| Lat | Lon ▲ | Boat name | Note | Created at | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18º 31.812' S | 179º 29.958' W | Begonia |
Day 3 of South Pacific Passage From:Namena Island (off Vanua Levu) Fiji To:Vulaga Island, Southen Lau Group, Fiji. Our position: -18.5302,-179.4994 Progress: [We've made [219.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [82]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [145.1]nm (through water). We have moved [72.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Wind is exactly from the wrong direction and tacking is like climbing a chalk board. To optimize our progress we keep the maximum sail up possible, but that means reefing and unreefing regularly - Ugh!] General Comments: [Overnight we've struggled to cross over the north of Navutu Reef and its surrounding shallows (we're still not done). This is just one of the obstacles we have to navigate on our route. Progress is frustrating and we've had to accept we will not arrive today. We expect to arrive overnight and hang out until suitable light before entering the pass at Vulaga. We are disappointed, but what-ya-gonna-do? We were lucky enough to enjoy have a beautiful sunset at sea last night.] At: 06:00(FJT) 26-Jun-2019, Outside Temp: 25.2C (77.36F), Humidity:85%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F), Course: 192(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.9kt, Wind:16Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:35%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:NW) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 30º 18.492' S | 179º 14.4' W | Begonia | Day 6 of South Pacific Passage From:Opua, New Zealand To:Neiafu, Vava'u, Tonga
Progress: [So far we've made [591.6]nm (through water) on this passage and have [761]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [148.5]nm (through water). We have moved [140.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [We are slowly bearing off the wind, but the wind is also getting stronger, and seas getting a little choppier (so things balance out) - Kyle had a frustrating night of winds seeming to stabilize at 24kt, only to drop to 8kt for long enough to lull him into unreefing (oh, and it rained too). In the last 24 hours we've averaged 6.19kt - our best day yet!] General Comments: [We crossed from the Eastern to the Western Hemisphere last night. There has been dramatic displays of bio-luminescence for the last couple of nights too (oh - and some meteor shows too!) - so night watches (when not reefing and unreefing) have been quite the spectacle. Not quite half way there yet, after 6 months of mostly short hops, this seems quite the passage (it is as though the longer passages we were once used to have slipped from our collective memories)] At: 06:00(NZST) 08-May-2019, Outside Temp: 19C (66.2F), Humidity:77%, Water Temp: 23.6C (74.48F), Course: 39(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.2kt, Wind:11Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:80%, Pressure: 1022hPa, Swell:2m (to:NW) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 23º 56.61' S | 179º 6.858' W | Begonia | At Anchor at South Minerva Reef
From: South Minerva Reef To: South Minerva Reef We travelled [1.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Motored South in the reef for better protection from expected winds.] General Comments: [We've had several days of snorkelling mixed with minor boat chores (including cleaning the boat bottom). Aside from an overnight visit from the NZ catamaran Katariana we've been the only boat here, while we understand that today there was 10 boats at North Minerva. Not sure how boats decide which reef to anchor in - but we are enjoying the feeling of it being 'our' reef for now. It will still be several days (early November) before we depart for NZ.] At: 16:48(TOT) 29-Oct-2018, Outside Temp: 25.5C (77.9F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 33.1C (91.58F) | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 23º 55.512' S | 179º 5.982' W | Begonia | At Anchor - South Minerva Reef
Progress: [So far we've made [291.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [5.3]nm (through water). We have moved [2.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Safely at anchor on sand shelf (6m)] General Comments: [We made it - we delayed our entrance a little more to avoid the worse of the sun (our anchorage was basically into the sun from the pass). No sign of any other boats here, nor at the North Reef as we passed by.] At: 08:44(TOT) 25-Oct-2018, Outside Temp: 24C (75.2F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 31.1C (87.98F) | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 23º 52.722' S | 179º 5.592' W | Begonia | Day 3 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Big Mama Yacht Club, Pangaimotu Island, Tongatapu Group, Tonga To:*South* Minerva Reef
Progress: [So far we've made [286.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [5]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [137.8]nm (through water). We have moved [149.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Passage continued to be rather bouncy. At one point we we had nearly everything unreefed, but then realized we'd need to slow down so as not to arrive in dark, so sailed much of the night on just a reefed jib. We can see the lighthouse entrance (to S. Minerva) and breakers, so should be anchored well before noon.] General Comments: [I was assuming we were headed for North Minerva Reef, until I paid attention the route named Kyle had assigned - and finally realized we were headed for South Minerva Reef (the one that looks like a drunken figure 8). We've seen no other ships on our passage, and few birds. All is well.] At: 06:00(TOT) 25-Oct-2018, Outside Temp: 21.1C (69.98F), Humidity:76%, Water Temp: 31.1C (87.98F)Course: 233(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.5kt, Wind:14Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:25%, Pressure: 1017hPa, Swell:2m (to:W) | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 33º 11.388' S | 179º 4.332' W | Begonia | Day 5 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [394.4]nm (through water) on this passage and have [5143]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [124.9]nm (through water). We have moved [120.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [All downwind sailing yesterday, with just the jib sail. Seas remain calm and easy. We crossed the 180 degree longitude line and are now back in the Western hemisphere!] General Comments: [We both feel well adjusted to the watch system (the calm weather has certainly helped). I spotted a ship passing 25 miles behind us (a cargo ship, headed for Auckland) on AIS I called on VHF but it was too far away (at least there was no response and I assume this is why); I was hoping to ask if he could see us on his AIS at that distance (it is unlikely as this is beyond or just at the range we expect, and his VHF output is likely to be much stronger).] At: 06:00(AKST) 19-Dec-2017, Outside Temp: 19.6C (67.28F), Humidity:83%, Water Temp: 25.8C (78.44F) Course: 87(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.8kt, Wind:15Kt(from:WNW), Cloud Cover:50%, Pressure: 1009hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:SE) | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 17º 10.602' S | 179º 0.918' W | Begonia |
At Ship's Cove, Bay of Islands, Vanua Balavu Island, Lau, Fiji (South Pacific). Our position: -17.1767, -179.0154 Sail From: Daliconi Village, NW Vanua Balavu Island, Lau, Fiji To: Ship's Cove, Bay of Islands, Vanua Balavu Island, Lau, Fiji We travelled [5.4]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [3.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in tight quarters (rocks) but stunning location (may want to set a stern line to shore) - depth at 6.5-7.5m] General Comments: [This is the area we came to this island to see - a really small patch for sure but of stunning rock formations and we look forward to some fun poking around and snorkelling too. Amazingly we've arrived in a weather window that is just perfect, calm seas, little wind... Wow! Ship's cove is named after one of the coral islands that kind-a looks like a ship.] At: 08:52(FJT) 16-Jul-2019, Outside Temp: 27.1C (80.78F), Humidity:86%, Water Temp: 29.9C (85.82F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 17º 11.052' S | 179º 0.162' W | Begonia |
At Bavatu Harbour, Vanua Balavu Island, Lau Group, Fiji (South Pacific). Our position: -17.1842, -179.0026 Sail From: Oneata Island, Lau Group, Fiji To: Bavatu Harbour, Vanua Balavu Island, Lau Group, Fiji We travelled [96.5]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [80.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchoring was a bit problematic, it is hard to find a spot less than 20m - and when we did, we dragged on testing, so we toured the whole harbour looking for the right spot, and even considered setting anchor and a stern line to a tree for a while. There were 3 other boats already here and several floats to complicate the process - but all is well now] General Comments: [A beautiful overnight sail through several tight passes overnight with a full moon - we were glad to have plenty of satellite images to verify the route we had plotted. We have a letter of introduction (from Copra boat shed) for the plantation here and hope to go ashore tomorrow and introduce ourselves, and explore. Today is Sunday, and we'll rest from the passage. No cell phone service in the harbour so any updates on that front will be further delayed. Amazingly on departing Oneata, before even exiting the lagoon we caught a 38"" King Mackerel fish - so that is our dinner sorted out for a few days :-). I belive this is our FIRST fish this year!] At: 09:54(FJT) 14-Jul-2019, Outside Temp: 27.2C (80.96F), Humidity:66%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 17º 13.248' S | 178º 57.96' W | Begonia |
At Daliconi Village, NW Vanua Balavu Island, Lau, Fiji (South Pacific). Our position: -17.2209, -178.9660 Sail From: Bavatu Harbour, Vanua Balavu Island, Lau Group, Fiji To: Daliconi Village, NW Vanua Balavu Island, Lau, Fiji We travelled [10.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [3.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchor took a bit of effort to set, but anchored in 7-8 of hard bottom (probably coral) - hopefully we'll recover anchor without incident.] General Comments: [We are planning so spend some time just north of here in the 'Bay of Islands' and must come to the village to do 'sevusevu' and get permission. We'll anchor here overnight and move in the morning. We have beautiful calm and clear weather and motored over the top of the island to get here - looks like there should be some great snorkelling if the weather holds (as forecast). For the route here we used the waypoints provided in our 'Sail Fiji' App - and realized on route that they took us over shallow coral (yikes) - a quick reminder never to trust anyone else's coordinates!] At: 16:04(FJT) 15-Jul-2019, Outside Temp: 29C (84.2F), Humidity:58%, Water Temp: 30.4C (86.72F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 23º 36.96' S | 178º 54.642' W | Begonia | From: N Minerva Reef (SE)
To: N Minerva Reef (N) We travelled [2.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [2.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [After some fun snorkelling in the SE, we've moved to the North area so we can snorkel outside the reef - where we've been told to expect some great coral and lots of large fish, and if we can do the pass too - some larger sharks :-)] General Comments: [2 other boats left the reef today - Whisper and Nahoa. Today was the last of the good wind for a passage to NZ - next window is for a Thursday Nov 2nd departure - per current forecasts, and this is probably when we'll depart for NZ] At: 15:10(TOT) 28-Oct-2017, Outside Temp: 25.6C (78.08F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 32.6C (90.68F) | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 23º 39.192' S | 178º 53.658' W | Begonia | Day 3 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Big Mama YC on Pangaimotu Island, Tongatapu Group, Tonga to N Minerva Reef
Progress: [So far we've made [308.7]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [39.8]nm (through water). We have moved [32.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Wind wasn't cooperating all day - so with 20 miles to go we turned on the motor to be sure that we made it in daylight (the alternative was bobbing around all night waiting off the entrance - we're happy to be here] General Comments: [Anchored in Sand with scattered bommies (chain bouyed) - Another boat (Whisper) is here and one left early afternoon - so just the two of us here currently. - Soup is ready to go, water is beautifully clear.] At: 17:08(TOT) 26-Oct-2017, Outside Temp: 25.4C (77.72F), Humidity:92%, Water Temp: 32.6C (90.68F) | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 23º 39.192' S | 178º 53.652' W | Begonia | From : N Minerva Reef (N)
Via : N Minerva Reef Pass To : N Minerva Reef (SE) We travelled [4.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [2.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Overcast with occasional rain showers - relocating Begonia for some snorkelling fun.] General Comments: [After swimming/walking over the reef to dive the outside yesterday - today we wanted to snorkel the pass - we each took a turn while the other managed Begonia for pick up and drop offs. The pass walls are so so - but in the middle of the pass are large groups of sharks. We are now anchored again safely on the SE corner waiting for our weather window to NZ.] At: 12:08(TOT) 29-Oct-2017, Outside Temp: 24.2C (75.56F), Humidity:85%, Water Temp: 32.1C (89.78F) | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 19º 4.188' S | 178º 41.232' W | Begonia |
Day 4 of South Pacific Passage From:Namena Island (off Vanua Levu) Fiji To:Vulaga Island, Southen Lau Group, Fiji. Our position: -19.0698,-178.6872 Progress: [We've made [353.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [13]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [133.9]nm (through water). We have moved [56.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [More headwinds, so more tacking (zig-zagging towards our goal) - we continue to make actual progress towards the goal slooooooow. Seas starting to build and we are keen to be in the protection of the reef before the stronger weekend winds arrive] General Comments: [All looks good for arrival today (thankfully). Sailing downwind is so much nicer - but (if the plan works out) this will be our only upwind passage for our Fiji season - we're getting it over with in one go! We continue to munch our way through the bananas and Papayas (pawpaws)] At: 06:00(FJT) 27-Jun-2019, Outside Temp: 24.3C (75.74F), Humidity:83%, Water Temp: 28.5C (83.3F), Course: 45(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.7kt, Wind:17Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:20%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:2m (to:W) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 18º 50.802' S | 178º 40.248' W | Begonia |
At West end of Namuka-I-Lau Island , Lau group, Fiji (South Pacific). Our position: -18.8466, -178.6708 Sail From: Main Village Anchorage, Vulaga Lagoon, Lau, Fiji To: West end of Namuka-I-Lau Island , Lau group, Fiji We travelled [23.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [19.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Entering on the North pass, we made our way to a good sandy patch with a 3-4m range.] General Comments: [We departed Vulaga with the high tide. As we headed towards the pass from our anchorage a Fijian Navy boat arrived and anchored (I've no idea how many they have). As we passed by, it called us on the radio and asked for some basic registration information which we were happy to provide. By the time we reached the pass we had our sails up and I was spotting on the bow as Kyle maneuvered us through the narrow pass. The Navy boat sent out a rib full of crew and demanded we stop - they wanted to board us! I've no idea why the could not have notified us before we found ourselves in the middle of the narrow pass - we'd have happily delayed in calmer waters. There was no way it was safe for us to come to a stop in the pass, we'd be pushed to one wall or the other and find ourselves aground within a minute - so we (finally) managed to communicate that we'd delay the stopping until we were outside the pass. They had one official board us (from customs), he inspected our cruising permit and passports, asked a few questions and looked in all rooms of the boat, then left - he was very easy going an not at all perturbed by our delay in his boarding. Amazingly the rib then proceeded even further out to sea to catch up with the boat Devana (who had left just ahead of us) and perform the same boarding and inspection on their boat - those are some salty Navy guys! Otherwise the passage was easy and uneventful. We again didn't catch any fish. Ashore we need go go and do sevusevu, and it is a 45 minute walk to town, so we need to get going in order to return before to the boat before dark (and then we'll be free all Sunday to explore).] At: 13:24(FJT) 06-Jul-2019, Outside Temp: 27.1C (80.78F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 18º 40.662' S | 178º 37.482' W | Begonia |
At Komo Island, Lau group, Fiji (South Pacific). Our position: -18.6776, -178.6247 Sail From: West end of Namuka-I-Lau Island, Lau group, Fiji To: Komo Island, Lau group, Fiji We travelled [18.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [10.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 5.5-7m of sand (over coral)] General Comments: [A short passage and a nice fast sail today - no fish caught (surprise!), when we arrived we found 'Oyster Reach' anchored here and we plan to go ashore together for Sevusevu] At: 11:42(FJT) 08-Jul-2019, Outside Temp: 27.4C (81.32F), Humidity:80%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 19º 8.232' S | 178º 34.548' W | Begonia |
At Beri Island, Veluaga Lagoon, Lau, Fiji (South Pacific). Our position: -19.1372, -178.5759 Sail From: Main Village, Veluaga Lagoon, Lau, Fiji To: Beri Island, Veluaga Lagoon, Lau, Fiji We travelled [1.85]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [0.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [4-5m of sand, surrounded by stunning 'mushroom' coral islands - spectacular] General Comments: [We had a lovely introduction to the Chief and our Host Family in the village (Mere-Lowe & Jone). We've temporarily relocated due to expected wind and rain over next two days.] At: 09:36(FJT) 29-Jun-2019, Outside Temp: 24.3C (75.74F), Humidity:80%, Water Temp: 27.5C (81.5F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 19º 8.928' S | 178º 34.062' W | Begonia |
At Main Village Anchorage, Vulaga Lagoon, Lau, Fiji (South Pacific). Our position: -19.1488, -178.5676 Sail From: Picnic Beach Anchorage, Vulaga Lagoon To: Main Village Anchorage, Vulaga Lagoon, Lau, Fiji We travelled [2.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Back at Village (Muanaicake) Anchorage - anchored in 7m of sand] General Comments: [The village festival is on and TODAY so change of plan (4th time) - and supply ship still not here (the reason for all the prior cancellations - We got lucky I think - we'll stay in village today and depart for Namuka tomorrow] At: 08:52(FJT) 05-Jul-2019, Outside Temp: C (25.5F), Humidity:83%, Water Temp: 29C (84.2F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 19º 8.94' S | 178º 34.05' W | Begonia |
At Main Village Anchorage, Vulaga Lagoon, Lau, Fiji (South Pacific). Our position: -19.1490, -178.5675 Sail From: Just east of pass Vulaga Lagoon, Lau, Fiji To: Main Village Anchorage, Vulaga Lagoon, Lau, Fiji We travelled [1.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Back at Village (Muanaicake) Anchorage - anchored in 6m of sand] General Comments: [Today the plan was to snorkel the pass. The slack water was later than we expected and really short (but at least followed by flood, so we were only going to be washed back into the lagoon. It seemed at least 5 other boats had the same idea to snorkel the pass today - so it was a little crowded with people towing dinghies; that feels mighty odd after having an anchorage to ourselves for a few days. Snorkel was good though, and Kyle got to rescue a fellow boater who had drifted onto the reef in their dinghy when looking in the other direction. We've returned to the village so we can be ready for breakfast in the morning with our host family, AND to attend the traditional dancing organized as part of pre-school week - very excited. However we just learned that the school festivities has been delayed until Friday (due to supply ship delays, that is due to weather issues) - so now we are not sure if we are expected for breakfast or not - it seems rude not to go, and yet I'm uncertain if they will still be expecting us so early? We'll go and take along enough food to feed us all regardless and hopefully that will cause no issues. We've already delayed our departure for the festivities so we'll delay one extra day and keep our fingers crossed.] At: 17:10(FJT) 03-Jul-2019, Outside Temp: 27.2C (80.96F), Humidity:75%, Water Temp: 29.9C (85.82F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 19º 8.928' S | 178º 33.99' W | Begonia |
Safely arrived at Vulaga Island, Southen Lau Group, Fiji - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 4 of South Pacific Passage From:Namena Island (off Vanua Levu) Fiji To:Vulaga Island, Southen Lau Group, Fiji. Our position: -19.1489, -178.5665 Progress: [We've made [378.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [25.3]nm (through water). We have moved [8.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [We completed our tacking to get to the island and near the entry pass (easily visible) - then motored in. Anchored in 7-8m near beach to land dinghy. Another 8 or so boats scattered about inside the reef.] General Comments: [A 378nm passage to go just 125nm - zig-zagging is no fun. However once in the reef we have lovely calm waters (compared to outside) and stunning coral scenery all around. This place is beautiful (we've already forgotten about the upwind misery).] At: 10:38(FJT) 27-Jun-2019, Outside Temp: 26.1C (78.98F), Humidity:76%, Water Temp: 28.5C (83.3F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 19º 8.358' S | 178º 32.748' W | Begonia |
At NE Vulaga Lagoon, Lau, Fiji (South Pacific). Our position: -19.1394, -178.5458 Sail From: Near Beri Island, Vulaga Lagoon, Lau, Fiji To: NE Vulaga Lagoon, Lau, Fiji We travelled [2.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 2-3.5m of lovely sand - with spectacular views all around.] General Comments: [Finally the sun has shone and WOW, WOW, WOW, we've pottered about the Lagoon and are just pinching ourselves at how beautiful it is. Today we snorkelled about (near our Beri Island anchorage). Tomorrow we hope to snorkel the pass before returning to the village for the Pre-School week celebrations. Life is good, very good.] At: 15:58(FJT) 02-Jul-2019, Outside Temp: 27.2C (80.96F), Humidity:75%, Water Temp: 29C (84.2F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 19º 7.758' S | 178º 32.562' W | Begonia |
At Just east of pass Vulaga Lagoon, Lau, Fiji (South Pacific). Our position: -19.1294, -178.5426 Sail From: NE Vulaga Lagoon, Lau, Fiji To: Just east of pass Vulaga Lagoon, Lau, Fiji We travelled [0.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [0.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Temporary anchorage in 4.5m of sand (great base to snorkel/dive the pass)] General Comments: [Temporary relocation so we can swim the pass later today] At: 08:32(FJT) 03-Jul-2019, Outside Temp: 26.6C (79.88F), Humidity:85%, Water Temp: 29C (84.2F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 19º 8.25' S | 178º 32.118' W | Begonia |
At Picnic Beach Anchorage, Vulaga Lagoon (South Pacific). Our position: -19.1375, -178.5354 Sail From: Main Village Anchorage, Vulaga Lagoon, Lau, Fiji To: Picnic Beach Anchorage, Vulaga Lagoon We travelled [1.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Another stunning location with great protection from predominant winds and lots of beautiful mushroom coral islets - another WOW spot, especially at low tide - anchored in 4m sand] General Comments: [The village festival is further delayed since the supply ship is still to leave Suva. We've congregated with the other cruisers for a shared 4th July beach PotLuck. Note beach is only exposed at lower tides (which it is now).] At: 14:56(FJT) 04-Jul-2019, Outside Temp: 26.6C (79.88F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 17º 49.128' S | 178º 31.332' W | Begonia |
Day 3 of South Pacific Passage From:Neiafu, Vava'u, Tonga To:Savusavu, Vanua Levu Island, Fiji. Our position: -17.8189,-178.5222 Progress: [We've made [272.7]nm (through water) on this passage and have [148]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [170.0]nm (through water). We have moved [164.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Seas and wind continued to yesterday, and have finally started to reduce again. Sailing broad reach with following waves] General Comments: [Overnight we started winding our way through the islands of the Lau group (we are unable to stop here, until we first clear in in Savusavu - we plan to sail back here). The Australian sailboat Ambler II was spotted around 15nm North of us several times on the AIS yesterday - they are also headed for Savusavu. We look good to arrive tomorrow. We need to dig out Fiji appropriate clothing before we arrive (long skirts for me, long trousers for Kyle), no more shorts for a while (at least not in public).] At: 06:00(FJT) 16-Jun-2019, Outside Temp: 24.7C (76.46F), Humidity:80%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F), Course: 267(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.9kt, Wind:21Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:2m (to:NW) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 18º 26.1' S | 178º 28.83' W | Begonia |
At Oneata Island, Lau Group, Fiji (South Pacific). Our position: -18.4350, -178.4805 Sail From: Komo Island, Lau group, Fiji To: Oneata Island, Lau Group, Fiji We travelled [22.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [16.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [A boisterous passage North today with double reef in main and jib. Anchored in 2.3-3.3m of sand over coral(?) in a well sheltered horseshoe-shaped bay a bit of a dinghy ride west along the shore, followed by a hike to the village for sevusevu] General Comments: [We had a nice stay at Komo Island (No fee) their exported craft being coconut twine which we got to see in all stages of creation. We went into the village 3 times and felt very welcome (we were apparently only the third cruising boat to visit as yet in 2019). The boat 'Oyster Reach' was anchored when we arrived and we went in and did sevusevu together and shared a day ashore. On our last day at the village, another boat arrived 'Slice of Life'. We continue to meet boats that have arrived in Fiji as part of one of the several rallies - and these have been able to complete customs etc within the Lau group (saving that bash back out that we had to do). Most boats are heading from North to South while we are now heading north through the Lau group. We need to rush to do sevusevu ashore on Oneata as it is quite a distance to get to the village from the anchorage.] At: 12:54(FJT) 11-Jul-2019, Outside Temp: 26.6C (79.88F), Humidity:78%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 23º 33.372' S | 178º 18.792' W | Begonia | Day 3 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Big Mama YC on Pangaimotu Island, Tongatapu Group, Tonga to N Minerva Reef
Progress: [So far we've made [268.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [40]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [115.9]nm (through water). We have moved [104.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Lots of frustrating winds (shifting, backing, and disappearing) but this was as forecast, so progress overnight has been mostly zip! - We are finally headed in roughly the right direction again. We have our fingers and toes crossed that we should be able to make it to N Minerva before dark today (we'll find out for sure when we see the latest weather forecast).] General Comments: [Again nothing seen. We had a lot of rain yesterday (filled our buckets) and we are certainly feeling the chill as the temeratures slowly creeps downwards.] At: 06:00(TOT) 26-Oct-2017, Outside Temp: 23.3C (73.94F), Humidity:94%, Water Temp: 31.1C (87.98F) Course: 156(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.5kt, Wind:9Kt(from:SW), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:1m (to:SE) | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 22º 21.132' S | 176º 57.642' W | Begonia | Destination: Opua
Day 2 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Big Mama Yacht Club, Pangaimotu Island, Tongatapu Group, Tonga To:North Minerva Reef Progress: [So far we've made [148.7]nm (through water) on this passage and have [154]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [148.7]nm (through water). We have moved [124.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [A rough and bouncy ride, slowly calming a tad. We've been mostly sailing with double reefed main and jib and are slowly starting to unreef, we've averaged over 7kts despite the waves.] General Comments: [We departed Tonga at a civilized time, and were followed later by Carpe Mare (which we expect to see in Minerva). Kyle had installed the enclosure for the passage and overnight I was especially grateful for that. All is well aboard, and we have plenty of fresh fruit and veggies for our passage and our time at Minerva.] At: 06:00(TOT) 24-Oct-2018, Outside Temp: 21.6C (70.88F), Humidity:76%, Water Temp: 32.1C (89.78F)Course: 232(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.6kt, Wind:16Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1017hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:W) | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 22º 22.152' S | 176º 56.058' W | Begonia | Day 2 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Big Mama YC on Pangaimotu Island, Tongatapu Group, Tonga to N Minerva Reef
Progress: [So far we've made [153.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [139]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [153.0]nm (through water). We have moved [123.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Overcast, but we've had great winds and are making good progress. Kyle's wach overnight required a lot of sail changes (Spinnaker down, Main up, etc). We expect the wind to turn into a head wind later today which will delay our progress.] General Comments: [We've seen nothing much at all - no boats, no whales. Water is getting slightly cooler and last night we enjoyed a hint of a bioluminescence display in the wake of the boat (so there must be more critters in the water than we've been used to)] At: 06:00(NZDT) 25-Oct-2017, Outside Temp: 21.6C (70.88F), Humidity:86%, Water Temp: 31.6C (88.88F) Course: 234(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.8kt, Wind:18Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:SW) | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 32º 54.558' S | 176º 31.62' W | Begonia | Day 6 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [531.3]nm (through water) on this passage and have [5014]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [136.8]nm (through water). We have moved [129.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [We had headed north to be away from the centers of some low pressure systems. Last night we had true winds of high 20's, with gusts of up to 38kt. We were sailing downwind with a reefed jib, so apparent winds were in the mid 20's. While the swells are high (2.5m), and a bit choppy, all is well, and we were pleased not to have been further south in much stronger winds.] General Comments: [One or two birds seem to be constantly with the boat (not always the same ones), but aside from that we have our books, Spanish lessons and podcasts to entertain us.] At: 06:00(AKST) 20-Dec-2017, Outside Temp: 18.5C (65.3F), Humidity:78%, Water Temp: 26.8C (80.24F) Course: 82(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.6kt, Wind:16Kt(from:SW), Cloud Cover:15%, Pressure: 1003hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:E) | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 26º 45.768' S | 175º 56.34' W | Begonia | Day 8 of South Pacific Passage From:Opua, New Zealand To:Neiafu, Vava'u, Tonga
Progress: [We've made [879.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [502]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [147.8]nm (through water). We have moved [138.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Very rough seas - not nice - lots of pounding - and we expect a few more days of this. We deliberately pushed east of our rhum-line and this at least puts on an a reach and as we get closer we'll be slowly turning to downwind sailing.] General Comments: [ We knew by the date of our departure that this passage was going to expose us to some 'miserable' weather. Ideally we'd have left 3 days earlier, but we'd have needed to know that a week before in order to change our marina and car rental dates. By the time our departure date came - the next 'nice' weather window was so far ahead it would be after our visas expired (since we were not granted the 7 months we initially requested) - sigh - so we went with the forecast we had and knew we'd need to suck-it-up. We are now in the suck-it-up phase. On the good news side of events - the temperature is getting much nicer - Kyle sat his night watch in a T-shirt (with the enclosure on).] At: 06:00(NZST) 10-May-2019, Outside Temp: 21.5C (70.7F), Humidity:77%, Water Temp: 26.1C (78.98F), Course: 34(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.9kt, Wind:21Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:45%, Pressure: 1022hPa, Swell:3m (to:W) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 18º 12.852' S | 175º 39.768' W | Begonia |
Day 2 of South Pacific Passage From:Neiafu, Vava'u, Tonga To:Savusavu, Vanua Levu Island, Fiji. Our position: -18.2142,-175.6628 Progress: [We've made [102.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [308]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [102.8]nm (through water). We have moved [97.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Slow start, with wind and seas (and boat speed) slowly increasing. It is nice weather and a good point of sail (broad-reach)] General Comments: [Back at sea, after a month in Tonga it will take a few days to get back in the swing of watches. We left with a bunch of fresh fruit (coconuts, mango, water-melon & banana) which we'll be feasting on to have all eaten before we arrive in Fiji. I (Maryanne) am currently listening to a climate change podcast called Warm Regards, Kyle's been working through his usual list too. Night watch is made easier for me with a full moon. A line of 3 Taiwanese fishing boats ahead of us (visible only on AIS so far).] At: 06:00(FJT) 15-Jun-2019, Outside Temp: 24.3C (75.74F), Humidity:90%, Water Temp: 28.5C (83.3F), Course: 289(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.5kt, Wind:15Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:45%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:2m (to:N) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 21º 7.482' S | 175º 9.762' W | Begonia | At Anchor at Big Mama Yacht Club (bar) Pangaimotu Island, Tongatapu Group, Tonga
From: Kelefesia Island (Ha'apai/Nomuka Group Group, Tonga) To: Big Mama Yacht Club (bar) Pangaimotu Island, Tongatapu Group, Tonga We travelled [52.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [44.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Large swell and beam reach for a fast and furious passage. Quite rough to exit the island pass at the start. Anchored in 7m of sand at Big Mama'a. ] General Comments: [We'll be here for several days, awaiting the next window to depart for New Zealand. We were here last year, and even from the boat at anchor, the damage is obvious at Big Mama's from last years cyclone. The dock is gone. There are also a number of new wrecks since last year in the outer harbor area (commercial vessels). As we approached the island we were called by Lalamanzi, our South African Cruising friends who were unfortunately departing as we arrive; we managed a quick chat on the radio and a wave as we sailed by each other - they will lead the way to New Zealand.] At: 14:14(TOT) 17-Oct-2018, Outside Temp: 24.5C (76.1F), Humidity:68%, Water Temp: 33.6C (92.48F) | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 21º 7.572' S | 175º 9.678' W | Begonia | From: Malino Island (Tongatapu Group, Tonga)
To: Big Mama Yacht Club (bar) Pangaimotu Island, Tongatapu Group, Tonga We travelled [11.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [5.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 16m of sand (no mooring balls) - just off the bar. From here we can take the water taxi into town to clear out of Tonga (and grocery shop, etc)] General Comments: [A short relocate into Tongatapu. Our day of arrival would have been a PERFECT departure day, but we are too late and will miss this weather window. As we arrived, fellow cruisers Capistrano, and 'Serenity of Southwick' were both leaving and headed for NZ - we'll be following next week.] At: 12:06(TOT) 21-Oct-2017, Outside Temp: 24.9C (76.82F), Humidity:57%, Water Temp: 32.1C (89.78F) | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 21º 2.1' S | 175º 8.022' W | Begonia | From: Kelefesia Island (Ha'apai/Nomuka Group Group, Tonga)
To: Malino Island (Tongatapu Group, Tonga) We travelled [69.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [38.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in tiny patch of 10m sand surrounded with bommy patches - very difficult to find a spot here. (Bouyed Chain). Not ideal but will be a good resting spot before moving into TongaTapu for real.] General Comments: [Distance was just to much to do in a day with southerly winds, and not really enough for an overnight sail? So we had to sail slowly deliberately most of the time. Arriving we had trouble finding a suitable place to anchor and spent over an hour motoring around (I was ready to give up, but Kyle was persistent and made it work).] At: 09:36(TOT) 19-Oct-2017, Outside Temp: 25C (77F), Humidity:76%, Water Temp: 32.1C (89.78F) | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 20º 16.692' S | 174º 47.91' W | Begonia | Day 2 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Folifuka Island (Vava'u Group, Tonga) #14 To:Nomuka Iti (Ha'apai Group)
Progress: [So far we've made [110.6]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [2.6]nm (through water). We have moved [2.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Good beam reach sailing, we had to reef and then hove-to in order to avoid arriving at dark. There was a lot of lightning all night (distant), and Kyle got a heavy downpour and lots of sail changes on his watch. On approach the anchorage looked littered with bommies, but once closer we found a giant patch of good sand in 6-7m.] General Comments: [A fine sail, we are now anchored off Nomuka Island (home of an old prison), Kyle saw a whale on approach (long gone now). We will rest up and most likely depart in the morning to get further south.] At: 07:24(TOT) 13-Oct-2018, Outside Temp: 25.2C (77.36F), Humidity:90%, Water Temp: 34.5C (94.1F) | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 20º 30.108' S | 174º 44.46' W | Begonia | From: Lalona Island (Ha'apai, Tonga)
To: Kelefesia Island (Ha'apai/Nomuka Group Group, Tonga) We travelled [23.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [15.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in ring of coral/reef in 11m sandy bottom with scattered bommies.] General Comments: [Another good fun sail south. This little island is full of reefs and bommies, renowned for sea snakes and has a cliff (unlike the mostly sand only islands around) - looking forward to exploring.] At: 11:28(TOT) 17-Oct-2017, Outside Temp: 27.1C (80.78F), Humidity:82%, Water Temp: 33.6C (92.48F) | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 20º 30.108' S | 174º 44.442' W | Begonia | Destination: Nuku'alofa
At Anchor at Kelefesia Island (Ha'apai/Nomuka Group Group, Tonga) From: Nomuka Iti (Ha'apai Group) To: Kelefesia Island (Ha'apai/Nomuka Group Group, Tonga) We travelled [21.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [13.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Motored the whole way against headwind (short hop), anchorage behind the shelter of the island and reef (in 10m of sand with scattered bommies)] General Comments: [I tried fishing again this trip - no luck again. We'll hang out here for several days as we wait out some stronger winds (from S/SE) expected over the next few days.] At: 11:06(TOT) 14-Oct-2018, Outside Temp: 26.8C (80.24F), Humidity:83%, Water Temp: 35C (95F) | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 24º 26.022' S | 174º 34.758' W | Begonia | Day 9 of South Pacific Passage From:Opua, New Zealand To:Neiafu, Vava'u, Tonga
Progress: [We've made [1062.4]nm (through water) on this passage and have [353]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [183.2]nm (through water). We have moved [157.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Yuk - seas and wind continue to be rough on us (all as forecast) - we also seem to be constantly against a bit if current (??). If we can believe the forecast things will start to improve this evening. We continue to curve more downwind, bit, by bit, which also helps.] General Comments: [Normally an offshore passage is rather dull, and sailing is mostly like driving on an empty motorway - cruise control for days on end. This passage is WORK. Just watching the waves is quite stressful. We are constantly overreefed (so at least we are not reefing and unreefing any more), but it is a trial to simply stay sat in the helm seat, let alone moving around the boat and preparing food. There is plenty of sea water finding its way on deck (and even in the cockpit at times) - I'm so happy all our hatches are dry, so no water gets into the boat. We've scooped up a few flying-fish too and just keep tossing them back into the sea in the hopes they may survive. Still - we are almost there!!!] At: 06:00(NZST) 11-May-2019, Outside Temp: 22C (71.6F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 26.5C (79.7F), Course: 26(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.7kt, Wind:20Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:25%, Pressure: 1019hPa, Swell:3.5m (to:W) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 20º 20.538' S | 174º 31.392' W | Begonia | From: Limu Island/Barrier Reef (Ha'apai, Tonga)
To: Lalona Island (Ha'apai, Tonga) We travelled [30.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [19.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in single boat space between reefs and bommies - in 8m of sand bottom (no Digicel or TCC service)] General Comments: [Fast sail in some great wind. We had to navigate around some long reefs (Hense all the extra miles compared to direct line distance) - but we FINALLY caught a fish - a great barracuda (thankfully, but they time we realized he had already worn himself out so bringing him aboard wasn't too scary.. those teeth!!)] At: 13:04(TOT) 16-Oct-2017, Outside Temp: 28.2C (82.76F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 33.6C (92.48F) | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 19º 57.912' S | 174º 29.562' W | Begonia | Destination: Nuku'alofa
From: Uoleva Island (Ha'apai, Tonga) To: Uonukuhihifo Island (Ha'apia, Tonga) We travelled [9.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [8.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 6m of sand with scattered bommies] General Comments: [Overcast and rainy day, light winds made for some frustrating sailing, but with such a short distance to go - the frustration wasn't so bad.] At: 13:06(TOT) 12-Oct-2017, Outside Temp: 26.8C (80.24F), Humidity:89%, Water Temp: 33.6C (92.48F) | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 20º 1.578' S | 174º 27.81' W | Begonia | From: Uonukuhihifo Island (Ha'apai, Tonga)
To: Limu Island/Barrier Reef (Ha'apai, Tonga) We travelled [5.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [4.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 5m sand bottom behind barrier reef and coral patches, plenty of wind for batteries.] General Comments: [We continue south through the Ha'apai group, and are now the furthest south we've ever been with our own boat.. We've lovely blue skies and scattered white fluffy clouds, but it is windy (11kt). We are hoping the chop will die off and we can enjoy some snorkelling tomorrow - but for now we can hunker down and continue binge watching 'Game of Thrones' - we just picked up season 7 from a fellow cruiser after finishing season 1-6 kindly delivered by Geoffrey and Sarah on their visit.] At: 11:42(TOT) 14-Oct-2017, Outside Temp: 27.9C (82.22F), Humidity:83%, Water Temp: 33.6C (92.48F) | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 19º 50.49' S | 174º 24.918' W | Begonia | From: Pangai Town (Ha'apai Group, Tonga)
To: Uoleva Island (Ha'apai, Tonga) We travelled [5.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [4.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 6m of sand with scattered weed and bommies] General Comments: [Our Tonga App says this is the 'best' snorkelling in Ha'apai. We have a bit of swim but we hope to find out soon - will snorkel 2 days and hope for a walk on the beach too (there is a resort and a back packers camp to visit)] At: 12:44(TOT) 10-Oct-2017, Outside Temp: 28.2C (82.76F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 34C (93.2F) | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 19º 47.988' S | 174º 21.228' W | Begonia | From: Nukunamo Island (Ha'apai Group, Tonga)
To: Pangai Town (Ha'apai Group, Tonga) We travelled [7.5]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [6.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 5m sand with scattered coral - just outside main harbor] General Comments: [Arrived Sunday, will do clear in tomorrow (Monday) when offices are open. We did not correctly clear out of Vava'u group, so we may find ourselves in trouble - we didn't know we had to until we read it after we left? Oh Boy!] At: 14:00(TOT) 08-Oct-2017, Outside Temp: 28.3C (82.94F), Humidity:77%, Water Temp: 34C (93.2F) | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 19º 42.768' S | 174º 16.992' W | Begonia | From: Off Taunga and Ngau Islands (Vava'u group, Tonga)
To: Nukunamo Island (Ha'apai Group, Tonga) We travelled [56.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [59.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 8m on very large sandy patch - no coral in area - but passed over some deeper ones to get here] General Comments: [Good sail south to Ha'apai with 'She San' boat in view the whole way. A glimpse of a whale fin slapping in the distance just as we arrived.] At: 16:34(TOT) 06-Oct-2017, Outside Temp: 28.5C (83.3F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 34C (93.2F) | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 18º 42.768' S | 174º 8.352' W | Begonia | At Anchor at Folifuka Island (Vava'u Group, Tonga) #14
From: Langito'o Island (Vava'u Group) To: Folifuka Island (Vava'u Group, Tonga) #14 We travelled [4.4]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [2.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Short motor sail at high water to next planned anhorage - Good sand holding (10-11m).] General Comments: [Easy entry in morning light and with OpenCPN and sat photos to be double sure. Plenty of signs of life on island (scattered houses/huts). No other sailboats currently, more snorkelling planned, supposedly the best!] At: 09:16(TOT) 10-Oct-2018, Outside Temp: 27C (80.6F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 36.5C (97.7F) | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 18º 43.518' S | 174º 5.418' W | Begonia | At Langito'o Island, Vava'u, Tonga (South Pacific)
Sail From: Avalau Island (Anchorage #40), Vava'u, Tonga To: Langito'o Island, Vava'u, Tonga We travelled [3.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 3m of sand between Vakaitu and Langito'o islands (approach from North)] General Comments: [We've been to this very spot before and enjoyed some nice snorkelling in the immediate area. We are a short dinghy ride from the 'Coral Gardens' which we missed last time and plan to explore this time around. Weather is good (hot), scenery remains stunning... Life is good.] At: 12:32(TOT) 30-May-2019, Outside Temp: 27.9C (82.22F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 18º 43.53' S | 174º 5.4' W | Begonia | At Anchor at Langito'o Island (Vava'u Group)
