Ahoy Sailing Australia-South Pacific- August 2023

Meet Your Personal Cruising Guide.

Starlink As Sole Mean For 'At Sea' Comms.

Members Prize Draw Winner.

Making Memories Cruising New Caledonia.

A Devine Story.

Next Stop Vanuatu.

Crew Wanted for A World Circumnavigation.

Great Barrier Reef Festival.

Women In Boating - Coral Sea Academy.

Cruising Queensland - Double Island Point Lagoon.

Cruisers Create Fiji's Newest Marine Reserve.

Sustaining A Serious Burn Offshore.

International Cruisers Heading Down Under.

Healthy Cruising (Part 5).

Cruising New Zealand's Fiordland (Part 3).

Members Market Place.

Marine Business Directory. ©Copyright 2023 Down Under Rally Pty Ltd

Meet Your Personal Cruising Guide!

Whether you're new to cruising or a seasoned & experienced cruiser, access to local knowledge is a valuable resource.

Australia, the South Pacific and New Zealand's Northland are locations Down Under Rally Director John Hembrow has sailed to and spent extended periods cruising. As a result, John can provide guidance and advice to assist you with voyage planning and cruising in these locations.

AsoneofthemanybenefitsofDownUnderRallymembership, memberscancontactJohnforadviceabout...

CruisingintheSouthPacific,NewZealandandAustralia. YourCurrentVessel. YourNextVessel.

Oranythingrelatedtosailing&cruising...

SAILING TO AUSTRALIA

18TH AUGUST 2023 | PORT VILA | VANUATU | 09:30 - 11:30

11TH OCTOBER 2023 | PORT MOSELLE | NEW CALEDONIA | 15:00-17:00

WHO IS INVITED?

The captain and first mate of all vessels that are interested in visiting Australia

WHAT INFO WILL BE SHARED?

Ports of Entry | Passage Planning | Pre & Post Arrival Formalities

Customs and Biosecurity Inspections | Cyclone Season & Vessel Storage options East Coast Cruising info | Question and Answer Session

VANUATU MORNING TEA INCLUDED COMPLIMENTS OF SCARBOROUGH MARINA!*

NEW CALEDONIA

JOIN US AFTERWARDS FOR A SUNDOWNER COMPLIMENTS OF SCARBOROUGH MARINA!*

RSVP AT: NUMBERS LIMITED- RSVP REQUIRED

www.downunderrally.com/sailing-to-australia-info OR SCAN THE QR CODE.

Starlink As Sole Method For 'At

By John Hembrow - Down Under Rally

Assomeonewhoisinregularcontactwiththeownersofcruisingvesselsthatundertakeocean passages,IhavesomeconcernsaboutwhatIseeasanemergingtrendwiththeadventofStarlink. ThereisnodoubtinmymindthatStarlinkisthesolutionforsailorswhoareseekingtohave affordablehigh-speedinternetontheirboats. However,Idon'tbelievechoosingStarlinkasthesole methodofcommunicationswhilstatseaisaprudentdecisionforseveralreasons,someofwhich are:

Shouldavessellosepower(suchasintheinstanceofalightningstrikeorelectricalissue), Starlinkwillnolongerbeoperational,whichinadditiontothelossoftheabilityto communicate,willalsoresultinnolongerbeingabletoaccessweatherinformation. Shouldthoseaboardneedtoabandonavesselandfindthemselvesinaliferaft,Starlinkisnot portableand,assuch,willresultinhavingnomeansoflong-distancecommunication. IntheinstancethatStarlinkisnotoperational,therewillbea lossofreal-timevesseltrackingin manycases.Seebelow.

VesselTracking.

Assomeonewhoactivelyuses PredictWindTracking andmonitorsvesseltrackingdata,tracking providesamethodtodetermineandmonitoravessel'spositionandprogress.Whenan emergency/distresssituationarises,thelastknowlocationorthevesselindistressneedstobe determinedbythoseresponding.Themorerecentandaccuratevesselpositionthetracking provides,thebetterthechanceforSARcoordinatorsandotherresponderstodeterminethe locationofthepersons/vesselindistress.Intheinstancethatcommunicationsarenotpossible withthevessel/personsindistress,thistrackingdatabecomesevenmoreimportant,especiallyif thetrackingcanbemaintainedwhen/ifthevesselisabandonedandthecrewareaboardaliferaft byhavingthetrackingdeviceaccompanythemintheliferaft.Itcouldbearguedthatactivatingan EPIRBwouldservethispurpose;however,anEPIRBprovidesnomeansoftwo-waycommunication withthoseindistressandthosecoordinatingtherescue.Anotherconsiderationisthepowerusage ofrunningtrackingviaStarlinkwithaDataHub.AlthoughisitpossibletodoGPStrackingwith StarlinkviathePredictWindDataHub,thepowerrequirementsarelarge,andforthisreason,on mostboats,itisnotpossibletohaveStarlinkrunning24hrsaday.

Redundancy&Portability.

IfIchoseStarlinkasourprimarymeansofoffshorecommunications,Iwouldalsochooseto maintainan IridiumGO!™orIridiumGO!exec™ device.TheIridiumGO!™orthe IridiumGO!exec™ provideredundancyshouldStarlinknotbeavailableforanyreasonandtheabilitytomaintain communicationsshouldweneedtoabandonthevessel.

Sea' Communications.

By John Hembrow - Down Under Rally

DataPlans

IfusinganIridiumGO!™,wewouldoptforthe PredictWindGOPlusDataPlan fortheperiodswe intendedtobeatsea.TheGoPlusPlanoffersvoice,data&unlimitedSMSmessaging,which providestheabilitytomaintainanup-to-datetrackingpage.Ifusingan IridiumGO!exec™ combinedwitha PredictWindDataHub,wewouldoptforthe GO!Exec50plan.Predictwindhas alsoindicatedthattheywillsoonbeofferinganewplanfortheIridiumGO!exec™theGO!Exec Unlimitedplan,which,whenavailable,wouldbeourpreference.Thereistheoptiontodowngrade theplansandmakesomesavingsduringtheperiodswhenwearenotatsea/onpassage.

ShorePartyFloatPlan.

Wewouldalsoadvisethosewithwhomwelodgeafloatplan,suchas PassageGuardian andAMSA, thatwehavean IridiumGO!™asourbackupandprovideourIridium/PredictMailemailaddress, Iridiumphonenumberandour PredictWindTrackingPageURL inadditiontoourprimaryemail addressandphonenumber.

ExampleofanActualEvent

Toappreciatethevalueofbeingabletomaintaincommunicationafterabandoningavessel,read thefirst-handaccountoftheowner/masterofavesselwhowasreturningtoAustraliafromVanuatu whenhisvesselwaslost.Amongotherthings,theowner'saccountoftheeventsincludesdetails abouthowbeingabletomaintaincommunicationsfromaliferaftwasinvaluable.

READTHEOWNERSACCOUNTHERE.(https://www.downunderrally.com/news/loss-of-the-liberty)

visit: www.predictwind.com/starlink

Pacific Dawn lifeboat recover the crew of the Liberty from their liferaft

Each month the Down

Under Rally draws the name of one of our members as the winner of the member's prize draw.

The winner chooses any item from the woman's or men's range of PredictWind Clothing plus a PredictWind Cap. predictwind.com/clothing-shop

Start your next passage at the right time and avoid unsafe weather conditions using the UPDATED PredictWind Departure Planning Tool.

"The best seamanship is not getting caught out in bad weather."

Making Memories

Cruising New Caledonia New

If "a picture is worth a thousand words", the one below of the PredictWind 2023 Go East Rally Fleet Tracking Page is the best way to tell the story of what our 2023 Go East Rally participants have been up to since they arrived in New Caledonia back in May of this year.

The pictures that feature on the following pages, all of which have been taken & shared by the participants themselves, tell the story of the adventures they have shared and the memories made along the way...

Making Memories - Cruising New Caledonia

Making Memories - Cruising New Caledonia

Making Memories - Cruising New Caledonia

Making Memories - Cruising New Caledonia

Making Memories - Cruising New Caledonia

Making Memories - Cruising New Caledonia

A Devine Story

WefirstmetBuddy&Helenbackin2021whentheyjoinedour BeyondTheBarrierRally.Thisyear theyjoinedthe GoEastRally andhavebeencruisingNewCaledoniaandwillcontinueontoVanuatu thismonthwiththe NC2VRally.

Onthe24thofJuly, Helensentmeanemailsharingaveryspecialmomentandoneshe&Buddywill addtothemanymemoriestheyhavemadetogetherduringtheir50yearsofmarrige...

Hi Leanne & John,

I have a divine story to tell you about our visit to the Isle of Pines. Early on Wednesday, Sam, the local cab driver, drove us with Daren & Julie (s.v Bombora) to the vegetable market on the other side of the island.

We all sat down at some benches to have a coffee and were chatting when this local lady came up behind me and hugged my back.

We were surprised as we didn’t know any of the locals, and she was excited, smiling and hugging us. She then thanked us for visiting her community on our 50th Wedding Anniversary and thanked us for blessing her village by visiting.

I was very emotional at this stage, and I asked her who told her, as we hadn’t publicised it.

Her immediate reply was ‘“the angels came to me last night to tell me that you were going to be here today”.

Mary Jane was her name, and she was so specific about the fact that it was our 50th wedding anniversary and that the angels had visited her.

By the way, it is people like you two who encourage others to have an adventure and make the memories, so thank You John & Leanne.

NEXT STOP VANUATU!

Theparticipantpackshavebeenprinted, andIftheweatherplaysthegame,mostof the2023GoEastParticipants,alongwith afewnewentries,willbesaying"au Revoir"toNewCaledoniaonthe3rdof AugustandheadingtoVanuatuwiththe NC2VRally.

TheNC2VRallyisa14-daysailina companyyachtrallyfromNoumea,New Caledonia,toPortVillaVanuatu.Therally willvisitTanna,Erromango&PortVilla. Participantswillhavetheopportunityto attendvariousevents,includingWelcome Ceremonies,Feasts,KustomMagic, Culturalperformances,School&Village Tours,MtYasurVolcanoguidedtour,an ancestralburialcavetour&more.....

MEET THE FLEET

Levitha

Latitude

Me & Mrs Jones

mySerenity

Pneuma

Saffron

SandDallor

Shelby

Vamp

Aquacadabra

Rainman Watermakers are a compact system designed to generate a fresh potable water supply from seawater. They can be installed in a minimum footprint configuration or kept portable for maximum flexibility.

We use only top-quality components in the build process from the best manufacturers: Honda, General Pump, Filmtec, and Noshok. Our filters, membranes and replacement parts are non-proprietary for ease of service worldwide.

UNDER RALLY MEMBERS $400 OFF THE RETAIL PRICE OF NEW RAINMAN WATERMAKER SYSTEMS. Contact The Watermaker Man.

BOATERSWORLDISANONLINEDIRECT-TO-CONSUMERMARINEPARTSSUPPLIER

BoatersWorldstocksawiderangeofgenuineandaftermarketpartssuchasservicekits,oilfilters, fuelfilters,airfilters,impellers,seawaterpumps,sparkplugs,drivebelts,anodes,startermotors, alternators,heatexchangers,propellersandmuchmore.

