. We do store it; however it can get quite substantial after a while. Some will say it is a landbased issue, maybe it is but what can we do about that? Are we all conscious 24/7 to be resourceful, reuse, recycle, and reduce our own plastic waste, choose reusable over disposable? It’s a global issue. It’s our local issue.
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I do wonder if the government needs to step in and step up. They are always feeding us messages via various forms of media and I wonder if they do see our concerns in magazines etc. We all should be writing to our local members asking them what we can do. There is clearly a layered effect happening here and the approach and management to this issue needs to be put into practise so it is sustainable for years to come and effective. Because clearly whatever the government thinks is working now is not. The rubbish on our shores is increasing, not decreasing from what we have seen over the last three years. One only has to research global waste on the internet to become really alarmed at what is happening to our planet. Research on our Department of Environmental website has proven facts which are really disturbing to read such as: plastic makes up 60% of all our rubbish. An estimated 100,000 marine animals are killed by plastic every year around the world’s oceans, bringing some to the edge of extinction. Do people realise that plastic bags take 10 to 20 years to decompose and plastic bottles take much longer? Debris is also affecting our coral. It's becoming Keep scrolling for exclusive entangled on the coral effecting iPad growth. only images Wikipedia states that the US Army Corps engineers remove 90 tons of drifting material every month from the San Francisco Bay and this has been going on since 1942! What are other reader’s thoughts? What can we do to combat this issue because we can’t continue to just keep sailing past and being disgusted about it? We need to do something constructive. We are all responsible. Keep in mind the land and oceans are connected. Debi Thornely S/Y Matilda
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October 2015
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letters Bulk build boomerangs The article in April’s CH (Boomerang your anchor back right, page 46) was of great interest to me. In considering the production of one boomerang for my boat it would seem to be advantageous to consider economies of scale. I have the ability to organise production and propose that if ten or more readers would also like a boomerang I will produce them, at cost, with mine being the eleventh. I have not as yet investigated the details but would be looking at laser cutting from Bisplate 80 and Armourgalv finish. If you are interested would you email me at g_champion@champions.id.au. The size I want is the six/eight millimetre boomerang but we could do the ten/twelve Boomerang if there are enough takers. Geoff Champion Mount Dandenong, Vic
Entanglement of boats with pots The problem of entanglement of yachts with pots is worldwide (Debi Thornely in CH July 15 Letters). Here on the west coast, Boating WA and Fremantle Sailing Club are working with local professional and recreational fishing agencies, with support from WA government departments, to establish a code of conduct for fishers that will reduce the number of incidents. Boats regularly get entangled in craypots in a wide range of water depths and varying distances off the coast. Entanglement usually occurs with the surface float line catching on
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October 2015
either the keel, the rudder or the stern gear and results in the boat effectively being anchored by the line. The consequences vary with circumstances; sometimes the line can be disentangled but often a crew member may have to free the boat by diving under the boat with a knife, often in rough conditions and at night. This is clearly hazardous. I have kept a log of entanglement incidents on the WA coast since February 2014, which shows a rate of about 12 incidents per year. Many more incidents will have gone unreported, there have probably been over 100 entanglements over the last five years. Of the 36 incidents logged to date, 68 per cent were at night and 20% occurred on the leading marks into an anchorage. There is no evidence of either recreational or commercial craypots showing higher or lower incidence of entanglement. The code of conduct we are promoting
to fishers is similar to that already successfully adopted by professional rock lobster fishers for reducing the incidence of whale entanglements: • use non-buoyant upper line • use short scope in shallow water • coil surplus line • paint the float a highly visible colour (orange, yellow etc.); better still add retro-reflective tape • don’t set pots on the leads into an anchorage, it is both dangerous and illegal. As a boater, the following steps will reduce your chances of entanglement: • keep a good lookout • avoid motoring at night • usually pass to leeward of a float, in case there is floating line on the surface. When buying a yacht, consider the benefits of a long keel and the risks of a fin and t-bulb underwater profile. For the west coast rock lobster fishery at least, the abundance of pots depends on: the phase of the moon, swell conditions and, now that fishery controls have changed from seasonal to quota system, the Asian market price is the strongest indicator of fishing activity. Who would ever have thought that the likelihood of getting a rope round your rudder depended on the date of the Chinese New Year? We live in interesting times! PS: Has anyone out there had success picking out pots with the latest generation broadband radar, also called Chirp or FMCW? We have tried forward-looking sonar without success. Kim Klaka FSC Ed notes: If you wish to reply to Kim’s PS, email me and I shall collate and pass on.
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letters How much does it take? I hope you will publish this to garner a response from the respective entities! As stated, we (with my dog Georgie as always) yesterday (4.8.2015) amassed a wheelie bin full of waterborne and discarded litter and debris from Horseshoe Bay (Peel Island). We discovered this deceased Loggerhead Turtle with a tangle of plastic protruding from the mouth. One of four turtles dead on the beach and a melancholic, horrific and disenchanting reminder of society's abject disregard and disconnection from responsible practices associated with disposal of waste and contributing to the amenity of this critically endangered ecology. Since 2012 I have constantly submitted data collection sheets to Healthy Water Ways, Sea World and Tangaroa Blue. In a previous publication of CH, you featured a story chronicling the efforts of a fellow in North Queensland who is passionate and proactive in the physical removal of rubbish. I would appreciate
if you would forward his contact details as I would like to make approaches to form a marine refuse removal alliance for the Qld. coast to act rather than just emit carbon dioxide talking without implimenting cognitive change! Troy Robbins Queensland Ed: Finding a contact for Ben Ware mentioned in this letter (CH May 2015) is difficult when that person tends to live off the grid. I have passed on some contacts to Troy but if anyone has a direct address please let me know.
9th-11th Oct 2015
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October 2015
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destination: Western Australia
GABbing on Careful planning and no timetable lets James Frecheville take a 28 foot catamaran across the bight. Esperance Western Australia is just one of those wonderful places that is rarely visited and then only by boats travelling east or west across the Great Australian Bight. It is not to be missed. There is a friendly and welcoming yacht club and everything that one would ever want is available in the township. Best of all are the pristine cruising grounds of the Recerche Archipelago, a cluster of one thousand islands and rocks in a 200 mile stretch of what is largely unsurveyed waters off the southwest coast of WA. I had left my Waller 880 catamaran on a mooring in Esperance Bay for the summer, while family, work and yacht club commitments back home took precedence. Returning after Easter I found Slinky Malinky sitting quietly awaiting the next stage of my part time, fly in fly out, cruise around Australia, keeping the big island on the left. On the seawall in front of the Esperance Bay Yacht Club, with my brother David and an old school mate Rob, we would reside for a few days while some repairs effected, reprovisioning completed and the standing rigging replaced. It was a no brainer. The rig was 14 years old and I did not want to concern myself with a possible rig failure in the Great Australian Bight so we just did it. I am glad we did. All passage planning research for a comfortable crossing of the GAB dictated that for an eastbound ride the best time was in autumn when the prolific easterlies and the normal passing cold fronts lost some of its potency and lows are not as deep as those of winter. We departed Esperance with steady north easterly winds which, once we cleared Cape Le Grand, headed us for a solid beat up the coast to the favoured anchorages of Lucky Bay, Hammerhead and Duke of Orleans. 12
October 2015
Recerche is certainly not a place to sail through at night and we were soon reminded just how good it was to have a sea running so we could see the hazards to navigation. The offshore winds ensured that the nights were comfortable at anchor. The fishing was good as were the walks ashore. At every anchorage we would climb the nearest hill with our phones and laptop in anticipation of a connection and thus the weather forecast. Cape Arid, 90 miles east of Esperance, is a pretty desolate place so aptly named by Flinders. But our spot in a little bay for the night was delightful. Next morning we motorsailed over to Middle Island, our planned departure point for the passage across the GAB. We circumnavigated the island exploring little coves as the weather was benign and the fishing good. My plan for the GAB had always been to leave on the back of a front. One was coming and it promised to be all we wanted, perhaps more than we wanted but here in the Southern Ocean you have to take what you are given. Or do not go at all.
destination: Western Australia
Red sky at night promises good sailing on the morrow.
The isolated Daw Island lies east of Cape Arid and about 45 miles from Middle Island. It is in uncharted waters but a Google map and an old mudmap confirmed an anchorage secure from the SW. After climbing a hill on Goose Island near Middle Island to get a weather update we elected to make a run for Daw Island. I thought we would get there before the forecast front arrived. We did, almost, after a beautiful kite ride for the first thirty miles in rising winds. Our entrance into the lee of the two little wave break islands protecting the anchorage was exciting with triple reefed main and a few rolls in the jib. There we lay out 50 metres of chain in a depth of four metres and sat out the blow. We were not going anywhere. Next morning the glass was low and the wind and seas high. It still looked angry so we waited. I knew my biggest hurdle was to make the decision to go. Once out there we knew it would be boisterous but it was going to ease ... eventually. So we left and settled down to the serious business of an ocean crossing.
I had hoped we would be at sea for four nights and at worse five. After the first twenty four hours we were well on track with a 160 mile day under triple reef and in squally, wet conditions. The autopilot could not cope so we had to steer. It was tiring and noisy, but it did ease off as forecast and we then really settled into the routine of sleeping, eating and standing a watch, of sorts.
“Eight men of Flinders crew on HMS Investigator were lost at sea searching off this coastline for water. Our night entrance was without drama.� My charts, or lack of, showed a gap from Middle Island to Head of Bight. This was not an issue as I had no intention of stopping anywhere enroute especially as it were to be a lee shore. I did, however, have on board a 1985 edition of the Jacaranda School Atlas and in it a full page spread of southern Australia complete with lines of latitude and longitude. More than enough for our ocean passage.
October 2015
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destination: Western Australia
BELOW: Overlooking glorious Cape Arid. RIGHT: Slinky Malinky resting peacefully at Coffin Bay.
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When the winds softened we motorsailed, if only to ease the slamming and to maintain a reasonable speed. Most of the passage after the first day was on the nose or at best with sheets sprung. Although it was noisy with waves crashing into the hull and bridgedeck we made good time. Then about 150 miles out from South Australia our outboard, which had been running like a Swiss watch, made some strange noises. I shut down and decided to have a look in daylight. The sight of emulsified oil suppurating from the dipstick opening was not a pretty sight, nor was the fact that the dawn was heralding an oily calm. There was little else to do but sit and wait and wait and wait. Occasionally we would be teased with a zephyr for an hour before sitting again for six. Our course from Daw Island had been basically East-090-ish and as we crawled towards the SA coastline the winds backed from the south to the SE and then to the east, so we dutifully followed. I had onboard a copy of Graham Scarce’s ‘Cruising guide to historic west coast ports’, which I found to be invaluable. Not only was there information about ports, islands and bays but an interesting discourse on the history of the area from exploration to more recent wrecks. We were not going to make Port Lincoln, but Elliston and the Investigator Group of islands was a possibility; one that was soon dismissed as the winds played games with us as we drifted north. Streaky Bay started to look promising, especially as it has a secure anchorage for a blow while we sorted the outboard motor. At one stage we were closer to Ceduna than to Streaky Bay but I was reluctant to give up any southing.
October 2015
The last 60 miles took us 36 hours and that was truly painful, but as we made landfall a five knot southerly allowed us to hoist the kite and tight reach east. This was just so good and memory of our becalmed periods all but forgotten. The seas got softer and the skies cleared. This champagne sailing was a treat. We dropped the kite for the final six mile beat up through Blanche Port to the picture-postcard township of Streaky Bay, where we anchored just 100m off the beach in front of the pub. It was a very satisfying moment to reflect that we really had sailed across the GAB in a 28’ catamaran. A shower, some Coopers Pale Ale and some oysters were on the agenda. Easy fix. Not so the outboard. If you are going to be stuck somewhere awaiting a new outboard I can think of few finer places than Streaky Bay, a small country town with a big hearted community. The lads left me to sit it out, which indeed I did when the usual blow went through. Holding was good and with every bit of chain over the side and a second anchor out I was again not going anywhere. Chain in the locker is not worth a cracker when you are on a lee shore. The new motor arrived from Port Lincoln as did my daughter Rosie and her flatmate Caro for the next leg to Lincoln.
destination: Western Australia We sailed out of Blanche Port and across the shallow southern shore of Streaky Bay littered with oyster farms to Cape Bauer before springing sheets and heading south to Sceales Bay. The cliff and sand dune scenery that passed was just stunning as we day sailed down the coast stopping at Heart, Baird and Venus Bays. Heart Bay is an open roadstead anchorage just south of Sceales Bay and although protected from the wind the ever-present swell invaded, making it a less than peaceful night. I did console the girls with the fact that it would have been a whole lot less peaceful if we were in a monohull. Both Baird and Venus have bars which can be safely crossed with care and with low swell. At neither could you hit bottom, but it does get exciting running in with breakers either side. Venus Bay was the pick and we enjoyed the comfort of a landlocked anchorage. Internet and mobile access was readily available for a lot of the coast and that gave reassurance in being able to access weather forecasts. From Venus Bay we had intended to visit Flinders and Pearson Islands of the Investigator Group but the winds would not allow us. Well, I was not keen to punch headwinds into the night
when the little township of Elliston on the shores of Waterloo Bay beckoned. We could get there by dusk and the bar is 350m wide and plenty deep enough given that it was a trading port in the early days. The ketches and schooners plying the Eyre coast would enter under sail. We had a new motor. We also had a swell of maybe 1.5m. We had leads, but it is also a long run in between the fringing reef. We caught a couple of waves. This was just a bit exciting but we entered unscathed and soon anchored in a suprisingly calm bay, just a short walk into town and the pub for dinner. Small town country pubs and cafes have so much to offer and we enjoyed our short stay in Elliston. The bar was benign next day and so we headed to sea anticipating some lively action as we crossed. It was not to be but we were not disappointed. Nor were we with the blue sky day and 12 knot breeze as we sailed with sprung sheets southbound to Coffin Bay. We were not going to get there before dark but it mattered not as the slowly shoaling Coffin Bay is ten miles wide and five miles deep. We just sailed into four metre depth and dropped the hook. The beach was upwind another mile but we had flat water and plenty of swinging room!
October 2015
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destination: Western Australia
TOP: Charting our progress on an old Jacaranda school atlas. Who remembers those?
16
It was a pleasant night even though the forecast building of the southerly wind put up a little chop. The morning greeted us with 30 knot rain squalls so we delayed our departure for the beaconed channel into Port Douglas and to the township of Coffin Bay. It was going to blow for a couple of days and we planned to explore the waterway and coastline before heading around the corner to Port Lincoln. Besides there were oysters to sample. With a triple reefed main and a few turns on the headsail we motorsailed in through the entrance and tacked up and around the oyster farms. It was solid but at least the seas were soft and the navigation easy as we stayed in the dark water. Coffin Bay, a national park, is simply a stunning cruising ground with beaches and sand dunes, wildlife both in and out of water and very few visitors out of season. An anchorage can be found for any prevailing winds and the fishing not too shabby.
October 2015
The township mooring area is landlocked and the prime real estate is in front of the yacht club. So that is where we parked and went ashore to enjoy all that Coffin Bay had to offer. The oysters were cheap and just sensational. While the winds blew relentlessly from the south we meandered around the bay walking the dunes and stalking emus, fishing and reflecting how lucky we are in this country to have pristine waterways on which to cruise and explore. At the northwestern tip of Coffin Bay is Point Sir Isaac and a small bay with a sandy beach called Seasick Bay, so named by Matthew Flinders. For us on a catamaran, tucked in close to shore and out of the ever-present SW swell, it caused no grief and we slept soundly. The weather forecast heralded more southerly winds and backing to the east, but softening as the day passed so we left early and motorsailed into the dawn. It was not pleasant and it took hours to cover the first 15 miles to Point Whidbey. But once cleared we were able to sail ten miles in the right direction for every one mile out to sea. It was a long day as we hauled in the clifftop windfarm and then cleared Cape Carnot before springing sheets for Williams Island, just south of Cape Catastrophe. Eight men of Flinders crew on HMS Investigator were lost at sea searching of this coastline for water. Our night entrance to the small open bay on Williams Island was without drama as we sounded in under the loom of the flashing light on the hill. The run north to Port Lincoln was a dream run and we congratulated ourselves on having pushed on the previous day so we did not encounter the backing breeze which would have made the passage tiresome. The cruising grounds around Port Lincoln are one of the finest in the country with clear waters, a host of islands and bays at which to anchor for any prevailing or forecast conditions, national parks and great fishing. Next time I am coming back with a trailable yacht and no time frame, unlike this trip where winter is fast approaching. There is still Bass Strait to transit to complete my circumnavigation of Australia, keeping the big island on the left. The forecast looks promising for tomorrow! James Frecheville James is a wooden boatbuilder in Paynesville and sails mostly on the Gippsland Lakes when he is not circumnavigating the Big Island on his Waller 880 catamaran or sailing an ancient Tumlaren around the buoys with GLYC. A fleet owner who will soon have Slinky Malinky on the market after the completion of the big trip.
Adam Full Page.pdf 1 7/27/2015 10:35:29 AM
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ideas locker: Petrea McCarthy
Anchoring and the cheese-cutter effect
A modern anchor should set level and then bury.
Rigger’s tip If you are planning to fit climbing steps to your mast, ensure there is a pair of them at the top. Standing on one leg to work at the masthead for any length of time is an unnecessary endurance test for the leg muscles. Unless you and any other potential climbers are very tall, half a metre spacing between steps is plenty. You may find you can climb steps spaced further apart, but as you ascend they seem further and further apart. That is, your legs get tired pretty quickly!
Have two steps anywhere you will need to stand – these ones allow access to the main halyard shackle.