From: Nuku Island (Vava'u Group, Tonga) - #8 Anchorage To: Langito'o Island (Vava'u Group) We travelled [5.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [3.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Unable to find a free/suitable mooring around Lape Island or Vaka'eitu Island - we motored about and found this nice anchorage spot (Shallow sand shelf). We are just outside a protected area, and with a nice reef nearby to swim on - we plan to take the dingy over to the famed Coral Gardens once we are sure the boat is settled and safe in all currents.] General Comments: [We spotted a turtle swim by as we were busy looking for some place to anchor and are looking forward to some more snorkelling] At: 09:32(TOT) 07-Oct-2018, Outside Temp: 27.8C (82.04F), Humidity:80%, Water Temp: 36.5C (97.7F) | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 18º 45.102' S | 174º 4.89' W | Begonia | Destination: Savusavu | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 18º 45.102' S | 174º 4.89' W | Begonia | At Avalau Island (Anchorage #40), Vava'u, Tonga (South Pacific) Sail From: Maninita Island (Anchorage #31), Vava'u, Tonga To: Avalau Island (Anchorage #40), Vava'u, Tonga We travelled [12.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [7.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Maninita was lovely and we managed to get ashore both days, however while the anchor was very well set - it was disconcerting being so close to the reefs - so we decided to move on. We sailed over to Avalau (?) This island seems to have multiple names - Navionics charts call it Avaldu, and the Moorings Chart is marked Avalau (as is Google Maps), but the Moorings Index/Key calls it Ovalau - as does Wikipedia - We are going to assume Avalau is correct). Whatever it is called, it is another picutre postcard perfect spot, with white sand, coconut palms, beautiful blue waters, and birds flying around. Oh - it is now also drizzling with rain - so we'll not take an excursion ashore quite yet!] General Comments: [On passage today I baked some fresh bread, and a new Kyle favourite Cheese and Jalepeno Muffins] At: 15:02(TOT) 26-May-2019, Outside Temp: 26.3C (79.34F), Humidity:85%, Water Temp: 29C (84.2F) ----- At 26/05/2019 02:02 (UTC) our position was 18°45.10'S 174°04.89'W | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 18º 42.81' S | 174º 2.46' W | Begonia | From: Mala Island (Vava'u Group, Tonga)
To: Nuku Island (Vava'u Group, Tonga) We travelled [7.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored on a lovely sandspit (5.5m) between Nuku and Kapa Islands. This near corner of Nuku is a beautiful tiny beach.] General Comments: [We each snorkelled on route at both Mariner's cave and Swallows Cave (while the other stayed with main boat). We both preferred swallows cave. Mariner's cave entrance is below the water, so requires a swim of faith hoping you have the right hole to swim through and there will be air on the other side.. Whew!!!. We had two failures today - the starboard fuel hose is leaking, and our waterproof flashlight leaked and was flooded on our swallows cave dive... New stuff to fix in paradise!] At: 11:56(TOT) 02-Oct-2017, Outside Temp: 29.7C (85.46F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 34.5C (94.1F) | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 18º 42.798' S | 174º 2.232' W | Begonia | At Anchor at Nuku Island (Vava'u Group, Tonga) - #8 Anchorage
From: Neiafu (#3 Anchorage) To: Nuku Island (Vava'u Group, Tonga) - #8 Anchorage We travelled [6.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [3.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Light winds - motor sailed between anchorages - arrived to find Green Duck already here, staging for a trip to Fiji!] General Comments: [After a hectic string of activities and busy evenings with the ""Blue Water festival"", we've moved to one of the nearby tranquil anchorages for some downtime and snorkelling] At: 14:32(TOT) 05-Oct-2018, Outside Temp: 30.8C (87.44F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 36.5C (97.7F) | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 18º 41.25' S | 174º 1.392' W | Begonia | At Mala (Anchorage #6), Vava'u, Tonga (South Pacific)
Sail From: Langito'o Island, Vava'u, Tonga To: Mala (Anchorage #6), Vava'u, Tonga We travelled [10.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [4.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Shallow water anchorage (3m) and lots of coral patches (bommies) around so picking the right spot needs good light (which we had just at the right time). Weather is overcast with occasional brief light shower, and occasional sunny spells. It is windy outside of the shelter of the islands and there were even a few white caps out today. We just motored given the short distance to move and windy nature of our path.] General Comments: [On Route today we took a slight detour and stopped at Mariner's cave where we each took some time to swim over and enjoy the cloud formation and dissipation in time with the waves entering and receding.. Pretty cool. This anchorage is a place we visited previously and from here we plan to take the dingy to Swallows cave during our stay.] At: 15:30(TOT) 05-Jun-2019, Outside Temp: 26.9C (80.42F), Humidity:77%, Water Temp: 29C (84.2F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 18º 41.238' S | 174º 1.368' W | Begonia | At Anchor at Mala (Anchorage #6), Vava'u Group
From: Neiafu Mooring Field To: Mala (Anchorage #6), Vava'u Group We travelled [5.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [2.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Vava'u Island Gropu anchorage #6 in Tongan charts: Mala - looks like we can expect some nice snorkelling] General Comments: [Mooring balls are full and we had to vacate ours for the charter fleet - we've relocated to a nearby anchorage for a few days - but plan to return to Neiafu (presumably to anchor) in time for the Tongan Bluewater Festival to start (this weekend)] At: 15:02(TOT) 25-Sep-2018, Outside Temp: 28.2C (82.76F), Humidity:68%, Water Temp: 36.5C (97.7F) | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 18º 41.28' S | 174º 1.362' W | Begonia | At Mala (Anchorage #6), Vava'u, Tonga (South Pacific). Our position: -18.6879,-174.0227
Sail From: Neiafu, Vava'u, Tonga To: Mala (Anchorage #6), Vava'u, Tonga We travelled [4.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [2.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [We're back at Mala - since from this anchorage we have a clear shot west to Fiji and only need to use the motor to lift the anchor.] General Comments: [We officially cleared out of Tonga, picked up the last of our fresh bred and vegetables and a bottle of duty free whisky. We've plenty of fresh water after the recent rains and are excited to be heading west. (That water came in handy to clean the boat after the very muddy customs dock area.).] At: 14:00(TOT) 13-Jun-2019, Outside Temp: 24.3C (75.74F), Humidity:85%, Water Temp: 29C (84.2F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 18º 41.292' S | 174º 1.332' W | Begonia | From: Viamalo (on Vava'u, Tonga)
To: Mala Island (Vava'u Group, Tonga) We travelled [3.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [3.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in a good sandy patch - scattered with sea stars] General Comments: [Nice calm day, 3 boats here when we arrived, but two left shortly after to head for swallows cave.] At: 13:14(TOT) 30-Sep-2017, Outside Temp: 26.8C (80.24F), Humidity:92%, Water Temp: 34C (93.2F) | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 18º 38.352' S | 174º 0.0' W | Begonia | From: Neiafu (on Vava'u, Tonga)
To: Viamalo (on Vava'u, Tonga) We travelled [2.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Very windy today, but this is a great protected small bay - one other boat when we arrived. Lots of small (dead) coral patches so we buoyed the anchor chain - anchored in 4.5m of water] General Comments: [Moved from the bustle of 'town' just around the corner and found our first whale just swimming on by us as we set the anchor?] At: 12:06(TOT) 28-Sep-2017, Outside Temp: 29.4C (84.92F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 34.5C (94.1F) | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 18º 51.39' S | 173º 59.868' W | Begonia | At Maninita Island (Anchorage #31), Vava'u, Tonga (South Pacific)
Sail From: Kenutu Island (Anchorage #30), Vava'u, Tonga To: Maninita Island (Anchorage #31), Vava'u, Tonga We travelled [11.4]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [10.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [All eyes for this reef strewn passage to the southernmost Vava'u Island. Only space for one boat to anchor, and we have to be very wary of the conditions here as it can be dangerous if waves/wind get higher, we are tucked in between some shallow reefs with little swing room (but put out the most scope that we dare).] General Comments: [We arrived at this picture perfect island to find it full of various birds (to explore later)] At: 12:34(TOT) 25-May-2019, Outside Temp: 27.3C (81.14F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 29C (84.2F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 18º 43.38' S | 173º 59.49' W | Begonia | At Tapana South (Anchorage #12) Vava'u, Tonga (South Pacific)
Sail From: Neiafu, Vava'u, Tonga To: Tapana South (Anchorage #12) Vava'u, Tonga We travelled [17.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [3.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Great wind and beautiful sunshine for a day of sailing (mostly tacking) away from the 'big city' and out into the remote anchorages for some decompression time] General Comments: [Having finally completed all our officialdom in Neiafu, along with SIM cards, Fresh veggies and a couple of nice meals out - we have escaped for some quiet time (and time to fix all those little bits that need doing from the recent passage). We are looking forward to chilling, and snorkelling, and relaxing in the sun and breeze... This place is beautiful!] At: 12:46(TOT) 16-May-2019, Outside Temp: 29C (84.2F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 26.3C (79.34F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 18º 43.212' S | 173º 59.388' W | Begonia | From: Nuku Island (Vava'u Group, Tonga)
To: Tapana Island (Vava'u Group, Tonga) We travelled [4.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [2.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored on sand surrounded by small uninhabited islands, lots of shallows and sandy beaches to snorkel and explore, protected from swell, but open to wind (for wind generator)] General Comments: [Another short move to see yet more of the vava'u group.] At: 11:44(TOT) 04-Oct-2017, Outside Temp: 27.4C (81.32F), Humidity:91%, Water Temp: 34.5C (94.1F) | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 18º 39.138' S | 173º 59.142' W | Begonia | Day 3 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Alofi (Niue) to Neiafu on Vava'u (Tonga)
Progress: [So far we've made [235.6]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [58.1]nm (through water). We have moved [41.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Could see Tonga at first light and sailed the circuitous route to the customs dock - finally arrived just before sunset - all ready to clear in in the morning] General Comments: [We arrived to find a P&O cruise ship in port! It leaves tonight so town should be a little quieter while we get to clear in tomorrow] At: 17:22(NUT) 24-Sep-2017, Outside Temp: 25.9C (78.62F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 34C (93.2F) | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 18º 39.138' S | 173º 59.112' W | Begonia | Destination: Neiafu
Day 3 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Alofi (Niue) To:Neiafu (Vava'u, Tonga) Made it! Progress: [So far we've made [263.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [49.7]nm (through water). We have moved [29.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Arrived at the customs dock (welcome from Ma'he, customs security - says to expect clearance at 9:30am tomorrow) - amazingly none of the other boats are here (maybe anchored nearby?) Once we had the island in sight we had light head winds - so we motored much of today (Kyle was not so happy)] General Comments: [Lovely calm seas around the north of the island, not much traffic, and no whales spotted.] At: 18:52(TOT) 23-Sep-2018, Outside Temp: 27.5C (81.5F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 36.5C (97.7F) | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 18º 39.492' S | 173º 58.95' W | Begonia | Safely arrived at Neiafu, Vava'u, Tonga - PASSAGE COMPLETE.
Day 11 of South Pacific Passage From:Opua, New Zealand To:Neiafu, Vava'u, Tonga Progress: [We've made [1438.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [40.9]nm (through water). We have moved [35.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [We managed to sail all day - right until just shy of the customs dock when we turned on the motors - sailing and weather conditions are great, water is warm (although we've not yet taken the plunge) and skies are blue.] General Comments: [We arrived! The last leg of the passage was winding our way through the many islands of the Vava'u group up to the main town of Neiafu. We arrived around 3:20pm local time (14:20 NZST) and needed to squeeze in 4 lots of officialdom visits to the boat before we could move to the mooring area. We finally made it (with one official deferred until tomorrow) - time to catch up on some sleep. Slight problems with our bank card which currently refuses to give us our money (a recurring issue despite completing all the advance notices) - but hopefully this can be resolved by morning when we'll try again.] At: 16:18(NZST) 13-May-2019, Outside Temp: 27.5C (81.5F), Humidity:62%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 18º 39.42' S | 173º 58.938' W | Begonia | At Anchor at Neiafu Mooring Field
From: Neiafu Customs dock To: Neiafu Mooring Field We travelled [0.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [0.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Completed customs - moved to town mooring] General Comments: [Will go ashore and get cash and SIM cards etc once we can prep the dinghy - fun can start after that!] At: 10:10(TOT) 24-Sep-2018, Outside Temp: 27.8C (82.04F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 36C (96.8F) | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 18º 39.54' S | 173º 58.89' W | Begonia | At Neiafu, Vava'u, Tonga (South Pacific)
Sail From: Mala (Anchorage #6), Vava'u, Tonga To: Neiafu, Vava'u, Tonga We travelled [4.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [2.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Beluga Mooring #13 - a short row to restaurant dock.] General Comments: [We've moved back to town and will start preparing for our departure (in a lazy way) later in the week. It is a bit busier here than when we left since the ARC rally has arrived in town (which may mean extra activities are arranged for our fun too?)] At: 14:16(TOT) 09-Jun-2019, Outside Temp: 27.7C (81.86F), Humidity:56%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 32º 26.772' S | 173º 58.842' W | Begonia | Day 7 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [681.4]nm (through water) on this passage and have [4883]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [150.1]nm (through water). We have moved [131.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [A wild day yesterday. Those strong winds and rough seas Kyle had warned me about arrived as forecast. The boat was tossed about a bit, and items shifted about the boat, we were slammed with breaking waves a few times, and the water managed to enter the boat in a few new ways. All is calming now. Max wave height we saw was about 4.2m, and max sustained apparent wind about 36kt. ] General Comments: [Neither of us slept well as the motion and noise takes some getting used to. There were times even the troughs of the swell was full of white spume, but the birds swooped about gracefully showing that this is really nothing special to them! According to the forecast we'll have winds in the mid-20s for the next 4-5 days, and the wave height will continue to reduce YAY!] At: 06:00(AKST) 21-Dec-2017, Outside Temp: 17.9C (64.22F), Humidity:80%, Water Temp: 25.8C (78.44F) Course: 84(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.4kt, Wind:23Kt(from:SSW), Cloud Cover:60%, Pressure: 1004hPa, Swell:3.5m (to:NE) | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 19º 15.198' S | 173º 57.882' W | Begonia | Day 11 of South Pacific Passage From:Opua, New Zealand To:Neiafu, Vava'u, Tonga
Progress: [We've made [1397.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [41.6]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [144.8]nm (through water). We have moved [142.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Conditions continue to calm, and weather is WARM (we both feel too hot, it will take some getting used to again). We managed to get a current in our favour most of yesterday (??).] General Comments: [Yesterday we approached 3 strange AIS signals in a line. They were each moving in random directions and we figured we'd come across some fishing vessels - but as we got closer we could see nothing - so now we assume they are some kind of scientific buoys recording ocean conditions and (somehow) tethered to the bottom. I spent ages adjusting course to keep out of their way and watching out for them... The big frustration yesterday was some major disagreement between the fridge, the chartplotter and the autopilot. Once the fridge is on (it generally cycles on and off, being 'on' a couple of times a day for an hour or two at a time) suddenly the chart plotter would spout random anchor/depth/warning messages - and often as not change the time on the clock and disengage the autopilot. That kept us on our toes for a few hours until the fridge finally was cold enough again! So far today - so good, but this will need some additional research and fixing (something else to keep us busy in paradise!). The good news is that we expect to arrive today (whew) so we can worry about all this from anchor and possibly with a beer in hand!] At: 06:00(NZST) 13-May-2019, Outside Temp: 24.2C (75.56F), Humidity:76%, Water Temp: 28C (82.4F), Course: 355(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.1kt, Wind:17Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:20%, Pressure: 1015hPa, Swell:2m (to:NW) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 18º 41.382' S | 173º 57.42' W | Begonia | At Ofu Island, Vava'u, Tonga (Anchorage # 28) (South Pacific)
Sail From: Tapana South (Anchorage #12) Vava'u, Tonga To: Ofu Island, Vava'u, Tonga (Anchorage # 28) We travelled [4.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [2.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting Location Comments: [A short motor around reefs and Islands to this more westerly anchorage] General Comments: [It is Sunday here, and this means no work (in Tonga) - so aside from relocating we plan just that! Weather is overcast and breezy so it keeps the temperature very comfortable. There seems to be a busy village ashore on Ofu. We're expecting rain over the next few days so we'll plan any exploration around that.] At: 10:38(TOT) 19-May-2019, Outside Temp: 26.7C (80.06F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 29C (84.2F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 18º 42.03' S | 173º 55.77' W | Begonia | At Kenutu Island (Anchorage #30), Vava'u, Tonga (South Pacific)
Sail From: Ofu Island, Vava'u, Tonga (Anchorage # 28) To: Kenutu Island (Anchorage #30), Vava'u, Tonga We travelled [4.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [A short motor between heavy rain patches, and meandering through shallow reefs. Anchored in 6.6m of sand.] General Comments: [Our new location (Kenutu Island) is on the exposed eastern side on Vava'u, and right now the eastern shore and the gaps have some dramatic high breaking waves with spray pouring across the top of the ends of the islands - we are very happy to be on lee side of the island and in tranquil, calm waters. Back at our Ofu anchorage, we had a lazy few days and our first snorkel in Tonga this year. There is a new small eco-type resort(www.mandalaisland.com) opening on Fetoko Island (the little island between Ofu and Mafana) - the people there are lovely and the location great for some sunset cocktails and a meal (opening in July 2019!) - we even saw a pair of Pacific Kingfishers on the island. Weather has been breezy, overcast and with occasional drizzle - which has been welcome really as it keeps things a little cooler while we adjust back into a tropical climate.] At: 10:24(TOT) 22-May-2019, Outside Temp: 26.9C (80.42F), Humidity:95%, Water Temp: 28.5C (83.3F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 21º 37.308' S | 173º 44.178' W | Begonia | Day 10 of South Pacific Passage From:Opua, New Zealand To:Neiafu, Vava'u, Tonga
Progress: [We've made [1252.3]nm (through water) on this passage and have [183]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [189.9]nm (through water). We have moved [175.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [In the early hours things started to calm down, the wave period has increased and the waves are now down to 3m and given the last few days seem comfortable (we've also turned for a better angle) - forecast is for the weather to continue to decrease/calm.] General Comments: [We crossed the Tropic of Capricorn yesterday (we are now in the tropics for REAL!) Right now we are crossing over the Tonga Trench - 10km deep (2nd deepest in the world). Yesterday was another day of misery aboard - this has been a wild ride to Tonga. Basically the waves are big enough that they slam under the bridgedeck of the boat - and they slam hard. While we were attempting to enjoy our desert last night we both suddenly smelled electrical burning. We quickly sniffed our way to the problem and found that our little USB socket in the bedroom was the culprit. It is tucked away at one end of a shelf that runs along the bed and was under water!!!! Trust my luck after just proclaiming yesterday we had no leaks. It turns out the water slamming under the bridgedeck can find its way IN one of the drain holes for the propane locker - the force has been so high that we get quite a spout of water here - which jumps up enough to land on the steering pole that connects the two rudders - in turn it flows along the pole and deposits itself at the foot end of that very same shelf and drains towards the head of the shelf... Once we'd fixed the electrical issue (disconnected it all) Kyle cleaned up and spent some time working out how to block any further water from using that same path - at least for now). The *stupid* fire alarms that go off all the time when I'm cooking - were silent (I guess they would have gone off if we hadn't noticed the smell so soon) and I am still a little shaken to think we could have had a fire aboard in the middle of nowhere - and had to resort to our little life-boat in such miserable seas. Thankfully all is well - the weather will only improve and YAY we are in the Tropics again.] At: 06:00(NZST) 12-May-2019, Outside Temp: 23.4C (74.12F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 27.5C (81.5F), Course: 355(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.5kt, Wind:21Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:50%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:3m (to:NW) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 18º 27.102' S | 173º 30.438' W | Begonia | Day 3 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Alofi (Niue) To:Neiafu (Vava'u, Tonga)
Progress: [So far we've made [213.7]nm (through water) on this passage and have [43.5]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [121.7]nm (through water). We have moved [119.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [All day we continued to have an easy down wind sail with occasional (light) squalls. Since midnight all has changed. The wind has swung from all directions, mini-squalls are frequent and not-surprisingly seas are very mixed.] General Comments: [We still expect (hope) to arrive later this afternoon in the main town - where we can wait at the wharf for clearance in the morning.] At: 06:00(TOT) 23-Sep-2018, Outside Temp: 25.2C (77.36F), Humidity:89%, Water Temp: 36C (96.8F)Course: 268(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.4kt, Wind:11Kt(from:N), Cloud Cover:50%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:2m (to:SW) | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 18º 37.92' S | 173º 15.168' W | Begonia | Day 3 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Alofi (Niue) to Neiafu on Vava'u (Tonga)
Progress: [So far we've made [177.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [59]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [101.0]nm (through water). We have moved [105.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Slow, light but steady downwind sailing, speed just picked up in the last hour or so.] General Comments: [ETA is a bit tight after 2 slow days - still hoping to arrive tomorrow (but we may be being a little optimistic)] At: 06:00(NUT) 24-Sep-2017, Outside Temp: 25.3C (77.54F), Humidity:75%, Water Temp: 34C (93.2F) Course: 281(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.9kt, Wind:13Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:W) | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 18º 38.22' S | 171º 24.882' W | Begonia | Day 2 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Alofi (Niue) To:Neiafu (Vava'u, Tonga)
Progress: [So far we've made [92.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [163]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [92.0]nm (through water). We have moved [88.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Downwind sailing (jib alone) in some choppy seas (but mostly with the swell). We don't want to arrive before late Sunday afternoon so are not rushing.] General Comments: [We departed Niue for Tonga the same day as 4 other boats - the customs dock will be crowded when we arrive with just our boats! Weather is cool enough on watch to require a jacket at night. Today we'll try fishing again just in case. We've had a little rain on this passage, but mostly it's been dry. Nothing of significance to report.] At: 06:00(TOT) 22-Sep-2018, Outside Temp: 24.8C (76.64F), Humidity:86%, Water Temp: 35.5C (95.9F)Course: 287(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.4kt, Wind:15Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:95%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:W) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 18º 52.5' S | 171º 24.582' W | Begonia | Day 2 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Alofi (Niue) to Neiafu on Vava'u (Tonga)
Progress: [So far we've made [76.4]nm (through water) on this passage and have [164]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [76.4]nm (through water). We have moved [83.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Light downwind sailing keeping up a reasonable (but slow) speed. Easy sailing.] General Comments: [We were quite shocked and surprised by a VHF interaction we had last night just before midnight. Maryanne was on watch and we had a fellow boater slowly gaining on us for several hours, and it looked as though they would pass us close by in the next hour or so. She called them up just as a courtesy (she could see their lights and on our chartplotter their AIS signal) - she was thanked for the call because "they sleep at night" and asked to call them again on the VHF if we thought they were getting too close, they'd turn the radio up so they'd be woken if we called... YIKES! Sleeping at sea if you are a solo sailor we can understand, but as a couple on a boat, not keeping a watch 24 hours a day, that is just crazy and unnecessarily dangerous for themselves and others.] At: 06:00(NUT) 23-Sep-2017, Outside Temp: 24.2C (75.56F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 33.1C (91.58F) Course: 274(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.2kt, Wind:9Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:35%, Pressure: 1015hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:NW) | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 32º 5.232' S | 170º 30.048' W | Begonia | Day 8 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [884.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [4705]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [202.7]nm (through water). We have moved [177.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Yesterday was definitely calmer, but as the wind backs we are now close reached so we are still having a bouncy ride. The forecast is for the winds to continue to back over the next few days, so we'll curve more and more north, and eventually head south for a while to dodge the next system. This passage is all about sailing around avoiding the really strong winds so the route isn't expected to be a straight line.] General Comments: [After adjusting to the watches in such 'easy' sailing at the start we are now having to adjust to the rougher motion. One of the escape hatches is a problem, as the waves rage about on the outside, they seem to keep nudging the handle and loosening it, until it is moved enough to let water in through the seal (This is only a few millimeters! We can't work out how to tighten it so are 'managing' with regular monitoring and wedging it shut with odds while we (hopefully) find the perfect solution soon.] At: 06:00(AKST) 22-Dec-2017, Outside Temp: 19.6C (67.28F), Humidity:80%, Water Temp: 26.8C (80.24F) Course: 78(degT), Speed Over Ground:8.1kt, Wind:16Kt(from:SSE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1007hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:N) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 19º 3.282' S | 169º 55.488' W | Begonia | Day 2 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Beveridge Reef (Niue) To:Alofi (Niue)
Progress: [So far we've made [156.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [40.9]nm (through water). We have moved [37.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Arrived at mooring (Ball #13) - only 3 other boats here, and supply ship due in tomorrow. We have arranged to clear in in the morning.] General Comments: [We managed to fly the spinnaker for the whole way - just changing to the jib about 1.5nm off the mooring field so Kyle could get in some practice and pick up the mooring ball under sail. I wasn't so keen - but I should have given him more credit - no issues!] At: 14:40(NUT) 10-Sep-2018, Outside Temp: 28.2C (82.76F), Humidity:76%, Water Temp: 36C (96.8F) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 19º 3.03' S | 169º 55.29' W | Begonia | Safely arrived at Niue (Port: Alofi)
Progress: [So far we've made [146.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [15.4]nm (through water). We have moved [8.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Arrived - tied to Mooring Ball N3 - official clearance to do] General Comments: [When we arrived, there is a whale and baby in mooring field (between North and South mooring balls) - right by the harbor ] At: 09:04(NUT) 06-Sep-2017, Outside Temp: 24.5C (76.1F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 32.6C (90.68F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 19º 11.7' S | 169º 54.132' W | Begonia | Day 2 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Beveridge Reef (Niue) to Niue (Alofi)
Progress: [So far we've made [131.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [14.9]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [131.1]nm (through water). We have moved [131.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Good fast overnight passage - Mix of spinnaker at first and Jib overnight. Downwind sailing - swells working with us.] General Comments: [Our last day in Beveridge Reef there were a total of 9 Boats. When we departed at least 5 of them also left. Some for Niue, some for Tonga. We are almost at Niue now, but still uncertain as to if there are free mooring balls. Fingers crossed.] At: 06:00(NUT) 06-Sep-2017, Outside Temp: 23.8C (74.84F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 33.1C (91.58F) Course: 299(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.7kt, Wind:11Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:NW) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 18º 55.11' S | 169º 17.238' W | Begonia | Day 2 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Beveridge Reef (Niue) To:Alofi (Niue)
Progress: [So far we've made [116.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [42]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [116.0]nm (through water). We have moved [109.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [We've been flying the spinnaker since we departed the pass at Beveridge. Great downwind sailing. Swell OK.] General Comments: [Attempted some fishing (no luck, even with our new lure) - will try again once daylight begins. A large motor boat/yacht approached Beveridge just as we departed (but didn't enter the pass) we had a short radio chat. Last night Kyle witnessed a pretty impressive meteor - as it entered the atmosphere it left behind a glow for several seconds - must have been HUGE!] At: 05:00(NUT) 10-Sep-2018, Outside Temp: 24.2C (75.56F), Humidity:86%, Water Temp: 34.5C (94.1F)Course: 270(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.6kt, Wind:11Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:25%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:2m (to:W) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 20º 0.762' S | 167º 44.94' W | Begonia | At Anchor at Beveridge Reef (Niue)
From: Beveridge Reef (Niue) To: Beveridge Reef (Niue) We travelled [0.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Short relocate] General Comments: [Relocate to be nearer to Ganesh (for dinner invite)] | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 19º 59.64' S | 167º 44.64' W | Begonia | "Day 6 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Suwarrow Island (Cook Islands) to Beveridge Reef (Niue)
** Safely at anchor ** Progress: [So far we've made [505.7]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [15.5]nm (through water). We have moved [8.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Arrived - safely at anchor on sand shelf. As we approached the pass we could see two boats inside. One called us on the radio (Dona Catharina) to let us know the other had crossed the reef and was damaged, just a couple of days ago. The damaged boat, Avanti, is awaiting a recovery crew from New Zealand, but the two adults and children were safe and were heading off for Niue today with Dona Catharina (making them a crowded 11 folks aboard for the passage). Hopefully Avanti will stay stable until the Freighter arrives and can recover her - and then that she will be fully repairable once it is shipped to New Zealand. I can't bear to imagine how different the story would have been if Dona Catharina had not been here to give the Avanti crew shelter after the wreck and for the past two days or so. Avanti is partially sunk (at the stern) and at anchor - but currently stable. ] General Comments: [This reef is marked in the incorrect location on the chart, and the weather has been miserable. We are reminded again how easy it is for life to take a turn (and thankful it isn't us). It is a little like driving past a new accident on the freeway. For now at least we are glad to be at anchor and we'll take a good nap - tomorrow we can start to explore this special location, and inspect the new and older wrecks. Dona Catharina has left, we are alone on the reef.] At: 10:38(NUT) 30-Aug-2017, Outside Temp: 24.6C (76.28F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 32.1C (89.78F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 19º 59.622' S | 167º 44.592' W | Begonia | Arrived and at anchor in Beveridge Reef (Niue)
Progress: [So far we've made [563.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [62.9]nm (through water). We have moved [46.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [It felt touch and go - but we DID make it safely anchored well before dark. We'll be here for around a week and there is expected to be quite a bit of wind during our stay (great for the wind generator, not so good for swimming)] General Comments: [As we approached Beveridge reef we noticed just one boat on the AIS - Ganesh. This boat happens to be the boat of Fatty and Caroline Goodlander - long time heroes of Kyle for their cruising stories in the magazine Cruising World and Captain Fatty's books - the are coming over for lunch/snacks tomorrow and Kyle is very excited. It is the ONLY boat that could be here and not make him feel upset he doesn't have the place to himself. No sign of the 2017 wreck Avanti, and we're not sure if it has broken up or been towed out and sunk at sea. For now, we rest up and reset our sleep patterns for our stay in Beveridge Reef. Air and water temperatures cooled a bit as we sailed south!] At: 17:15(NUT) 26-Aug-2018, Outside Temp: 24.9C (76.82F), Humidity:61%, Water Temp: 33.6C (92.48F) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 19º 52.062' S | 167º 40.41' W | Begonia | Day 6 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Suwarrow Island (Cook Islands) to Beveridge Reef (Niue)
Progress: [So far we've made [490.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [17]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [112.9]nm (through water). We have moved [124.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Getting close to beveridge reef - so we slowed the boat around 1am to 1kt - as it gets lighter we'll enter (or at least verify it looks good to enter. We are aware that the charts are 3nm off, but have good coordinates from cruisers that have been here in the past and good Google Earth Image. ] General Comments: [Waves remain annoying - the cockpit gets awash intermittently and often deposit flying fish along with the water.] At: 06:00(NUT) 30-Aug-2017, Outside Temp: 22.3C (72.14F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 32.1C (89.78F) Course: 235(degT), Speed Over Ground:0.4kt, Wind:16Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:90%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:3.5m (to:W) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 31º 35.832' S | 167º 22.212' W | Begonia | Day 9 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [1072.7]nm (through water) on this passage and have [4545]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [188.6]nm (through water). We have moved [162.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Wave height is finally subsiding, but we're sailing at about 60 degrees apparent to the wind (so still a bit bouncy). We expect the wind will turn to a direct head wind in the next 30 hours or so by which time we'll shift and head south a little.] General Comments: [We're keeping the meals simple in the bouncy seas; simply moving about the boat has been a challenge and we definitely hold on to something whenever we're moving (this makes getting dressed a fun/frustrating exercise). No signs of other life except for the visiting birds. While it seems to be mostly overcast during the day, Kyle is getting some lovely clear nights for star gazing. Since we are so much further North than we'd expected, at least the temperature is reasonable. We've been reading of other sailors (in the past) sailing in snow and other misery waaaay further south at this time of year] At: 06:00(AKST) 23-Dec-2017, Outside Temp: 19C (66.2F), Humidity:76%, Water Temp: 26.8C (80.24F) Course: 77(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.8kt, Wind:18Kt(from:SSE), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1008hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:NW) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 19º 47.718' S | 166º 57.222' W | Begonia | Day 5 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Suwarrow Island (Cook Islands) To:Beveridge Reef (Niue)
Progress: [So far we've made [500.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [54]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [118.7]nm (through water). We have moved [105.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [The wind finally picked up after yesterday's dismal progress - although most of yesterday was slow also, we are now making good speed again. Seas have risen and are now calming again. We've been bouncing around a lot.] General Comments: [Last night the gooseneck (the hardware that connects the boom to the mast) lost its pin and hardware. Luckily we had a long carriage bolt that is temporarily doing the job (hopefully it will last until NZ). We are hoping we make it in daylight today (if not we'll have to hold offshore pretty much all night - it will be a close call time wise.] At: 06:00(NUT) 26-Aug-2018, Outside Temp: 23C (73.4F), Humidity:77%, Water Temp: 34C (93.2F)Course: 258(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.7kt, Wind:10Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:35%, Pressure: 1017hPa, Swell:2m (to:N) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 18º 43.278' S | 165º 50.67' W | Begonia | Day 5 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Suwarrow Island (Cook Islands) to Beveridge Reef (Niue)
Progress: [So far we've made [377.3]nm (through water) on this passage and have [140]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [143.4]nm (through water). We have moved [149.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Big seas and 20kt winds remain. Swell has a short 5s period so we have to avoid ploughing into wave, We have turned and now have waves more to the side (a different and equally miserable problem) but we are at least moving again.] General Comments: [Kyle saw a plane last night headed north (Mystery). We spend most of our watches inside to save getting doused by waves at the helm. Time seems to be going slowly.] At: 06:00(NUT) 29-Aug-2017, Outside Temp: 23.6C (74.48F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 32C (89.6F) Course: 229(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.7kt, Wind:30Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:65%, Pressure: 1017hPa, Swell:3m (to:NW) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 18º 37.278' S | 165º 33.492' W | Begonia | Day 4 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Suwarrow Island (Cook Islands) To:Beveridge Reef (Niue)
Progress: [So far we've made [381.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [155]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [57.3]nm (through water). We have moved [65.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [As forecast we had very little wind (especially after noon and through the night) - we had several sub 1nm hours. Also the wind swung around a lot, but thankfully the swell was quite light (low with long periods). We are hoping that the wind will return by dark today, maybe earlier. We look forward to it.] General Comments: [When we departed suwarrow we caught our chain on a bommie AND this seems to have broken our windlass. We had to hoist the remaining chain by hand (and had assistance to unravel our chain from the lovely Nick from Unicorn). Once we arrive in Beveridge we'll need to just drop the chain manually (easy) and then (hopefully) we'll have some time to fix the windlass before we depart. If we are lucky there won't be too many new jobs to add to the list by the time we arrive!] At: 06:00(NUT) 25-Aug-2018, Outside Temp: 24.2C (75.56F), Humidity:77%, Water Temp: 35.5C (95.9F)Course: 204(degT), Speed Over Ground:0.1kt, Wind:3Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:10%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:1m (to:W) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 17º 35.1' S | 165º 10.992' W | Begonia | Destination: Alofi
Day 3 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Suwarrow Island (Cook Islands) To:Beveridge Reef (Niue) Progress: [So far we've made [324.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [211]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [165.6]nm (through water). We have moved [150.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Wind is reducing, and swell is much more comfortable this morning. Winds for the next 24 hours are expected to be frustrating.] General Comments: [When Kyle unreefed the main last night, a flying fish fell out of the folds (Ewwwww). All is well aboard, and we may even try to catch a fish with our new Lure (courtesy of Nick on Urchin)] At: 06:00(NUT) 24-Aug-2018, Outside Temp: 25.5C (77.9F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 35.5C (95.9F)Course: 200(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.8kt, Wind:10Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:25%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:NW) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 31º 39.3' S | 164º 10.518' W | Begonia | Day 10 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [1262.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [4383]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [190.2]nm (through water). We have moved [163.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Waves and point of sail continue to make for a choppy ride, but so far we continue West, awaiting the forecast wind shift that will have us change direction to the south (sometime today)] General Comments: [I got a little cabin crazy and decide to cook a curry (peel and chop veggies, etc) yesterday it was a challenge in the bouncy conditions, but I made it.. There was no way to leave the cockpit without getting drenched within a few seconds (rain and waves) and we are SOOOO grateful for the enclosure which is doing a wonderful job of keeping us dry and protected from the wind.] At: 06:00(AKST) 24-Dec-2017, Outside Temp: 19C (66.2F), Humidity:78%, Water Temp: 26.8C (80.24F) Course: 119(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.1kt, Wind:16Kt(from:SW), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1009hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:N) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 15º 17.07' S | 164º 8.472' W | Begonia | Day 2 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Suwarrow Island (Cook Islands) To:Beveridge Reef (Niue)
Progress: [So far we've made [158.6]nm (through water) on this passage and have [355]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [158.6]nm (through water). We have moved [127.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [A great start to our passage - boisterous seas, and lots of rain overnight (not so great), we are sailing with heavily reefed main and jib. We expect the rest of the day to remain rough (per forecast)] General Comments: [After another amazing stay at Suwarrow, with basket weaving, snorkelling, manta rays and lots of sunset socializing (and music), we finally move on for Beveridge Reef (just as we did last year).] At: 06:00(NUT) 23-Aug-2018, Outside Temp: 26.2C (79.16F), Humidity:78%, Water Temp: 36.5C (97.7F)Course: 201(degT), Speed Over Ground:8.4kt, Wind:20Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:10%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:W) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 16º 4.062' S | 163º 51.36' W | Begonia | Day 3 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Suwarrow Island (Cook Islands) to Beveridge Reef (Niue)
Progress: [So far we've made [185.3]nm (through water) on this passage and have [336]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [81.0]nm (through water). We have moved [89.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Wind, Seas, and Point of sail make sailing quite miserable so we've hove to a little earlier than expected. Forecast is for winds getting worse this afternoon - this isn't so much fun.] General Comments: [No boat sigthed (eye-ball nor AIS) since we departed Suwarrow, we maintain regular watches but everything is difficult in the motion we have. We are both hoping for a good-news forecast when we next get the weather.] At: 06:00(NUT) 27-Aug-2017, Outside Temp: 25.6C (78.08F), Humidity:89%, Water Temp: 34C (93.2F) Course: 187(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.1kt, Wind:16Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:50%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:3m (to:NW) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 17º 10.05' S | 163º 48.438' W | Begonia | Day 4 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Suwarrow Island (Cook Islands) to Beveridge Reef (Niue)
Progress: [So far we've made [233.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [288]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [48.6]nm (through water). We have moved [66.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Big seas remain (most recent forecast suggests until Wednesday) - so we remain hove to, but still moving slowly roughly south.] General Comments: [Ugh! We continue to hope that the forecast turns brighter soon.] At: 06:00(NUT) 28-Aug-2017, Outside Temp: 24.7C (76.46F), Humidity:89%, Water Temp: 33.6C (92.48F) Course: 184(degT), Speed Over Ground:1.6kt, Wind:21Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:3.5m (to:NW) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 14º 40.428' S | 163º 18.768' W | Begonia | Day 2 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Suwarrow Island (Cook Islands) to Beveridge Reef (Niue)
Progress: [So far we've made [104.4]nm (through water) on this passage and have [413]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [104.4]nm (through water). We have moved [86.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Sailing at 50 degrees to the wind (apparent), choppy large swell, life aboard is difficult. Our route is currently taking us further east of the line than we expected, but since the forecast conditions will push us more west, this is fine and deliberate.] General Comments: [We left Suwarrow after our two weeks but would have been more than happy to stay longer. We are headed for Beverdige reef, but weather forecasts verify we are in for a rough ride and some nasty weather ahead (so we may need to skip it for Niue). For now we still hope for Beveridge Reef. Our computer charger/inverter failed and we were quite concerned that this would leave us without the ability to get weather and post the usual position reports. Luckily we were able to buy one from a fellow crusier willing to give up their spare just hours before we departed. Whew.] At: 06:00(NUT) 26-Aug-2017, Outside Temp: 26.6C (79.88F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 35C (95F) Course: 193(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.4kt, Wind:15Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:50%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:NW) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 13º 24.93' S | 163º 6.6' W | Begonia | Day 6 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Maupiti (off Pauma Town) To:Suwarrow Island (Cook Islands)
