Ahoy Sailing Australia-South Pacific- April 2023

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Member Profile

#531 Loc & Dee – s.v Keira

Ahoy!WearefromYungaburra,FarNorthQld,andbothrecentlyretired(hopefully!!!).Lochas alwayssailedjustforfun,Deehasalwaystravelled,webothlovetheoceanandachallenge, andwestillpinchourselvestothinkweareactuallydoingit.Wearepassionateaboutsailing, exploring,self-reliance,funandembracingthenaturalworld.

WeboughtKeira31/2yearsagoinSydney,sailedherhomeandmovedaboard18months ago.Ourpreviousboatwasasteelfishingboatwerestored,furnishedwithadippinglugand cruisedNorthernQldintothegulf.Keirahasacolourfulhistory,andafantasticfreee-book (with700+photos)ofherglobalcircumnavigationas'Suka'in'82-'86isavailableat: rayjardine.com/adventures/1982-Suka/index.php

Weaimtocruiseaslongasweareableandarereallyenjoyingthe'notsurewhat'sgoingto happennext'part,Cheers,LocandDee.

DeeisalsoavisualartistHeracrylicpaintings areinspiredbythesea,boatsandhertravels withLocaboardKeiraPleasefeelfreetoview hergalleryat:www.beachwalkstudio.com.au

Enjoying the not sure what's going to happen next part!

s.v Keira

Kim H - Member Number 499.

You are this month's winner of the PredictWind Down Under Rally Members

Prize Draw

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

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Wewelcomeyoutoexperienceservicelikenootherwithinadynamicand comprehensivemarinecommunity.Wehaveabustlingmarinafacility whereyouwillfindawelcomingandfriendlyboatandsuperyachtyard withupto2000peopleonsiteanygivenday.Somecallitthepitstop destination,orasourcruisingcommunitycallsit...

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Servicing commercial & charter operators along with local Gold Coast BOATIES. We are centrally located between Brisbane City and Coolangatta Airport with only a 20 minute drive to the famous green and gold of the gold Coast i.e. rainforests and pristine beaches.

The Loss Of The Raindancer 'A lesson in preparedness'

On March 13, Rick Rodriguez and three friends were 13 days into what was expected to be a threeweek crossing from the Galápagos to French Polynesia aboard Raindancer a Kelly Petersen 44 when the worst happened. Below, in his own words, is Ricks's account of what happened, which he shares in the hope that all those who venture beyond the horizon are well prepared for any eventuality.

"WeweresittinginthecockpitofRaindancer,enjoyingsomehomemadePizzathatBiancawas makingfromarecipeoneofherfriendshadgivenher.

ItremindedusofadaywehadintheGalapagosbeforeourdeparture.Itwasabeautifulsunset, andourcrewandthecrewofSouthernCrosssharedamemorableeveningtogether,eatingpizza andtalkingabouthowluckyweweretobesailingacrossthePacificOceanwithfriendsandthe journeythatlayaheadofus.

Content&Images ©RickRodriguez

Rick, installing a new Hydrovane on Raindancer

The Crew Of The Raindancer

The Loss Of The

Fast forward a month, and there we were, the 4 of us. Myself, Alana, Bianca, and Simon on a 3100 nautical mile passage to the Marquesas from the Galapagos, with about 1400nm left to go. We were cooking that tasty pizza; we had good winds, sunny skies and were sailing at around 6kts. The second pizza had just come out of the oven, and I was dipping a slice into some ranch dressing when it felt like we ran into a concrete wall. I heard a loud crashing noise, simultaneous with a metal clanking. I heard Alana yell, "we hit a whale" then I looked to port and saw a huge whale, and blood was gushing out of the side of it as it began swimming down.

I told everyone to check the bilges and went down myself to check for water and collision damage. Within 5 seconds, the high-water bilge alarm went off, I could see water rushing in from the stern of the boat. At that point, I knew the damage was very significant and that, most likely, we were going to lose the boat.

Thecrewhadbegungatheringsafety equipment,supplies,emergencygear, electronics,etc.,andtheydidanextremelygood jobofit.Iwenttothebackoftheboattosearch forthesourceofthewaterAtthispoint,maybe30 secondshadgonebysinceimpact,andwhileIwas searchingtheaftbilges,rudder,andstuffingbox areas,thewaterhadalreadyfilledupabovethe floorItwasdifficulttolocatethesourcefromthe inside,withthewaterlevelsohighalready

Iwasnearlycertaintheboatwasgoingdownat arapidrate.Imadealastattempttoplugup waterintrusionfromtheoutsideOnmywayout,I helpedbringouttheLiferaftandgrabbedandset offoneofourEPIRBS,andmadeaVHFradio maydaycallIdeployedtheliferaft,anditinflated asadvertised.

I then realized that the sails were still up and the boat was still moving forward, and it put a lot of tension on the painter line of the Winslow Liferaft, which had automatically deployed a sea anchor. Afraid the painter would break, Bianca and I quickly put the sails away. While this was happening, Simon asked me, "should we launch the dinghy?" I said absolutely. Simon and Alana were launching our 10.5ft. Apex dinghy that was sitting upright and inflated on the foredeck.

The Crew Of The Raindancer

Rick Rodriguez

The Loss Of The Raindancer

biggest one being around the prop shaft. It seems part of the whale must have hit the shaft with a strong force and busted open the fibreglass around the shaft. It was a very awkward hole to try and plug with rags and a tarp. It had a stainless-steel shaft in the middle, and the holes around it were more like caves with broken pieces of fibreglass all around and inside it. In addition to this, I also noticed 2-3 full-length cracks, maybe an inch in diameter, along the base of the skeg where it meets the hull and about halfway down the skeg. I made attempts to shove a tarp in the hole (s), but it kept coming out. I tried to wrap the tarp around the damaged area consisting of the rudder, skeg, and prop shaft and tie it around itself, but the open ocean waves and swell made that difficult, and with a boat that was already 2/3 full of water at that point, I decided to forego my efforts and focus on the safety and survival of the crew.

Content&Images ©RickRodriguez

We started to load the dinghy up with as many supplies and emergency gear as possible. At this point, we could no longer fill up water jugs as the water level was above the sink. The toe rail was inches from the water. The girls were both in the dinghy waiting for Simon and I to join them. I paused for a moment and tried to think of anything else I could be forgetting or anything else I should do. I then took a moment to take in the scene of what was happening in a split second. I could feel my emotions wanting to rise to the foreground, but I quickly shoved them back down, and Simon and I stepped into the water just as the toe rail went under. I then swam to the Liferaft.

When I got in it, I looked back and could see the last 10ft of the mast sinking down at an unbelievable speed. Our painter line, which is designed to break before being pulled under with the boat, was still attached to the boat. Alana noticed it and shouted to cut it ... luckily, I had a Leatherman knife in my pocket and cut the painter as it was coming under tension.