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October 2015
An over-sized anchor and chain helps to ensure your boat does not drag anchor, right? Not necessarily, according to anchor guru Jonathon Neeves. Here is what he says about the cheese-wire effect. “An effective and well-set anchor, viewed through clear water, can’t be seen. It should dive completely into the sand – fluke, shank (roll bar, if it has one) – the lot. If your anchor does not disappear, or nearly so, then the seabed is hard, the anchor is too big or you do not power set. A well-buried anchor is much more likely to stay set during wind shifts, a very desirable situation. “When a modern anchor sets, the toe of the fluke and the shackle end of the shank start to bury almost simultaneously. They bury at much the same rate, so the ‘top’ of the shank is the last part buried. “The only anchors not to set like this are sand anchors, like the Danforth or Fortress. They set the whole fluke first, then the shank and shackle. If you bury the shackle of a correctly sized Fortress you will need considerable patience to break it out! “The setting configuration of convex or concave anchors (not sand anchors) implies that to meet this attitude the anchor chain also needs to be buried. If you tied a small buoy to the shackle on a short line, you would be surprised how
much chain can be buried. Two metres is quite normal and four to six metres not unusual. “But back to cheese wire. Cutting cheese with cheese wire is relatively easy. Replace that thin wire with a four millimetre diameter wire and you are not going to cut cheese quickly, if at all. It is the same with your rode. “It needs to cut through the seabed, as the anchor pulls it down. Any big, chunky parts of the rode reduce the effectiveness of your anchor. Add a bit of weed and the anchor’s reluctance to diving multiplies. The anchor is not suddenly inadequate, but is simply unable to pull the chain, shackle and swivel down into the seabed. “Heavy chain and swivels are the main culprits. This is one reason it is difficult to bury a CQR, its shank has a large cross section, which is a real impediment to the anchor diving. Modern anchors have thin shanks, made of stronger steel to compensate, just to make the anchor more efficient. “In testing we found that replacing 12mm chain with a 5mm wire allowed an anchor to dive 25 per cent deeper. An extreme example, but it illustrates the point. Now think about that swivel. All swivels are big and chunky, much bigger than the chain. Do you really need it? “The following is not something we suggest is sensible but you can achieve a similar effect by removing the roll bar from a roll bar anchor. The experiment is actually not unreasonable. The US Navy did the same trials with the same sort of results. “Wire is not commonly used as a trace primarily because it has a finite life and the potential for failure is relatively high, basically because the uninformed would not change the wire regularly. Wire life would also depend on usage, which of course is outside the control of the anchor manufacturer. Wire is sometimes used as a rode but we have only seen it on government vessels. “Next time you buy chain, if it is a marginal decision you would be better, as a mechanism to engender better setting, with 8mm G40 than 10mm G30. But also consider the effectiveness of your swivel, as it will certainly reduce the ability of your anchor to dive.
ideas locker: Petrea McCarthy
Hose clamps – can you see the difference? Why do some charter companies ban the use of slotted hose clamps on their boats? It is not that they have no interest in keeping expenses down, but have learnt the hard way to use decent hose clamps. These photos show how the clamps with pressed ridges instead of a perforated band simply have more metal in contact with the hose. Clamps with a hex head, tightened with a small socket spanner, are easier to adjust than those with a simple screwdriver slot.
However, a guard round the slot does help prevent the screwdriver from slipping in those inevitable hardto-get-at spots. The Supa clamp types (the much wider clamps in the photos) are heavy duty, high contact items, used mainly for pressure hoses. When shopping for hose clamps take a magnet along to check they are actually entirely stainless steel. Some ‘stainless steel’ clamps have mild steel adjustment screws. Once the screw rusts, the clamp is useless.
A simple solution to a vexing vibration.
Wind generator rattle and hum: solved Irritated by a rattle from his wind generator that only occurred at certain wind speeds, John Thornley did some investigation. He found the metal threads in the stainless steel supporting struts were not quite a snug fit through the hole in the canopy fitting they attached to. He fixed the problem by applying a piece of heat shrink to the screw thread, which then fitted snugly through the hole. This solution so far has proved both cheap and effective.
Slotted hose clamp at top will tend to break, pressed one below may slip under tension but is not likely to let go. Supa clamp (bottom) exerts the most pressure.
Head of top clamp takes either a straight screwdriver or spanner, full hex bolt secures the Supa clamp. Lower clamp’s plastic guide helps when using a screwdriver and is removable to allow access for a spanner, ideally a ratchet socket spanner.
PICK OF THE MONTH
Tea box winner
DIDUNO
The term ‘oil on troubled waters’ comes directly from the seagoing practice of slowly dispensing oil from around the chainplate area when hove to. The oil slick thus formed would calm the seas to windward enough to ease the ship’s motion and prevent water from breaking aboard – in theory anyway. CONTRIBUTIONS WELCOME Ideas Locker is your forum to share tips that make cruising easier, safer, or more fun. Email Petrea@petreamccarthy.com or write to Cruising Helmsman at GPO Box 606, Sydney 2001. Photos should be clear close-ups of the item described – if electronic; jpgs of at least 250KB. For more cruisingKeep scrolling for exclusive iPad only images ideas check out Petrea’s Cruise Under Sail Facebook page.
WIN THE PERFECT CUPPA Tea to Jon Neeves - tireless investigator of all things anchorrelated, and frequent Cruising Helmsman contributor. Thanks once again to the Australian Madura Tea company for supplying one of theseTouch boxes. here to watch www.maduratea.com.au video
October 2015
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practical: food
Galley guide: Tips and tricks for cooking and eating onboard As with all cruising Heather Francis explains that simple planning ensures a good galley. When we first bought Kate seven years ago I found myself standing over our esky-sized Engel fridge wondering how we would ever manage to keep enough fresh food on board, let alone cold beer. I had sailing experience and professional cooking experience but never had to combine the two in such a small space. There was a mountain of good advice out there about how to kit out the galley and what constituted as boat food, but I could not imagine us eating out of dog bowls or regularly dining on instant noodles, canned asparagus and bully beef. The kind of food you like to eat is as personal as the kind of boat you own. Cooking is often a trial and error process. Whether you are a weekend warrior, a seasonal sailor or a full time live-aboard, here are a few ways I have found to make time in the galley more efficient and cooking and eating more enjoyable. Stay sharp My number one must have kitchen tool are good quality knives and the sailboat galley is no exception. 20
October 2015
You do not need to buy a full set; just two wellchosen knives will do almost any job. A high quality 8 to 10 inch chef’s knife and a good 4” to 6” paring knife are all you need for chopping carrots, slicing steak, peeling pineapple or filleting fish. Spend a little money on a good quality professional blade and treat it with respect; no using it on deck to cut rope or prying open paint cans! When taken care of and stored properly a good knife will last a life time. A great way to store knives on a boat is a magnetic knife strip. They are inexpensive and strong enough to hold several knives securely even in rough seas. Mounted on a bulkhead it will keep your blades sharp and away from crowded drawers where accidental cuts to fingers are just waiting to happen. Don’t forget to buy a hone and a sharpener that you are comfortable using. Keeping knives sharp will not only make them last longer it will make them easier to work with. A dull blade is more likely to cause a nasty cut. The right tools for the job It is true that a poor craftsman blames his tools but having the right tools for the job certainly makes things easier and less time consuming. A quick look through any kitchenware store and you will no doubt find more gadgets than
practical: food you can shake a wooden spoon at, but with space on board at a premium it is important to consider what tools you really need. Besides good knives I have two other galley gadgets I always have around: a microplane and a good veggie peeler. These two basic tools make short work out of meal preparation and the less time I have to spend beside a hot stove on a sunny day, or while underway, the better. Suggesting a peeler might sound silly but the number one recommendation when worried about the quality of fruit and vegetables is to peel it. Removing the skin will take with it any potential contamination from not so savoury storage ashore. Sure you can do this with a knife but peelers can also be used to create fun ribbon shapes with carrots, zucchini or cucumbers. You can jazz up a plain salad, get kids to eat their veggies or create ‘noodles’, a great alternative to wheat-based pasta. A microplane takes only seconds to finely grate things like ginger, garlic, coconut and nutmeg. You can use it to zest a lemon or grate a hard cheese such as parmesan or spruce up dessert with a little chocolate dust. Whatever you use it for it is a quick way to make a little go a long way and it is easy to clean. It is one of my favourite galley tools, and since it is not much bigger than a ruler, does not take up much drawer space. Put a lid on it Synonymous with the word ‘galley’ are the words ‘pressure cooker’. I admit that I bought ours because so many ‘how to’ books that I read when we first bought Kate recommended them. Even if you know very little about cooking they seem like a good idea on paper; makes tough cuts edible, cuts down cooking time, saves on gas and time standing over a hot stove. I use mine a lot, especially on passage, but one-pot-wonders can get pretty boring. The pots and pans that I use almost every day are my cast iron cookware. Cast iron can be heavy but its heat distribution and durability make it worth its weight. A well-seasoned cast iron frying pan can be used for a breakfast fry up or baking a cake on the stove top. Camp ovens are great for cooking bread either on board or over an open fire on the beach. To make your rail-mounted barbecue more efficient, or to eliminate hot spots, try putting a rectangular cast iron pan directly on the grill. With camping being a popular leisure activity these days you can find a wide range of cast iron pots and pans at affordable prices. But I still maintain that the best cast iron pans are ones that are well loved. So save some cash and check Op Shops and yard sales for that perfectly seasoned pot.
Just make sure, if you are buying used enamelled cast iron, that the cooking surface is free of chips and cracks. Spice things up When provisioning you want to stock things that are versatile, but that does not mean they have to be boring. Buying a few speciality items is an easy way to spice up your mealtime. A simple can of beans can not only make an appearance at dinner but be turned into a delicious dip for cocktail hour with the right ingredients. Smoked mussels and tins of octopus or squid are perfect for lunch time picnics on the beach. A bottle of chillies, a special jar of chutney or a can of olives can do a lot to brighten up a boring dish and boost morale. Herbs and spices are a perfect way to add big flavour to your cooking. By mixing and matching a few key flavours you can transport your taste buds to exotic locales without ever leaving your anchorage. Just by having a jar of each: dried basil, oregano and chillies and ground cumin, turmeric and ginger, you can make Italian, Mexican, Indian and Asian inspired meals. Spices can also be a great way to take a little of the places you visit away with you without taking up a lot of storage space. So explore local flavours and grocery stores. Keep in mind that the longer spices sit around, especially in hot climates, the less flavour they will impart to your cooking. Try to buy only what you will use in four to six months and keep them in airtight containers.
October 2015
MAIN: Homemade preserves ready to store. BELOW: Knives and hand tools stored on a strong magnet. BOTTOM: Our onboard range of cast iron cookware.
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practical: food
BELOW: Dinner doesn’t have to be boring, plastic dishes and reuseable table linens. BOTTOM: Bread cooked on the stove top in a cast iron camp oven.
Grow your own If you own a catamaran or larger monohull you might have room for a few potted plants. I have seen lush herb gardens, tomato vines and even small citrus trees flourishing on aft decks. The salty marine environment can be hard on most plants, so if you do a lot of blue water sailing a cockpit garden may not be an option. But that does not mean you need to forego the satisfying crunch of fresh veggies. Sprouting is an easy way to brighten up your sandwiches and add green to your salads. Growing sprouts does not require any fancy equipment; you can start with a regular glass jar and some seeds if you want to experiment. However, after several years of growing sprouts myself, I find that purpose-made sprouting trays produce a better crop. A $20 to $30 investment will buy a set up that will allow you to grow fresh, healthy greens all year round and will only take up a small amount of counter space. There are a wide variety of microgreens, grains and seeds available for sprouting. I prefer inexpensive green or puy lentils that are available at most grocery stores. They are quick growing, three to five days depending on weather, are hearty and require very little attention. I have also had fine results with radish seeds, mung beans and broccoli seeds. Sprouting is a great way to get kids involved in the galley too.
Putting them in charge of checking on and watering the sprouts each day will teach seed germination and photosynthesis while they literally watch their food grow! Get some culture Getting to know the locals is always a great idea but your diet can benefit from culture too. The live bacterial cultures found in foods such as yogurt and sauerkraut are essential to maintaining a healthy gut. Making yogurt on board is not only easy, it is inexpensive. There are a couple of ways to make yogurt: by using milk and some commercially made all natural yogurt as your starter; or buying a premixed formula that is combined with water. In both methods the mixture is heated and then kept at a steady warm temperature for several hours to let the bacteria activate and do its magic. There are fancy yogurt makers on the market but a large glass jar and a couple of thick towels are all you need to successfully make all natural, thick delicious yogurt in just a few hours. I have purchased Hansell and Easi-yo premixed yogurt packets all over the world. They are available in plain and flavoured varieties and are practically a no-fail method for making yogurt; just follow the simple directions on the packet. Using ready-made yogurt, either commercially-made or the last of your previous batch as your starter will also result in thick creamy yogurt. I have used fresh, powdered and even UHT milk with equally good results, allowing me to have fresh yogurt even while on a three week passage. Recently I starting using a freeze-dried culture, some of which are developed to work with soy milk and coconut cream for people with dairy intolerances. Yogurt makes a great breakfast on its own or mixed with muesli. It can be made into savoury dips for cruditĂŠs or sweetened with honey for dunking fruit slices. You can even make cheese by hanging yogurt wrapped in fine cheese cloth over a bowl for several hours. With the excess liquid removed you will be left with a thick, tangy spread that can be used in place of cream cheese or sour cream. Preserve the moment Nothing beats a homemade jar of jam, chutney or pickles. Making preserves is a labour of love, but not a very difficult one. Making preserves in a small sail boat galley sounds daunting, but it is a great way to use the glut of fresh, cheap produce available seasonally at local markets. A good recipe, very few ingredients and a couple of big pots (a perfect use for that pressure cooker you bought) it is quite simple.
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October 2015
practical: food
I have made tomato relish, mustard pickles, kumquat marmalades, mango chutney, passionfruit curd and even hot sauce all in the tiny galley of our Newport 41. Besides making jams and jellies, pressure canning is also an excellent way to preserve a variety of meats and fish for storage without refrigeration. Canning meat is a little more time consuming but provides another way to have a well-balanced diet far away from the conveniences ashore. Canning and preserving has gained popularity recently so there are a lot of online resources and several good cook books now available, many of which have modernised and simplified the process. There are even books dedicated to preserving in small batches, perfect for a small galley or a first timer. If you think making preserves is beyond your cooking skills there are still several things you can do to prolong various foods. Fresh ginger can be kept for months without refrigeration peeled, chopped and stored in a jar covered in vodka or rum. The alcohol will prevent spoilage as long as the ginger is fully submerged and will burn off when cooked. When the ginger is all used you will have a jar of lovely ginger flavoured spirits to make sundowner cocktails. Fresh basil can be chopped, covered with good quality oil and kept in the fridge. It will add bright, fragrant flavour to pasta sauces or tomato dishes for weeks. Drying and salting has been a stable of preserving foods on boats for hundreds of years. Gone are the days of hard tack and salt fish thank goodness, but you can still make
everything from fruit leather to biltong or jerky on board. Fruit and fish can be sliced and dried flat on a standard cooling rack in the sun (check out ‘Cruising the farm’ CH October 2013). Meat and things like chillies can be strung up and dried in a well ventilated, salt free area of the boat. By investing a little time in the galley now and then you can stretch both your budget and the seasons.
LEFT TO RIGHT: Yogurt making - yum!; Bit of seed, bit of sunshine and voila!; Ginger in vodka and basil in oil.
Cook outside the book There is nothing like a good hot meal at the end of hard day sailing. It not only fills the belly it feeds the soul. Cooking, especially on a boat, can be a scary endeavour. But unless you marina hop and eat out every night you are going to have to get in that galley. You do not have to put fancy four course dinners on the table, just good hearty food that people enjoy eating. If you are not comfortable in the galley I recommend getting yourself a good all-round cookbook and I mean a physical copy. Cooking can be messy and space in the galley limited; you do not want to spill something on your iPad or Kindle. Besides, opening a paper book does not require electricity. Do not get hung up on buying something galley specific, you want a book that will cover everything from veggie prep to cuts of meat to baking techniques. Cooking is a popular subject, a little time in your local book store and you should find a book that you like. Once you are comfortable with the basics, it is time to think outside the book. If you plan on doing more than coastal cruising you will
October 2015
23
practical: food Making mango chutney, too easy.
probably find yourself with too much of one ingredient or not enough of another. To get as much out of what you have on hand you have to be creative. Been given a whole stalk of bananas and do not know what to do with them? Bananas are an excellent stand-in for your typical starch at dinner. When green they are more savoury and can be cut in half and browned in a pan or sliced thin and fried like chips. Sautéed when slightly ripe they are a perfect accompaniment for chicken or pork. If you have a freezer you can peel and freeze ripe bananas. They are great to use in banana bread or make a healthy, icy-cold treat for the kids on a hot afternoon. Substitute green pawpaw for zucchini in a recipe, it will soak up any flavour you cook them with. Or, sliced in half and seeded, it can be stuffed as you would a capsicum. Once ripe, pawpaw can be mashed and added to cakes and muffins to cut down on fat. Breadfruit, the ubiquitous tropical treegrowing starchy fruit, can be used in place of potatoes in almost any recipe. It can be boiled, fried or baked whole in a fire on the beach. I have even made the Italian classic gnocchi with breadfruit and thought it was better than the original. 24
October 2015
Think green As yachties we get to experience the world in its most raw and beautiful natural state and it is our responsibility to try and keep it as pristine as possible. It is important to consider our impact to the environment and to make smart choices to help preserve the planet. Here are a few things you can do in the galley to help make your boat a little greener. Everything on a boat eventually goes overboard, so buy biodegradable dish soap and cleaning products when possible. Or use vinegar and baking soda, it will get rid of salt and stains without damaging surfaces or the environment. To cut down on garbage and save storage space use cloth napkins and micro-fibre cleaning cloths instead of disposable serviettes and paper towels. If you are grossed out by sharing linens, sew a small piece of coloured thread to each and assign everyone onboard a colour. To sanitise and remove stubborn grease stains, boil napkins in clean water with a squirt of dish soap every few months. Paper plates may seem like a quick and easy way to save on water and dishes, but very few brands are actually biodegradable. Never toss paper plates directly overboard. Instead buy durable plastic or melamine bowls and plates. No need to pay big prices just because they have a picture of an anchor on them, check your local hardware or two dollar store and brighten up your meals with a bit of colour. When provisioning try to buy products in packaging that is recyclable. Buying in bulk is not only a great way to save money but will also cut down on garbage. When back on board try to break down and discard any excess packaging so rubbish can be disposed of properly ashore. Wash and reuse plastic bags or ditch the Ziplocks totally and opt for airtight BPA free containers instead. Keep in mind that square containers are more space efficient. Choose reusable cloth bags instead of plastic bags when out shopping. There are several on the market that fold small and flat and are easy to keep tucked in a pocket of a backpack or purse for unexpected purchases. If you do bring home plastic bags reuse them as bin liners or recycle them instead of just tossing them in the trash. Heather Francis Heather is originally from Nova Scotia, Canada and has cooked professional on land and on private yachts. Now you’ll find her in the galley of Kate, the Newport 41’ she and her Aussie partner Steve are slowly Keep scrolling Touch here and to sailing around the world. For recipes, photos for exclusive to watch iPad only images follow their adventures log onto www.yachtkate.com video
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destination: Indian Ocean
Tales of the unexpected in Chagos Cruising community jumps to assist one stricken yacht in remote Indian Ocean.