Progress: [So far we've made [724.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [5.1]nm (through water). We have moved [11.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Anchored! When we arrived there were 11 other boats already here, and one just a little further out to sea waiting to enter - Still lest crowded than a week ago, but it took us some time to find an anchor spot we were happy with (actually, we never did, we just kept lowering our standards until we met with what was available.). We are anchored in 9m of water with lots of bommies (Kyle is about to go add floats to the chain once we've done our paperwork).] General Comments: [Once the sun was good and up we entered the pass and then spent some time (an hour) looking for the perfect spot to anchor (which didn't exist). Today is forecast to be good weather but then rain for the following 2 days - so we'll have plenty of time to recover before we explore much.] At: 08:44(THAT) 11-Aug-2018, Outside Temp: 27.3C (81.14F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 37C (98.6F) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 13º 14.85' S | 163º 6.498' W | Begonia | Day 7 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Bora Bora (Viatape) to Suwarrow Islands
Arrived and at anchor! Progress: [So far we've made [775.4]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [9.3]nm (through water). We have moved [8.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [At anchor and cleared all formalities with the caretaker residents (Harry & Katu) - now to rest and then explore] General Comments: [There are only 2 other boats here when we arrived. Rules for the atoll have become more strict and there is no landing on any of the motus except Anchorage Island! But we have up to 14 days to enjoy and relax ] At: 10:10(THAT) 11-Aug-2017, Outside Temp: 27.6C (81.68F), Humidity:88%, Water Temp: 35.5C (95.9F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 13º 13.818' S | 163º 4.98' W | Begonia | Day 6 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Maupiti (off Pauma Town) To:Suwarrow Island (Cook Islands)
Progress: [So far we've made [719.4]nm (through water) on this passage and have [3.4]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [149.8]nm (through water). We have moved [145.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Wind and swell slowly backed to come from the stern. We arrived outside the island and are now simply waiting for daylight to enter. Given that we slowed down and are now stopped - we've had another great sailing day (distance wise)] General Comments: [We've no idea how busy Suwarrow is but Kyle is convinced he can see lights for at least 9 boat (and no doubt there are more hidden by the island). We're looking forward to arriving and being able to get our sleep clocks back in sync.] At: 06:00(THAT) 11-Aug-2018, Outside Temp: 26.5C (79.7F), Humidity:77%, Water Temp: 37C (98.6F)Course: 198(degT), Speed Over Ground:0.7kt, Wind:12Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:70%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:1m (to:NW) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 13º 11.958' S | 162º 58.458' W | Begonia | Day 7 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Bora Bora (Viatape) to Suwarrow Island
Progress: [So far we've made [766.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [10.2]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [118.3]nm (through water). We have moved [114.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [We arrived about 1am, and have been hove to/drifting since then waiting for daylight. The big seas seem to toss the boat around a little more now we are not moving with the waves, but we are happy to be so close to done for this trip.] General Comments: [No boats spotted during the entire trip, a few more birds about yesterday but still not that many (but we did see an albatross)] At: 06:00(THAT) 11-Aug-2017, Outside Temp: 26.1C (78.98F), Humidity:85%, Water Temp: 36C (96.8F) Course: 224(degT), Speed Over Ground:0.2kt, Wind:13Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:3m (to:W) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 30º 45.27' S | 161º 39.06' W | Begonia | Day 11 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [1430.4]nm (through water) on this passage and have [4251]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [167.6]nm (through water). We have moved [140.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Seas are getting a little smoother, but the wind hasn't adjusted for us yet so we are still sailing into the wind, so it remains bouncy enough we still need a hand for the boat if we move anywhere] General Comments: [No snow for us on this Christmas day (or as Kyle says: Arborial themed gift giving day). Santa (apparently) has yet to visit us today, and Kyle reported 'something' circled us and then crashed into the sea last night. Anyway our first ever Christmas on passage. We continue on, and wish everyone well.] At: 06:00(AKST) 25-Dec-2017, Outside Temp: 19.6C (67.28F), Humidity:78%, Water Temp: 27.7C (81.86F) Course: 75(degT), Speed Over Ground:5kt, Wind:10Kt(from:SSE), Cloud Cover:80%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:NW) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 14º 10.002' S | 161º 16.998' W | Begonia | Day 6 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Bora Bora (Viatape) to Suwarrow Island
Progress: [So far we've made [647.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [123]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [156.7]nm (through water). We have moved [152.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [This passage continues to be a little boisterous, and as the larger waves pass from behind underneath the boat, the motion can be very yaw-ing (Slew-y). We've adjusted but are tired of it. Today is expected to be the windiest day and we are sailing close to downwind.] General Comments: [During this passage my spectacles have broken (luckily I have a spare), Kyle ripped a pair of shorts from top to bottom, and we've had the new leak in that forward porthole (currently taped). But we'll soon be there and provided our access is granted (still slightly uncertain about that), we hope for a long rest to fix everything and enjoy the amazing islands of Suwarrow Atoll.] At: 06:00(THAT) 10-Aug-2017, Outside Temp: 26.8C (80.24F), Humidity:76%, Water Temp: 35.5C (95.9F) Course: 310(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.7kt, Wind:18Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:3m (to:W) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 40º 45.69' N | 160º 44.406' W | Begonia | We have moved [110.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage Hawaii to CA/OR - Day 9. Course: 8(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.7kt, Wind:7Kt(from:SSE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1030hPa, Swell:1m (to:NW). At: 06:00(HAST) 21-Jul-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 38º 55.71' N | 160º 43.968' W | Begonia | We have moved [124.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage Hawaii to CA/OR - Day 8. Course: 337(degT), Speed Over Ground:4kt, Wind:5Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:95%, Pressure: 1030hPa, Swell:2m (to:NW). At: 06:00(HAST) 20-Jul-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 13º 12.372' S | 160º 35.58' W | Begonia | Day 5 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Maupiti (off Pauma Town) To:Suwarrow Island (Cook Islands)
Progress: [So far we've made [569.6]nm (through water) on this passage and have [150]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [115.4]nm (through water). We have moved [100.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Rain! Lots of drizzle and occasional downpours, and the wind shifts, lulls and gusts to go along with it called for plenty of reefing and un-reefing. Yesterday was a frustrating day with a few hours of less than 1nm. If the forecasts are correct we can now expect good winds for the rest of the passage (just one frustrating day isn't too bad)] General Comments: [All is looking well to arrive at Suwarrow on Saturday (tomorrow). Early this morning Kyle was joined by a large patch of bioluminescence about the size of the boat and just a couple of meters of the boat to one side. He's not 100% sure what it was but something very big travelling very fast alongside the boat (possibly a whale, but no spouting - a mystery of the deep. ] At: 06:00(THAT) 10-Aug-2018, Outside Temp: 25.7C (78.26F), Humidity:87%, Water Temp: 37.4C (99.32F)Course: 269(degT), Speed Over Ground:8.1kt, Wind:16Kt(from:SSE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:2m (to:N) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 36º 53.502' N | 160º 16.338' W | Begonia | We have moved [145.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage Hawaii to CA/OR - Day 7. Course: 341(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.7kt, Wind:9Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1028hPa, Swell:2m (to:NW). At: 06:00(HAST) 19-Jul-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 42º 52.314' N | 160º 2.574' W | Begonia | We have moved [130.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage Hawaii to CA/OR - Day 10. Course: 4(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.6kt, Wind:11Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1030hPa, Swell:1m (to:NW). At: 06:00(HAST) 22-Jul-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 26º 8.82' N | 159º 50.766' W | Begonia | We have moved [150.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage Hawaii to CA/OR - Day 3. Course: 351(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.8kt, Wind:10Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:70%, Pressure: 1021hPa, Swell:1m (to:SW). At: 06:00(HAST) 15-Jul-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 23º 38.094' N | 159º 50.574' W | Begonia | We have moved [87.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage Hawaii to CA/OR - Day 2. Course: 357(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.1kt, Wind:14Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:80%, Pressure: 1018hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:W). At: 06:00(HAST) 14-Jul-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 34º 30.354' N | 159º 45.828' W | Begonia | We have moved [169.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage Hawaii to CA/OR - Day 6. Course: 338(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.7kt, Wind:13Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:60%, Pressure: 1026hPa, Swell:1m (to:W). At: 06:00(HAST) 18-Jul-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 29º 54.12' S | 159º 34.788' W | Begonia | Day 12 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [1567.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [4151]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [136.7]nm (through water). We have moved [118.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Seas continue to get a little smoother each day, we *finally* tacked and are now headed more south, looking to *try* to reach some westerly wind between the next systems before it dies out.] General Comments: [Christmas Day seemed very busy. It started with a fantastic treat of a beautiful sunrise and a 10 minute visit from a pod of dolphins, playing about the bows (very special!). Aside from the hourly log and general boat checks and watch keeping, we squeezed in present opening and calls to family and friends. The connection wasn't great, but it was still nice to hear from 'home'. We've since decided that possibly the phone does not do so well an hour either side of sunrise, and while we haven't exactly done a scientific test, we'll avoid that time in the future. We had Christmas cake (purchased in NZ) and potato soup (Kyle's go to celebration meal), wore silly Santa hats, played Christmas music, and exchanged some nice and some silly gifts (Kyle is not a fan of the wasabi coated anchovies I found for him...)] At: 06:00(AKST) 26-Dec-2017, Outside Temp: 20.8C (69.44F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 28.7C (83.66F) Course: 136(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.3kt, Wind:9Kt(from:ENE), Cloud Cover:96%, Pressure: 1009hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:NW) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 22º 13.488' N | 159º 33.924' W | Begonia | We have moved [85.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored west of the stunningly beautiful Haena Reef location (Kauai). At: 11:08(HAST) 06-Jul-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 28º 40.794' N | 159º 31.824' W | Begonia | We have moved [152.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage Hawaii to CA/OR - Day 4. Course: 6(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.9kt, Wind:14Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:50%, Pressure: 1023hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:SW). At: 06:00(HAST) 16-Jul-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 22º 12.702' N | 159º 30.108' W | Begonia | We have moved [0.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Relocated in Hanalei Bay, Kauai (to make space for canoe race course). At: 09:00(HAST) 12-Jul-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 22º 12.528' N | 159º 30.0' W | Begonia | We have moved [3.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored in Hanalei Bay, Kauai. At: 16:28(HAST) 07-Jul-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 31º 42.972' N | 159º 15.852' W | Begonia | We have moved [182.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage Hawaii to CA/OR - Day 5. Course: 3(degT), Speed Over Ground:8.8kt, Wind:14Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1024hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:SW). At: 06:00(HAST) 17-Jul-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 13º 24.96' S | 158º 53.208' W | Begonia | Day 4 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Maupiti (off Pauma Town) To:Suwarrow Island (Cook Islands)
Progress: [So far we've made [454.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [250]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [151.0]nm (through water). We have moved [143.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Winds have been calming, and seas are smoothing out (but we are still making good speed). Light rain has just started and we expect rain for the next day or so as a front passes us.] General Comments: [Aside from keeping watch and managing the sailing (which takes only occasional effort), we've been occupying ourselves with our podcasts and books (even Kyle is reading). We have yet to see any other boats, planes, etc - nothing but birds. A second day of trying to fish produced 0 results.] At: 06:00(THAT) 09-Aug-2018, Outside Temp: 27.1C (80.78F), Humidity:78%, Water Temp: 37C (98.6F)Course: 300(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.3kt, Wind:12Kt(from:NNE), Cloud Cover:95%, Pressure: 1009hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:S) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 15º 3.66' S | 158º 49.308' W | Begonia | Day 5 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Bora Bora (Viatape) to Suwarrow Island
Progress: [So far we've made [491.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [276]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [139.6]nm (through water). We have moved [132.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Sea remains boisterous, but we are adjusting and functional aboard, a little easier now wind is from SSW (more behind us). It seems much cooler than we've been used to and we wear long pants and a sweatshirt at night.. ] General Comments: [Ocean here is more than 5,000m deep. We crossed the official boundary between French Polynesia and the Cook Islands.] At: 06:00(THAT) 09-Aug-2017, Outside Temp: 25.5C (77.9F), Humidity:75%, Water Temp: 35.5C (95.9F) Course: 294(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.6kt, Wind:19Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:70%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:3m (to:NW) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 33º 32.898' S | 158º 25.842' W | Begonia | Day 15 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [1924.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [3954]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [108.6]nm (through water). We have moved [103.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [A rough start yesterday, but conditions calmed as we turned South. Heading south does little for our 'miles to go' progress (and for a while it seemed we were practically doubling back to NZ), but there is a rather nasty large tropical storm to the east of us that we need to avoid, and getting south now means we don't need to do it later. Still, it's not easy to look at the dots on our little chart and see so little distance gained to Chile.] General Comments: [We saw (and spoke with) another boat last night (cargo ship headed for Auckland). Finally conditions aboard are calmer, seas are very gentle (& progress is very slow). Although the temperature is a little cooler, without the winds things are pleasant, and we're enjoying the break from the bouncy week we've just had, but by the end of today no doubt we'll be frustrated with the very light winds.] At: 06:00(AKST) 29-Dec-2017, Outside Temp: 18.5C (65.3F), Humidity:76%, Water Temp: 26.3C (79.34F) Course: 94(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.3kt, Wind:6Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:NW) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 34º 6.288' S | 158º 14.712' W | Begonia | Day 16 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [1953.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [3928]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [29.6]nm (through water). We have moved [34.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Yesterday was mostly mirror calm seas and occasional 2kt winds (from various directions, mostly from where we wanted to go), current caused much of our motion. Today's forecast expects winds that are light but usable and steady, and we'll continue to push SSE] General Comments: [A beautiful clear night, with bright moonlight and a huge canopy of stars, and with the calm seas made for a memorable night. If only our progress was as heavenly! Forecast is for reasonable winds as we progress today so we are hoping for better numbers this time tomorrow.] At: 06:00(AKST) 30-Dec-2017, Outside Temp: 18.6C (65.48F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 25.8C (78.44F) Course: 169(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.8kt, Wind:5Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:50%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:1m (to:W) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 21º 31.884' N | 158º 13.866' W | Begonia | We have moved [5.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored off Makua Beach, west coast of Oahu. At: 12:12(HAST) 04-Jul-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 30º 26.718' S | 158º 13.452' W | Begonia | Day 13 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [1670.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [4076]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [103.1]nm (through water). We have moved [77.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [We spent most of yesterday tacking upwind so life continues to be bouncy. It's been cloudy for several days, and the headwinds are pushing waves towards us so we have mixed swell (which aside from being uncomfortable, also slows us down). Forecast wise, we expect to stay at this latitude for 200 miles before we *finally* head south through a few days of easterly winds to catch the westerlies.] General Comments: [Boxing day yesterday, and without the business of Christmas things suddenly seemed rather dull. No sign of any ships, birds are much rarer, but our Spanish is improving (at least we think it is). Kyle tried his first (and last) wasabi anchovy, luckily I found them quite delicious so helped him finish the packet.] At: 06:00(AKST) 27-Dec-2017, Outside Temp: 20.8C (69.44F), Humidity:78%, Water Temp: 28.7C (83.66F) Course: 99(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.2kt, Wind:12Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1009hPa, Swell:2m (to:NW) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 21º 26.616' N | 158º 11.556' W | Begonia | We have moved [22.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored off Kaneilio Point (Waianae Village, Oahu). At: 16:22(HAST) 02-Jul-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 44º 18.75' N | 158º 9.408' W | Begonia | We have moved [119.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage Hawaii to CA/OR - Day 11. Course: 357(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.4kt, Wind:7Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1030hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:NW). At: 06:00(HAST) 23-Jul-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 21º 19.236' N | 157º 53.514' W | Begonia | We have moved [4.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Keehei Boat Yard - Honolulu (Sand Island) - to install rudders. At: 08:48(HAST) 23-Jun-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 21º 17.136' N | 157º 50.508' W | Begonia | We have moved [3.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Dock B1 - Ali Wai state marina, Honolulu ($14/day - power 87c/day). At: 12:24(HAST) 27-Jun-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 21º 15.99' N | 157º 49.806' W | Begonia | We have moved [1.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored - Oahu - Waikiki Beach (the bite). At: 19:10(HAST) 01-Jul-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 21º 15.978' N | 157º 49.764' W | Begonia | We have moved [32.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored - Oahu - Waikiki Beach (the bite). At: 12:20(HAST) 21-Jun-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 31º 58.2' S | 157º 34.89' W | Begonia | Day 14 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [1815.6]nm (through water) on this passage and have [3973]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [145.4]nm (through water). We have moved [97.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Miserable conditions yesterday some tacking and some changes of plan had us making little actual progress. Seas are very disturbed (but not crazy high) and life is very bouncy. It also rained all day and visibility was poor. Not the type of day that makes you want to spend more time at sea... oh well.] General Comments: [After being freshly greased in our recent haul out, and never doing this before, the steering shaft is now 'squeaking' regularly. That and the wild ride is not helping the person trying to sleep. To grease it again requires we disconnect the steering and the conditions have been too rough to consider this.. we have a list of small jobs for when it is calm. :-( Nothing else happening, no ships (With the poor visibility we put out a radio call every hour to any ships in radio range, no response.] At: 06:00(AKST) 28-Dec-2017, Outside Temp: 19C (66.2F), Humidity:89%, Water Temp: 26.8C (80.24F) Course: 196(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.7kt, Wind:19Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1009hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:W) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 44º 49.302' N | 157º 27.708' W | Begonia | We have moved [42.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage Hawaii to CA/OR - Day 12. Course: 39(degT), Speed Over Ground:1.3kt, Wind:2Kt(from:N), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1030hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:N). At: 06:00(HAST) 24-Jul-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 21º 11.796' N | 157º 15.012' W | Begonia | We have moved [14.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored in Papohaku Roadstead (Moloka'i). At: 12:46(HAST) 14-Jun-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 21º 10.992' N | 156º 59.484' W | Begonia | We have moved [9.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored in Kalaupapa Anchorage (Awahaua Bay) - old lepar colony. At: 12:34(HAST) 12-Jun-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 20º 47.796' N | 156º 59.388' W | Begonia | We have moved [26.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored at Kalama Nui on west of Lanai Island, Hawaii - Steep rock faces with indents (graves?) and sea arch - cool. At: 18:20(HAST) 31-May-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 20º 44.496' N | 156º 53.286' W | Begonia | We have moved [0.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Depart from Dock at Manele Small boat harbor ( temp dock #1) - $45 for 2 nights (2 people). At: 14:14(HAST) 01-Jun-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 20º 44.568' N | 156º 53.142' W | Begonia | We have moved [6.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored at Manele Bay (Lahini) - posh resort town. At: 09:50(HAST) 01-Jun-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 21º 10.026' N | 156º 49.764' W | Begonia | We have moved [13.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored at Wailau Valley (western south coast of Molokai) - large patch of sand - good holding - stunning views. At: 08:24(HAST) 10-Jun-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 15º 56.022' S | 156º 43.32' W | Begonia | Day 4 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Bora Bora (Viatape) to Suwarrow Island
Progress: [So far we've made [351.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [408]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [166.6]nm (through water). We have moved [161.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Sea state is now more comfortable for us on board, but have tossed us about for most of the last 24 hours. Boat is drier now that the wind is more from the back. That window now only dribbles but we haven't had calm enough conditions to inspect/cover in any way yet. We've had a few patches of rain, and the cloud cover has been 100% all night (so no stars to enjoy)] General Comments: [No boats sighted since we left Maupiti (on AIS nor eye)] At: 06:00(THAT) 08-Aug-2017, Outside Temp: 25.2C (77.36F), Humidity:76%, Water Temp: 35C (95F) Course: 281(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.6kt, Wind:17Kt(from:SSE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:2m (to:N) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 20º 52.272' N | 156º 41.058' W | Begonia | We have moved [13.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Mooring ball #3 - Lahaina Yacht Club moorings (Free - just need to submit paperwork and pay any harbor/dinghy dock dues to town). At: 13:55(HAST) 03-Jun-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 35º 50.67' S | 156º 39.588' W | Begonia | Day 17 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [2089.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [3804]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [135.3]nm (through water). We have moved [130.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [A slow start to yesterday, the boat finally picked up speed in the early evening and we've been making great progress since then (feels good). Weather is fine, seas a little mixed, we're sailing at about 50 degrees (apparent) to the wind and expecting more of the same for the next few days.] General Comments: [A stunning sunrise this morning, and a cargo ship passed 5 miles behind us last night aside from that Nada! (Nada is Spanish for nothing). Temperatures continue to drop (air and water), but we're still snug as long as we remain inside the enclosure. Kyle is thinking of Greece as we find ourselves almost exactly opposite one of the many beautiful islands we've visited there.] At: 06:00(AKST) 31-Dec-2017, Outside Temp: 17.5C (63.5F), Humidity:68%, Water Temp: 24.3C (75.74F) Course: 152(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.2kt, Wind:13Kt(from:ENE), Cloud Cover:50%, Pressure: 1019hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:W) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 21º 0.9' N | 156º 38.46' W | Begonia | We have moved [9.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored in Honolua Bay (Maui). At: 14:08(HAST) 08-Jun-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 14º 6.75' S | 156º 31.86' W | Begonia | Day 3 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Maupiti (off Pauma Town) To:Suwarrow Island (Cook Islands)
Progress: [So far we've made [303.3]nm (through water) on this passage and have [389]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [182.0]nm (through water). We have moved [173.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Waves are big and wild enough to make for a bouncy ride (rolling and lurching), but weather has been clear and nice (warm). We are making a fantastic average speed of OVER 7.5kt)] General Comments: [We've seen no boats nor whales so far on this passage - only a mix of occasional birds. The sunsets have been spectacular, all is well, although Kyle did have to fix a leak that had saltwater dripping at the bottom of our bed.] At: 06:00(THAT) 08-Aug-2018, Outside Temp: 26.7C (80.06F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 36.5C (97.7F)Course: 297(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.6kt, Wind:13Kt(from:NNE), Cloud Cover:50%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:2m (to:SW) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 20º 46.584' N | 156º 31.47' W | Begonia | We have moved [8.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored at McGregor Landing (Point)… Windy. At: 13:12(HAST) 29-May-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 20º 37.95' N | 156º 29.862' W | Begonia | We have moved [2.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Snorkel site (Molokini Crater) for morning snorkel. At: 06:14(HAST) 29-May-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 20º 38.49' N | 156º 26.922' W | Begonia | We have moved [15.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored off Makena Bay, Maui. At: 15:50(HAST) 27-May-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 20º 37.518' N | 156º 10.782' W | Begonia | We have moved [30.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored in Nu'u Landing on S.Coast of Maui - wild scenery, breat holding (sticky sand). At: 11:32(HAST) 25-May-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 19º 28.47' N | 155º 55.272' W | Begonia | We have moved [18.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored in Kealakekua Bay (Captain Cook Monument) - Needed a permit from Parks Office. At: 16:50(HAST) 22-May-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 19º 10.188' N | 155º 54.546' W | Begonia | We have moved [20.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored - Honomolino Bay (SW of Hawaii island). At: 19:22(HAST) 19-May-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 20º 11.4' N | 155º 54.192' W | Begonia | We have moved [42.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored in (tiny) Nishimura Bay (Big Island, HI) - along with rather rough looking local sailboat. At: 14:10(HAST) 24-May-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 18º 53.844' N | 155º 42.414' W | Begonia | We have moved [68.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. On Route to Honomolino Bay. At: 15:00(HAST) 19-May-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 19º 43.782' N | 155º 3.636' W | Begonia | We have moved [15.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Arrived - day 34 Galapagos to Hawaii -Anchored in Hilo. At: 10:00(PST) 04-May-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 46º 3.594' N | 154º 59.124' W | Begonia | We have moved [128.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage Hawaii to CA/OR - Day 13. Course: 38(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.5kt, Wind:15Kt(from:W), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1022hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:W). At: 06:00(HAST) 25-Jul-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 37º 42.042' S | 154º 49.278' W | Begonia | Day 18 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [2242.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [3670]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [153.0]nm (through water). We have moved [142.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [We continue to sail close hauled heading mostly SE aiming to get south of a large depression forming (We are possibly headed for 43 degrees south way further than we'd ever expected)] General Comments: [Happy New Year! I waited until Kyle had actually got up for his midnight watch before blasting the party noise maker at him. Not surprisingly it gets cooler as we head south. The days are getting longer also. During the day its mostly sunny, batteries are doing fine. All systems appear to be working well.] At: 06:00(AKST) 01-Dec-2018, Outside Temp: 17.2C (62.96F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 22.9C (73.22F) Course: 165(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.2kt, Wind:17Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1024hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:NW) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 19º 46.866' N | 154º 47.298' W | Begonia | We have moved [132.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 34 Galapagos to Hawaii. Course: 302(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.5kt, Wind:7Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:SW). At: 06:00(PST) 04-May-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 19º 36.636' N | 154º 45.624' W | Begonia | We have moved [18.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. On Route to Honomolino Bay. At: 23:00(HAST) 18-May-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 16º 59.802' S | 154º 9.198' W | Begonia | Day 3 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Bora Bora (Viatape) to Suwarrow Island
Progress: [So far we've made [184.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [565]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [152.1]nm (through water). We have moved [113.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Wind has been from North, through W to South. We had to leave Maupiti yesterday since the southerly winds would have prevented us from exiting the pass. Seas have been rough for most of the time since we left Maupiti, and we have a leak in one of the forward portholes that means we have to clean up a pot full of water every hour (we'll tape the window once the weather calms)] General Comments: [We left Maupiti with views of a humpback whale, but since then winds and seas have meant we've seen little of anything. The flip side of that is that we've been making great speed.] At: 06:00(THAT) 07-Aug-2017, Outside Temp: 24.3C (75.74F), Humidity:92%, Water Temp: 34.5C (94.1F) Course: 289(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.9kt, Wind:13Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1008hPa, Swell:3m (to:SW) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 15º 26.118' S | 153º 52.722' W | Begonia | Day 2 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Maupiti (off Pauma Town) To:Suwarrow Island (Cook Islands)
Progress: [So far we've made [121.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [553]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [121.2]nm (through water). We have moved [112.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Good Sailing wind so far - backing from around 60 degrees point of sail to 120 so far - we continue north of our ideal line to allow for changes to the wind expected later in the passage] General Comments: [We left Maupiti earlier than expected (we were just all ready and thought we may as well depart) - the pass was a picture of calm on the way out. We are adjusting still to our sleep patterns, but all is well.] At: 06:00(THAT) 07-Aug-2018, Outside Temp: 26.3C (79.34F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 36.5C (97.7F)Course: 307(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.7kt, Wind:23Kt(from:ENE), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:2m (to:SW) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 39º 35.25' S | 153º 33.312' W | Begonia | Day 19 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [2379.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [3561]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [137.0]nm (through water). We have moved [127.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Wind from E / ENE prevents us going to the SE, and we are headed more South (not bad, but would prefer to be making east as well). Based on forecasts we are headed below a storm maybe aiming for mid 40s (brrrrrrrr...)] General Comments: [It is getting cold. We are now fully south of mainland Australia. Thank goodness it is summer here. We were very excited yesterday evening to have a boat call us by name. Our first received call simply because another boat has seen our AIS signal from our new AIS transponder. It turned out to be a USA tuna fishing boat from Seattle. After a short chat he turned on his AIS and we could then see him on our systems. We never saw him by eye, but were really pleased to have our new equipment finally in full use.] At: 06:00(AKST) 02-Jan-2018, Outside Temp: 15.3C (59.54F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 20.4C (68.72F) Course: 174(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.4kt, Wind:13Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1032hPa, Swell:1m (to:W) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 41º 10.17' S | 153º 2.112' W | Begonia | Day 20 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [2483.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [3494]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [104.1]nm (through water). We have moved [97.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Light winds and low swells, we continue south for the next few days (heading for at least 43 degrees south, possibly 45)] General Comments: [We've pulled out the 2nd quilt for the bed, and the hand warmers for the night watch. The water is cold enough that there is no way either of us will volunteer for a swim. Yesterday we had an albatross with the boat for a while such long wings it was great to just watch it swooping about so effortlessly.] At: 06:00(AKST) 03-Jan-2018, Outside Temp: 14.3C (57.74F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 19C (66.2F) Course: 82(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.8kt, Wind:7Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1032hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:N) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 19º 49.488' N | 152º 26.55' W | Begonia | We have moved [121.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 33 Galapagos to Hawaii. Course: 208(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.3kt, Wind:12Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:10%, Pressure: 1017hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:W). At: 06:00(PST) 03-May-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 16º 28.452' S | 152º 15.102' W | Begonia | Day 1 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Bora Bora (Viatape) to Suwarrow Island
Progress: [So far we've made [32.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have []nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [32.78]nm (through water). We have moved [28.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Anchored just inside Passe Onoiau on Maupiti Island (French Polynesia) after a lovely fast sail] General Comments: [We need to wait for winds to switch to continue - so an unofficial stop (2 nights rest with no responsibilities) before starting off on the passage again on Sunday (6th August) - hoping to snorkel with more manta rays (fingers crossed)] At: 11:34(THAT) 04-Aug-2017, Outside Temp: 29.4C (84.92F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 35C (95F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 16º 26.778' S | 152º 14.568' W | Begonia | At Anchor at Maupiti (off Pauma Town)
From: Bora Bora (off Motu Ahuna) To: Maupiti (off Pauma Town) We travelled [26.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [27.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [A day of light winds (Spinnaker!) which were a just light enough to be frustrating for the first 4 hours. The pass into Maupiti was quite dramatic (due to the big swells that hit that direct area), and we needed more RPM that Kyle normally feels comfortable with to push in and make way against the current.] General Comments: [Mooring balls reported to exist appear absent so we anchored in 3.1m of sand. We'll hold out here for a few days until the forecasts for the passage on to Suwarrow suits us (and the pass here in Maupiti is safe to exit).] At: 16:24(THAT) 03-Aug-2018, Outside Temp: 27.5C (81.5F), Humidity:77%, Water Temp: 37C (98.6F) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 41º 40.698' S | 151º 54.858' W | Begonia | Day 21 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [2583.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [3435]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [100.6]nm (through water). We have moved [58.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Lots of light winds again yesterday, but this morning the wind finally filled in. Kyle is pleased we have got south as 3 different weather systems are about to squeeze us, and we'll hopefully be able to slip through the gaps between them from here.] General Comments: [I've decided to make better use of the oven and yesterday baked a quiche. I made too much egg mix so we overdosed on eggs yesterday and we also had Spanish tortilla for lunch. The good new is the Oven is working fine although temperature control is a little finikity!] At: 06:00(AKST) 04-Jan-2018, Outside Temp: 14.5C (58.1F), Humidity:68%, Water Temp: 19C (66.2F) Course: 121(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.4kt, Wind:10Kt(from:SSW), Cloud Cover:90%, Pressure: 1030hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:N) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 16º 31.38' S | 151º 46.722' W | Begonia | At Anchor at Bora Bora (Toopua - Sting ray area)
From: Tahaa (by Paipai Pass) To: Bora Bora (Toopua - Sting ray area) We travelled [23.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [15.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [At anchor in 8.5m of sand with scattered larger bommies] General Comments: [We moved to Bora Boar this morning (early start) and are anchored near the sand shelf famed for its sting rays. The local tour boats feed them, and depsite the official area being a bit of a swim away, we've already seen some from the boat.] At: 12:18(THAT) 23-Jul-2018, Outside Temp: 29.8C (85.64F), Humidity:68%, Water Temp: 36.5C (97.7F) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 16º 31.152' S | 151º 46.59' W | Begonia | From: Tahaa (By Paipai Pass Ready for exit to Bora Bora in the morning
To: Tooopua Island (within Bora Bora Reefs) We travelled [22.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [15.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored on sand shelf in 4m depth] General Comments: [Snorkel with Sharks and rays - last chance to snorkel for our guests Sarah and Geoffrey] At: 13:24(THAT) 23-Jul-2017, Water Temp: 35.5C (95.9F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 16º 29.16' S | 151º 46.248' W | Begonia | At Anchor at Bora Bora (off Motu Ahuna)
From: Bora Bora (Viatape Town Quay) To: Bora Bora (off Motu Ahuna) We travelled [1.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in a great patch of sand (3.3m) along with Nemo and Savanah] General Comments: [We finally managed to get fuel, and water before departing Viatape and are now set at anchor with the laundry air drying - ready to depart in the morning. Electronic issues continue to taunt us, Kyle's watch no longer keeps the right time for more than a few hours (then just jumps around the clock to random times), his phone finally died when attempting some last minute updates and we have made progress but still don't have a functioning Mac computer (just one that will finally boot up, but without any of our apps and data on it as of yet)] At: 13:08(THAT) 02-Aug-2018, Outside Temp: 29.4C (84.92F), Humidity:65%, Water Temp: 37.4C (99.32F) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 16º 30.102' S | 151º 45.39' W | Begonia | From: Bora Bora (Between Tuiahora point and St Regis Resort)
To: Bora Bora (Mai Kai Marina, Viatape) We travelled [6.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [2.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Mooring Ball #20 at Mai Kai Marina ] General Comments: [So we moved to a Marina for the last few days before we depart Bora Boar - we need laundry, groceries, internet, etc so it will be all work and hopefully a couple of beers too] At: 11:04(THAT) 30-Jul-2017, Outside Temp: 29.6C (85.28F), Humidity:66%, Water Temp: 35.5C (95.9F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 16º 30.462' S | 151º 45.138' W | Begonia | From: Bora Bora (Bloody Mary's Restaurant)
To: Bora Bora (Town Quay) We travelled [2.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Town Quay (free) gives easy access to grocery and official checking out process] General Comments: [We left Bloody Mary's and stopped for fuel at the town total dock, then moved to the town dock for final admin and shopping (we'll stay here a couple of nights)] At: 10:32(THAT) 02-Aug-2017, Outside Temp: 28.4C (83.12F), Humidity:67%, Water Temp: 35.5C (95.9F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 16º 30.438' S | 151º 45.12' W | Begonia | At Dock at Bora Bora (Viatape Town Quay)
From: Bora Bora (Bloody Mary's Restaurant) To: Bora Bora (Viatape Town Quay) We travelled [2.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Tied to town dock - wakes make it very choppy towards the corner, so we hope to move along once some of the other boats depart] General Comments: [We attempted to get our Duty free fuel today - but were unable to do so without our exit paperwork - so that will be our next job.] At: 11:22(THAT) 31-Jul-2018, Outside Temp: 29.8C (85.64F), Humidity:65%, Water Temp: 36.5C (97.7F) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 16º 31.692' S | 151º 44.718' W | Begonia | From: Bora Bora (Mai Kai Marina, Viatape)
To: Bora Bora (Bloody Mary's Restaurant) We travelled [2.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Mooring ball outside Bloody Mary's (this time there is only one other boat in the whole bay!)] General Comments: [We set off today and filled our water tanks, intended to get fuel, but the fuel dock is expecting the refill-boat to arrive any minutes so they chased us off and told us to return this afternoon (We'll leave it for another day) - We now find ourselves outside Bloody Mary's (which was closed last time we visited - closed on Sundays) - and here we intend to spend out the remainder of our French Polynesian Francs - tough life!] At: 10:40(THAT) 01-Aug-2017, Outside Temp: 29.2C (84.56F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 35C (95F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 16º 31.68' S | 151º 44.712' W | Begonia | From: Tooopua Island (within Bora Bora Reefs)
To: Bora Bora (Bloody Mary's Restaurant) We travelled [3.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Mooring ball (free) off Bloody Mary's restaurant - which turned out to be closed on Sundays] General Comments: [Relocate from the snorkel stop - now off to shore for a meal out] At: 16:34(THAT) 23-Jul-2017, Water Temp: 35.5C (95.9F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 16º 31.638' S | 151º 44.688' W | Begonia | At Anchor at Bora Bora (Bloody Mary's Restaurant)
From: Bora Bora (Pt Tepuhoro, Motu Farone - far SE motu) To: Bora Bora (Bloody Mary's Restaurant) We travelled [10.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [2.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Returned to Bloody Mary's mooring - we'll spend two nights here (it isn't open on Sundays so we'll be a customer on Monday!)] General Comments: [Today's sail was #300 in our Begonia Logbook - we'll celebrate (as if we need an excuse!). After a lovely day sailing in the dinghy and snorkelling, we've moved back towards the town and finally plan to go ashore in Bora Bora in the morning!] At: 12:22(THAT) 29-Jul-2018, Outside Temp: 29.2C (84.56F), Humidity:65%, Water Temp: 36.5C (97.7F) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 16º 27.408' S | 151º 44.268' W | Begonia | From: Bora Bora (Town Quay)
To: Bora Bora (Motu Ome) We travelled [4.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [3.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.5m of sand - away from EVERYTHING but in view of airport] General Comments: [A short relocate to this anchor spot - we had up to 6 outriggers drafting/racing behind us for much of the journey - great fun - We were motoring at 5.5kt but Kyle pulled out the Jib to give them an extra knot to push for - they managed easily!] At: 17:30(THAT) 24-Jul-2017, Outside Temp: 29.2C (84.56F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 36C (96.8F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 16º 30.438' S | 151º 44.268' W | Begonia | From: Bora Bora (Bloody Mary's Restaurant)