Icouldfeelmyemotionswantingtorisetotheforeground,but Iquicklyshovedthembackdown,andSimonandIstepped intothewaterjustasthetoerailwentunder...

Rick & Alana in the tender tethered to the raft awaiting rescue

Rick Rodriguez and Simon Fischer in the life raft

The Loss Of The Raindancer

Wetookamomenttobreatheandthenbeganorganizingandtakinginventoryoftheitemsthatwe hadmanagedtosecure.

Thesunbegantoset,andsoonitwaspitchdark,andwewerefloatingrightsmackinthemiddleof thePacificOceanwithadinghyandaliferaft,hopefulthatwewouldberescuedsoon.AlanaandI wereinthedinghy,whichwassecuredtotheLiferaftbythreelines,onewithshockcordwehad linkedtogetherfromthetethersofourlifevests.Flyingfishkeptjumpinginthedinghythroughthe night,andthewindspeedincreased.Acrazymomentfloatingintheocean,lookingupatthestars.

wewerefloatingrightsmackinthemiddleofthePacific Oceanwithadinghyandaliferaft,hopefulthatwewould berescuedsoon

Someonewasalwayslookingoutforships,andweweremakingamaydaycallfromourhandheld radioeveryhour.Atabout0500zonMarch14th,Simonspottedthefirstlights.Thiswasshortly followedbyradiocontactfromtheSailingvesselRollingStones.Weallscreamedinreliefwhenwe heardthevoiceofGeoff(captainofRollingStones)overtheradio.Weweredamnnearrescued, andallwehadtodonowwassafelytransferourselvesandourlittlebelongingsontotheLeopard 45Catamaran.IsetoffaparachuteflareandactivatedmypersonalAISbeacontohelpthemwith ourlocation.

Oncetheyapproached,weallgotintothedinghyaswefeltitwouldbeeasiertomakethetransfer. WecamealongsideRollingStonesandthrewovertwolines.Theybroughtusin,andonebyone,we alldoveforwardontotheirsugarscooptransom,timingthewaveswitheveryJump.

Wewererescued..."

The crews of the Raindancer and the Rolling Stones aboard Rolling Stones after being rescued

AHOY Sailing

The Loss Of The Raindancer

Imsadtohavelostmyboat.Itwaseverythingtome.Itwasmore thanjustwhatIwasdoing,morethanjustmyhomewithallmy belongings,itwasapartofwhoIam.Butattheendoftheday, themostimportantthings,byfar,wererescued.

AhugethankyoutothecrewofRaindancerwhomademyjobeasy.I'msoproudofeveryonefor stayingcalm,gatheringemergencyequipment,andthewayeverythingwashandled—allthecredit tothem.

BigthankstomybrotherRoger;onceIknewhewasawareofthesituation,Iknewwewouldbeok.

BigthankstomyMumfordealingwiththechaosonthehomefrontandalltheemergencyphone callsfromthecoastguard.

HugethankstoTommyJoycefromSouthernCrossandmygoodfriendVinnyMattiola.Theywerein contactwithrescueboatsgivingthemaccurateinformationandadvice.Withoutthem,therescue wouldnothavegonesoswiftlyandsmoothly.

Ahugethankstotheentiresailingcommunityforcomingtogethertoaidinourrescue.Theonething I'vealwayslovedaboutsailingisthepeople.Wearetrulyaspecialgroupofpeople.I'mthankfulto beapartofsuchasupportivecommunity.

"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass it is about learning to dance in the rain"

Vivian Greene

Tender Moments...

DO YOU NEED TO REGISTER YOUR TENDER AS AN INDEPENDENT VESSEL ?

InAustralia,inbroadterms,atenderisonlyintendedtobeusedasaconveyancemethodoverashort distancefromshiptoshore.Itisnotintendedtobeusedasameanstogoexploring,fishingorsnorkelling oranyotheractivitiesInmoststates,youcangetfinedforusingyourtenderforfishingoranyactivitynote relatedtoship-to-shoreconveyance

Somestateshaveastrictrequirementthat“any”boatwithanenginehastoberegistered,regardlessofthe sizeoftheengineThisincludesoutboardsStatesthatallowtendersnottoberegisteredseverelylimitthe distancethatthetenderisabletooperateawayfromtheprincipalvessel

Mostpeopleusetheirtenderforactivitiesoutsideof“shiptoshore“conveyanceThispercentageincreases asthetendergetsbiggerwiththecapabilitytogofurtherandtodomoreseaactivities.Thismakesfora strongcasetoregisteryourtenderindependentlyoftheprincipalvesselWithanindependentregistration, youarenotlimitedandabletogosnorkellingorwhatever

AnimportantconsiderationisinsuranceThetenderisincludedasship’sequipmentandnotindependently registeredIfyouusethetenderoutsideof“ship-to-shoreoperations”thenliabilityissuesariseThereare caseswhereatenderhasbeenusedforwaterskiing,andanincidentoccurredTheinsurancecompanydid notcovertheclaims,andthepersondrivingbecamepersonallyliable.

Anotherconsiderationisbreakingthelaw.Insomestates,peoplehavebeenfinedforfishingoffthe tenderorthetenderbeingbeyondthelimitfromtheprincipalvessel

Thereiscarefulconsiderationneeded,especiallywhendecidingNOTtoregisteratender.Thecostof registrationissmallcomparedtothepotentialriskmostpeopletakewhetheritisfromaninsuranceorlegal perspective

Inbrief,thesituationinAustraliaisasfollows:

QLD–Tendersarerestrictedtowithin2nauticalmilesofthemothership

NSW–Tendersarerestrictedtowithin400metersofthemothership

NT–Therearenorequirementsfortheregistrationoftenders

Victoria–Tendersarerestrictedtowithin300metersofthemothership

SA–Allboatswithenginesneedtoberegistered

TAS–Tendersarerestrictedtowithin400metersofthemothershop

THECOSTOFREGISTERINGATENDERISRELATIVELYMINOR.

ISITNOTSAFERTOREGISTERANDHAVEPEACEOFMIND?

The Go East y y g that once participants arrive in New Caledonia, it is up to them to decide how long they stay, whether they would like to sail onwards to Vanuatu and when and from where they depart for the return voyage to Australia

For those who are keen to continue the adventure in company, there is the option of joining our NC2V Rally from New Caledonia to Vanuatu and our V2A Rally for the return voyage back to Australia from Vanuatu In the past, some participants have chosen to sail south to New Zealand with the Go South Rally and then cruise Tonga & Fiji with our mates from Island Cruising NZ the following year.