MAIN: Idyllic Chagos harbour Ile Boddam.
When your boat goes up on a reef in a remote atoll the last thing you expect is your VHF call to be answered at four o’clock in the morning. Off Ile Boddam there is no beautiful soft sand to anchor in a sensible depth. That is the preserve of the shallows and shoreline. Part of the remote British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) and found 300 nautical miles south of the Maldives, this beautiful deserted island contains the ruins of a church, warehouse, prison and other buildings. All reminders of a small population forcibly evicted in the 60s by the British government of the time, to Mauritius and the Seychelles. The jungle has taken over with casuarinas and prolific palms swaying in the breeze. Here coconut crabs are king. The nearest habitation is over 100nm away at Diego Garcia, a prohibited area to all but the military. After two failed attempts at dropping the hook of our 48ft Wauquiez on a bedrock of coral when we dragged each time, we decided to pick up the last available mooring which had recently been used by another similar sized yacht in winds of up to 40 knots.
BELOW AND RIGHT: Love the coral ... hate the coral. The rudder’s leading edge. OPPOSITE PAGE: The salubrious Chagos Yacht Club.
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destination: Indian Ocean
The ropes attached to the buoy were not in good condition so we dived three metres below the surface and found a ship’s hawser at least four inches in diameter, through which we passed two of our substantial mooring lines. In turn the hawser was secured to a coral head (bommie) 12m down, too deep for free-diving. With the engine in reverse and revved to 2500rpm, equivalent to over 30 knots of wind, the mooring held. The weather was mixed for the next couple of days, one moment calm, the next squally with torrential rain and strong winds. Despite assurances from others and doing everything we could to ensure our safety, we were still concerned about the mooring, normally a ‘no-no’ for us in all but locations where we know they are reliable. A bad dream? Sleeping fitfully in our forward cabin because the wind had increased, we were suddenly aware of a change of boat movement: a sideways slide accompanied by a slight grinding. Fearing the worst we were up in a flash. Before the anchor alarm had had time to sound, we were
in the cockpit with the engine on in pouring rain. It was 0400 and blowing about 35 knots. Within moments we were on a coral reef. Initially we were able to move off, but did not know which way to turn to reach the safety of deeper water in the pitch black. The keel came to rest on coral, on a falling tide. We were helpless and no longer in control. A myriad of questions went through our minds. Could we and our floating home be saved? What further damage could occur? How could anything be done on this remote atoll? Would we finish up like the wrecked and abandoned catamaran on the other side of the atoll? How did we escape? Our immediate call for help on the VHF was answered by two yachts, then dinghies magically appeared out of the darkness. As dawn broke Cruiser One (see sidebar) calmly took control and secured us with two kedge anchors. We were surrounded by coral and there was no clear escape route. Our brains turned to treacle, but we were more than willing to pull ropes on command.
October 2015
ANONYMITY Due to the nature of the story, the author has requested anonymity for themselves, their rescuers and all the boats involved. I have verification from a trusted source that the event did occur.
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destination: Indian Ocean
The wonderful cruising community kicks in.
LESSONS LEARNED OR REINFORCED • try to anchor/moor with other yachts. Those idyllic, isolated spots are wonderful but be aware of the dangers of being alone • always leave the VHF on during the night in an anchorage such as this in case of emergency • even if using a mooring, leave the anchor light on at night, we did, to enable everyone to judge their own yacht’s position • make use of an anchor alarm on instruments or smartphone • always have wet weather gear handy, we did, whatever the climate and location. Five minutes standing in torrential tropical rain at night chills to the bone • never trust a mooring, always dive to check not only the integrity of the hardware but also whether there are any protrusions that could damage
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the mooring, given different wind angles and direction never attempt to carry out significant repairs to hull, rudder or keel without seeking advice from the manufacturer first make storage space available to keep a supply of GRP resin and material. Learn about different resins and its uses, also the different GRP layups. Do not forget about some old silk for that smooth finish, it just pulls off when the resin is dry have an angle grinder and sander on board, not just for this type of situation, they have so many uses ensure you have Sikaflex921 on board that is in date. Two tubes of this incredibly useful material were useless as they were solid. Epoxy putty that cures under water is also extremely useful for minor repairs.
The support team quickly grew to six, with dinghies, snorkel and dive gear. An initial visual underwater inspection showed that the rudder had several large gouges in it and the propeller shaft was bent at the taper for the propeller. It later emerged the P bracket was leaking slightly. Inserting rubber tyres taken from the ruined jetty and timber where the hull could have been exposed to the grinding of coral, saved the boat from further damage. At low water the angle of heel was about 40 degrees. High water was at 1400 and during the morning the yacht refloated in very shallow water. An underwater inspection of the reefs was made by Cruiser Two to plan a careful route out through numerous bommies. The weather was not good: rain, 15 to 20 knots of wind, overcast with no sunlight. It was difficult to detect the reefs and because the propeller shaft was damaged we could not use the engine. Using a system of four kedge anchors with two dinghies lashed alongside, port and starboard, for motive power, we slowly progressed through the bommies. We were warned it was unlikely we would reach safety without touching another reef.
destination: Indian Ocean Cruiser 1 tirelessly lifted and then strategically placed each anchor from a dinghy by hand, guided by the team in the water. The deck team pulled in and eased the ropes using the winches and anchor windlass. By 1600 we finally dropped the anchor in 12 metres on coral bedrock. This time it held. The sun was shining. We heaved a huge sigh of relief. Repairs in the middle of nowhere In the meantime, Cruiser Three, one of the group who just happens to be a naval architect, had arranged via email for a friend to visit Wauquiez in France to obtain plans of the rudder. He needed a calculation of the weight required on the bow to lift the stern high enough so that when the rudder was released, sea water would not ingress through the rudder tube. Back by email came detailed drawings of the aft section of the yacht: 800 kilograms ballast was required. The first step was to load our bow down with sea water from our deck wash poured into old fuel containers that were stored in the ‘yacht club’ ashore. Then all heavy items that could be moved from the stern were transferred to the bow. Toolkits and spares from the stern cabin quickly found a new home forward. The difference in balance was remarkable, the bow dropped by nine inches and the stern lifted by eight. With ropes controlling its descent, the rudder was successfully released from within the lazarette, lowered and supported by flotation bags and fenders and manoeuvred to a dinghy for towing ashore. Once there, Cruiser 3 took over organising a portable genset, angle grinders and sanders to cut away all the damaged GRP. After a good dousing with buckets of fresh water from the nearby well it was left to dry overnight. The next day, repairs began. Being a naval architect and having modified and improved his own catamaran, Cruiser 3 was expert in working with GRP and had stored copious quantities of resin and hardener plus the different types of layup material. He was also keen to teach all those who were interested. The rudder should have been filled with foam but, upon exposure, we found it was barely half full and shrivelled.
What we thought was a safe enough hawser to tie off.
October 2015
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destination: xxxxxxx
LEFT TO RIGHT: The Chagos Yacht Club boat works!; The rebuild underway with foam and coconut coir matting for strength; Good as new! So now for the Seychelles.
The Southampton boatyard that repaired it in 2008 did a poor job, weakening the whole structure. Cruisers 1, 2 and 3 found material from their own boats to use as stuffing, but there was still a shortfall. Necessity being the mother of invention, they had a brainwave. From the masses of coconuts lying around, copra was stripped, mixed with resin and inserted into the voids. Next day Cruiser 3 gave another masterclass, applying different layers of GRP to obtain maximum strength, finally covering it with silk for a smooth resin finish. The weather then turned against us with a tropical downpour and a constant 15 to 20 knots of wind. But nothing fazed Cruiser 3 and Cruiser 1. As if by magic, a very large plastic tarpaulin appeared from another boat, which was secured between the palm trees to provide more than adequate protection for work to continue. To us it was almost as if the whole exercise, from the stranding of our yacht to our escape and repair, had been staged for a TV program. We found it hard to believe that the expertise
and materials could exist on a deserted atoll in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Sanding back the excess resin around the repair, some additional cutting and minor repairs of the trailing edge of the rudder were the final steps. Once the resin had set, it was time for a coat of antifoul and a celebratory ‘pot luck’ barbecue on an open fire at the improvised ‘yacht club’. The following morning the rudder was strapped and slung between two dinghies for the return journey to our yacht. We now had a floating rudder so a significant weight of anchor chain was attached to sink it then manoeuvre it so the stock could be inserted into the rudder bearings and finally secured in place. All the weight up forward was removed and items restowed. Slowly we became shipshape again. Plans then began to take shape to manoeuvre us out of the atoll, enabling us to sail the 1,000nm to the Seychelles where complete repairs could take place. Whilst every yacht in the anchorage helped in some way and we are indebted to them for their support, our special thanks go to cruising
CHAGOS FORMALITIES All yachts must have a permit before sailing to Chagos. Salomon Atoll and Peros Banhos may be visited. The other islands are currently out of bounds, including Diego Garcia. Apply to the BIOT Administrator in London, UK: biotadmin@fco.gov.uk for a ‘Vessel mooring permit’. Documents you need supply: • ship’s papers • passport details of each crew member
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• yacht insurance certificate, including wreck removal clause (insurance must be in date for time of visit) • insurance certificate for medical evacuation in Chagos for all crew • proposed arrival date • fee of £200.00 (approx. AU$470.00) Once all criteria has been satisfied, the vessel mooring permit is granted for a 28 day stay. A provided pack includes: • guidance notes for visitors
• visitors and visiting vessels ordinance rules and regulations • a fishing log Chagos and the total BIOT area was declared a marine reserve in 2010. The reefs and coral gardens are stunning, as is the marine life. Snorkelling is permitted, scuba diving is not. Line fishing for one’s own consumption is allowed and catches vary from red snapper to small tuna. Coconut crabs must not be touched!
destination: Indian Ocean
WEST SYSTEM Six10™ is a pre-thickened, gap filling epoxy with a smooth nonsagging consistency that trowels easily perfect for filling voids and making fillets. Six10 adhesive is dispensed straight from the cartridge with a standard caulking gun and static mixer that let's you lay down a bead of thickened epoxy with point and shoot convenience.
All you need to do is Squeeze! couples 1 and 3. Without their help and expertise, the recovery would have had an entirely different outcome. We cannot stress strongly enough how overwhelmed we are by the unparalleled camaraderie, team spirit, generosity, friendship and thoughtfulness of our fellow yachties. This is a small part of the international cruising community coming together and showing itself off at its best. Not including us, there were six other boats in the ‘anchorage’, the closest roughly 200m and the furthest about 500m away. It is also a tribute to the high build standards of Wauquiez that the yacht remains structurally sound. Moving on to the Seychelles Using the engine with a bent propeller shaft was clearly impossible without severely damaging or breaking the P bracket and stuffing box. Therefore we were still totally reliant on outside help to get us safely out of the atoll when the time came for our downwind passage to the Seychelles. We and the other five boats waited for the right weather window to give us at least five days of steady winds. Departures were staggered so we sailed in company with another two yachts, yacht 1 and yacht 2, the others following on a few days later. Getting out of the atoll was unexpectedly straightforward. We left in good light, a dinghy strapped either side to provide propulsion and manoeuvrability once the anchor was up. We were soon sailing gently across the lagoon, avoiding coral heads and being guided out through the pass. Once outside we bade farewell to our escorts and set off on what was to be a fast and challenging 1,000 mile passage to Victoria in the Seychelles. Fast because it took just seven days and challenging because we encountered frequent squalls, wind shifts and uncomfortable seas. Reporting our progress and position twice daily on a scheduled frequency and time via the SSB was comforting. As was the weather forecasting advice we received by a cruiser who had access to the latest satellite pictures. Otherwise we were in regular VHF contact with the two yachts ahead of us. Anchoring in the quarantine area off Port Victoria, we felt safer than we had done in weeks.
October 2015
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my boat: Moody 425 Anchored in Kilada, Greece, where we bought HD and moved aboard.
Our Happy Dancer Its name belies its build, Dini Martinez explains why she loves her Moody. We secretly dreamt of the prestigious Nordic brands when we first sold up and left Sydney for Europe in search for a safe and comfortable blue water cruiser. Our hopes were set on our budget miraculously tripling or a Hallberg-Rassy being for sale for a bargain through unique and undefined circumstances. None of this happened. Instead, something better did. Encounter of destiny On our journey towards boat ownership we visited innumerable Mediterranean ports. One day in France, we had just viewed boat number 54, slight disheartenment had begun to creep in. Mould and rust infested vessels, which were incomparable to advertised online pictures, had been the norm. Disappointedly, we stepped off another discarded Amel Maramou when Pablo, by accident, sighted a ‘for sale’ sign on a sturdy looking centre cockpit. Luck had it that the broker we were dealing with was able to show us this Moody 425. That first one did not end up being ours. Her asking price and imminent teak deck replacement expanded well and truly beyond the boundaries of our AU$100,000 total budget. However, it narrowed our search down to one of the 116 Moody 425s built in Plymouth between August, 1988 and July, 1991. We knew this was our kind of boat. 32
October 2015
Several months later we purchased Happy Dancer in Greece. The Moody 425 Several other Moody models we had seen in Australia had not caught our fancy enough to put this well-established English ocean cruiser brand onto our lists. However, this product of Marine Projects did not only tick all our boxes: from centre cockpit for increased safety to easy single handling and comfortable living; it also added the notion of being able to have a spare cabin on board and a total of nine bunks, if needed. Prior to this encounter of destiny we had not dared dream that we would be able to offer any visitors the luxury of their own cabin, let alone an en-suite, within the 40 foot range. However, Bill Dixon Moody designer per excellence since 1981, has been using space so remarkably well that no square inch remains unexploited. The Moody 425 is a direct development of the Moody 422. The main difference is the en-suite heads to the aft cabin which can also be accessed from the galley; thus giving two accesses to the owner’s cabin. The other passageway is a walk-through including two bunk berths, which can be closed off to form a separate cabin. The galley to port, aft of the saloon, is adjacent to the main companionway.
my boat: Moody 425 Its L-shape, design and numerous safety features make it a safe and comfortable place to cook on two burner stoves with oven and grill, even in rough seas. The forepeak holds two berths. Its en-suite heads to starboard is also fully fitted out with a marine WC, washbasin and hot and cold shower. In-mast furling mainsail and furling headsail are standard and so is the skeg-hung rudder. There is a shoal and fin keel variation. Fuel tank capacity is 273 litres, whilst the two water-tanks combined hold just over 400 litres. The lengthened stepped transom incorporates our scuba gear lockers, in addition to an invaluable outdoor shower. S/Y Happy Dancer Built in 1989, Happy Dancer had gone through Italian and German hands following her first two English owners. All four of which are known to us. We know of her journey into the Med about a decade ago; about the unlived dreams of the Italian owners who now are living their cruising voyage precariously through our blog; and finally about the love story which made her latest owner jump boats onto his sailor lady’s cat. With us, Happy Dancer has continued to cruise the Greek islands, Italy, Turkey, Malta. She is currently being revamped, upgraded and pampered in preparation for an impending Atlantic crossing. The old lady looks well overall and upgrades are limited to adding a wind vane, refurbishing some hatches, renewing the standing rigging in line with insurance’s request for replacement every ten years or so and usual maintenance and servicing of engine, winches, windlass and the like. A small yet efficient 30l water-maker, solar panels, wind generator, auto pilot, VHF and
HF radios, radar and comfortably oversized dinghy had all been part of our original purchase inventory. Initial engine problems were mainly due to a wrongly fitted impeller. This had led to a worrying few days during our first weeks on board. In hindsight, however, it catapulted our engine knowledge and understanding from close to zero into the well and comfortable cruising range as we had to take the whole thing apart and put it back together again. One thing we had to promise the previous owner was to keep the engine’s name, Friedhelm. We took it even further and went on naming all machines on board, such as Clara the water-maker, Ebby the Eberspacher heater and Pepe the dinghy outboard. We also kept the name of the boat. Not because we absolutely loved it, but because we did not want to remove the mast just to replace the coin underneath. We did not have the guts to challenge this superstitious seafaring tradition.
LEFT: Forepeak aka playroom also serves as guest cabin with en-suite. BELOW: Friends on board for perfect day sail in light breeze, excellent sailing performance.
“We did not have the guts to challenge this superstitious seafaring tradition.”
October 2015
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my boat: Moody 425 We realised since, the name makes people laugh. Not sure why, but it does. It is a deviance from her original name, Blue Dancer. The second owner thought it to be too close to the blues, as revealed by thoroughly kept and updated log and maintenance books, emails, receipts and other kinds of priceless insights into her past.
HD long lined in the Ionian next to a befriended fellow Moody boat, London Lass.
The Moody Owner Association Another forte of owning a Moody is the Moody Owner’s Association which brings together almost 2000 Moody owners and half of all ‘Moodies’ ever built. Through a comprehensive and easily accessible online platform, members can exchange information and seek advice on anything from technical tips and tricks, detailed Moody plans and drawings, to destinations and Moody gatherings around the world.
When something breaks or needs upgrading, such experienced based assistance from other Moody owners, readily available at the click of a mouse, is an invaluable add-on. In summary, we have found our Moody to offer great value at an affordable price. It is not only a high end brand, but delivers extremely well in many aspects of boat ownership, including excellent sailing ability in both light winds and gales; comfortable cabin lay out; brand reputation and support; and stable resale value. Selling her is not in the cards for the moment, but having put substantial amounts of our savings into the boat, the latter further enhances our peace of mind. Dini Martinez Dini Martinez lives on her Moody 425 with her husband and two little boys. They left settled life in Sydney in July 2013 and are cruising the Med at the moment, slowly making their way back to Australia over the next few years. Updates on their journey and yoga retreats Dini teaches on the way can be found on SailingYogaFamily.com.