To: Bora Bora (Town Quay) We travelled [2.5]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Town Quay (free) gives easy access to Airport ferry - we asked at local information point and docking there is free - but they ask you not to spend more than one night at the wall] General Comments: [Ashore in the main town. Geoffrey and Sarah found time to source me a new mouse to get the computer functional again!!! Whew! After a nice final lunch together and a delicious ice cream we waved our friends off on their way to a hotel before their flight on to Tahiti tomorrow...] At: 10:04(THAT) 24-Jul-2017, Water Temp: 36C (96.8F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 16º 32.622' S | 151º 42.6' W | Begonia | At Anchor at Bora Bora (Pt Tepuhoro, Motu Farone - far SE motu)
From: Bora Bora (Off Pt. Tuiahora) To: Bora Bora (Pt Tepuhoro, Motu Farone - far SE motu) We travelled [6.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [3.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in large sand patch (1.9m)] General Comments: [We attempted to head to the far south of the main island, but it was shallow and most areas blocked from anchoring by the fancy hotels - so we settled for this area. We have a good breeze to keep cool and keep the power up and there is apparently some good snorkelling to be had here.] At: 11:16(THAT) 27-Jul-2018, Outside Temp: 27.1C (80.78F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 36C (96.8F) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 16º 29.238' S | 151º 42.468' W | Begonia | From: Bora Bora (Motu Piti Aau)
To: Bora Bora (Between Tuiahora point and St Regis Resort) We travelled [5.5]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [2.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.5m of sand with plenty of over water type resorts on Reef side, and another great view of Bora Bora peaks] General Comments: [Relocate boat - catching up with chores and hoping for some snorkelling with Manta Rays in the morning] At: 13:46(THAT) 28-Jul-2017, Outside Temp: 29.9C (85.82F), Humidity:68%, Water Temp: 36C (96.8F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 16º 29.418' S | 151º 42.462' W | Begonia | At Anchor at Bora Bora (Off Pt. Tuiahora)
From: Bora Bora (Toopua - Sting ray area) To: Bora Bora (Off Pt. Tuiahora) We travelled [8.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [4.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 1.8m of sandy bottom] General Comments: [We've motored around to the NE corner of the island, past many beautiful luxury hotels - mostly with thatched apartments over the water, steps down to the sea and a private freshwater swimming pool on the deck Oh wow! We are anchored near where we can expect to see manta rays and as we arrived we saw a small group of rays frolicking just ahead of the boat. All is well aboard, although computer woes are causing much frustration and time-wasting. Ugh!] At: 12:26(THAT) 25-Jul-2018, Outside Temp: 28.7C (83.66F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 37C (98.6F) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 16º 31.968' S | 151º 42.402' W | Begonia | From: Bora Bora (Motu Ome)
To: Bora Bora (Motu Piti Aau) We travelled [5.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [4.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in large sand patch off Sofitel Marara Private island] General Comments: [Short/Fun passage under motor through some very narrow and windy channels - change of view and very tranquil. Engine alarm started off again - Kyle is not happy and we have no idea what is going on. Speed wheel didn't work (no doubt we have a critter that has made it his home - we'll fix that on the next swim)] At: 11:48(THAT) 27-Jul-2017, Outside Temp: 29.6C (85.28F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 35.5C (95.9F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 47º 7.458' N | 151º 37.848' W | Begonia | We have moved [152.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage Hawaii to CA/OR - Day 14. Course: 51(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.7kt, Wind:11Kt(from:WNW), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1017hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:E). At: 06:00(HAST) 26-Jul-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 16º 39.162' S | 151º 32.61' W | Begonia | At Anchor at Taha'a (by Paipai Pass)
From: Raiatea (Uturoa town) To: Tahaa (by Paipai Pass) We travelled [6.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [7.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [A short motorsail to Taha'a (within same fringing reef as Raiatea) - odd gusts and calm waters. Rain showers continue (and the forecasts indicate that this will continue for the rest of the month! I'm missing the blue skies)] General Comments: [After a short stay at Uturoa for provisioning we decided to move on to Taha'a rather than spend the night in the town. We hope to get in some snorkelling (between rain showers) before moving on to Bora Bora in a few days time. ] At: 15:08(THAT) 21-Jul-2018, Outside Temp: 27.5C (81.5F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 36C (96.8F) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 16º 39.15' S | 151º 32.61' W | Begonia | From: Tahaa (Hurepiti Bay - Vanilla Tours Mooring ball)
To: Tahaa (By Paipai Pass Ready for exit to Bora Bora in the morning We travelled [1.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored by pass in 2.9 m on sandy shelf] General Comments: [We had a lovely day with Noah of vanilla tours on a 4x4 tour of Tahaa (focus on plants/fruits, and included rum distillery), now for a snorkel on the reef] At: 13:56(THAT) 22-Jul-2017, Outside Temp: 29.6C (85.28F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 36C (96.8F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 16º 38.592' S | 151º 31.002' W | Begonia | From: Raiatea (Hotopuu Bay)
Via: Anchored on reef for snorkel while waiting on mooring ball To: Tahaa (Hurepiti Bay - Vanilla Tours Mooring ball) We travelled [22.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [14.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] At: 16:04(THAT) 21-Jul-2017, Outside Temp: 26.7C (80.06F), Humidity:80%, Water Temp: 35.5C (95.9F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 16º 43.722' S | 151º 26.61' W | Begonia | At DOCK at Raiatea (Uturoa town)
From: Raiatea (SE Corner, on sand shelf by reef) To: Raiatea (Uturoa town) We travelled [10.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [10.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Tied up to town wall. We are quite uncertain regarding the rules and security (with mixed and worrying notes in our guide books) so not sure if we're here just to provision, or to stay the night Our French neighbour says all is fine and we are good to stay overnight - we'll test out the vibe!] General Comments: [We thought we'd get to sail here, but the expected winds just didn't arrive - even the outriggers abandoned us as we were too slow to draft/race with.] At: 10:30(THAT) 21-Jul-2018, Outside Temp: 28.8C (83.84F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 36C (96.8F) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 16º 50.688' S | 151º 22.08' W | Begonia | From: Raiatea (SE Corner, on sand shelf by reef)
To: Raiatea (Hotopuu Bay) We travelled [2.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Deep anchorage that quickly shallows with occasional 1m spires to 'discover' - unsure of a good place to go ashore in dinghy (but we'll find somewhere)] General Comments: [Small relocate to be nearer to archelogical site at Pt. Atiapiti] At: 10:18(THAT) 20-Jul-2017, Outside Temp: 28.7C (83.66F), Humidity:76%, Water Temp: 35C (95F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 16º 51.918' S | 151º 20.688' W | Begonia | From: Huahine (SW of Mt Faaua by coral reef/sandy shelf)
To: Raiatea (SE Corner, on sand shelf by reef) We travelled [24.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [17.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Giant sandy shelf at 2m, we traversed most of it to be closer to reef (1/4 mile)] General Comments: [Choppy passage, but guests are still alive and aboard, but we skipped lunch underway; we'll make up for that later] At: 16:12(THAT) 18-Jul-2017, Outside Temp: 31.2C (88.16F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 35.5C (95.9F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 16º 51.93' S | 151º 20.628' W | Begonia | At Anchor at Raiatea (SE Corner, on sand shelf by reef)
From: Huahine (Fare) To: Raiatea (SE Corner, on sand shelf by reef) We travelled [24.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [19.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored on giant 2m sand shelf - protected from waves, but with plenty of wind.] General Comments: [We left Huahine with outrigger races all around us - quite the sight. We are now in Raiatea and plent to spend a couple of days at anchor catching up on odd chores and enjoying the sunny weather the forecasts promise (hopefully they are right and the rain squalls are done!)] At: 16:38(THAT) 18-Jul-2018, Outside Temp: 28.1C (82.58F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 36C (96.8F) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 16º 46.548' S | 151º 2.82' W | Begonia | From: Huahine (Avea Bay)
To: Huahine (SW of Mt Faaua by coral reef/sandy shelf) We travelled [3.7]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [3.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Sandy shelf - longish swim to reef] General Comments: [After a trip ashore this morning to look at some ancient native temple base, and enjoy a lovely lunch - we relocated on the same island to be nearer exit for the morning] At: 14:42(THAT) 17-Jul-2017, Outside Temp: 30C (86F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 36C (96.8F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 16º 42.732' S | 151º 2.328' W | Begonia | Day 2 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Moorea (Opunohu Bay) To:Huahine (Fare)
Safely at anchor! Progress: [So far we've made [92.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [20.1]nm (through water). We have moved [12.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Made it to anchor between rain showers after our overnight sail. We're anchored in 4m of sand and close to the dingy dock (we can row ashore readily - once we've rested up and cooled off)] General Comments: [Although we've visited Huahine before, we didn't visit the town of Fare - so we'll be here for a couple of days to explore. We have a sandy beach in front of us, and there are 20+ boats anchored here and to our west on the other side of the channel.] At: 12:36(THAT) 15-Jul-2018, Outside Temp: 27.1C (80.78F), Humidity:78%, Water Temp: 36C (96.8F) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 16º 48.69' S | 150º 59.472' W | Begonia | From: Moorea (Opunohu Bay)
To: Huahine (Avea Bay) We travelled [92.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [77.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 11m, sand, just off hotel] General Comments: [Overnight sail in mixed strength wind - a mix of spinnaker, full sail, motoring, and frustration. We have an intermittent engine alarm that we need to diagnose - water is calling out for us to swim.] At: 10:50(THAT) 16-Jul-2017, Outside Temp: 29.5C (85.1F), Humidity:76%, Water Temp: 35C (95F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 16º 45.312' S | 150º 49.698' W | Begonia | Day 2 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Moorea (off Papetoai Town) To:Huahine (Fare)
Progress: [So far we've made [72.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [17.6]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [70.2]nm (through water). We have moved [72.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Mixed winds (mostly downwind) - and another rip in our Spinnaker (this time small and in a different area) so we are back to wing-on-wing until I can make the repair and with the rolling seas keep spilling our wind from us - frustrating, but headed in the right direction!] General Comments: [Warm, muggy, with rain showers. The overnight passage is taking longer than we'd hoped but we should still easily arrive today. We are sleeping as we need to in no official shifts and all is well aboard. We left with 4 other boats heading for Huahine, but they all left us early on as they are motor-sailing (or just motoring) and we're persisting with the sails.] At: 09:00(THAT) 15-Jul-2018, Outside Temp: 26.5C (79.7F), Humidity:82%, Water Temp: 36C (96.8F)Course: 293(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.6kt, Wind:11Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:80%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:N) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 19º 49.668' N | 150º 17.376' W | Begonia | We have moved [123.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 32 Galapagos to Hawaii. Course: 256(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.4kt, Wind:14Kt(from:ENE), Cloud Cover:20%, Pressure: 1015hPa, Swell:2m (to:SW). At: 06:00(PST) 02-May-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 17º 29.298' S | 149º 52.8' W | Begonia | At Anchor at Moorea (off Papetoai Town)
From: Moorea (off Haapiti Town) To: Moorea (off Papetoai Town) We travelled [16.4]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [5.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Short but tough sail - mixed winds and swells with us and heavy against us. We motorsailed most of the way and found a spot to anchor in good sand] General Comments: [A wet sail with plenty of pounding and spray, but we're looking forward to some fun snorkelling. We are anchored in quite the jet ski/dive boat thoroughfare - so it's plenty busy.] At: 15:16(THAT) 12-Jul-2018, Outside Temp: 28.4C (83.12F), Humidity:67%, Water Temp: 36.5C (97.7F) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 17º 34.89' S | 149º 51.96' W | Begonia | At Anchor at Moorea (off point Opaura)
From: Papeete Town Marina - Tahiti To: Moorea (off point Opaura) We travelled [25.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [17.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Once clear of the protection of Tahiti - we were in 25-30kt of wind today and sailed across to Moorea with 2 reefs in the Jib. Big waves/swells (3m+) so quite the adventure!] General Comments: [We left Tahiti only after the bakeries had opened and we could collect some baguettes. We picked up some duty-free fuel at Tahinea before leaving Tahiti and set sail across to Moorea. Once arriving at the Matauvau pass, we were joined by a few dolphins - always a pleasure, but it was hard to fully appreciate them as we were being bombarded with big waves and making sure we navigated the entrance to the pass without incident. We are anchored in the sand banks in the lee of the fringing reef with 3 other catamarans and a ketch. Very windy so we'll have plenty of power, but probably won't be cooking up the lovely Tuna we purchased in Tahiti on the back bbq tonight, but will stay hunkered down in the cabin (with plenty of power). Once the wind actually calms down we should be able to get some good snorkelling in.] At: 11:58(THAT) 10-Jul-2018, Outside Temp: 27.1C (80.78F), Humidity:62%, Water Temp: 36C (96.8F) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 17º 30.93' S | 149º 51.108' W | Begonia | At Anchor at Moorea (Opunohu Bay)
From: Moorea (off Papetoai Town) To: Moorea (Opunohu Bay) We travelled [2.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [2.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [A short motor around the corner and deep into Opunohu bay.] General Comments: [After a snorkel on the (modern) tikis at our anchorage we set off around the corner for our next adventure. No need for sails - just an easy motor, and if the weather is good - a hike up a hill tomorrow.] At: 13:50(THAT) 13-Jul-2018, Outside Temp: 30.5C (86.9F), Humidity:64%, Water Temp: 37C (98.6F) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 17º 44.76' S | 149º 34.482' W | Begonia | From: Tahiti (Port Phaeton)
To: Tahiti (Mana'a) We travelled [18.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [14.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Sand anchorage on edge of coral reef (10-16m) - with stable winds forecast we are comfortable here. Rather impressive wave action either side of pass into this area.] General Comments: [We have a beautiful view of Moorea (and hope for a stunning sunset). No sign of any other cruisers - we hope to snorkel on the reef today and go ashore tomorrow to the local Paroa/Mara'a grotto. Passage today was overcast again, we look forward to the sunshine arriving. Happy 4th July to our American friends and family.] At: 13:42(THAT) 03-Jul-2017, Outside Temp: 26.8C (80.24F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 35.5C (95.9F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 17º 32.382' S | 149º 34.212' W | Begonia | At the dock at Papeete Town Marina - Tahiti
From: Point Venus - Tahiti - French Polynesia To: Papeete Town Marina - Tahiti We travelled [7.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [4.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [The dock - and two other sailors came to help us with lines once we arrived. We were concerned that there may not have been space as reservations are not taken - but thankfully there were still several spaces big enough for us.] General Comments: [After an early morning rain shower were pulled up the anchor and moved to the downtown marina in Papeete. From here we can reprovision and dabble in the Heiva entertainment.] At: 11:22(THAT) 02-Jul-2018, Outside Temp: 27.2C (80.96F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 36.5C (97.7F) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 17º 30.0' S | 149º 29.808' W | Begonia | Arrived and safely at anchor in Tahiti (Point Venus)!
Day 3 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Rotoava Town - Fakarava Atoll To:Point Venus - Tahiti - French Polynesia Progress: [So far we've made [265.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [11.2]nm (through water). We have moved [9.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Motor the last 12 miles or so into the anchorage (anchored off the Lighthouse in 7-8m of water charts indicate it to be good sand/mud holding)] General Comments: [We're back in Tahiti - now off for a nap!] At: 08:12(THAT) 28-Jun-2018, Outside Temp: 27.5C (81.5F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 37C (98.6F) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 42º 22.758' S | 149º 23.988' W | Begonia | Day 22 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [2703.6]nm (through water) on this passage and have [3316]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [119.8]nm (through water). We have moved [119.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Forecast is for some stronger winds In about 3 days time (those 3 giant storms that we're in between right now). For today we proceed more of the same (gaining easterly)] General Comments: [Our wind instrument is playing up again, Kyle again re-crimped all the wires last night, but he thinks we are still having problems (hopefully it is just the light winds). The instrument shows the reading from the instrument at the top of the mast, and also is input to our autopilot. When it glitches/fails we have to change the autopilot to steer by the compass (or steer by hand) until it's fixed. So far this has only taken 20 minutes, but it seems to mostly occur just at Kyle's bed time. We had a fishing line out most of yesterday but without luck. As we enter week number 4, it's frustrating to see we are no where near half way.] At: 06:00(AKST) 05-Jan-2018, Outside Temp: 14.1C (57.38F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 17.5C (63.5F) Course: 80(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.6kt, Wind:6Kt(from:SSE), Cloud Cover:98%, Pressure: 1030hPa, Swell:1m (to:N) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 17º 26.7' S | 149º 21.048' W | Begonia | Day 3 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Rotoava Town - Fakarava Atoll To:Point Venus - Tahiti - French Polynesia
Progress: [So far we've made [254.7]nm (through water) on this passage and have [10.5]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [128.7]nm (through water). We have moved [121.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [We had great wind until the land breeze started up as we made it to the North of the actual island - we are just 10 miles from the pass and not much further to our anchorage at Point Venus - Almost there!] General Comments: [Another easy day sailing and the night sail made so much more comfortable with the full moon in place. We should be at anchor well before noon.] At: 06:00(THAT) 28-Jun-2018, Outside Temp: 25.6C (78.08F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 36.5C (97.7F)Course: 268(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.8kt, Wind:5Kt(from:SW), Cloud Cover:20%, Pressure: 1015hPa, Swell:1m (to:SW) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 17º 43.998' S | 149º 19.602' W | Begonia | ARRIVED - At Anchor in Port Phaeton
Progress: [So far we've made [262.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. We made [55.8]nm (through water) since last report. ] Sailing Conditions [Good mud anchorage in the rainy village that links Tahiti Iti and Tahiti Nui] General Comments: [We were hoping to find a good place to anchor further East, but found nowhere suitable. Lots of strong gusts (25Kt+) as we traversed the twisting channel. We arrived to rain and a double rainbow - now off to rest] We have moved [40.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] At: 16:46(THAT) 30-Jun-2017, Outside Temp: 29.4C (84.92F), Humidity:67%, Water Temp: 35.5C (95.9F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 47º 23.7' N | 149º 2.682' W | Begonia | We have moved [106.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage Hawaii to CA/OR - Day 15. Course: 97(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.9kt, Wind:9Kt(from:NW), Cloud Cover:95%, Pressure: 1017hPa, Swell:1m (to:SE). At: 06:00(HAST) 27-Jul-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 17º 37.53' S | 148º 37.62' W | Begonia | Day 3 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Tuamotus - Fakarava Atoll (Pakakota YC) to Society Islands - Tahiti Iti (Havae Pass)
Progress: [So far we've made [206.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [43]nm (along route) to go. We made [125.8]nm (through water). We have moved [120.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Downwind sailing (Jib alone), we've been avoiding spinnaker since wind is supposed to have increased but no sign yet. Sloppy seas have calmed down somewhat overnight.] General Comments: [No sightings of land, wildlife or other boats.] At: 06:00(THAT) 30-Jun-2017, Outside Temp: 26.7C (80.06F), Humidity:85%, Water Temp: 35.5C (95.9F) Course: 242(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.5kt, Wind:10Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:90%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:2m (to:W) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 19º 58.998' N | 148º 6.498' W | Begonia | We have moved [74.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 31 Galapagos to Hawaii. Course: 268(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.6kt, Wind:9Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:1m (to:W). At: 06:00(PST) 01-May-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 17º 9.948' S | 147º 15.54' W | Begonia | Day 2 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Rotoava Town - Fakarava Atoll To:Point Venus - Tahiti - French Polynesia
Progress: [So far we've made [126.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [131]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [126.0]nm (through water). We have moved [115.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Easy Downwind sailing, mild weather and mostly clear skies - Loving it!] General Comments: [We left Rotoava with two other boats, and after exiting the pass we soon separated, and with no sign of other boats so far it felt light we had the ocean to ourselves all night. The full moon and easy conditions make for perfect night sailing. We're making good progress to Tahiti.] At: 06:00(THAT) 27-Jun-2018, Outside Temp: 26.5C (79.7F), Humidity:76%, Water Temp: 36.5C (97.7F)Course: 240(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.1kt, Wind:11Kt(from:ENE), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1015hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:W) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 16º 37.452' S | 146º 48.168' W | Begonia | Day 2 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Tuamotus - Fakarava Atoll (Pakakota YC) to Society Islands - Tahiti Iti (Havae Pass)
Progress: [So far we've made [80.4]nm (through water) on this passage and have [166]nm (along route) to go. We made [68.3]nm (through water). We have moved [70.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Overcast skies and small mixed seas - sailing downwind just a little slower than we planned] General Comments: [Nothing of note has happened as yet, but the wind is a little lighter than we expected (we are still hopeful). There is one other sailboat that left just before us and has been travelling at about the same direction just 5 miles NW of us. First day of a passage is always tough while we get reacquaint with the sleep patterns, but all is well.] At: 06:00(THAT) 29-Jun-2017, Outside Temp: 27C (80.6F), Humidity:77%, Water Temp: 35.5C (95.9F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 19º 54.756' N | 146º 47.604' W | Begonia | We have moved [42.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 30 Galapagos to Hawaii. Course: 255(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.4kt, Wind:3Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:3%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:SW). At: 06:00(PST) 30-Apr-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 42º 26.172' S | 146º 22.662' W | Begonia | Day 23 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [2836.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [3194]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [133.3]nm (through water). We have moved [133.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [We seem to be experiencing reliable wind now, but also more swell from the system to the south of us. We hope to eventually be able to sail downwind (currently still close hauled). Our coldest night so far (hand warmers and hoodies)] General Comments: [Yesterday morning we spotted (on AIS) another Maersk cargo ship headed for NZ, but it still seems quite empty out here. I've been having fun making bread and yogurt, and still learning Spanish (as much to remind myself of what I've already learned, that I keep forgetting). We don't consider our wind instrument reliable, but it seems to be only a problem when close hauled (a mystery).] At: 06:00(AKST) 06-Jan-2018, Outside Temp: 13.1C (55.58F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 17C (62.6F) Course: 75(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.7kt, Wind:11Kt(from:SSE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1031hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:NW) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 19º 56.256' N | 146º 2.922' W | Begonia | We have moved [103.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 29 Galapagos to Hawaii. Course: 317(degT), Speed Over Ground:1.8kt, Wind:4Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:1m (to:W). At: 06:00(PST) 29-Apr-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 47º 29.808' N | 145º 51.936' W | Begonia | We have moved [129.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage Hawaii to CA/OR - Day 16. Course: 67(degT), Speed Over Ground:4kt, Wind:8Kt(from:WNW), Cloud Cover:90%, Pressure: 1019hPa, Swell:1m (to:SE). At: 06:00(HAST) 28-Jul-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 16º 5.4' S | 145º 42.72' W | Begonia | ** Correction to position **
Day 1 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Tuamotus - Fakarava Atoll (Kakaiau Motu) to Society Islands - Tahiti Iti (Havae Pass) Progress: [So far we've made [12.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [236]nm (along route) to go. We made [12.1]nm (through water). and have moved [11.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [] General Comments: [Exiting Fakarava North Pass on route to Tahiti] At: 13:50(THAT) 28-Jun-2017, Outside Temp: 29C (84.2F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 36C (96.8F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 16º 3.87' S | 145º 37.11' W | Begonia | At Anchor at Rotoava Town - Fakarava Atoll
From: Hirifa Atoll - Fakarava To: Rotoava Town - Fakarava Atoll We travelled [31.4]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [27.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored near town with at least 21 other boats including some very large sailing boats (all free moorings taken)] General Comments: [A beautiful day sailing - protected from the waves and with a great wind - Kyle was happy to make some great speeds as we headed north to the town. We are also looking forward to Pizza for the first time in way too long (so long ago we can't recall - possibly as far back as New Zealand?)] At: 13:32(THAT) 23-Jun-2018, Outside Temp: 30C (86F), Humidity:68%, Water Temp: 37C (98.6F) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 16º 13.362' S | 145º 33.48' W | Begonia | Relocated in Fakarava
From: Tuamotus - Fakarava Atoll (Kakaiau Motu) To: Tuamotus - Fakarava Atoll (Pakakota YC) We travelled [5.8]nm (through water) on this trip, and have moved [5.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Moved to PYC - moorings all in use, so anchored - hoping to go ashore for laundry, wifi, fuel, lunch, etc] General Comments: [After a couple of days hunkered down waiting out winds we've moved further north on the atoll for some appreciated services] At: 10:38(THAT) 24-Jun-2017, Outside Temp: 27.6C (81.68F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 35.5C (95.9F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 16º 17.892' S | 145º 30.24' W | Begonia | Relocated in Fakarava
From: Tuamotus - Fakarava Atoll (at Southen Pass/Tetamanu - Dive shop moorings) To: Tuamotus - Fakarava Atoll (Kakaiau Motu) We travelled [14.7]nm (through water) on this trip, and have moved [12.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Large sandy patch will allow for plenty of swing with the mix of winds expected over the next few days) - small copra camp just to our north - but not occupied - no boats in sight] General Comments: [Wow! that South Passage was amazing. We tried to call the dive shop (no answer on VHF), then swam ashore to them (all closed up) - so we just walked through the village to the pass and drift snorkelled our way in. A-MAZ-ING! More sharks, lots of healthy coral, and a stunningly beautiful village (not really a village, just a group of dive shacks). We spent both days repeating the snorkelling and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Now we are anchored away from everyone and plan to stay here for a couple of days waiting out some mixed winds. Still no internet... We tried to go to the Tetamanu dive center restaurant for some lunch (it seemed to be the only option to eat out), but they chased us away complaining about our wet footprints on the outside deck, and then let us know we needed reservations and could reserve a place for dinner for $35 each. By the time we got back to Begonia we knew we'd be too tired to head back out so we cooked up at home for (almost) free - but ahh, that view from that restaurant was heavenly.. next time. At: 15:16(THAT) 21-Jun-2017, Outside Temp: 30.9C (87.62F), Humidity:67%, Water Temp: 36C (96.8F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 16º 30.468' S | 145º 27.51' W | Begonia | From: Tuamotus - Tahanea Atoll (at NE corner)
To: Tuamotus - Fakarava Atoll (at Southen Pass - Dive shop moorings) We travelled [56.8]nm (through water) on this trip, and have moved [55.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [On Dive shop mooring (VHF 9) - assumed free, but we hope to do a snorkel in the pass with the guys so guilt free. Sharks swimming beneath us all about the boat.] General Comments: [Frustrating overnight passage - 0-2kt wind from behind or variable (not useful) and dead calm seas - Poor Kyle had to begrudgingly resort to the motor to avoid bobbing around for an extra 12 hours. Still - we are safe at a mooring in good time for the forecast winds] At: 07:10(THAT) 20-Jun-2017, Outside Temp: 28.3C (82.94F), Humidity:75%, Water Temp: 35.5C (95.9F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 16º 26.97' S | 145º 21.972' W | Begonia | Day 2 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:SouthEast Motus - Tahanea To:Hirifa Atoll/Village - Fakarava
Progress: [So far we've made [58.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [47.6]nm (through water). We have moved [45.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Anchored in 4.5m of water in good sand - protected from winds with any East - rare coral patches easily avoided and plenty of palm trees] General Comments: [An overnight passage mostly spent under bare poles and trying to slow down to await daylight to enter the South pass with a slight flood. Anchorage at pass was crowded so we continued on to Hirifa and will spend a few days here in more tropical bliss.] At: 07:56(THAT) 20-Jun-2018, Outside Temp: 26.1C (78.98F), Humidity:80%, Water Temp: 36C (96.8F) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 16º 57.108' S | 144º 44.622' W | Begonia | ** MADE IT - AT ANCHOR **
Day 3 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Hao (Tuamotu Group, French Polynesia) To:Tahana (Tuamotu Islands) Progress: [So far we've made [278.7]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [47.8]nm (through water). We have moved [35.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Safely at anchor in 4-7m of water at #7 anchorage (so named since it has a sandspit in the shape of a number 7)! We plan to stay at the atoll for about a week, although we might move around to some of the different anchorages.] General Comments: [Arrived after motoring most of the day. There are a few other boats in the Atoll, but all so far apart as to feel totally private. While looking for an anchor spot we already spotted the small black tip sharks we expected. The water is REALLY clear and all is well.] At: 16:10(THAT) 07-Jun-2018, Outside Temp: 30.7C (87.26F), Humidity:67%, Water Temp: 37.9C (100.22F) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 16º 58.38' S | 144º 41.628' W | Begonia | At Anchor at South motus - Tahana (Tuamotu Islands)
From: 7 Anchorage Tahana (Tuamotu Islands) To: South motus - Tahana (Tuamotu Islands) We travelled [4.5]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [3.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Light winds and stunning views - anchored in 2.8m of water on sandy shelf with islands and small reefs in easy swimming distance.] General Comments: [We moved just a little around the Atoll for a change of view, but it is still white sands and turquoise waters with backdrop of palm covered motus - heaven!] At: 10:54(THAT) 10-Jun-2018, Outside Temp: 28.7C (83.66F), Humidity:62%, Water Temp: 37C (98.6F) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 16º 51.012' S | 144º 41.598' W | Begonia | At Anchor at West of Pass - Tahanea
From: SouthEast Motus - Tahanea To: West of Pass - Tahanea We travelled [10.4]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [8.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Lots of bommies so hard to find a clear patch of sand - anchored in 10.5m with floats on chain] General Comments: [Moved to be nearer pass for our departure in a few days, but the journey and anchoring was in regular rain squalls. We arrived to find 9 other boats already there (2 leaving and one just about to arrive at the slack water). This was especially helpful when one of our chain floats managed to break free - and both SHERIG and FORTUNA LIGHT kindly offered to go fetch it for us as it drifted off into the atoll. BIG THANKS!] At: 11:22(THAT) 15-Jun-2018, Outside Temp: 25.2C (77.36F), Humidity:83%, Water Temp: 36.5C (97.7F) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 16º 50.91' S | 144º 41.592' W | Begonia | From: Tuamotus (Makemo Atoll - near western pass)
To: Tuamotus - Tahanea Atoll - just north of Teavatapu Pass) We travelled [52]nm (through water) on this trip, and have moved [48.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] General Comments: [Day passage to Tahanea Atoll - anchoring by pass and will move deeper into atoll in the morning? For now we have another picture postcard view and can have sundowners on the trampoline (Needing floats for anchor chain again - but much bigger sandy patches than last night)] At: 15:28(THAT) 15-Jun-2017, Outside Temp: 31.1C (87.98F), Humidity:67%, Water Temp: 36C (96.8F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 16º 59.16' S | 144º 39.222' W | Begonia | From: Tuamotus - Tahanea Atoll - just north of Teavatapu Pass)
To: Tuamotus - Tahanea Atoll - at Motu and reef on SE side) We travelled [9]nm (through water) on this trip, and have moved [8.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] General Comments: [After snorkelling by the pass last night and this morning, we've moved across the Atoll to a different area. Another picture postcard view... Sigh... This Atoll is a nature reserve due a rare bird (Tuamotu Sandpiper) - and as such is unpopulated - but just as we arrived at our remote Motu - we find someone camping here with their dog... I hope they are not too upset to have their privacy disturbed - we'll take goodies ashore and get the story shortly.] At: 11:20(THAT) 16-Jun-2017, Outside Temp: 31.1C (87.98F), Humidity:67%, Water Temp: 36.5C (97.7F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 16º 58.26' S | 144º 36.468' W | Begonia | At Anchor at SouthEast Motus - Tahanea
From: South motus - Tahanea (Tuamotu Islands) To: SouthEast Motus - Tahanea We travelled [5.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [4.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [With a forecast of winds from SSE we've moved to the corner of the island (along with 4 other boats). Anchored in 3.8m on sandy shelf with plenty of swing room.] General Comments: [The colours of the sea and sky and sand are just so perfectly tropical. To date we've had anchorages to ourselves and we've done very little except relax, eat and swim. Forecast is for a few days of rain and we may finally be ready for a few boat jobs. And while it isn't raining we can continue to enjoy the views.] At: 11:22(THAT) 12-Jun-2018, Outside Temp: 28.5C (83.3F), Humidity:59%, Water Temp: 37C (98.6F) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 16º 53.118' S | 144º 34.932' W | Begonia | Relocate in Atoll
From: Tuamotus - Tahanea Atoll (at Motu and reef on SE side) To: Tuamotus - Tahanea Atoll (at NE corner) We travelled [8.6]nm (through water) on this trip, and have moved [7.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Passage/Mooring Comments: [Anchored in 11.7m with some coral heads (chain buoyed). There are maybe 10 other boats in the whole Atoll but none in this corner currently] General Comments: [More snorkelling this morning before relocating to this NE corner of the Atoll - we plan to spend 2 nights here (exploring motu, snorkelling, and general maint and housekeeping) and then exit for the next Atoll] At: 14:20(THAT) 17-Jun-2017, Outside Temp: 31.5C (88.7F), Humidity:67%, Water Temp: 36C (96.8F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 19º 26.256' N | 144º 17.778' W | Begonia | We have moved [142.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 28 Galapagos to Hawaii. Course: 278(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.8kt, Wind:10Kt(from:SSE), Cloud Cover:25%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:2m (to:SW). At: 06:00(PST) 28-Apr-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 17º 4.788' S | 144º 8.928' W | Begonia | ** Correction - passage is from Hao! **
Day 3 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Hao (Tuamotu Group, French Polynesia) To:Tahana (Tuamotu Islands) Progress: [So far we've made [230.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [42]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [105.4]nm (through water). We have moved [100.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Last night was a mix of squalls and shifting winds, until the winds decided to drop to a 2kt headwind and leave the sails cracking in the swell. To ensure we make our destination today Kyle started the motor. Forecast is for very little wind for the next week!] General Comments: [In the first of the rains we managed to top up our shower buckets that we use after swimming, and extra water for some laundry too. Motoring is always a disappointment, but at least we can expect to be at anchor today again. This window to sail across turned out to be shorter than we expected, but at least we managed to sail most of the way.] At: 06:00(THAT) 07-Jun-2018, Outside Temp: 24.7C (76.46F), Humidity:88%, Water Temp: 37C (98.6F)Course: 308(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.6kt, Wind:2Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:N) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 17º 4.788' S | 144º 8.928' W | Begonia | Day 3 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Oneaea Bay (Taravai Island, Gambiers) To:Tahana (Tuamotu Islands)
Progress: [So far we've made [230.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [42]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [105.4]nm (through water). We have moved [100.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Last night was a mix of squalls and shifting winds, until the winds decided to drop to a 2kt headwind and leave the sails cracking in the swell. To ensure we make our destination today Kyle started the motor. Forecast is for very little wind for the next week!] General Comments: [In the first of the rains we managed to top up our shower buckets that we use after swimming, and collect extra water for some laundry too. Motoring is always a disappointment, but at least we can expect to be at anchor today again. This window to sail across turned out to be shorter than we expected, but at least we managed to sail most of the way.] At: 06:00(THAT) 07-Jun-2018, Outside Temp: 24.7C (76.46F), Humidity:88%, Water Temp: 37C (98.6F)Course: 308(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.6kt, Wind:2Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:N) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 16º 27.27' S | 143º 58.02' W | Begonia | Relocate in Makemo Atoll to: near western pass
We travelled [17]nm (through water) on this trip, and have moved [9.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] General Comments: [After two amazing days snorkelling and some rather impressive shark encounters, we have relocated within the atoll to be near the western pass for a departure in the morning. Getting to the area took 2.5 hours, finding an anchor spot took almost another 2.5 - ugh! Took a little of the shine from our beautiful view, but now we are anchored, we are trying to reset, relax and enjoy. ] At: 13:16(THAT) 14-Jun-2017, Outside Temp: 29.8C (85.64F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 36C (96.8F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 16º 30.96' S | 143º 49.26' W | Begonia | Overnight passage
From: Tuamotus (Raroia Atoll) To: Tuamotus (Makemo Atoll) We travelled [101]nm (through water) on this trip, and have moved [87.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] General Comments: [A short overnight hop had us arriving in the atoll around 6am for the slack water (along with 5 other boats that made the same passage from Raroia) - once in the Atoll we headed west to anchor part way along - picturesque all the way - dodging coral patches and soaking up the view and the sunshine... Time for a rest soon before and after some more snorkelling] At: 11:40(THAT) 12-Jun-2017, Outside Temp: 30.7C (87.26F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 36C (96.8F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 47º 34.548' N | 143º 33.432' W | Begonia | We have moved [93.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage Hawaii to CA/OR - Day 17. Course: 50(degT), Speed Over Ground:5kt, Wind:9Kt(from:W), Cloud Cover:60%, Pressure: 1021hPa, Swell:1m (to:E). At: 06:00(HAST) 29-Jul-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 42º 1.608' S | 143º 26.64' W | Begonia | Day 24 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [2970.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [3086]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [133.4]nm (through water). We have moved [132.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Overcast and drizzly, winds reasonably consistent, but just around the reefing zone so we reef and unreef (keeps us occupied!). Forecast looks like more of the same for the next couple of days.] General Comments: [We finished And the Sea will Tell. The book is in two separate sections. While we loved the first section, the second (in the courtroom) was less easy reading and the Bugliosi we loved in the first half, we found annoying and egotistical in the 2nd.. Oh well. We are midway on our next book Minerva Reef. We continue to make good use of hoodies and hand warmers on watch... brrr..] At: 06:00(AKST) 07-Jan-2018, Outside Temp: 13.1C (55.58F), Humidity:80%, Water Temp: 17.5C (63.5F) Course: 78(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.9kt, Wind:10Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1027hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:NW) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 18º 8.718' S | 142º 47.04' W | Begonia | Day 2 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Oneaea Bay (Taravai Island, Gambiers) To:Tahana (Tuamotu Islands)
Progress: [So far we've made [125.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [136]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [125.5]nm (through water). We have moved [106.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Kyle says: Stupid waves! We're sailing downwind in light wind and rolly seas and it is frustrating. Forecast is for stronger winds, but rain, so we are not sure what we'd prefer. Do I need to say we are missing our spinnaker?] General Comments: [We really enjoyed our time in Hao, so many spectacular tropical views and just enough of a town to provision from and a daily bakery for our French Baguettes! As we left Hao, 4 new boats were waiting to enter the pass and the two boats that were planning to leave with us decided to delay to another day (that should leave Hoa full as far as dock space is concerned with the 9 boats rafted up to each other). Yesterday our Autopilot broke. We rely on it so much as it allows the person on watch to not be constantly tending the helm (we can make a snack, take a trip to the bathroom, etc, without worrying). Amazingly Kyle took the thing apart at the guts of the arm that connects to our steering bar and (after much diagnosing and testing) found a corroded wire that he cleaned and reconnected - and presto - our Autopilot is back and functioning. I'm HUGELY proud of him, and very happy to have it fixed.] At: 06:00(THAT) 06-Jun-2018, Outside Temp: 25.8C (78.44F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 36.5C (97.7F)Course: 385(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.9kt, Wind:12Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:35%, Pressure: 1015hPa, Swell:3m (to:N) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 15º 55.128' S | 142º 22.872' W | Begonia | Day 4 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Ua Pou Island - Hakahua bay (Marquesas) to Tuamotus (Raroia Atoll)
Progress: [So far we've made [446]nm (through water) on this passage and have [14]nm (along route) to go. In the last 24 hours we made [168.1]nm (through water). We have moved [162.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] General Comments: [A lot of waves, every couple of hours one makes its way into the cockpit, boat was slewed and smacked. Once we finally got to the lee of Takume Atoll things calmed down until the gap - now we are approaching the entrance of RAROIA Atoll - our first Tuamotu landfall - land and palm trees in sight] At: 06:00(THAT) 09-Jun-2017, Outside Temp: 27.4C (81.32F), Humidity:84%, Water Temp: 36.6C (97.88F) Course: 210(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.9kt, Wind:14Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:90%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:NW) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 16º 4.278' S | 142º 21.99' W | Begonia | Arrived - Day 4 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Ua Pou Island - Hakahua bay (Marquesas) to Tuamotus (Raroia Atoll)
Progress: [So far we've made [462]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. In the last 24 hours we made [15.5]nm (through water). We have moved [9.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] General Comments: [Safely at anchor - beautiful - but a little overcast. Looking forward to some snorkelling] At: 12:44(THAT) 09-Jun-2017, Outside Temp: 29.8C (85.64F), Humidity:77%, Water Temp: 36C (96.8F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 18º 32.976' N | 141º 57.924' W | Begonia | We have moved [158.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 27 Galapagos to Hawaii. Course: 297(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.6kt, Wind:18Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:25%, Pressure: 1015hPa, Swell:3m (to:SW). At: 06:00(PST) 27-Apr-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 18º 5.928' S | 140º 54.732' W | Begonia | Destination: Hao