AsastockistofVolvoPenta,SPXJohnson,SherwoodandRacorfilters,andNGKSparkplugs,you canbesuretofindthepartstosatisfyyourneedsasacruiser.

Inadditiontothesegenuineparts,weofferalargerangeofaftermarketbrandssuchasMartyr anodes,Fleetguardfilters,Sierramarineparts,Albinseawaterpumpsandimpellers,Solas propellers,andmanymore

DOWN UNDER RALLY MEMBERS RECEIVE A 10% DISCOUNT* ON PURCHASES MADE VIA THE BOATERS WORLD ONLINE STORE.

These premium quality aftermarket parts will fill the more price-sensitive cruisers with confidence as they sail off into the sunset. *Discount code is to be applied at the checkout.

Making The Most Of Your... TENDER MOMENTS

Whatcanyoudotogetmoreuseandenjoymentfromyourtender?

Tobeginwith,askyourselfwhatcouldbedonetomakeyourtendermoreuser-friendly,then considerwhereandhowyouuseitandwhatcouldbeaddedtomakeyour'tendermoments'safer, practical&moreenjoyable.Herearesomesuggestions...

If your tender is on the heavy side and difficult to pull up the beach when you go ashore, using a bungee anchor is a great solution. For light tenders, consider adding folding wheels. Be sure to choose the right type of wheels, as there are a number of options, and they do not all work in terms of the weight of the tender or the surface that you want to pull the tender across.

A boarding ladder will make it easier to get back in the tender after swimming or snorkelling. A folding transom step makes it easier to board the tender when ashore.

A bow cleat to attach your anchor rope to when you tie up to a pontoon.

A bow bag or seat bag is a very useful addition if you don`t have a bow locker. A small storage pod mounted on the transom in the space underneath the tiller is useful for storing objects such as a fishing knife.

Railblaza ports are great as a base for many activities. If you are a fisherman, a couple of Railblaza ports on the transom will hold rod holders for trolling or transportation. Additional Railblaza ports can be mounted elsewhere to allow for the movement of your fishing rods and can accommodate other items such as cup/can holders, bait boards, storage pods, navigation lights and many other items. Railblaza fittings can also be used to mount a removable bimini.

Removable rigid, folding boarding ladder Fold away Transom Step

Railblazer Adhesive Multi Ports Bow Cleat

Railblazer depth sounder/plotter mount

Railblazer cup/can holders Folding Wheels

Railblazer Removable Battery Nav Light

Railblazer bimini mounts Bungee Anchor

CoralSeaMarina SponsorsTheGreat BarrierReefFestival

The annual Great Barrier Reef Festival returns in the first week in August.

As an event sponsor, Coral Sea Marina is set to host two events this year, including the festival opener, "Immersive Reef Stories", on Thursday, 3 August, from 5.30 pm at Meeting Point C (South Marina). This open-air event will be a fun-filled and educational evening focusing on the magic of the Great Barrier Reef hosted by local Master Reef Guides. Register HERE.

On Friday, 4 August, join us for the annual Coral Sea Marina Resort Lantern Parade and light the way from the marina to the Airlie Beach Foreshore. Join us at The Garden Bar Bistro from 5.30 pm for a 6 pm departure - bring your own lantern!

WOMENINBOATING

WOMENTAKINGTHEHELMATTHECORALSEAACADEMY

Withboatingprovidinganunparalleledsenseof empowerment,freedomandenjoyment,itisnowonder thatweareseeingmoreandmorewomentakingthe helmandmakingthemostofallthatthislifestylehasto offer.

CoralSeaMarina,throughitsCoralSeaAcademy,has beenactivelyinnovatingwaysinwhichtobringtogether womenintheboatingcommunitytoencouragesafety onthewater,increaseskillsandconfidenceand promotebetterboatingpractices.

ThroughtheCoralSeaAcademy’s“WomenInBoating” events,CoralSeaMarinaaimstoempowerwomentodip theirtoesintotheboatingworld.Theeventsheld throughouttheyearprovideanopportunityforwomen toincreasetheirboatingknowledgeinaninformaland comfortableenvironment.Theyalsoprovidespacein whichtonetworkwithlike-mindedpeopleandbe inspiredbyotherwomenwhosharealoveofthewater.

RecenteventshaveincludedamovienighttocelebrateInternationalWomen’sDayanda networkingeveningledbypassionatewomenintheboatingindustry,whosharedtheir‘boating’ storieswiththeattendeestoinspirethemtogetoutonthewater.

MarleneHicks,ownerofTopNotchFishingChartersandthecreatorofBillfishBabesspokeatthe eventandexplains“TheWomeninBoatingeventprovidedmewithbothinspirationand motivation”

“It was a fantastic opportunity to connect with other women who share my passion for boating and the sea. I truly feel rejuvenated/reconnected with my love for our island lifestyle and fishing charter business too. Sometimes, stepping away from the routine and immersing ourselves in a supportive community can reignite our enthusiasm and remind us of what truly matters” .

Lookingtothefuture,therearenumerousWomenInBoatingeventsonthehorizon.

Thenextevent onthecalendarisapracticalsession,“SailTrainingandSunsetCruise”,taking placeonSaturday,19thAugust,wherewomenareinvitedtohoponboardvesselFikaand,under RYAInstructorAnnetteHesselman’sguidance,taketothewaterandexperiencepracticaladvice andencouragementinawomen-onlyenvironment.Thiseventcosts$50perperson,andspaces arelimited,sobooknowtoavoiddisappointment.

AlsoinAugust,themarinawillhost“HourofPower”onTuesday,29thAugust,from6pmatThe LookoutLounge,CoralSeaMarina.BroughttoyoubylocalbusinessShiift,this“HourofPower”is awomen’spersonaldevelopmentsessiondesignedtoidentify,explore,&developself-strengths, capabilities&discoveruntappedpotential.Thiseventisfreeforattendees,andregistrationisvia the CoralSeaAcademywebsite

AsCoralSeaMarina’sCEO,KatePurdie,explains:

“

HereatCoralSeaMarina,webelieveeveryonewithapassionforboatingshouldhavethe opportunitytobecomecapableandconfidentonthewater,andthroughtheCoralSea Academy,wehopetoplayaroleininspiringwomenofallagestodojustthat.

ToregisterforeitheroftheseWomenInBoatingevents,contact

marketing@csmr.com.au orvisit coralseaacademy.com.au

ABOUTTHECORALSEAACADEMY

TheCoralSeaAcademy offersaseriesofinnovativeeventsdesignedtoeducateguests,localsand visitorstotheWhitsundaysaboutthemarineenvironment,theGreatBarrierReef,betterboating practicesandsustainability.

ABOUTCORALSEAMARINARESORT

CoralSeaMarina isanaward-winning520-wetberthmarinalocatedintheheartofthe WhitsundaysandGreatBarrierReef.Asthefirst5GoldAnchorPlatinumaccreditedmarinain Queensland,CoralSeaMarinaofferspremiummarinafacilitiesandarangeofconciergeservices forvesselsupto80m.

CoralSeaMarinaispartof CoralSeaMarinaResort,atouristdestinationthatalsoincludesa77roomwaterfrontboutiqueresort,twovibrantmarinavillages,aninspiringcalendarofeventsandis hometo80%oftheregion’son-watertourismproducts,makingCoralSeaMarinaResortthe ultimateplacetostay,play,exploretheWhitsundays.

SHACKLES AND ATTACHING RODE...

YourRocnaorVulcanhasaslottedattachmentpoint,meaningthatasingleshacklemaybeused.

Youshouldselectthelargestshacklesize,thepinofwhichwillfitthroughyourchainend-link.Loop yourshackleheadthroughtheshankshackleattachmentpoint,fasteningthepinthrough theendlinkinyourchain.

AtRocnaAnchorsAustralia,werecommendtheuseofproof-testedshackles,especiallyonanchor sizes15kg(33lb)andabove.Stainlesssteelshacklesarepopular,butcareshouldbetaken.Aforged typeispreferable,andcastversionsshouldalwaysbeprooftested.Selectthelargestsizepossible, giventhemaximumpindiameterthatthechainendlinkwillaccept.

WhenusingG40orstrongerchain,appropriatelyratedhigh-strengthalloyshacklesshouldbeused.

IMPORTANT: CONVENTIONAL SHACKLES MUST HAVE THEIR PIN SEIZED WITH TWO TURNS OF STAINLESS STEEL OR MONEL SEIZING WIRE, LEST IT WORK ITS WAY LOOSE. LEARN MORE ABOUT CHOOSING THE RIGHT ATTACHMENTS AND HOW TO GET A DISCOUNT ON A NEW ROCNA AT...

CRUISING THE QUEENSLAND COAST

FAVOURITE ANCHORAGES

DOUBLE ISLAND POINT LAGOON

BY GREG LUCK

For the last 4 years, cruisers have been enjoying a lagoon that opened up at Double Island Point. It provided a flat millpond either when coming out of the Wide Bay Bar or waiting to go in. As you can see in the image below, the entry has almost closed up, and there is a log and a 4WD axle and diff obstructing it, but it was great while it lasted.

It is a beautiful spot with clear water and a calm lagoon. The lagoon is in Wide Bay, a large bay open to the north but protected from southeasterly trade winds. The point and its surroundings are part of Great Sandy National Park.

There is a lighthouse walk along a trail accessed from behind the beach. See this map for details.

I thought it would be interesting to look back through the aerial photos from the 1950s in the following pages. As you can see, the 2019 - 2023 lagoon is by far the largest. There is a dedicated Facebook Group on the lagoon which is a great source of information. Let's hope it forms again.

You can see more in Cruising the Queensland Coast.

Source: State of Queensland. Public Domain

1965

Source: State of Queensland. Public Domain

Cruisers Contribute To Creation Of New Fiji Marine Reserve

Readers of AHOY may recall an article we shared in the March 2023 issue of AHOY that was written by Birgit and Christian of s.y Pitufa about Anchoring Around Coral. Birgit & Christian set out 12 years ago and have travelled via the Med, Atlantic and Caribbean to the Pacific aboard their S&S 41 Pitufa. Read more about their travels and projects on their blog, www.pitufa.at, follow S/Y Pitufa on Facebook or read their book “Sailing Towards the Horizon” (available on Amazon).

As self-described "green cruisers", Birgit & Christian rely only on alternative energy sources and try to minimise the impact they have on the environment. Living close to nature and the elements, they witness the changes and the adverse effects of cruisers and local populations on fragile ecosystems. Whenever they feel that something's gone awry in a place that they visit, they try to take positive action, which is evident in their most recent project, the creation of the Matuku Marine Reserve at Matuku Islands in the remote Lau Group of islands in Fiji.

s.v Pitufa at Matuku Islands Southern

The Matuku Marine Reserve - How It Came To Be

By Birgit Hackl

MatukuwasthefirstislandintheLaugroup wevisitedwithourPitufainJuly2022.