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October 2015
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CATAMARANS
what’s new Look out world Access to some of the world’s most desirable sailing destinations just got easier with the launch of Trinity Marine Group’s online yacht brokerage, Rent A Yacht Holidays (RYH). The Whitsundays-based brokerage is a venture into the global yacht charter space for parent company Trinity Marine Group and leverages off more than 30 years’ experience in the domestic bareboat market. Sales and marketing manager, Joscelyn O’Keefe, said RYH had sourced premium charter holidays and vessels in the world’s top sailing destinations through affiliations with experienced charter providers to open the sailing world to Australian travellers. “Chartering a vessel gives travellers the chance to see tropical or exotic locations from the water, experience the exhilaration of a sailing adventure or indulge in a lifestyle of islands, beaches, resorts or pure escape,” O’Keefe said. RYH now offers more than 50 vessels for charter in 18 renowned sailing destinations within the Mediterranean, Caribbean, North America, Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia and South Pacific regions, she said. “Each destination offers a vastly different experience: from tropical island escapes to wilderness sails. “For example, in the past five years Croatia has emerged as one of the world’s most sought-after sailing spots. It’s still a relatively unexplored part of Europe and offers ideal sailing conditions with a rich, cultural backdrop.
“While other travellers, coming to the Whitsundays, may desire a tropical island getaway and to snorkel or dive the Great Barrier Reef. Those sailing in Greece want to explore ancient wonders and visitors to Canada are seeking a sailing-wilderness experience. “We expect 80 per cent of our customers to be Australian sailors looking for an overseas sailing experience. More than likely, they will have sailed in the Whitsundays, considered the best sailing destination in Australia and will be seeking a new marine destination to explore. “The remaining 20% will be inbound visitors from the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, New Zealand and South Africa, looking to sail in the Whitsundays. “An advantage for Australians booking an overseas sailing holiday with RYH is that they can visit our website, choose their destination and preferred vessel, then speak with an experienced Australian consultant in their own time zone and pay in Australian dollars, saving time and money.” Ms O’Keefe said RYH was already actively seeking additional premium charter operators to partner in key destinations worldwide so it could further increase its holiday options. “We also want to offer more Australian day and overnight crewed charter holidays. We’re looking for opportunities with experiences
A link to survival
Small and easy to install but the AISLink will greatly enhance the safety of your boat when at sea.
www.mysailing.com.au
ACR Electronic announced a Class B automatic identification systems (AIS) for recreational and commercial boaters. The AISLink CB1 is a Class B transceiver that has been certified around the world to the latest AIS regulations. The manufacturer of marine safety electronics has now added AIS marine navigation transceivers to its product line. AIS utilises VHF digital transmissions to facilitate the passing of navigational data between any boaters who have an AIS transceiver installed on board, ultimately increasing Keep scrolling for exclusive navigational safety. iPad only images
such as whale watching in Moreton Bay and Hervey Bay, Queensland and sailing in Sydney Harbour, New South Wales. All 55 vessels offered by RYH are predominantly yachts with a selection of catamarans and motor cruisers as well. All are available for bareboat or crewed charter. “About 80% of vessels are no more than five years old and have luxury fittings and contemporary layouts. They include respected brands such as Jeanneau, Beneteau, Leopard, Seawind, Perry, Highland, Venturer and Conquest,” O’Keefe said.
The compact unit will send and receive wireless navigational data to and from nearby boats and vessels with data that includes the vessel’s name, position, course or speed over ground, heading and rate of turn. The easy to operate AISLink facilitates communication and navigational planning especially when boats or vessels are hidden or obstructed from radar’s reach. The AISLink CB1 is easy to install and interacts with navigation systems through its NMEA 0183 and 2000 interfaces. RRP: 1200.00 Touch here to watch www.acrartex.com video
October 2015
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what’s new Ferguson’s Marina reacts quickly after recent fire
MI A _ MA R I N A
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I NDUST RI ES
AS S N_ QP S
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October 2015
A recent fire at Middle Harbour Yacht Club prompted nearby marina operators to install fire protection solutions. The owners of Ferguson’s Marina, only 100 metres from MHYC, watched as the fire gutted part of an old timber boatshed. It was the prompt actions of neighbours smelling smoke and the quick arrival of the fire brigade that saved the rest of the building and the boats berthed at the marina. Ferguson’s Marina worked with MHYC to develop an understanding of the fire and the response process and realised they needed a solution for its fire alarms and early warning systems to fully protect the property and its occupiers. Martin Thompson of Ferguson’s Marina noted “we don’t have the benefit of close neighbours but we do have residents in each building. My family also lives in part of the marina building so I needed a first class early warning solution for the building and naturally, their protection is of paramount concern to me”. Ferguson’s Marina asked Fire Safe Australia and New Zealand for help to come up with a suitable cost effective solution. Fire Safe are an independently-owned fire protection company specialising in the installation, service - A D _and 1 _ maintenance . pdf P aofgfire e protection 1 6 / 0systems 2 / 1 5 and , 4 : 2 2 : 0 4 PM electrical compliance in over 6,500 customers’ sites across Australia and New Zealand. Fire Safe recommended that Ferguson’s Marina install Brooks’ linked fire detection system. Brooks has been designing systems for the electrical and fire engineering industries for over 40 years and was the first company to introduce wireless smoke alarm interconnection in Australia and New Zealand. The safety benefits of alarm interconnection are obvious; in the event of one alarm detecting a fire, all interconnected alarms will go into alarm mode, sounding throughout the property. All the alarms in a building become activated simultaneously. Wireless interconnection enables smoke alarms to be connected to each other without the need for cabling between the alarms. Instead, a radio frequency (RF) signal is used to trigger all the alarms in the system. Wireless interconnection also makes it far simpler for owners, installers, specifiers and landlords to make changes to a system to help meet the changing needs of different tenants. One of the greatest attractions for Ferguson’s Marina to install Brooks’ wireless interconnect smoke alarms is that its building design includes a lot of areas where a regular smoke detector would not be heard when the building is unattended. Being able to radio link these alarms for a higher level of warning has significant safety benefits and early warning improvements. In addition to this, because they own the building next door, they can link the alarms in both buildings so that an alarm in one building can alert residents and tenants in both buildings at once, as well as those staying on their boats moored at the marina. Tap here Touch here the so pleased with the results obtained by Ferguson’s Marinafor is to find this Captain’s location installing wirelessly Deck connected alarms, they are installing the system at itsTouch other Touch here here marinas. to find this to watch www.firesafeanz.com.au location video
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what’s new
Get heard with Fugoo US company Fugoo has launched a range of stylish, durable and waterproof Bluetooth speakers in Australia. There are six styles to choose from but the ruggedness of the Fugoo Tough, as well as the Fugoo Sport, suits the cruising sailor best. Strong, waterproof, with a 40 hour battery life, its six speakers provide 360° sound wherever they are. Sundowners, party, beach, in the cockpit in the middle of the ocean, or even strap it to a backpack for those onshore adventures.
tweeters deliver clean highs, two mid/ sub drivers give midrange punch and two passive radiators help bring out a full, deep bass. Together, these six drivers deliver a clean 95 decibel sound pressure level, filling large rooms and outdoor areas with rich, immersive sound. To prove its durability it has been drop tested over two metres without failing. It measures 61x198x73 millimetres and still weighs just 643 grams. RRP: Fugoo Sport $299.95; Fugoo Tough $399.95.
Crafted from fibre-reinforced resin and solid aluminium, these speakers will probably last longer than you do. There are three accessories to make it easy to carry around: the bike mount for the pushpit or binnacle; the strap mount belts it to a mast or tree and the multi-mount provides a handle for clipping. Waterproof buttons let you hit play/pause, previous, next, volume up and down to control the music. For those more audio technical, the radio includes six drivers, two tweeters, two mid/woofers and two bass drivers. According to Fugoo the two
COPPERCOAT CLEAN BOTTOMS
Experienced cruisers with plenty of offshore sea miles, Suzanne Hills and Chris Cromey recently antifouled their 43-foot cruising yacht Whanake using Coppercoat. For an older boat like Whanake, decades of antifoul paint were removed to get back to the original primer, but it was well worth the effort as it exposed all the imperfections, dings, damage and problems, presenting an opportunity to repair everything properly and get the underwater hull sections perfectly fair again. “We have been full-time cruising sailors for the past six years and have antifouled every 18 to 24 months by slapping on another two or three coats of traditional antifoul over the existing coats. That’s because we usually had to work while drying against a wall in a tidal area and could not remove old antifoul. This makes traditional antifoul even less effective, since much of the active ingredient gets absorbed into the hull by the old chalky antifoul. Coppercoat was a pleasure to work with compared with nasty traditional antifoul. Plenty of interested boaties around the yard were curious about it, as many had never heard of it” Coppercoat – available now for over 25 years – has been proven to perform 10+ years from a single application. It is the original and it works! Talk to David and the team at ABS Technologies for their personal experience with this great product Keep scrolling for exclusive iPad only images Touch here to find this location
For an information e-mail: enquiries@marine.abs-technologies.com.au Touch here To speak with David: 08 8398 5560 to watch video For background: www.marine.abs-technologies.com.au
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October 2015 C13285 ABS QP Ad.indd 1
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what’s new Osprey helps to keep the gear dry Anyone who travels regularly knows that it is the small extras that really make for smooth sailing. Osprey’s light and water resistant range of carrying accessories is designed to add comfort and practicality to an adventure. The Osprey Daylite backpack is a simple backpack for day trips. At 13 litres the Daylite is the perfect size for transporting essentials in a light but strong pack. The Daylite can attach to all AddOn-compatible Osprey packs and is available in a range of colours. The Osprey range of Ultralight dry sacks come in five sizes and four colours ranging from three litres to 30ls and are constructed from waterproof
40D nylon ripstop. Rectangular in shape they are stiff enough to stand alone making it easy to toss the wet clothing inside. Two of our favourites include the Osprey Ultralight camera case range, which is available in four sizes designed to secure anything from a mobile phone through to a large DSLR camera. Nylon ripstop outer guarantees a secure environment. The Osprey waterproof map carrier is a rollout map carrier that is watertight and compact enough to take anywhere you want to go. While not suitable for full-size nautical charts it is perfect for mud maps, hiking maps and even large tablet devices up to 36 centimetre square. When finished it rolls up neatly and stows away out of sight. • Daylite backpack RRP: $69.95. • Ultralight dry sack range RRP: $15.95 to $29.95. • Ultralight camera case range RRP: $24.95 to $47.95. • Osprey waterproof map carrier RRP: $29.95.
Be Natural launches watertight snack range Be Natural has introduced a healthy snack range in both sweet and savoury that come in small sized water tight packages perfect for on the water provisioning. The range includes: Moroccan spice dry roasted chickpeas, Thai sweet chilli dry roasted fava beans, dark chocolate berry blend Mini Bites and dark chocolate sultanas, dates, almonds and peanuts Mini Bites. These individually wrapped and portioncontrolled snacks in the Be Natural range are perfect for sailors on the go. Be Natural Moroccan spice dry roasted chickpeas and Thai sweet chilli dry roasted fava beans are gluten-free, nut-free snacks with no artificial flavours, colours or preservatives. Both are rated the maximum five out of five health stars under the new health star rating system. Grown in dry areas of southern Queensland and requiring no nitrogen application, they are good for the environment. The chickpeas are puffed in hot air and tossed in sunflower oil with a tasty Moroccan seasoning blend. The fava
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October 2015
beans are dry roasted with a Thai sweet chilli seasoning mixed with spices to add an exotic twist to a savoury snack moment. On the sweet side the Be Natural dark chocolate berry blend Mini Bites and dark chocolate sultanas, dates, almonds and peanuts Mini Bites are great options. The berry blend boasts dark chocolate, sweet tangy cranberries, strawberries, currants and five whole grains. The whole grains are a combination of oats, rye, wheat, barley and triticale. For those after a nuttier snack, the other option is made of dark chocolate, whole grains and an assortment of sultanas, dates, almonds and peanuts. No artificial colours, flavours or preservatives are used in Be Natural Mini Bites. They are just 60 calories per portion and are rated four health stars. Caitlin Reid, an accredited practising dietitian, said that this is a timely launch of a healthy snacking alternative. “With potato chips being Australia’s number one snack choice, the Be Natural alternatives are lower in kilojoules and fat, yet still taste
delicious and are also a source of fibre, allowing us to enjoy a bit of indulgence that is better for us.” The savoury snacks are available in Woolworths and independent grocers at a recommended retail price of $4.99 per box. Each box contains five 22 gram airtight snack bags. The Mini Bites are available in Coles and Woolworths and independent grocers at a recommended retail price of $4.99 per box. Each box contains eight 15g bars.
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boat review: Bavaria
This has to rank as one of the biggest cockpits I have encountered.
Cruise of a
lifetime
Phillip Ross found one retired couple realising they can still take adventures without compromising. Unsure if it is my imagination but there appears to be a schism appearing in the new boat market. Increasingly, boats are appearing under the 40 foot size and over 55 foot. I wonder if this is true or is it just me? Certainly I have been doing a lot of testing lately of boats over the fifty foot range and the latest offering from Bavaria, the Cruiser 51, is aimed squarely at the Cruising Helmsman readership. Given most cruising yachts are populated by husband/wife teams, how can it be they seriously contemplate buying a large craft such as a 51 and head offshore? The answer is: electronics. Bow and stern thrusters, electric winches, self-tacking sails; the list goes on. Older couples can go short handed with a little planning and preparation with enough room for a comfortable lifestyle and the ability
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October 2015
to invite friends to enjoy the comfort as well. One intrepid yachtie has decided to make a statement with his planned cruise and raise funds for charity while sailing around Australia in a Cruiser 51. Perfect example Back in 2012, an Australian, mourning the loss of his wife to breast cancer, resolved to make something positive from his pain. Jacques Stap took a motorbike and rode around Australia raising money and awareness for the Breast Cancer Network Australia. “People are so hospitable and welcoming, right around Australia,” Stap says. The 2012 trip was life-affirming for Stap that now, three years later, he is keen to do it again. But this time by boat. Now with new partner Leanne, he wants to use the opportunity in retirement to
circumnavigate the continent raising money for various charities and helping those communities in need. Both Jacques and Leanne are registered nurses. “In a year and a half we want to retire and sail around,” he says. “I am a member of the Shag Islet Cruising Yacht Club so one of the charities I am hoping to promote and raise money for is prostate cancer.” Once this decision was made it was time to look at what type of boat to buy. The pair settled on Bavaria as their yacht of choice and began to trial the range available from Ensign Yacht Brokers, “we were looking at the Vision 42 first, but after sailing the 51 it was incredible,”said Stap. “It has such a presence on the water.” The decision became easier when they started to plan what they would need on the boat to take it all the way around the country.
boat review: Bavaria Looking an absolute gun in this photo. It gives a good indication of the smooth lines preferred by Farr Design for Bavaria. Note that it is easily handled by the two on board.
Since there will be only two of them, Jacques has opted also for the Bavaria bow and stern thrusters to assist in manoeuvring. He also requested a watermaker be added. Keeping cool in tropical waters, was also a concern, especially in such a big boat. Once they added air conditioning to the options then the power drain instigated the inclusion of a gen set with solar panel backup as well. With all those added requirements Jacques and Leanne knew they needed the bigger boat to handle it. They are happy with their choice. “We were sailing outside Sydney Heads in just ten to fifteen knots, very enjoyable,” Stap recounts. “When we went back through the Heads we got hit with 25 to 30 knots. She just kept tracking nicely under control, steady as she goes!” “As a larger yacht I thought it would be more difficult to sail but I was wrong.”
LEFT: Spacious saloon with plenty of seating in the adjustable and resizable table. BELOW: Two-seater navigation station facing forward, just aft of the galley.
IMAGES COURTESY ZOOTY PHOTOGRAPHY.
October 2015
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boat review: Bavaria
BAVARIA CRUISER 51 SPECIFICATIONS Length (m)
15.59
LWL (m)
13.86
Beam (m)
4.67
Draft (m)
2.25
Displacement (kg)
14100
Ballast (kg)
4600
Mast height from waterline (m) 22.35 E (m)
6.17
Sail Area (m2)
131
Sail area:Displacement (sq ft:cub ft)
22.82
Displacement:Length (tons:LWL)
149
Ballast ratio
0.33
Theoretical hull speed (knots)
9
Beam to length (ratio)
3.34
Headroom at mast (m)
2.1
Headroom at main berth base (m)
1.9
Base boat price:
$499,000
SUITABILITY WEEKENDER COASTAL SHORT HAUL COASTAL LONG HAUL OFFSHORE OCEAN PASSAGE 0
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Not so perfect day Boat test day was another typical Pittwater winter. Sun pushed through low lying cloud but the wind refused to turn up. We could only test in the conditions afforded to us. But given the constraints we still managed to get some photos and have a good poke around. Very light winds made proper testing difficult but with a Farr designed hull and twin rudders it is safe to assume this baby will slip through the miles very graciously. Although it is a big-bellied cruising yacht (it is even designated the title ‘Cruiser’ by Bavaria just to ensure you are aware of its purpose) its displacement to length ratio and sail area to displacement ratio belies a bit of an ocean racing thoroughbred. It is the heaviest 50 footer I have tested but it counters this with the largest sail area. Once you get this baby moving it will carry. Hopefully enough to stave off having to use the engine. In keeping with Farr Design thinking this hull does not have the hard chine seen on most European designs nowadays. There is a nice rounded bow section sloping down to a laterally-wide keel that, while shorter than other 50 footers tested, has a bulb that provides a ballast ratio over 30 per cent. The aft sections rise quite sharply but are, again, well rounded for smooth upwind tracking and a nice roll downwind. The transom ratio to beam max is about 86 per cent, this is one of the
lower numbers for boats this size that I have tested, yet it is one of the beamiest in its class. As you would expect, down below on a 51 footer is expansive, so too is the cockpit. So big there is even full bench seating behind the twin wheels without encroaching on the skipper’s space. A gentle sloping cabin aft bulkhead gives a nice resting place. Such is the length of the cockpit when someone is stretched out there is still room for people to sit. The side-drop cockpit table allows easy access between companionway and stern section. The steering stations are well outboard but not too far to squeeze the helmsperson outboard. Winches are well positioned along with the electronic buttons for tacking. The rig is 6/7ths, this leaves enough room at the masthead to keep any spinnaker from tangling with the headstay. Spreaders are swept, but the chainplates are just inboard of the rail. Meanwhile down below Seating for seven around the saloon table which can fold out to accommodate full dinner or fold-away for cocktail and cruising time. It dominates the cabin but does not encroach on movement. Galley is a long U-configuration to port, giving easy access to the saloon and walk through to the forecabins. Plenty of storage space and access to the top and side of the refrigeration unit. The navigation station is aft of the galley facing forward, this allows the
boat review: Bavaria table to provide more bench space for the galley. The nav seat comfortably fits two. While I like this double usage of the table it sits overlapping the galley bench with a nuisance unreachable gap underneath that will be a haven for crumbs and all manner of usual galley detritus. I do like a nav station facing forward however. While the main cabin area is large enough it does appear to be quite small when compared to other boats this size. This may be due to the bulkhead forward of the mast that leads to the two forecabins. The main berth cabin is huge with the ability to walk alongside the queen size raised bed. The suite includes an en-suite private head (a separate shower cubicle is to port in the three-berth version), a walkin closet to starboard and a separate desk. To port aft of that is the fourth cabin that consists of a top and bottom bunk for singles, children or crew. The three cabin version does not include the bunk cabin and this must make the main cabin even more massive!
