Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2016 i Cruising Helmsman

The notice of race for the tenth Magnetic Island Race Week is available until the 25th of August. It clarifies entry to the popular cruising yachts’ class, previously-known as the Performance Handicap Class. This year’s regatta, which will run from September 1 to 6, is open to IRC, cruising spinnaker/performance handicap, cruising non-spinnaker, trailable, sports boat, multihull racing and multihull cruising entries. Organising committee chair Mike Steel noted that as a result of fielding a number of enquiries regarding entry in the performance handicap class, a formal clarification was necessary to explain how the now-branded cruising spinnaker/ performance handicap class will be divided into divisions and the passage and fixed mark courses set for each of those divisions. “The SeaLink Magnetic Island Race Week has grown to be a relaxing…

Three hundred years ago the Longitude Act of 1714 was passed in England, leading to maritime history’s greatest scientific breakthrough. The extraordinary story of the race to determine longitude at sea is told in ‘Ships, clocks and stars: the quest for longitude’, the latest exhibition at the Australian National Maritime Museum. Developed by Royal Museums Greenwich, the award-winning exhibition draws on the latest research and many rare artefacts to shed new light on the history of longitude and how it changed our understanding of the world. The Australian exhibition is the final in a three continent tour, after which the museum pieces will return to the UK. For hundreds of years, European merchants staked their fortunes on long-distance voyages. Travel at sea was dangerous and safe passage relied on fair…

It was not really in the schedule to visit the Antarctic we were just planning to see Patagonia, a major milestone in itself and then continue around South America. But when you meet people on boats that have sailed to Antarctica and get told of the majesty and the way that it changed their life, you feel you must at least consider the possibility of visiting it while you are in striking distance. The prospect was discussed with other boat crews and then we began collecting sketch maps of anchorages and buying extra fuel containers and stocking up on supplies and then making sure the heater was performing well and soon we realised that we were well on the way to being committed. So when Ashley Kerr, the captain of…

Australian dollars per 1/6th. share Capital cost of the yacht 176,000 Annual running costs estimate 7,000 Annual depreciation estimate 17,600 Annual management fee 5,000 Total cost for 8 weeks usage 29,600 (4wks. high season and 4 wks. low) A similar yacht chartered for the same period could cost as much as $50,000 depending on the source. Lounge in the late afternoon with your yacht moored stern to a quay in a tiny port on a Greek Island. The world wanders by and, after a cool gin and tonic, you decide it is dinner time. Across the quay a taverna beckons. Sit with your family at a table covered with the ubiquitous blue and white check table cloth. The chairs are the standard Greek wood and string variety, a little uncomfortable…

During the past two years of sailing around Australia aboard our catamaran we have both asked and been asked many times about how much it costs to live on a boat. The anecdotal evidence I have gathered, usually during sundowners, has produced a range of figures. However, the biggest variance of all I noticed is the list of items people call costs. From our experience, I put together a list of cost items we think should be carefully considered when putting together a cruising sailing budget. Time spent doing research to compare or to find the most accurate figures could also be the key to making a budget successful. People costs The best place to start the budget plan is with existing costs for the crew. Food and drink: our…

The camaraderie of the sea has many dimensions and this can be increased with membership to one of the clubs in which cruisers congregate. The distinctive yellow pennant with a black cruising yacht under the press of a brisk wind is the burgee of the Coastal Cruising Club of Australia. It is to be seen frequently along the eastern coast of Australia and up the harbours of Port Jackson and Broken Bay. It has circumnavigated Australia and the world on several yachts, whose skippers have been recognised in the club’s prestigious awards. The burgee tells of a club started in 1969 and noted for its passion for cruising, a convivial group with an appetite for all matters nautical. The club’s journal, Mainsheet, can be sampled through the website and has…

The Derwent Sailing Squadron recently opened Tasmania’s largest, technically advanced, floating marina built on the western shores of the River Derwent at Sandy Bay. Named the Roy Barkas marina extension in honour of the driving force for the project DSS committee member Roy Barkas. The extension has doubled the club’s total marina capacity to 270 berths, including berths large enough to accommodate the biggest yachts competing in ocean races to Hobart. The marina extension is welcome news for boat owners in the south-east of Tasmania where marina occupancy has been at capacity. Many boat owners have already opted for long-term berth contracts of 10, 20 and even 40 years. The design and construction of the $6.5m extension has also provided a welcome injection of cash for local firms. Local marine…

Northern Sydney’s Pittwater once again provided the backdrop for the annual Beneteau Cup. Twenty yachts lined up for the 16th running of the cup, including the newest addition to the Oceanis fleet the Oceanis 38 called Dancing with the wind. This name was appropriate for the fleet’s day sailing. Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club ran the day which began with a simple briefing: start and head north to Lion Island, around the rock and return. But the breeze did not assist and the various starts for the different divisions soon became bunched around the start line For the run home the kites came out and the Spinnaker Division quickly scooted off to the shortened course finish line abeam Mackerel Point and then to the clubhouse. The rest of the fleet…

Having bid our kind benefactor goodbye following his trip from Yarrawonga to Mildura, we left Mildura in his boat, a 22 foot Beneto River Rat with 0.4 metre draft. Went through Lock 11 tying up alongside the paddle steamer Melbourne. On leaving, swallows accompanied us and stayed with us the entire journey. Although we were not quite sure if they were the same birds as they disappeared at night and then rejoined as we set off at dawn. We travelled about 45 kilometres looking for a suitable place to pull up for the night. At that stage the Murray ran with Victoria on one side and NSW on the other. The Victoria side is all national parkland and you can pull up anywhere and set up a campfire. The NSW…