Or maybe you would like to spend cyclone season in the Solomon Islands like some of our other past participants? The choice is yours, and the Down Under Rally can assist with information to help you make an informed decision!

Bijoux - Fountain Pajot Salina 48 - Western Australia

Bliss - Balance 526 - Kong Kong

Bombora - Waller 1200 - Queensland

Breeze II -Moody 64 - Hobart

Cavallino III - Hampton 680 - Queensland

Desire - Adams 40 - Queensland

Double Play - Leopard 46 - Queensland

Hideway - Leopard 44 - Queensland

Iria - Condor Trimaran 12 5 Queensland

LaiLai Lady - Beneteau Oceanis 45 - Queensland

Levitha - Fountain Pajot Lavezzi 40 - Queensland

Mahalo V - Seawind 1200 - Queensland

Me & Mrs Jones - Beneteau Oceanis 48 - Victoria

mySerenity - Lagoon L400 - Queensland

Nautilus II - Lagoon 450S - Queensland

Pneuma - Schionning Cosmos - Queensland

Shelby - Lightwave 45 - Tasmania

Vamp - Van de Stadt 65 - Queensland

Vaquita - Bruce Roberts 44 - Queensland

Zero - Schionning 18 5 - Queensland

2023 REGISTRATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED JOIN US IN 2024

The Go East Rally will depart the Gold Coast in May for New Caledonia. Listed below and pictured from left to right and top to bottom on the next page are the 20 vessels that will be joining us.

WE ARE POSTING UPDATES ABOUT OUR PROGRESS ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGES:

Yachting World Vanuatu

Waterfront Bar and Grill Port Vila

We, as well as the Government authorities and resorts here, are all moving quickly to ensure Port Vila is cleaned up and repaired in time for the tourist season to begin at Easter.

Rest assured that all will be in order in time for the arrival of cruising yachts and our first rally in May. We are so looking forward to welcoming you all back in 2023.

See you soon

For the people of Vanuatu, particularly those in the more remote communities, having solar lighting means they have reliable, environmentally friendly & safe lighting as opposed to lights that require fuel and or batteries that need to be replaced frequently.

Lights For Vanuatu

UPDATE - 69 LIGHTS DONATED!

We are close to reaching our goal of providing at least 100 portable personal solar lights to the people of the remote Vanuatu island communities when we visit in August 2023 with the NC2V Rally. Donate a light for just $25.99 and we will deliver it! www.downunderrally.com/lights-for-vanuatu

The Rocket Cruising and Travel Guides offer you the perfect way to experience Vanuatu, so when you arrive for the first time, it will be like you’ve been there before.

See our Cruising Vanuatu presentation Video on the Rocket Guide Youtube Channel below.

CRUISE IN COMPANY CRUISE IN COMPANY

Departs Fiji in September Departs Fiji in September

LEARN MORE

LEARN MORE

LEARN MORE LEARN MORE

Arrive In Australia Between September & November

SailingwithTheDownUnderRallyprovidesourrallyparticpantswith SailingwithTheDownUnderRallyprovidesourrallyparticpantswith accesstotheknowledgeandtherelationshipswehavegainedover accesstotheknowledgeandtherelationshipswehavegainedover manyyearsofcrusingintheSWPacific&Australia. manyyearsofcrusingintheSWPacific&Australia.

IInadditionourrallyparticipantshavetheopportunitytovisit nadditionourrallyparticipantshavetheopportunitytovisit destinationsthatmayotherwisenotbeanoption. destinationsthatmayotherwisenotbeanoption.

Andwehaveplentyoffunintheprocess! Andwehaveplentyoffunintheprocess!

I have been really happy with the Australian cruising community's reaction to Cruising the Queensland Coast since I first released it as an eBook in November 2021.

I included all of the things I wanted in a guide, which made it a big undertaking. I wanted it to be connected to all the online information sources you need and I wanted detailed and exact information on anchorages, including the location of reef edges and bommies. As an eBook, the guide is connected with live links. Simply clicking on a link takes you there, and for exactness, you click on an anchorage and it imports it into your navigation software be it Navionics or C-Map and you can also save it to your plotter. A lot of people, John Hembrow included, really liked this new approach.

Since I first published the eBook there have been constant requests for a print version. With the release of the second edition at the end of 2022 and the maturing of the book, I thought it was a good time to do a print version. As with the eBook, the presence of a ⎈ icon indicates there is a downloadable navigation file available. The book comes with a downloadable archive of all GPX anchorages, public moorings, marinas, public pontoons and passages. Simply find the file matching the name in the archive to use. I must admit it is nice to have the book open on your lap and be able to flick through it.

The print version is available from many chandleries and also directly from me.

Order Your Print Version here:

curlewescape.com.au/book/cruising-the-queensland-coast-book.html

SAILMAKING EVOLVED

EvolutionSailsAustralia hasbeenthelocalsail loftofchoicesupportinglocalsailorsandcruisers visitingtheGoldCoastformorethan30years.

LocatedcentrallyontheGoldCoastin Queensland,EvolutionSailsprovidea full design,manufactureandserviceloft forthe EastCoastofQueensland. Ourexperienced sailmakersspecialiseincruisingandracingsails foryachts,catamarans,sportsboatsand dinghies.

EvolutionSailsGoldCoast arefully qualifiedsailmakerswith over100 combinedyearsofsailingandracing experience makingandrepairingyour high-techracingorcruisingsails,boom bagsandcovers.

Repairsandre-cuts aredonepromptly andefficientlywithafastturnaround time.

Complimentingourfullrangeofservices are Boombagstack-packs,boom covers,trampolines,ropeand chandlery.

ASK US ABOUT DOWN UNDER RALLY MEMBER DISCOUNTS

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

DISCOUNTS FOR DOWN UNDER RALLY MEMBERS

What is an Adventure?

Ifyouareluckyasyourlifevoyageevolves,youwillmeetsomepeople youadmirealongtheway, andmaybethosesamepeoplewillinspireyoutodowhatyoudesirebutareunsureifyoushouldor could.

Forme,DonMcIntyreisoneofthosepeople.ImetDonalittleovertenyearsagoinFiji.Atthetime, Don`sboat ICE, a50-footMotorSailor,wasonthehardinVudaPointMarina,anddespitehimnot beingadrinker,DonregularlyjoinedtheyachtiesattheIslandBarforsundowners.

IhadnoideaIwasinthepresenceofalegend.Donwasjustlikeanyotheryachty,andhemadeno attempttoimpresswithwhatInowknowtobealifefilledwithadventureandachievement.Forthat matter,itwouldbequitesometimebefore Donmentionedhehadmadeasailingdocumentary and thathethoughtImightenjoywatchingit.Thatdocumentarywascalled Knockdown,thestoryofhis timeasacompetitorinthe1990/91BOCaroundtheworld.

