Jean
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Posts posted by Jean
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https://www.facebook.com/roger.foley.180/posts/1859954887577548
Radio NZ interview with one of the crew from Jungle.
Wow a big expensive boat like that not insured. You would think an uninsured boat would be a bit more careful with their navigation. Although uninsured or not careful navigation around reefs is a must.
In the interview only radar is mentioned re navigation I wonder what was happening with charts/electronic or others.
Not sure if I am right but I thought Fiji require boat owners to dispose of any wrecks on reefs etc.
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A great way to get to know your fellow cruisers is to ask them questions. Dont forget when out sailing seas and oceans and isolated anchorages your fellow cruiser is your best source of help and info if needed. So ask lots of questions and make lots of friends.
As Jon says its looks hard from here but it isn't really, just lots of fun....well most of the time.
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A great source of information can be found in the blog written by Amanda of The NZ yacht Balvenie.
http://yachtbalvenie.blogspot.co.nz/ . They completed their circumnavigation last year and I know many many yachts have used their information to help sort out places to go etc. Apart from the info it is a great read.
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Thanks for this detailed reply Jean, much appreciated. I see where you're coming from about the logistics and of water dictating where we go. I am a bit worried about the washing and missing the comfort of a hot shower as often as I'd like.
We can carry about 600L and I am the biggest water culprit, liking a quick shower every day. I have to nag Iris (9yrs) and Robin (husband) into washing in anything other than saltwater. It seems one of their cruising aims is to get a salty crust.
The power and maintenance put me off getting a watermaker for this first season (and costs, obvs). We might see how we go with one season and then we could well end up like you, getting a watermaker before we go further afield.
After cruising extensively with and without a water maker , admittedly 2 years in the Pacific with chn was pre watermakers, I would not go without now. Maybe for a few weeks but when living on board for months/years at a time comforts are important. The boat was home we weren't on a camping holiday. With chn it is important to have healthy food and water, and have enough water per day as Jon says, for drinking. Dehydration can be a real issue in hot climates. A few times when away with our chn in the Pacific we got really low with water but thankfully rain arrived but that doesnt always happen. We had arranged to get water in the Solomon Is from not a terribly reliable source but it was all that was available but fortunately the night before we were to get the water the heavens opened and we filled the tanks.
For me now if we were to go off shore again a water maker is as important as a GPS/navigation program. But then everybody has different ideas what are needs and wants.
Getting a boat ready for offshore sailing is full of compromises, and we were lucky to buy a boat with a watermaker. When we came back to NZ to buy another offshore cruiser on our list of essentials among other things were two heads and water maker on a 45ft boat. We bought a 50ft boat with water maker and only one head!!!
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Things change so quickly so when you get there just rock up to the nearest cruiser on your dock or anchorage and ask them whats the best deal they will have it sussed. You also can get free marina guides which have ph numbers etc. But as Jon says just turn up and most of the time a space will be found.
Read some blogs lots of cruisers write great blogs with lots of free info. Try sailblogs.com and search subjects, countries etc.
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A water maker is a must, this is from a circumnavigated woman's point of view. We started our world cruise on one boat which did not have a water maker. We cruised NZ to Thailand via Aus and Indonesia. Getting water was relatively easy but often a good part of a day was spent getting it from shore to boat as there were not many places to pull along side in Asia. The time spent transporting water or negotiating for it to be delivered could be spent on more enjoyable pursuits like swimming, diving, sightseeing relaxing etc etc. Where as those who had water makers produced water as they moved between anchorages. In a small boat you have to have several jerry cans to transport the water or if you are catching water you need to fill your tanks and cans, no good wasting a down pour.
We then got a rush to the brain and sold our yacht in Malaysia and came back to NZ and bought another yacht and 6 months later started again this time with a water maker which came with the boat but was also on our must have list.
Having a water maker around the world meant we did not have to go into marinas or onto rough docks to sometimes get dodgy water. We had an Open Ocean engine driven producing 65lph and it gave us very little trouble.
Also having plenty of water meant that laundry could be done on board even tho we did not have a washing machine. Some places like in the med the cost of laundry ashore was prohibitive, in other places where lots of cruisers gather it meant not having to queue for ages, often spending a day on the laundry when more enjoyable things can be done. Once again laundry can be done on passage no waste of shore time.
Kids and visitors can be a real drain on water,
As for the Pacific there are very few places where it easy to pull up and get water. Catching water in the eastern part of Fiji is relatively easy but in the west which is a popular area to cruise there is very little rain in the season. The Yasawas is a lovely place to cruise and why spoil a great cruise by having to go back to Denerau or Vuda to get water.
Couples going cruising need to discuss the pros and cons of watermakers together sometimes a bit of comfort helps to get the crew, especially a female partner a little more interested in cruising.
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Not sure if any body is following Lisa but she was dismasted this morning gutted for her as she was on target to break the record of sailing solo around Antarctic.
MEDIA RELEASE: Australian Sailor Lisa Blair dismasted 895nm south of Cape Town0300 AST Tuesday 4 April 2017 (1900 SAST)048:38:384 S 022:31:430 EAt approximately 0300 (AET) Australian sailor Lisa Blair issued a PAN PAN 895nm south of Cape Town when in 40 knot winds and seven (7) metre swell her boat Climate Action Now was dismasted after the port shroud broke in a knock down.Search and Rescue out of Cape Town have been notified and will provide assistance if required.Lisa is well and uninjured.Lisa Blair was on her 72nd day at sea attempting to be the first woman to circumnavigate Antarctica solo and unassisted.There is no further information at this stage.Updates will be provided when available.Media enquiries: media@twentiethletter.com.au -
Lisa is a gutsy young woman from Australia who is attempting to break the record of sailing Solo around the Antarctic, She is presently sailing under NZ. Worth following and seeing how she is managing on solar and wind power. Lisa competed in the 2014 solo Tasman race.
https://lisablairsailstheworld.com
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Only place to be comfortable living on board during winter is in a marina with an electric heater. You save money on a mooring or at anchor but it is miserable in wet and cold. At best you need a warm pub or accommodating friends nearby but the money spent at the pub or sweetening the friends you may as well be in a marina!!