Sick of the same? Not anymore Spanish based Morozov Yachts has launched the Soler-35 fast cruiser. The first in a new series of performance pilothouse yachts. The concept was created by Alexander Morozov and the Texido and Harrold Yacht Design team from Spain was commissioned for final design. The boat was built by Morozov Yachts in cooperation with SeaEye Boatbuilders in Poland. After testing, the boat with double-handed crew participated in the Barcelona to Ibiza race and took third place in her group and 21st place from 68 boats overall. The Soler range will include the 35, 38, 42 and 52 feet models with aluminum hulls and composite decks. The Soler range is a rethink of the traditional pilothouse yachts, transferred onto a modern hull form. Despite the Soler 35…

When you make the decision to live onboard a boat you will be changing your whole way of life. In your new community people focus on caring and giving rather than jealousy and greed. You will find everyone looks out for each other, while maintaining a fierce independence. It is a place where the weather determines the day’s activities rather than being shut out behind closed curtains. The egalitarianism of the sea overrides any status or ego people might have had in a previous life. If you can relate to one or two of the above you will fit in with the live-aboard lifestyle. There are many different ways you can move onboard and be a part of this community. A number of people live on motorboats in Brooklyn, north…

Ask sailors about their adventures in the South Pacific and they will rave about the whales in Tonga, the surf in Fiji and the volcanoes in Vanuatu but not many people mention New Caledonia. In fact, before we sailed through the Havannah Pass and into the lagoon that surrounds La Grande Terre, we heard very little about the place. The few people we met who were planning on stopping in New Cal said it was little more than a way to break up what can be a rough passage to Australia; a safe harbour to wait out weather, restock supplies and make repairs. No one mentioned how beautiful the landscape was, the palm trees fringing the shoreline as the tall colonial pines climb the rugged, red hills. They kept the…

Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show wrapped up its final day of 2016 with millions of dollars in sales, an increase in visitor volume and exhibitors touting it as “the best show in six years” the organisers’ claim. The traditional chorus of boat horns signalled the closure of the 28th annual SCIBS, which saw 41,621 visitors through the gates over the four days from May 19 to 22. Multihull Solutions sold a Helia 44 Evolution Fountaine Pajot on the first day of the show and, by close of business Sunday, had sold another Lucia 40 with a further four under contract. Managing director Mark Elkington said the team were extremely happy with the good quality, qualified buyers at SCIBS. Multihull Central product manager Andrew McLeod said his team sold a Seawind…

The Multihull Group and McConaghy have formed a long term partnership for TMG to look after sales and distribution of McConaghy multihulls in Australia and New Zealand. TMG managing director, John Cowpe said “the manufacturing facilities at McConaghy, along with their composite knowledge and expertise, is world renowned. These guys are passionate about what they do and are fiercely proud of the end product. “Our job is to introduce these exciting catamarans to a new and appreciative audience.” McConaghy released their line of sailing catamarans at Boot Dusseldorf last January. Designed by Jason Ker, the series will initially include 50’, 60’ and 90’ high performance cruising catamarans. McConaghy and Ker have collaborated for many years on racing and cruising yacht projects. Ker’s experience with BAR Racing (Britain’s America’s Cup race…

Azuree and Oyster Alll Boat Brokerage will be displaying two models from the premier range of Oyster and Sirena Marine. The Oyster 545 has been developed from the Oyster 54 with several upgrades. Her deck features all flush hatches, and the interior has been subtly redesigned and styled. Clean hull lines, powerful rig and a low centre of gravity bulb keel have created a fast, stiff, comfortable passage maker, which has been regularly proven at Oyster Regattas. While good performance is important, the 545 offers cruising comfort with a generously proportioned cockpit fitted with a substantial fixed table. The Oyster 545’s three-cabin layout, combined with a long waterline length, generous beam and headroom create a spacious, light and airy living area. The hull meets the deck via a superyacht-styled rollover…

Eyes stinging with salt, throat burning from exhaustion and the sound of my mother’s increasingly distant cries of distress ringing in my ears; I turned to my father, who, like me, was battling the current rapidly sweeping us away from our boat and safety. “There aren’t sharks in this area, right?” I asked, only half joking. My father looked at me and cracked one of his trademark wry smiles “we’re in mangrove country, Hannah. The mud crabs are going to eat us before the sharks do.” Bucket list Only Dad would crack a lame joke like that while we were in a potentially life threatening situation. Now, at eighteen and sitting safely on dry land, I can look back at that moment and laugh. But I still remember my nine…

The move by Bavaria into the multihull market could be seen to be a smart one. The multihull charter market is growing world wide and the opportunity to buy straight into multihulls through a known and respected designer and builder in Nautitech was too good to pass on. Mark Blake and Michael Galbraith are the owners of Ensign Brokers latest sale, the Bavaria Open 40. Mark is an ex-Seawind owner and experienced catamaran racer. Michael is retired, has always sailed but not multihulls. They were looking for the perfect vehicle for them to take cruising, either together or separately with families. Given their history they wanted a catamaran that also performed, “Nautitech pedigree said they could deliver and indeed this is able to tack upwind and hold a similar-sized monohull,”…