Australia 4 Fremantle

Australia 4 Fremantle

We arrived at the Fremantle Sailing Club after a difficult night but were met by the efficient and friendly Harbour Master, who took our lines and gave us a brief run down of the club. We made ourselves fast and headed off for a hot shower, followed by a bacon sandwich on board. All seemed rosy once more.

I collected some mail from reception and booked us in for a 2-week stay. We had a number of jobs to do and Fremantle was an ideal stop. Most parts and spares were available, and the town was just a short, free bus ride away. That would make it easy for Amanda to take the boys off the boat while I carried out the maintenance Pegasus desperately needed.

I had a long jobs list, but first was to order new seals for our hydraulic rams which needed replacing. What a nightmare. After identifying the ram type, and date of manufacture, it was apparent that there were 2 sorts of seals available that had to be ordered from the states. The Australian wholesaler was less than motivated and it looked like it would take a month at least before they would arrive, and then it was likely that they would be the wrong part. After a week of messing around I contacted technical support in Canada at 1am, and finally got through to "the man that can" After detailing my requirement and his discrepancy in the parts list and printed manuals, he said he would send them direct, no charge. It's always a pleasure dealing with N American suppliers. They have great customer service and just want to help. Problem 1 solved, the right parts were on the way.

Over the following 2 weeks I installed a salt-water deck wash, serviced both engines and relocated the water traps, which had been causing problems, bought engine spares and worked on the dinghy. The old Avon rib was taking a bashing, and the hull was pretty chipped where we had been pulling it up beaches and rocks. I reglassed the bottom and put a strip of Kevlar along the keel to protect it over the next year.

It looked like we could haul Pegasus out of the water in a Travel lift, so on 29th March we motored a mile into the adjacent harbour and took Pegasus out of the water to finally attend to the antifouling and hull. This was really the first time we had found a travel lift wide enough to accept our 8-meter beam. I thought we needed 4 days but completely forgot that it was the Easter weekend. There was no way we could finish in 3 days so were resigned to spend 9 days on land. That was no bad thing as it allowed plenty of time to work on the hulls.

I put in 5 solid days and at the end of it Pegasus had 5 coats of antifouling, a good polish and I stripped and serviced both rams and the hydraulic system, amongst other things. Amanda and the boys bought stores, went swimming, toured a few museums and enjoyed the Fremantle fringe festival which was right on our doorstop.

It's not easy to be on land and its always difficult for Amanda to keep the boys amused while off the boat, and safe while in the yard. Everything gets filthy, and it's a struggle for us all to keep clean. Luckily we knew we would be back at the club and could give Pegasus and ourselves a really good clean on our return.

By Easter Saturday I had broken the back of the jobs so in the afternoon we went into town and watched some Fringe theatre and had dinner at a great bar called Little Creatures. Easter Sunday we would all spend together.

We had a great Easter. The boys were very excited about the Easter egg hunt, and yes, the Easter bunny did come but failed to pick up the antifouling tools and whip a quick coat on!

The Following Tuesday saw us back at the club with Pegasus looking good and all systems working. We were conscious that this was really our last stop in any population density for some time, so needed to get organised for Indonesia as well as the 2000 miles of wilderness we were about to explore. We went off to the Travel Doctor to get up to date with various inoculations. The boys needed some usual stuff, Louis with his MMR and the like, and we decided it was prudent to all get Rabies jabs. These are a 3 series inoculation with injections on day 0, 7 and 28. We had our jabs and organised to be back in a week. Our day 28's we would have in Carnarvon and organised for the vaccine to be on hand at the Pharmacist on our arrival.

We were destined to be in Freo for another week. We made contact with a friend of a friend, Christina. After meeting on board she invited us to lunch, then Dinner. Christina organised a great evening with some friends of hers with mutual contacts. We all had a most enjoyable evening, the conversation flowed, and late into the evening we bundled 2 sleeping children into a taxi and headed back to Pegasus.

While waiting for mail and our next series of injections we had a little time for sightseeing and meeting contacts. We went into Perth, walked around the museums and generally looked around. I organised for a few business contacts to come down to Pegasus and we had some long evenings in good company.

It looked like we would try and leave on Sunday 18th April and head to Rottnest Island for a few days before heading north. The Saturday night saw a big party in the Club hosted by two couples also heading north imminently. We had a great evening with a band and BBQ, and both boys ended up crashing out in a Marina barrow with pillow and sleeping bag, while mum and dad carried on with the party.

The following morning we headed off to Rottnest after saying our goodbyes. Christina came and had coffee and wished us well, and by mid afternoon we were at anchor in Thomson bay on Rottnest Island. It felt great to be out of the Marina and off again on our travels.

Pegasus had been alongside for a month and we had all put on weight, having eaten and drunk far too much. Some energetic sailing, walks down the beach and anchor hauling were in order. We went ashore, swam and walked: it felt good. That evening we were lulled to sleep by the gentle lapping of water on the hulls and a slight motion on the boat…glorious, we had missed that.

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Australia 3 Port Lincoln to Fremantle

Australia 3 Port Lincoln to Fremantle

Port Lincoln is a fascinating place. I guess it has a population of only 20-30000, but it has great resources shared between the few so it has the feel of a wealthy country town. It is a major export area sending Grain, Oysters, Abalone, Shrimp and Tuna globally. We all enjoyed the seafood, and to end our time in South Australia it was a great place to depart on our passage west.

They have developed their Tuna fishing into a fine art. Sending boats deep into the southern ocean, they net tuna, put it in pens and slowly tow it back to Port Lincoln for fattening up. When ready they harvest it and send it to the processing plant for dispatch across the globe. It has turned into a scientific business and I believe they can now breed Tuna. The advantages of this hybrid fishing are obvious and, not only being a major source of employment; it guarantees a consistent product 12 months a year. Its big business in PL.

We wanted to head south to be were ready for an early departure, so on the 20th February we pulled up the anchor and headed south to Memory cove in the Thorny passage, just 5 miles from open ocean and our westerly course. As we sailed south the wind picked up so by the time we reached the Cove the wind was blowing 35Kts from the West. We planned to leave early the next morning when the wind eased and backed to the SW then S then E giving us a head start before strengthening from the East.

Mathew Flinders, responsible for charting much of South Australia, anchored in Memory cove on 22nd February 1802 after crossing the bight from the West. He named the Cove in memory of the 8 seamen who died in the straight when their boat sank in tidal eddies. That afternoon the wind howled and we dragged anchor, so deployed the big guns deep into sand and got a good nights sleep. The morning of the 21st Feb saw clear skies and little wind so we pulled up the anchors by 7 and headed off round Cape Catastrophe and West Point into the Southern Ocean once again.

Our passage looked about 650 miles so we planned on 4 days, which was great as in 5 days it looked like the wind was increasing from the East and could cause big seas as it pushed the water up against the ever present SW swell and East flowing Leeuwin current. I was quite anxious, this is not a place one should normally cruise and its best to limit the exposure as much as possible.

The wind was light from the SW and due to back, but we were making good way. At 1600 we hit Southern Bluefin Tuna. Both Lines, Both landed, I was putting the line out again and another hit. Within half an hour we had 60KG of Tuna aboard. Wow. It took 4 hours to clean up and for Amanda to process the fish and bag it for the freezer. No fishing for a while. 40KG of meat in the freezer. Great.