Soonafterwards,I watchedasecondDonMcIntyredocumentary, TwoBelowZeroTogetherAloneAYearinAntarctica.ItwasthenIrealised Donisthelivingdefinitionofthewordadventure. DespitefollowingDon'smanyadventuresovertheyearsandoccasionallygettingintouch,Itwas notuntilthisyearthatIlearnedthatwithoutDonMcIntyre,thenowwell-knownstory(thanksto NetFlix)of JessicaWatson's achievementsastheyoungestpersontosailsolo,nonstoparoundthe world,atage16wouldlikelyhaveneverbeentold. ItwasDonwhogaveJessicaherboat, PinkLady

There are many, many others who have been the beneficiaries of the kind, supportive & generous nature of Don McIntyre, as you will discover for yourself if you visit the about Don page of the McIntyre Adventures website and I would just like to say Good Onya Don!

“Any activity with an unknown outcome”.

Don McIntyre

Discounts for Down Under Rally Members

Shore Based Courses

Hands On Sail Training

Your Boat Or Ours

RYA & YACHTING AUSTRALIA ACCREDITED

ABOUT SUNSHINE SAILING AUSTRALIA

Sunshine Sailing Australia's sailing school is recognised as one of Australia’s leading sail training and experience providers. With sailing lessons taught in the class room and on the waters around Mooloolaba, Gold Coast, Whitsundays Islands, Lord Howe Island and Brisbane.

learn2sail.com.au

Why Two Apps?

Between the PredictWind and Offshore Apps, we have you covered with worldleading forecasts and marine tools no matter where you are in the world.

But why the need for two apps? In a nutshell, the PredictWind App is for coastal applications with access to mobile data coverage and the Offshore App is optimised for satellite connections

Watch the video below to learn more about each app so that you can decide which on is the right fit for you.

AUSTRALIA TO INDONESIA AUSTRALIA TO INDONESIA

THREE DIVISIONS* THREE DIVISIONS*

*Yachts who wish to participate under Rally conditions may enter DIV 2 or 3 and advise race officials of their intention to motor.

The Dinah Beach Cruising Yacht Association is thrilled to be running the annual Spice Islands Darwin Ambon Yacht Race in August 2023.

The Spice Islands Darwin Ambon Yacht Race is a 630nm international sailing classic, starting at Stokes Hill Wharf, Darwin and finishing in Ambon, Indonesia.

NOTICE OF SAILING EVENT NOTICE OF SAILING EVENT

Thesoutheasttradewindsdominatethe weatherandcanprovidewonderfulreaching conditionsthroughthetropicalwaters.The fastestyachtstakejustovertwodays,whilstthe morerelaxedsailorscantakeuptosixdaysto gettotheracefinishatthesmallvillageof Amahusu

ThepeopleofAmbonprovideawarmwelcome toeveryoneinvolvedintheraceandmakesure toturnonthehospitalityduringtheraceweek ThelocalsinAmahusuwillbeonhandtohelpout withinformationandintroductionswhenever youneedanything,thewarmthandfriendliness ofthepeopleaddsomuchtowhatalreadyisa fantasticrace

Andthereareplentyofopportunitiestosharetime

together Whetheritbethroughthevisittoalocal school,thegamesorganisedbetweenthelocals andthecrews,ortheinjectionofmoneyintothe localeconomy,youleaveAmbonfeelinglikeyour presencethere,andtheraceitselfmakesareal differencetopeople’slives

Ambonisanidealplacetofurtherexplorethe cruisingpleasuresofSouthEastAsia,oryoucan enjoyaleisurelyisland-hoppingcruisebackto Darwin.

TheracestartsinDarwinonSaturday,August5,andtheweekbeforebringsplentyofopportunity toexperiencesomeofthedelightsofthisvibrantcapitalcity BorderForceandImmigrationofficials willbeonhandatthestartandfinishtofacilitatetheexitandentryformalities

Withloadsoffacilitiesavailableforyachties,besuretofactorinsometimetoenjoythesights ofDarwin.DarwinHarbourismorethanthreetimesthesizeofSydneyHarbour,andthespectacular dryseasonweatherandsunsetsaretheperfectbackdroptoyouranchorageormarinaberthasyou preparefortherace

Theraceorganiser,DinahBeachCruisingYachtAssociation(DBCYA),issituatedontheeastsideof thepeninsularandoffersarangeofDIYfacilities,includingcareeningpolesandahardstand It'salso agreatsocialhubwithalicencedbar,foodandfreeliveentertainmentthreenightsperweek It'sa greatplacetocatchupwithfellowsailorsandsharesomestories,tipsandtricksoveracolddrinkor two.

To find out more about the race and the club, head to www.dbcya.com.au/darwin-to-ambon or email secretary@dbcya.com.au

TheDownUnderRallyhasalong-standing relationshipwithDAZMAC,whoarecustoms brokers TheDownUnderRallyrecommends contactingDAZMACtogetaquotefromthemto actasyouragentshouldyouberequiredto importorre-importavessel

Youcanmakeanobligation-freeenquirywith DazmacviathefollowingpageoftheDown UnderRallywebsite: wwwdownunderrallycom/agents DiscountsforDownUnderRallyMembers.

THE PEOPLE YOU MEET

Oneofthebenefitsofbeingactivelyinvolvedwiththecruisingcommunityisthat,overtheyears, astheorganisersofthe DownUnderRally,wehavemetalotofcruisers,manyofwhomhailfrom portsallovertheworld.

LastyearwemetDan&JillyfromtheUSAwhentheyarrivedinBundabergasparticipantsinthe GoWestRally aboard Dazzler.

Asoftenhappens,wehadbeencommunicatingelectronicallywithDan&Jillylongbeforewe actuallymetface-to-face.Itwasareferenceto'GrapeApe'inoneoftheiremailsthatsparkedmy curiosityandledmetotheirwebsite DazzlersWatch.Irememberthatasachild,Ienjoyedwatching acharactercalled GrapeApe inacartoon...hmmmcouldthisbethatGrapeApe?

ItturnsoutthatGrapeApeisthe3rdCrewMemberaboard Dazzler.Notunlikethefabled'Murphy' whoseanticsarewellknown,on Dazzler,itisGrapeApewhoisresponsibleforallthose unexplainableeventsthathappenaboardattheworstpossibletime,andassuch,oftenfeaturesin theirblog.

Thatblogiswhatleadmetowritethisarticle.Dan&Jillyhavecreatedanentertainingand informativeaccountoftheiradventuresandexperiencessailingfromtheUSAtoAustralia.