Day 6 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Oneaea Bay (Taravai Island, Gambiers) To:Hao (Tuamotu Group, French Polynesia) Arrived at Hao! Progress: [So far we've made [509.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [16.6]nm (through water). We have moved [2.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting]Sailing Conditions [Tied to the Dock in the old/abandoned Navy harbor. 3 other boats here, but quite, sunny and a light breeze. One of the other boats came and took lines and gave us a nice welcome.] General Comments: [Arrived! Time to relax (I may take the bicycle in town to source some French bread too)] At: 10:14(AKST) 01-Jun-2018, Outside Temp: 29.3C (84.74F), Humidity:63%, Water Temp: 36.5C (97.7F) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 18º 3.552' S | 140º 53.622' W | Begonia | Day 6 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Oneaea Bay (Taravai Island, Gambiers) To:Hao (Tuamotu Group, French Polynesia)
Progress: [So far we've made [493.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [14]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [52.5]nm (through water). We have moved [59.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Nice easy sailing conditions continued, but by nightfall we were under bare poles to aim to progress as slowly as possible. We are just a short distance from the pass now, awaiting the right light and conditions to enter. A cargo/supply ship has arrived overnight and entered in the dark (but they must know the pass and the route inside the atoll very well).] General Comments: [With the great moonlight and calm conditions Kyle cried 'Land-Ho' just after midnight! Since then we've been holding off and skirting around the atoll slowly drifting towards the pass. We'll arrive today and are uncertain yet if we'll be able to find a dock (at the abandoned French Navy base) or if we'll be at anchor once we arrive. This will be our first arrival in 6 months at which we are NOT required to check in with any officials (Since we are already cleared into French Polynesia)] At: 06:00(AKST) 01-Jun-2018, Outside Temp: 25.8C (78.44F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 36.5C (97.7F)Course: 296(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.4kt, Wind:8Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:70%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:1m (to:NW) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 13º 46.662' S | 140º 40.332' W | Begonia | Destination: Raroia
Day 3 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Ua Pou Island - Hakahua bay (Marquesas) to Tuamotus (Raroia Atoll) Progress: [So far we've made [278]nm (through water) on this passage and have [143]nm (along route) to go. In the last 24 hours we made [184.7]nm (through water). We have moved [174.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] General Comments: [Yesterday we made great progress, but with a bouncy ride. I was determined to make Chicken curry (we'd purchased frozen chicken in Nuku Hiva and it was no longer frozen and needed cooking) - but items were levitating off chopping boards and in pans - not so easy. Things have calmed down now we have turne a little more west, but we are still making great speed. We are now further south than we've ever been with Begnonia, and in the latitudes of Australia. There has been no land nor other ships in sight since the first day at sea.] At: 06:00(THAT) 08-Jun-2017, Outside Temp: 27.1C (80.78F), Humidity:82%, Water Temp: 36C (96.8F) Course: 185(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.6kt, Wind:10Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:20%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:2m (to:NW) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 47º 20.31' N | 140º 31.326' W | Begonia | We have moved [123.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage Hawaii to CA/OR - Day 18. Course: 75(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.1kt, Wind:6Kt(from:SSW), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1019hPa, Swell:1m (to:NW). At: 06:00(HAST) 30-Jul-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 8º 49.488' S | 140º 14.952' W | Begonia | From: Pua Hamlet B.Hakaehu (Nuku Hiva, Marquesas)
To: HaaHopu (by airport - Nuku Hiva, Marquesas) We travelled [10]nm (through water) on this day trip, We have moved [4.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting Moving a little further around the island - Anchored near the old airport-dock (before the road across the island was in place, people would come from the airport to the dock to take a boat around to the main town). We are planning a quiet day aboard to catch up with jobs - no other boats seen at all today (local or cruising) - we did disturb a couple ashore by our arrival, who clearly thought they'd found a private beach... Oops! At: 12:04(MART) 27-May-2017, Outside Temp: 31.1C (87.98F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 37.9C (100.22F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 8º 47.28' S | 140º 10.728' W | Begonia | From: Hatiheu (Nuku Hiva - Marquesas)
To: Pua Hamlet B.Hakaehu(Nuku Hiva, Marquesas) We travelled [8]nm (through water) on this day trip, We have moved [6.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting Move a little further West on the norh of the island to this more rolling landscape. This part of the coast is uncharted, amazing to think that any uncharted area still exists (But we had reliable coordinates from previous travellers)! It is supposed to be a warmer and drier part of the island, but we've arrived to overcast, cool, and rain; undecided if we are to go ashore as of yet. A family farm here and there are coconut trees and cattle in obvious view. At: 10:06(MART) 26-May-2017, Outside Temp: 26.3C (79.34F), Humidity:88%, Water Temp: 37C (98.6F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 8º 56.568' S | 140º 9.78' W | Begonia | From: HaaHopu (by airport - Nuku Hiva, Marquesas)
To: Baie HakaTea (AKA Daniel's Bay) - Nuku Hiva Marquesas We travelled [15]nm (through water) on this day trip, We have moved [8.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting Rainy passage around to the south of the island - but since we hope to do the 4 hr round trip hike to the waterfall tomorrow - at least we can expect a significant display (and some very muddy trails) At: 14:40(MART) 28-May-2017, Outside Temp: 28.1C (82.58F), Humidity:85%, Water Temp: 37.4C (99.32F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 8º 54.858' S | 140º 5.862' W | Begonia | From: Baie HakaTea (AKA Daniel's Bay) - Nuku Hiva Marquesas
To: Taiohae (Capital town of) Marquesas on Nuku Hiva We travelled [6]nm (through water) on this day trip, We have moved [4.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting Rainy, miserable (but thankfully short) passage to the main town - time for admin and jobs - but waiting for the rain to stop first At: 11:58(MART) 31-May-2017, Outside Temp: 26C (78.8F), Humidity:87%, Water Temp: 37C (98.6F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 10º 55.23' S | 140º 5.082' W | Begonia | Destination: Raroia
Day 2 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Ua Pou Island - Hakahua bay (Marquesas) to Tuamotus (Raroia Atoll) Progress: So far we've made [94]nm (through water) on this passage and have [339]nm (along route) to go. In the last 24 hours we made [90.2]nm (through water). We have moved [92.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting Yesterday was a nice easy day with beautiful flat seas. Just as I (Maryanne) went to bed at midnight and Kyle took over, the rain and squalls started; he was reefing and un-reefing all night. His hair is long enough to be annoying in wind and whipped wet strands into his eyes - a problem he solves by wearing a beanie type hat (wooly hat) - with his shorts and t-shirt he looks like a skateboard kid.. Makes me chuckle. Now I'm up again, weather is sunny and no rain in sight (whew for me) At: 06:00(THAT) 07-Jun-2017, Outside Temp: 27.3C (81.14F), Humidity:85%, Water Temp: 36.5C (97.7F) Course: 173(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.4kt, Wind:10Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:2m (to:NW) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 8º 49.572' S | 140º 5.052' W | Begonia | From: Baie D'Anaho / Anaho Village (Nuku Hiva Island - Marquesas)
To: Hatiheu (Nuku Hiva - Marquesas) We travelled [5]nm (through water) on this day trip, We have moved [1.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting A very short hop around the corner to this beautiful town of Hatiheu - unable to understand why people avoid this pace At: 10:58(MART) 25-May-2017, Outside Temp: 31.1C (87.98F), Humidity:64%, Water Temp: 37.4C (99.32F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 8º 49.368' S | 140º 3.882' W | Begonia | From: HakaHaa Bay (Taipivai Village) within Controllers Bay (Nuku Hiva Island - Marquesas)
To: Baie D'Anaho / Anaho Village (Nuku Hiva Island - Marquesas) We travelled [25]nm (through water) on this day trip, We have moved [3.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting A short passage around the east end of the island to this NE bay - Stunning scenery from the island's volcanic history surrounds us and we are the only boat here (so far). At: 11:54(MART) 23-May-2017, Outside Temp: 30.8C (87.44F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 37.4C (99.32F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 8º 52.692' S | 140º 2.97' W | Begonia | From: HanaMoeNoe on Tahuata Island - Marquesas
To: HakaHaa Bay (Taipivai Village) within Controllers Bay (Nuku Hiva Island - Marquesas) We travelled [97]nm (through water) on this day trip, We have moved [83.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting Overnight passage - safely at anchor to find only two boats in the anchorage (YAY) - and one of them is WaterHoen (Alfred and Adva) - so we have friends here (Double YAY) At: 09:14(MART) 21-May-2017, Outside Temp: 29.7C (85.46F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 37C (98.6F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 9º 21.57' S | 140º 2.838' W | Begonia | "From: Ua Pao Island - Hakahua bay (Marquesas)
To: Ua Pao Island - Hakahua bay (Marquesas) We travelled [0]nm (through water) on this day trip, We have moved [0.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting Not moved, just testing new Sailmail account and Farkwar At: 12:20(MART) 04-Jun-2017, Outside Temp: 28.9C (84.02F), Humidity:87%, Water Temp: 38C (100.4F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 9º 21.57' S | 140º 2.838' W | Begonia | From: Taiohae (Capital town of) Marquesas on Nuku Hiva
To: Ua Pao Island - Hakahua bay (Marquesas) We travelled [29]nm (through water) on this day trip, We have moved [26.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting Boisterous passage to this island, arriving in a small anchorage where we needed to set a stern anchor. It was a catalog of problems. One transmission failed (later we found a major oil loss) - we deployed dinghy just as neighbor came to offer help - accepted help, then got our dinghy caught around a prop. So Maryanne dove to release that while neighbor helped keep boat in place... It got worse, but eventually we are set - now to work out what our remaining problems are and swing by all the folks that helped us. At: 15:09(MART) 03-Jun-2017, Outside Temp: 30.4C (86.72F), Humidity:75%, Water Temp: 38C (100.4F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 18º 36.108' S | 140º 1.482' W | Begonia | Day 5 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Oneaea Bay (Taravai Island, Gambiers) To:Hao (Tuamotu Group, French Polynesia)
Progress: [So far we've made [440.7]nm (through water) on this passage and have [73.4]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [106.2]nm (through water). We have moved [109.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting]Sailing Conditions [We continue to sail with tail winds. We won't arrive today in time for the two key criteria (light conditions and a suitable current at the pass) - so today will be a deliberately slow sail ] General Comments: [Cloudy conditions continue to hamper power generation via the solar panels. After several days of this, Kyle eventually stated the motor to bring the batteries back to full charge. Kyle was aghast yesterday to learn that 200 boats have registered as crossing the pacific west bound this year (he dislikes crowds, and expects to find them all in any anchorage at the same time! LOL).] At: 06:00(AKST) 31-May-2018, Outside Temp: 25.6C (78.08F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 36.5C (97.7F)Course: 293(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.6kt, Wind:10Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:2m (to:NE) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 9º 23.208' S | 140º 0.06' W | Begonia | Day 1 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Ua Pou Island - Hakahua bay (Marquesas) to Tuamotus - Island: Raroia
Progress: So far we've made [3]nm (through water) on this passage and have [438]nm (along route) to go. Just set off - ready for a short hop (possibly 4 days) to our first Tuamotu Atoll. We departed a little earlier than planned to coordinate with a fellow boat (Pickles) also departing this morning as they were concerned our anchor chain may be crossed. All is well aboard Begonia and we have fresh Baguettes to keep us happy. At: 11:00(THAT) 06-Jun-2017, Outside Temp: 30.9C (87.62F), Humidity:66%, Water Temp: 37.4C (99.32F) Course: 154(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.8kt, Wind:4Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:1m (to:W) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 17º 56.502' N | 139º 15.03' W | Begonia | We have moved [151.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 26 Galapagos to Hawaii. Course: 269(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.4kt, Wind:18Kt(from:ENE), Cloud Cover:95%, Pressure: 1015hPa, Swell:3m (to:SW). At: 06:00(PST) 26-Apr-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 9º 45.93' S | 139º 8.388' W | Begonia | We traveled clockwise around the island from Atuona (we had light winds, strong winds, squalls and sunshine!) and are now anchored in this NW bay in Hiva Oa and will hopefully spend the day ashore exploring what is supposed to be a very pleasant spring - We'll also get some swimming in at last!
We traveled [21]nm (through water) on this day trip, We have moved [6.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting At: 17:38(MART) 10-May-2017, Outside Temp: 29.6C (85.28F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 37.4C (99.32F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 9º 54.45' S | 139º 6.258' W | Begonia | Heading North from Fatu Hiva - we rounded Tahuata on the East Side - where plenty of goats and a herd of wild horses were grazing. Dolphins briefly joined us on our passage in great wind (Kyle regularly keeping 8kts). We are now anchored safely in Hana Moe Noe - a small cove with beautiful sand beach and the clearest water we've seen since we arrived - will spend a this afternoon and tomorrow snorkelling and loafing
From:HanaVave Bay (Fatu Hiva Island) - Marquesas To:HanaMoeNoe on Tahuata Island - Marquesas We travelled [52]nm (through water) on this day trip, We have moved [41.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting At: 13:58(MART) 17-May-2017, Outside Temp: 32.5C (90.5F), Humidity:67%, Water Temp: 37.4C (99.32F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 9º 48.138' S | 139º 1.878' W | Begonia | ** CORRECTED report **
We made it and are now safely at anchor outside Atuona town (Baie Taahuku) with plenty of daylight hours left. It is HOT, and muggy, so we are doing our chores very slowly. We plan to do laundry tomorrow, but it seems a fruitless task - every time you step into clothes they become covered in sweat... At Anchor - Arrived - bow & stern anchor set - surrounded by verdant, lush, steep hills and by swooping frigate birds, and locals darting about in Proas. Champagne ready to go! Progress: So far we've made [3113]nm *** CORRECTED **** (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. In the last 24 hours we made [17782.4]nm (through water). We have moved [44.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting At: 16:01(PST) 08-May-2017, Outside Temp: 32.9C (91.22F), Humidity:58%, Water Temp: 37.9C (100.22F), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1011hPa, | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 9º 48.138' S | 139º 1.878' W | Begonia | We made it and are now safely at anchor outside Atuona town (Baie Taahuku) with plenty of daylight hours left.
It is HOT, and muggy, so we are doing our chores very slowly. We plan to do laundry tomorrow, but it seems a fruitless task - every time you step into clothes they become covered in sweat... At Anchor - Arrived - bow & stern anchor set - surrounded by verdant, lush, steep hills and by swooping frigate birds, and locals darting about in Proas. Champagne ready to go! Progress: So far we've made [20852]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. In the last 24 hours we made [17782.4]nm (through water). We have moved [44.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting At: 16:01(PST) 08-May-2017, Outside Temp: 32.9C (91.22F), Humidity:58%, Water Temp: 37.9C (100.22F), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1011hPa, | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 9º 45.852' S | 138º 52.782' W | Begonia | Yesterday we spent the day at a little anchorage and village called 'Hanamenu' - below is our story.. We are now at a village called PeaMau - where we hope to see some rather grand Tiki carvings tomorrow - and will then head South to the Island of Fatu Hiva.
Yesterday we were in Hanamenu (NW Hiva Oa): There are no roads to here, and there were as no boat on the village mooring so we assumed it is now only used for getaways by the remaining owners. Indeed we found ourselves the only boat here, and after the dark of the evening descended, it appeared as if nobody was ashore (no lights). Given this, and the expectation of an ?interesting? landing in the surf we went ashore with just our waterproof camera - i.e. with no money and no exchanges. We wondered around the river and possible trails for a while - finding plenty to occupy us (and crabs, and flies and no-nos) - and eventually circled our way back to the old/current village. Plenty of old lava stone built walls and newer wooden homes - some amazingly beautiful (and very well tended) gardens. Eventually we heard a music playing so we called out bonjour so as not to surprise anyone - and were welcomed by one of the owners (he was taking a short visit to tidy up and mow grass after the recent death of his father). He insisted we took pamplemousse (grapefruit), citron vert (limes), and even some wild bore he had shot the previous evening.. and then directed us to use the pool if we wanted to bathe (the ?hollywood pool? is to the west side of beach, within the village - where soap and loofa were also found - it is fed by a waterfall and surrounded by tropical flowers - and on the day we visited there was also a boar head carefully placed to clean in the fast exit water)? Quite the amazing Marquesan experience and welcome! Dinner was wild boar vindaloo that night, and breakfast for the next few days will be pamplemousse :-) How lucky are we???!! Today We travelled [21]nm (through water) on this day trip, We have moved [15.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting At: 14:56(MART) 12-May-2017, Outside Temp: 31.6C (88.88F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 37.9C (100.22F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 10º 27.702' S | 138º 40.278' W | Begonia | We rounded the east point of Hiva Oa in big seas and head winds, then headed SSW to this beautiful island (Fatu Hiva) - anchorage crowded and water deep - long row ashore for tomorrow - but waterfalls and stunning scenery all around us
We travelled [64]nm (through water) on this day trip, We have moved [43.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting At: 14:16(MART) 14-May-2017, Outside Temp: 29.2C (84.56F), Humidity:76%, Water Temp: 37C (98.6F) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 9º 43.8' S | 138º 17.31' W | Begonia | Day 29 of Passage from Mexico (La Paz) to Marquesas (Hiva Oa)
Progress: So far we've made [3070]nm (through water) on this passage and have [44]nm (along route) to go. In the last 24 hours we made [118.8]nm (through water). We have moved [131.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting At: 06:00(PST) 07-May-2017, Outside Temp: 27.4C (81.32F), Humidity:84%, Water Temp: 37C (98.6F), Course: 255(degT), Speed Over Ground:6kt, Wind:9Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:70%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:NW) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 19º 12.462' S | 138º 12.48' W | Begonia | Day 4 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Oneaea Bay (Taravai Island, Gambiers) To:Hao (Tuamotu Group, French Polynesia)
Progress: [So far we've made [334.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [182]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [92.2]nm (through water). We have moved [88.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting]Sailing Conditions [Light winds all day yesterday with sloooow progress. Last night the also switched from head to tail winds, and we passed through several rain squalls. We are at last pointing directly towards the goal (with a few atolls more to weave through)] General Comments: [Last night, the sunset was quite the show - there was barely a sliver of light between the dark low clouds and the distant horizon - but in that sliver, silhouetted by the red of the sunset was band after band of rain - quite the show (and we were headed towards it). With yesterday's slow sailing and calm seas I decided some baking was in order (Bread and muffins). We have plenty of fresh lemons so I planned on making lemon and poppy-seed muffins. However they used not even a whole lemon and it turns out my poppy-seeds were no more after being confiscated in New Zealand - so we had lemon muffins and I'm still left with a bag of lemons! ] At: 06:00(AKST) 30-May-2018, Outside Temp: 24.6C (76.28F), Humidity:75%, Water Temp: 36.5C (97.7F)Course: 283(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.2kt, Wind:10Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:80%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:2m (to:N) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 47º 12.216' N | 137º 22.332' W | Begonia | We have moved [128.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage Hawaii to CA/OR - Day 19. Course: 45(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.7kt, Wind:10Kt(from:SSE), Cloud Cover:98%, Pressure: 1021hPa, Swell:1m (to:W). At: 06:00(HAST) 31-Jul-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 19º 51.96' S | 136º 48.228' W | Begonia | Day 3 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Oneaea Bay (Taravai Island, Gambiers) To:Hao (Tuamotu Group, French Polynesia)
Progress: [So far we've made [242.4]nm (through water) on this passage and have [270]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [136.6]nm (through water). We have moved [126.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting]Sailing Conditions [Wonderful moonlit, clear night with calm seas (calmer than some of our recent anchoarges). The dead calms forecast yesterday didn't arrive (yay!), so we continue to progress to our destination.] General Comments: [Lovely sailing (although we are still pushed north of the line we'd like to be taking). We have plenty of fresh fruit aboard (now all tropical, pomplemouse (grapefruit), oranges, coconut, lemons and limes). Still no luck catching a fish. All is well aboard.] At: 06:00(AKST) 29-May-2018, Outside Temp: 24.8C (76.64F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 36C (96.8F)Course: 287(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.8kt, Wind:7Kt(from:SW), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:E) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 17º 25.866' N | 136º 38.886' W | Begonia | We have moved [168.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 25 Galapagos to Hawaii. Course: 277(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.9kt, Wind:15Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:SW). At: 06:00(PST) 25-Apr-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 43º 31.83' S | 136º 23.61' W | Begonia | Day 26 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [3312.4]nm (through water) on this passage and have [2755]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [192.1]nm (through water). We have moved [182.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Strong winds and bouncy seas make moving about the boat (or even standing) quite the challenge. The wind will be a little more from behind and a little stronger so we're expecting more of the same for the next 2 weeks! Great progress but Ugh!] General Comments: [The wind instrument remains unreliable, we've not managed to identify the problem, maybe once we're in Chile we can research and fix. With the ride is miserable and cold, and a little frightening, a bit like driving in a blizzard. I'm especially not enjoying the night watch with no moon it is pitch black, and impossible to see what is coming next. The birds continue to enjoy themselves. Kyle reports that last night we entered one of the 3 areas on the planet where you can be more than 1000 nm from land we've now been to all 3! Our line of latitude is about 15,000 miles long as it circles the earth and is broken only in 2 places by less than 500 miles of land total (South America and New Zealand).] At: 06:00(AKST) 09-Jan-2018, Outside Temp: 13.3C (55.94F), Humidity:85%, Water Temp: 16.1C (60.98F) Course: 109(degT), Speed Over Ground:9.5kt, Wind:24Kt(from:WSW), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:NE) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 9º 18.702' S | 136º 6.18' W | Begonia | Day 28 of Passage from Mexico (La Paz) to Marquesas (Hiva Oa)
Progress: So far we've made [2951]nm (through water) on this passage and have [176]nm (along route) to go. In the last 24 hours we made [126.1]nm (through water). We have moved [127.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting At: 06:00(PST) 06-May-2017, Outside Temp: 28.2C (82.76F), Humidity:78%, Water Temp: 37C (98.6F), Course: 252(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.6kt, Wind:11Kt(from:ENE), Cloud Cover:10%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:NW) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 21º 47.742' S | 135º 52.908' W | Begonia | Day 2 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Oneaea Bay (Taravai Island, Gambiers) To:Hao (Tuamotu Group, French Polynesia)
Progress: [So far we've made [105.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [372]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [105.8]nm (through water). We have moved [93.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting]Sailing Conditions [A great start leaving the main atoll, but by dark we had light winds on the nose and were heading much more north than we wanted (but very slowly). After hours of 4-5kt of wind, we had a brief squall and gusts of 26kt (just for variety!)] General Comments: [Underway again! But this should be our longest passage now for several months. We finally managed to use the last of the bananas (and to Kyle's relief, the last of the eggplant/aubergine). Night has the benefit of relatively clear skies and an almost full moon. While we are headed to Hoa - we have to string a path through numerous other atolls and islands at which it is not possible to anchor (but keep us alert as our route changes in the shifting winds).] At: 06:00(AKST) 28-May-2018, Outside Temp: 24.1C (75.38F), Humidity:55%, Water Temp: 35.5C (95.9F)Course: 323(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.1kt, Wind:10Kt(from:WSE), Cloud Cover:20%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:NE) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 23º 4.83' S | 135º 4.35' W | Begonia | Day 4 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Pitcairn Island To:Rikitea (Mangareva Island, The Gambiers, French Polynesia)
Progress: [So far we've made [326.3]nm (through water) on this passage and have [10.2]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [77.2]nm (through water). We have moved [71.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting]Sailing Conditions [Calm seas and light winds.] General Comments: [We've had land in sight since around 11am yesterday, but with the realization that we would not make it anchored by dark, we held back and spent the extra hours moving around the island to the better marked NW channel - arriving there for first light. We are soon to start the motor and make our way in.] At: 06:00(AKST) 22-May-2018, Outside Temp: 23.9C (75.02F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 35.5C (95.9F)Course: 181(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.2kt, Wind:9Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1019hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:W) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 23º 9.042' S | 135º 3.3' W | Begonia | At Anchor at Oneaea Bay (Taravai Island, Gambiers)
From: Rikitea (Mangareva Island, The Gambiers, French Polynesia) To: Oneaea Bay (Taravai Island, Gambiers) We travelled [10.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [5.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [A small bay we have anchored in a patch of sand and close to reefs all around (great snorkelling spot, but only room for one boat)] General Comments: [After getting the chores of officialdom, laundry and provisioning completed, we escaped the tiny main town and plan to hang out for 3 days totally away from it all. No schedule, no distractions. The sun is shining and all is well - we have a boat full of fruit and other goodies, and from the cockpit are just a short swim from the palm fringed shore and the lush hills of the island.] At: 12:32(AKST) 24-May-2018, Outside Temp: 26.8C (80.24F), Humidity:66%, Water Temp: 35C (95F) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 23º 8.718' S | 135º 2.988' W | Begonia | At Anchor at Anganui Bay (Taravai Island, Gambiers)
From: Oneaea Bay (Taravai Island, Gambiers) To: Anganui Bay (Taravai Island, Gambiers) We travelled [0.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [0.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Slightly larger bay but still on NW side of island - anchored in 14m of good sand] General Comments: [A relocate just a short distance away to get a little better protection from the west winds] At: 11:32(AKST) 25-May-2018, Outside Temp: 26C (78.8F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 35.5C (95.9F) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 23º 6.78' S | 134º 57.99' W | Begonia | Destination: Rikitea
Day 4 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Pitcairn Island To:Rikitea (Mangareva Island, The Gambiers, French Polynesia) Progress: [So far we've made [338.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [11.9]nm (through water). We have moved [6.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting]Sailing Conditions [Anchored on the far E of the anchorage but close to shore so an easy row to land (followed by a short walk to the centre of the town).] General Comments: [Arrived! The sun in shining, the hills are lush, and there are about 18 other boats in the anchorage] At: 09:26(AKST) 22-May-2018, Outside Temp: 26.2C (79.16F), Humidity:66%, Water Temp: 34.5C (94.1F) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 8º 49.302' S | 134º 0.45' W | Begonia | Day 27 of Passage from Mexico (La Paz) to Marquesas (Hiva Oa)
Progress: So far we've made [2805]nm (through water) on this passage and have [303]nm (along route) to go. In the last 24 hours we made [113.7]nm (through water). We have moved [142.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting At: 06:00(PST) 05-May-2017, Outside Temp: 28C (82.4F), Humidity:77%, Water Temp: 36.5C (97.7F), Course: 260(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.4kt, Wind:12Kt(from:ENE), Cloud Cover:2%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:2m (to:W) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 23º 39.252' S | 133º 55.68' W | Begonia | Day 3 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Pitcairn Island To:Rikitea (Mangareva Island, The Gambiers, French Polynesia)
Progress: [So far we've made [249.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [75]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [107.9]nm (through water). We have moved [95.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting]Sailing Conditions [More downwind sailing but winds were very light for much of yesterday afternoon.] General Comments: [ We are travelling just 13nm south of the tropics. Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day, so much so that Kyle took off our enclosure, this means we still wear shorts at night but now with a jacket. Being more cloud free has given us some beautiful night skies. Unfortunately the lighter winds put us at risk of not making it to the anchorage before dark today - so we may have to hold off outside the pass (feels like Pitcairn all over again).] At: 06:00(AKST) 21-May-2018, Outside Temp: 23.7C (74.66F), Humidity:58%, Water Temp: 35C (95F)Course: 261(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.6kt, Wind:14Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:20%, Pressure: 1021hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:NW) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 43º 32.022' S | 133º 52.668' W | Begonia | Day 27 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [3429.7]nm (through water) on this passage and have [2784]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [117.4]nm (through water). We have moved [109.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [We had really strong winds yesterday morning, and then it all died out in the afternoon and evening. The big swell further worked to spill any wind we could catch so we had a few 1 and 2 nm hours yesterday. Forecast is still for increasing winds (but who knows)] General Comments: [I had planned to make pizza yesterday, but things were so bouncy I bailed. We are in full foul weather gear too. Today seems a little better so I'll probably give that pizza another try.] At: 06:00(AKST) 10-Jan-2018, Outside Temp: 13.2C (55.76F), Humidity:83%, Water Temp: 16.1C (60.98F) Course: 71(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.2kt, Wind:14Kt(from:W), Cloud Cover:70%, Pressure: 1015hPa, Swell:2m (to:NE) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 47º 57.072' N | 133º 50.466' W | Begonia | We have moved [149.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage Hawaii to CA/OR - Day 20. Course: 89(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.6kt, Wind:5Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1025hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:W). At: 06:00(HAST) 01-Aug-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 16º 47.658' N | 133º 46.818' W | Begonia | We have moved [160.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 24 Galapagos to Hawaii. Course: 265(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.5kt, Wind:14Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1015hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:SW). At: 06:00(PST) 24-Apr-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 47º 34.452' N | 132º 36.462' W | Begonia | We have moved [54.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage Hawaii to CA/OR - Day 21. Course: 88(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.4kt, Wind:3Kt(from:N), Cloud Cover:85%, Pressure: 1023hPa, Swell:1m (to:SSW). At: 06:00(HAST) 02-Aug-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 24º 4.41' S | 132º 14.928' W | Begonia | Day 2 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Pitcairn Island To:Rikitea (Mangareva Island, The Gambiers, French Polynesia)
Progress: [So far we've made [141.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [171]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [141.1]nm (through water). We have moved [131.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting]Sailing Conditions [Good downwind sailing with OK swell and clear-ish skies. Happy sailors (but missing the spinnaker)] General Comments: [We departed Pitcairn at first light after a fantastic day ashore, and loaded with fresh fruit, veggies, and salad stuff from the locals gardens. I gave the local store a general "if you can spare it I'll take some fresh produce" and a price limit - and when we finished our day hiking we were given two large boxes of produce and two very healthy stalks of bananas (some ripe, some not). We must have 100 bananas, and 30 oranges and a LOAD of other stuff - we are in danger of vitamin overload. Yesterday I had to search out a recipe for our 20 Aubergines (Egg Plants) - and we discovered Caponata (a middle east meets Ratatouille dish) and loved it! Our fellow cruising boat Nemo departed ahead of us in the night and we expect to meet them in Mangareva. We are all looking forward to a calm and protected anchorage where we can sleep somewhat stress free after all our recent open anchorages.] At: 06:00(AKST) 20-May-2018, Outside Temp: 22.7C (72.86F), Humidity:58%, Water Temp: 35C (95F)Course: 309(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.8kt, Wind:13Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1022hPa, Swell:2m (to:W) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 8º 18.21' S | 131º 40.08' W | Begonia | Day 26 of Passage from Mexico (La Paz) to Marquesas (Hiva Oa)
At: 06:00(PST) 04-May-2017, Outside Temp: 28C (82.4F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 36.5C (97.7F), Course: 250(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.7kt, Wind:10Kt(from:ENE), Cloud Cover:15%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:2m (to:W) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 47º 9.18' N | 131º 12.828' W | Begonia | We have moved [62.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage Hawaii to CA/OR - Day 22. Course: 70(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.9kt, Wind:5Kt(from:NW), Cloud Cover:95%, Pressure: 1023hPa, Swell:1m (to:SE). At: 06:00(HAST) 03-Aug-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 16º 10.392' N | 131º 4.362' W | Begonia | We have moved [167.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 23 Galapagos to Hawaii. Course: 261(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.1kt, Wind:17Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:50%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:SW). At: 06:00(PST) 23-Apr-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 25º 7.188' S | 130º 8.22' W | Begonia | Day 10 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Hanga Hotuiti (Easter Island) To:Pitcairn Island
Progress: [So far we've made [1306.6]nm (through water) on this passage and have [4]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [115.2]nm (through water). We have moved [90.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting]Sailing Conditions [So close - but we had sight of the island in daylight but were not able to reach the anchorage before dark (just an hour and half short) So we've been pottering about the island overnight waiting for first light. Mixed seas and wind.] General Comments: [Once we were finally in radio range we received a welcome to Pitcairn from both the Deputy Mayor (Charlene) and a fellow cruising boat (Nemo) - now all we have to do is get anchored and get ashore (and at some point maybe sleep too). Apparently the supply ship is also due in today so it will be a busy day on the island.] At: 06:00(PST) 17-May-2018, Outside Temp: 21.5C (70.7F), Humidity:76%, Water Temp: 34.5C (94.1F)Course: 80(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.5kt, Wind:13Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:50%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:3.5m (to:N) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 25º 3.888' S | 130º 5.748' W | Begonia | Day 10 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Hanga Hotuiti (Easter Island) To:Pitcairn Island
Progress: [So far we've made [1312.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [6.3]nm (through water). We have moved [4.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting]Sailing Conditions [Safely at anchor - in 12m with a good bit of wind and swell (and this is the protected anchorage)] General Comments: [After circumnavigating the island overnight we made it to anchor at daybreak - now to go through the checklists and see if we can get ashore.] At: 08:22(PST) 17-May-2018, Outside Temp: 22.6C (72.68F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 34.5C (94.1F) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 43º 14.688' S | 130º 5.04' W | Begonia | Day 28 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [3603.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [2617]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [173.4]nm (through water). We have moved [166.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Amazingly the seas calmed somewhat and we had a nice day of fast sailing yesterday... before they got nasty again and we've been having a fast, miserable and rather frightening rollercoaster ride. Kyle says forecasts predict more of the same for a while.] General Comments: [Wow, enough calm to make pizza for dinner, but today will need to be something much simpler. After a salad for lunch we've now used all our fresh veggies (only potatoes and onions remaining). We finished 'Minerva Reef' a tale from 1962 of a group of Tongan men who were shipwrecked on the reef on route to New Zealand. So resourceful were they that they managed to build a boat (yes, a boat, not a raft) from planks of wood and a few nails. Rescue only came after 3 of them made it to Fiji. Our current book is 'True Spirit' the tale of 16 year old Jessica Watson who circumnavigated around the world SOLO and without stopping. Our little seas of misery are nothing compared to what she had to contend with. This will be the last of our sailing themed books.] At: 06:00(AKST) 11-Jan-2018, Outside Temp: 14.7C (58.46F), Humidity:86%, Water Temp: 16.1C (60.98F) Course: 83(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.2kt, Wind:24Kt(from:NNW), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:SE) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 46º 56.988' N | 129º 54.834' W | Begonia | We have moved [54.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage Hawaii to CA/OR - Day 23. Course: 107(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.5kt, Wind:5Kt(from:WNW), Cloud Cover:25%, Pressure: 1020hPa, Swell:1m (to:E). At: 06:00(HAST) 04-Aug-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 7º 50.7' S | 129º 23.34' W | Begonia | Day 25 of Passage from Mexico (La Paz) to Marquesas (Hiva Oa)
At: 06:00(PST) 03-May-2017, Outside Temp: 28.1C (82.58F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 36.5C (97.7F), Course: 269(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.2kt, Wind:7Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:2m (to:W) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 25º 5.478' S | 128º 28.08' W | Begonia | Day 9 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Hanga Hotuiti (Easter Island) To:Pitcairn Island
Progress: [So far we've made [1191.3]nm (through water) on this passage and have [88]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [123.0]nm (through water). We have moved [116.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting]Sailing Conditions [Another frustrating day of sailing. Mostly because of the lack of progress when we really want to be sure to arrive in Pitcairn before dark today (or we'll be holding off just off the island in some rather miserable seas just to wait until daylight), but also because of the very variable winds (again) in both direction and power. Lots of reefing, unfreefing, gybing, etc - and in the rain. ] General Comments: [Frustration and anticipation are building as is the uncertainty of if we'll be at sea or safely at anchor and sleeping soundly this evening. For now we have a good speed and being at anchor tonight is a possible - but it's bouncy and we need to tweak the sails regularly (reef and unreef) to maximize that speed. Crossing fingers and toes (just in case).] At: 06:00(PST) 16-May-2018, Outside Temp: 21.8C (71.24F), Humidity:87%, Water Temp: 34C (93.2F)Course: 271(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.6kt, Wind:12Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1015hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:NW) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 46º 0.3' N | 128º 20.718' W | Begonia | We have moved [86.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage Hawaii to CA/OR - Day 24. Course: 112(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.5kt, Wind:6Kt(from:SW), Cloud Cover:95%, Pressure: 1019hPa, Swell:1m (to:S). At: 06:00(HAST) 05-Aug-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 15º 32.88' N | 128º 14.838' W | Begonia | We have moved [153.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 22 Galapagos to Hawaii. Course: 277(degT), Speed Over Ground:8.5kt, Wind:18Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:SW). At: 06:00(PST) 22-Apr-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 7º 14.118' S | 127º 3.06' W | Begonia | Day 24 of Passage from Mexico (La Paz) to Marquesas (Hiva Oa)
At: 06:00(PST) 02-May-2017, Outside Temp: 28C (82.4F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 36.5C (97.7F), Course: 260(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.3kt, Wind:3Kt(from:NW), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:3m (to:NW) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 44º 50.766' N | 126º 31.458' W | Begonia | We have moved [103.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage Hawaii to CA/OR - Day 25. Course: 116(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.3kt, Wind:1Kt(from:N), Cloud Cover:98%, Pressure: 1021hPa, Swell:1m (to:E). At: 06:00(HAST) 06-Aug-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 24º 54.99' S | 126º 19.662' W | Begonia | Day 8 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Hanga Hotuiti (Easter Island) To:Pitcairn Island
Progress: [So far we've made [1068.3]nm (through water) on this passage and have [205]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [155.7]nm (through water). We have moved [138.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting]Sailing Conditions [We are making good speed, but we are still uncertain if we'll make it to Pitcarin in daylight tomorrow. If we don't make it then, and get to anchor safely, we are not sure if the conditions will allow for our arrival the following day (Thursday) so we are tweaking sails and doing all we can to arrive before nightfall on Wednesday.] General Comments: [Yesterday we sailed by (within three quarters of a mile of) Ducie Island. Plenty of birds flying everwhere (seemed to be mostly petrels with a few boobies).] At: 06:00(PST) 15-May-2018, Outside Temp: 22.7C (72.86F), Humidity:78%, Water Temp: 34.5C (94.1F)Course: 234(degT), Speed Over Ground:6kt, Wind:13Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1018hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:NW) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 42º 26.772' S | 126º 11.25' W | Begonia | Day 29 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [3785.6]nm (through water) on this passage and have [2452]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [182.4]nm (through water). We have moved [178.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Rough conditions continued until yesterday evening, and finally started calming over night to current state, it was nice to shake some of the reefs out.] General Comments: [We've had so much water thrown over us lately, that the emergency light on our lifesling (a special float we can throw in the water if either of us goes overboard that makes it a little easier to haul in someone) Well at least we know the light works! We know of two other boats that have recently left NZ for the passage to Chile so good luck to those guys (hopefully the don't have to go quite so far North or South as we've managed). Yesterday was so rough (again) I broke out some of our left over camping dinners (add hot water and wait 10 minutes), but I'm really looking forward to cooking some rice today, we normally have it at least twice a week and we're definitely behind on our rice consumption! Both of us are 'getting through' the passage rather than enjoying it (at least on the rough days) but we keep thinking of that crazy French guy Bernard Mortissier (?Spelling) that after much worse conditions decided he loved the sea, couldn't face people, and just went all the way around again! That is definitely NOT for us. In the meantime HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Kyle's MOM Carla!] At: 06:00(AKST) 12-Jan-2018, Outside Temp: 14.3C (57.74F), Humidity:89%, Water Temp: 16.6C (61.88F) Course: 65(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.4kt, Wind:15Kt(from:NW), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:SE) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 14º 54.66' N | 125º 41.052' W | Begonia | We have moved [150.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 21 Galapagos to Hawaii. Course: 272(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.8kt, Wind:13Kt(from:ENE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:SW). At: 06:00(PST) 21-Apr-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 42º 43.44' N | 124º 44.664' W | Begonia | We have moved [41.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage from Coos Bay to Brookings (OREGON). Course: 64(degT), Speed Over Ground:0.7kt, Wind:5Kt(from:NNE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 00:00(PDT) 11-Aug-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 6º 51.69' S | 124º 38.142' W | Begonia | Day 23 of Passage from Mexico (La Paz) to Marquesas (Hiva Oa)