We saw less sea life in the Bight than we expected, but were pleased to see Dolphins and the graceful Albatross again. Unfortunately it was just the wrong time of year for Humpback Whales, although we could have seen Sperm Whales had we been further South…(no thanks)

The morning bought bigger swells and 25kts from the SW, so quite close to. At about 11am I saw a Tuna boat and by chance spoke with the skipper on the VHF. I hadn't seen that he had a Tuna pen 300M astern and was towing it back to Port Lincoln. Lucky… they are difficult to see. I altered course to come astern and was relieved to learn that although 3 more boats were around, they were not on my course.

We pushed on and after a squally night the wind backed to SE, as did the sea, which made for a better motion on board. Louis and JJ had been pretty sick the day before and the new motion helped them recover. We caught another Bluefin but it was lost around the rudder, and later that day caught 2 small Albacore for the freezer.

Day 4 and it looked like we would make Middle Island in the Recherché Group late afternoon. We altered course and came onto the plate at lunchtime seeing the depth change from 3800m to 70m in just 10 miles. I was very glad the swell was only 3m and not 6 or 12 as is not uncommon in this region.

The Recherché group is very isolated and only really accessible if you are crossing the bight, as only a handful of yachts do each year. We knew we would see no other boats, so had to be careful in this dangerous archipelago.

On our approach to Middle Island I suddenly noticed that we were in an area of the chart with no soundings. On closer inspection it cautioned that it was unsurveyed. Great! Only 10 miles to go and we were in an area that Flinders described as "a mass of uncharted dangers". After a nervous hour or so with the sun in our eyes we got back into the soundings and made our approach around NE point and into Goose Island Bay. We found a protected spot behind the headland and dropped our Admiralty anchor, which bit hard into the sand and weed. Well hooked and secured before last light….fantastic.

We had crossed the Great Australian Bight and could look forward to some remote day cruising in the Recherché group whilst heading slowly towards Esperance some 80 miles away. I felt relieved that we were finally in Western Australia and a great sense of relief that the Bight was behind us.

After a lazy morning we made a landing through the surf and explored the deserted beach hopeing to find some unusual shells. Often you are rewarded with one or two great finds, and here we found a large Bailer shell, some 30cm long. The wind was up and backing so we returned to Pegasus and made our way round to a more protected bay we has seen from high ground ashore. Although with rocky patches and shallows, we found good shelter, and as this was un named, and in the spirit of the explorers, we named it Lawrence bay and had a fire on the beach to celebrate, our first in Australia.

We had planned to go to the South of the Island and find the caves where Black Jack Anderson (Australia's only? Pirate) lived with his harem, but the weather was such we couldn't get there, so walked up to Lake Hillier, a pink lake in the middle of the Island. The water really was absolutely pink and quite extraordinary.

The wind was due to increase, so the following day in a fresh breeze we headed off to Cape Arid, some 30 miles, to find shelter. We found a beautiful bay, and as the it was tight with little room to drag and blowing hard we laid 2 anchors. After the seclusion of the past week we were surprised to see a 4WD off in the distance. We spent the day on the beach and walked the cliffs. We all swam, but at just 20 degrees it was a little fresh.

The following morning on route to Lorraine bay I picked up our E mail and was surprised to see a warning from my brother of an expected Tsunami on the East coast of Australia generated by an earthquake in Chilli. I spent an hour trying to find out more details but decided that we were fairly safe to make our way on to the anchorage, as the expected time of arrival had passed and there was no sign of it. That was our second Tsunami warning, the other being in Fiji from the Samoa earthquake

The 1st March saw us up anchor and head off to Lucky Bay some 20 miles west. This is reputed to be one of Australia's most beautiful beaches, and with that notoriety we were not surprised to see half dozen 4WD at the distant end of the beach. It was blowing old boots so we tucked up under the headland and made for the beach in an area of low swell. Once ashore a long walk and swimming for the Boys. Tomorrow Esperance. It has to be said, that even though the boys swam, it was pretty fresh and both Amanda and I wore jumpers. We were both looking forward to sailing into the Indian Ocean and out of the Southern!

The morning saw NE 20 kts easing so we pulled up the anchor early and had made Esperance by lunchtime. On the way in we passed another cruising yacht, the first we had seen in WA.

After anchoring we had a call on the VHF from Customs who invited us in to say hello. We were only the second yacht to call in that year and the first to visit them so they gave us a few freebie coffee mugs etc and told us about the town. We walked into town, via the play park. It felt strange to be in company again after our 10 days in the wilds, but good to be in WA.

Esperance was a friendly place and with the use of the Yacht Club facilities we felt quite at home. The town was close to the anchorage and offered all the local services you could want. We made friends with the local dive shop owner who happened to be a serious shell collector. He gave us some advice, but in order to collect the serious shells you really have to dive for them. Some of the specimens he had found were worth many thousands of dollars and he was an active trader to collectors.

We were keen to push on before it became difficult to get round Cape Leeuwin. After 5 days the weather looked good so on 7th March we headed off early for Albany, some 230 miles away. 2 small Bluefin by 9am, wind aft port quarter light. The wind stayed below 20kts and at midday on 8th March we arrived in Albany. After messing about a bit in Princess Royal sound we anchored opposite the town in an exposed spot. The sound is shallow and it looked difficult to find any shelter for when the wind picked up which was forecast. Coming into the harbour we had an engine failure, and the no1 reef line had snapped so I had a few jobs to do. After a quick lunch I dived on the engine water intakes and managed to clear some barnacles and weed from both. That did the job and we had 2 engines back working.

Albany is a pretty town and after spending the following morning walking around we decided to head up to Hanover bay to anchor behind a headland out of the increasing wind. We finally got a good hold but after a couple of hours we started dragging. We moved again, further offshore, and found an area of good holding as the wind picked up to 30+ kts. After 2 nights the wind eased and we headed back to town to buy some stores and get ready for the next leg round Cape Leeuwin and up to Fremantle.

We wanted to take the boys to the whaling museum in King Georges sound, so pulled up anchor and by 10am were parked outside the whaling station. We had a fascinating tour and watched a few interesting movies about whaling. After lunch we went back to Pegasus. We had planned to set sail on Sunday morning, but conscious of the possibility of a foul current and the wind heading us before rounding the cape, we decided we were ready and should leave. We knew it wouldn't be that pleasant for the first 8 hours or so, but I preferred that than it to be unpleasant around Cape Leeuwin or Cape Naturalist.

We motored round Bald Head in light winds but with a big swell running. The wind was in the West, and with the swell and some rain it was slow progress. That evening we caught 2 Bluefin which was a welcome surprise..

WE had a few issues along the way. We lost part of the Burgee on the wind instrument so that was not really working properly, then at 4am, the burgee halyard parted and the staff came crashing down to deck, but the good news was that the wind was backing and freeing us off so we could turn the engine off and start sailing. The wind was now SSW and cold but we were making 8 kts so all seemed well…another Bluefin caught…

At 2000 on 14th March we rounded Cape Leeuwin and started heading more in a northerly direction. We were now through the Southern Ocean and into the Indian Ocean, Hooray.

During that night we passed Cape Naturalist and the wind eased to light from the SE. We were now heading E of N and the sun was out. We caught another 5 small Bluefin and put a further 20kg of fish in the freezer, so were fully stocked for our time in Fremantle.