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Sweet Chariot a Buizen 48 David and Jill Henry from Aus have just made an epic passage. approx 1000 miles out of Galapagos on the way to the Marquesas their rudder broke. They have just anchored in Nuka Hiva after sailing 2000 miles with a drogue steering. Fantastic effort.
We do not know them but friends on the same SSB Net contacted us so we could pass on Sweet Chariots email to Amanda and Patrick on Egret who sailed 1500 miles across the Atlantic in 2011 with a drogue after they lost their rudder. Egret have been able to pass on tips and moral support. SSBs are great on long passages.
As in 2013 when we did the passage several boats have limped into Marquesas with rig damage and other problems. That long trip can be hard on gear.
http://skipr.net/trk/index.php?id=747 can read here a little of their trip not sure if Sweet Chariot have a blog.
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a wife/partner/family who enjoy sailing or are prepared to learn under you calm patient guidance.
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Cruising with kids .... its been many years since our kids were small... but we found that sailing in the Christmas holidays was enjoyable if we targeted one area.
Waiheke Channel area is good when the kids were quite little. Some good beaches for the kids, close anchorages to suit all wind directions. The same goes for Barrier, Coromandel and the BOI, just don’t try to do all three in one holiday!!!....too much sailing can put the kids off but also not enough involvement in the sailing...pulling ropes etc, can also put kids off.
Sail in the afternoon the kids can have a sleep... depending on age of course.
Have a harness rather than a life jacket while on board the big boat...dinghy needs lifejacket and when it gets rough on the big boat. The lanyard on the harness for wee kids should only extend to the end of the cockpit and don’t show under 3s how to clip and unclip. Lifejackets are hot and bulky makes for irritable chn and therefore parents. I think you can get inflatable harnesses for 6yrs + and harnesses for smaller kids from Safety at Sea....saw it on their website. I know it probably is a bit non PC to say use harnesses rather than lifejackets but our kids sailed thousands of miles around the Northland coast and in the Pacific with harnesses on and were perfectly safe. The occasional time the lifejackets came out they knew things were a bit more serious.
Involve your kids, explain navigation, give them some choices as where to go, show older kids from about 7 on how to start the motor, use the radio, talk to them about safety and why you do things BUT there must be a rule that if mum or dad says do something...boat or safety related they must do it without questioning. Most kids know their parents tone when something important is happening. Then when things have calmed down explain why whatever happened. If you do get in a situation where lifejackets are needed make sure adults also don their lifejackets/harnesses.
Please don’t shove your kids down inside everytime you are sailing as I used to see with one family.. consequently those kids hated sailing.
Nice to meet up with another kid boat every now and then doesn’t matter if there is a bit of an age difference, you find the older kids quite enjoy the excuse of being with little kids to build sand castles etc etc. Depends on how you all get along as to length of time you are together.
Take plenty of toys , drawing things etc for littlies, ...dare I say books for the older ones. Out on the boat is an ideal time to turn off the electronic toys and have family time and good old fashioned board games.
Kids that go sailing from an early age (our two started at 5 mths and 9mths in trailer yachts) naturally learn to balance themselves and move around the boat safely you don’t have to teach them. Putting on a harness is hassle free ... something they have always done.
We did loose a few tools over the side when they thought it would be fun to toss them over the side.....So mum and dad need a bit of training too.
Give pre teens and teenagers a chance to be skipper for the day. Try to be calm when they make mistakes. Years ago our club had a race where the teens had to skipper and they swapped boats. One young girl we had on board said, “this is fun you don’t shout like my dad’’!!
Of course involvement in running the boat also means helping with the meals and dishes etc etc.
For bigger kids some water toys a kayak or sailing dinghy if you have room...or just use the bosuns chair to swing them out into the water. Fishing can be ok, littlies will sit “fishing “for ages even if there is no bait on the hook.
Sailing holidays with your kids is very rewarding, the things they learn and the hiccups along the way go over into land life and family life at home.
The most important thing with sailing with kids is to have fun. A good thing from a parents point of view is having a holiday away from shops...Our two still remember stopping at Clevedon or Pokeno on the way home for the first ice cream in weeks or going to Rocky Bay (when there was a shop there) for an ice block and a newspaper for dad.
Sailing Kids turn out to be great adults....In 36 years of sailing we have met some great kids out on the water.
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We were at Mbili in'92. Pleased to hear it hasnt changed. The carvings were fantastic, each piece we have brings back great memories of the bargaining needed to aquire it. One bowl took a whole afternoon, we paid for it with money, clothes and fishing lures and lines. The carver caught a large yellow fin with the lure on his way back home, then sold the fish to a dive boat so he felt very rich at the end of the day.
The Solomon Is are a great place to cruise just stay away from Honiara!
Cruising Vanuatu and New Cal
in MarineTalk
Posted
Unless it has changed recently there is no bond for New Cal. A great place to go. Good temperatures nice anchorages. Isle de Pin is beautiful as is Ouvea in the Loyalties. Easy sail to Vanuatu. Santo Island has some great beaches. Lots of anchorages in Vanuatu. But a month stay costs a bit as far as I remember but definitely worth it. If you want to get away from the tourist horde as in Fiji. Vanuatu North from Villa is the place to go. And Tanna is worth a visit all on its own. But If you want to just laze around in resorts dont go to Vanuatu.