Likemanyofus,aninterestinsailingcamelaterinlifeforDan.Jilly,however,hadarecreational boatingbackground.Therest,astheysay,ishistory.DanbecameCaptainDan&afewyearslater, Jillyjoinedhimaboard Dazzler asthe'bestmate'.Akeensenseofadventureandacommitmentto preparednessandsafetyservedthemwellintheyearsthatfollowedastheybegantheadventure ofalifetimesailinghalfwayaroundtheworld.

Forthoseofyoureadingthisthatareplanninganadventureofyourown,youmightliketocheck outtheirwebsiteDazzlersWatch,asthereisatonofreallyusefulinformationthatisalsopretty entertainingtoread,includingseveralpostsabouttheirtimeinFiji&Vanuatuandtheir experoancesailingto&arrivingAustralia. www.DazzlersWatch.com

By David Tanner

Black Waste

The War between Good & Evil.

If you imagine your black tank as a fish tank in your lounge room, then you are on the right path to understanding the right and wrong ways to look after waste on your boat and do your bit for the environment.

The cardinal rule is that if you put anything in your black tank, then you need to ask, if I put that same thing in the fish tank, would the fish live or die?

By David Tanner

If the answer is that the fish are dead, then you have no cause to complain about the smell.

There are two types of bacteria at play here – Aerobic with carbon dioxide/water as a by-product and anaerobic with Hydrogen sulphide/methane gas as a by-product. The goal is to have a black tank full of aerobic bacteria (let's call them the fish) and not anaerobic ones.

Unfortunately, we are encouraged to do things and put things into black tanks that and not always in the best interests of good tank ecology. The simplest way to understand this is if you have purchased a product from a supermarket for cleaning your toilet, then this is the start of your problem.

Tank management chemicals are largely part of the problem also, although there are some that seek to promote the growth of good bacteria, but in the main, most are masking agents and a waste of money. The problem with store-bought cleaning agents is that they are either high in alkaline of high in chlorine – both enemies of aerobic bacteria.

SO,WHATISTHEBESTWAYTOMANAGEYOURBLACK TANK?

Ensurethatyourtankhasgoodventilation.Isubscribe totheviewthatthereisnoneedtohaveacarbonfilter onawell-managedtank.Havingagoodventisessential, twoisevenbetterasencouragingoxygeninyourblack tankbywhatevenmeansisimportanttothehealthof yourblacktank.

Fromneworarebirthofyourtank(thoroughrinse), flushhalfakiloofbrownsugardownyourtoilet.Brown sugarisfoodforaerobicbacteria;callitastarter culture.Inthewarbetweengoodandevil,makingsure thataerobicbacteriafirstensurethatthebadguys (anaerobic)don’tgetalookin. Everytimeyouemptyyourtank,dropinsomesugar. Justhowmuchisalwaysadifficultquestionastank sizeisvariable,butkeepitup,andovertimeyouwill getahandleonjustwhatyouneed.

Vent filters can block if they get moisture on them. They also don’t allow for much oxygen to enter the tank. I have seen blocked vent filters where Hydrogen sulphide gas under pressure is bubbling back through the toilet. Hydrogen sulphide gas is heavier than air gas which is extremely dangerous. Methane is also produced and is equally something you do not want entering the cabin of your vessel.

Never use cleaning agents, chlorine, oil or anything else in your tank; simple soap and water are all you need to clean with.

SUMMARY

MostcomplaintsIhearregarding toiletsystemsandtanksaresmell related,andmy firstanswerto thatistosay that,mostlikely,you arenotmanaging yourblack wastecorrectly.

Hydrogensulphidegasisrottenegg gasandthemainby-productof black wastepoorly managedon aboat

Feedyourfishtank andfollowtheabovesimplerules,andyou will nothavesmell issuesonyour vessel.

ABOUTTHEAUTHOR

DavidTanner,GeneralManagerofStellaMarine,isanoldguythat hasspenthisentireworkinglifeandpossiblymostofhischildhood inthemarineindustry.

Inthesepast30years,hehasbeeninvolvedwiththedesignand managementofmarinewastesystemsinvessels,bothcommercial andprivate.

Theadviceaboveisnotmeanttobeatextbook,althoughonecould surelybewritten.Thebriefpointsabovearereal-worldobservations fromyearsofexperience,notfromaPhDinscience.

Stella has vast experience in servicing and installing marine toilets as well as sewage treatment systems, including MARPOL-approved units. From providing a complete specification for your Superyacht to getting your toilet working on your day boat, book with the team at Stella for the right experience and right advice.

ROCNA PROVES ITSELF ONCE AGAIN

I was recently introduced to Peter Smith (PeterSmith.net.nz) by Rocna Anchors Australia. Peter is the designer of the Rocna Anchor range and a true adventure sailor. Anyway, I took a look at his Facebook feed and came across a post by @Seaport Supply Cape Town from a few years back.

"Long-time customer and friend Keith Wetmore sent us these pictures. He was unable to bring his yacht Boaz safely into Gordons Bay Harbor in gale force South Easterly winds and had to anchor out in the bay for two days until the wind died down. Boaz is a 35-ton steel hull motor sailor, and Keith said that they played cards in the saloon quite comfortably during this time. He was amazed that the anchor never let go, especially with the way the boat was snubbing heavily at the end of each arc "

Facebook: @Seaport Supply Cape Town

Instagram: @seaport supply cpt

Photo credit: Skipper and owner of SV Boaz – Keith Wetmore. Facebook: @Rocna Anchors Australia

Living The Dream...

By Alan Pascoe

TwinLagoons

CalamianArchipelago

Palawan,Philippines

Living The Dream...

After some 130,000nm and living aboard Screensaver for 15 years, we have experienced everything from some of the world's best cruising along with the good, the bad and the ugly. Our typically cursing ground is Australia to New Caledonia through to the Northern tip of the Philippines and west as far as the Andaman Islands, which belongs to India and everything in between. For those who are interested in our past, current, & future adventures, please visit our website: www.screensaver49.wordpress.com

By Alan Pascoe

The article below about our trip from the Philippines to Sydney opens up a new reality that is seldom told, and indeed, one part of it we hope is never to be repeated.

The Philippines is not a traditional cruising ground for many. Having spent some four-plus years there, it has much to offer, including thousands of anchorages and islands, a western cultural slant in the background brought about by the US historical involvement and some of the best sailing in this part of the globe while retaining its own integrated culture. But as our maximum visitor visa came to an end and the Covid risk diminished slightly, it was sadly time to leave.

Living The Dream...

There are generally two reasons cruisers don’t go to the Philippines.

Typhoons

By Alan Pascoe

Typhoons in the Philippines are initially named by the Japan Met office however, the rating or classification varies because some countries use sustained winds over a 1-minute period while others might go to 10 minutes, hence why for example, a Cat 1 in Australia is typically worse than in the Philippines. Then there is the gust rating which could be 3 minutes or 3 seconds like in Australia, plus the height at which it is measured. But effectively, anything that has form (i.e. runs in a circle) and meets the averages above and is above gale force (i.e. 34 knots) is the beginning of a typhoon rating. So, as I sit in Lake Macquarie in 38-41 knots, this could be classed as a typhoon if it had circular motion, yet it has happened twice in the two months we have been back here.

