Tabla de contenidos para April 2020 en Cruising Helmsman

IN a significant addition to the Shag Islet Cruising Yacht Club's 2020 Season of Sail (SOS), SICYC are planning to extend the focus to become a series of events held at various locations on the east coast of Australia. Local vice commodores can come together to celebrate the camaraderie of SICYC, as well as hosting SICYC members sailing north during the cruising season. First up will be the Pittwater Rendezvous beginning on Friday 1st May with a dinner at Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club featuring guest speaker Ken Thackeray OAM. On the Saturday there will be a breakfast followed by cruise and barbecue at Bobbin Head. For the next three days the Rendezvous will cruise Pittwater with further details to be released. Any SICYC vice commodore is welcome to join…

THE Gulf of Riga Regatta (GoRR) is also known as Latvian Offshore Sailing Championship (LOSC) and Livonia Cup Challenge. This year, GoRR will be held from June 28 until July 3. Sailors in two classes, ORC and LYS, will have five legs in the Gulf of Riga, with offshore races to Ventspils, Montu and Roja where there will be some bouy racing finishing off with an offshore race to Salacgriva for the prize giving. Regatta organisers are welcoming participants from all over the world and can provide support with various informational and technical matters, including finding a boat for race charter. The GoRR official language is English, but also in Latvian. www.gorr.lv…

IT is not called the 'big river' for nothing. Forty nautical miles of navigable waterways take you from the coast up to the Grafton bridge with floating docks for easy shore access to a range of classic Aussie river towns. On the way you can explore quirky shops and museums, get into some fishing, eat out every night, you can even do a pub crawl if you are so inclined, there is always a great pub in even the smallest of settlements. Whether it is kayaking, paddle boarding, walking or cycling there is no end of possibilities for gentle exercise on the river and surrounding plains of the Clarence Valley. If you would like a break from weather watching, the Clarence River will provide that. Sure you may get a…

LIGHT AND BRIGHT OR COSY AND DARK? Traditional varnished yacht interiors can be considered either cosy or gloomy, depending on your preferences. But it is undeniable that light and bright engenders a more spacious feeling. Although this can be overdone, as in some modern yacht interiors that feel sterile and unwelcoming, many older yachts would benefit from more light below. Replacing varnish with white paint or laminate can make a huge difference, especially on bulkheads. My most recent yacht had a fully varnished interior highlighting the extraordinary workmanship of her construction. Shortly after moving aboard, I began to feel it was distinctly gloomy. The poor condition of the varnish and the marks left from previous neglect only accentuated this feeling. It is always a good idea to live with a…

EVER since small yacht diesels became widely available in the seventies there has been debate over indirect and direct injection. Yanmar favoured indirect injection whereas Volvo Penta preferred direct injection, because with the lower compression ratios around 16:1 compared to 23:1 its engines were easier to hand start using decompression levers. The small Volvo Penta engines, such as the 7.5 horsepower MD5A, developed maximum power at 2500 revolutions per minute whereas the Yanmar 8 revved to 3200. INDIRECT INJECTION Yanmar pioneered indirect injection in its small marine diesels, using what was known as the swirl pre-combustion chamber. Air delivery to the engines was split 50:50 with 50 per cent going to the pre-combustion chamber and 50% to the cylinder. Fuel was injected into the pre-combustion chamber for a thorough air/fuel…

DIY EVER since mucking around with cruising boats, I have often thought why there are not small, off the shelf solar hot water systems built for boats. They are readily available for houses but, as far as I am aware, there are no systems available in Australia that are small enough and light enough for the average 30 foot to 50’ yacht. I find this extraordinary considering Australia’s climate has so much complimentary solar energy readily available. Most boaties love the outdoors, respect nature, are environmentally aware and definitely cost conscious; so I built my own. Always on a budget, I built a solar hot water storage system (SHWSS) for less than $300 and it works! I am not talking about a black water bag hanging from the boom where…

EVERY boat needs a captain, or so popular belief tells us. A captain is the person in charge, who makes the decisions, calls the shots and gives the orders. A captain is the person to whom everyone looks to when the going gets tough, or whose advice you seek when there is a difficult decision to make. Importantly, a captain is the person who is ultimately responsible when something goes wrong; or right. There are stories of good captains and bad captains, captains who did not allow women to be seen on deck, captains who ordered the crew to dance every day for the benefit of their mental health! But is it really always necessary to have a captain? Or is it possible to have a captain-less boat, where democracy…