The starboard side head has plenty of room for both the shower and the toilet, both with good elbow room. While our review boat has the four cabin layout: three queen-sized doubles plus the bunk cabin, there are three interior versions: three, four and five cabins. The way they fit five cabins into the interior layout is an optional Bavaria design feature they term the ‘Flexschott system’. This system transforms the owner’s forepeak cabin from the single owners bed into a two cabin version. This appears to be a trend in latest designs. The fact they can convert one cabin into two double berth cabins gives you an impression of just how big is the single forepeak cabin. There are three heads for every interior layout version. The two quarter cabins aft use the two heads forward, alongside the companionway. The starboard one includes the shower. As would be expected there is lots of locker space in the cabins.
I was surprised, however, that there was not more hanging space for such a large yacht. Plenty of room in the heads with access to all seacocks. Through-hull fittings are high grade plastic. The engine is a 55 kilowatt Volvo that is more than adequate. As you would expect in a boat this size, batteries and engine access is excellent as well as plenty of space for extra batteries, generator or a watermaker. Yes, big boats are big. A daunting prospect for short handed sailing. But, as Jacques and Leanne discovered, if you want to tackle those out of the way places and you are no longer the young, fit, resilient youths of yesteryear, then an optimised large yacht is an excellent option. The Cruiser 51 not only gives the size and capability it is also set up to take these two on a most excellent adventure. OPPOSITE PAGE: Nicely rounded aft sections would give a nice roll in a seaway and maybe reduced stern slap when at anchor.
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October 2015
14/10/14 5:0043 PM
reflections: Queensland
A Moreton Bay
childhood It seems like simpler times way back when and Petrea McCarthy tugs at the fondest of memories. They did not have old boats when I was young. There are more old gaffers now than there were then. There were not any marinas either, people used swing moorings or anchored out. Shore power? What would that be for? Shower? You just had a swim, didn’t you? Holding tanks? Toilets were straight through, quite literally. You sat on what amounted to a giant funnel and assisted gravity with a flush of seawater from a bilge pump. We went down the bay most weekends and all school holidays. At first from our base on the Brisbane River and later from the moorings of Rudy Maas at Woongoolba. At the river mouth we would slip into the Boat Passage for the night, there was no bridge over it then, ready for an early morning crossing of the bay. Later, from Maas, we habitually crept through the shallow channels of the southern bay using our Big Jim Eveready torch to spot the unlit beacons on our way. Morning light would confirm we were snug at anchor in a favourite spot along South Stradbroke.
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October 2015
reflections: Queensland
Winter on the bay, Petrea in 1967 near the Boat Passage.
Joshua Peter Bell’s ‘Moreton Bay and how to fathom it’ was our bible. It was the first cruising guide we knew, far pre-dating Lucas’s ‘Cruising the Coral Coast’. We navigated by sight or on a BP roadmap, with only a key ring compass, but we always knew where we were. Santa knew too and always found us, without the aid of the GPS, today’s kids think he needs. We used to row our dinghy and still do, although we once had a Seagull outboard for a short time. I remember Mum circling the boat until it ran out of fuel because she did not know how to turn it off. It disappeared from our life after that. We had never heard of PFDs and our Mae West lifejackets were far too cumbersome to actually wear. Even if it had occurred to us to use them in the dinghy. The dinghy was wooden, as was the mother ship. It was towed, being too heavy to haul on board. Although this practice caused a great deal of anxiety in heavy weather, it was considered a normal part of boating. To start the engine you had to be strong enough to swing the flywheel of the old Palmer engine, definitely a man’s job. On this motor and the Lister diesel that followed it, decompression levers were raised to assist the starting procedure and it was the kids’ job to close them in succession when she fired. Kids were also entrusted to attend to the regular lubrication of various points on each engine. This was apparently essential to keep them ticking over happily.
Curigee, South St
radbroke Island,
was a family favo ur
ite.
At night we listened to the wireless for the news and weather report, just like we did at home. Almost no one had TV on board. Those who did had to manipulate cumbersome antennas and anchor fore-and-aft to stay in one place to maintain their grainy black and white picture. Lighting was via Tilley lanterns, kerosenefuelled lamps preheated with methylated spirits and pressurised with a hand pump. You had to take care handling them so as not to break the delicate mantle, but they were efficient producers of light and heat. The Primus stove Mum cooked on operated on the same principle.
“Our boat was primitive by today’s standards and we really did not voyage far. But to us she represented freedom and family time.” Early on we also had a kerosene fridge, which required endless attention but did keep the food cold quite well when it was working. Later we had a big icebox which held several blocks of proper ice, not the party ice we scorned. When the ice ran out it was an excuse to go in for supplies. Perhaps once a year we kids would score a chocolate éclair, Havaheart ice cream or maybe a drink of Tristram’s sarsaparilla, Grandpa’s favourite. The frequent store-bought treats of today were unknown to us then. Nana insisted we always have the anchor down by four, a sensible practice still followed by her son, now in his eighties.
October 2015
MAIN: Tippler’s Passage, Christmas ’69, Petrea on bow (right).
45
reflections: Queensland each morning with the attendant flock of seagulls. Back then not many used Southport Bar because it was too dangerous. Those men could handle a boat. They routinely backed their single-screw trawlers straight into the fixed pens. Bow thrusters were unheard of and unnecessary. The dunes of South Stradbroke were high then, before the sand miners came. We used Siblings hamming it up for their to hike over to the beach sister’s Box Brownie. ht. rig at a tre Pe e. for a surf, never in past pler’s Passag Coming to anchor, Tip our knees when Dad was looking, and to dig eugaries for bait. You stood in the wash at the edge of the surf The anchor light was a hurricane lantern in a and twisted your feet in the sand. Feel the yellow bucket. Sometimes it went out, but hardly eugarie shell, bend down to fish it out and keep anyone moved around at night. Those who did going for more. Great alternative to yabbies looked where they were going. If it remained for bait. alight all night there would be a layer of soot One evening Dad called me from the afterobscuring the flame long before daylight. This dinner rabble below to witness the full moon was cleaned by removing the glass and wiping rise over North Stradbroke. As we stood there with newspaper. companionably gazing at the golden orb, I Our depth-sounder was a length of bamboo wondered whether I was expected to comment. poked over the side. Later we had a real lead line, Unable to think of anything intelligent to say with leather markers on it. I remained silent, as I have for countless fullDusk and dawn saw us smeared with a generous moon risings since. The only proper way to layer of citronella, Rid or Aerogard, which observe the phenomenon. probably did nothing for our general health but Our boat was primitive by today’s standards did reduce the bites to a manageable level. and we really did not voyage far. But to us she I do not remember sand flies being a problem, represented freedom and family time. but our ineffectual attempts to keep mosquitoes Looking back from a great distance I can away at night with smoking, smelly and noxious see these formative years on the bay had an mozzie coils resulted in a permanent crop enormous effect on all four siblings. of scratched bites turning to itchy sores. My As the great English sailing writer JD parents hated the idea of using screens, at home Sleightholme once said “I look back upon these and afloat, although we at least had mosquito happenings wistfully, for although my sailing nets over our beds at home. was to become more sophisticated and I would The sunscreens of the day were no match for sail further at far greater cost, never would it be kids who spent all day in the sun, repeatedly in more fun.” and out of the water. Sunburn and blisters were a regular accompaniment to summer holidays. Pink or white zinc cream only warded off Petrea McCarthy cracked, sun burnt lips for a limited time after Petrea, the longtime editor of CHs Ideas which we used petroleum jelly to ease the pain. Locker, is rigger and former long-term We fished for our supper, using yabbies live-aboard cruising skipper. A coastal pumped at low tide. There was plenty of whiting cruiser at heart, Petrea has also sailed the then and we needed plenty because Dad used to SW Pacific and Tasman Sea. She has competed in all fillet every single bone out of them. major east coast ocean races and currently works as We watched the prawn trawlers heading out a freelance writer. over Jumpinpin Bar at sunset and returning 46
October 2015
practical: food
Getting
cheesy
Dairy products are difficult to find in SE Asia, so Kate Lyons details how they got their cheese fix. For those of us who live on a cruising yacht you can be away from shore for extended periods. You will probably have a small and restricted fridge and you may enjoy yogurt, but ensuring you can have a constant supply of yogurt is not always possible. To solve that problem without relying on running to the shops each week to pick up a new tub is easy and there are a number of options. While cruising with my partner Hugh on our Peterson 44 through Indonesia to Malaysia, it was an enlightening time for us to realise the scarcity of dairy products available at the ports we stopped at. Necessity is the mother of invention and creativity so why not try your hand at boat-made dairy products too!
A dairy deficiency We came and went from ports in Wakatobi and South Sulawesi, where words like milk refer purely to premixed flavoured milks or baby formula. Things were starting to look grim and my quartermastering skills were being challenged by Hugh’s insatiable desire for soft cheese. Our relationship was hanging by a thread. But two months after leaving Darwin we landed in the Indonesian port of Labuan Bajo, a veritable ‘promise land’. A town that had some well-settled German and Australian ex-pats and options for cheese! The choices were pale yellow Kraft, very processed cheddar or mozzarella. We were in no position to debate the merits of the Kraft cheese so into the basket it went, along with the only UHT milk in town. Yes, that is right, I bought the town out of milk by purchasing one pack of UHT. The Kraft cheese was interesting. It had been entitled ‘nuclear cheese’ by some German expats in Banda Neira, because no matter how used,
October 2015
Boat-made fetta (soft Danish style) with crackers, ready for serving.
47
practical: food BELOW: Yogurt ‘hanging’ in a peanut butter jar, separating the whey from the curds and creating a drier cheese. RIGHT: Tzatziki dip, fetta cheese and labneh form part of a great middle eastern style boat feast.
either grilled or in the oven, it did not change consistency and was impossible to burn. This cheese was a far cry from the variety and quality of those in Australia. We arrived on the island of Bali and a detour to Denpasar paid off when we found Camembert and Brie shining on the fridge shelf of the French market chain Carrefour. Hugh got up close to the halo of the cheeses in the fridge and reached in with his arm and slid the whole lot into the basket. At $10 a packet, this cheese was akin to gold and was the equivalent of the price for dinner for the two of us for three days, per packet! Cost aside, this restored some harmony to the boat. Onto Malaysia and, bless the British and its colonial legacy, cheese was available in various forms. Though our favourite was Australian or New Zealand cheddar imported by the pallet load. With gay abandon we topped up our dairy tanks and we could practically feel our bone density increasing. The gift of yogurt It was a chance encounter with our friends Glen and Julia aboard Honeymoon in Phuket that changed our boat life dramatically. They generously donated part of their yogurt culture to us. There was a one hour crash course, some words of good luck and a teary wave as
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October 2015
we sailed out of port with the ‘daughter’ of their yogurt culture aboard EJ. They had had this yogurt plant for some years and kept it alive with lots of love and daily tending, yes daily! They had named theirs Yasser (Arafat) after Glen had been reading a book about middleeastern politics at the time the culture came into their lives. Glen laughed as he retold a story about one time when they were at home and they drove four hours to see his mother, for what they thought would be a lunch date. It turned into a longer affair and he had to call up his mate to go and tend to Yasser so it did not die while they were away for a few days.
“With gay abandon we topped up our dairy tanks and we could feel our bone density increasing.” The call was filled with “what? The yogurt culture?” and “you want me to do what?” from his mate. From then on they took Yasser on holidays too, he was their new child and became very well travelled. The closest biological information to this culture I could find was of a regenerating kefir plant that lives off the lactose in reconstituted full cream milk powder. So we called our culture Zahwa, after Mr Arafat’s daughter. The daily tending requirement was quite a commitment, but this could be our lucky dairy break and a solution to our onboard dairy deficiency. We had a boat daughter, she was one of the family now. As time wore on, I got to know Zahwa. We would exchange ideas and she would tell me the best way to get a good yogurty outcome. Then came the revelation that if I strained the whey from the curds for longer, I could try my hand at cheese making. So I started to hang the cheese in a sealed jar in the fridge. Once a nice solid ball had developed, say five days of drying, it is ready to be put in brine like a soft Danish fetta, or into marinated oil like labneh for some seriously tasty soft cheese. We finally had a solution to dairy on demand on the boat and I had an ingrediant for delicious snacks: tzatziki, yogurt plus cucumber dip; toppings for Mexican wraps, yogurt plus lime makes a great faux sour cream; cheesecake with our yogurty Philadelphia cream; and yogurt for Indian Korma dishes. No yogurt-based dish was too strange for circulation on the boat menu. Next challenge is to make cheddar cheese, though I might need a bigger boat with a special cheese room for that!
practical: food Easy cheesy For those of you reading from your boats, you can replicate the cheese production, even without a live culture. You will need a yogurt maker with Greek yogurt starter powder or fresh Greek yogurt from the shops. Alternatively, you can start your own culture from your current Greek/natural yogurt, by adding two or three tablespoons of yogurt to reconstituted milk powder and leaving to develop at room temperature for a day or so. The more powder to water ratio will equate to thicker yogurt. Keep playing with the time on the counter and water/ powder proportions to work out the best consistency and flavour for you. Try making these delicious savoury Fetta and Labneh soft cheeses, both originating from the Middle East/Mediterranean. • Step 1: prepare a container that has some height, say a leftover peanut butter jar, lay a piece of muslin cloth over the top and fix it with an elastic band or string. • Step 2: place some, say three tablespoons, of the yogurt onto the muslin cloth. Your muslin will need to have a saggyness to it so that it can hold the yogurt. Place the lid to the jar back on. Place in the fridge in an upright position.Note: It is important to keep the lid on, otherwise the yogurt will absorb the smells and flavours of the fridge. • Step 3: after about two days open the jar and you should have a firmer product and some whey (yellowish coloured water) at the bottom of the jar. Place the yogurt in a bowl and tip the whey into the sink. Mix one teaspoon of salt into the yogurt mix and place back in the muslin cloth as in step 2. • Step 4 for Fetta: after another two days, open the jar and the yogurt mix should be firmer still and mimicking the shape of the cloth. It is now ready to go into a salt and water brine mix: 1 tablespoon salt to 1°C room temperature water. Ensure the cheese ball is completely submerged in the brine mix. The cheese product is ready to eat after about four days and will last up to two months in the fridge, if you can leave it there that long! • Step 4 for Labneh: after another two days, open the jar and the yogurt mix should be firmer still. It is now ready to go into a marinated oil mix: extra virgin olive oil, garlic, rosemary, capers, anything you want; putting the yogurt ball in a leftover sundried tomato marinade is a real winner on our boat. Ensure the oil covers the cheese ball to ensure its longevity. The Labneh will absorb the flavours of the marinade over time and will last over two months in the fridge.
Tip • Try drying in the fridge for longer at step 3 or adding more salt to the yogurt mix if the cheese product is too crumbly. Just because you are away from land for extended periods of time, does not mean that you cannot enjoy something that Australians hold near and dear to their hearts: a nice cheese platter. With these easy tips you will start developing a reputation for delicious cocktail hour snacks on your boat. Kate Lyons Kate and her partner Hugh live aboard Elizabeth Jane II, cruising through the Thai and Malaysian west coasts on a Keep scrolling Touch here two-year sabbatical from working life. for exclusive to watch iPad only imagesmore at www.meridianshoy.blogspot.com. Read video
October 2015
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49
practical: food
A moveable
feast
Gone are the days of hard tack, Jess LloydMostyn lists simple tips to get the most out of your galley.