As for the safety aspect, well as this cruiser writes this, he wonders about the Perth Lady walking her baby who got mugged, or the teenagers charged, or the shootings, and in my particular firsthand experience on one of the top Marinas in Sydney where the boat next door got firebombed, really is the Philippines riskier? No, it's not!

Sailing down the East coast of the Philippines is like day sailing down the East Coast of Australia. As you jump off the end of the Philippines you enter Indonesia.

Living The Dream...

By Alan Pascoe

Indonesia, for many cruisers is a love-hate relationship, but it is a cyclone/typhoon-free zone and for this cruiser has one of the world's top spots, from a typology viewpoint, Rja-Ampat.

Living The Dream...

By Alan Pascoe

The diving is quite impressive, and the scenery is right up there with some of the top spots in the world. What’s more special for us is it’s not overrun with tourists, partly because it’s a little challenging to get there without your own boat and you must be well stocked.

The water here is cleaner than in any other part of Indonesia, the scenery is better, and you can enjoy a quiet bay often solely on your own, or you might be able to find another cruiser to enjoy sundowners on the beach with if you go looking.

As you cross the border between Indonesia and enter Papua New Guinea (PNG), the coastline continues, and you wouldn’t know.

But the subculture does change, perhaps due to nearly 30 years of difference in the independence and the political administration challenges.

Living The Dream...

By Alan Pascoe

Papua New Guinea, Is arguably one of the last frontiers and, as such, has some of the remotest places, some of the oldest traditions still being used, the least technologically advanced, some of the nicest un-spoilt people & places, along with risks of a wild frontier. Having been to PNG three times before, this trip would take us straight down the east coast of PNG, through Louisiade’s and onto Australia.

Traditional open-air markets, common throughout Asia and the Pacific, are your main food source. The more remote Islands generally retain a welcoming and inquisitive culture ruled locally where everyone knows everyone. The turmoil of towns is not so prevalent, which is one reason we chose to keep away from mainland PNG as much as possible.

But as mentioned, PNG is one of the last frontiers; one must remember this fact: You are on your own, in their world, and you are considered wealthy.

Living The Dream...

By Alan Pascoe

As a visitor in these remote places, you are often treated as special and invited into their homes and to their way of life, sharing whatever they have to offer. They will teach you their traditions with pride and, on several occasions, we had dinner and food prepared just for us. In some cases, they showjustasmuchinterestinwhat,how&whywedowhatwedoandarekeentohearourstories.

If you think you're going to sit quietly in some exotic or faraway land sipping your G&T with white sand and palm trees, this is unlikely to happen. You will likely find that many canoes will be coming to trade or perhaps even just to have a look There is no marina hoping either, so you are in a new farawayland,wherefishing,freedivingandafternoonnapsareawayoflife.

We arrived in the middle of a squall and virtually anchored unseen, with the obligatory canoes coming out a bit later. All seemed normal, with one banana boat turning up. One large guy, whowas said to be on the tourism council, and another well-built local, who was said to be the Police (with nexttonoEnglish).

After some discussion with the Tourism guy, he asked on behalf of the Police if he could stay on board with us, saying he didn't think it was safe here. I had no way of knowing really who either of them was. Neither had any cards or ID. I asked him if he thought we should leave now, and he said no, and they said they would come back and help us with our shopping. So, given the uncertainty of his position and the Police, we elected to stay, do our last shop via them and leave, but neither of thetwoguysinthebananaboatreturnedorwereeverseenagain.

My research had suggested most of the violence was on mainland PNG, and as far as New Britain was concerned, it was up the eastern end near towns back in 2004. Yanina had been to shore and found a very helpful local lady who showed her around and helped, in the end, finding a missionary couple who had lived here for some years. I typically try to maintain a low profile while ensuring to be polite. However, it's not so easy if you're a blond woman (extrovert) in a place like this and get dragged off to church trying to find things. In the end, the missionary couple were very helpful in bringing us some diesel, LPG, vegetable, eggs, cheese etc., and we spent a great afternoon together onScreensaver,planningtoleavethenextmorning.

We asked them about our safety and talked about different places to anchor. We were encouraged to anchor over the other side and also up a little V cut out. I liked the cutout, but it just didn't have the swing room. Moving over the other side, 300m seemed insignificant. Earlier in the day, I remember a couple of bangs or cracks and wondering at the time if this was a gun or what. We have been told that after the war, many guns were buried on Good Enough Island in oil or fuel back in wartime, and these have recently been found and sold. Whether this is true or not, I have yet to learn.

With any frontier-type location, it can all go wrong, and it did. Here is what happened...

Living The Dream...

By Alan Pascoe

Sometime around midnight, our alarm went off, indicating movement, inside, I reached over to see if Yanina had inadvertently trigged it, and in that instant, I knew we had been boarded.

I reached for the machete placed beside the bed and the torch, and within those few seconds, the first guy was inside and charging at me with what looked like a locally made gun, and the second guy was right behind him.

The look on this guy’s face was terrifying, and I will never forget it as he charged. I swung the machete as hard as I could, knocking the gun out of his hands. From there, we crashed around inside the boat fighting, him holding on to the blade and launching punches’ at my face causing the loss of a few more teeth, a black eye and a head butt I cut my lip all the way through as I was trying to get another swing with the manchette.

In the meantime, a second guy is beating me over the head and on the back with something heavy and sharp, while a third has Yanina cornered after striking her arm and forcing the collection of mobile phones (4) my fake cash wallet loaded with expired cards and believe or not an SD card which had pictures on it from before Madang until here.

Had I known there were four of them and that’s what they wanted, I have thought (after the event) perhaps I should have done nothing and wondered where that would have finished up. I would have just let them have the phones and cash, but seeing only one and a gun pointed at me, rightly or wrongly, I reacted the way I did.

I know now also that if I had a gun, I could and would have used it without any more hesitation than I had in the initial charge, something I was unsure about before. When I have considered arms before, many have said its one thing to have one and it will escalate things, its another thing to be first to use it (which you need to be because if your second, your dead)

Eventually, I was pinned down, bleeding badly from my head and shoulder and hands with many other cuts.

Living The Dream...

By Alan Pascoe

I thought I must have passed out from this point because I do not remember what happened from here up until Screensaver's engine was started by Yanina, and I was now in the cockpit with no idea how I got there. Yanina tells me I did not pass out I was always responsive, so I guess the trauma has blocked these memories.