It was looking like a late arrival in Fremantle. I had studied the charts and it was not a straightforward entry. There is a narrow pass with leading lights south of Rottnest Island, then a 5-mile motor up the sound before entering the marina. By 9pm the wind was up at 25kts and increasing. We approached the pass at midnight having dropped our triple reefed main, and after finding the transits motored into the Gage Roads. Just past the last transit the port engine failed….no cooling water. I went down into the engine room and after a few minutes managed to get the salt water feed working. Phew…we motored up the sound but something wasn't right. We had good revs but a slow speed and were motoring into an increasing wind. The steering was difficult and we were just slowing down. I contacted Port control and advised them of our situation. The Water Police called and asked if we wanted volunteer assistance, but thinking that was not yet necessary we worked on freeing ourselves from the unseen snare. After an hour thinking we were caught on something, and trying to back out of it, not really knowing what to do I decided to head away from land back towards the reef and sail out of it.

We set the staysail on port tack and headed for some shallow water to anchor. I guess it took a while to make that decision as we could see the marina entrance just 2 miles away, but couldn't get to it. How frustrating.

After an hour or so we were in 8m of water, so dropped anchor and luckily we found good holding. At 4am we both went to bed exhausted. I would dive the props at first light and see what the issues were.

7 am, wetsuit on and into the water. It was fairly rough, but I could see that we had a mass of weed around the propellers. It took only 20 minutes to clear and after some coffee we pulled up the anchor and headed the 5 miles to the marina entrance. At 8.30am on 16 March we tied up alongside at the Fremantle Sailing Club with smiles on our faces and thoughts of a hot shower.

We were relieved to be alongside after a frustrating passage, and with the worst behind us looked forward to a month in Fremantle and the hospitality of the FSC. We planned to carry out an extensive schedule of maintenance and get Pegasus ready for the next leg up to Darwin, some 2000 miles through pretty rugged and spectacular country.

While in Fremantle the media team finally arrived and sorted out the website. We now have all the blogs listed with links to our photographs on the net. You can find us at www.sailpegasus.com We hope you enjoy, and excuse the amateur nature of the site. Now we have built it we can develop it over time.

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Australia 2 Sydney to Adelaide

Australia 2 Sydney to Adelaide

Heading out from Sydney it felt good to be back offshore with a destination and a plan. Australia, up to that point, had been a bit confusing for us. We knew we had to remain south of the cyclone belt, but our Visas and plan basically ran out after Christmas. Having resolved the Visa issue, and now having formulated a plan that held excitement and progression, we were all feeling much better and with the wind in our sails we started on our journey south and round to Adelaide.

Having watched the wind carefully while in Australia, I knew that the grib files were often inaccurate and that most afternoons a strong sea breeze could easily add 15 kts to forecast, wind speed. We had a number of weather systems to progress through, and with cold fronts rolling through the southern ocean every 4 days or so we had to get our timing right if we wanted to have a fair passage.

Approaching Eden, the last port in New South Wales, we decided to pull in and let a southerly change come through. It would only take 24 hours but the wind would strengthen and shift from North through West to South then back up to the North East again. That would then stabilise and weaken for a few days giving us light offshore winds along the East part of Victoria, an exposed 250-mile leg to Wilsons Promontory. This is a notoriously ugly place if you get it wrong, but there is an anchorage that can be used to wait for clement conditions, or until the next front passes, so we had a fallback plan. There was another potential stop aprox mid way: a narrow Bar entrance leading to the Victoria lakes (Creatively called Lakes Entrance!) This would only be passable in very mild swell conditions and at the right time. We planned to have a look on route, and if feasible stop there for the next system to pass.

We left Eden at 6pm the 10th January with winds ENE at 10kts, all looking good. We rounded the corner and made our way into the Bass straight. The forecast was for light wind and by 2am in true Australian fashion it was blowing 30+ kts. No problem, just not forecast, but the sea was not threatening at 3m swells so we pushed on. As fast as it appeared it stopped and by 7am it was back to 15kts then decreased over the day, so by our approach to Lakes Entrance the wind was 5 kts offshore, mild (2m) swell conditions and the top of an incoming tide. Perfect for the Bar, so we made our way into the lake system, found a shallow, pretty anchorage and were all settled and secure by 5.30pm. We could now wait for the next weather system to pass, which looked like it would be a strong one and take a few days.

As the wind backed it became unbearably hot at 37 degrees. The water, at just 18 degrees provided welcome relief and we spent a few days at anchor, shopping and swimming.

It was noticeable that as the water temperature dropped heading out of Eden, the sea life became prolific. More often than not we had dolphins on the bow or around the boat, and there was plenty of bird life. The fishing was supposed to be excellent, but I guess, because of our speed during daylight, we didn't catch anything.

The forecast looked good so we headed back into the Bass straight on 14th Jan, unsure how far we would get but hopeing for Portland, 150 miles west of Melbourne, and 300 miles west of Lakes Entrance. There were a few options for default once past Wilsons Promontory, and with the weather looking mild I was confident we would make good progress before the next system rolled through the straight. We made steady way with light NE winds, which backed quickly to S then SSE then ESE, so well behind and at only 15kts we had good steady sailing.

After 40 hours we were 10 miles NE of King Island and pushing to exit the Bass straight. After downloading the latest weather it looked like we would be 8 hours short of Portland when the wind backed into the W at 25Kts. There was no way we wanted to be there when that happened. It's a dangerous coast with the swell rolling in from the Southern Ocean and hitting the continental plate squeezing into the 50 -80 meter depths available. The wind can also stiffen considerably as its funnelled between the Australian coast and Tasmania. Not the place to be, so we aborted and headed N for 35 miles to Apollo Bay and a pretty, secure harbour just under the lea of Cape Otway. We arrived before lunch, but as the wind freshened so our anchor dragged and we went alongside the harbour wall for security.

Luckily while in Eden, the boys and I had found a 3.5m plank on the beach. I had been keeping my eyes open for one, and while on passage I made a set of fender boards. Figuring that we were now off the popular cruising routes, we were really in fishing harbour territory and most mooring would be alongside piled wharfs, so fender boards would be needed. We pulled the new boards out and secured alongside without worries as the wind blew through the 30 kt range for 3 days.

We had a pleasant time in Apollo and met another cruising boat that had crossed from Perth. Over drinks on Pegasus they recounted their trip: 18 meter waves, dinghy being ripped from the davits, by the swell, mortal relief at arriving in Port Lincoln. Wow, not the sort of place I want to get stuck in. In passing they mentioned they had dragged their anchor in Esperance so the subject turned to their new purchase, a stockless anchor. I had not heard of these before, but rather like a fisherman's or Admiralty, it can penetrate hard sand, weed and rock, making it ideal for the South coast of Australia. I now knew, as I had suspected, I was going to need another anchor, and resolved to look for one in Adelaide..

Whilst alongside, a Cray fishing boat tried to come alongside the dock between us and another fishing boat. I was on the dock talking with the skipper and just couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was clear that he wouldn't make it, and as he aborted and reversed out hard, he clipped our bow scouring the paint and fibreglass. I wasn't very impressed.