At: 06:00(PST) 01-May-2017, Outside Temp: 27.9C (82.22F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 36C (96.8F), Course: 246(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.5kt, Wind:13Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:35%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:3m (to:NW) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 41º 2.796' N | 124º 29.748' W | Begonia | We have moved [60.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage from Brookgins OREGON to Eureka, CALIFORNIA. Course: 146(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.5kt, Wind:13Kt(from:N), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 06:00(PDT) 16-Aug-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 43º 23.022' N | 124º 23.712' W | Begonia | We have moved [126.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage Hawaii to CA/OR - Day 26. Course: 128(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.8kt, Wind:4Kt(from:N), Cloud Cover:0%, Pressure: 1019hPa, Swell:1m (to:N). At: 06:00(HAST) 07-Aug-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 43º 20.79' N | 124º 19.302' W | Begonia | We have moved [3.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Transient Dock B - Charleston OREGON - $45 for 3 nights. At: 07:14(HAST) 07-Aug-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 42º 2.826' N | 124º 16.032' W | Begonia | We have moved [45.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At City Dock, Brookings OREGON ($20/night). At: 14:04(PDT) 11-Aug-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 40º 48.366' N | 124º 10.05' W | Begonia | We have moved [20.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Betty Cool Dock? End of M Street, Eureka (CA) - $30.40 a night. At: 16:14(PDT) 16-Aug-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 39º 47.58' N | 123º 59.844' W | Begonia | We have moved [61.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage Eureka - Fort Bragg (CA). Course: 131(degT), Speed Over Ground:4kt, Wind:3Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1008hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 02:00(PDT) 19-Aug-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 39º 25.494' N | 123º 48.072' W | Begonia | We have moved [23.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Noyo Basin Marina, Fort Bragg (CA). At: 08:26(PDT) 19-Aug-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 25º 1.128' S | 123º 47.172' W | Begonia | Day 7 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Hanga Hotuiti (Easter Island) To:Pitcairn Island
Progress: [So far we've made [912.7]nm (through water) on this passage and have [350]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [145.6]nm (through water). We have moved [109.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting]Sailing Conditions [Another very rough day aboard yesterday (bouncing and banging) - finally the headwinds have backed and we now have tail winds and things have smoothed out - we are expecting more rain (tomorrow). Based on current forecasts, we need to get moving on to Pitcairn and so will now just ""drive by"" Ducie and Henderson.] General Comments: [Starwatching over night has been a pleasure with the milky way popping out of the night sky so clearly.] At: 06:00(PST) 14-May-2018, Outside Temp: 23.2C (73.76F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 34C (93.2F)Course: 288(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.3kt, Wind:17Kt(from:SSE), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1019hPa, Swell:2m (to:N) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 38º 37.38' N | 123º 31.596' W | Begonia | We have moved [49.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage - Fort Bragg to Saulsolito. Course: 260(degT), Speed Over Ground:0.8kt, Wind:8Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:SE). At: 06:00(PDT) 23-Aug-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 41º 40.65' S | 123º 15.018' W | Begonia | Day 30 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [3926.3]nm (through water) on this passage and have [2258]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [140.7]nm (through water). We have moved [138.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] (** If you notice this number adjusts in an illogical way, it it because Kyle keeps adjusting our route due to weather so the number jumps about **) Sailing Conditions [Yesterday was so welcome, sunshine, gentle swell, and steady winds from abeam. We have another few days of this before a larger storm catches us (Monday and Tuesday). ] General Comments: [We attempted fishing again yesterday (no luck dragging line for 50nm), and did some real cooking again, and it was finally calm enough to wash my hair that feels good! The sunshine was really welcome and it was actually pleasant to do some housework.] At: 06:00(AKST) 13-Jan-2018, Outside Temp: 15.6C (60.08F), Humidity:88%, Water Temp: 18.5C (65.3F) Course: 75(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.2kt, Wind:11Kt(from:NW), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1023hPa, Swell:2m (to:SE) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 14º 16.86' N | 123º 10.17' W | Begonia | We have moved [154.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 20 Galapagos to Hawaii. Course: 277(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.5kt, Wind:17Kt(from:ENE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:SW). At: 06:00(PST) 20-Apr-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 37º 55.542' N | 123º 3.642' W | Begonia | We have moved [47.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage - Fort Bragg to Saulsolito. At: 23:00(PDT) 23-Aug-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 37º 50.076' N | 122º 46.014' W | Begonia | We have moved [14.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage - Fort Bragg to Saulsolito. Course: 102(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.3kt, Wind:4Kt(from:SSW), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 04:00(PDT) 24-Aug-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 37º 46.296' N | 122º 38.502' W | Begonia | We have moved [7.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage - Fort Bragg to Saulsolito. Course: 109(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.4kt, Wind:7Kt(from:SSW), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 08:00(PDT) 24-Aug-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 37º 29.91' N | 122º 29.37' W | Begonia | We have moved [20.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At anchor ($free) in Pillar Point (Half Moon Bay). At: 12:05(PDT) 04-Oct-2016 | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 37º 51.198' N | 122º 28.638' W | Begonia | We have moved [9.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored - outside the Trident Restaurant - Saulsolito. At: 11:00(PDT) 24-Aug-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 37º 52.038' N | 122º 26.148' W | Begonia | We have moved [2.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Dock in Angel Island (Ayala Cove - $15 fee 8am to sunset only). At: 09:18(PDT) 27-Aug-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 37º 51.57' N | 122º 25.098' W | Begonia | We have moved [1.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored off Angel Island (Quarry Beach) - last day before taking up official residence in Oakland. At: 13:46(PDT) 27-Aug-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 6º 3.6' S | 122º 23.28' W | Begonia | Day 22 of Passage from Mexico (La Paz) to Marquesas (Hiva Oa)
At: 06:00(PST) 30-Apr-2017, Outside Temp: 27C (80.6F), Humidity:82%, Water Temp: 37C (98.6F), Course: 280(degT), Speed Over Ground:1.9kt, Wind:3Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:W) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 37º 47.58' N | 122º 16.524' W | Begonia | We have moved [7.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At temporary dock allocation - Jack London Square. At: 14:04(PDT) 28-Aug-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 36º 57.612' N | 122º 0.618' W | Begonia | We have moved [39.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At anchor off Santa Cruz (free). At: 18:00(PDT) 06-Oct-2016 | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 25º 42.12' S | 121º 54.672' W | Begonia | Day 6 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Hanga Hotuiti (Easter Island) To:Pitcairn Island
Progress: [So far we've made [767.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [471]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [116.7]nm (through water). We have moved [107.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting]Sailing Conditions [Wind has picked up again and we are into headwinds with wind and swell against us (conditions are getting rougher). Kyle tells me we'll be back to tail winds by the end of the day Oh for the trade winds again. I'm also advised to expect rain again later today.] General Comments: [We found time yesterday to call around the family. The connection wasn't perfect, but its still impressive that we can chat away from so remote a location. Eight years ago today we were just arriving in Bermuda (our first exotic location!) on route to Ireland.] At: 06:00(PST) 13-May-2018, Outside Temp: 24.1C (75.38F), Humidity:76%, Water Temp: 34C (93.2F)Course: 242(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.7kt, Wind:15Kt(from:NW), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1019hPa, Swell:2m (to:E) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 36º 36.192' N | 121º 53.556' W | Begonia | We have moved [22.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. In city marina (G29) - friendly - $26/night (70c/ft - great location. At: 13:48(PDT) 13-Oct-2016 | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 35º 38.346' N | 121º 11.334' W | Begonia | We have moved [67.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored at San Simeon (in view of Hearst Castle). At: 10:20(PDT) 18-Oct-2016 | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 35º 22.008' N | 120º 51.336' W | Begonia | We have moved [23.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. On Mooring Ball in Morro Bay - near Red Triangle marker #12. At: 13:10(PDT) 19-Oct-2016 | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 13º 35.994' N | 120º 37.086' W | Begonia | We have moved [148.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 19 Galapagos to Hawaii. Course: 277(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.5kt, Wind:15Kt(from:ENE), Cloud Cover:90%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:1m (to:S). At: 06:00(PST) 19-Apr-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 5º 34.482' S | 120º 29.34' W | Begonia | Day 21 of Passage from Mexico (La Paz) to Marquesas (Hiva Oa)
At: 06:00(PST) 29-Apr-2017, Outside Temp: C (25.9F), Humidity:88%, Water Temp: 36C (96.8F), Course: 254(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.3kt, Wind:8Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:3m (to:NW) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 34º 0.696' N | 120º 2.802' W | Begonia | We have moved [90.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Bechers Bay, Santa Rosa Island, Channel Islands. At: 04:24(PDT) 24-Oct-2016 | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 40º 50.232' S | 120º 0.048' W | Begonia | Day 31 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [4086.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [2136]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [159.7]nm (through water). We have moved [155.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Another quite reasonable day aboard, and the storm we're expecting is going more slowly (now predicted to find us on Thursday) hopefully the forecast will continue to adjust in our favor.] General Comments: [After so much cold and humidity, things aboard are feeling damp, but the sun has decided to shine already today so everything feels a little better. We have now crossed the longitude of California (i.e. we are now west of California, and, of course, a long way south) our target longitude is at about at Boston (USA) so we still have a while to go. Kyle reports another clear night for great star gazing, with an eerie glow from the navigation instruments and lights.] At: 06:00(AKST) 14-Jan-2018, Outside Temp: 18.4C (65.12F), Humidity:85%, Water Temp: 20C (68F) Course: 67(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.1kt, Wind:11Kt(from:N), Cloud Cover:35%, Pressure: 1027hPa, Swell:1m (to:SE) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 25º 22.77' S | 119º 57.882' W | Begonia | Day 5 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Hanga Hotuiti (Easter Island) To:Pitcairn Island
Progress: [So far we've made [650.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [568]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [145.5]nm (through water). We have moved [127.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting]Sailing Conditions [Seas and wind calming down (and boat is slowing down, but still making a reasonable speed), although we are expecting more wind and RAIN from tomorrow. We headed a little north of our expected line yesterday (and are expecting southerly winds later in the trip so we're OK with that)] General Comments: [We will be sailing past the Pitcairn islands of Ducie and Henderson on route. If conditions allow we may stop at one or both of them, although for now forecast makes it prudent to get to Pitcairn itself and be in its lee before the really strong winds arrive. Decision pending.] At: 06:00(PST) 12-May-2018, Outside Temp: 23C (73.4F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 33.6C (92.48F)Course: 278(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.7kt, Wind:13Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1021hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:W) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 34º 1.242' N | 119º 40.992' W | Begonia | We have moved [18.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Prisoners Harbor, Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands. At: 15:32(PDT) 25-Oct-2016 | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 34º 0.54' N | 119º 32.682' W | Begonia | We have moved [6.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Smugglers Cove (YellowBanks anchorage), Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands, CA. At: 15:10(PDT) 26-Oct-2016 | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 5º 8.07' S | 119º 16.14' W | Begonia | Day 20 of Passage from Mexico (La Paz) to Marquesas (Hiva Oa)
At: 06:00(PST) 28-Apr-2017, Outside Temp: 27.4C (81.32F), Humidity:78%, Water Temp: 36C (96.8F), Course: 255(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.5kt, Wind:6.5Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:20%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:3m (to:W) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 33º 25.818' N | 118º 30.432' W | Begonia | We have moved [62.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Catalina Harbor Mooring - Catalina Island (K3/$43 per day). At: 08:16(PDT) 29-Oct-2016 | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 33º 20.76' N | 118º 19.44' W | Begonia | We have moved [10.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Avalon Harbor Mooring - Catalina Island - $41/night (pay for 2 get next 5 free). At: 12:52(PDT) 31-Oct-2016 | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 12º 55.548' N | 118º 10.314' W | Begonia | We have moved [140.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 18 Galapagos to Hawaii. Course: 287(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.7kt, Wind:13Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:99%, Pressure: 1009hPa, Swell:1m (to:S). At: 06:00(PST) 18-Apr-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 26º 31.572' S | 117º 58.968' W | Begonia | Day 4 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Hanga Hotuiti (Easter Island) To:Pitcairn Island
Progress: [So far we've made [505.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [687]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [184.6]nm (through water). We have moved [156.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting]Sailing Conditions [We continue to make great speed, but swell has meant we've had to gybe out track a little. It is warm enough (with the enclosure) to be wearing shorts at night again).] General Comments: [Water clearly has more life - even the night-time bioluminescence display is starting to look more like fireworks.] At: 06:00(PST) 11-May-2018, Outside Temp: 21.7C (71.06F), Humidity:66%, Water Temp: 33.1C (91.58F)Course: 342(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.8kt, Wind:17Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:35%, Pressure: 1024hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:NW) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 30º 34.122' N | 117º 26.214' W | Begonia | We have moved [33.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Sailing in very light winds. Course: 192(degT), Speed Over Ground:0.9kt, Wind:2Kt(from:WNW), Cloud Cover:90%, Pressure: 1022hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:SE). At: 06:00(PST) 09-Jan-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 4º 38.1' S | 117º 22.53' W | Begonia | Day 19 of Passage from Mexico (La Paz) to Marquesas (Hiva Oa)
At: 06:00(PST) 27-Apr-2017, Outside Temp: 27.1C (80.78F), Humidity:83%, Water Temp: 35.5C (95.9F), Course: 247(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.8kt, Wind:13Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:10%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:3m (to:NW) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 31º 5.964' N | 117º 13.818' W | Begonia | We have moved [11.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 17:00(PST) 08-Jan-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 32º 43.56' N | 117º 11.082' W | Begonia | We have moved [68.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At A-9 Anchorage in San Diego - FREE (but need permit/inspection). At: 12:48(PDT) 05-Nov-2016 | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 31º 15.822' N | 117º 7.65' W | Begonia | We have moved [44.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Sailing south on Pacific Baja, Mexico. Course: 200(degT), Speed Over Ground:1.2kt, Wind:2Kt(from:NW), Cloud Cover:10%, Pressure: 1022hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:SE). At: 06:00(PST) 08-Jan-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 40º 41.058' S | 117º 3.27' W | Begonia | Day 32 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [4227.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [2000]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [141.0]nm (through water). We have moved [134.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [A BEAUTIFUL day to be sailing yesterday (Kyle was even in shorts), this morning we have fog and continue to press on (hopefully) to skirt the coming storm] General Comments: [Still no luck fishing (although this isn't exactly a fish rich area of the ocean). Amazingly we had a ship pop up on our AIS display that was 130 miles away... there must have been some tropospheric ducting as VHF is normally line of sight (for us that maxes out at around 20 miles). All yesterday evening we were able to use the autopilot on wind (the earlier problem seems to have vanished for now). My new wide mouth thermos (just purchased in NZ, and great for yogurt) has decided to start rusting already... Doh! We are now into the start of our second month at sea now, and are now reading Bill Bryson's 'Down Under' book (again) as our together book. The calm conditions have things much easier aboard over the last few days.] At: 06:00(AKST) 15-Jan-2018, Outside Temp: 18.4C (65.12F), Humidity:86%, Water Temp: 21.4C (70.52F) Course: 104(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.5kt, Wind:11Kt(from:NNE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1023hPa, Swell:1m (to:SW) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 31º 51.546' N | 116º 37.566' W | Begonia | We have moved [59.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At End Dock (B) at Baja Naval - Ensenada - MEXICO. At: 00:16(PST) 10-Nov-2016 | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 29º 1.47' N | 116º 37.434' W | Begonia | We have moved [101.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Bigger waves and consistant wind. Course: 134(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.2kt, Wind:15Kt(from:NNW), Cloud Cover:70%, Pressure: 1021hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:S). At: 06:00(PST) 10-Jan-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 28º 21.918' N | 116º 14.13' W | Begonia | We have moved [44.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Still moving… still chilly. Course: 144(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.3kt, Wind:8Kt(from:NNW), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1020hPa, Swell:1m (to:SE). At: 15:50(PST) 10-Jan-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 12º 16.218' N | 115º 51.648' W | Begonia | We have moved [141.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 17 Galapagos to Hawaii. Course: 270(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.1kt, Wind:8Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:35%, Pressure: 1009hPa, Swell:1m (to:S). At: 06:00(PST) 17-Apr-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 3º 32.472' S | 115º 11.85' W | Begonia | Day 18 of Passage from Mexico (La Paz) to Marquesas (Hiva Oa)
Very mixed seas making for a lot of speed loss and uncomfortable ride! At: 06:00(PST) 26-Apr-2017, Outside Temp: 27.4C (81.32F), Humidity:84%, Water Temp: 35.5C (95.9F), Course: 200(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.8kt, Wind:12Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:80%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:NW) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 0º 15.738' N | 115º 4.188' W | Begonia | Day 16 of Passage from Mexico (La Paz) to Marquesas (Hiva Oa)
At: 06:00(PST) 24-Apr-2017, Outside Temp: 27.4C (81.32F), Humidity:85%, Water Temp: 33.6C (92.48F), Course: 175(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.4kt, Wind:9Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:2%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:NW) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 26º 29.802' S | 115º 4.158' W | Begonia | Day 3 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Hanga Hotuiti (Easter Island) To:Pitcairn Island
Progress: [So far we've made [320.4]nm (through water) on this passage and have [840]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [180.6]nm (through water). We have moved [169.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting]Sailing Conditions [We are making fantastic speed (it feels like forever since we had a 24 hour period this good). We've had steady winds but the big swell remains. Forecast appears to be more of the same at least for the next day or so.] General Comments: [We are back in the land of flying fish for sure and in the mornings go around the boat and toss back any bodies that have made it on deck. Once the swell calms I think we should actually be able to go fishing successfully (who am I kidding?).] At: 06:00(PST) 10-May-2018, Outside Temp: 21.3C (70.34F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 33.1C (91.58F)Course: 280(degT), Speed Over Ground:8.2kt, Wind:24Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:25%, Pressure: 1022hPa, Swell:3.5m (to:NW) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 1º 32.88' S | 115º 2.4' W | Begonia | Day 17 of Passage from Mexico (La Paz) to Marquesas (Hiva Oa)
At: 06:00(PST) 25-Apr-2017, Outside Temp: 26.8C (80.24F), Humidity:84%, Water Temp: 35C (95F), Course: 180(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.5kt, Wind:8Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:50%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:NW) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 1º 57.948' N | 115º 0.342' W | Begonia | Day 15 of Passage from Mexico (La Paz) to Marquesas (Hiva Oa)
At: 06:00(PST) 23-Apr-2017, Outside Temp: 27.7C (81.86F), Humidity:80%, Water Temp: 36C (96.8F), Course: 180(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.6kt, Wind:6Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1008hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:NW) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 26º 49.398' N | 114º 53.598' W | Begonia | We have moved [116.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Yay - moving. Course: 124(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.4kt, Wind:16Kt(from:NW), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1017hPa, Swell:2m (to:SE). At: 15:50(PST) 11-Jan-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 3º 24.732' N | 114º 51.84' W | Begonia | Day 14 of Passage from Mexico (La Paz) to Marquesas (Hiva Oa)
At: 06:00(PST) 22-Apr-17, Outside Temp: 28.2C (82.76F), Humidity:80%, Water Temp: 37C (98.6F), Course: 228(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.4kt, Wind:5Kt(from:SSE), Cloud Cover:50%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:2m (to:N) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 29º 48.414' N | 114º 23.556' W | Begonia | We have moved [21.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Anchor - Bahia San Luis Gonzaga. At: 17:58(MST) 04-Feb-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 40º 35.208' S | 114º 4.092' W | Begonia | Day 33 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [4369.7]nm (through water) on this passage and have [1870]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [142.7]nm (through water). We have moved [136.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Overcast, foggy, misty, light winds with a small swell, we continue to push ahead, expecting to be on the edge of strong storm conditions (30, gusting to 45) in a couple of days (luckily we should be getting the winds, but wave heights will be bigger than we've had so far)] General Comments: [Kyle wishes to report 'this ocean is big', we've already sailed further than NY to London and are not yet 3/4 of the way. Our ETA date seems reasonable, and we are starting to think we are almost there now we have less than 2000 miles to go (we may need to reset our expectations!).] At: 06:00(AKST) 16-Jan-2018, Outside Temp: 19.5C (67.1F), Humidity:88%, Water Temp: 22.9C (73.22F) Course: 91(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.8kt, Wind:11Kt(from:N), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1020hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:S) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 5º 2.988' N | 114º 2.892' W | Begonia | Day 13 of Passage from Mexico (La Paz) to Marquesas (Hiva Oa)
At: 06:00(PST), Outside Temp: 27.9C (82.22F), Humidity:89%, Water Temp: 37C (98.6F), Course: 183(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.9kt, Wind:7Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:70%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:1m (to:NW) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 29º 42.348' N | 113º 59.508' W | Begonia | We have moved [23.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. calm… still... Course: 151(degT), Speed Over Ground:0.7kt, Wind:2Kt(from:SW), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1017hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 08:22(MST) 04-Feb-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 25º 52.248' N | 113º 58.356' W | Begonia | We have moved [75.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Sailing on Main now (for last 2 days on Jib alone). Course: 129(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.4kt, Wind:17Kt(from:N), Cloud Cover:60%, Pressure: 1017hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 15:55(PST) 12-Jan-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 6º 46.698' N | 113º 52.68' W | Begonia | Day 12 of Passage from Mexico (La Paz) to Marquesas (Hiva Oa)
Temp: 27.2C (80.96F), Humidity:87%, Course: 189(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.7kt, Wind:5Kt(from:N), Cloud Cover:95%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:SW) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 29º 33.18' N | 113º 33.744' W | Begonia | We have moved [45.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Anchor - Puerto Refuigo- West Bay - just to southeast of Isla Mejia. At: 16:40(PST) 06-Feb-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 28º 56.718' N | 113º 33.276' W | Begonia | We have moved [36.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Anchor - Bahia de Los Angeles (village) - No cell service. At: 15:44(PST) 09-Feb-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 11º 36.954' N | 113º 33.132' W | Begonia | We have moved [144.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 16 Galapagos to Hawaii. Course: 282(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.3kt, Wind:8Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:70%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:SE). At: 06:00(PST) 16-Apr-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 29º 37.902' N | 113º 33.0' W | Begonia | We have moved [2.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. calm. Course: 2(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.1kt, Wind:4Kt(from:NW), Cloud Cover:90%, Pressure: 1018hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 12:00(MST) 03-Feb-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 7º 53.742' N | 113º 31.458' W | Begonia | Day 11 of Passage from Mexico (La Paz) to Marquesas (Hiva Oa)
Temp: 27.8C (82.04F), Humidity:82%, Course: 224(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.2kt, Wind:6Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:85%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:2m (to:S) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 29º 35.82' N | 113º 30.6' W | Begonia | We have moved [24.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Very calm - barely moving… headed west now. Course: 290(degT), Speed Over Ground:1.1kt, Wind:2Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:50%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:0m (to:S). At: 07:00(MST) 03-Feb-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 25º 17.598' N | 113º 25.482' W | Begonia | We have moved [45.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. With the spinnaker!. Course: 134(degT), Speed Over Ground:7kt, Wind:10Kt(from:NW), Cloud Cover:15%, Pressure: 1018hPa, Swell:1m (to:S). At: 16:20(PST) 12-Jan-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 28º 59.388' N | 113º 24.252' W | Begonia | We have moved [8.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. On Passage south. At: 12:00(PST) 11-Feb-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 28º 52.914' N | 113º 22.638' W | Begonia | We have moved [6.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Anchor - Ensenada el Alacran (Scorpion Cove) - cove is home to a eco-resort and has yerts as accomodation (not much else!). At: 16:22(PST) 11-Feb-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 9º 4.44' N | 113º 11.55' W | Begonia | Day 10 of Passage from Mexico (La Paz) to Marquesas (Hiva Oa)
Temp: 27.1C (80.78F), Humidity:95%, Course: 212(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.5kt, Wind:5Kt(from:W), Cloud Cover:70%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:SW) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 29º 19.908' N | 113º 8.97' W | Begonia | We have moved [15.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Wind speed indicator fails - reads 0 - oh shit…. Course: 341(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.4kt, Wind:9Kt(from:NW), Cloud Cover:60%, Pressure: 1017hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 16:58(MST) 02-Feb-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 28º 48.192' N | 113º 8.43' W | Begonia | We have moved [13.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. On Passage. Course: 196(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.9kt, Wind:7Kt(from:NW), Cloud Cover:80%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:SE). At: 07:20(PST) 12-Feb-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 29º 10.212' N | 112º 54.912' W | Begonia | We have moved [26.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. tacking.. After a calm couple of hours late evening yesterday. Course: 236(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.5kt, Wind:5Kt(from:NW), Cloud Cover:0%, Pressure: 1017hPa, Swell:0m (to:S). At: 06:00(MST) 02-Feb-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 10º 5.718' N | 112º 50.82' W | Begonia | Day 9 of Passage from Mexico (La Paz) to Marquesas (Hiva Oa)
Course: 192 (degT), Speed Over Ground:5.4kt, Wind:15Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:70%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:SW) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 28º 45.12' N | 112º 46.686' W | Begonia | We have moved [26.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. tacking... Course: 320(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.7kt, Wind:4Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:0%, Pressure: 1017hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 16:14(MST) 01-Feb-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 28º 19.62' N | 112º 39.42' W | Begonia | We have moved [62.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Day 2 of passage North. Course: 4(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.8kt, Wind:8Kt(from:NW), Cloud Cover:2%, Pressure: 1017hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:S). At: 06:00(MST) 01-Feb-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 27º 49.68' N | 112º 27.18' W | Begonia | We have moved [68.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. On Passage. At: 21:00(PST) 12-Feb-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 12º 13.608' N | 112º 22.488' W | Begonia | Day 8 of Passage from Mexico (La Paz) to Marquesas (Hiva Oa)
Course: 194 (degT), Speed Over Ground:9.6kt, Wind:19Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:SE) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 27º 20.424' N | 112º 15.828' W | Begonia | We have moved [31.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Anchor in Santa Rosalia. At: 21:24(MSt) 22-Jan-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 27º 20.4' N | 112º 15.78' W | Begonia | We have moved [31.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At anchor - Santa Rosalia after a windy/rough night passage. At: 02:44(PST) 13-Feb-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 27º 20.262' N | 112º 15.768' W | Begonia | We have moved [0.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Marina Fonatur - Santa Rosalia. At: 19:00(MST) 23-Jan-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 24º 46.362' N | 112º 15.342' W | Begonia | We have moved [70.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored at Bahia Santa Maria, Mexico. At: 11:28(PST) 13-Jan-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 27º 13.572' N | 112º 1.35' W | Begonia | We have moved [14.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Underway. At: 10:00(MST) 15-Feb-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 27º 3.834' N | 111º 57.708' W | Begonia | We have moved [10.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Anchor - Punta Chivato area - just off Punta Mezquitito (Bahia Santa Ines) - Conception Bay. At: 13:01(MST) 15-Feb-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 26º 56.472' S | 111º 57.168' W | Begonia | Destination: Adamstown
Day 2 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Hanga Hotuiti (Easter Island) To:Pitcairn Island Progress: [So far we've made [139.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [1009]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [139.8]nm (through water). We have moved [135.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Mixed/choppy seas. A lot of rain yesterday and overnight (it's great to have the enclosure). Wind has shifted in our favor but the old swell remains and makes things uncomfortable still.] General Comments: [On departing Easter Island at first light - we managed to lose a boat hook overboard - thankfully it floated and Maryanne went in for a swim to recover it. Yesterday Kyle discovered that the bedroom hatch wasn't closed properly when a wave made its way to him while he slept (oh boy!). As we exchanged watches last night we were suddenly both alarmed by an electrical sparking sound coming from the cockpit. Kyle immediately went to investigate, the sound stopped and he couldn't find anything. It started again and this time Maryanne found the source - a flying fish had landed in the cockpit and as it fluttered its wings in an attempt to escape it made that very sound. The fish was returned to the water and we were relieved nothing worse was afoot. ] At: 06:00(PST) 09-May-2018, Outside Temp: 21.5C (70.7F), Humidity:80%, Water Temp: 32.1C (89.78F)Course: 278(degT), Speed Over Ground:8.1kt, Wind:19Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:80%, Pressure: 1019hPa, Swell:3m (to:NE) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 26º 42.93' N | 111º 54.228' W | Begonia | We have moved [21.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Anchor - Bahia Coyote - expecting strong south winds tomorrow.. At: 14:56(MST) 16-Feb-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 14º 22.398' N | 111º 53.472' W | Begonia | Day 7 of Passage from Mexico (La Paz) to Marquesas (Hiva Oa)
Course: 194 (degT), Speed Over Ground:5kt, Wind:9Kt(from:NNE), Cloud Cover:85%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:2m (to:SSE) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 26º 51.93' N | 111º 50.85' W | Begonia | We have moved [9.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Anchor - bahia Santo Domingo. At: 15:00(MST) 19-Feb-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 26º 59.082' N | 111º 50.052' W | Begonia | We have moved [51.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Continuing North. Course: 14(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.4kt, Wind:6Kt(from:WNW), Cloud Cover:0%, Pressure: 1020hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:S). At: 06:00(MST) 22-Jan-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 26º 54.618' N | 111º 43.722' W | Begonia | We have moved [6.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. On passage (day sail). At: 09:00(MST) 20-Feb-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 26º 45.132' N | 111º 35.892' W | Begonia | We have moved [11.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. On passage (day sail). At: 12:00(MST) 20-Feb-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 16º 18.69' N | 111º 26.622' W | Begonia | Day 6 of Passage from Mexico (La Paz) to Marquesas (Hiva Oa)
Course: 204 (degT), Speed Over Ground:3.8kt, Wind:7Kt(from:N), Cloud Cover:10%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:SE) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 26º 21.984' N | 111º 25.908' W | Begonia | We have moved [24.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Anchor - San Juanico - busy with boats and a few RVs - but otherwise quiet. At: 16:55(MST) 20-Feb-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 26º 21.12' N | 111º 23.892' W | Begonia | We have moved [2.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. On passage (day sail). At: 08:00(MST) 23-Feb-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 26º 0.762' N | 111º 20.154' W | Begonia | We have moved [9.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Anchor outside Loreto - winds at 12 kt but reducing rapidly - swell reducing too - will stay aboard until tomorrow. At: 11:40(MST) 25-Feb-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 26º 6.222' N | 111º 16.452' W | Begonia | We have moved [16.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Anchor off Islas Coronados. At: 12:20(MST) 23-Feb-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 25º 48.57' N | 111º 15.588' W | Begonia | We have moved [12.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Anchor - Honeymoon Cove on Danzante Island - after multiple attempts in different (limited) areas just dragged - seem to have made an enemy of AB Normal from Alaska (power boat) - oh boy.. At: 12:14(MST) 28-Feb-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 10º 53.676' N | 111º 12.15' W | Begonia | We have moved [135.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 15 Galapagos to Hawaii. Course: 274(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.2kt, Wind:9Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1009hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:S). At: 06:00(PST) 15-Apr-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 26º 1.068' N | 111º 9.882' W | Begonia | We have moved [7.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Anchor - Puerto Ballandra - Isla Carmen. At: 12:30(MST) 24-Feb-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 26º 22.632' N | 111º 9.402' W | Begonia | We have moved [15.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Plodding along… still trying to get weather forecast today. Course: 307(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.7kt, Wind:3Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1015hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 16:00(MST) 21-Jan-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 25º 31.278' N | 111º 4.398' W | Begonia | We have moved [20.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Anchor - Aqua Verde - tiny fishing community with goat farmers (can get fresh goat cheese!) - no cell phone signal. At: 13:12(MST) 01-Mar-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 26º 9.546' N | 111º 0.786' W | Begonia | We have moved [23.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 320(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.2kt, Wind:Kt(from:), Cloud Cover:80%, Pressure: 1015hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 09:34(MST) 21-Jan-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 25º 18.102' N | 110º 56.754' W | Begonia | We have moved [14.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Anchor - Bahia El Gato / Puerto Los Gatos - and just had a fish delivery. At: 14:48(MST) 04-Mar-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 17º 37.038' N | 110º 53.532' W | Begonia | Day 5 of Passage from Mexico (La Paz) to Marquesas (Hiva Oa)
Course: 225 (degT), Speed Over Ground:4.3kt, Wind:9Kt(from:NNE), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:1m (to:N) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 23º 26.322' N | 110º 48.534' W | Begonia | We have moved [112.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage around Southern Baja - Day 2. Course: 129(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.1kt, Wind:7Kt(from:NNW), Cloud Cover:1%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:S). At: 06:00(MST) 17-Jan-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 40º 34.182' S | 110º 47.52' W | Begonia | Day 34 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [4514.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [1742]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [144.4]nm (through water). We have moved [149.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [We have choppy mixed seas with plenty of white caps but not breaking (for the most part). A rough ride but tolerable. We expect these conditions to slightly worsen over the next day before a bit of respite] General Comments: [Still no ships, we are sailing downwind with a reefed jib so this helps ease things (relatively). No ships or anything of interest to report. This passage is now already our longest (in duration) ever to date. We are now east of the longitude of Phoenix (hi Mom!)] At: 06:00(AKST) 17-Jan-2018, Outside Temp: 19C (66.2F), Humidity:89%, Water Temp: 23.4C (74.12F) Course: 98(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.1kt, Wind:23Kt(from:NW), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:SE) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 25º 50.4' N | 110º 46.548' W | Begonia | We have moved [99.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Another Rough night of mixed/strong winds and lots of reefing and unreefing. Course: 317(degT), Speed Over Ground:7kt, Wind:15Kt(from:SW), Cloud Cover:98%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:E). At: 06:00(MST) 21-Jan-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 25º 1.17' N | 110º 41.292' W | Begonia | We have moved [22.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Anchor - Isla San Jose - Mangle Solo anchorage (by fishing camps). At: 14:36(MST) 06-Mar-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 24º 49.11' N | 110º 34.056' W | Begonia | We have moved [13.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Anchor - Isla San Francisco - in the fish hook shaped bay to south west. At: 13:04(MST) 07-Mar-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 24º 33.66' N | 110º 23.814' W | Begonia | We have moved [18.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Anchor -Isla Partida - Ensenada Grande - Already had rays and sea lions at the boat and water temperature finally works for us!. At: 13:34(MST) 10-Mar-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 24º 30.9' N | 110º 23.568' W | Begonia | We have moved [1.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Anchor - El Mezteno - Isla Espiritu Santo. At: 11:14(MST) 13-Mar-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 24º 30.456' N | 110º 23.322' W | Begonia | We have moved [0.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Anchor - Ensenada del Candelero (Candlestick Cove) - Espiritu Santo. At: 10:00(MST) 16-Mar-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 24º 32.046' N | 110º 22.764' W | Begonia | We have moved [1.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Anchor - Caleta Partida (between Isla Partida and Isla Espiritu Santo). At: 10:22(MST) 12-Mar-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 24º 28.35' N | 110º 22.746' W | Begonia | We have moved [2.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Anchor - Ensenada de la Raza - Isla Espiritu Santo. At: 11:26(MST) 18-Mar-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 24º 25.686' N | 110º 22.02' W | Begonia | We have moved [2.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Anchor - Bahia San Gabriel - Isla Espiritu Santo - 2 bars and 3g (finally) - but strong winds from SW currently and W later expected so too choppy to dinghy off. At: 10:54(MST) 19-Mar-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 24º 17.982' N | 110º 20.154' W | Begonia | We have moved [1.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At anchor - Caleta Lobos - just outside La Paz - expecting strong N winds tomorrow... At: 12:00(MST) 22-Mar-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 24º 19.164' N | 110º 20.064' W | Begonia | We have moved [6.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Anchor - Puerto Balandra, BCS, MX - Cellphone coverage And the mushroom rock. At: 15:00(MST) 20-Mar-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 24º 9.366' N | 110º 19.572' W | Begonia | We have moved [0.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Slip #27 at Marina de La Paz. At: 08:48(MST) 27-Mar-2017 | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 24º 9.606' N | 110º 19.308' W | Begonia | We have moved [8.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Anchor in La Paz - awaiting slip availability at Marina. At: 11:28(MST) 25-Mar-2017 | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 24º 9.822' N | 109º 55.632' W | Begonia | We have moved [21.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage from La Paz - Frailes - en route to Marquesas. At: 06:00(PST) 07-Apr-2017 | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 18º 56.808' N | 109º 51.702' W | Begonia | Day 4 of Passage from Mexico (La Paz) to Marquesas (Hiva Oa)
Course: 188 (degT), Speed Over Ground:5.6kt, Wind:12Kt(from:N), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:1.5m to:SSE | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 20º 48.45' N | 109º 47.988' W | Begonia | Day 3 of Passage from Mexico (La Paz) to Marquesas (Hiva Oa)
Course: 201 (degT), Speed Over Ground:5kt, Wind:12Kt(from:N), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:2.5m to:ESE | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 24º 29.472' N | 109º 42.402' W | Begonia | We have moved [9.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Finally moving!. Course: 312(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.7kt, Wind:4Kt(from:WSW), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 10:10(MST) 20-Jan-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 22º 38.082' N | 109º 42.108' W | Begonia | Day 2 of Passage from Mexico (La Paz) to Marquesas (Hiva Oa) | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 24º 23.418' N | 109º 34.152' W | Begonia | We have moved [61.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Slow progress after a frantic night of unexpected high winds. Course: 279(degT), Speed Over Ground:1.8kt, Wind:4Kt(from:SW), Cloud Cover:1%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:1m (to:SE). At: 06:00(MST) 20-Jan-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 22º 59.94' N | 109º 30.762' W | Begonia | First night of passage | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 23º 0.558' N | 109º 26.88' W | Begonia | We have moved [79.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Heading N on inside of Baha at last!. Course: 49(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.5kt, Wind:6Kt(from:N), Cloud Cover:90%, Pressure: 1018hPa, Swell:1m (to:S). At: 06:00(MST) 18-Jan-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 27º 8.58' S | 109º 26.238' W | Begonia | Arrived at Easter Island!