I remembered the Missionary guys had a VHF and used it to chat with another friend, in the vain hope that it was on, I called them, and anyone else who would possibly answer, but all was quiet. I pondered triggering the EPIRB, but I had my doubts as to how much and from where any help would come, and I was confident it wouldn’t come quickly.

I managed to notify my family via HF Sailmail, which was our only form of communication, and they got in contact with the Department of Foreign Affairs, who eventually offered to help us get to Moresby or out somehow and provide some security.

After tossing things around in my head, I figured that apart from stitches, the most useful medical help would be a CT scan. Initial thoughts and later confirmation were that this could only come from Port Moresby, and getting there, dealing with security if I left, and Yanina’s wellbeing etc., in my absence were all problematic. So we head for Trobriand Islands.

Over the next 24 hours, I guess as the adrenaline dropped away, I lost all my strength, and the pain started to creep in. Yanina is physically recovered, although she will be left with a scar on her arm that will take some time to fade. Emotionally the trauma still haunts her at night with any odd noise and the boat is locked up tight.

As weeks pass, my wounds are healing, my dizzy spells or vertigo is slowly abating, my strength is slowly returning tomy arms,andtheflashing inthecornerof my eyesisalsoslowly reducing.

Giventhelossof someteethandafewscars,Inowfitin&look morelikealocal.Emotionally alotof soul-searching has gone on, a lot of questions remain, and I am hopeful a change in country will helpputsomeof itbehindme

Living The Dream...

The Louisiade Archipelago, however, are still considered safe, and there are a number of people who go there each year and have done so for many years, both before, during and after the Lousiades Rally that used to go there from Australia. We spent some time there in recovery mode, meeting some very nice people.

By Alan Pascoe

Living The Dream...

LESSONSLEARNED:

By Alan Pascoe

Risk assessment: Clearly, given what has happened, the route I chose was a bad decision on my behalf. There are aspects in all cultures that can tend to stand apart, in this instance, they are loosely called rascals. We all assess our risks in different ways, and what we do can sometimes result in the risk materializing, be they small or large, as in our case. I think the level of violence we experienced in this area is more commonly associated with the mainland but is perhaps creeping further afield. So I would now classify mainland risk to include the mainlands of New Britain, New Ireland and Bougainville. The Piracy attacks shown on the likes of ICC are 99% commercial and are of little consequence to the cruiser. Google and Noonsite are your best sources, followed by other cruiserswhohaveactuallybeenwhereyou’replanningtogo.

Alerting/Early Warning: Being mindful of where you are and having some sort of alarm system that picksupintrudersasearlyaspossiblecanalsobehelpful.

Personal Protection: We had Mace Spray, and in the confined and in close proximately, this would have been a better choice. For an approaching boat, we have 100m of nylon floating rope, and the plan was to feed that out the back to try and get it caught in their propellor if we were ever concerned about an approaching boat. Some years ago, when I was looking at transiting the Suez Canal, I paid a professional armed mercenary type (X special forces) to advise me regarding carrying a gun which was not something I condoned. In short, his advice was that pulling a gun or showing it would escalate things, and you must be the first to shoot, not second, not hesitate. Back then, I assumed I would hesitate, but I know now that when faced with potential death and I struck with the machete, there was no hesitation, and I wasn’t concerned with whether I hit his head or face as he charged at me with a gun. If I had a gun, for sure, there would be one or two fewer people walking the earth.

Money/Wallets/Jewellery: My plan for the fake wallet did work, although not exactly as I imagined. Yep, they took the wallet for sure, which had expired cards in it, some more than 3 years old, plus a bunch of Indonesian money, looking like it was full rather than my real wallet. As a courtesy, we notified the bank, who immediately shut down everything, even though I still had all current cards and the ones the rascals took had expired at least 3 years ago. Interestingly the bank stated they could still be used. The costume jewellery that we left lying around in lieu of the real stuff was not taken, but I still think this was a good idea. The loaded wallet was a good idea, but the old cards were problematic.

Computers/Electronics: I do not have a laptop, some years ago, I moved to IntelNUC, a great device thatmostdon’tevenknowwhatitis.Sowedidnotloseanylaptopsorcomputerstuff.

Summary:

So if your coming (or going) the way I came (down the northern side of PNG ), you should rethink yourrisksbecauseitcanhappentoyou.Ifyoustillplantodoit,makesuretheweatherallowsyouto keep going nonstop and plan to sail from Vanimo if you stop there or Madang through to Louisades nonstop,nolights,noAIS,andatleast10nmoffthecoastandnotviaTiazstraight.Forme,whenIgo backtoPhilippinesfromAustraliaitwillnotbethatwayIcame.

By Chris Rose

CRUISING THE KIMBERLEY

An AHOY Sailing Series

In this instalment of the Sailing No Regrets Circumnavigation Of Australia series, we leave Ruby Falls at Red Cone Creek and head to the epic Horizontal Falls in The Kimberley. On route, we come across a Humpback whale and its calf relaxing in one of the many bays along this truly spectacular coastline. Soon after our arrival, we head off in our tender for a preview before jumping on the charter tour to see the falls flowing at a mighty pace. Afterwards, we head off again in our tender up Cyclone Creek where we once again encounter huge currents and spectacular cliffs.

By Chris Rose

Described by Sir David Attenborough as “one of the world’s greatest natural wonders”, a visit to the Kimberley could not be considered complete without visiting the Horizontal Falls.

Having long been on my must-see bucket list items, sailing our own boat to this iconic location added a feeling of achievement to the satisfaction of achieving a goal.

About the Horizontal Falls.

Unlike a traditional waterfall, the Horizontal Falls are formed by the powerful tides as water rushes horizontally through two narrow gorges in Talbot Bay in the Buccaneer Archipelago, which of course, reverse with each tidal change. The twin gaps are part of the McLarty Ranges, which have two ridges running parallel approximately 300 metres apart. The first and most seaward gap is about 20 metres wide, and the second most spectacular gap is about 10 metres wide

This location has no road access; only boats and seaplanes can visit. Talbot Bay’s tidal range is typically around 8-9 metres, but during the summer king tides, it reaches a huge 13 metres. These massive tidal movements create a waterfall effect as water builds up on one side or the other of the gaps faster than it can flow through them, creating a waterfall of up to 4 metres high.

Timing Our Arrival

Wanting to time our arrival with the spring tides, we explored the nearby Red Cone Creek with the beautiful Ruby Falls and Little Ruby Falls (also known as Sapphire Falls) to wait for the best tides during our stay

With the larger tides approaching, we headed across Collier Bay between Kingfisher and Melomy Islands

Although we believed the charts showed 2 metres LAT across the gap, if you do follow our path, keep closer to Melomy Island, where we found much greater depth. Closer to Kingfisher Island is very shallow and rocky.