50
October 2015
practical: food It was once a central theme of life on the sea that the food consumed was dull and miserable. Stories of ship’s biscuits, salted meat and grog floated down through the ages, transforming into its modern day counterparts of cans of sardines, one-pot meals and convenience foods. Since moving on board, choosing to live and sail full-time, we both agree that we have never eaten better in our lives, despite being two foodies from London. This surprises most people who assume that without regular access to standard weekly supermarket runs you need to have some sort of secret Jamie Oliver skills up your sleeve in order to live that way on a boat. However, food onboard has never been a chore for us to create and enjoy and we have learned a number of tricks to keep what we eat varied, interesting, sustainable, cheap and tasty. Entrees When I first started my sail training, my own ideas about food on a yacht were slightly tacky. The one or two week sail courses that I would attend used a system of each crew member taking it in turns to make the evening meal and the day would be filled with grazing on snack foods like crisps and granola bars. Every main meal would inevitably be something quick to throw together into one dish so our arrival at any new port would be combined with a rush to a local bar or café to get some decent food. What first opened my eyes to an alternative style of eating was when I went on two milebuilding sails to the Isles of Scilly in England and the Atlantic coast of France, with instructors who really valued eating well onboard as being fundamental to sailing properly. Our first real test with our own boat was provisioning for our first ocean crossing. The journey from the Canary Islands to St Lucia was to be our longest non-stop passage to date and there were four of us on board. Sitting down and planning how we wanted to stock up for the trip involved calculating things like how many pieces of fruit each person was
likely to want to eat during the day or snack on during nightwatch and multiplying this by four and then by the hypothetical maximum number of days that we might be at sea. Needless to say the local markets were rather astounded when we arrived with our shopping lists the length of streamers and started eyeing up apples and oranges by the crateful. Yet, that first ocean taught us so much about the healthy eating ideal at sea. Over the three-week passage none of us consumed anything highly-processed or packaged; we had abundant fresh fruit and vegetables, even upon arrival in the Caribbean; we learned how to make fresh bread; we indulged in other homemade baked goods, producing biscuits and cakes from scratch; we even started to catch our own fish and come up with different and inventive uses for it. By the time we arrived we all looked well and were grateful for having made such good nutritious choices; compared to friends on other boat crews who had simply stockpiled lots of convenience foods, chips, crisps and nibbles to sustain them. Even we were surprised by how easy it had been. We had also bought a whole horde of tinned fruits and vegetables “just in case”, which were never touched. Plus, during this particular crossing, we had issues with our refrigeration on board and had to turn it off altogether about halfway through. It is worth remembering that even the longest passages at sea are seldom likely to last more than four weeks, which is not actually all that great a challenge for keeping most foods, so long as you have some options for keeping things cool. So how did we do it? One of the first great techniques to acquire for organising fresh food onboard is how best to store it. This is as true and important for a three day crossing as it is for a month long ocean passage. We have found that string hammocks and other ways of hanging certain items really helps keep
October 2015
MAIN: Simple, nutritious and inexpensive. BELOW LEFT TO RIGHT: On watch snacks; String hammocks are best for storing fruits; Don’t be chicken and make chicken pie.
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practical: food OPPOSITE PAGE: Have your cake and eat it too. BELOW CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Bananas from Dominica are perfectly green to ripen on board; It doesn’t take much to eat with fresh ingredients during long journeys; One good catch can feed you for days.
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them aired, plus it is easy to visually check at a glance to see which ones are ripening fast and need eating first. Apples and oranges will last a lot longer than anything soft, so eat the papayas, nectarines and kiwis first. Some fruit and vegetable does well stacked in trays, crates or boxes. Maybe separated with newspaper or other things to cushion the soft flesh and stored in the coolest part of the boat that can house them. Again it is checking it all regularly that keeps these things long-lasting, making sure that one orange skin going mouldy does not affect the whole lot. Bunches of bananas hang quite naturally and beautifully from grab-rails but we always try to separate them out somewhat, to stop them all ripening at once. There are particularly savvy choices that you can make with vegetables that will last longer than others. Cabbages do particularly well; as do leeks, onions, potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, garlic and beetroot. Plus these have the added bonus that they are happy to be stored in darker places, so our saloon seating was stuffed with them. Although we still checked them with an almost religious fanaticism. Then there are the most robust and hardy ones of them all: the pumpkins, squashes and gourds; the coconuts and the limes which will see you through to the end of almost any voyage. Even carrots can last amazingly well if moved into a refrigerator to prolong their life.
October 2015
Another great trick is to carry a lot of dried fruit. It is great for snacking on and works really well as part of making a muesli or porridge breakfast more tasty; for baking breads or biscuits; or in cooking any kind of meat. A hearty stew or casserole is particularly gorgeous when you throw in some prunes, raisins or apricots. Before our Pacific crossing, which was 26 days in total, we borrowed a vacuum sealer from a friend on the dock and made packs up of a whole host of dried mango, papaya and figs among other things to help liven up our food choices on board. We had been warned about the high prices and low availability of certain foods in the South Pacific islands so we were keen to stock up as much as possible whilst in the far more inexpensive Mexico.
“For what it is worth, neither of us has ever once been ill from eating street food.” When combined with all the raw nuts and oats that we provisioned with as well, it meant that we could throw together a huge variety of different dishes. Vacuum sealing also worked well for things like cereal and coffee and we even had time to vacuum pack any meat in our fridge before leaving which helped to prolong its life. Tinned or canned fruit and veg has been something we were always cautioned by other sailors as imperative to have in stock for long offshore passages. But, in truth, we have used them very little and often given away any that have sat at the back of a cupboard for ages. The few exceptions to this have been occasionally throwing some canned peaches into our 12 volt blender to add to a smoothie and the convenience of good quality tinned mushrooms. Mushrooms are soft, fragile and do not last at all well, even dockside when you are in the tropics. So, a few cans of these can be great to use in pastas or risottos if they take your fancy. Canned green veg however, even for our longest stretches at sea, has never proven its value to us. Even in the hottest climates you can still get away with eating the fresh stuff, which is far better for you and has a much nicer flavour. Those with freezers on boats can carry frozen peas, carrots, spinach etc. with ease, so why anyone would settle for a tin of green peas and convince themselves that it is worth eating is beyond me. Yet beans, pulses, lentils and chickpeas are great in tins; providing a brilliant source of protein en-route and hugely reducing the cooking time and gas needed to cook up the dried ones.
We eat a lot of eggs on board and also use them a lot for making pancakes and in other baking. Taking proper care of eggs on a sailboat is another topic that is approached by some as a kind of special and mysterious dark art. Yet, so far, our adventures in keeping them fine for long voyages have been very straightforward. We try to buy them unrefrigerated and as fresh as possible. Once on the boat they are kept in just their normal cardboard containers or in a plastic one and kept somewhere cool, where they will feel minimal movement in even big seas. No smearing with Vaseline or other special treatment needed. Plastic containers do have a place if the location where you are doing your provisioning is likely to have slightly dodgy cardboard ones, which could easily be housing cockroach eggs. A good rule for eggs onboard when you are sailing for a number of weeks is to always crack each one into a bowl first before adding it to any other ingredients, to ensure that a bad one does not mess up what you are preparing. We both really enjoy eating good bread but planning our first ocean passage made us acutely aware of the lack of any mid-sea supermarkets. So we realised we would have to learn how to make it. Making your own bread at sea sounds like something only undertaken by the coolest, most accomplished and expert mariners. However, I can assure you that it is much easier than you might guess and is something that you do not have to be any kind of domestic goddess to do well, even I can do it. The trick is to have a few test runs while you are still dockside, in order to get familiar with the process. It is only flour, water, salt and yeast. Also, we tend to use the simplest bread recipe that we know and stick to it. There will always be instances when the dough does not rise or the timing doesn’t quite work to see the whole thing through, but do not despair. Half-made kneaded bread dough can be rolled out, turned into pizza bases or portions of it cooked in a hot frying pan without oil to become a delicious pan bread, rising to about an inch thick in minutes. If you can not be bothered to do any kneading or if the sea state changes on you and stops you from kneading, the same dough ingredients but minus the yeast and adding a bit of oil instead, can be simply rolled into balls, flattened and cooked quickly on a hot pan to make really lovely and versatile flatbreads or tortillas. These methods are quick and failsafe and we have found them invaluable for putting food on the table both mid-ocean and in any anchorage. Calmer seas can encourage you to branch out further into cakes, biscuits and brownies, which taste all the sweeter for having made them in such an unusual environment.
They can also help to punctuate the long days on the open water, to commemorate crossing the equator, the dateline or purely for celebrating a birthday or anniversary on board. Neither of us had attempted to fish before in our landlubber, preboat lives. But the thought of catching food for our table while living on board had a certain appeal and we were keen to experiment. Armed with a few shiny new hand reels and a simple fishing rod given to us by a friend, we tried our luck for the first time when crossing the Atlantic. We had a brightly-coloured and fun assortment of lures to choose from, ranging from pink toy squids to silver imitation flying fish. Much to our amazement we succeeded in landing and identifying our first mahi-mahi, also known as dorado and managed a quite nifty technique of reeling it in close to the boat, scooping it on board with a net and delivering a swift blow to its head with a winch handle.
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practical: food BELOW: Home made dough makes pizzas easy. RIGHT: Check out the local markets to see what they stock best.
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It was the most delicious fish and the four of us on board were eating it for two days. During the next two weeks at sea we caught two further mahi-mahi, each bigger than the last and significantly harder to land. The Atlantic also brought the added bonus of our first encounter with flying fish. These iridescent lovely little creatures literally fly onto your decks and get stranded meaning that for no effort whatsoever you can have fried fish for breakfast. There are times when catching fish is something that even we can carry out with total cool and aplomb. The most satisfying of these times are, undoubtedly when you have visitors on board. Catching something fresher than your landbased friends and family have ever tasted is the climax to the cocktails-on-deck-at-sunset pictureperfect cruising holiday experience that we all relish giving to our guests, even though the liveaboard reality is often a far cry from this scene. In Panama we got serious and invested in a small spear gun. Brilliant, we thought, you have a nice time on a snorkelling adventure and simply take the spear with you and then point and shoot at anything that looks tasty. It is actually quite tricky to even arm the spear underwater and then you have to adjust for everything looking magnified. So much so that you think you have caught something sizeable but it is revealed to be tiny when you resurface. So, far from being a smoothly choreographed procedure I should probably admit that we have only managed either in the presence of our visitors thanks to sheer dumb luck.
October 2015
The real snag to our all-or-nothing luck with fishing has to be that the lures we put out bear very little relation to the size of fish we eventually land. On the Pacific coast of Costa Rica we landed an eight kilogram mahi-mahi, which we ate for a week. That was with a really simple, three inch metal ‘spoon’ lure, which had only ever caught us much smaller fish before. But to gut and fillet so large a beast on the aft deck, while sliding around in a rolly sea, is quite a challenge. Fresh sashimi on day one became breadcrumbed fish and chips on day two and we ended the week with fish curry. We even fried the roe in butter and had it with toast for breakfast. But, without a freezer onboard, a fish that large was quite overwhelming for the two of us to consume and it took some time for us to attempt to put the lines out again. Joining the throng We really enjoy discovering what fills the shelves in the supermarkets in every new country we visit. It is a great way to get an angle on how people live. In some places there is often a clear connection with an umbrella of foreign power and the goods are largely exported from there, even if the distance may be thousands of miles. It can seem a rather jarring relationship, especially on a tiny island in the middle of nowhere. American luxuries dominate the stores of Cancun in Mexico and in Panama City; products from New Zealand and Australia are the staples in the Cook Islands and Tonga; French cheeses and pâtes are widespread across the East Caribbean and French Polynesia. But, these familiar brand names and labels come with a high price tag when they are made available so far from home. Truly local supermarkets and grocery stores are a more low-key affair, without the highrise shelves and towering boxes of the larger international conglomerates. Our shopping and provisioning experiences in countries like Cuba, Fiji, Guatemala and Domenica were poles apart from those models. Locals would swim out to our boat at anchor or motion to us from the bushes offering bags of lobster, limes and onions to trade or we would have a strange encounter simply negotiating to buy some eggs at a market, which would feel like a clandestine underground deal. One of the greatest joys of sailing and exploring so many different countries is the opportunity to eat both locally and seasonally. Plus, if you throw in the fact that you are likely to keep moving somewhat, you have the chance to experience an endless variety of different produce.
practical: food After we had sailed for nine months in the south Pacific we were thrilled to find items like broccoli and apples were cheap and readily available in New Zealand, as both were hugely overpriced and imported in all the island groups that we had been visiting en-route. We also arrived there at the start of strawberry season and witnessed the transition of the year at the famers’ markets through the cycle of blueberries, sweetcorn and passionfruit that accompanied the changes in climate. Local and seasonal eating is always more affordable than buying imported goods, particularly ones that tend to be highly packaged. Sure, home comforts are a nice touch of nostalgia but embracing the native, indigenous cuisine is one of the delights of travel. Especially if there is an associated cost saving involved. Do not get me wrong, we still ask our visitors to ferry out the odd pot of Marmite, Earl Grey tea bags or Bombay Sapphire gin as luxuries when they come to stay on the boat. However, we like to balance this out by introducing them to the home-grown fare of where we are sailing and serving up to them new vegetables like plantain, yukka, jicama, chayote and breadfruit. Or astonishing them with the sweetness and unusual appearance of local fruits like mangosteen, rambutan, jackfruit, starfruit, papaya, feijoa, soursop and sugar apples. Even items that seem quite recognisable to begin with, such as the French Polynesian pamplemousse, are capable of changing your expectations. This native variant is so much larger, juicier, more fragrant and sweeter than the grapefruits we had tasted in Europe or the Americas that to use the same word to describe the two would be almost an insult. Local fresh produce is also grown by the common man: in everyone’s gardens and fields. To combine going on a walk ashore with asking people about the fruits and vegetables growing on their own trees and shrubs will inevitably result in some gifting, trading and making friends.
By contrast, our own forays into dining offboard always tend towards the local street food, eating out in the same establishments as the folks who live there year-round. Some of our most memorable, enjoyable and scrumptious meals were had this way: from fried fish and barbequed corn in Morocco; freshly cooked blue-corn tortillas and ceviche in El Salvador; and spicy rotis in Fiji to cheap and delicious taco stands all across Mexico; pistachio, aniseed and cream cakes in Portugal; crispy fried chicken in the East Caribbean or steak frites in French Polynesia. For what it is worth, neither of us has ever once been ill from eating street food. So, that should be enough to start your mouth watering and get you planning your next voyage as all of these food experiences are a far cry from the hardtack, salt horse and beer of historical sailing lore. In fact, our exploits and adventures on the water have encouraged both of us to be much better cooks as a result. What is more, we are still eating better than we ever have in our lives.
Jess lloyd-Mostyn Downtime Jess and James left England in 2011 Like anyone else, the average live-aboard cruiser aboard Adamastor, a Crossbow 42, will undoubtedly have times where they simply intending to circumnavigate in a couple cannot be bothered to cook and it is here that the of years. After crossing the Atlantic economy of local food really comes into its own. and cruising the Caribbean they reached Panama, Upon our arrival in the Caribbean, the couple where they decided to take longer over the trip and that we had onboard to share the ocean crossing also to start a family. Daughter, Rocket, was born in with were keen to do a lot of eating off the boat. Mexico and logged her first sea miles on their Pacific They chose to eat out always at quite high-end crossing in 2014. They got married in Fiji and are restaurants, boasting international menus and currently in New Zealand where they just added to imported delicacies. their crew list with son, Indigo. Now, over four years, As a result they quite literally ate through 18,000 miles and 32 countries since they set off you their remaining budget and had to return to Keep scrolling Touch here can follow their progress at www.water-log.com. for exclusive to watch England sooner than planned. iPad only images video
October 2015
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Ta fo C D
cruising chef
Toeing the dip Dips are sundowner staples and James Gyore gives you three before tackling the lamb. Dips are a wonderful way to while away time in the cockpit admiring a new view while savouring the aromas of a dinner not quite ready but cooking away. The challenge however is that so many dip recipes require the use of a blender or other such device not practical or available to many cruising helmspeople. I have chosen three dips to share with you that do not require a blender but suit a variety of beers and wines amiably. Caramelised onion, sour cream and balsamic vinegar, then roasted pumpkin and cottage cheese and finally a raw beetroot and vanilla dip. A word of caution though. If you have chartered a yacht or have one of those stunning modern boats oozing beechwood surfaces and bleached cotton upholstery, you might consider axing the beetroot dip. It will only end in tears.
Those aromas I was referring to while enjoying your dips? Say hello to roasted and braised lamb. One prepared up top, in the barbecue, the other down below on the cook-top. While I am not fond of the pairing of lamb with mint, I have developed something along similar lines but a little more sophisticated. A crust of marjoram and liquorice! Sounds bizarre, I know, but marjoram has the sweet qualities of mint with a hint of citrus flavours. The liquorice adds a hint suggestive of basil. I am rather proud of this recipe and I think you will be adding it to your recipe favourites collection. Out comes the mortar and pestle to make a smooth puree of parsnip to go along with the lamb. If you do not have a mortar and pestle aboard, you really should consider getting one. All kinds
of recipes that call for a blender or some such device are do-able with a mortar and pestle. Best of all, no power required. Ordinarily I do not cook braised dishes aboard. They are just too fuel inefficient to be practical. I do have a pressure cooker aboard now, so braised dishes are now a less foolish option. I once squandered one and a half litres of cooking fuel just because I had a craving for braised lamb neck with soft polenta. Yummy but not smart. It is so bitterly cold here in Melbourne at the moment that I elected to cook a braised lamb shank on the cook-top using the conventional method for no good reason other than needing to warm the boat. An obscene use of fuel, but honestly, it was so cold that my fingers where blue and numb! Some of you will be working on your boats over the winter and might appreciate a hearty meal and warmth below decks. In the future I will return to this dish, but prepared in a pressure cooker. Onion dip Serves many • 2 large onions • 1 small tub sour cream (300ml) • 3Tbsp balsamic vinegar • pinch of salt to taste Peel, halve and finely slice the onion. Sautè the onion in a little oil until just beginning to colour. Add the vinegar and continue cooking on a very low heat, stirring often to prevent sticking, until the onion takes on a rich dark colour. Allow the caramelised onion to cool before combining with the sour cream. Drizzle a little balsamic vinegar over the top of the dip to finish.
Dips in a row, perfect sundowner starters.
Pumpkin dip Serves many • 1/4 small pumpkin • 1 tsp cumin • 1 tsp nutmeg • 1 small tub of cottage cheese • drizzle of honey 56
October 2015
Caption xxxxx xxxxxxxxx
RIGHT AND ABOVE: Rack ‘em up; Lamb shank to warm the soul.
Ingredient
Grams per Grams per teaspoon tablespoon
Liquorice root
2.00
8.62
Pepper
1.99
8.61
Salt
5.43
19.41
Peel and dice the pumpkin. Roast or pan fry the pumpkin in a little oil to achieve a golden colour. Set aside to cool before combining with all the other ingredients. Beetroot dip Serves many • 1 large beetroot • 1Tbsp vanilla paste • pinch of salt Peel the beetroot and then grate into a bowl. Add the vanilla paste and stir to combine. Chill if possible, before serving. Lamb rack Serves 2 • 1 rack of lamb • 4Tbsp marjoram • 3tsp ground liquorice root • pinch of salt Combine the marjoram, liquorice and salt. Moisten the lamb with a wet hand to allow the herb and spice mixture to
stick. Coat the lamb evenly and set aside in the fridge for an hour to two for the flavours to infuse. With a skillet on high heat, quickly sear and seal the lamb on all sides. Turn the heat down to medium (about 180°C) and close the lid of your BBQ. Roast for about 10 minutes for a medium-rare result. Parsnip puree: • 4 large parsnips • 60g brie cheese • Salt and white pepper to taste Peel and remove the core of the parsnips. Cover the parsnip in a pan with enough water to cover and simmer until soft. Drain (reserve some of the water), and grind to a paste with the cheese in a mortar and pestle while still hot. Season and add a little of the reserved water if necessary to form a smooth puree.