Day 20 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Bahia Cumberland, Robinson Crusoe Island To:Easter Island Progress: [So far we've made [2295.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [43.1]nm (through water). We have moved [29.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [At Anchor in 24m and luckily it set first time (we have a trip line just in case). SAG (Agriculture Officialdom) have visited us aboard and given us our paperwork after checking our potatoes and onions and looking for wasps (all clear!).] General Comments: [We have arrived! The deep water makes anchoring a bit of a pain (lots of scope and hard work joining lines and chain etc) so arrival was a bit of a stress (Will hopefully soon be forgotten once we open the wine). Forecast is not great and we'll have to move tomorrow evening (but hopefully get to stay around the corner a few days at least). We'll spend the rest of the day today getting the boat in order and resting up for a full schedule tomorrow - but YAY, we are HERE. There are 4 other sailboats here and a cargo ship at the same anchorage. We can already see some of the famous Easter Island statues (moai) from our anchorage.] At: 13:34(EAST) 29-Apr-2018, Outside Temp: 26.8C (80.24F), Humidity:53%, Water Temp: 32.6C (90.68F) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 27º 8.658' S | 109º 26.148' W | Begonia | At Anchor at Hanga Roa (Easter Island)
We have moved [9.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored again in deep water (it is exhausting, and we had to reset the anchor when we realized we'd swing too close and possibly into the no go area Hopefully some time to go ashore today but slim chance.] General Comments: [Back in Hanga Roa - we'll clear out tomorrow and depart the following morning early (once we've lifted the anchor - that takes a while!)] At: 15:18(EAST) 06-May-2018, Outside Temp: 27.2C (80.96F), Humidity:56%, Water Temp: 32.6C (90.68F) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 23º 22.77' N | 109º 25.524' W | Begonia | We have moved [22.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored at Los Frailes (small fishing camp and hotel on lovely beach - protected from N Winds (beware - marine reserve - treat with care). At: 15:32(MST) 18-Jan-2017 | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 23º 22.86' N | 109º 25.398' W | Begonia | At Anchor Bajia De Frailes (BCS, Mexico) - a rest stop before continuing on passage to Marquesas | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 27º 10.71' S | 109º 24.06' W | Begonia | At Anchor at Vinapu (Easter Island)From: Hanga Roa (Easter Island) To: Vinapu (Easter Island)
We travelled [8.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [2.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in this small anchorage at the end of the airport runway (views of gas tanks) but at least the wind forecast for the next few days will push us off shore. We could have stayed at the previous anchorage but in an abundance of caution we moved to this around the point to be a little better protected. (Unfortunately there is little sand and still a bit of a swell and we've yet to establish how easiy it will be to get ashore] General Comments: [We had a lovely day ashore with the last of the arrival admin and a nice hike up to a volcanic crater (Rano Kau) and an old ceremonial village ('Orongo) - all just stunning. We even had a couple of dogs adopt us for the walk. After so long at sea the time ashore was really appreciated - and the views were pretty spectacular too.] At: 17:50(EAST) 30-Apr-2018, Outside Temp: 26.6C (79.88F), Humidity:53%, Water Temp: 32.1C (89.78F) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 23º 34.182' N | 109º 23.79' W | Begonia | We have moved [46.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage from La Paz - Frailes - en route to Marquesas. Course: 169(degT), Speed Over Ground:1.8kt, Wind:3Kt(from:WSW), Cloud Cover:2%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:S). At: 06:00(PST) 08-Apr-2017 | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 27º 7.698' S | 109º 15.96' W | Begonia | At Anchor at Hanga Hotuiti (Easter Island)From: Vinapu (Easter Island) To: Hanga Hotuiti (Easter Island)We travelled [8.7]nm (through water) on this trip.
We have moved [7.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 24m in a large patch of sand (no other boats today) - with a stunning view of the Ahu Tongariki Moai with The Raruku Crater/Mountain behind. There is a small harbor here that we should be able to get ashore from with the dingy (apparently good for all weather conditions)] General Comments: [We moved really because landing didn't look so straightforward at Vinapu and the view wasn't so pretty there - from here, it will be much harder to get into town, but the shore access and view more than makes up for it] At: 11:46(EAST) 01-May-2018, Outside Temp: 26.7C (80.06F), Humidity:65%, Water Temp: 32.1C (89.78F) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 10º 18.87' N | 108º 59.04' W | Begonia | We have moved [116.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 14 Galapagos to Hawaii. Course: 277(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.3kt, Wind:11Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:90%, Pressure: 1009hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:SW). At: 06:00(PST) 14-Apr-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 27º 5.772' S | 108º 52.932' W | Begonia | Day 20 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Bahia Cumberland, Robinson Crusoe Island To:Easter Island
Progress: [So far we've made [2252.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [36.8]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [162.7]nm (through water). We have moved [151.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [More rough seas, but wind calming (main is up now)] General Comments: [We should be there later today (not sure if we'll get ashore today or just sleep). With a full moon the night sails have been a little easier but right now it is still dark - no sign of land as of yet.] At: 06:00(EAST) 29-Apr-2018, Outside Temp: 21.8C (71.24F), Humidity:63%, Water Temp: 32.1C (89.78F)Course: 313(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.5kt, Wind:17Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:80%, Pressure: 1020hPa, Swell:2m (to:W) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 40º 59.322' S | 107º 36.18' W | Begonia | Day 35 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [4662.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [1622]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [148.8]nm (through water). We have moved [147.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [The winds and seas both rose yesterday afternoon and evening, and our wind instrument decided to visit cuckoo land, mostly reading 0, sometimes reading between 0 and 4 kt (when we knew it was way more). Luckily we have a hand held instrument so were able to monitor the changing wind speed, but that meant leaving the cockpit to do so. Kyle believes the worst is now over and conditions will continue to get better (now our course is set on the search for wind in the coming days for now we still have plenty). Max apparent wind observed 41kt while surfing/travelling at 18 downwind with a scrap of jib (we spent much of the night with bare poles). ] General Comments: [Despite the larger seas, we have birds swooping around the sails at the bow of the boat and in their element, reminding me of dolphins playing about the boat bows. A little too rough to cook up anything yesterday (so we had leftovers). We are now off our South Pacific western portion chart now so Kyle only has one chart to plot our daily position (rather than the two he's been using). There was a LOT of sail changes (reefing and unreefing, and gybing) last night (luckily for me on Kyle's watch). Since the wind was building the waves are steep and close together, they look quite dramatic. We've had no sunshine for days and the boat feels damp, hoping for sun soon.] At: 06:00(AKST) 18-Jan-2018, Outside Temp: 17.7C (63.86F), Humidity:89%, Water Temp: 20.4C (68.72F) Course: 137(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.7kt, Wind:28Kt(from:NW), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:3m (to:SE) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 9º 37.38' N | 107º 8.886' W | Begonia | We have moved [148.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 13 Galapagos to Hawaii. Course: 289(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.3kt, Wind:14Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:1m (to:SW). At: 06:00(PST) 13-Apr-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 27º 8.148' S | 106º 2.49' W | Begonia | Day 19 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Bahia Cumberland, Robinson Crusoe Island To:Easter Island
Progress: [So far we've made [2089.4]nm (through water) on this passage and have [188]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [136.0]nm (through water). We have moved [131.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Big swells and choppy seas. We've the main down and the jib heavily reefed and sailing downwind ] General Comments: [Well the wind finally became consistent - leaving us a constantly boisterous ride aboard. We each had quite the white knuckle ride which we are not quite sure if we've seen the worst as of yet. Through a sleepy haze last night I heard Kyle yell "HOLD ON!. (followed by a swear word)" and I did indeed brace myself in bed waiting for the worst - but this monster wave just passed gently under us as calm as anything. We've had a few slam into us and a few land on us (Kyle was stood on the cabin top putting the main away early when a wave wet him to his waist). Still - we are almost there! Yesterday before the strong winds arrived, Kyle was busy checking over things and preparing for the worst. As he lowered the mainsail a washer fell on deck with a "Tink" sound. It is small (so thankfully not for any rigging) - and we have no idea what it is from, Kyle spent ages with binoculars looking to see where it might have come from without luck. Indeed we even posited that our sailing friend from Virginia has found us with a drone as he is in the habit of dropping springs and screws on the deck of fellow boaters just to mess with them.] At: 06:00(EAST) 28-Apr-2018, Outside Temp: 21.7C (71.06F), Humidity:77%, Water Temp: 32.1C (89.78F)Course: 273(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.3kt, Wind:23Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1017hPa, Swell:4m (to:NW) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 42º 23.01' S | 105º 25.242' W | Begonia | Day 36 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [4797.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [1488]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [134.3]nm (through water). We have moved [128.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Light winds with an annoying swell so progress is slow. Forecast for more of the same.] General Comments: [Blue skies and sunshine YAY (that helps mitigate the frustration of sails banging). The recent weather has created some new leaks aboard. Nothing too bad, but annoying, including one in our food locker (luckily everything is in plastic tubs so water finding its way to the floor is away from our cans!). I finally managed to clean up all the giant tub of breakfast cereal in I'd tossed around the boat in a big wave previously! On passage we keep to a 'boat time' which is generally some way between departure and arrival points, this journey is of sufficient distance and direction that each of our watches shifts in it's daylight quota significantly. Most of my watch time is in the dark now, yuk! Despite knowing we have one, we are unable to find our Chile courtesy flag.. seriously where do these things go?] At: 06:00(AKST) 19-Jan-2018, Outside Temp: 17.8C (64.04F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 19.5C (67.1F) Course: 125(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.4kt, Wind:8Kt(from:WSW), Cloud Cover:25%, Pressure: 1021hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:E) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 8º 45.396' N | 104º 48.324' W | Begonia | We have moved [161.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 12 Galapagos to Hawaii. Course: 286(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.7kt, Wind:16Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:50%, Pressure: 1009hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:W). At: 06:00(PST) 12-Apr-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 26º 53.532' S | 103º 36.378' W | Begonia | Day 18 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Bahia Cumberland, Robinson Crusoe Island To:Easter Island
Progress: [So far we've made [1953.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [319]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [98.1]nm (through water). We have moved [84.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [If I mentioned the wind had been frustrating before - I was so wrong. For the last 12 hours it has really kicked up on the frustration scale. Wind has been variable in speed and direction - spending just enough time at any state to trick us in to believing it might be settled. We've reefed - only to find the wind drops to 4kt for the next hour (and with the big swell that means the sails slamming from side to side). Our course has been a constant saw shape and even had us going at 7kt in exactly the wrong direction from time to time overnight... According to the forecast the wind should settle from ESE, but in the meantime it continues to tease us (oh, with rain too).] General Comments: [Ready to be there (anywhere really).] At: 06:00(EAST) 27-Apr-2018, Outside Temp: 20.4C (68.72F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 31.6C (88.88F)Course: 252(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.9kt, Wind:14Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1015hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:N) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 43º 30.318' S | 102º 50.28' W | Begonia | Day 37 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [4923.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [1363]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [126.3]nm (through water). We have moved [131.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Yesterday's forecast verified that we could expect light winds from behind for a while, so we pulled out the spinnaker (We didn't expect that down here!). So far we've spent almost 24 hours in a (relatively) smooth swell with her. We expect in a day or so the wind will shift and we'll need to switch back. Unfortunately it is looking like we can expect a miserable storm as we get close to Chile (great! traffic, rocks and a wild ride!)] General Comments: [The wind instrument appears to be working for now (at least most of the time, but we still won't trust it for the autopilot). Yesterday I finally realized (remembered) that Chile has similar restrictions on food imports to NZ much of that reprovisioning I did in NZ was well a bit silly of me. So now my meals will be focusing on beans and grains and the things we are a risk of having confiscated on arrival. At: 06:00(AKST) 20-Jan-2018, Outside Temp: 14.7C (58.46F), Humidity:78%, Water Temp: 15.8C (60.44F) Course: 138(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.1kt, Wind:13Kt(from:NW), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1022hPa, Swell:3m (to:NE) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 7º 46.056' N | 102º 16.38' W | Begonia | We have moved [171.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 11 Galapagos to Hawaii. Course: 286(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.5kt, Wind:17Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:90%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:3m (to:SW). At: 06:00(PST) 11-Apr-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 26º 26.73' S | 102º 7.182' W | Begonia | Day 17 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Bahia Cumberland, Robinson Crusoe Island To:Easter Island
Progress: [So far we've made [1855.4]nm (through water) on this passage and have [400]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [103.5]nm (through water). We have moved [99.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [We motored much of yesterday to cross the calm and are now in head winds (at least for now). We expect tail winds for much of the last stretch to Easter Island (can't wait!).] General Comments: [This week I've tried fishing a couple of days - and so far all I have to show for it is one lost hat.. This is more like I'm used to!!!] At: 06:00(EAST) 26-Apr-2018, Outside Temp: 22.1C (71.78F), Humidity:75%, Water Temp: 32.1C (89.78F)Course: 270(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.3kt, Wind:11Kt(from:NNW), Cloud Cover:90%, Pressure: 1018hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:NE) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 25º 29.37' S | 100º 37.158' W | Begonia | Day 16 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Bahia Cumberland, Robinson Crusoe Island To:Easter Island
Progress: [So far we've made [1751.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [490]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [53.7]nm (through water). We have moved [69.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [No wind! We are in the middle of a large calm and Kyle is actually motoring through it (at least for now). We've already been motoring for almost 3 hours - which shows that most of the 70 miles we actually moved yesterday was current.] General Comments: [We found a can of apple pie filling that was quite rusty. I figured I had to use it before the contents found a way out and made a crumb cake. I think even with our best efforts it is going to take at least 3 days to finish it - but it tastes good :-)] At: 06:00(EAST) 25-Apr-2018, Outside Temp: 20.7C (69.26F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 31.6C (88.88F)Course: 208(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.7kt, Wind:3Kt(from:WSW), Cloud Cover:10%, Pressure: 1020hPa, Swell:1m (to:NW) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 45º 1.908' S | 100º 7.872' W | Begonia | Day 38 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [5074.6]nm (through water) on this passage and have [1237]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [151.2]nm (through water). We have moved [148.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Its COLD again. Large swells from a storm to our south, but motion not too bad. Good sailing conditions aside from the swells. Spinnaker down as of yesterday evening, currently sailing under jib alone, hoping to put main up later.] General Comments: [I was woken by someone wearing ALL of Kyle's clothing (including several layers of winter hats). It was so nice to have the spinnaker up for just over 24 hours, but we didn't want to risk it overnight as the forecast was for the wind to increase just a little too much. Kyle reports there was an albatross circling the boat as the sun came up today (about 2:30 am boat time). During my 'day' I've been busy getting the paperwork ready for Chile (primarily lists of all our electronics). Our longitude is the same as Amarillo Texas now, and our nearest land is finally in Chile!] At: 06:00(AKST) 21-Jan-2018, Outside Temp: 15.3C (59.54F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 15C (59F) Course: 111(degT), Speed Over Ground:6kt, Wind:17Kt(from:W), Cloud Cover:99%, Pressure: 1019hPa, Swell:3m (to:E) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 24º 31.122' S | 99º 55.02' W | Begonia | "Day 15 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Bahia Cumberland, Robinson Crusoe Island To:Easter Island
Progress: [So far we've made [1598.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [543]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [36.7]nm (through water). We have moved [133.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Forecast continues to predict more frustrations.. Sigh. We have turned south to cut across an area of calms and get to strong winds on the other side.] General Comments: [We had a good dose of sunshine yesterday and hope for more today (the batteries really like it)] At: 06:00(EAST) 24-Apr-2018, Outside Temp: 21.5C (70.7F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 31.6C (88.88F)Course: 222(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.9kt, Wind:10Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1021hPa, Swell:2m (to:N) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 6º 41.004' N | 99º 36.522' W | Begonia | We have moved [168.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 10 Galapagos to Hawaii. Course: 278(degT), Speed Over Ground:7kt, Wind:19Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:3m (to:SW). At: 06:00(PST) 10-Apr-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 23º 11.742' S | 97º 57.612' W | Begonia | Day 14 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Bahia Cumberland, Robinson Crusoe Island To:Easter Island
Progress: [So far we've made [1561.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [672]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [130.1]nm (through water). We have moved [122.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Forecasts have been shifting and yesterday we again turned NW (rather than WSW towards Easter Island). Clouds are starting to lift, but calms are forecast in our future (and also with heavy rain)- Frustrating] General Comments: [Even with the clouds it is starting to get 'too hot' by afternoon and Kyle has been removing the side panels of the enclosure to let in some air (which we put back at night).] At: 06:00(EAST) 23-Apr-2018, Outside Temp: 21.3C (70.34F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 31.1C (87.98F)Course: 245(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.6kt, Wind:16Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:15%, Pressure: 1019hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:N) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 5º 44.058' N | 96º 57.576' W | Begonia | We have moved [85.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 9 Galapagos to Hawaii. Course: 293(degT), Speed Over Ground:7kt, Wind:12Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:50%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:SW). At: 06:00(PST) 09-Apr-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 45º 51.852' S | 96º 39.03' W | Begonia | Day 39 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [5235.4]nm (through water) on this passage and have [1082]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [160.8]nm (through water). We have moved [154.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Mostly sunny, but cold. The large swell continues (but not too bad), the wind moved enough that we now have both sails up and full. Forecast is for the reasonable conditions to conditions to continue, but there is lots of rain in our future (but we have a few days before it arrives)] General Comments: [We haven't actually seen a ship for 22 days, and the last one we picked up on the AIS was over a week ago (and 130nm away!), we've had only ourselves and the odd bird for company. We mentioned it is cold (at least it feels it to us!). Overnight we had a GPS issue, and in an attempt to investigate our beautiful old barometer got knocked off the wall and the glass is cracked (It was my grandmothers and was in perfect condition when we received it, I'm so sad).] At: 06:00(AKST) 22-Jan-2018, Outside Temp: 13.6C (56.48F), Humidity:66%, Water Temp: 14.6C (58.28F) Course: 107(degT), Speed Over Ground:5kt, Wind:10Kt(from:WSW), Cloud Cover:15%, Pressure: 1024hPa, Swell:3m (to:NE) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 23º 14.862' S | 95º 44.712' W | Begonia | Day 13 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Bahia Cumberland, Robinson Crusoe Island To:Easter Island
Progress: [So far we've made [1431.4]nm (through water) on this passage and have [783]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [121.3]nm (through water). We have moved [118.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [More of the same (although those easier seas I reported yesterday soon turned mixed again). Depending on the model there may or may not be a calm patch between us and Easter Island.. Swell is increasing] General Comments: [Another day without us noticing any birds (!??!). Its been cloudy for days but so far this morning looks reasonable (hopefully that means we'll get a good dose of solar power?)] At: 06:00(EAST) 22-Apr-2018, Outside Temp: 20.7C (69.26F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 30.6C (87.08F)Course: 263(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.8kt, Wind:10Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:35%, Pressure: 1018hPa, Swell:2m (to:NW) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 5º 14.856' N | 95º 36.744' W | Begonia | We have moved [77.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 8 Galapagos to Hawaii. Course: 294(degT), Speed Over Ground:4kt, Wind:6Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:1m (to:NW). At: 06:00(PST) 08-Apr-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 4º 28.77' N | 94º 34.422' W | Begonia | We have moved [119.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 7 Galapagos to Hawaii. Course: 310(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.4kt, Wind:9Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:20%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:NW). At: 06:00(PST) 07-Apr-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 45º 15.558' S | 94º 5.97' W | Begonia | Day 40 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [5351.7]nm (through water) on this passage and have [973]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [116.2]nm (through water). We have moved [113.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [All as expected per forecast. Wind has filled in and is expected to be without further lulls for the rest of the way. Seas expected to decrease for a day or so before increasing with the passing front expected (25th) that will also bring the rain.] General Comments: [We are now less than 1000 miles to go. That helps the psyche! I've been taking a hot water bottle to bed with me for some time now, Kyle finally caved in and was grateful to have one last night. The last couple of days we've had gentler seas so its been easy getting about and functioning aboard. Kyle says he spotted a different type of seabird this morning (possibly a booby), and we are expecting to see other boats sometime soon.] At: 06:00(AKST) 23-Jan-2018, Outside Temp: 17C (62.6F), Humidity:62%, Water Temp: 15.4C (59.72F) Course: 83(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.6kt, Wind:14Kt(from:NW), Cloud Cover:85%, Pressure: 1024hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:SE) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 2º 44.358' N | 93º 37.008' W | Begonia | We have moved [91.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 6 Galapagos to Hawaii. Course: 329(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.1kt, Wind:5Kt(from:SSE), Cloud Cover:50%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:1m (to:N). At: 06:00(PST) 06-Apr-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 23º 7.038' S | 93º 35.958' W | Begonia | Day 12 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Bahia Cumberland, Robinson Crusoe Island To:Easter Island
Progress: [So far we've made [1310.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [899]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [118.5]nm (through water). We have moved [106.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [We have turned towards Easter Island (this time hopefully for good), we are at the edge of the trade wind belt so a little variable, and the chop has gone so the ride is a little easier] General Comments: [The birds have thinned out over the last few days. Kyle's chin/jaw is much recovered but he tells me is still is a little painful when he bangs into things (!!)] At: 06:00(EAST) 21-Apr-2018, Outside Temp: 21.1C (69.98F), Humidity:68%, Water Temp: 30.6C (87.08F)Course: 281(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.6kt, Wind:15Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1018hPa, Swell:2m (to:NW) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 1º 17.088' N | 93º 8.544' W | Begonia | We have moved [72.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 5 Galapagos to Hawaii. Course: 320(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.4kt, Wind:2Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:1m (to:N). At: 06:00(PST) 05-Apr-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 0º 9.006' N | 92º 43.728' W | Begonia | We have moved [47.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 4 Galapagos to Hawaii. Course: 310(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.1kt, Wind:5Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:0%, Pressure: 1009hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:N). At: 06:00(PST) 04-Apr-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 0º 31.392' S | 92º 19.44' W | Begonia | We have moved [82.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 3 Galapagos to Hawaii. Course: 327(degT), Speed Over Ground:4kt, Wind:9Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:0%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:1m (to:N). At: 06:00(PST) 03-Apr-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 23º 25.35' S | 91º 42.18' W | Begonia | Day 11 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Bahia Cumberland, Robinson Crusoe Island To:Easter Island
Progress: [So far we've made [1191.7]nm (through water) on this passage and have [993]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [121.6]nm (through water). We have moved [116.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [The forecasts and predictions are pushing us more North than we were expecting (!!), we are now in the Tropics (not expected). The point of sail and the chop/mixed seas along with shifting winds make for frustrating sailing (we sure miss our Spinnaker)] General Comments: [We have sliver of a crescent moon for a few hours each night now. The forecasts have been very disappointing. It looks like we will arrive much later than we had hoped, and also that the winds will require us to anchor in a different part of the island.] At: 06:00(EAST) 20-Apr-2018, Outside Temp: 21.1C (69.98F), Humidity:66%, Water Temp: 29.7C (85.46F)Course: 286(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.4kt, Wind:10Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:99%, Pressure: 1020hPa, Swell:2m (to:NW) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 1º 38.448' S | 91º 31.86' W | Begonia | We have moved [43.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 2 Galapagos to Hawaii. Course: 293(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.4kt, Wind:11Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:1m (to:W). At: 06:00(PST) 02-Apr-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 1º 9.084' S | 90º 59.748' W | Begonia | We have moved [11.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Exit Galapagos due to Tsunami warning. Course: 180(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.9kt, Wind:4Kt(from:ENE), Cloud Cover:%, Pressure: 1009hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 21:07(GALT) 01-Apr-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 1º 0.744' S | 90º 58.428' W | Begonia | We have moved [27.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 17 Panama to Galapagos. Course: 18(degT), Speed Over Ground:0.2kt, Wind:4Kt(from:ENE), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1009hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:N). At: 06:00(GALT) 31/032014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 0º 57.798' S | 90º 57.594' W | Begonia | We have moved [3.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - ARRIVED! Galapagos (corrected W position). At: 09:00(GALT) 31/032014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 1º 26.988' S | 90º 51.552' W | Begonia | We have moved [33.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 16 Panama to Galapagos. Course: 250(degT), Speed Over Ground:1.7kt, Wind:2Kt(from:NNE), Cloud Cover:90%, Pressure: 1009hPa, Swell:1m (to:N). At: 06:00(GALT) 30-Mar-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 1º 52.392' S | 90º 29.322' W | Begonia | We have moved [59.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 15 Panama to Galapagos. Course: 324(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.2kt, Wind:5Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:60%, Pressure: 1008hPa, Swell:1m (to:N). At: 06:00(GALT) 29-Mar-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 44º 52.518' S | 90º 16.35' W | Begonia | Day 41 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [5523.6]nm (through water) on this passage and have [809]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [172.0]nm (through water). We have moved [163.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [A great day sailing yesterday, even a little sunshine. Forecast storm (rain and gusts) expected in the next day or so.] General Comments: [Mild weather with plenty of albatross visiting, I can hardly believe we are day 41 now, hopefully not too many more to go, the gap is closing. Kyle is wanting me to mention that we ONLY have 3 onions left in our supply of onions. I think we'll manage] At: 06:00(AKST) 24-Jan-2018, Outside Temp: 17.7C (63.86F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 15.2C (59.36F) Course: 81(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.4kt, Wind:11Kt(from:NW), Cloud Cover:55%, Pressure: 1023hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:NE) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 24º 3.06' S | 89º 42.078' W | Begonia | Day 10 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Bahia Cumberland, Robinson Crusoe Island To:Easter Island
Progress: [So far we've made [1070.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [1089]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [143.4]nm (through water). We have moved [131.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [We continue in mixed and choppy seas, but are maintaining a good speed (with a bouncy ride)] General Comments: [Yesterday we had two large fishing boats pass ahead of us about 2 hours apart. The first one called and introduced themselves, and were very friendly/chatty (in Spanish, so our responses were limited) they were a Spanish crew who worked for 3 months at a time on the boat (with one month to go). The second boat called us well ahead of getting close, and insisted we should not alter our course or speed (in Spanish) - but then proceeded to head directly for us. We think he was just overly curious to 'see us' but the chartplotter was indicating it would pass within 30 feet of us (or less) - way too close. Normally such a boat would pass behind us and nothing like that close - but he was definitely aiming to pass DIRECTLY ahead of us - eventually I pulled up and stalled the boat - so we wouldn't be of any risk of hitting into the side of his giant boat, and he called on the radio to complain... LOL (aaaghhh...) - Everyone came out to wave at us - they looked very excited to see us, and then we were bounced around by the wake for a few minutes... Just crazy. Kyle hurt himself yesterday when a winch handle came free while he had his full force on it, and it swung up and hit him in the face. He was immediately screaming that he'd broken his jaw (but in such clear speech that I knew he hadn't) - but boy that winch handle must have hurt (and still does).] At: 06:00(EAST) 19-Apr-2018, Outside Temp: 20.7C (69.26F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 29.7C (85.46F)Course: 283(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.6kt, Wind:15Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1021hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:NW) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 2º 4.134' S | 89º 30.618' W | Begonia | We have moved [62.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 14 Panama to Galapagos. Course: 255(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.8kt, Wind:6Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:0%, Pressure: 1008hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:NE). At: 06:00(GALT) 28-Mar-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 1º 43.506' S | 88º 31.32' W | Begonia | We have moved [108.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 13 Panama to Galapagos. Course: 246(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.6kt, Wind:7Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1009hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:N). At: 06:00(GALT) 27-Mar-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 24º 39.582' S | 87º 23.01' W | Begonia | Day 9 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Bahia Cumberland, Robinson Crusoe Island To:Easter Island
Progress: [So far we've made [926.7]nm (through water) on this passage and have [1204]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [140.6]nm (through water). We have moved [136.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Good speed in mixed seas (downwind sailing is not stable in such messy seas)] General Comments: [Water and air are warming up nicely, but we are looking like we'll arrive much later than we expected - And the weather when we arrive isn't looking too great either. All we can do is hope and keep trying?] At: 06:00(EAST) 18-Apr-2018, Outside Temp: 20.4C (68.72F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 29.7C (85.46F)Course: 311(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.6kt, Wind:20Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:20%, Pressure: 1022hPa, Swell:3m (to:W) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 1º 7.644' S | 86º 49.074' W | Begonia | We have moved [89.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 12 Panama to Galapagos. Course: 257(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.4kt, Wind:5Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:10%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:1m (to:N). At: 06:00(GALT) 26-Mar-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 44º 18.84' S | 86º 8.532' W | Begonia | Day 42 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [5706.3]nm (through water) on this passage and have [630]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [182.7]nm (through water). We have moved [179.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [The front arrived (no rain yet), the wind is building, as are short and steep seas, there white caps everywhere, and the boat is taking lots of spray and wave hits. It is bouncy and wild and fast (we are fully reefed). ] General Comments: [We are awaiting the rain, after which we should have a wind shift which should make things a little smoother. Sleep for the off watch is not so easy. The gap on the map is getting smaller, Kyle says we only have a thumb length left on our pacific chart (we started with a distance elbow to fingertip)] At: 06:00(AKST) 25-Jan-2018, Outside Temp: 17.3C (63.14F), Humidity:77%, Water Temp: 16.1C (60.98F) Course: 78(degT), Speed Over Ground:8.5kt, Wind:28Kt(from:NNW), Cloud Cover:80%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:SE) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 0º 28.596' S | 85º 28.062' W | Begonia | We have moved [107.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 11 Panama to Galapagos. Course: 232(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.2kt, Wind:7Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:80%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:1m (to:N). At: 06:00(GALT) 25-Mar-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 25º 19.038' S | 84º 58.53' W | Begonia | Day 8 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Bahia Cumberland, Robinson Crusoe Island To:Easter Island
Progress: [So far we've made [786.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [1326]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [131.2]nm (through water). We have moved [132.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [We had a great speed day yesterday (certainly compared to the previous 4 days), we also had great sunshine yesterday (especially in the morning), but are still waiting on sunshine for today.] General Comments: [Birds remain our only visitors - but we actually spotted a fishing boat on the AIS and its lights at a distance last night. The starscape overnight was fantastic (what a pleasure to be able to actually see the stars). All is well but the passage appears slow.] At: 06:00(EAST) 17-Apr-2018, Outside Temp: 20.3C (68.54F), Humidity:82%, Water Temp: 28.7C (83.66F)Course: 278(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.3kt, Wind:12Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:95%, Pressure: 1022hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:NE) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 0º 33.966' N | 84º 0.51' W | Begonia | We have moved [121.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 10 Panama to Galapagos. Course: 251(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.3kt, Wind:9Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:1m (to:N). At: 06:00(GALT) 24-Mar-2014 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 45º 58.068' N | 83º 51.048' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Fort Drummond, off Whitney Bay, Drummond Island, Lake Huron, Michigan - Inland Waterways, USA. Our position: loc:45.9781, -083.8575 Sail From: Drummond Island Yacht Haven, North Passage, Lake Huron, Michigan To: Fort Drummond, off Whitney Bay, Drummond Island, Lake Huron, Michigan Trip: We travelled 10.4nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 2:30 hours). We have moved 5.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.1kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.1kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3m in this peaceful cove. There is a marina deeper in if needed. We arrived to see a deer ashore watching us. Well sheltered, and with plenty of kayak exploring options. 2bar LTE on Phone.] General Comments: [We spent most of yesterday waiting for the electrician to make I to the boat, but once he did arrive all was fixed within 30 minutes (Yay). If only we'd had the beefier crimping tool we could have done the work ourselves. We squeezed in a visit to the local historical museum (small but well done), and Kyle hit the jackpot with visits to both a Mexican restaurant AND and ice cream parlor before returning to Begonia. We planned to walk the 2.5 miles, but locals stopped both ways and gave us a ride. Today we knew we didn't have far to go, so we squeezed in a walk to the trails at the nearby Clyde & Martha Williams Nature Reserve before leaving the marina. Since departing we've moved anti-clockwise around the island, through the De Tour Passage and around to the SW of Drummond Island. We are now still in Lake Huron, but officially out of the North Passage. We had great conditions for Aurora viewing overnight, but the smoke moved in and messed with us. Hopefully sometime this season!] At: 13:20(EDT) 26-Jul-2023, Outside Temp: 24C (75.2F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 21.9C (71.42F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 45º 57.018' N | 83º 48.042' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Pike Bay, Drummond Island, Lake Huron, Michigan - Inland Waterways, USA. Our position: loc:45.9531, -083.8068 Sail From: Fort Drummond, off Whitney Bay, Drummond Island, Lake Huron, Michigan To: Pike Bay, Drummond Island, Lake Huron, Michigan Trip: We travelled 5.6nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 1:28 hours). We have moved 2.6nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 1.8kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.8kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3m, large bay with good protection. Cottages dotted ashore, but mostly all you see is evergreen trees. No services ashore, plenty of kayaking options. 2bar LTE on phone signal.] General Comments: [Given the forecast rain tomorrow we decided to move on to the next anchorage a little earlier - so this afternoon - after a bit of kayaking around this morning. Day started off smoky, but blue skies seem to have returned. During the Short passage we were hounded by biting flies and Kyle went on a killing spree to solve that issue, let's hope their friends don't follow us for revenge.] At: 16:00(EDT) 27-Jul-2023, Outside Temp: 26.7C (80.06F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 22.4C (72.32F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 46º 3.0' N | 83º 45.06' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Harbor Island, Sturgeon Bay, NW of Drummond Island, Lake Huron, Michigan - Inland Waterways, USA. Our position: loc:46.0499, -083.7603 Sail From: Supply Point, Huron Shores, North Channel, Lake Huron, Ontario To: Harbor Island, Sturgeon Bay, NW of Drummond Island, Lake Huron, Michigan Trip: We travelled 37.3nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 9:56 hours). We have moved 25.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.6kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.8kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3m in this beautifully protected inlet and mostly surrounded by fir trees. The island is a National Wildlife Refuge, so no facilities, just beautiful nature all around. The natural harbour provided by the island's shape is protected from all but the SW. Phone signal 1bar LTE / weak (no good for data). ] General Comments: [We had a day of heavy rain yesterday so stayed aboard (unfortunately). Overnight remained cold, and we set off well wrapped today under sail (again) and tacked West along the channel and back to USA waters (Michigan). We had expected to need clear customs at a marina on Drummond Island ($$), but were able to check in via the app with a quick video call to speak with the official. All this meant we could change our destination to a peaceful anchorage instead (much nicer!). With a very early start this morning, we'll rest up the rest of the day and set off exploring in the morning.] At: 15:38(EDT) 21-Jul-2023, Outside Temp: 25.9C (78.62F), Humidity:60%, Water Temp: 22.9C (73.22F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 46º 1.056' N | 83º 45.012' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Off Drummond Island Yacht Haven, Drummond Island, North Passage, Lake Huron, Michigan - Inland Waterways, USA. Our position: loc:46.0261, -083.7518 Sail From: Harbor Island, Potagannissing Bay, NW of Drummond Island, Lake Huron, Michigan To: Off Drummond Island Yacht Haven, Drummond Island, North Passage, Lake Huron, Michigan Trip: We travelled 1.6nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 0:38 hours). We have moved 1.5nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.3kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.4kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3m, just west of marina. Phone signal weak/intermittent.] General Comments: [We did plenty of kayaking about in Harbor island (in the inner and outer parts of the island). We were introduced to the large Sandhill Cranes, with their loud and distinctive rattling calls. Relatively relaxed time, and we caught up with some chores (servicing the heads/toilets, and such). We've hopped over to the Marina as we want some electrical work done that we don't have the tools for, and are hoping that they'll have someone free to work on Begonia's windlass for an hour tomorrow. Assuming they have an opening, we'll prep for the work today.] At: 11:28(EDT) 24-Jul-2023, Outside Temp: 24.2C (75.56F), Humidity:68%, Water Temp: 23.4C (74.12F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 46º 1.056' N | 83º 44.088' W | Begonia |
At Dock: Drummond Island Yacht Haven, North Passage, Lake Huron, Michigan - Inland Waterways, USA. Our position: loc:46.0256, -083.7482 Sail From: Off Drummond Island Yacht Haven, Drummond Island, North Passage, Lake Huron, Michigan To: Drummond Island Yacht Haven, North Passage, Lake Huron, Michigan Trip: We travelled 0.2nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 0:14 hours). We have moved 0.2nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 0.7kt, Avg speed (through the water):0.9kt. Location Comments: [Marina with docks for small and larger boats. Provides fuel, pump out, showers, laundry and various marine services.] General Comments: [We've relocated to the marina where we have arranged to have the windlass wiring replaced today so have arrived in good time, hoping to have time to also visit the local museum once done (and a surprisingly well reviewed local mexican restaurant).] At: 08:32(EDT) 25-Jul-2023, Outside Temp: 19.9C (67.82F), Humidity:75%, Water Temp: 22.9C (73.22F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 45º 55.014' N | 83º 33.078' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Little Shelter Bay, Drummond Island, Lake Huron, Michigan - Inland Waterways, USA. Our position: loc:45.9191, -083.5630 Sail From: Pike Bay, Drummond Island, Lake Huron, Michigan To: Little Shelter Bay, Drummond Island, Lake Huron, Michigan Trip: We travelled 11.7nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 3:20 hours). We have moved 10.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.1kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.5kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 4.6m, large bay, scattered cottages, no facilities ashore. Shelter Island gives it good shelter from West, so it is only exposed to winds from S-SW . We chose this as a good place to anchor before hoping over to Canadian waters. No cell service (mostly shows SOS only).] General Comments: [Another fun/lazy stay in our last anchorage. Today we were able to sail the few miles along the south coast of Drummond Island to this location. We'll spend a couple of nights here before returning to Canada (We need to work on drinking up our alcohol supplies before we clear in to Canadian waters)! Since arriving in Lake Huron we've been on the look out for Loons (native, beautiful, black-and-white ducks that are so beloved in Canada they feature on the $1 coin, which is hence nicknamed a ""loonie""). So far we've only seen them at a far distance, but we had a few less distant sightings in Pike Bay, so are getting more hopeful for a close up sometime this season.] At: 13:20(EDT) 30-Jul-2023, Outside Temp: 21.4C (70.52F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 20C (68F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 46º 11.064' N | 83º 10.068' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Supply Point, Huron Shores, North Channel, Lake Huron, Ontario - Inland Waterways, Canada. Our position: loc:46.1942, -083.1780 Sail From: Dorothy Inlet, Blind River, North Channel, Lake Huron, Ontario To: Supply Point, Huron Shores, North Channel, Lake Huron, Ontario Trip: We travelled 16.1nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 6:10 hours). We have moved 8.8nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 1.4kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.6kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.2m. Strip of private homes ashore, no facilities, 2bar LTE phone signal. Charts show multiple isolated rocks either side of this area so pay attention on approach.] General Comments: [Sunny weather and calm waters made from a pleasant sail. Winds were light and patchy (making us slow, but since we didn't need to hurry anywhere, who cares?).] At: 14:22(EDT) 19-Jul-2023, Outside Temp: 23.9C (75.02F), Humidity:60%, Water Temp: 17.5C (63.5F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 42º 12.054' N | 83º 6.006' W | Begonia |
At Dock: St Clair Marine, LaSalle, Detriot River, Ontario - Inland Waterways, Canada. Our position: loc:42.2087, -083.1008 Sail From: Peche Isle Provincial Park, Lake St Clair/Detriot River, Ontario To: St Clair Marine, LaSalle, Detriot River, Ontario Trip: We travelled 10.0nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 2:30 hours). We have moved 11.0nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.4kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.0kt. Location Comments: [At Marine yard Dock pending haul out for winter] General Comments: [Gloomy days at anchor, with heavy overnight rain, and a light drizzle on route today. Luckily the forecast is for a few sunny days ahead. Heating parts not yet arrived so we'll be grateful for the nice weather.] At: 10:04(EDT) 28-Sep-2023, Outside Temp: 16.8C (62.24F), Humidity:87%, Water Temp: 19.5C (67.1F) | about 1 year ago | Show |
| 46º 10.062' N | 82º 58.008' W | Begonia | At Anchor: Blind River, North Channel, Lake Huron, Ontario - Inland Waterways, Canada.