These waters are murky, so you cannot see the underwater obstructions, and hitting something causing severe damage could be a catastrophic end to your adventures.

During our visit, there was very little Navionics sonar chart data, but it has been considerably updated at the time of writing this article.

By Chris Rose

After crossing the Caesar Channel, we made our way with the incoming tide, weaving between the islands with strong currents up to the fall's anchorage.

Passing on the southern side of Slug Island, which did look like a giant slug stretched across the water, our charts had no depth information on the northern side.

Luckily, we did not encounter any pearl farms marked on the charts making our entry easier.

Anchoring just north of the Horizontal Falls and the floating hotel in around 10 metres of water, we watched the seaplanes land and take off alongside No Regrets.

By Chris Rose

You need to allow for plenty of anchor scope as although we usually encountered little wind in the Kimberley, we experienced 15-20 knots during that night, plus the powerful tidal flows. With a 9-metre tidal range, it tested our anchor holding. Once safely re-anchored in the morning, with all our 70 metres of chain now out, we radioed the hotel on the VHF to book a speedboat tour. The rate of water flow at its fastest can be around 30 knots, so our little tender just isn’t going to be up to the task, and the tour boats have four big outboards totalling a whopping 1200 horsepower, which gives a little idea of the currents encountered.

With our tour booked for the following morning, we decided to explore the first fall as the flow slowed with the incoming tide nearing its peak Cruising through the first tight gorge in our tender was terrific, and although still flowing at several knots was managed by our 18-horsepower outboard The incredible flow of the tight gorge gap formed huge, powerful whirlpools. Between the two gorges is an area that opens, and the water calms before leading to the second and much tighter gorge

As we approached, we could see a trail of foam extending away from us into the bay on the other side From our position, we could also see the 2-metre drop in water level as it passed through this tight gorge. As such, we were EXTREMELY careful not to get too close as we could easily be sucked through

There are numerous tales of boats trying to pass through the gorge in fast-flowing water and the boats being flipped. It cannot be forgotten that this is still crocodile country where the last place you would want to be is in the water with an upside-down boat

When inspecting the gorges in your tender, you must be careful of the tour boats that race through the gorge at very high speeds. Crossing too near the gorge could have you directly in the path of a high-speed tour boat that has no time or room to manoeuvre, so keeping to the side is recommended

By Chris Rose

Getting up the following morning, we headed to the floating hotel and watched as a couple of seaplanes landed and tied up to the pontoon before jumping onto our tour boat

We were soon heading up to the first wider gorge that was flowing at a pretty rapid rate but easily traversed by the high-speed boat, and we entered the middle bay After our tour guide gave an informative talk, it was time to gun the engines and pass-through this first gorge several times Racing through from each direction in the strong current, either with or against us, depending on the direction of travel, just missing the gorge walls was exhilarating

Moving towards the tighter second gorge, the skipper poked the boat's bow up very close to the rushing wall of white water coming towards us. The falls dropped at least 2 to 3 metres down to our level, too dangerous for the boat to climb safely and pass through. You had the feeling that passing through these second falls would have been great to see, but that would also mean the water flow was not at its peak, and the sheer rate of flow is what we wanted to witness with the chosen spring tides. It is a wall of white-water foam roaring at you with incredible force. After getting the boat up close several times and zipping through the first gorge with a few more passes, it was time to return home. I strongly recommend taking the tour to get up close in the safest way possible to such an incredible natural wonder.

Returning from such an incredible experience to our yachts, we took our tender up Cyclone Creek. This area is also subject to strong tidal flows through impressive cliffs and river bends. Motoring up several kilometres and drifting quietly back down was spectacular, whilst being spun around multiple times in the numerous strong whirlpools in the strong fast flowing current.

By Chris Rose

Leaving the Horizontal Falls, we made our way to the adjacent Dugong Bay. Wanting to leave with an outgoing tide to use the current gave us a dilemma when entering Dugong Bay, as that is better on an incoming tide. Deciding on a near-high tide for slower flow, we headed the short distance around. Weaving through the islands in tight, twisty places, we still encountered some powerful currents as this area has an overfall that runs later than the estimated high tide time Working our way deep inside the bay, we anchored and explored the high waterfall on the eastern side that only had a trickle of flow during our visit

Tucking the tender to the side of a massive crevice in the rock, we climbed onto the rocky platform before ascending a steep sheer rockface to find a small pool fed by a trickle of water It would definitely be a highlight to see when more water flows earlier in the season, but it was still impressive to see towering above us.

Across the bay on the eastern side are a couple more falls to be explored Pushing our way through the tight mangroves, we climbed onto the large rocks where we could hear the waterfall above With Jo deciding to wait at the bottom, we went through an incredible gorge and a few tricky rock escarpments

Looking back down, we could see a curious crocodile sneakily working its way nearer to our tender Thankfully Jo, who was waiting below, was sitting safely up high on the rocks, clear of danger After a hot climb to the top of the falls, we found a couple of lovely swimming holes with cool, clear water where we could sit and chill.

SAILING NO REGRETS YOUTUBE

A VERY USEFUL FREE RESOURCE TO HELP RESEARCH & PLAN YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE

In 2022 a series of articles about a circumnavigation of Australia written by Chris Rose of Sailing No Regrets was published in AHOY. The series continues in 2023 with the Cruising The Kimberley installments. If you missed the previous articles you can...

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Hi, My name is Leanne, some of you may know me as Yoga4Yachties For the last 15 years, I have been an active member of the sailing & cruising community and practising Yoga whilst cruising the South Pacific and Australia.

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In 2021 I completed Yoga Teacher Training and founded Namaste Ocean Yoga with a focus on training students to become teachers.

If you would like to provide your cruising community with the opportunity to gather on a beach and join a yoga session with you as their professionally trained, fully qualified teacher who understands what is needed to ensure all receive the right level of instruction and care, then I would LOVE to prepare you to be that person

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Discounts on charts and cruising guides for Down Under Rally Members www downunderrally com/charts-flags

John

S - Winchester, England

At only $125.00 for the first year and $99.00 per year to renew, Down Under Rally Membership is extremely good value for money. It is very easy for members to save much more than the membership fee thanks to the various discounts and offer our rally partners provide.

MANY OF OUR MEMBERS HAVE COMMENTED THAT THEIR DOWN UNDER RALLY MEMBERSHIP REPRESENTS THE BEST VALUE FOR MONEY THEY HAVE EVER RECEIVED!

In addition, becoming a member will give you access to our Offshore Cruising Preparation Course for as long as you are a member. The information we share in the course will help you gain the confidence to venture further afield when the time is right. As a Down Under Rally Member, you and a partner member of your choice will be able to watch the course content as often as you like for as long as your membership is current.