FOR a limited number of people Sunsail are combining a magical holiday to a stunning place with a beach cleaning escapade with Ocean Crusaders. In September, cruisers can join the Ocean Crusaders team, along with the Sunsail Thailand team and many other like-minded eco-warriors in exploring the glorious Phi Phi Islands. The mission is to sail to a stunning beach, spend an hour or so cleaning it and then spend the day enjoying it. Lay around on the beach, swim off the boat or go for a snorkel and see the wondrous creatures you are protecting. Sailing experience is not required with Sunsail as you can book a boat or a cabin and get a skipper. The tour will be led by the Ocean Crusaders and Sunsail teams so there…

MYSAILING.COM.AU/CRUISING JON GETS ANOTHER GONG The Ocean Cruising Club has awarded eleven-time circumnavigator Jon Sanders with its OCC Lifetime Cruising Award. Jon is a CCA Blue Water Medal recipient, was awarded the AO OBE and Chichester Award in 1983, was inducted into the Australian Sailing Hall of Fame 1989 for 'service to sailing and to marine science' and the Single-handed Sailor's Hall of Fame in Newport USA. Jon completed his first solo circumnavigation in 1975-77, double circumnavigation continuously at sea in 1981-82 west to east via the Southern Ocean and was the first man to circumnavigate the Antarctic solo. In 1986-88 he completed a triple non-stop solo circumnavigation. On 3 November 2019, aged 80 he began his 11th solo circumnavigation, taking water samples daily, which will be analysed to determine…

MULTIHULL builders, Lagoon, Fountaine Pajot, Catana-Bali and Nautitech fitted the production boats with escape hatches made by Goiot Systems located on the inner edges of the hulls. Goiot has notified the boatbuilders of a recall campaign concerning the escape hatches delivered before September 2018 due to a risk of the hatches detaching from the frames, which could affect safety during navigation. All brands have contacted its owners and users of the boats to contact them without delay to find out immediately if their vessel is fitted with the relevant escape hatches in question, subject to the recall. They will also be able to read each manufacturer’s recommendations on how to proceed.…

• Every Wednesday Yamba Farmers and Food Market: 7am to noon. Whiting Beach Car Park. This is a great place to stock up on fresh local produce, fruit and veg, meat, salamis, eggs and yummy coffee and pastries. • Fourth Sunday of the month. Yamba River Market. Ford Park, River Street, Yamba. You name it, you’ll find it, including great food and music. For a complete list see http://www.loveclarencevalley.com.au/markets/ • VMR Iluka/Yamba Ph: 02 6646 6311. They maintain a listening watch 24/7 on VHF channel 16 or 27.88 MHz, daily weather at 07.15am and 4.15pm • Harwood Bridge: to book an opening phone 02 6682 8388. Clearance above mean high water springs is 8.5m closed and 36.5m open. Available for opening seven days/week with 24hrs notice. It used to be…

ACCORDING to various experts at the Boot Dusseldorf show this year the maritime economy in Europe is now on course for growth in its seventh year. The maritime economy in Europe has benefitted from this long period of growth. The market-leading shipyards have been back in the profit zone for a long time after a long dry spell and are investing heavily in new models. Larger motor and sailing yachts are still in trend. In the category of boats over twelve metres in length, 91% of sailboat and 90% of motorboat dealers report consistently good business. The financial service providers and insurers also confirm this. It is the volume of deals that are increasing, the number of deals are reducing. There is one exception to the generally good demand in…

WE use it every day, we love and hate them but we cannot be without them. From getting on and off the yacht, to collecting supplies, visiting friends or simply going fishing the humble dinghy is a simple means of transport. Access to and from our yachts is generally pretty straight forward when we are in a marina or alongside a wharf, but on a mooring or out at anchor, this can be more of a challenge. I have had the privilege of watching many competent users of the dinghy, as well as the ubiquitous YouTube. But I have also seen several variations of how not to do it; all, fortunately, with a safe ending. No, I have not emulated all their mistakes: yet. Allow me to give just three…

BEFORE I joined Ross Field in Lymington, UK with the intention of sailing the northwest passage, I looked up the atlas to see where it was. Basically, we would turn right from the port of Lymington on the south coast of England, leave Ireland, Iceland and Greenland to starboard, then head north up Greenland’s west coast. I liked the fact that all those countries ended with 'land'. The northwest passage crosses the top of Canada and Alaska, after which yachts generally hang left into the Bering Sea and sail south-east to Vancouver. Some transit in the opposite direction from Alaska to Greenland. The northeast passage goes across the top of Russia. It is easier from a maritime perspective, but has a higher density of political icebergs. Spoiler alert: as it…