Thelittleislanddoesn’tseemanyyachtsas itliesoffthebeatentrack,andwewere amazedbythe hospitalitythevillagers showedusandthewonderfulunderwater landscapesthatwefoundjustoffour anchorage.

DuringoursecondvisittoMatuku,westarted raising awarenessforsustainability amongthevillagers, startingwiththekids (drawingcolourfulparrotfishies andtalkingabouttheirroleintheeco-system)and finallydoingpresentationsforthechiefsand headmenabouttheproblemofoverfishing.

Wefoundthatthefishermenwerealreadyconcerned aboutdroppingnumbersoffishandeagertohear solutionsforsustainablefishing.Weexplainedour experiencesamongPacificIslandsandsuggested installingno-fishingareas.

Returning to Matuku in February, we were happy to hear that some villages were planning to implement no-fishing-zones, but then we had a horrible boat accident while scouting out a possible location for a tabu on the Southern side of the island, which left me with serious injuries and ended fatally for Maikeli Tamani, the headman of Makadru village…

Aweekaftertheaccident,wemanagedtosailback toSuva,andonlyafterhavingx-raysandaCTscan donedidwefinallyrealisehowseriousmy injuries were.Fivebrokenribs,apneumothoraxanda partiallytorntricepstendon.

SpendingmydaysonthesofainPitufa’ssalon withoutbeingabletomovearound,Istarted contemplatinghowwecouldturntheaccidentinto somethingpositive.Myideaofbuyingmedical equipmentforthehospitalinMatukufaileddueto bureaucratichurdles,butwewantedatleasttohelp thevillagers implementtheirmarineprotection area.

WetriedtoraiselocalinterestinMatukuandthe plannedTabubygivinganinterviewtothe Fiji Sun newspaper Wekeptintouchwith“ourisland”and arenowhappytoannouncethatthefinaldecisionto install 3big,permanentno-fishing-zones!hasbeen made!

Why Create The Matuku Marine Reserve?

By Birgit Hackl

AwarenessoftheneedtoprotecttheenvironmentanditsresourcesisslowlygrowinginFiji.

ConservationInternationalandtheir LauSeascapeStrategy aredoingstudiesandsettingambitious goalstoprotecttheoceananditswildlife,butwhenwetalktopeopleinthevillagesofremote islands,westillgettheimpressionthatsustainabilityremainsanabstractconcept.Manyofthe reefsarehorriblyoverfishedandempty—especiallythoseofislandswithatownorresortnearby. Fishermengoouteveryday(andworse,everynight)tocatchthelastlittlereeffishtomakeaprofit todaywithoutcontemplatingwhatthey’lldotomorrow.Overthelastfewyears,electricityhas arrivedintheremotestareasofFijiandwiththeinstallationoffreezers,thefishermenofthose islandsalsogetthechancetoexportfishandmakesomequickmoney.

Unfortunately,thereefscannotprovideenoughfishforthatkindofeconomy.Whiletheocean providedforcenturiestotheislanderswhoweredoingsubsistencefishing(andfarming),modern fishingtechniquesandexportdepletetheresourcesofasmallislandwithinafewyears.

We have been cruising in the South Pacific for 10 years and have spent lots of time snorkelling reefs in French Polynesia, Tonga, the Cook Islands and now in Fiji. Unfortunately, many of the reefs are nearly empty and without herbivore fish to clean them, the corals get overgrown by algae. Often, we return from a dive sad and depressed.

Butsometimeswefindahealthyreefthatstillhasadiversityofwildlife,andthenwetrytotalkto thefishermenaboutthenecessitytolimitfishing/harvestingandprotectatleastcertainareasto ensurethefutureoftheeco-system(importantfortheworld),butalsothefutureofsubsistence fishing(veryimportantforthem).Iftheyjustsmileaboutournaive“touristy”concerns,wedon’tget intoanargument,it’snotworthit.Butiftheyareinterested,showthattheyhavenoticedchanges andareconcernedaboutthem,wearehappytosharewhatwehavewitnessedonotherislands acrossthePacific,showexamplesofislandsthatarefaringwellduetocarefulresource managementandotherswherenowfranticprotectioneffortsaremade,butwhereit’stoolate already,andthereefsaredeadandempty.

ThepeopleofMatukuinthesouthwesternLau(MoalaGroup)havemadeabigsteptowards sustainablefishingbyinstalling3big“Tabu”no-fishingzonesaroundtheirisland.Wevisitedthe islandthreetimesoverthelastyear,chattedwiththevillagers,tookapresentationabout sustainabilitytothelocalschoolandhadmeetingswiththechiefsandheadmen.Soontheyagreed thattheyhadtotakemeasurestoensureafuturefortheirfishinggrounds—Matukuhasfertile gardens,butfishisneverthelessoneofthecornerstonesoftheirnutrition.First,theywantedto installtabuareasforalimitedtime,thentheycontemplatedonlyprohibitingnight-timefishing,but intheend,wemanagedtopersuadethemthathavingacomplete,permanentfishingbanforabig areaisthemostefficientwaytoprotectthefishandensuregoodfishingforthecommunityaround thelimitsofsucha“tabu”area.Thesmalleronesonthesouthernandeasternsidesoftheislandare difficulttovisitbysailboat,butthebiggestoneislocatedjustoffthemainpassonthewesternside oftheislandwithawonderfullyprotectedanchorageinthebayofLomaticloseby!

IfyoucruiseintheLauIslandsofFiji,makeastop-overinMatuku,enjoythewonderfulsnorkelling, praisetheislandersfortheirenvironmentaleffortsandleaveadonationtohelpthemmaintainand patroltheir“tabu”no-fishingzones:theislandersareworriedthatfishingexpeditionsfromthe mainlandorfromneighbouringislandsmaycometoplundertheirreefsatnight…Ifyoucan’tmakeit toMatukubutwouldstillliketosupporttheproject,youcan MAKEADONATIONHERE

Why Create A Tabu Area?

By Birgit Hackl

Ascruisers,weliveclosetonature,visitmanydifferentplaces,cancomparethemandwitnesshow theychangeovertime.Toomanyofthereefsareoverfishedasitis,socruisersreallyshouldn’t depletethereeffishevenmoreduringtheirvisits.However,afewislandsarestilluntouchedand teemingwithlife,butwouldn’titbemuchnicertojustmarvelatthediversityoflifeandwatchtheir behaviourinsteadofgoingspearfishing?Ifyoujusttakeonegrouperandonecoconutcrab,imagine whathappensifallboatsfollowinginyourwakewilldothesame.

Ouradvicetofellowsailorsistoliveaftertheoldmotto,“takenothingbutpictures,leavenothing butfootprints”.Ifyou’dliketotakethisphilosophyabitfurtherandhaveapositiveinfluence,you couldalsotrytotalktoislandersaboutfishingandraiseawarenessforsustainability.Here’sa summaryofthepointsweliketoraisewhenweraisethesubject:

CommunitiesinthePacificIslandshavesuccessfullymanagedandprotectedtheircoastalmarine areasformanyhundredsofyears.Butnowadays,theoceansandtheirfishsufferfromglobal changeslike:

increasinghumanpopulations

climatechange

pollution

Also,thelocalfishingactivityaroundtheislandshaschangedthankstothefollowing:

outboards

flashlightsfornight-timefishing freezerstostorefish

Assoonasthefishingisnolongermeanttofeedtheislandpopulationbuttoexportforprofit,reef fishingisnotsustainablebecausetheresourcesofareefareverylimited!Whenimplemented successfully,tabuareashavethepotentialtoensureactivitiesincoastalmarineareas,particularly fishing,aresustainableandwillprovidemarineresourcesforfuturegenerations.

Forcommunities,akeymotivationisthattabuareaswillresultinimprovedcatchesofseafoodin nearbyfishingareas.However,tabuareasmustbecarefullydesignedandmanagedtoachievethis aim.Theyshouldimplementavarietyofhabitatsandbebigenoughtoallowthefishtomove withoutleavingtheboundariesimmediately.Whenthenumberoffishhasalreadysubstantially decreased,itisalsodifficulttoreversetheprocess.

The Key Is To Protect Early Enough While There Is Still A Healthy Reef With A Variety Of Fish!

Why Create A Permanent Tabu Area?

By Birgit Hackl

Research shows that only complete, permanent closures are successful. They provide the time species need to grow, breed and in some cases, recover to benefit the region. This can take many years for some species. The benefits of an area closed for several years can be eroded after only one day of being re-opened to fishing.

NOW AFTER 5 YEARS FISHING

Effective tabu areas need permanent closure to protect big fish that are much more reproductive than small fish (super breeders) and guarantee overflow around the protected zone.

NOW IN 5 YEARS IN 10 YEARS

Tabu Size Matters

Thesizeoftabuareasisalsocriticaltotheirsuccess.

By Birgit Hackl

Tabuareasonfringingreefsshouldprotectfromtheshoreacrossthereefflatandoutpastthereef cresttoensureallspeciesintheareaareofferedprotection.

Thesizeofthetabuareawilldependonthelifecycleandnaturalrangeofmovementofthe protectedfishspecies.Ifthetabuisnotbigenoughtocoverallendangeredspecies,itmakessense toprotectthesespeciesevenoutsidethetabu!Forexample,nosharkfishingallaroundtheisland, nogrouperfishingduringthespawningseason,etc.

Graph taken from Gombos, M., Atkinson, S., Green, A., Flower, K. (Eds) (2013) Designing Effective Locally Managed Areas in Tropical Marine Environments

Tabu Location Matters

By Birgit Hackl

Coralreefs,seagrassandmangrovesprovidecriticalhabitatsformanymarineanimalsforspawning (e.g.,reeffish),feeding(e.g.,turtles)andnurseryareas(e.g.forreeffishandsharks).

Tabuareasshouldincludehabitatsthatsupportdifferentlifecyclestages.Forexample,manyfish babiesneedtheprotectionofmangroveforeststogrowup.Later,theyspendtheiradultliveson coralreefs.

Designing Effective Locally Managed Areas in Tropical Marine Environments

WhyAreCoralReefsSoImportant?

Theyprotecttheshorelinefromstormsandsurgewater.

Barrierreefsreducewaves,buffertheshoresandpreventerosion.

Theyformaprotectedhabitatforahugevarietyoffish.

Mostcoralsandsponges,aswellasclams,arefilterfeeders,sotheycontributetoenhancedqualityand clarityofournearshorewaters.

Communitiescanachieveasustainableincomefromeco-tourismanddivetourismiftheyhaveahealthy reefwithmanyattractions(bigfish,turtles,sharks)

Butallaroundtheworld,reefsaredamagedanddyingbecauseof:

Globalwarming Pollution

Overfishing

Graph taken from Gombos, M., Atkinson, S., Green, A., Flower, K. (Eds) (2013)

A Balanced Eco-System Matters

By Birgit Hackl

Coralreefssupportanincrediblediversityoffish.Everythingfromlobstersandoctopusestosea turtlesanddolphinsdependsonthereefforfood,habitatandprotection.Eachanimalplaysan importantroleinthereefecosystembyfilteringwater,consumingprolificalgaeorkeepinga particularspeciesundercontrol.Thesebalancedrelationshipskeepthemarineecosystemsdiverse andabundantwithlife.