Braised lamb shank Serves 2 • 2 lamb shanks, frenched • 2 onions • 3 cloves garlic • 1/2 red wine • 2 bay leaves • 400g can crushed tomatoes • 400g can whole tomatoes • Salt and pepper to taste Peel, halve and slice the onion. Peel, crush, and coarsely chop the garlic. On a high heat, sear and seal the lamb. Remove and set aside. Reduce heat and sautè the onion until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a further few minutes. Add the wine and the bay leaves. Return the lamb and add the tomatoes. Simmer on a low heat until meat is near to falling off the bone (about three hours). Serve with mashed potato and a generous amount of the braise.
James Gyore James Gyore grew up with an affinity for water and water related recreational sports. He is currently building a Roberto Barros design, POP 25, in the front garden when time permits. He plans to produce a video and print media serial about the construction of his 7.5 metre yacht. Recently became an apprentice chef and plans to produce a regular video and print media cooking series at sea from the yacht as well as a video and print media serial of a circumnavigation of Australia following in the wake of Mathew Flinders in his 7.5 metre yacht. Has a passion for fine dining at sea.
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practical: food Remember the rest of the world eats! There is no need to over provision. Enjoy the fresh food at local markets.
Provisioning
unravelling the mystery Taking the plunge into provisioning is not a dark art as Cheryl Ainsworth explains. Having good food on passage is most important in order keep energy levels up as well as morale, especially in adverse weather. But it also adds another dimension to the enjoyment of being on the ocean waves. Provisioning is actually very straight forward, if not time consuming and laborious. It is just the thought of it that can be daunting. Although it is the single biggest aspect of cruising that I do not look forward to, the whole process does become rather painless once started. We are familiar with stocking up our cupboards at home, so why would a boat be any different? For those of you who have lived out on a farm or a station in more isolated parts of Australia, provisioning for a long passage will be a bit of a doddle. For those of you who pop down to the shop on a daily basis, you could practice at home by shopping once a month and seeing how you go. 58
October 2015
Aspects to consider There are many dimensions to provisioning: from what foods to buy, how much of each item to buy, how to store it, where to store it, how to keep track of stores on board, how to get the stores from the shops to the boat and where to buy what in a foreign country. There are also the associated concerns of having enough gas (propane) to cook with and how much waterline can you safely ‘sink’ before it affects the sailing and stability of your boat. Although this should be a concern for all of us, multihull people need to be a lot more aware of this as overloading has a more significant impact on the vessel. Listening to others for advice is always a good thing, but make sure you are all on the ‘same page’. Provisioning for nine months out in the Indian Ocean, we were advised to take all we needed as there was nowhere else to provision.
This might be true if you only eat specific brands and types of foods; however, half the fun for us in our cruising has been the local cuisine. Of course every country in the Indian Ocean we visited, like the Andaman Islands, Sri Lanka, Maldives and the Seychelles, provided many opportunities to provision. The one exception of course in the Indian Ocean is the isolated atoll of Chagos. One Australian yacht did arrive at Chagos asking where the local shops were! Do your homework before you leave! If you are sailing along the usual popular cruising routes, be aware of the impact so many yachts have on the local communities, sometimes there is only enough food for the locals. Never take more than you need, as opposed to what you might want. Every year well over 100 yachts depart the Americas to head out into the Pacific. The Marquesas Islands
practical: food are usually the first stop after the mammoth sail from either Galapagos or the Americas. Fresh food is limited, but there is enough for everyone. Taioha’e, Nuku Hiva, is the main provisioning port and we had to make a very early start at 0430 hours to get our provisions. We found more than enough fresh food in all of the islands in the Marquesas. In 2012, we heard rumours of fuel shortages resulting in panic buying. There was a short wait for some while supplies were replenished, but no-one missed out. Such places are well aware of the busy season and take measures to meet the increased demand, as servicing the yachts is a valuable income stream. Other countries like Vanuatu and some villages in Indonesia may have more of a limited choice of fruit and vegetables, but it is of no inconvenience to us to adjust our eating habits for a short period of time. It is a great challenge and a lot of fun finding new recipes and substituting ingredients in others to accommodate our supplies. We have found the best markets in the world outside of Australia. On departing the Galápagos Islands to undertake a three week passage to the Marquesas, our last port of call at Puerto Villamil, Isla Isabella, we were concerned about the lack of fresh food in the village. On asking around, a local gentleman took us and representatives from two
other yachts up into the hills to meet a market gardener. We walked around in his company, shopping for our fresh fruit and vegetables. Not only was it a wonderful experience, it was a good price. Everyone left happy as our local guide and the market gardener made some extra money and we were well stocked. The cost of food is also an important consideration for many of us out there; but we do have to marry this up with the cost of fuel. Is it a false economy to load the boat with provisions, only to overload the boat, sink the waterline and pay more for fuel motoring in calms? We motored significant distances in both the Indian and Pacific Oceans and got more savvy with provisioning as we went along. Our rule of thumb is: if it is cheaper than what we can buy at home, then it’s a good deal! There has also been much written about safety at sea and overloading boats. You will sail slower and therefore may not be able to out run storms plus your boat may not respond in heavy seas like she should. This is very much food for thought; excuse the pun. Attitudes towards food Being on board with others, including your partner, highlights interesting aspects of human behaviour with regards to provisioning. It is wonderful to have a ‘treats’ locker but how do you accommodate everyone’s eating habits?
After all, there is only so much chocolate you can take on a long passage. Chocolate keeps well stored below the waterline, by the way! Whilst I prefer to ration my treats, Peter prefers to eat what he wants then go without when supplies run dry. As you can imagine, that difference evoked some interesting discussions. As I do the stowing in the boat, I now hide our treats and ‘discover’ them when all others have run out. Having crew on board adds another dimension as you only really find out about your companions when you go to sea with them for a period of time. Boat owners have complained of their crew secretly eating their favourite stores. That is pretty tough when you are out in the middle of nowhere and you come off watch to eat something you have been thinking about for three hours. Especially if it has been a challenging watch. During a long ocean race one new crew member, whose bowl of dinner got saltwater in it when a wave washed over us, tipped the whole lot over the side and ask for another serving. He had not noticed the rest of us drain the water off and keep eating. Needless to say he was not happy with the response he got and went without dinner. Ocean life is a steep learning curve! What to buy? What stores to have on board is a personal choice.
Fishermen will generally be more than happy to sell to you direct. Our friend Bill from the yacht Time Out in the Maldives.
ABOVE: Ensure you have some provisions to make something for ‘pot luck’ gatherings. Here we are celebrating the rescue of a yacht during a storm the night before in Moorea, French Polynesia.
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practical: food
In the early days of passage making, the items Peter could not do without were chocolate, coffee, red wine, parmesan cheese, butter and sugar. We stocked up with items like shampoo, toothpaste and washing powder on our first departure from Darwin heading up to SE Asia, only to find the same items cheaper everywhere we went in Indonesia and SE Asia for half the price. One yacht we met in Langkawi arrived in the isolated atoll of Chagos with the whole floor of their 32 foot yacht three deep in cartons of beer. Another yacht departing Phuket for the Mediterranean via the Red Sea were concerned about being able to buy wine so they had a bladder installed in one water tank, purchased many cartons of their favourite wine and poured it into their tank so as to have it on tap! Apparently it kept well and cool as the tank was below the waterline. Including treats in your provisions is probably one of the most important inclusions for a variety of reasons. Along with your favourite items, having high energy bars or drinks, protein bars, instant puddings and the like can provide energy and comfort in the onset of bad weather. I shared a taxi to the supermarket in Panama with a French lady who sailed with her husband and four teenage children around the higher latitudes all the way down to Antarctica in their 32 foot yacht. I could not fathom how she provisioned for her family for months 60
October 2015
on passages and where she stored it all. She did say they ran out of propane in the southern ocean and had to make do with what they could for two weeks. She had lots of chocolate hidden away which she said was her saving grace in keeping the children happy. An alarm was set for 1600 hours each day when they would all get one square of chocolate! Amounts of specific stores you wish to carry can be worked out from any catering sources. Lin and Larry Pardy’s book ‘The care and feeding of the offshore crew’ (Penguin Books, Canada 1980) is a little outdated in some respects but it is an excellent starting point on all aspects of provisioning. Your own experience at home will lead you to sound conclusions. Some people have a vague idea of how much of a certain item they need, while some will plan a menu for X amount of people for up to six months. We tend to have the ‘suck it and see’ approach and hazard a guess and make do. Other yachts we have met do the full planning and ration drinks and snacks according to the daily menu with no deviation, including the amount of alcoholic drinks they can have at sundowners! As clearing out from a country often entails doing so at a major port, access to good provisioning sources is not a problem. All such places we have visited throughout SE Asia and the Americas have had well stocked supermarkets, including western
foods, which of course are more expensive. There are often similar local products which are cheaper and excellent substitutes. Keeping track of stores on board Storage of your provisions can be a bit of a challenge, not only finding places to put things but also remembering where you put them! You generally remember where you put things at home in the cupboards, so why should a boat be any different? However our memory is often a moveable feast so having a stores list and location in the boat can be helpful. A good reference on how to do this is a book by Dottie Haynes (‘Provisioning: bowsprit to transom’. Goldberry Publishing, Washington State, USA, 1994) which is a fabulous starting point. It is very thorough. A list of stores becomes really handy when you are close to running out, so you can adapt the daily menu. Technology has really changed the face of cruising where all the information we require is now at our fingertips. Learn how to use computer spreadsheets. We had a dedicated pantry in the saloon that we kept topped up from other storage areas around the boat. Both the Pardy book and Dottie Haynes’ book provide excellent tips for storing of fresh food to prolong life. Most commonly known is that onions and potatoes (and other root vegetables) do not play well together so keep them in separate locations.
practical: food LEFT TO RIGHT: Deb from Buena Vista relishing in her purchase - beautiful pamplemousse!; You may not be the only ones interested in the local fish market; One of the many delights in visiting another culture is their food. New Caledonian Boulangerie pastries and tarts were to die for; Locals may allow you to purchase some of their fruit. It does not come any fresher than this; We always carry spoons in our backpacks for when we find ice cream! Peter and our friend Di, enjoying a treat in the Maldives.
Herbs can be frozen in oil which maintains the flavour and does not dry it out. Fruits (remember tomatoes are a fruit) give off ethylene, which is a ripening agent, so keep it away from vegetables. Pack vegetables loosely in the fridge as the closer they are the quicker they will rot. Plastic baskets are excellent to use in the fridge for storage. Pickling foods like asparagus and capsicums is a fantastic way to add to your stores on long passages or long stays in isolated anchorages. Final tips on provisioning Plan to have some instant meals accessible in case of adverse weather to keep energy levels up. A thermos with a wide mouth is handy on board for slow cooking rice and having a hot readymade drink in the cockpit for night watch. As far as carrying alcohol on board, label bottles with boat name so that Customs officials do not want to take them to sell. We put our gin in water bottles in the fridge, carefully labelled of course so we did not get a surprise on taking a swig from the bottle! Some people like to precook and freeze some meals before departing on a passage. Although this saves time in the galley in case of sea sickness, it does leave you a little exposed if the refrigeration fails. We like to prepare our first two evening meals before departure as this gives us time to settle into a passage.
It stands to reason to shop at the local market rather than supermarkets, as they offer the freshest food that has not been refrigerated and hence lasts longer. Provisioning from a marina or at least a dinghy dock is easier than from the beach. Plan ahead and do make the whole process as easy as possible. It is a good idea to unpack any items that come in cardboard packing in the cockpit and remove it from the boat as this packing often holds cockroach eggs and other bugs. Good airtight plastic storage containers are great for dry supplies as they stop weevils from spreading. The worst weevil infection we had was from rice we purchased in Darwin. It amazed us that weevils can get through almost all plastic packaging, except for powdered milk. We spent our first passage taking the weevils out of the flour before baking bread. Other cruisers would pour milk over their cereal and wait for the weevils to float and then skim them off the top. Skim milk takes on a different meaning! It was our first and only weevil infestation in ten years. Cheese that you buy in sealed plastic packaging keeps well in the bilge for four months. Semi-matured cheese ripens beautifully. The oil leaks out from the cheese into the packaging, but all is required is to drain the oil and enjoy the cheese. Buy eggs fresh from the market Keep that scrolling exclusive have not been refrigerated and for they iPad only will images
last for two months. We stored ours in plastic egg cartons and turned them every other day. Store herbs in a ziplock bag in the fridge and use a straw to suck the air out before you seal the bag. Works a treat! Many places will cryovac meat for you which will then last well. Some yachts now have their own vacuum sealer for most of their food, extending the life of food items significantly. Many yachts have a small herb garden on board. Bubble wrap and newspapers are excellent for wrapping pumpkins, carrots and cabbages when storing them outside the fridge. Small plastic trays hanging in the tropical sun are great for drying bananas and tomatoes. All food from the market can be washed in a weak solution of water and bleach. You really have to ensure it is perfectly dry before storing it away. All in all, relax about provisioning and enjoy the new possibilities. If you get it right the first time, you are very fortunate. Remember that your glass is always half full, it is the contents that are important! Cheryl Ainsworth Peter and Cheryl Ainsworth are enjoying coastal cruising around Australia after having spent the last 15 years cruising in international waters. You can find them Touch here at www.yachtstolenkiss.blogspot.com. to watch video
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practical: engine
Building a fuel polishing system Clean fuel is a must when sailing distances and David Lynn details his home made polishing system. In our early years of cruising, we learned the hard way about how important clean fuel is. I did not worry about the fuel as long as the primary fuel filter looked clean. On one offshore passage, however, the seaways were a bit rough which churned the diesel enough to mix up all the sediment that had been lying benignly in the bottom of the tank. As we motored into a tight marina full of very expensive boats, I discovered how quickly the fuel filters could clog up, starving the engine of fuel. The old adage about aiming for the cheapest boat came to mind, but fortunately we managed to secure a line to a t-dock before damaging anything other than our pride.
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As soon as we could, we hired a service to clean the tanks and polish the fuel. There was nothing magical about the process. They simply pumped the diesel out of each tank, processed it through a rather large industrial version of a marine diesel filter then discharged it into another tank. They cleaned the inside of my tanks with a wand and pumped the fuel back in, all for a rather outrageous price. Since that expensive lesson, we have been a lot more careful about our fuel and do what we can to prevent contamination in the tank. Our first line of defense is our old reliable Baja filter.
practical: engine
Switch Fuel pump
12 volts Filter
Fuel flow
Tank being cleaned
This is a three-stage filter that is quite common in the U.S., which looks like a large funnel. The first stages are mesh screens each one coarser than the other. The third stage is a membrane that allows fuel to pass but blocks water. We almost always use it when refuelling at a marina or fuel dock. This increases the time needed to refuel however and there are times when the attendant gets a bit cranky when we insist on using it, especially at a busy fuel dock. Usually we can reach a compromise by using the filter for a minute or two, then doing a quick check of the filters to see whether we are getting water or other contaminants. Only once has an attendant flatly refused to allow us to use it. Even with the best of precautions we still get water in the fuel tanks. I have replaced the O-ring on the fuel cap, thinking this might be the source but that did not eliminate the problem. I suspect it comes from condensation forming inside the metal tanks as the ambient temperature varies. If not removed or treated the water will allow algae to grow, which in turn will clog the filters. To combat this, I built a small fuel polishing system and routinely clean the fuel and tanks. While not my favorite chore, it is now not difficult and I do this annually, or any time I see any signs of sediment build-up in the primary filter. As we travel to more remote areas, fuel docks become rare and ‘jerry canning’ is the usual method of obtaining fuel. A notable instance was in Ushuaia at the southern tip of Argentina, where fuel was rolled down to the jetty in rusty 55 gallon drums. We were rafted up with four other boats between us and the jetty. The process was to carry the fuel cans across the other four boats, siphon fuel out of the rusty drums, lug them back one at a time to Nine of cups and decant them. After repeating the process for a total of about 48 trips, I was definitely ready for a beer.
When I decant diesel from fuel cans, especially when it is as suspect as that fuel in Ushuaia, I usually use the fuel polishing system to transfer the fuel. It is a bit slower than the Baja filter, but eliminates any chance of spilling fuel and is probably more effective in removing contaminants and water. In addition, the Baja filter must be cleaned after each use, which takes about 15 minutes and is messy. The fuel polishing system requires no cleaning after each use. The polishing system is quite straightforward as shown in Figure 1. The intake is via a wand that is long enough to reach to the lowest point of the boat’s fuel tank. I use stainless tubing for the wand, but PVC or aluminum tubing would work just as well. This is connected to a diesel filter. I initially used a spare Racor fuel filter but, while in South America, I found I was going through my spare filter cartridges at an alarming rate. They were quite expensive, about AU$25 each, when I could find them at all. I went to an auto parts store and asked for an automotive diesel filter that had inexpensive filters. The clerk was more than happy to spend some time researching options for me and finally found a complete diesel filter assembly for a Kia at a cost of $80 and $6 per filter.
October 2015
MAIN: Fuel polishing system with Kia automotive filter. FIGURE 1: Block diagram of fuel polishing system. TOP: Baja filter parts. ABOVE: A Baja filter.
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LEFT TO RIGHT: Old fuel polishing system with Racor filter; Fuel polishing in progress.
The disadvantage of an automotive filter is that you cannot see how much sediment or water has built up in the filter. I found that by periodically checking the flow rate, I could determine when the filter had become clogged. The outlet of the filter is connected to an electric fuel pump. I found this also at an automotive parts store by asking for a small universal diesel fuel pump. The least expensive one I found was $38.00 and this included a mounting bracket and hose fittings. The fuel pump is connected via a switch to 12 volts. I use a standard 12 volt plug for the connection.