ANCHORAGE MARINA LUXURY REFURB COMPLETE Completed works at The Anchorage Marina in Corlette Port Stephens, have transformed the facility, creating an international standard marina. Taking two years to complete and valued at over six million dollars, the renovations create new opportunities for larger boats and superyachts, placing Port Stephens, broadening its appeal to a wider boating community from interstate and overseas. “Port Stephens is a world class waterway, with its deep water access, the lakes and river systems, Broughton island so nearby and a number of marine reserves,” said marina manager Patrick Whetter. “Owners of larger boats in particular need to know they can access the right services before they come here; our new facilities will give them that confidence.” Anchorage Marina can now accommodate vessels as large as 40…

ONLINE auction site, Grays Online and d’Albora Marine have partnered to create an online boat sales platform. Boat owners will be able to access a mass market digital sales platform to sell via auction or private treaty, while still having the involvement of an experienced brokerage service. Buyers and sellers will also be able to benefit from d’Albora’s range of marine services including berthing, boatyard and repair and maintenance services. Grays Online chief operating officer, Jeff McLean, commented on the partnership, “Australian boat owners take on average between 6-12 months to sell their boat. This marketplace will enable a seven day auction process while maintaining d’Albora’s brokerage expertise.” D’Albora Marine provides specialist boat sales services from ten locations spread throughout New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. Offering buying or selling…

BILL Barry-Cotter, who heads the Maritimo luxury motor yacht business based on the Gold Coast, made an impressive return to offshore racing in the recent Rolex Sydney Hobart race as owner of the restored, 114-year-old ketch, Katwinchar. Unfortunately he could not be aboard the yacht for the race for medical reasons at the time, but he was in Hobart for the celebrations that came with his yacht winning the Grand Veteran’s Division, beating such famous names as Love & War, Fidelis and Kialoa II. “The excitement and celebrations that came with Katwinchar’s result in the Hobart race was enough for me to get the ocean racing bug after a 44-year hiatus,” Barry-Cotter said. “The crew and I quickly decided that Hamilton Island Race Week would be our next big campaign.…

The vast majority of boaties have no dramas when tied to the docks here, but there has been an occasional experience with boats being untied, so be aware there is a slight risk of this. We and another boat were untied one night and were lucky to notice before the line completely pulled out and we drifted off. Since then we tend to anchor on the other side of the river then use the dinghy, which works for us.…

I love my wind generator. In the Caribbean, where the trade winds blow day and night, the constant power created by this little gem makes me feel at peace. But it was not always this way, it has been a tumultuous relationship. From worn-out shaft bearings that caused our aft cabin to sound like we were living in a Mack truck, to failed rectifiers, kids fishing lines tangled in the main shaft and the eventual destruction of a fan blade caused by a wayward halyard that holds the boys favourite Ikea swing. My Aerogen 600 has had a tough life. Learning the ins and outs of your boat is something that happens pretty quickly as a liveaboard cruiser. Without the daily grind of school drop-offs and work to attend to,…

SAILING from Pittwater in Sydney to Dunk Island in far northern Queensland through the Great Barrier Reef sounds like a perfect adventure. But then a reality check is required: this is a serious cruise; more than two Sydney to Hobarts in distance and certainly much more than a weekend cruise 'up the creek' or a long weekend to Sydney Harbour. For those who have a lifelong dream to undertake a long distance cruise but with limited long distance cruising experience, a rendezvous cruise is a good choice. For some adventurous folks setting off on their own into the unknown is something they are comfortable with, but as the skipper you have to remember you are responsible for all persons on board. The alternative to cruising alone is cruising in company…

In haste one day I left my PFD at home and only discovered the fact when I reached the wharf. I live more than an hour and a half from the mooring so I was not about to go home to collect it. I chose to chance it and go without; the mooring is located close to the shore, in calm waters with little passing traffic. Suddenly, about 100 metres from shore, out of the moorings loomed a NSW Boating officer. I thought “this could be expensive”! I got away with a stern warning that time but he left with the promise that if I was caught again I would not get off so cheaply. I have not forgotten it since; lesson learnt. The law in NSW states quite clearly…

According to Jimmy Cornell’s 2016 survey of cruising boats, two major phenomena are encouraging expedition cruising yachts to head for Greenland. The political upheavals in the Middle East and North Africa have affected cruising in the Mediterranean and passages through the North Indian Ocean and Red Sea. Meanwhile, climate change is encouraging sailors to tackle cold water destinations, specially Spitsbergen and Greenland. Greenland is an attractive cruising destination in its own right and as a base for preparing to transit the northwest passage, which has become more accessible due to global warming. In 2015, an estimated 32 boats called at Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. Most cruised the west coast, but eight completed a transit of the North West Passage. Three boats transitted eastbound, including Cornell’s Aventura, the 87th sailing…