Sharks eat sick fish and prevent the spreading of diseases.

Turtles eat dangerous jellyfish and keep seaweed under control.

Parrot fish are the cleaners of the reef. They eat seaweed, algae and keep the rocks clean so that coral can grow. If there is overfishing, there are not enough fish to clean the coral, so damaged coral cannot recover…

A reef can recover from damage if it contains a balanced ecosystem and if there are enough fish to clean it..

Baie de Drueulu Lifou Loyalty Islands

HEADED WEST FROMFIJI?

ORVANUATU TONEWCAL?

Sustaining A Burn Offshore... "Sailing is a balance of risk verse reward"

By James Coomer - s.v mySerenity

Anicewarmcupofteaormaybecoffeeissomethingmostofusenjoyduringanightwatch,butlike manythingswedowhilstatsea,performingeventhesimplestofactivitiescanbedangerous,asJames ofmySerenitylearnedduringhispassagefromtheGoldCoastToNewCaledonia.

Beforewelearnwhathappened,IfeelitisimportanttopointoutthatJameshasparticipatedinseveral previousDownUnderRallyevents,andhisdiligenceandattentiontodetailinallmattersrelatingto preparinghisvessel&crewforoceanpassagemakinghasbeenexemplary.Infact,Iwouldgoasfaras sayingJamesisobsessive(inthebestpossibleway)inhisendeavourstoensurethesafetyofhisvessel andcrew,yetdespitetheseefforts,Jameswastoexperienceaseriousinjurythatshouldserveasa lessontousall...

TwonightsoutfromAustraliatoNew Caledonia,theseaswereconfused,swellbeing 2-3metreswitha10-secondtiming.

Thewindshadstartedtosubsidefromthe previous24hours(20knots-gusting25kts).

mySerenity wasinherelementandmakinggood headwayat7-9knotswithtworeefsinthe mainandtheGenoafurledbyathird.

My twocrewweretuckedupsnuglyinbed.I wasonthesecondhourofthe12:00-03:00 watch.TheAutopilotwasengagedand managingtheconditionswithease,allwaswell.

Icamedowntothesaloontomakealemonand gingerteathelastbeforebedtime,anhour away.Ourcrewmanualpolicywastoalwaysuse thesinkforhotliquidstoavoidspillswhile underway.Themicrowave,cooktopandoven wereofflimitswithanywhitecapsonthewater.

Thekettlehadboiled,andahalfcupofteawas poured.Abouthalfacupofwaterremainedin thekettle(bothinthesink).

I had braced myself, my body against the cooktop bench, legs apart and started to replace the kettle further aft behind the sink. Picking up the cup of tea in the trough of the wave, the starboard hull slowly rose up the swell, except this time, it kept rising up…and up…and up. The yacht's starboard hull suddenly dropped over the other side of the wave with a thump on the lower bridge deck.

Theimpactofthewavewasenoughtowakeacrewmemberwhowasasleepinthestarboardhull.

Thesidewaysmomentumforcedmetostartaslow,gradualslidefromtheportgalleyside,across thesaloonfloortothestarboardsteps,andthendownthestepsintothestarboardhull.

Duringtheslide,Ideliberatelydroppedtoaseatedposition.Acupofnicelemonandgingertea followedmetomyseatedpositionalongwithatowelfromthetable,twothrowmats(supposedto benon-slip)andsomechargingcables;weallwentinslowmotion,slidingacrossthefloorasthe yachtascendedthewavesidetoitstrough.

Itseemedtotakeforever.Iremainedseatedinthehulltillthetopofthenextwave.

Oncetheyachtsettledinthenextwavetrough,Isawashadowofmycrewmembersittingupinbed whohadrolledheavilyinhisbedasking:

“Whatthehellwasthat?”

Iexplainedwhathadhappened,apologisedforwakinghimup,gotallthebitstogetherandwent backupthestepsintothesaloon.Theinternalchartplottershowedwewerestillenrouteand engagedintrackmode…perfect. mySerenity wasbackinstrideasthoughnothinghadhappenedbut Iwastodiscover severalthingshappened....

Whileascendingthestarboardsteps,Inoticedmyteabag onourbeautifulcleancouch.

Feelingmyleftarm,itwashotandwet.Thehalf-filledtea cuphadtakenflightandchosetolandupsidedownonmy arm.Ididn'tthinktoomuchofitasIhadaverythickjumper (jersey)protectingmyarm.(Itwasn'tuntillaterthatthe surgeonindicatedthismayhavebeenthetellingfactfor theseverityoftheresultantburn.)

HavingrecentlycompletedanOffshoreFirstAidCourse withHeartTrainingaspartofthecrewpreparation recommendedbyThe DownUnderRally,Iremember Wendy(ourcourseinstructor)askingusduringtheburns componentofthecourse.

“Whatisthefirstthingyoudowithaburn?”

(Irememberthisasplainasday).

"Putitundercoldrunningwater”.

Forhowlong? 20minutes".

SoIdidthat,butonlyfor10minutes.Ididn’twanttokeep ourpreciouswaterrunningfor20minutes.Addedtothis, thenoisywaterpumpmotorwasnexttothebedofthe crewmembercominguponthenextshift.

Iputthepluginthesink,thinkingthatmaysavewater,but thesloshingcausedbythemovementoftheboatforced metopulltheplugoutbeforeitendeduponthefloor, potentiallymakingadifficultsituationevenworsewitha wetfloor.

Aftertheten-minutewaterrun,Iusedanicepackuntiltheendofmyshift(40minuteslater).It actuallymouldednicelybetweenthejumperandmyarm.

Iawokefourhourslater,myarmfeelingalittlestingy,buttheoceanswellandwindshadstartedto dissipateand itlookedlikeastunningsailingdayahead.

Feelingrefreshedfrommyrest,Iconsulted theInternationalMedicalGuideforShips andlocatedtheburnssection.Divinginto theCat1ExtendedOffshoreFirstAidKit,I locatedageldressingspecificforburns. Openeditandplaceditoverthewound area.

Atthisstage,therewerenoblistersoreven discolouration.Itwasjustuncomfortable.

Thisdressingworkedatreat,andforthe next24hours,Ifeltfine,justtakingafew Panadolasaprecaution.

WhilstonpassageandagainontherecommendationoftheDownUnderRally,wesuppliedadaily middaypositionreporteachdaywithPeterMottof PassageGuardian,andthisdayinthe ‘comments’,Iwrotethat‘crewmemberhadsustainedascaldfromboilingwater’towhichPeter repliedthattheMedicalinformationwasnoted.

Wewereinaveryfortunatepositiontohavetwomedicalpractitioners(familymembers)whowork

Little did I know at the time that I had sustained two third-degree burns, an area of seconddegree with the remained of the affected area being a first-degree burn.

OurpractitionerstheninstructedustoseekmedicalhelpatanEmergencyHospital,astheywere notcomfortablewithwhattheysaw.

ThestaffattheNewCaledonianHospital(40minutesnorthofNoumea)wereexceptionallyhelpful, quickandveryprofessional.Theyassessedthatsurgerymayberequired,givingmetwooptions. Allowthemtoinvestigateasuitableoutcomefurtherandspendtwoweeksclosetothehospital,or getthefirstflighttoAustraliaandseekemergencyhelpthere.Wechosethelatter.

Asmentionedearlier,theoutcomewasthatthereweretwothird-degreeburns,anareaofseconddegreeandtherestfirst-degree.Withtheexceptionofthethird-degreeburnareas,thehealingwas goingexceptionallywell.Iwascomplimentedbybothhospitalsonwoundcare,andatthetimeof writing,Iamyettotakeanyoralantibiotics.

The images below show the injury healing after the skin graft was carried out.

James has since returned to New Caledonia and is enjoying cruising the islands and lagoon with fellow Go East Rally participants.

SoasIseeit,Itallstemsbacktoriskversereward...

Istheriskofsomethingwarmonacoldnight(thatyoumayhavedonemanytimesbefore),worth thereward?Ifso,haveaplanBforwhenitcomesunstuck.

Withthebenefitofhindsightand,moreimportantly,aclearnon-fatiguedmind,Iwouldliketo sharethesethoughts...

Yes,wecoulduseathermosforhotwater(whichweusedtodo).Inour/thiscase,itcouldhave endedupbeingaprojectile.Thisistheexactreasontheyarefrownedupononaircraft.

Ishouldhavekeptthewaterrunningfor20minutesoverthewoundarea.Wehadseparatedour freshwatertanksintotwo300-litreunitsforpassage-making,sowestillhad300litrestospare ifitcametothat.

IamgratefultohavecompletedtheDownUnderRally OffshoreCruisingPreparationCourse. It'sfromthecoursepre-departureplanningandadvicethatweformulatedaprocessforsuch anevent,anditranlikeclockwork.

Whatarethetakeawaysfromthissuccessfulburnmanagement?

Carryingthe InternationalMedicalGuideforShips.

Burngeldressings,burncream(thatcontainedananaestheticandantibiotic),andFlamazine™ areatthetopofthelist.

Haveawayofgettingmedicalhelpassoonaspossible.Preferablywithsomeonewhoknows yourFirstAidKitcontents

Completedarecentspecific OffshoreFirstAidCourse.

WhatchangeswillImaketoour FirstAidKit?

1.Thenon-stickgauzedressings-increasedfrom4to20(2perday).

2.Thegauzebandagerolls-increasedfrom4to15(1everytwodays).

3.Theburn-geldressings-increasedfromonetotwo.

4.Theburncreamremainsatone(itmustcontainananaestheticandantibiotic).

Asalways,youshouldalwaysseekprofessionaladviceandusethisexperiencetoaddtoyourfirst

1.

2.

3.

4.

“Thearmchaircriticmightsay,don'tusehotwateronpassage.Inresponseto suchcritics,Iwouldencouragethemtostayinbed,asgettinguptousethe toilet,theymayslipandbreakahip...happenedtotheblokelyingnexttome whilstIwasrecoveringatthehospital.”

James has a very informative website called diycatamaran.com, where he shares a wealth of knowledge spanning his 20-year journey that includes building his first catamaran and his many adventures along the way up to & including the journey that has led him to achieve his long-held dream to sail his own yacht from Australia to the South Pacific.

Evolution Sails has been the local sail loft of choice supporting local sailors and cruisers visiting the Gold Coast for more than 30 years.

Centrally located within 18min fromBoatworksandGoldCoast City Marina to the North and Southport Yacht Club to the south at Evolution Sails Gold Coast, we specialise in manufacturing and servicing cruising and racing sails for yachts,catamarans,sportsboats anddinghies.

Repairs and recuts are done promptly and efficiently with a fastturnaroundtime.Boombag stack-packs, boom covers, trampolines,ropeandchandlery, complement our full range of services.