Now understanding that all fishermen are "angry" I approached them and asked what they intended to do about it. Well they were pretty quiet, so I told them what their reaction would have been if I had done it to their boat. I left, making the point that it was ridiculous that they hadn't ask me to move, and fully expecting that that was the last I would hear from them. 10 minutes later the skipper came over full of apology carrying 2 huge Cray fish. What a kind gesture. They were enormous, at least 2-3kg each and provided 3 family meals for us without skimping. We had certainly had our fill of exceptional southern crayfish.

We waited in Apollo for the wind to ease and back for the next leg W then NW up into the gulf of St Vincent. This stretch of coast is practically dangerous and I wanted to get it right. It looked like the best plan was to take 12 hours of wind weather early giving us the 48 hours of settled weather from the south, which we needed to get up into the gulf, passed Kangaroo Island (KI) and up to Adelaide.

We set sail on 20th Jan into what turned out to be quite windy weather. It blew a good 25kts on the nose as we beat offshore past Cape Otway, trying to get off the plate and into deeper water. By 1700 the wind had backed from NW to SW and we tacked heading NW along the coast. It was pretty lumpy, those first few hours, and both boys were sick, which sometimes happens if we have been alongside and still, then get into lumpy seas on day 1. The following day the wind died off as expected and we made steady progress along the coast. The wind built up again and at dawn day 2 we had some pretty big winds. We were heading up to Kangaroo Island and the infamous backstairs passage (between KI and the mainland) another dangerous straight due to the tides and shallows.

Unexpectedly the wind built up all morning so by lunchtime it was blowing some 35+ kts, just aft abeam with 4 meter seas. For only the second time since leaving the UK I had to put 4 reefs in the main. For the very first time since leaving the UK I was struck by the strong feeling that this was really the wrong place for small children

We were really humming along, albeit with not many cards left in the deck, and were making good time. As we approached the Backstairs passage so the wind eased and seas flattened. By 2300 we were motoring into Antechamber bay (on KI) looking for a place to pull over for the night All was black and very dark and we felt our way in on instruments, anchoring in 5 meters of water. After messing about a bit we got the anchor to hold and settled down for a well-earned sleep. We had made it through the bass straight and were now, at just 80 miles, a hop and a skip away from Adelaide.

We decided to regroup before heading up to see my Father, so spent the following day in Kingscote on KI. After dinner ashore and a good nights sleep I was up early, slipped lines, and set sail for Adelaide. Being in the gulf we had flat water and a good 15-18 kts on the beam. With full rig we had a fantastic sail up the gulf, arriving at the Royal South Australian Yacht Squadron at about 1600 on Sunday 24th January

After stowing the boat, my Father arrived at 1700 and we all had a merry time at the clubhouse. He met JJ and Louis for the first time and both boys gave him a wonderful hug. I was glad to see him much improved since I last saw him in December. He came on board and we all shared a lovely lasagne that Amanda had put together on the way up to Adelaide. The RSAYS is quite a way out from town and we planned to see him and my half brother and sisters over the next few days.

Tuesday 26th was Australia day. We all congregated at the clubhouse with a few others and had a long lazy BBQ. JJ and Louis swam and had great fun playing with their aunties, while Dad and I sat, ate, drank and talked.. We all had a memorable day together.

The general plan had been to stay in Adelaide for a month working on Pegasus and to take her out of the water for antifouling etc. It became apparent early on that there was not the facility to haul Pegasus at the RSAYS. It was a great shame but we were just the wrong shape for their lifting system. I sorted some electrics, replaced engine mounts and found a second hand Admiralty anchor, exactly the right size. I think it had been waiting for us. We did many other small jobs during our 2 weeks there and had a hire car for running around. We spent a few enjoyable afternoons and evenings with Dad and generally just enjoyed each other's company around the boat or at his place in town.

The days were flying past and I was starting to get concerned that we were running out of time (stable summer weather patterns) to get across the Great Australian Bight and round to Perth. We had finished as much work as we could so I felt it was time to push on. We would set sail before dawn on Monday 8th February.

As we couldn't antifoul, I scrubbed Pegasus as my last job. I wanted the boat to be as fast as possible getting across the bight. In addition we took Silver the Optimist, off Pegasus and left her, along with other items, in a chandlery in Adelaide. We had great fun in silver, but, although a great idea, we actually only used her occasionally and she was pretty heavy to lug around. I couldn't see us using her for at least 6 months so she had to go. Pegasus was delighted and felt light and responsive again. A good move. We were ready to go.

Sunday came and I planned that we should all have lunch in the Club which was busy hosting a kids day in aid if charity. We had a lovely table for 9 in a fine setting and all settled down for a great lunch. Oysters, steak, a rather good cheese board and good company made for a memorable day. We retired to the lawn where there was a band and a bouncy castle for the kids. I sat with my father and we mused about life, both conscious that this could well be the last time we saw each other. We said goodbye and both felt sad that we had to part so soon. It had been 6 years since we last saw each other. We both agreed that what we really needed was a couple of weeks together just to let the questions and answers flow.

Its one of the strange and sad things about cruising that there are so many goodbye's.

Although things transpired against us a little, I carry fond memories of our time in Adelaide and feel pleased that we all made the effort to see each other, and for him to meet his grandchildren I hope, while we are still in Australia, we make the opportunity to see each other again.

A still Monday morning, just glowing on the pre dawn, saw us slip lines and glide out of Adelaide on dark glassy seas. We wanted to get south early, as the sea breeze sucks the air up the gulf, giving strong southerly winds from midday onwards. Further south there is less effect. We were keen to sample some of the great cruising in South Australia so headed back to Kangaroo Island and found a beautiful anchorage in Emu bay on the North side of the island. White sand under crystal clear, turquoise water. Fantastic, the only drawbacks being that these waters are the breeding grounds of the great white shark, so absolutely no swimming off the boat or in deep water. The Beach looked safe enough, (watch out for the snakes) so we went ashore, all swam and took a long walk down the beach. It felt great to be back out there.

The cruising in the 2 gulfs is wonderful, and on route to Port Lincoln, our departure point for the bight, we spent 8 nights at anchor in 6 anchorages and 3 islands. We reprovisioned in PL and, while waiting on weather, headed out to the Sir Joseph Banks group to see the islands and spend a few days on the beach.

All through SA the sea life was plentiful and visible, with daily sightings of dolphin, shark, fish, sealion and plenty of birds, although no Albatross. We had last seen them approaching KI in late January. I was hopeing that we would see them again when we returned to the fringe of the southern ocean, on our immanent passage to Western Australia.

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Australia 1, Bundaberg to Sydney

Australia 1, Bundaberg to Sydney

WE arrived in Bundaberg on 26th October 2009.

As part of the Port to Port rally we were welcomed with open arms and after completing customs, quarantine and immigration formalities we settled down to a week of parties and social with our friends from across the Pacific. Taking the opportunity of available mechanics and supplies, I serviced the engines, completed some maintenance and had some additional Bimini and hatch covers made to keep the aggressive Australian sun at bay.

While it's relatively straightforward to obtain a cruising permit for a foreign flag vessel, many of our Australian friends were faced with a mountain of paperwork, formality and cost to import their boats, and those who's trip had finished were wrestling with the emotion of selling their boats and returning to life on land. This lead to some good parties and emotional farewells.