I mounted everything on a piece of plywood to make it portable. That way I can use it for either of the fuel tanks below, take it up on deck to decant fuel from the fuel cans, or even loan it out to other cruising friends with fuel problems. I use a bolt, inserted into the discharge hose and clamped, then clamp a short hose with a similar plug to cap the intake wand. This seals the system when not in use. To polish the fuel, I try to plan ahead and wait until the fuel levels in the tanks are less than half full. I remove the inspection hatch from both tanks, insert the wand into the one, the discharge hose into the other and start the pump. To begin with, I position the wand so that it is an inch or two higher than the lowest spot in the tank. I monitor the fuel rate and change the filter as needed. When the tank has only an inch or two of liquid left, I get a flashlight out and take a look at what is left. If it looks relatively clean, I continue pumping the tank as dry as possible, then get a bucket and sponge out whatever is remaining. If it is mucky, or there is a lot of debris or water remaining in that last inch or two, rather than consuming two or three more filters I sponge out all the remaining liquid, muck or whatever is remaining. Next, I wipe the entire inside of the tank with rags or paper towels. Hopefully one tank will hold all the fuel. If not, I use fuel cans to hold the excess. Next I repeat the entire process on the second tank, pumping it back into the first tank. Again, sponge out whatever remains in the bottom of the tank and wipe the inside of the tank. Lastly, I dispose of the bucket of muck in a responsible manner. The entire cost of the project was about $150, and it rarely uses more than one $6 filter to polish both tanks. This is far less than what it cost to have our fuel polished the one time by a service. In addition, I use it frequently for decanting diesel from my fuel cans. David Lynn
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for the David and Marcie have lived aboard Nine of Cups, their Captain’s Deck 1986 Liberty 458 since purchasing her in Kemah, Texas in 2000, and have sailed over 70,000 nautical miles in their ever so slow circumnavigation. Visit Touch theirhereblog at Keep scrolling for exclusive to watch www.justalittlefurther.com or their website at www.nineofcups.com. iPad only images video
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Crusing-Helmsman-Aug-2015-V2E-FINAL.indd 1
11/08/2015 14:25
Oh,
high seas: letting go
what a feeling
Emotions run high when Marilyn Morgan reflects on the journey towards their circumnavigation. The log read: ‘21 May: Depart Geraldton, Distance to Cocos Keeling 1405 nm. Time: 1000, Barometer: 1020, Temperature: 20 degrees, Course: 315 degrees Mag, Wind: SE 5 knots.’ We sailed all day under a full main with the jib poled out. By 1600 the wind had increased to 15 knots from the SSW. It was beautiful sailing. Shearwater II, on her first leg of our circumnavigation, was fully loaded. John was feeling very happy and very excited. I was not feeling so buoyant, wondering whether I was saying “goodbye” to Australia for ever. Whether our friend Suzi and her two children who had come to farewell us, might be the last Australians to see us alive. John reassured me that we would soon be home again; we were just taking the long route home. That was all! Homesick Long before we departed Geraldton, we had untied the ropes of three other yachts that were
embarking on a circumnavigation of Australia, their first stop being Shark Bay 170 nautical miles up the coast. I felt a tinge of envy and regret that we were not doing the same. But John was insistent that he would much rather be doing a world circumnavigation, “why go around Australia the hard way when you can do it by car?!” I do not think embarking on a circumnavigation of the world had really hit me. In a sense it felt just like another day and it seems that when you are cruising, you just take one day at a time. I did feel a pang of homesickness which lasted for several hours. Especially when, at about 1600, Australia became a distant blur on the horizon. Once again, John looked at it from a different angle, ‘this morning we had 1405 miles to go to Cocos. Now we only have 1339!” At 1900 we glimpsed the last dimming loom of Australia. Oh what a homesick feeling! The next day heralded beautiful sunshine with clear skies and wind from the right direction at 10 knots. I knew I should not complain about anything, but I was still getting used to the idea of leaving Australia and making a four year commitment. “Why are we doing this? What have we let ourselves in for?” I wondered.
October 2015
ABOVE: On our first trip across the Tasman, within a few hours of our collision we had a gale to contend with.
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high seas: letting go
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: I began to enjoy the solitude of the ocean; It was exactly 100 days since we’d left our home port; I was not feeling so buoyant; John was feeling very happy and excited.
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I realised that the only way to overcome my anxiety was to be positive about our decision and be prepared to take what came our way. It was exactly 100 days since we had left our home port of Kangaroo Island so we celebrated with a packet of chips and a couple pieces of chocolate. As far as sailing went, it was a glorious day. We even flew the kite for two hours. That night we had a sked with the boats who had arrived in Shark Bay and that feeling of envy reared its ugly head again. It was not until the third day that I started to feel more relaxed about everything and began to really enjoy the vastness, the solitude and the sound of the sea. There was only a slither of moon, but gazing up at the stars while on watch during the very dark night and charging through the water at six knots: oh, what a glorious feeling!
October 2015
Making comparisons I was reminded of the one and only last time we left our Australian shores to sail overseas. It was five years prior and was from the beautiful port of Eden on the east coast. We had our Certificate of Clearance stating that we were bound for Nelson in New Zealand. We had filled out our insurance’s Blue-water Cruising/ Racing Policy Extension Questionnaire stating the countries we intended making landfall, namely New Zealand, Tonga, Fiji and New Caledonia; plus the details of our 29 foot, 3.4 ton Duncanson; the navigational and emergency equipment we had on board; our previous experience; what type of watch system we intended using; the safety precautions we would be taking while sailing offshore; the publications we had on board for consultation and the fact that the yacht had been prepared well for the voyage. Besides our passports, we also had our certificates of vaccination against polio and typhoid. Once again, at this time, Shearwater II was fully laden. With tongue in cheek, John had raised the ‘preparing to sail’ flag, but Steve, our youngest son who was crossing the Tasman with us and who was a deck officer, pulled it down in embarrassment. Having survived my first nasty gale between Wilson’s Promontory and Eden, I felt quite relaxed, especially because we had Steve with us. By 0830 we were scooting along at seven knots in fairly flat seas and this continued for the rest of the day. While I enjoyed lying in my bunk reading off watch, Steve and John relished hand steering instead of connecting the wind vane. However, during the night the wind continually eased, the motion became roily and I started to feel queasy. Unlike the Western Australian departure, we had a full moon which cast its shimmering light from the east across the water to our boat. My watch was marred when I managed to drop our expensive winch handle overboard. Oh what a miserable feeling!
e
high seas: letting go Comparing the two offshore departures from Australia, I felt less anxious the first time. Our commitment was only for a year. We had a third crew member with us for the initial crossing to New Zealand. Five years later when we left from the west, I had a lot more experience, which was a good thing in some ways but not in others. I knew what we could be up against. An eventful crossing Crossing the Tasman that first time, we experienced a scary thunder and lightning storm. Next we hit something in the middle of the night, possibly a whale or a sunfish. It was as though the rug was pulled out from under us. I fell from my bunk and the rudder was damaged to the extent that it could barely turn to port. Within a few hours of our collision we had a gale to contend with. Our leg from New Zealand to Tonga was no better. We had a gale for five days. We motored through a minefield of bommies in the middle of the night in Minerva Reef. We dropped an essential piece of our windvane overboard a week out from Tonga.
After our fourteen day passage we were both very tired and a little snitchy. Oh what an exhausting feeling! Hence my apprehension on leaving Geraldton. I knew we would be in for tough times but also knew from that year in the Pacific that there is another community of people out there on the water; that they are interesting, exciting people who all have a story to tell; that we would mingle with the locals from faraway lands; that we would become involved in their lives; that we would spend time in spectacular anchorages; that we would revel in our minuteness on the vast oceans of the world and that the experience would be one that people who did not embrace this life would never be able to relate to. Oh what an awesome feeling! Marilyn Morgan Marilyn circumnavigated the globe with her husband John in Shearwater II a Duncanson 29, over a period of four years. On their return, she wrote a book, ‘Turkey Spam on Sunday’ telling of their voyage. They now enjoy cruising South Australian waters.
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October 2015
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practical: women in sailing
Strength in numbers Cruising sailors are like rolling stones, Debi Thornely writes how sometimes you need a rock solid support network. When I first started sailing, to help answer the many questions I had I bought books written by women authors to get a woman’s point of view. Not that there is anything wrong with the technical and cruising books out there to help educate and entertain. However, some of the answers to questions I had were not readily available in the mainstream books and media. In the past there have been books published by accomplished sailors and while they made great reading in their day, they are dated now. One example, ‘The sea wife’s handbook’ written by Joyce Sleightholme, first published in 1970, is where women started to realise there ‘just wasn’t room for dainty passengers on board and they needed to be active by knowing how to throw a heaving line, take a compass bearing, stow a sail and so on’ (from Sleightholme’s preface). Those times still dictated that women, if they must be on a boat, their role as second mate should not deteriorate their appearance – especially when coming in to dock, keeping the children out of the way and at all times ensuring the captain is well fed, even in the worst of conditions and all with done good grace! In early 2014 even though I had been sailing for a number of years, just before I left to go full time cruising along the magnificent east coast of Australia I still had plenty of questions. One day, while trying to find an answer to a victualing question, I came across a group on Facebook called Women Who Sail Australia (WWSA).
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I have belonged to on-line groups in the past, mostly these other groups quickly lost their appeal as there is little to no discussion. I was in for a shock and was pleasantly surprised when I joined this new group. What if I were to tell you that for any question you have about boating, there is a multitude of answers from a diverse membership? Regularly, questions range from living aboard, long or short term cruising, anchorages and passage planning. Questions you have about your vessel and its maintenance, how to deal with break downs, basically anything from the best way to stow potatoes to changing the fan belt on your engine. It gets even better. Imagine the times when you are feeling down, uncertain, anxious, tired and do not have the experience to make informed decisions, WWSA is there. The WWSA group was started by an Australian woman, who is still the moderator, in 2013. She belongs to a much larger global group of similar women and saw a need for a support group just for Australian women who sail. After contacting a few of her close sailing buddies the idea took hold and now, just over two years later, the group boasts over 520 members and growing stronger every day. The group is not just virtual. It meets as regularly as it can. The group’s first meeting was attended by three
practical: women in sailing women on the beach at Lake Macquarie; the latest included 25 members (up to 40 when you include partners and children) in May 2015 at the Moreton Bay Trailer Boat Club in Queensland (MBTBC). Group members and partners will gather anywhere at any time once they realise there are other members in an anchorage or marina. There have been many get-togethers all of which were casual, relaxed, wonderful positive learning experiences. Best of all: great fun with loads of laugher and comradery. If you are a woman reading this article and feeling a bit isolated, certain situations scare you or make you feel anxious and you feel you have no other women to talk to who understands our world afloat, then read on. Our groups’ only constraint is that you are a woman. There are no age limits with the group as we range from 17 to 70+. There are no qualifications needed to join. It does not matter if you are a power boat owner, sail boat owner, own a boat or not, if you live on your boat or not, if you only sail once a year or everyday of your life, as long as you’re a female with an interest in boating and the sea – we are your group. Members experience is varied and ranges from women working in the marine industry, authors, world champion sailors, competitive racers, circumnavigators, coastal cruisers, day sailors, solo sailors, women cruising with families – babies through to teenagers, those working on project boats, first time sailors with little to no experience, those learning to sail and those working towards heading off sailing. Armchair sailors with previous experience or who dream about sailing are also welcome. The beauty of the group is you do not have to have any level of expertise but, for those who do, your knowledge and experience is treated with respect and admiration. The sole purpose of creating the group was to support women in a primarily male-dominated sport and way of life. The marine market today still fails to recognise that women look at the marine industry differently. As a woman sailor going to boat shows and chandleries I have trouble getting straight answers from representatives. This is why being involved in this group is so beneficial. Members can ask questions no matter how complex or basic and get a multitude of answers from different perspectives. Due to the group being so diverse, everyone will have responses to questions, which have either worked for them or advice on why things did not work for them and what they did to fix it.
Many of today’s women sailors are equally as active as our male counterparts. Some of us can change engine oil and the fuel filters, service winches, replace alternators. We purchase and know how to use electronic equipment, we sand and antifoul our own boats. We can also order spare parts, toilet parts, parts for the water maker; we can manage the battery banks and maintain them. We can unblock and service the head, we cross oceans, we take turns at the helm, we share in overnight watches while cruising the coast or on long ocean voyages, we not only check the weather but can accurately passage plan with complex weather systems in mind and we keep a look out for ships and boats. We keep an accurate and up to date log book, we trouble shoot problems as they arise and enjoy the role of passage planning, victualing and what that entails.
MAIN: You never know where a helping hand will be. ABOVE: Big group meet at the Moreton Bay Trailer Boat Club in 2015.
“There is most likely someone who has been there, done that or is where you are heading.” Being a support network for all kinds of problems and issues that arise as a boat owner is not the only purpose of the group. We share the lessons learnt, good times and the bad. I nearly bored everyone to death the first time I went under our magnificent Sydney Harbour Bridge with continuous bursts of posts and photos! But seriously, we learn from each other and gain strength from reading about others who are experiencing what we either dream of doing ourselves or are about to do ourselves. It is informative and interesting reading how others do their passage planning and how they manage their cooking etc, especially when you are about to do the same or similar voyage. Many of us post our own stories for others to read and to be used for future reference. For example the complexities of gaining insurance,
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practical: women in sailing Extra knowledge helps remove the apprehension. Of course the knowledge shared in the support group can be used as another consideration when making final decisions. We all know that the final decision is based on the captain, crew, experience, weather conditions, tide, pilot books, vessel capabilities, local knowledge and so on.
ABOVE: WWSA members can become support sisters, quiet listeners, advice givers, even in the rain .... RIGHT: ... or just good drinking buddies! Meeting up at the 2015 Wooden Boat Festival in Hobart.
what to do before and after an electrical storm has passed and a lightning strike that has totally killed your electronics, sea sickness, the nightmare of dragging and fouling your anchor, being dismasted, the list is endless. We have also shared stories on injuries while on the water: what happened, how it happened, what happened during the event, the outcome including what should and should not have happened to prevent further persons being injured. When coastal cruising, or near phone towers giving mobile internet cover, the advantage of being on social media means our support is most often instant. Someone is always online. There is most likely someone who has been there, done that, is in the marina or at anchor where you are heading, perhaps even lives there and can help you. It is a wonderful feeling after a long days sailing to pull into a marina and find a smiling face to grab your lines, or drop anchor in an anchorage knowing you have got a sundowner date with someone who understands and welcomes you aboard for relaxing drinks and nibbles.
“Do not wait; we are an awesome group of women!” Relationships are created and nurtured from what starts out as cyber buddies to long lasting friendships. The group is proving fast that we hold strong the value of being social and the enormous benefits that come from that. There is an understanding that extends well beyond anything I have ever felt and it certainly makes life aboard so much easier knowing we are never alone. The group gives good advice on places to go, times to cross bars, waypoints and lots more. The beauty of having someone there already at your destination, or someone who has recently crossed that bar for example is comforting and gives us courage. 70
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Ain’t too proud to beg I personally would like to share a couple of examples. As we were heading south we entered Jervis Bay but, after a long day’s sail, the charts and supporting cruising guides were not 100 per cent clear on where we could and could not drop anchor due to the entirety of Jervis Bay being a marine park. Just to make it complicated the bay is also a naval base. The sun was setting fast and we had had a dreadful motor/sail down the coast from Sydney with us both experiencing sea sickness due to foul weather conditions. I posted a message on WWSA asking for guidance and without even knowing anyone in the area one of our members rung the naval base for me and found out the answer to my question, then promptly posted the navy’s response on the thread for me. I was gobsmacked that someone who did not even know me would do that, but that is the calibre of WWSA members. Another time, as we headed north from Port Stephens to Coffs Harbour and the weather was deteriorating fast, an easterly swell was well established and gaining in strength. We had never been into Coffs Harbour before and I asked the group about dropping anchor in the bay. Within six minutes I had over 16 responses and every single one of them advised us in the current conditions to go in to the marina or risk fouling our anchor and/or dragging anchor. We did not hesitate, rang the marina and arranged a berth for the night. Fifty five dollars later we felt it was a small price to pay in lieu of losing our anchor and being able to enjoy the luxury of having a nice calm boat to sleep in. Bonus being the joy of a long hot shower was priceless! Emotional rescue The group is a marvellous support for each other in difficult circumstances as well. Due to the diversity of the group there is always someone who understands the fear, tears and anxiety that comes with events that are difficult and life changing.
practical: women in sailing Events such as moving aboard and throwing off the lines in pursuit of a dream, the heartache of losing a lifelong partner or child, the gut-wrenching feeling of losing your boat in flood waters and even the loss of our dearly beloved animals on board. These are the times when anonymity and the written word mean so much and can be so comforting. There has been many a time when I know I have not been alone as I have cried reading others stories and sent words of support. WWSA consists of genuine women with real emotions. Gimme shelter We all share other experiences too. Such as photos taken of incredible images we manage to capture just at the right moment. We share the joys of our children both on board and highlights from home as we have a strong family presence within the group. We share magical moments that happen with our partners in locations most people only dream of seeing. We asol enjoy laughing at those moments when we share stories of when we hope no one was looking as we did something embarrassing.
The support in the group is amazing. Everyone is so welcoming and friendly. It is like finding family to an extent. Non-judgemental, never negative. No stupid questions. Just acceptance, friendship and comraderie. Women Who Sail Australia is a closed group but it is easy to join and we actively encourage women to join. You can either find us on Facebook by doing a search for WWSA, request to join or ask around your local marina. You will also be surprised to find members everywhere, ask them to invite you. But the easiest way is to start talking to people. Word of mouth is how most have joined. Do not wait; we are an awesome group of women! Debi Thornely Deb and her partner Bruce have been live-a-boards since 2010 and have been full time cruisers along Australia’s east coast since 2014. Deb has been sailing Queensland’s Moreton Bay and the Great Sandy Straits since 2005 starting out in a 20ft trailer-sailer, then a 30ft Beneteau and now living on board their 43ft Hans Christian, Christina – Matilda.
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