PROVIDE YOUR DOWN UNDER RALLY MEMBER NUMBER WHEN YOU ENQUIRE FOR SPECIAL OFFERS FROM EVOLUTION SAILS

PEAK MARINE SURVEYS

PRE-PURCHASE & INSURANCE MARINE SURVEYS

BLUEWATER VESSEL PREPARATION ASSESSMENTS

TimGrantofPEAKMARINEhasworkedasaprofessionalinthemarineindustrysince2008and loggedover40,000nauticalmiles,includinghavingcompetedatthehighestlevelinYacht Racing,obtaining3rdplaceoverallinthe2018SydneytoHobartOceanRace.

Asacommerciallyqualifiedskipperandengineer,Timhasalsocompletedacircumnavigationin 2019-2020inthecompanyofcruisingyachtiesandwitnessedmanyofthechallengesand situationsownersofcruisingyachtshavefacedthatcouldhavebeenavoidedhadthevessel undergoneathoroughinspectionpriortothevoyagebysomeoneofameticulousnaturewho knowswhattolookfor.

Australian and Internationally Recognised Yacht Surveyor

Member International Institute of Marine Surveying (IIMS)

Member Australasian Institute of Marine Surveyors (AIMS)

ASKABOUT DISCOUNTSFORDOWN UNDERRALLY MEMBERS

SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND CRUISING YACHT HAVEN

Located ON Brisbane's Moreton Bay, Scarborough Marina provides visiting yachts with easy access to the many anchorages and the islands of Moreton Bay, including Moreton Island and the Tangalooma Wrecks. The City of Brisbane and the Brisbane international airport are only 40mins away, with Public Transport right at our door. The suburb of Scarborough is home to families and retirees who form part of the safe & friendly community. With the convenience of waterfront Cafes, Clubs & Restaurants plus major shopping centres and medical services nearby and our popular weekend farmers & craft markets, Scarborough really is a home away from home!

Recognised by the international cruising community as the preferred destination when visiting the Brisbane Region.

Safe Enclosed Harbour

Protected from swell & unaffected by flooding.

Clean, Modern & Well Maintained Facilities

Modern Cruisers Lounge with TV and free WIFI

Electronic gated Access, with 24 Hour CCTV Monitoring

24 Hour Fuel Wharf

Full-Service Boatyard with 35 Tonne Travelift

On-Site Chandlery

Tangalooma Anchorage

Moreton Island

With 12 vessels having already registered as participants in the 2023 Go West Rally, it is looking like 2023 might be a big year!

Of these 12 registrations, 5 are from the UK, 3 are from the USA, 1 is from Sweden and 3 are from Australia.

Find

Pictured below are Estehr Of Sweden (left), currently cruising Frech Polenesia & Capall Mara (right), Australia, currently cruising Vanuatu.

EastCoastMarina,ManlyBoatHarbour,Brisbane, Australiaoffer330securewaterberths, cateringforboatsupto18m.

Located less than 10nm to the south of the Brisbane river mouth Manly Boat Harbour is the perfect base for visiting yachts and East Coast Marina has long been a favourite of the international yachting community.

AvarietyofpublictransportoptionsthatwilltakeyoudirectlytoBrisbaneCityandtheBrisbane InternationalAirportarewithinwalkingdistanceofthemarina

TheManlyVillageisonlyashortwalkaway,offeringagrocerystore,postoffice,newsagency, chemist,coffeeshops,restaurantsandmore. MarketsareonsomeSaturdaysandeverySunday.

Phone: +61 7 3393 3811 Email: info@eastcoastmarina.com.au

Location: Latitude…27º27.6′ S Longitude…153º11.2′E VISIT OUR WEBSITE www.eastcoastmarina.com.au

DOWN UNDER RALLY MEMBERS OFFER.

*15% off casual marina berth rates *subject to availability at time of booking and confirmation of current DUR membership.

WELCOME WEEK DOWN UNDER

The Down Under Rally & Bundaberg Port Marina are looking forward to hosting the 2023 Go West Rally Welcome Week!

As the name suggests, Welcome Week is all about welcoming the owners and crew of visiting international yachts to our Land Down Under. All Welcome Week events, including our informative Cruising The East Coast of Australia seminars, are FREE to attend for Go West Rally participants.

2022 Go West Rally Participants

SECURE YACHT STORAGE

Forover25years,BundabergPortMarinahasbeendedicatedtoensuringourguestsandvisitorshavean enjoyableexperiencefromtheirarrivaltotheirdeparture.

Weareanofficial‘PortofEntry”clearancefacilityforbothinboundandoutboundvessels,andwell respectedthroughouttheinternationalcruisingcommunity.

Thisyearweopenedournew20,24and45mberths,andtheseadditionsareprovingtobeverypopular accommodatingvesselslookingformodernwell-servicedberths.

Asoneofthelargestontheeastcoast,ourHardstandandDryStorageoptionscanaccommodateup to140vessels.

OurDryStoragefacilityallowsownersfrombothAustraliaandoverseastoleavetheirvesselandreturn homewiththeknowledgethattheirvesselisstoredinasafeandsecureenclosureoverthesummer months.Manyownersreturnthefollowingyeartorecommencetheirjourneydirectlyfromthecruising groundsoftheSouthernGreatBarrierReef.

BundabergPortMarinaislocatedfarenoughsouthtomissthemajorityofthesevereweatherpatternsof northeasternAustraliaduringoursummerstormseason,and allvesselsarerackedinfullyengineered cradlesandsecuredtotheground.Theprocedureweusetosecurevesselsiswidelyacceptedby internationalinsurancecompaniestominimisetheirriskexposure.Thedrystorageareaisfullyfenced, andwecancompleteallvesselcheckswhilstyouareawayfromyourvessel.Whenyoureturnreadyfor yournextadventure,youcanrestassuredthatyourvesselhasbeenmaintainedandisreadyforthe journey.

BOAT YARD AND SHIPLIFT SERVICES

Our 75-tonne travelift can lift vessels up to a 6.6m beam, and our hardstand facility currently has a team of professional and caring staff with vast and varied experience to ensure schedules are met. With convenient and close on-site access to several trades, including mechanics, shipwrights, welders, engineers, painters, and sandblasting, the process of boat maintenance is made an easy, hassle-free experience for all.

WeareexcitedintheknowledgethatwewillbegreetinganumberofbothInternationalandAustralian guestsagainthisyear,andIfyouareaDownUnderRallyMemberandhavejoinedthe2023GoWestRally, wehavesomegreatspecialsavailabletoyou.(conditionsapply)

MARINA SPECIAL OFFER

Receive a 15% discount on the first 15 days of your stay.

HARDSTAND SPECIAL OFFER

Pay for 5 days on the hardstand and receive 2 extra days free. Pay for 2 weeks on the hardstand and receive 3 extra days free.

DRY STORAGE SPECIAL OFFER

Pay for 3 months dry storage in advance and receive a 10% discount..

MARINA GIFT SHOP SPECIAL OFFER

Receive a 15% discount on gift shop purchases.

2023 WELCOME WEEK EVENT CALENDAR

RSVP is required for all events. Events are subject to change at the discretion of the Down Under Rally organisers.

MONDAY, 30TH OCTOBER

8.00 AM - 9.00 AM - YOGA4YACHTIES:

WHERE:BundabergPortMarina-CruisersCove

AllWelcome-BeginnersthroughtoExperiencedYogi’s-FREEtoattendforthecaptainandfirstmateofeach vesselthatisaregisteredrallyparticipant.$10.00ppforeveryoneelse.

11.00 AM - 1.00 PM - EVENT REGISTRATION:

WHERE: Bundaberg Port Marina Cruisers Cove

Confirm your registration to attend Welcome Week Events & Collect your Welcome Packs.

6.00 PM - 10.00 PM - WELCOME COCKTAIL PARTY *MAJOR PRIZE GIVEAWAY EVENT

WHERE: Baltimore Restaurant Bundaberg Port Marina

6:00pm:WelcometoCountryCeremony

6:30pm-10:00pm:LiveMusic.ComplimentaryCanapesareservedthroughouttheevening.

*The Welcome Down Under Cocktail Party is FREE to attend for the Captain & First Mate of each vessel that is a registered rally participant. *Crew members & all others are welcome to attend however The ticket price is $40.00 pp

TUESDAY, 31ST OCTOBER

12.30 PM - 2.30 PM - SURVIVING DOWN UNDER/VHF & WEATHER *MAJOR PRIZE GIVEAWAY EVENT

WHERE: Lighthouse Hotel

Surviving Down Under. A light-hearted presentation about the Aussie culture & way of life to help you understand us Aussies & make your time Down Under more enjoyable.

VHF Channels & Weather Down Under. What VHF Channel to monitor and use. Understanding the forecast areas, how, where and when to get forecasts. East Coast weather - what to watch out for!

East Coast Cruising Intro. A brief introduction to cruising the East Coast of Australia

3.00 PM - 5.00 PM - EAST COAST CRUISING - BUNDABERG TO SOUTHPORT

A detailed presentation on sailing route options and stopovers for the passage from Bundaberg to Southport.

5.00 PM - 8.00 PM - SUNDOWNERS & PUB GRUB!

WHERE: Lighthouse Hotel

5.00 pm - 6.00 pm: Sundowners at the Lighthouse Bar.

6.00 pm - 8.00 pm: Take your pick from the menu at the pub.

*Drinks & ,meals are at your own expense.

*MAJOR PRIZE GIVEAWAY EVENTS: Rally Participants who attend any nominated major prize giveaway event will go into the draw to win a major prize. Limit of one major prize per registration. Participants must be present at the event to claim the prize.

2023 WELCOME WEEK EVENT CALENDAR

WEDNEYDAY 1ST NOVEMBER

8.00 AM - 9.00 AM -YOGA4YACHTIES

WHERE:BundabergPortMarina-CruisersCove

AllWelcome-BeginnersthroughtoExperiencedYogi’s-FREEtoattendforthecaptainandfirstmateofeach vesselthatisaregisteredrallyparticipant.$10.00ppforeveryoneelse.

10.30 AM - 12.30 PM - EAST COAST CRUISING: TWEED HEADS TO SYDNEY *MAJOR PRIZE GIVEAWAY EVENT

WHERE: Lighthouse Hotel

Join us for an informative and detailed presentation on sailing route options and stopovers for the passage from Tweed Heads to Sydney.

1:30 PM -3:30 PM - EAST COAST CRUISING - BUNDABERG TO CAIRNS & BEYOND

WHERE:Lighthouse Hotel

Join us for an informative and detailed presentation on the sailing route options and stopovers for the passage from Bundaberg to far north Queensland.

6:30 PM - 9:30 PM - OUTDOOR MOVIE & PIZZA NIGHT (Weather Permitting)

WHERE: Bundaberg Port Marina - Cruisers Cove

6.30 pm - 7:00 pm - Pizza Party

Place your Pizza Order at Baltimore Restaurant before 10:00 am Wednesday, 1st November. Pick up your Pizza between 6:00 & 6:30 pm and head over to cruisers cove. Bring a salad or dessert to share. BYO plates/cutlery etc. *Pizzas are at your own expense.