After a week or so in Bundy we headed south down the inside passage of Fraser Island. We stopped with our friends the Blues and spent a peaceful few days at anchor at the Kingfisher resort and Garry's anchorage. Being inside the island we had an opportunity to watch the weather and gauge the accuracy of the weather forecasts before we headed out through Wide Bay Bar, our first Bar crossing in Australia, and notoriously dangerous exit into the Coral sea.

As with any new cruising area, there are local techniques that the newcomer must learn. Crossing the Bar is an East coast classic. In essence the East cost has a number of harbours that are accessed through river mouths. The seaward side of the entrance tends to silt up causing a shallow area on which the offshore swell breaks. If the tide is ebbing, this can cause a violent short sea, dangerous to small craft. The trick is to cross the bar with an incoming tide and low swell conditions, making the passage safer. This makes timing arrival at refuge a key part of the passage plan and with the changeable Australian weather was another factor in our cautious approach to cruising the East coast.

We left Wide Bay Bar without incident and headed South for the day arriving at Mooloolabar late afternoon. We had arranged to meet our friends on Vagabond Heart and were welcomed by Bill and Debbie standing on the harbour wall waving. After mooring Pegasus we all went to the Park next to the marina and had a great evening BBQ. The Australians encourage outdoor activities and most parks will have free BBQ's and a play area. We spent many happy evenings in the park, eating with our friends and letting the children play into the night.

Mooloolabar is a great place for cruisers. There are all the usual facilities and services, the town and shops are close and there is a park between the Marina and the Beach, which happens to be only 150 meters away and have great surf on it. We planned to stay a while and meet Amanda's parents there. They had arrived in Sydney and were travelling north to spend some time with us all. Another issue that needed sorting were Jean-Jaques teeth.

During the last ocean passage of the Pacific, JJ had developed toothache. After taking him to the dentist in Bundaberg, it became apparent that this was not a straightforward issue and that he needed to see a paediatric dentist. There was all sorts of talk about general anaesthetic, multiple crowns and extractions, which we found pretty worrying. After some time in the "Consultation and referral" stage we found a great dentist some 20KM from Mooloolabar who, after our consultation, was confident that she could give him 3 crowns without a GA, using gas and air. This was a relief, as our insurance was not that comprehensive, and we didn't want JJ to have a GA if it could be helped. The work was completed successfully without incident and we were delighted that we had finally resolved this issue and could move on without worrying about his teeth and any pain he may be in.

Amanda's parents arrived and we all had a great time both on the boat and in their campervan, which the boys loved. They had rented a large campervan and driven North staying at various campsites, and on arrival in Mooloolabar found a campsite just 5 minutes walk from the marina. Perfect for all. The boys really enjoyed seeing Granny and Grandpa, and much fun was had in the surf, on the beach, BBQing and eating out. WE all spent a memorable day at Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo where JJ and Louis fed kangaroos and elephants and generally saw and touched Australian wildlife. Amanda's father, who had spent some time living in the bush in his youth, let us know which animals tasted good and which to avoid. I found it fascinating, but I hope we don't have to use the information at any point in our travels!!!

We had a plan to have Christmas in Sydney with Vagabond Heart, Lucey Blue and my Father. The Production company had wanted to film my Father meeting his grandchildren for the first time and so I had bought tickets for him to fly to Sydney and join Pegasus from 21st to 30th December and time was pushing on.

Early on the 27th November we headed south with the plan to meet Amanda's parents in Distinction Bay where we thought we could moor Pegasus and they could camp. After leaving early we arrived there in the afternoon and Bob and Yvonne were not far behind. We took the BBQ ashore and had a great evening with a fire on the beach and lovely food. The following day we swan, BBQ'ed and had fun on the river. This would be our last day in the bush, as we planned to head into Brisbane the following day and the nearest campsite to the marina was some 10km away.

We left early and arrived in the mouth of the Brisbane river at 10am. There is a marina right in the heart of Brisbane, some 10 miles up the river, and by 12am we were tied up alongside in the centre of the city. I was surprised and pleased to see our old friend Ian on Mikado in the marina, along with a few other boats we knew. It had all the makings of a good party, and the first night Ian and I put the world to rights, although we never did find the Rum thief!!!

Bob and Yvonne had another day or two with the campervan, so the boys went and stayed with them and had a ball. They were to spend their final 5 nights on board Pegasus before flying back from Brisbane. Some 15 miles to the west on Morton Island was the Tangalooma wild Dolphin resort. This looked like a suitable place to anchor for a few nights and enjoy the beach. We had a straightforward passage and with some messing around managed to drop the hook securely opposite the resort.

It was the 3rd December and Amanda's birthday. After some discussion as to weather to stay in Brisbane and go out, or go to the resort, Amanda decided that she wanted to get out of Brisbane for a few days. After presents, Champagne and fun, we decided that I would take Amanda for dinner in the resort. Well the Wild Dolphin Resort was not exactly as we imagined. The Wild Dolphins were fed every night by up to 300 Japanese tourists waiting in line to feed the dolphins while a photographer took the all important souvenir photo. After watching for a moment or two we were asked to move on, and after that, we found that we were not welcome at the resort. We couldn't buy a drink and we certainly couldn't have dinner in the empty restaurant. Quite incredible, and we were a little shocked. There's something slightly unnerving when the unwritten rules of capitalism are flouted and you and your money are unwelcome. We later found out that this has been a resort policy for years and only resort guests were welcome after 6.30pm. In all the resorts we have been to over the last year we have always been welcome: it's just a shame that we couldn't celebrate Amanda's birthday at the Tangalooma "not so" wild "its 6 o clock I'm feeling peckish" Dolphin resort.

We were, however, welcome during the day, and after a few great beach days we headed back to the mainland and the lea of Woody point, expecting a windy night. The following day we headed back to Brisbane centre as Bob and Yvonne had some shopping to do and we wanted to go to a few museums and art galleries.

It was whilst I was with the Boys in the maritime museum that I received the call from my Half Brother Daniel. Dad had suffered a stroke and was in Hospital in Adelaide. Well, not sure how to take the news I decided that I should fly to Adelaide without delay. The next morning I was in the hospital with Dad, and although shocking, it was apparent that he had been extremely lucky. By an act of God he had manage to call an ambulance and get his front door open to get to hospital. IN terms of severity, it was by all accounts a mild stroke but with significantly disabillitating medium term effects. It was also a shock for all the family, and now, 2 months later, he is doing much better, and we hope will make a full recovery.

I spent a week in Adelaide with Dad and his Australian children, and flew back to Brisbane where Amanda and the boys had been keeping busy with the many museums and attractions that central Brisbane offered. Amanda's Parents had flown home, so we were back as a family again and thinking about heading off to Sydney for Christmas and New Year. The time pressure was now off as there was no way Dad could fly and then handle being on the boat for a week. What a shame. I was particularly upset as this had been in planning for a while: We would have to sail to Adelaide to see him in the New Year.

We set off from Brisbane on 14th Dec heading south along the inside of Sandy Island to the Bar exit at Southport. The weather was fine so we decided to push south for Sydney. WE exited the Bar at Southport at 9.30pm and sailed south in light winds close hauled. After 2 days it looked like we in for a blow so we decided to head into Camden Haven, a quiet town some 150 miles N of Sydney. WE arrived as the wind picked up, got through the Bar without incident, and anchored in the River opposite the town of Lauriston. .

