Is everyone sailing?

[westwindtom]

Its a lil quiet in this section...is everyone out sailing? I've been very side tracked with my yacht works but good news is still on target to get going in Jan to Darwin and hopefully to join the Indonesian rally....serious work wont start till mid/end October tho but who's russin anyways

[delatbabel]

Yes we're out sailing ... unlike some other forums we have real sailors here not armchair sailors.

Currently in Vanautu having some R&R before the next leg.

You're leaving Sydney in January? When do you get to Darwin? I might see you there.

[westwindtom]

Glad to hear it Yep leaving early Jan and trekking up north towards Darwin...aim is to get there in time for the Indo rally ....where are you sailing from/to?

[delatbabel]

Sailing from Vanuatu, leaving here some time in April. Hoping to make Darwin by mid June. Join the Sail Indo rally or the Darwin to Ambon rally when either of them depart. Probably continue on to Singapore, Johor Bahru, or maybe the new marina in Sihanoukville from there. Back to work when that's done.

[Auzzee]

"Back to work"......?
Wash your mouth out with soap!

However, I know what you mean. If ever there was someone who should have been born rich, it's me and all other committed voyaging sailors.

Damn fate!

[mico]

Originally Posted by delatbabel

Sailing from Vanuatu, leaving here some time in April. Hoping to make Darwin by mid June. Join the Sail Indo rally or the Darwin to Ambon rally when either of them depart. Probably continue on to Singapore, Johor Bahru, or maybe the new marina in Sihanoukville from there. Back to work when that's done.

Heading the other way here. Departing Kota Kinablau in Borneo second week of November for return trip to Cairns. heading south down the west coast, round the bottom of Kalimantan and across to Macassar before dropping down to the Flores and then skipping across the Indonesian Archipelago to a checkout in the Kei Islands before dropping down to Thursday Island. Fall backs are Darwin or Gove depending on conditions but hope to be back in the land of Oz by mid Jan.

Fair winds,

Mico/Australis

[delatbabel]

Cairns? January? Good luck with the weather dude. It's lovely that time of year, provided your definition of lovely includes "hot, wet, occasional cyclones".

[mico]

Originally Posted by delatbabel

Cairns? January? Good luck with the weather dude. It's lovely that time of year, provided your definition of lovely includes "hot, wet, occasional cyclones".

I don't know what it is with non-queenslanders but everyone seems to think that come Nov - April all us yachties here in the Far North hide our yachts under our beds while we hunker down in our cyclone bunkers clutching Toto to our chest and engaging in communal sing songs of 'We're off to see the Wizard'

We have done the passage from Darwin to Cairns a number of times over Nov - Jan without a problem. In fact, it's the only time of year we are likely to get some westerlies across the Gulf of Carpentaria and some northerlies down the Great Barrier Reef.

That time of year is more often than not 10 - 15's and variables or glass off conditions. Sure - It's also our 'Cyclone' season but with all the weather charting, sat weather reporting and an abundance of 'bolt holes' all the way down the coast, it's not as if we are going to be caught with our pants down.

Besides, most Queenslanders will tell you that its our best sailing season as every other non-Queensland yachtie has run away to hide behind Aunt Em's skirt, ensuring that all the best anchorages are left for us. Christmas day lunch in Watson's Bay on Lizard Island is a long standing tradition.

Fair Winds,

Mico/Australis

[westwindtom]

Hey Mico, thanks for the input mate, I've been considering making careful passage up north during the wet season...I've sailed the whitsundays during the season and we got stopped short (it was a bare charter) a couple of days earlier than planned but at no time did I feel we're in any particular danger (mind you we were in lee of the islands)...as it happend, a couple decided to make a landing a few days later...as you say, there's plenty of warning if something was to develop, my doubt however was the actual 'bolt holes' as you say, places to park within a day's sail anywhere on the coast as I am very unfamiliar with this part of oz...got myself a guide book tho so will be reading up

[mico]

Hey Westwindtom,

Don't get me wrong, I'm a very cautious skipper and if there is something brewing out in the Gulf or the Coral Sea, we'd be battening down the hatches and heading in the opposite direction - so when we are sailing in the Far North over that period, we're certainly keeping an eye on developments and will always have a secondary port plotted. We've waited out some fierce weather anchored in the lee of Albany Passage, deep in mangroves of Escape River, Mourilyn Harbour and the creeks of the western side of Hinchinbrook Island and up into Trinity Inlet in Cairns without a problem.

Speaking of which, there are some very odd rules insurance companies have up this way relating to cyclone and marinas.

Yorkeys Knob Marina (our home base) is a designated Cyclone Protected Marina and if you leave this marina during a cyclone to head up into the mangroves, your insurance becomes null and void. The laugh is that everyone knows up here that if a cyclone hits Cairns, every vessel in Yorekys Knob will end up strewn around the 4th tee of the golf course behind, as the sea wall is not that much higher than a king tide on a storm surge.

Marlin Marina, the large, more solid marina in the heart of Cairns has to be abandoned at each cyclone event and all vessels head deep into the mangroves of Trinity Inlet. Our Ports and Harbours and local Coast Guard are excellent in assisting and directing you as you navigate up into the creeks amongst the spiderweb of bow and stern lines lacing the waterways.

When Cyclone Yassi flattened Innisfail and the marina at Cardwell down near Hinchinbrook Island, two yachts actually left the marina as the cyclone was bearing down and hid up in the mangroves behind Hinchinbrook. When Yassi hit, Cardwell Marina was flattened with yachts and motor boats piled 3 or 4 deep amongst the marina apartments or strewn across the highway behind. Total devastation.

Four days later, those two skippers came motoring back in without a scratch after weathering the full brunt of Yassi up in the mangroves.

If we are in Yorkeys Marina and a cyclone scores a direct hit, we all accept that we'll lose our vessels and be claiming insurance, but if we are anywhere else, I'll be heading for somewhere deep in the mangroves - never a marina.

Fair winds,

Mico/Australis

[roxanwright]

Catamarans sails often tip over. where it will be impossible to tip over. Thus crew wont have to run around for balancing the craft. What are the reasons for not increasing the distance between two hulls ?