7:30pm - 9:30pm 'The Castle’

The Castle is one of the all-time favourite classic Aussie movies. During your time in Australia, sooner or later, someone will ask, "Have you seen The Castle." BYO, comfy chair, popcorn and beverages!

THURSDAY 2ND NOVEMBER

11:00 AM - 12.30 PM EAST COAST CRUISING: SYDNEY TO TASMANIA

WHERE:LighthouseHotel

Join us for an informative presentation on route options and stopovers for the passage from Sydney to Tasmania.

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM - LAND CRUISING DOWN UNDER *MAJOR PRIZE GIVEAWAY EVENT

If you plan to do some ‘Land Cruising’ during your time in Australia, you will find this presentation interesting. We look at each of the states & territories, the different attractions they offer and what time of the year is best to travel.

5:30 PM - 6:30 PM BEERS, BUBBLES 'N' PRAWNS

WHERE? Bundaberg Port Marina - Cruisers Cove

A tub of freshly cooked prawns, a couple of beers or a glass of wine will be waiting for the Captain and First Mate from each boat registered for the rally. (Compliments of the Down Under Rally and Bundaberg Port Marina). Make a meal of it and bring along a salad, side dish or dessert!

*Crew members & are welcome to attend - Ticket price is $40.00 pp

6:30 PM - 9:30 PM - "JAMMIN"

Bring your instruments and vocal cords to join in for a jam session with your fellow cruisers and maybe a few locals.

RSVP is required for all events. Events are subject to change at the discretion of the Down Under Rally organisers.

The Not So Hard Life!

The prospect of living aboard on the hardstand is not something liveaboard cruisers look forward to, but when your boat is your home, it is inevitable. In many cases, what is even less appealing is the addedexpenseandinconvenienceofhavingtofindsomewhereelsetolivewhilstyourhomeis'onthe hard'.AttheBoatWorksGoldCoast,theynotonlywelcomeliveaboardcruisers,buttheyalsocaterfor them,whichisevidentinthededicated5,000-square-metreliveaboardhardstandprecinctspecifically designedtocaterfortheneedsoftheliveaboardcruisingcommunitywhentheyare'onthehard'.

It’stheideal‘CruisingHQ’forcruisingcustomerswhocanmeetothers fromaroundtheregionandtheworld,takeadvantageofthefreshproduce growingon-site,bathrooms,laundry,recycledwater,plusaccesstotheSuper ChandleryandaccessallthetradesandresourcesintheMarinePrecinct.

ShaneSubichinGM

Accommodating up to 16 cruising catamarans and monohulls, the exclusive liveaboard hardstand precinct is ideal for cruising yacht & catamaran owners to undertake their own antifoul and maintenance works in the company of like-minded sailors with access to amenities including:

Ensuites&laundries

Fullyair-conditionedlounge

BBQ&Kitchenfacilities

Veggiegarden

Indoor-outdoorrecreationalareas

Cafes&Restaurants

Freecourtesycars&more

Allofthesefacilitiesare absolutelyfive-star. Wereallyappreciatetheeffortto makeusfeelwelcomeandathome.

Jan&Richard,SV‘MorpheusofLondon’

We want your stay to be as convenient and enjoyable as possible. We also understand that you ultimately want to be 'out there', not 'in here', so we encourage our customers to BOOK YOUR MARINE TRADES AT LEAST 4 WEEKS PRIOR TO YOUR HAUL OUT.

BY RICHARD CHESHER, PH.D.

ThisisthefifthinstalmentinanAHOYSailing

NewsserieswrittenbyRichardChesherabout criticalhealthissuesyoucaneasilyavoidwhen cruisingthetropics–IFyoulearnfromother cruisers'mistakesandgetseriousabout protectingyourselfandyourcrew.

Everycruiserknowstheywillfacedangersfromthe weather,equipmentfailure,collisionswithothervessels, andaccidents.

Asensiblecaptaintakesprecautionstopreventthese accidentsbygettinggoodweatherforecasts,maintaining thevessel’sequipment,usinglightsandAISandkeeping watchatsea,havingagoodmedicalkitandsafety equipmentaboard,etc.Andmostcruisersknowwhatto doifthesedangerssurprisethematsea.

Butanamazingnumberofcruisershavenoideahowto defendagainstthehealthdangers lyinginwaitforthem whentheyarrive inremotetropicalareasfarfrom medicalcare.

Ifyougetsickfromcontaminatedwater,attackedby malaria,adeadlybloodvirus-likedenguefever,parasites, fishpoisoningoraflesh-eatingmicrobe,itwillbealong andexpensiveordealandmaycausepermanent disabilitiesorevenkillyouoroneofyourcrew

Healthissuesareseriousdangersformariners butfewcruiserstakeelementaryprecautionsto protectthemselvesandtheircrew.

Diseaseorganismskillmorepeopleyearlythanallthe maritimeanddivingaccidents,shark,seaserpent, crocodile,seawasp,orevenpirateattackscombined. Youandyourcrewtrulywanttoavoidgettingsickor injuredanywhere,butthisisespeciallythecasewhen cruisingfarfrommedicalsupport.

Thegoodnewsisthatmostcruisersavoidserioushealth issueseitherthroughluckorprudence.

Tobesurethegoodnewsappliestoyouandyour crew,followthesethreeverysimplerules:

FIND OUT WHAT HEALTH DANGERS ARE LURKING BEFORE YOU SET SAIL.

DON’T LET THEM GET YOU.

KNOW WHAT TO DO IF YOU FAIL.

Q: WHAT ARE THE RISKS?

#1. HUMAN HEALTH DANGERS FOR CRUISERS

WithCOVID-19depopulatingtheplanet,internationalcruisingbecamedifficultor impossible.Thankfullythathasbeenresolved–atleastfornow-andtherearelotsofother viral,bacterial,parasitic,andfungaldiseasescaughtfrombeingincloseproximity–or physicalcontact–withotherhumans.

Cruisersaremoreatriskfromthesediseasesthanmostpeoplebecausetheyspendalotof timeinisolation,andwhentheycomeincontactwithanewpopulationofpeople,their immunesystemshaveverylittleresistancetothenewvarietiesofdiseases.

#2. PREVENTING HUMAN-TRANSMITTED DISEASES

Ifyouaresailingoutintotheblueforanextendedtime,itwouldbeworthwhiletogetor updatevaccinationsagainsttetanus,cholera,typhoidandyellowfever.TheAustralian DepartmentofHealthoffersalistofvaccinesfortravel.

www.health.gov.au/topics/immunisation/when-to-get-vaccinated/immunisation-for-travel AccordingtotheWorldHealthOrganization(WHO),somecountriesrequireproofof vaccinationagainstspecificdiseasesatborderchecks.Themostwidelyusedvaccination recordistheInternationalCertificateofVaccinationorProphylaxis(ICVPorCarte Jaune/YellowCard).

ThelistofcountriesrequiringanICVPforentryisextensiveandincludesTheGambia, Indonesia,Lebanon,Libya,andthePhilippines.

TheWHOrecentlyannouncedanewdigitalproofofvaccinationsystemsimilartothat developedforCOVID19. www.who.int/news/item/05-06-2023-the-european-commissionand-who-launch-landmark-digital-health-initiative-to-strengthen-global-health-security

Q: WHAT ARE THE RISKS?

#2. PREVENTING HUMAN-TRANSMITTED DISEASES (CONTINUED)

However, there are lots of other diseases out there, and the very best way to prevent them is to avoid getting them. These simple precautions will minimize the risk of getting sick from other people.

in port, don’t shop where the passenger's shop (cruise ships are major importers of the latest flu).

Cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough, and wash your hands afterwards. Wear an N95-rated mask if you can’t avoid crowds or areas where there are sick people.

Eat aboard and practice good sanitation with your food.

Never drink tap water or drinks with ice when ashore.

Quarantine entry to your yacht. If someone wants to come aboard, or if you want to invite someone aboard for drinks, always ask if they are, or have recently been, sick. Not the ritual, “How are you?” Or “How’s it going?” resulting in a ritual reply, “Fine, Good, Never Better”. Ask directly, “Are you contagious?” or, even better, “Do you have the flu or cold?” If they do have a contagious disease and come aboard to spend the evening down below in the cabin of your yacht, you will catch whatever bug they have for sure. Reciprocate – if you visit another yacht or are invited aboard, tell them you have the flu, a cold, or whatever and do not go aboard to share it with them.

Q: WHAT ARE THE RISKS?

#3 WHAT TO DO IF YOU CATCH A DISEASE FROM SOMEONE.

Ifyouaresomewherewithreasonablemedicalfacilities,seeadoctor.

Ifyouarecruisingwherethereisnomedicalhelporthedoctorsandhospitalsaremore dangerousthanmostofthecommondiseases,you’dbetterhaveagoodmedicalkitaboard withbroad-spectrumantibioticsandpillstotreatavarietyofdiseases.

Youmayhavetoweatherthediseaseaboardyouryacht,whereverithappenstobeatthe time.Ifitisahighlycontagiousdisease,youcanbesurethewholecrewwillcomedown withit.

It’ssomuchbettertotakeelementaryprecautionsandnotcatchdiseasesfromother people.

Whatareyougoingtodoifyouoroneofyourcrewgetsseriouslysickorinjuredwhileyou areanchoredinaremoteislandanchorageoratsea,daysfromhelpofanykind?

Youneedtoknow,beforeyousetsailforthattropicalparadise,whatmedicalsuppliesto haveonboardandbesureeveryoneknowswheretheyareandhowtousethem effectively.Youalsoneedanemergencyplanandmedicalinsuranceforyouandevery memberofyourcrewthatincludesemergencyrescueandevacuationfromwhereveryou aregoingtowhereyoucangetmedicaltreatment.

Medicalevacuationsbyaircostabout$50,000ormorethesedays,andmanycountries nowrequireeachmemberofthecrewtoshowproofofmedicalinsurancewithrepatriation includedbeforeallowingyouryachttoenterthecountry.

Youandyourcrewalsoneedtodecide,inadvance,who’sgoingtotakechargeofdealing withthegovernmentofficials, themedicalteamandtheyachtitselfifthecaptainisinjured orhasdied.Notahappytopicbutoneyouneedtoincludeinyourpre-voyageplanning sessions.

Richard and Frederique Chesher began cruising the Pacific aboard their Peterson 44 cutter in 1976. Richard is a PhD marine scientist, and Frederique is an artist and professional photographer. Together they created and publish the Rocket Cruising Guide to New Caledonia and the Rocket Cruising Guide to Vanuatu, widely praised as the best cruising guides in the world.

Rocket Guides are programs for Windows and Mac computers (not Ipads or Android tablets). They are unlike any other kind of cruising guide you’ve ever used; extremely intuitive, fast and comprehensive.