Lauriston was lovely, a quiet country town with all amenities within easy reach. There was even a swimming pool that, we all enjoyed in the windy but hot weather. Saturday night and a cruisers drinks party on the dock introduced us to the other boats at anchor. We all had a jolly time and good social with the first Australian cruisers we had met since arriving in October. On Sunday we went to the local Market, which was just fantastic, bought some provisions for our next passage and a few Christmas gifts, then went back to Pegasus.

On our way back the faithful 15hp outboard just died. No rhyme or reason just stopped working. Now outboards are not that complicated, if it has spark, fuel and air it should go. Nearly always the issue is the carburettor, but after stripping it, soliciting help from experienced cruisers and stripping it again, there was ho way I could get it going. Oh well, plan B, take it to a Yamaha dealer in Sydney. We had our little 2hp, so we still had transport.

We set sail on 20th Dec bound for Pittwater, some 15miles N of Sydney, where our friends on Vagabond Heart lived. 24 hours later and we sailed into Refuge bay picking up a buoy alongside the Vagabonds. Within minutes the children were all on the beach and the adults drinking coffee, catching up on events of the last month.

After 5 years sailing, the vagabonds had arrived back in their homeport, and we listened with interest at how they were managing their integration back into the shore-based life. Debbie had returned to her work as a doctor, and Bill was working part time with some old colleagues in Management consultancy. The Children had been to their new schools for induction and would start the new term after Christmas. They had decided to keep living on Vagabond Heart for consistency, and they still had a good let in their house. Remarkably, after only a little teasing, their car was still operational, so they were all set. We thought they had managed the situation very well and lessons were learnt and filed for our return to the UK.

The plan was to spend Christmas in Pittwater and then head to Sydney for fireworks on New Years Eve. The Film company were still keen to film our arrival in Sydney as the end of the programme, so it was arranged that Ben the Cameraman would arrive in Pittwater on 29th Dec to sail down and through the harbour with us. Christmas was a little damp, but we all had great fun on the beach, and were joined by our friends the Blues who had sold their boat and were due to head back to Norway imminently. It was quite a party and everyone had a great time with presents, god food and bonhomie

Ben arrived on schedule, but the wind was not perfect so we spent a rough and windy morning sailing the 15 miles south to Sydney. Arriving in the harbour close behind the vagabonds we sailed past the shore side cameraman, Opera house and under the Harbour bridge. It felt quite surreal to be in Sydney, literally the other side of the world from our base in Cowes.

An old friend from the Isle of Wight, now living in Singapore, was in Sydney with his family and we had arranged to all have lunch together. We were a little delayed, but at 2pm we picked up a buoy off Mcmahones point and I went ashore to pick up Tim and Yulin and their family. We were pleasantly surprised to see Tim's father with him and after getting everyone onboard we had a great lunch party, eating, drinking and swimming. There was much merriment and it was great to see everyone and have them on board Pegasus. We will see them all again in Asia I'm sure.

Late afternoon we said our goodbyes and headed up to Athol Bay where we planned to raft up with the Vagabonds and watch the fireworks the following evening.

Another good party and spectacular fireworks saw in the New Year. Sadly that really marked the end of our time with the friends we had made in the Pacific.

We said farewell as the vagabonds departed back to Pittwater leaving us in Sydney to prepare for our passage south. I had a number of issues to sort out with Pegasus, not least of all buying a new outboard. The old faithful 15hp was terminally ill, or rather the dealers couldn't find the fault. After much deliberation the best option was to purchase a new one, so that was a priority when the shops opened after the New Year break. In addition I had some fibreglass repairs to make and items to purchase before we headed off again.

As I worked on Pegasus, Amanda took the boys to the sights around Sydney. We had anchored in Rozelle bay; right by the fish markets, so were in the centre of town. Amanda toured the Fish market early one morning to watch the fish being auctioned, while I took the boys for breakfast, then on to the Immigration offices to sort out our visas for a further 7 months. After a few hours we miraculously organised our visas, and we set for the full term of our intended stay in Australia.

Our Cameraman Ben was still in town, and as this was the last sequence to be filmed, it was the end of the production from our side. We arranged to meet up and all had an extravagant dinner in darling harbour to celebrate, what we hoped, was a job well done. It was now up to the skilled series producer James Nutt to make the programme, and I'm sure that it will reflect, in many ways, the spirit of our adventure. (The programme will be aired sometime in 2010, on channel 4 and is part of the series called "Family Gap Year". I'll keep you posted.)

By the 8th January we were ready and the weather looked good. A little apprehensive of our forthcoming endeavour, we slipped out of Sydney heads early with 15kts on the starboard quarter. Great sailing conditions, but things change quickly in Australia and without warning. We were headed south and unsure how far we would get before the next southerly change would find us looking for shelter.

The cards had been laid when my Father had his stroke. We were bound for Adelaide and see what it was like down south and spend some time with my father. After that we could head back to the east coast and backtrack, or, if the weather looked good, head over to Perth, an altogether more challenging and appealing option. Once across the Great Australian Bight, 1000 miles of lea shore in the southern ocean!! We could slowly make our way up the west coast, through the remote Kimberly region (Crocodile country) and try and be in Darwin for July. That had the makings of a good plan so off we went south to see just how big those waves get in the Bass straight and Southern Ocean!!!

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Cruising with children

Cruising with children

Pegasus Suva Fiji 15th Sept 2009

We've been cruising on board Pegasus for nearly a year now and the Boys love it, although for us it started as a lesson in tolerance…expect the unexpected. In the first few months it was quite normal, and deeply frustrating, to find the boys had been playing with the equipment… settings on the Radar all on max, the knobs from the SSB missing, always at an inconvenient moment. On one early occasion, I remember watching Louis recover from loss of balance on the helm chair by grabbing the VHF mic cable and separating it from the base station. Great, We found that inclusion was the best policy, so by using the radar with Jean-Jaques (4), he became aware of its importance so would only play with it with Daddy. Louis at 2 was still too young to accept any logic so we had to accept that things would happen and just live with it. Over time this has changed and now the boys do not touch the equipment. That said yesterday I found that sometime in the last 10 days they have managed to break the hinge on my parallel rule..ho hum..

Cruising with children is a different and hugely rewarding experience. Gone are the days of quiet contemplation under sail, or sitting in peaceful solitude in some breathtaking anchorage. Life is just non stop, and the only moments of peace are usually late at night on watch. We find that passages over 1000 miles are the easiest. A natural rhythm is established and the boys have some sort of routine. On windy or very rough days they will spend the morning in their play bunk, a double berth amidships starboard side, which has some of their toys and a DVD player. This is definitely their area and therefore the tidy regime is less heavily enforced. It is also close to the galley so they will often help Amanda make bread, biscuits or cakes, which they enjoy. When they need stimulation they usually come up to the pilothouse and will do some craft work or painting with Amanda. This is where I spend most of the time, as it has direct access to the cockpit, winches and mast base, and I can tend Pegasus at a moments notice. It can feel quite surreal surfing down waves at 15 kts while the boys are painting or sticking crepe paper to cut out shapes of elephants. Inevitably its just when you relent and start to cut out the dinosaur that you take a real ride and wonder if your going to make it or pierce the wave infront, the boys oblivious of course. Luckily I can reef Pegasus going downwind in a straightforward procedure taking only a few minutes, but it's the sea that creates the really fast surfs and even after 20,000 miles it is still unnerving for the adults!!! On sunny days the boys will play in the cockpit and we will fill the paddling pool so that they can play in the water, or if its calm they will go forward on the nets, running around as I try and throw buckets of water over them. Each activity tends to end with snacks, drinks or meals, so it makes for a busy routine. We love to fish, and if we feel we can physically land a fish, will always have 2 lines out. It's a great excitement when I call "Fish On" and both boys run to the back windows to watch as we haul the fish in, land and then dispatch it to the freezer. I think on passage we catch 4 or 5 good fish a week, so they certainly understand where their food comes from.