You’ll find critical information on staying healthy while cruising (including avoiding injuries from dangerous marine creatures – like sharks). Important conservation regulations, local custom requirements, repair services and supplies, accessing the Internet, weather, navigation aids and much more. With just two clicks, you can do a virtual visit to 220 anchorages in New Caledonia and 170 anchorages in Vanuatu, with 240 verified GPS routes in New Caledonia and 160 GPS routes in Vanuatu. The guides cover all of New Caledonia and Vanuatu and are updated at least 4 times a year.

Every anchorage has a high definition, colour aerial image showing the anchorage area, surface or drone shots showing what it looks like on approach, what it looks like after you get there, plus above and below water (sometimes even spherical 360-degree images) of beaches, coral reefs, forests, waterfalls, and trails. You'll have everything you need to choose the places you and your crew will enjoy most, along with reliable sailing directions, exact GPS coordinates of the safest place to anchor, depths, bottom type, protection from wind and waves, hazards, VHF reception and times of the weather reports, mobile phone, Internet, Wi-Fi and TV reception, points of interest, treks and trails. Plus, important information on health hazards, social issues, where to get fuel, supplies or repairs, government and local restrictions, conservation laws, and more. You’ll also get the Rocket Travel Guides prepared for the tourism departments of New Caledonia and Vanuatu to train travel agents about the enormous range of tourism facilities and activities in both counties; accommodation, car rentals, shopping, tours, sights, beaches, all the things tourists need to know about visiting these holiday destinations. Rocket Guides have it all available in a couple of clicks– and you don’t need to be online.

Cruising

New Zealand's Fiordland

In parts one & two of this article (see July 2023 AHOY), Rob Latimer shared the story of his voyage from Australia to New Zealand`s south island and cruising Fiordland aboard Chimere.

In this final instalment of the series, Rob & the crew of Chimere continue the adventure, which culminates in their arrival at Milford Sound and the accomplishment of a long-held dream.

AnotherDay,AnotherFiord!

InleavingBeachHarbour,itwasnicetobeabletosimplyslipourmooringratherthangothrough theprocessofretrievingtheanchor.Overnight,therainhadcleared,withlowcloudsandmist hanginglowaroundtheenclosingmountainsaswemadeourwaytheshortdistancetothe entrance.

Keeping Breaksea Island on our port side, we glided out into the Tasman Sea, setting a northerly course. We were hoping to be joined by the promised southerly breeze to help push us up the coast, but it was clear the elements had other ideas. In its place, we were left with a rather rolly, uncomfortable sea and an occasional breeze, mostly arriving as we passed by the opening to bays and Sounds, namely Dagg, Doubtful and Thompson Sounds, which funnelled the wind our way.

Our next anchorage would be Nancy Sound, 50 miles up the coast. Apparently named after a ship from times past, commanded by a certain whaler, Captain John Grono. The ship, no doubt, taking its name from the owner’s wife, sweetheart … or mother.

Otherplacenames,however, seemedtobeinspiredbybody parts.TherewasLegArm,Toe Cove,KneeBend,LegHeadand HeelCove.

ButitwastheentrancetoNancy Soundthathadthemost concerningnameofall…

“AnxietyPoint”,named,I’msure, bysomeonewhohadtoenter thisenclosedwaterwaywitha nastyfollowingseaandpoor visibility.

Cruising New Zealand - Fiordland

Mercifully, the weather was kind as we closed the coast, discovering that Anxiety Point was in fact just a big pile of rocks, seemingly blocking the Fiord’s opening. Once close in, another pile of rocks called Entrance Island came into view and if you’d come this far it was just a simple right, then left, past Sweep Point and you’re home!

WehadintendedtodropintoiconicDoubtfulSoundonourwaynorth,butintheend,wewere runningoutoftime,choosinginsteadtomakeournextstop,afterNancySound,attheAliceFalls Anchorage,insideGeorgeSoundwherewesoakedupthepassingparadeofgloriousscenery, cascadingwaterfalls,ruggedmountainsrisingfromthewater’sedge,rockymountaintops,deep valleysanddenseforesttothesea.

Onefrustration,whichweattributedtothesteepnessofthe mountains,wasthatitwasvirtuallyimpossibletoget sufficientsatellitecoveragetocommunicateanddownload weatherforecasts.Timeandtimeagain,allIreceivedwere frustratingcommandsverymuchlikethefollowing…

07:01:45Attempt1of1:Openingconnection:ConnectingtoNetwork Connection:DialingIridiumGO!:Authenticating:Signalstrengthof 0%isinsufficienttosustainconnection:Disconnectingfrom device: ERROR:Dialupfailed:Finished.

Theotherongoingfrustration,of course,wasthesandflies;haveI mentionedthem?!.

Asthecollectivenumberofbitesand itchyswellingsprogressively increasedamongstthefiveofus,we becameever-morevigilantinputting upflyscreensandruggingupwhen venturingoutorgoingashore.

Kiwi-Johnseemedtohaveaformof home-ground-natural-immunity, whereastherestofussufferedmore. Notalwaysinsilence,itmustbesaid, withthefirstaidkitbeingraided progressivelyforevermoreeffective remedies.

Gettingawayearlythenextmorning,weagainworkedourway upthecoast. ThistimepassingCharlesandCaswellSounds, alongwithTwoThumbandLookingGlassBays. Afterachilly, dewystarttotheday,theearlymorninglightwassoon illuminatingthehigherpeaks,workingitswayeverlowerasthe sunroseinthesky. Prettysoon,wewerebathedinwarmth, causingustoshedlayersoncemoreasthemorningworeon.

TheCruisingGuidedescribedGeorgeSoundashaving“…lots ofinterestingfeatures,verysteepandspectacular,withits proximitytoMilfordSoundmakingitapopularstop-offpoint fortourboats”.

Certainly,thesightoftwocruiseships–RubyPrincessand SilverMuse–headingsouth,justafewmilesfurtherouttosea, putusonnoticethatweshouldexpecttoseemorepeopleand boatsinsideGeorgeSound. Butasitturnedout,wehadthe placealltoourselves,muchlikeNancySoundandmanyofthe othersaswell.

Littledidweknowthatwithintwoweeks, theverysameRubyPrincesswehad spiedonourchartplotterwouldbe dockinginSydney,makingheadlinesfor allthewrongreasons.

Atthetime,wewereblithelyunawareof mostthingsoutsideouronboard “bubble”;leastofall,athingcalled COVID19.

Until this point, we had viewed the rugged mountains rising from the water as impressive. Now, with glimpses of even bigger, steeper, and more dramatic mountains further up the coast, we were forced to recalibrate our measures of awesomeness. Some of these “alpine glimpses” bore patches of ice and snow, which glistened in the sun, making them appear even higher.

makeashorthopalongthecoast, enteranarrowgapfromthesea, cruiseupalongpassageinland,surroundedbyhillsandmountainsoneitherside, finallyarriveata“basin”orabruptdead-end,intowhichoneormoreriversrandownthevalleys, oftenterminatinginawaterfall...andalwaysculminatinginastunninganchorage.

Itwasaround12noonthatweenteredGeorgeSoundandoverthenexttwohoursweworkedour wayuptotheheadoftheinlet;thetwenty-knotheadwindslowingourprogresstoaround5knots.

Bynow,we’dbecomeusedtotheFiordlandsailingroutine…

Crew member John taking advantage of the warm rays to catch up on some sleep.

Cruising New Zealand - Fiordland

Well,GeorgeSoundhadallofthis. Asaspecialbonus,theanchoragewasimmediatelynexttothe waterfall,whichitselfwasaveryimpressive,loudandthunderousaffair,swollenbytherecentrains.

Onapproach,theAliceFallsseemedtocompletelyfilltheendoftheSound. Itwasonlywhenyou lookedabitcloserandcreptfurtherin,thatyoudiscoveredtheSoundextendedafurther50-100 metrestotheleft,andwasencircledbytreesreachingoutoverthewater,placingiteffectivelynext tothewaterfall.

It was reassuring to read the Cruising Guide note …

“In order to hold your boat steady from the water swirl caused by the falls during heavy rain, there are two stern lines and two bow lines available, as shown in the sketch.

Be careful not to move too far back into the cove because it shallows rapidly. Allow for the 1.2-1.8 tidal range”

In the end, we dropped our anchor on approach, after which we ran out two stern lines and one bow line.

This had the effect of holding us extremely securely. We didn’t bother with an anchor alarm, figuring that if Chimere escaped this spider’s web of lines, she deserved a reward.

Soonafterturningofftheengine,wehadthedinghyovertheside,beingdrawntothewaterfall, withthoughtsofactuallyhavingaswim. Bynow,itwasaround4:00pmandtheafternoonsunwas alreadystartingtoclimbthewallsofthesurroundingmountains.

Allthewhile,thesandfliescontinuedtheirrelentlessattackasweusednetting,sprayandlayersof clothingindefence. Thispresentedaparticularchallengeinlightofthedecisiontomakeourway overtothenearbywaterfallforaswim. Swimmingnaturallyinvolvesbaringabitofskintothe elements,butthiswouldalltooreadilybebittenbythebugs! Intheend,thiscreatedawonderful incentive,ifonewasneeded,togetimmersedinthefrigidwaterassoonaspossible;coldwateris preferabletotheriskofbeingbittenagain.

Aftertheinitialtemperatureshock,nottomentionthesagaoffindingasuitablelandingspotfor thedinghy,plusapathovertherocksandthroughthebushinsearchofasafespottoenterthe stream,wehadawonderfultimeinthewater. Thesun’sraysonoursideofthefallsalmostgivea summerfeel,ifeversobriefly.

Prettysoon,ourpartofthevalleywasinshadows,anditwastimetomakeourwaybacktooursnug –andfullynetted–homeonthewater,withJamestakingchargeofdinner. Inthis,hemadegood useofthe“new”crayfish(rocklobster)giventoustwodaysago.

Withthedramaticsceneryjustgettingbetterandbetter,itwaswithconsiderableexcitementthat weanticipatedourarrivalinMilfordSoundthenextday. Theweatherlookedlikeremainingfine, anditwasherewewouldbeabletostringacoupleofnightstogetheratanchor–intheonespot–andwherewewouldhaveafulldaytoexploretheregion.

Fornow,itwastimetosleepsnuggly. Thethunderingroarofwaterthroughasteepcataractand overaseriesofrapidsjust100metresoffourbowbecomesjustanotherfeatureofthisamazing wilderness.

There’s Only One Milford Sound Soaking in the vibe of this place and after reading Cook’s journal, it is clear the great man would still recognise these waters should he happen to be alive today. Cook’s descriptive account from 1773 needs no editing …

“The country is exceedingly mountainous, not only about Dusky Bay, but through all the southern part of this western coast of Tavai Poenammoo (South Island, New Zealand).

Aprospectmorerudeorcraggy israrelytobemetwith;for inlandappearsnothingbut summitsofmountainsofa stupendousheight,and consistingofrocksthatare totallybarrenandnaked, exceptwheretheyarecovered withsnow. Buttheland borderingonthesea-coast,and alltheislands,arethickly coveredwithwood,almost downtothewater’sedge.”

UnlikeCook’sship,lifeaboardChimerewassomewhatmoreleisurely.

Thatsaid,wewerestillupat6:00andawayby7:00thenextmorning,slippingourthreelinesand liftingtheanchorinthepre-dawndarkness,beingsupercarefulnottosnaganythingontheprop. Beenthere,bro!

Sayingourgood-byestoAliceFalls,itwasthenanhourortwoofmotoringtotheentrance,allthe whilewatchingthesun’sraysslowlywakeupthemountaintopsabove.

-extract from the journal of Captain James Cook...

Cruising New Zealand - Fiordland

Once out at sea, it was a short sail up the coast, over flattening seas. Past Bligh and Sutherland Sounds to the entrance of Milford Sound and the towering mountains rising shear from the water’s edge. By noon we were rounding Saint Anne Point, past Anita Bay and into Milford Sound, for the 8mile journey to our anchorage for the night in Deepwater Basin.

Overtheyears,Ihadbeento MilfordSoundacoupleoftimes;as abushwalker,aswellasatourist. Butnothingquitecomparedto today’sencounter.

EnteringtheFiordundersail, aboardbyownweeship,was somethingelsealtogether. Thesun, thebreeze,theblueskyandof course,thespectacularscenery… aroundandabove…thesheercliffs, theglacieruponMountPembroke, StirlingandBowenFallsandtheallfamiliarvistalookingbackoutofthe SoundatMitrePeak…itwas perfect.

It's little wonder Milford stands out as the most impressive of all the Sounds. Evidence of this was clear in the ten-or-more tour boats, of varying sizes, doing their afternoon run. First, up the left side of the entrance, then home again down the right. The attraction for the many visitors is obvious, especially on a day like this.

Cruising New Zealand - Fiordland

At the point where it was clear we could sail no more, there was nothing left to do but round up into the wind, drop the main, roll up the jib and make our way past the red and green markers, down the short channel and into Deepwater Basin.

Well named, this enclosed parcel of water is 53 metres-deep, shallowing to around 20 metres at the edges, just a few metres from shore.

IntotheBasin,atoneend,flowstheCleddauRiver. Attheother,theArthurRiver. Bothofwhich depositsignificantamountsofdebris,logs,trees,branchesetc.,afteralmosteverystorm. Thiswas particularlythecaseoverthepastmonth,withtheaccessroadintotheregiononlyjustreopening afterseveralweeksofessentialreconstruction. Maybethisiswheretheparkbenchcamefromthat wesawfloatingbythatdayweleftStewartIsland.

Shortlyafterdroppinganchorinaround20metres,oursternashortdistancefromfast-drying mudflats,wereceivedavisitfromyachtiesoffaboatmoorednearby.Theywereveryhelpfulin pointingoutthemanyhazardsofanchoringintheseparts,suggestingweattachourselvestothe mooringtheyhadbeenoccupyingforthepastweeksincetheywereabouttoheadoff.

“Whoownsthemooring?”Iasked,notwantingtounknowinglycreate“ripples”. “AguycalledMannyofftheblackfishingboatinthecornerofthebaysaiditwasok.”…camethe almost-clearanswer.

“Doyouwantacrayfish?”themancontinued. Atwhichpointhehandedusaverymuchalive critter–“re-gifted”fromapresenttothem,fromtheirfont-of-local-knowledge,Manny.

“That’sreallygreat,thankyou,”Isaidastheymotoredofftoprepareforthesea.

Sometimelater,thefolksofasecondnearbyyachtmadetheefforttocomeoveraswell. They evenacceptedaninvitationtocomeaboardforacupofteaandsuggestedwecouldusethe mooringtheyhadbeenusing. They,too,wereheadingoffincompanywiththefirstyacht.

Duringourconversation,theyconfidedthatonarrivalafewdaysearlier,theyhadsnaggedtheir anchoronaverybiglog,nodoubtoneofmany,manylogslurkingbelow. Asitturnedout,theyhad spentadayandahalfretrievingtheiranchor. (Withthehelpoflocalidentityandfisherman “Manny”,asitturnedout) Theirunfortunatestoryessentiallyputsintowordsoneofmybiggest concernssofar.

TheyalsoconfirmedthatMannywouldbeagoodchaptomeetifonlytosayhelloandpickupany otherinformationwemightneed–suchaswhomtospeakwithaboutgettingwaterandfuelfrom thewharf.

Soonafterrepositioningtothenearbymooring,JohnandIlaunchedthelargedingyandzoomed acrosstoseethefisherman,Manny,himself;tointroduceourselvesandhaveachat.

Onarrivalandaftercallingouttheuniversal“AHOY”greeting,Mannyappeared;hisbodybarely visibleamongstthestacksofcraypots. “Comeaboard!”heyelled.

Makingourwayintothewarm,borderingonhotsaloon,wemetManny’swife,plusanolderbloke whoseemedtobeafriendand“helper”. Wetalkedaboutlifeatsea,thefishingindustry,andthat “yes”,itwasOKtousethemooringvacatedbytheotheryacht.

AsMannyexplained…“Andifanyonetellsyoutomove,tell‘emtorack!!!(heusedanotherword insteadofrack),andwhileyou’reatit,tell‘emMonkeysaiditwasOK”.

Theywerecertainlya“colourful”trio,withaturnofphraseandvocabularytomatch,aboardavery “distinctiveandunique”fishingboat. Aftermaybe30minutesorso,aswemadeourfarewells, Mannyasked…“Wouldyoulikeacrayfish?” “Thatwouldbefantastic”,wereplied.“Howmany onboardyourboat?”inquiredManny.

“There’sfiveofus”,repliedJohn. TowhichMannysaid…“Well,onebloodycrayfish(again,bloody replacestheactualwordused)won’tfillyou. Here,takethese”,ashepulledoutsevenfromhis hold. “Wow,that’samazing,THANKS”,Isaid.

ThenJohninquired,“Doyouknowanycrayfishrecipes?”

Asitturnedout,askingMannyaboutcookingcrayfishwasabitlikeaskingBubba,fromBubbaGump fame,abouttheShrimp’n’Business. WhatMannydidn’tknowaboutCrayssimplywasn’tworth knowing. Whatfollowedwasademonstrationofhowtotailandde-shellacray–inamatterof seconds,plusacrayfishfritterrecipeinvolvingonions,egg,milkandafewotheringredients. So,guesswhatwehadfordinnerthatnightandafewnightsthereafter?That’sright,crayfish fritters.Or,ifyoulikecrayfishhashbrowns…orburgers. Whichmayseemabitsacrilegioustothe lobsterpurists,buttheyWEREyummy.It’salsothesortofthingyouendupdoingafterbeinggiven atotalof16crayfish,bypassers-by,overaperiodofjust10days.

JourneyEnds

Afterablissfulsleep,itwasaparticularlylazystarttothenewdayaboardChimere,withthe morningsunhighlightingdifferentfacesandanglesofthemountaintopsthatframedthebackdrop toourworld,atleastourworldofthepast18hoursorso.

Whilstweusuallytoppedupthewater tanksusingouronboardwater-maker, whereavailable,wealwaysusedafree hosewheretheopportunitypresented itself. Plus,Ithoughtitprudenttopick upabitmoredieselatthenearby fisherman’swharf,particularlywhile theweatherremainedcalmandthere werefewotherboatsabout.

Onourwayovertothedock,JohnandIspiedtheenormousoutlineofacruiseshipoutinthe Sound,andashorttimelater,IthinkIsawasecond. Itseemedtheydidn’tstickaround. Their strategyistoprovidetheirpassengerswitha“drive-by-look”ratherthanan“off-the-boatwalk”. Still,therewasasteadystreamoflightplanes,helicopters,coaches,mini-buses,tourboatsand evenkayakflotillas(includingonshorepre-traininginthecarpark)underwayby9:30amwhenJohn andIcheckedoutthewharfoffice.

Asthewharfguyexplained,“Sure,youcanfillupwithwater…justtieupalongside. Andwe’vegot dieselat$2perlitre. NoEftposorelectronictransactionsthough,unfortunately. Cashispreferred here”.

Fortunately,Istillhadabitofcash.Justenoughtosecureanextra150litresofdiesel,justincase. Wealsotooktheopportunitytooffload14daysofaccumulatedrubbishinadumpsternearby.

Thewatertanksoverflowingandthedieselreservesreplenished,JohnandIputChimerebackon themooring,whileLinda,MattandJameswentforawalkdowntothewaterfront.

Sadly, our amazing time together was drawing to a close. In just two days, Linda, Matt and James would be home in Australia. Slipping back, as it turned out, just hours before COVID quarantine and isolation regulations for overseas arrivals were imposed.

For John and I, it would be ten days before the big COVID “reset” impacted us. Our arrival in Wellington after sailing together up the West Coast coincided with New Zealand’s decision to essentially lock the place down completely, limiting each person’s travel to just a few kilometres radius of their home.

Fiveweekslater,stillconfinedtolifeina marinaandnotallowedtowalkmuch pastthelocalsupermarket,Imadethe decisiontograboneofthelastflights hometoMelbourne,whereIdidmy obligatory14-daylock-upinacityhotel; attaxpayer'sexpense.

Fortunately,afriendkeptaneyeon Chimereinmyabsencebecauseit wasn’tforanother13monthsbeforeI wasabletoreturnandresumemy adventure.

Oh,andinclosing,doyourememberthe“Trans-TasmanBubble”? Thatmuch-anticipated opportunityforKiwisandAussiestooncemoretravelbackandforth…subjecttoeachlocation remainingCOVID-free.Well,inmyinnocence,afterfinallyresumingthevoyage,sailingfrom WellingtontotheBayofIslandsinpreparationforthehomewardleg,onlythendidIdiscoverthat the“TravelBubble”relatedtoairtravel,NOTtravelonaboat.

Asyoucanimagine,withthreecrewhavingflownintojoinmefortheleghome,itwasananxious7daywaittoreceiveanexemptionfromtherelevanthealthauthorities,toenterthestateofVictoria. SomethingIreallydidnotexpecttoreceive,givenpeoplewithdyingrelativesandfuneralsto attend,hadreportedlybeenknockedback.

WhethermycasefellunderoneorotherofthetwoallowablecategoriesofHardshipor Compassion,Ineverdiscovered,butonethingisforsure,ittooklessthan24hoursformetoclear NewZealandCustomsafterreceivingthebigticktore-enterVictoria.Butthat’sanotherstorythat youcanreadwhenyoucheckoutthefullShipsLogat…

Cruising New Zealand - Fiordland

About the Author

Rob Latimer is a cruising sailor and co-founder of the Australian aid group Medical Sailing Ministries Inc.

www.msm.org.au, plus the Vanuatu oral health funding-support group Tooth Buddies www.toothbuddies.com.au

Since 2009, Rob, along with dozens of enthusiastic volunteers, has used his yacht, Chimere, to transport health teams around the remote islands of Vanuatu. More recently, he has fulfilled a life-long dream to sail around New Zealand.

About the Boat

After 16 years and a recent change in his circumstances, Rob has reluctantly put Chimere on the market. Well-equipped for remote voyaging, Chimere has plenty of adventures left in her yet, as you can discover HERE

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