We tend to eat together just before sundown and an hour or so after dinner Amanda will take the boys down to the port side for stories and bed. I stay in the pilot house and settle the boat during the cloudy and often pitch dark hours after sundown. Once settled Pegasus will sail herself, and after a bit of weather analysis or administration, will take some time to enjoy the peace that comes with bedtime. Midnight and I wake Amanda who stands a 4-hour watch while I sleep in the pilothouse on standby. Four o clock and its time to download weather and work out what I think will be in store for the coming day and verify the long term position plan with the new data. Six o clock and there up!
Daddy can I have some porridge…and off it goes again. Eight, Amanda's up and its time for the radio schedule and so it goes on.

At anchor it's a different programme and over the past couple of months have been cruising on and off with two other boats with children. Its great when you find other children and they all get on….its even better if the parents have good social as well. We are lucky in that respect and, although the cruising children are generally older than our boys they are always inclusive and they all play together well. We have all enjoyed many good days on the beach, and had great beach BBQ's with 6 adults and 7 children. always a good party.

In retrospect we really had no idea how it was going to work cruising with children. We were lucky that we had a few key elements in our favour. Firstly Pegasus is a great boat for children. She has a very safe cockpit area so the boys can be in or out side without a worry. She is easy to sail single handed so allows more time to tend the various and constant needs of the crew., and is large enough to allow the boys their own domain other than their bunks. Secondly our cruising itenary was for warm climates so allowing plenty of swimming and beach time. And thirdly, we have met some great families doing the same sort of route so have all had good social interaction. All these factors conspire to make for a successful and sustainable cruising environment with children. Its is a completely different experience and always busy, but I will never forget Louis mastering his mask for the first time and actually seeing fish underwater, or Jean-Jaques swimming through the tunnel into mariners cave in Vava'u Tonga…amazing memories for them, remarkable moments for us….I'm sure there's more to come.

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New Caledonia

New Caledonia

We left Fiji in fine weather on the 750 mile passage to New Caledonia, making good way in 15-20kts aft a beam. The first 3 days were fast with daily runs of 186, 194 and 183 miles. The wind backed slowly and by day 4 was NE 5-10 kts. After some time it stopped altogether and we were resigned to motoring the remaining 50 miles to make the tidal gate through the Passe de la Havaanah in daylight, with a following tide. At this point the engines started playing up again, which I managed to sort out…water pump issues. There seemed to be a problem with the suction from the raw water pump. Relocating the strainers seemed to work and off we went at a stately 4.5 kts towards New Caledonia and our immanent rendezvous with Ben the cameraman.

Making the Passe in good time and motoring to a quiet anchorage, Anse de Pilote, we dropped the hook just after sundown. It felt good to be at anchor, and after a light dinner we went to bed excited, knowing that the following day we would be in a marina for the first time since Panama, nearly 7 months ago.

It felt like a late spring morning in England with dew on the decks and birdsong in the air, but looking around, the view was a mixture of scrub covered red earth on the hills and palm trees lining the beach. It looked somewhere between Australia and Fiji….which, funnily, is exactly what it was!

We motored up to Noumea, and after hanging around for an hour were allocated a berth. Quarantine and immigration duly arrived and without much ado left, satisfied with our credentials. Customs did not appear and we were deemed cleared after two hours, so we went ashore to look around.

Noumea was a busy cosmopolitan town but rather impersonal, so we headed back to the boat to meet Richard and his wife, the local liaison hired by the film company. Richard was a wealth of knowledge and was at our disposal to help service Pegasus prior to Bens arrival. We sorted laundry, cooking gas and stores, with the help of his car, and he gave us a cruising guide he had compiled which proved to be a great help.

The Boys were very excited at Bens arrival the following afternoon. After unpacking the magazines and various gifts he had bought out, we sat down and talked about what we had all been up to since we last saw him leaving in a taxi over the hills of Huku Niva some 4 months previously. So much had happened in both his and our lives and we all had a fun evening catching up.

Ben was moving onto the boat the following day and we planned to spend the rest of the week organising the locations, people and tools he would need to get the shots the film company wanted. It was decided we would go to the south Lagoon, some 45 miles south for the helicopter shots and then head north to Ouvea in the Loyalte islands for the boat to boat shots and some local interaction. A journey of another 120 miles. Ben would then fly out from there. After Ben left we would head off to Australia, which posed a problem, as we would have a 120 mile passage to windward back to Noumea to clear out of new Caledonia with customs.

After some thought I wrote a letter to customs and immigration asking for a dispensation to allow us 10 days grace from the date of clearance so that we could complete the filming. After some thought both Customs and immigration granted the dispensation, which was a great relief, and meant we could leave Ouvea travelling north, and pick our way through the reef, over the North, and pass out through the reef to the west of New Caledonia and thence onward to Australia.

After picking up fuel we left Noumea on Saturday 10th October bound for Islot Ua in the south lagoon. We made good progress through the reef but I was not happy. I could see a hazy cloud appearing on the horizon, and knew it meant wind. The proposed anchorage at Islot Ua was exposed with poor holding and so with reluctance, aborted, looking for the nearest protection from the coming SW winds. That just happened to be Anse de Pilote our anchorage of the very first evening.

I had been in touch with our friends Vagabond Heart and Lucy Blue who I knew were close to making the passe into New Caledonia from Fiji, but had head winds so were likely to be delayed. With genuine surprise I awoke in the morning to see both boats at anchor with us in the bay, a welcome surprise as this would be the first and last time we would see them before Australia, and provided a good opportunity to celebrate Debbie's birthday of the previous day. We decided to delay our departure and all got together on Pegasus for a champagne breakfast and presents. We left shortly before lunch and headed back to Islot Ua arriving, by the skin of our teeth, just as the sun was dipping the horizon. We set the anchor at full dusk in calm conditions, confident we were clear of any coral and excited about the next days shoot.

Up early and ashore. The helicopter was due at 10 and we wanted to shell the beaches before it arrived. Ben stayed on board sorting his gear as we walked the beaches. We found some beautiful nautilus shells, amongst others, and saw plenty of sea snakes. There were 2 islands and after walking round the first we went over to the other one again collecting shells before returning to Pegasus. After dropping Ben on the beach we got Pegasus ready and waited for the helicopter to land on the beach.

Up anchor and away, engines on, sails up and off we went. There wasn't much wind but enough, and after an hour of sailing with the helicopter buzzing around us we dropped the sails and anchored in a kink in the reef over turquoise water and white sand, swimming while Ben filmed us leaning out of his helicopter. It was all quite exciting and after dropping Ben back on the beach we waved goodbye as the helicopter arched over us and headed back to Noumea.

We had lunch, and Ben was delighted and somewhat relieved that he had got the shots and that part of the operation was a success. There was another island 2 miles away, so after lunch we took the dinghy over and had a lovely walk and swim off the island returning late afternoon well exercised and ready for the trip up to Ouvea the following day.

It was quite tricky getting out of the lagoon and after 4 hours picking our way through the reef and unsurveyed areas we exited the passe de la sarcelle and headed north under spinnaker, up towards Ouvea. As night fell the wind backed and we doused the kite and put up the genoa and staysail, making good way on a dark moonless night. We arrived at Ouvea on time, as we wanted to enter the passe du coetlogon no earlier than 8 so we had good light to see the reef and potential coral heads.

We anchored off a beautiful white beach, swam and all went ashore for a walk and some filming. We enjoyed the day on the beach and swimming off Pegasus and that evening lit a fire on the beach and had a few sundowners watching the sun set over the NW horizon.

The following morning was calm…I mean absolutely calm, not a ripple on the water. After a swim we readied the boat as we had a RIB arriving at 10 for Ben to film Pegasus at close quarters. We spent the morning motor sailing north and were surprised to see a 7 meter hammerhead cruising past the boat. Ben filmed what he could and at lunchtime we dropped the hook off St Joseph, the town in the north of the atoll where we had a loose arrangement to meet the chief, who would introduce us to some locals so Ben could film interaction etc.

As it transpired this arrangement was so loose that nobody knew much about it and when we finally managed to find the appointed contact he had completely the wrong idea about our objectives. After much discussion that evening, we headed off the following day to some outlying islands for some filming and exploration.

Ben was due to leave the following afternoon, so we moved Pegasus to a truly beautiful and protected beach so that Ben could complete his interviews early, hoping to make the Paradise hotel for lunch, where Ben was to pick up his taxi to the airport. Needless to say, that being France (ish) and being 15 minutes late for the restaurant non was the operative word, so walked down the road to a little restaurant / shack where we all had what was rather a poor and dubious lunch.

We said our goodbyes with a little sadness. This was the last time we would see Ben and as always, we had enjoyed his company. He had been with us at various stages since the start back in Sept 09 and although we know we will see him again there is no set date. However we were back as a family, and we had a difficult passage to get through before starting off to Australia. We decided to eat at the hotel that evening as a little celebration, marking our last evening in the lagoon and turquoise waters of the true pacific.

After a beach walk and swimming we left after lunch to schedule our arrival at the passe de Balade at 8am the following morning. We had a windy night and made good progress, arriving on time. More engine trouble, but I got them started after siphoning the water to the pumps, and we entered the pass in overcast conditions with little visibility. There was a fair breeze and we picked our way through the reef and channels with care as we were navigating on instruments. This far north end of New Caledonia has few visitors, and I was acutely aware that any accident here could leave us all high and dry for quite a while. I was greatly relieved to drop anchor under the protection of a headland while it blew 30 kts overnight.

The weather didn't look good for a few days and I wanted to let the sea ease off before we started off to Australia. It was blowing from the S and as we had to head SW for the first 15 hours to clear a reef system off shore, I knew that the longer we left it, the better ride we would have. Either way it was going to be uncomfortable. We rounded the top of New Caledonia on 20th October and anchored off Isle Yande, a very rugged island some 3 miles from the pass out into the Coral Sea. We were well sheltered from the strong southerly winds and decided to sit out another day and let the seas ease.

JJ and I took the dinghy off a explore a cave cut into the cliff face and find a suitable beach landing. We returned successful so after packing a bag, camera etc set off to the beach. This was a stone beach, with rugged cliffs, and I suspect had not been walked on for some years. Just as Amanda was saying that she would find no shells on this beach, she picked up her first beautiful Textured Cone shell. Fabulous. We walked the beach picking up shells every few meters. It would have to rank as our most productive beach ever. It was quite a haul. We lit a fire to burn our rubbish prior to our passage and the boys climbed the cliffs with the aid of a rope I attached for them. Amanda and I watched the fire burn and had a quiet moment of reflection before our last offshore passage. through the Coral Sea and on to Australia.

The Coral Sea is known as such because it is full of coral and reef systems, some uncharted. Many ships have come to grief in its waters and the reef and plateau areas cause the large swell to intensify and break up, altering the frequency and direction, making for extremely rough conditions. It was essential for us to stay well away from any reef, and to weather of any plateau areas.(some of these areas cause the seabed to rise from 2km to 50 m in a short distance creating enormous waves)

We set sail on 21st October bound for Bundaberg as part of the Port To Port Rally, a group of boats due to arrive in Bundy between 26th and 29th October. We had entered the rally because we had plenty of friends arriving with the rally and the extremely strict quarantine, customs and immigration facilities would be streamlined for the 50 odd boats taking part. There was an organised social programme and so it bode well for a straightforward entry and a good party on arrival.

Our first challenge was to get south past a large offshore plateau, which meant being close hauled in 3 meter seas for 15 hours. Poor old Louis was sick 3 times but when we finally bore away it was altogether more comfortable. Our second challenge was not to arrive on Sunday as Quarantine charged overtime and it would cost us 800AUD just to enter. We picked our way through the reef systems and after 2 days slowed down to try and arrive on Sunday after 5pm. By Saturday the wind had died so we motored the last day and arrived in Australia on Sunday 25th October at 11pm. On the last afternoon we were buzzed by a Coast watch plane, which contacted us for boat details. We knew we were logged in and everyone was expecting us but it was still reassuring to know that they knew our position.

There were 10 boats waiting for clearance and after a slow morning we were cleared into Australia with Quarantine confiscating our dairy products, fresh veggies and all meats. Luckily we were in the land of plenty, with an enormous selection of produce available at real prices. After the limited availability in the pacific it felt quite liberating to buy what you wanted rather than what was available.

We had finally made it to Australia, having sailed more than halfway round the world, and were pretty pleased to be here. Although we had crossed the Pacific, I think we both felt that we had not really scratched the surface. There are so many other less frequented islands in the Pacific, waiting to be discovered and explored. It seems adventure is just a sail away. For now, we are in Australia until the cyclone season is over, so we will enjoy it here and see what it has to offer. It seems a bit odd not having a deadline or immediate direction, as we have for the last year. There are, however, new challenges, and we must learn new skills navigating the coast and crossing the bars that cover the entrances to Australia's rivers and anchorages. We are looking forward to exploring Australia, but I, for one, am a little sad that the Pacific is to windward and at our backs….. until another time.

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Brace yourself Sheila, we've arrived.

Brace yourself Sheila, we've arrived.

After a fast and windy passage from Northern New Caledonia, we arrived safely in Bundaberg Australia on Sunday 25/10/09 at 23.30. We are all very excited to be here and feel it's a real marker on our circumnavigation. We are looking forward to exploring the island and interacting with the local culture.

Our plans are to spend a week in the marina for general maintenance etc, and as part of the Bundaberg Yacht Club Port to Port rally, there will be plenty of good social with the many boats we have seen and met across the Pacific.

I should even get the opportunity to bring the blog up to date with entries for passages to and from New Caledonia. Suffice to say we had an interesting time with cameramen, helicopters and boats…. We will keep you posted

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