Our position: loc:46.1773, -082.9675 Sail From: Cole Bay, Manitoulin Island, Lake Huron, Ontario To: Blind River, North Channel, Lake Huron, Ontario Trip: We travelled 12.9nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 4:44 hours). We have moved 13.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.8kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.7kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 1.7m. Just outside harbour breakwall. Considered poor holding so for fine weather only. 2 bar LTE on phone signal. There is a marina with facilities within the breakwall. Town is a good size (pop:3,500) and has museums, restaurants, chandlery, etc.] General Comments: [We were kindly welcomed and given a tour of the Ziibaahaasing First Nation Land by a local (Thanks Kevin), so that was a special treat! Today, we headed back to the mainland, to the town of Blind River. Another departure under sail today (Kudos to Kyle). ] At: 16:04(EDT) 16-Jul-2023, Outside Temp: 24C (75.2F), Humidity:65%, Water Temp: 21.9C (71.42F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 42º 20.07' N | 82º 56.016' W | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Peche Isle Provincial Park, Lake St Clair/Detriot River, Ontario, Canada - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 3 of Inland Waterways Passage From:Thomas Bay, off Georges Bay, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario To:Peche Isle Provincial Park, Lake St Clair/Detriot River, Ontario. Our position: loc:42.3449, -082.9354 Progress: [We've made 225.5nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 48:40 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 8.0nm; we have made 8.2nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 7.9nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.5kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.7kt, Avg speed for trip:4.6kt. ] Location Comments: [Anchored in 7m, to SW of island with main shipping channel to the North of the Island, the USA city of Detoit to the WNW, and the smaller Canadian city of Windsor just to the South. Peche Island, a provincial park popular with boaters, is just at the entrance to the Detroit River from Lake St Clair. Shore access permitted (trails to the eastern end of island).] General Comments: [Birds everywhere (geese, ducks, swans). Overcast/Gloomy. (Kyle corrected he and told me it rained a LOT on his watch). We'll try and spend the next couple of days with a balanced mix of chores and relaxation (our last chance for a while).] At: 07:44(EDT) 26-Sep-2023, Outside Temp: 18.9C (66.02F), Humidity:88%, Water Temp: 20.9C (69.62F) | about 1 year ago | Show |
| 45º 57.078' N | 82º 52.074' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Cole Bay, Manitoulin Island, Lake Huron, Ontario - Inland Waterways, Canada. Our position: loc:45.9628, -082.8792 Sail From: Gore Bay, Manitoulin Island, North Channel, Lake Huron To: Cole Bay, Manitoulin Island, Lake Huron, Ontario Trip: We travelled 18.9nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 6:48 hours). We have moved 17.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.6kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.8kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 4m in peaceful cove, ashore is the Zhiibaahaasing First Nation lands (relocated from Cockburn Island), and their 'giant' tourist attractions. Good phone/data signal. ] General Comments: [Kyle departed Gore bay under sail today (It took us 2 hours to exit the bay in very light winds). Variable winds made for variable speeds underway as the wind played with us. Forecasts are for some heavy rains this afternoon and through the weekend, but we are hoping for a dry window to get ashore at some point.] At: 15:44(EDT) 14-Jul-2023, Outside Temp: 23.7C (74.66F), Humidity:59%, Water Temp: 21.4C (70.52F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 42º 1.056' N | 82º 36.036' W | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Off Seacliff Beach, Leamington, Pigeon Bay, Ontario (ON), Canada - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 2 of Inland Waterways Passage From:Marine Lake, Presque Isle, Lake Erie, PA To:Off Seacliff Beach, Leamington, Pigeon Bay, Ontario (ON). Our position: loc:42.0262, -082.6064 Progress: [We've made 131.2nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 23:50 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 13.0nm; we have made 12.7nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 13.0nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 5.3kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.2kt, Avg speed for trip:5.5kt. ] Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.8m of sand. Just off public beach and harbour entrance.] General Comments: [We made it, we have a reservation at the Marina for Friday, so will spend the time between then and now with jobs aboard and chilling. A check in with Canadian Customs verified it is fine for us to anchor out (we have a report number), and then when we go into the Marina later in the week call again to complete the clearing in process. ] At: 08:28(EDT) 21-Jun-2023, Outside Temp: 21.7C (71.06F), Humidity:88%, Water Temp: 21.9C (71.42F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 42º 1.062' N | 82º 35.088' W | Begonia |
At Dock: Leamington Municipal Marina, Lake Erie, Ontario - Inland Waterways, Canada. Our position: loc:42.0267, -082.5978 Sail From: Off Seacliff Beach, Leamington, Pigeon Bay, Ontario (ON) To: Leamington Municipal Marina, Lake Erie, Ontario Trip: We travelled 0.7nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 0:28 hours). We have moved 0.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 0.8kt, Avg speed (through the water):1.5kt. Location Comments: [Marina with new-ish floating docks and plenty of space. 2m depth at dock.] General Comments: [We anchored out for a few beautiful sunny days and caught up with chores, now the weather is drizzly and overcast while we wait for Canadian Customs and Immigration approval. We are here to meet up with fellow boaters and previous owners of Prydwen (the beautiful Tartan 30 monohull we purchased from them in early 2003). These guys are still boating and getting ready for their summer cruising plans, but have made some time for us to meet up and catch up. ] At: 09:50(EDT) 23-Jun-2023, Outside Temp: 19.4C (66.92F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 23.4C (74.12F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 45º 24.06' N | 82º 35.082' W | Begonia |
Day 2 of Inland Waterways Passage From:Little Shelter Bay, Drummond Island, Lake Huron, Michigan To:Tobermory, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario. Our position: loc:45.4095, -082.5969 We have 42.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 46.9nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 13:38 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 50.0nm; we have made 46.9nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 50.8nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.7kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:3.4kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):3.4kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Ugh! Kyle pre-reefed the main expecting some strong winds, but, the reality didn't meet the forecast. After sailing for a few hours at around 2kt, we eventually caved in and put up the spinnaker, that lasted less than an hour before the wind came too far forward. Anyway - all my watch was frustrating and SLOW.... seriously impacting our ETA. Kyle eventually put the spinnaker back up on his watch and at one point was zipping along at over 7kt (great, but no enough to make up for our poor start). The lake has also been choppier than we expected which is especially difficult in light wind.] General Comments: [A beautiful (near) full moon rose with a coat of orange last night. I tried to grab a picture but the boat movement was too much. Progress has been frustrating. Kyle is out on the hunt for the few flies that have joined us already this morning (or maybe were here all night). Our previous anchorage was less than 5nm from the border of Canada, and overnight we've been criss-crossing it as we head SE.] At: 06:00(EDT) 03-Aug-2023, Outside Temp: 20.4C (68.72F), Humidity:86%, Water Temp: 21.4C (70.52F), Course: 120(degT), Speed Over Ground:5kt, Wind:12Kt(from:W), Cloud Cover:10%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:m (from:) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 44º 0.342' S | 82º 33.99' W | Begonia | Day 43 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [5867.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [476]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [161.5]nm (through water). We have moved [155.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [A rough day of sailing yesterday, but this morning things are definitely calmer. If we are fast enough, we'll have these conditions now until we arrive, but there is a storm due just as we arrive in the Channel for Puerto Montt (hopefully we arrive before it does)] General Comments: [Rain, wind, gusts, rolly yesterday we are finally glad to be relatively comfortable again today. Yesterday I didn't even bother to try and cook, but I fed Kyle the last of our camping meals for dinner. The wild waters of yesterday were quite fun to watch, and those crazy birds were just loving it (unlike me). I was unable to sleep for more than about 10 minutes for over 24 hours. Of course I still had to do watches to relieve Kyle, but finally last night I was able to rest effectively (feels much better as I awake this morning). A SHIP is on the AIS this morning (our first proper AIS sighting since day 23) and looks like it will pass within 3 miles of us (we are now pretty much on the great circle route from Cape Horn to Sydney, so we were expecting to see someone soon.)] At: 06:00(AKST) 26-Jan-2018, Outside Temp: 16.4C (61.52F), Humidity:75%, Water Temp: 18C (64.4F) Course: 73(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.4kt, Wind:13Kt(from:SW), Cloud Cover:95%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:3m (to:E) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 25º 24.048' S | 82º 32.088' W | Begonia | Day 7 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Bahia Cumberland, Robinson Crusoe Island To:Easter Island
Progress: [So far we've made [654.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [1455]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [76.2]nm (through water). We have moved [84.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [We still wait for the stronger winds and will be glad for some days with more than 100nm/day (hopefully). We continue to sail mostly downwind and mostly west (waiting for those winds!)] General Comments: [Yesterday Kyle discovered a pack of tuna following us. We didn't need any fish yesterday so we didn't drop a line, but if they try that game again I think we'll be fishing (trying). This morning the clouds appear to have broken up a little and we are hoping for sunshine and solar power today.] At: 06:00(EAST) 16-Apr-2018, Outside Temp: 18.6C (65.48F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 27.7C (81.86F)Course: 284(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.4kt, Wind:7Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:70%, Pressure: 1020hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:NW) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 41º 49.074' N | 82º 28.098' W | Begonia |
Day 2 of Inland Waterways Passage From:Marine Lake, Presque Isle, Lake Erie, PA To:Leamington Municipal Marina, Ontario, Canada. Our position: loc:41.8291, -082.4828 We have 13.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 118.4nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 21:22 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 115.0nm; we have made 118.4nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 107.2nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 5.0kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.5kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.5kt. ] Sailing Conditions [An all spinnaker passage, although we've just switched to main and jib as we approach the harbour. ] General Comments: [As we left Erie, the flies arrived - this time biting flies. They seem to go for your ankles when they 'know' you are occupied. As we approach Leamington a different kind of bug has arrived - sigh . We can see a giant cruise ship anchored off (that's a surprise). We're unsure currently how customs will go (there is no special dock), but hopefully it can all be done over the phone.] At: 06:00(EDT) 21-Jun-2023, Outside Temp: 18.6C (65.48F), Humidity:84%, Water Temp: 18.5C (65.3F), Course: 335(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.2kt, Wind:10Kt(from:ENE), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1018hPa, Swell:0.5m (from:NE) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 42º 45.054' N | 82º 28.02' W | Begonia |
Day 2 of Inland Waterways Passage From:Leamington Municipal Marina, Lake Erie, Ontario To:Goderich, Lake Huron, Ontario. Our position: loc:42.7586, -082.4702 We have 69.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 105.0nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 24:08 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 59.0nm; we have made 105.0nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 44.3nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 1.8kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.4kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.4kt. ] Sailing Conditions [What a passage so far, we've had to mostly motor to be prepared during tornado warnings, lightning storms, strong winds and hail stones. Oh, and to fight the river currents too! ] General Comments: [We had a great time in Leamington with the Babins, who entertained us well. Our push north (NW) hasn't been so much fun, starting with an invasion of mayflies covering the boat and walkways at the marina for our departure (after Kyle had cleaned the boat so well) While the mayflies have gone, they just seem to keep getting replaced with a different 'swarm' (we've had at least 4 different types of fly invade the boat). We fully cover up at the helm, and wrap up not just because of the insects but against the rain and cold. Many boaters still have their shrink wrap on, they clearly know to wait a few more weeks! Additionally we had an engine belt break overnight (thankfully we have 2 engines, so Kyle can wait for daylight to pull out the spare and replace the belt). All making for a 'memorable' trip so far.] At: 06:00(EDT) 26-Jun-2023, Outside Temp: 18.1C (64.58F), Humidity:93%, Water Temp: 18C (64.4F), Course: 18(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.8kt, Wind:5Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 998hPa, Swell:m (from:) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 45º 55.008' N | 82º 27.06' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Gore Bay, Manitoulin Island, North Channel, Lake Huron - Inland Waterways, Canada. Our position: loc:45.9181, -082.4601 Sail From: NE coves, South Benjamin Island, North Channel, Lake Huron To: Gore Bay, Manitoulin Island, North Channel, Lake Huron Trip: We travelled 14.0nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 4:48 hours). We have moved 13.3nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.8kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.9kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3m. Note the breakwall was extended in 2016 and (as of 2023) does not appear on charts. Ashore is chandlery, provisioning, museum, water park (floating), and trails. Dinghies are permitted to tie up to the southernmost dock at the marina (F dock).] General Comments: [We had a fun few days at the Benjamin Islands, and got the Kayak out to explore (all around), setting foot ashore at various locations, and gathering fresh blueberries. We had a few very windy evenings though, but all held well. Today we had a very early start to get back across to Manitoulin Island and still be able to sail. We'll spend a couple of nights here in Gore before moving on.] At: 09:48(EDT) 12-Jul-2023, Outside Temp: 21.2C (70.16F), Humidity:60%, Water Temp: 21.4C (70.52F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 46º 5.028' N | 82º 15.018' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: NE coves, South Benjamin Island, North Channel, Lake Huron - Inland Waterways, Canada. Our position: loc:46.0876, -082.2531 Sail From: Town Docks, Port of Little Current, Manitoulin Island, Lake Huron, Ontario To: NE coves, South Benjamin Island, North Channel, Lake Huron Trip: We travelled 25.7nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 6:34 hours). We have moved 15.0nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.3kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.9kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3m. Anchoring reported to be poor (and it took us a couple of tries) so avoid being here with any winds from East or NE. It is a popular spot and can be very busy, regularly with 20+ boats. It's the scenery: The smooth pink granite of the Benjamin Islands are a popular attraction, with easy climb of the low, lumpy hills for the views and blueberries to fuel any walking. No facilities, 1bar Phone signal. ] General Comments: [We had a productive couple of days in Little Current (topping up fresh produce, fuel and water, and cleaning the decks AGAIN). We managed to join in with a boater get together, visit the local Cruiser Net hero (Roy Eaton), and even be interviewed for the LCYC Cruiser Net on Sunday morning before we departed. The passage across to the Benjamins is beautiful and we were actually able to sail (tacking) to get here so Kyle especially enjoyed having the motor off.] At: 16:30(EDT) 09-Jul-2023, Outside Temp: 22.9C (73.22F), Humidity:53%, Water Temp: 20.9C (69.62F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 0º 59.682' N | 82º 1.746' W | Begonia | We have moved [71.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 9 Panama to Galapagos. Course: 269(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.3kt, Wind:3Kt(from:SSE), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:N). At: 06:00(GALT) 23-Mar-2014 | almost 11 years ago | Show |
| 45º 58.092' N | 81º 55.056' W | Begonia |
At Dock: Town Docks, Port of Little Current, Manitoulin Island, Lake Huron, Ontario - Inland Waterways, Canada. Our position: loc:45.9815, -081.9263 Sail From: Opposite Mary Ann Cove, along Baie Fine, North Passage, Lake Huron (Ontario) To: Town Docks, Port of Little Current, Manitoulin Island, Lake Huron, Ontario Trip: We travelled 15.9nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 4:52 hours). We have moved 12.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.5kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.3kt. Location Comments: [At town docks with easy access Little Current town itself. Among the things to do is a visit the local Anchor Inn to meet and assist Roy with the daily local Cruisers Radio Net (VHF Channel 71 at 9am daily during July/August). The swing bridge here (just East of town) opens on the hour for access. ] General Comments: [Another relaxing few days in the beauty of this lovely fresh water 'fjord'. We hiked, ate fresh blueberries from the plant, swam, snorkelled and relaxed. We had planned to move on yesterday but it turned out to be overcast and rainy so we changed the plan and spent the day at various indoor chores at anchor. All the motoring we've did to get from Lake Erie to here means we needed to pick up some extra fuel (not in the original plan, but ... sigh). The bugs have barely been an issue since we arrived, and that is a HUGE relieve, but we have a few bodies on the deck that we need to hose off to make the boat respectable again. This is our first stop in Manatoulin Island (the largest lake island in the world). Today was a motor, with a wait for the bridge, and a stop for fuel before tying up at the town wall.] At: 14:54(EDT) 07-Jul-2023, Outside Temp: 26C (78.8F), Humidity:64%, Water Temp: 24.8C (76.64F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 42º 15.06' N | 81º 54.06' W | Begonia |
At Dock: Erieau Marina, Erieau, Lake Erie, Ontario - Inland Waterways, Canada. Our position: loc:42.2599, -081.9096 Sail From: Erieau Marina, Erieau, Lake Erie, Ontario To: Erieau Marina, Erieau, Lake Erie, Ontario Trip: We travelled 8.6nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 2:34 hours). We have moved 0.0nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 0.0kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.4kt. Location Comments: [Marina and Yard, in small town on skinny peninsula. Bottle Store and chandlery on site, Showers and toilets available during the season. A handful of restaurants nearby.] General Comments: [After a Canadian winter on the hard, we've spent the last week or so getting the boat back to splash ready, then sail ready - today we finally got the boat out on the water and tested the new sails (Main, Jib and Spinnaker) - All working! We ourselves were a bit rusty and glad of the checklists to keep us from forgetting anything obvious. We departed in 20kt wind, and returned in much calmer conditions (which was great for testing all the sails). So - we feel we are all set now to start the season off. The Welland Canal is unlikely to open until the start of next month, so we have some time to relax and play.] At: 16:18(EDT) 14-Apr-2024, Outside Temp: 14C (57.2F), Humidity:67%, Water Temp: 9.8C (49.64F) | 8 months ago | Show |
| 42º 15.06' N | 81º 54.06' W | Begonia |
At Dock: Erieau Marina, Erieau, Lake Erie, Ontario - Inland Waterways, Canada. Our position: loc:42.2598, -081.9096 Sail From: St Clair Marine, LaSalle, Detriot River, Ontario To: Erieau Marina, Erieau, Lake Erie, Ontario Trip: We travelled 71.6nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 17:36 hours). We have moved 53.0nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.0kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.1kt. Location Comments: [Marina and Yard, in small town on skinny peninsula.] General Comments: [Well, they say plans are written in the sand at low tide and we got a good dose of that this week when our yard 'discovered' that we won't fit in their lift after all and we scrambled to make other plans. I had organized so much more than just the yard: contractors, accommodation, packages to be delivered, etc - so it was a real whirlwind to have to cancel so much, and also make alternative plans at short notice for it all. Kyle got up before midnight to depart by 1am in order to arrive before dark (ugh!) and I took the car and ran the gamut of hardware stores and other stuff to source some of the things on our very long list that we'll need to prep the boat for the winter. We both arrived in Erieau within 10 minutes of each other, but I was late so poor Kyle had to dock by himself after that LONG trip. So - Fingers crossed that things go smoothly from here on. The clock is ticking (never a good thing)] At: 18:28(EDT) 31-Oct-2023, Outside Temp: 24C (75.2F), Humidity:63%, Water Temp: 21.9C (71.42F) | about 1 year ago | Show |
| 44º 13.056' N | 81º 49.014' W | Begonia |
Day 2 of Inland Waterways Passage From:Thomas Bay, off Georges Bay, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario To:LaSalle, Lake Erie, Ontario. Our position: loc:44.2260, -081.8189 We have 140.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 112.7nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 22:56 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 110.0nm; we have made 112.7nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 107.1nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.7kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.9kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.9kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Once we cleared the anchorage we were able to hoist both main and jib and sailed at about 120deg to the wind. Slowly the wind has come more forward. Sailing is easy, weather a bit chilly (we are well wrapped up at the helm)] General Comments: [Our time in Lake Huron has been a treasure, but it's time to move along now so off we go. We'll be able to pick up the spares for the heater once we get to LaSalle, so we will (hopefully) be warm and snug during the remaining days as we prep the boat for haul out. We departed our anchorage after enjoying a lovely sunrise and were soon in open water and able to shake out the sails. A clear night with the promise of an aurora display (we only ever got to see a glow on the horizon, but the hope made for a fun night).]] At: 06:00(EDT) 25-Sep-2023, Outside Temp: 17.6C (63.68F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 18.5C (65.3F), Course: 184(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.3kt, Wind:12Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:15%, Pressure: 1020hPa, Swell:0.5m (from:NE) | about 1 year ago | Show |
| 2º 10.032' N | 81º 48.438' W | Begonia | We have moved [57.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 8 Panama to Galapagos. Course: 304(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.3kt, Wind:3Kt(from:SSW), Cloud Cover:90%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:NE). At: 06:00(GALT) 22-Mar-2014 | almost 11 years ago | Show |
| 45º 18.084' N | 81º 47.094' W | Begonia | Day 2 of Inland Waterways Passage From:Baie Fine, North Passage, Lake Huron (Ontario) To:Baie Fine, North Passage, Lake Huron (Ontario).
Our position: loc:45.3141, -081.7989 We have 58.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 92.9nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 26:24 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 88.0nm; we have made 87.4nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 87.5nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.6kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:3.6kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):3.5kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Boy - a frustrating day of sailing. Wind died, wind changed direction, constantly variable. The spinnaker was up and down, but eventually the wind was too far forward for too long and we switched to jib. We had lightning and thunder overnight, all distant from the boat). ] General Comments: [BUG (various types, including the biting flies) continue to torture us, leaving the boat to go into the cockpit involves passing through a cloud of the biting flies keen to enter. We keep ourselves well covered. The skies are overcast, mostly from the smoke of the fires, and thankfully the smoke doesn't come down to our level. Progress yesterday was very much slower than all the matching forecasts had led us to expect, but we made up time a little this morning with by far our fastest hour of 6nm.] At: 06:00(EDT) 30-Jun-2023, Outside Temp: 16.2C (61.16F), Humidity:82%, Water Temp: 14C (57.2F), Course: 6(degT), Speed Over Ground:6kt, Wind:16Kt(from:SSE), Cloud Cover:98%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:Sm (from:0.5) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 43º 51.036' N | 81º 46.074' W | Begonia |
Day 1 of Inland Waterways Passage From:Baie Fine, North Passage, Lake Huron (Ontario) To:Baie Fine, North Passage, Lake Huron (Ontario). Our position: loc:43.8555, -081.7788 We have 146.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 5.5nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 2:24 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 7.0nm; we have made 5.52nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 7.0nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.9kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:2.3kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):2.3kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Downwind sailing with the spinnaker. Clear (no smoke), but chilly.] General Comments: [Our first full day in Goderich was choppy and smoky from the Canadian fires which have already burned more that the worst year to date; we stayed aboard. Our 2nd day was sunny, clear, and beautiful so we rowed ashore and enjoyed icecream, museums, country walks, and poutine (a very Canadian dish). We learned that Goderich has the world's largest underground salt mine (still active today). And so we are off again, and with a very early start. The air quality index remains good. This coming weekend would normally be filled with celebrations for Canada Day, but necessary fire restrictions mean no fireworks so we don't expect to see anything.] At: 06:00(EDT) 29-Jun-2023, Outside Temp: 14.3C (57.74F), Humidity:76%, Water Temp: 16.6C (61.88F), Course: 347(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.6kt, Wind:7Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1015hPa, Swell:m (from:) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 43º 44.064' N | 81º 43.086' W | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Goderich Harbor, Lake Huron, Ontario, Canada - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 2 of Inland Waterways Passage From:Leamington Municipal Marina, Lake Erie, Ontario To:Goderich Harbor, Lake Huron, Ontario. Our position: loc:43.7439, -081.7308 Progress: [We've made 184.8nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 41:22 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 69.0nm; we have made 79.8nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 67.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.9kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.6kt, Avg speed for trip:4.5kt. ] Location Comments: [We are anchored within breakwall of the industrial harbor, 4.1m. We had planned to enter deeper into the harbor, but one of the cargo boats at dock has a large gantry/crane across the channel and we are uncertain of overhead clearance so aborted. The marina here has closed (now home to coast guard and rescue boats only?), Note: Goderich has a separate river entrance (which has 3 marinas) immediately to the north. ] General Comments: [The flies transitioned to biting ones (ugh!) so we've been extra covered and doing lots of waving in front of our faces. Exiting the St Clair River had us fighting a 4.5kt current but we eventually made it into the Lake and were able to sail on-and-off, sometimes even with the spinnaker. We've done a LOT of motoring for this trip and that has been very frustrating. Kyle did manage to replace the engine belt that failed (so that's good). A good looking tall-ship 'Playfair' passed us in the river, and we've been tracking it most of the day (although it is now way ahead of us, headed further North for now). Anyway - we are safely at anchor and ready to zonk out for the night.] At: 23:14(EDT) 26-Jun-2023, Outside Temp: 19.7C (67.46F), Humidity:86%, Water Temp: 20C (68F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 45º 17.022' N | 81º 42.096' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Laronde's Harbor, Cove Island, Bruce Peninsula, Lake Huron, Ontario - Inland Waterways, Canada. Our position: loc:45.2871, -081.7161 Sail From: Overflow wall, Little Tub Harbour, Tobermory, Bruce Peninsula, Lake Huron, Ontario To: Laronde's Harbor, Cove Island, Bruce Peninsula, Lake Huron, Ontario Trip: We travelled 4.0nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 1:32 hours). We have moved 2.9nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 1.9kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.6kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.8m (took a few tries to stick under test). Beautiful sheltered cove within the Fathom Five National Marine Park. Permits for motor boat and kayaks (etc) available free from Parks office in Tobermory. Landing or tying off ashore is prohibited (see https://parks.canada.ca/amnc-nmca/on/fathomfive/activ/plaisance-boating). ] General Comments: [Overnight the forecast was for near perfect conditions for a Northern Lights Display at this latitude, the fact that we were tied to a wall and I could easily step ashore, find a dark spot, and have a stable environment to place the camera was a bonus - along with the fact we were in a 'dark sky' zone. I took a nap while waiting for full dark and then slept through the good part. By the time I surfaced the moon was up and ruined any chance of color in the sky (I tried), and the forecasts were all still hopeful so I barely slept just in case... sigh... (Next time I'll set an alarm!). Today - a short hop across to this protected island (and part of a national marine park), took us first via the entrance to Big Tub Harbor and its picturesque lighthouse. Looks like more great kayak conditions, but first Kyle plans to take a swim and check out the anchor and general surrounds.] At: 11:22(EDT) 05-Aug-2023, Outside Temp: 24C (75.2F), Humidity:56%, Water Temp: 23.4C (74.12F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 3º 21.33' N | 81º 40.614' W | Begonia | We have moved [34.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 5 Panama to Galapagos. Course: 144(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.6kt, Wind:5Kt(from:SW), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:1m (to:NE). At: 06:00(GALT) 19-Mar-2014 | almost 11 years ago | Show |
| 45º 15.048' N | 81º 39.078' W | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Dock in Overflow wall, Little Tub Harbour, Tobermory, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario, Canada - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 2 of Inland Waterways Passage From:Little Shelter Bay, Drummond Island, Lake Huron, Michigan To:Overflow wall, Little Tub Harbour, Tobermory, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario. Our position: loc:45.2576, -081.6629 Progress: [We've made 89.1nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 22:12 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 42.0nm; we have made 42.1nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 40.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.7kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.9kt, Avg speed for trip:4.0kt. ] Location Comments: [Lovely marina with easy access to town and grocery supplies. Restaurants, fun, and trails too.] General Comments: [Since this mornings report we've had much better winds and fine speeds (often at 7-8kts). Once we arrived, and were required to go to a dock before we could officially clear in to Canada. The municipal marina here at Little Tub was full with boats rafted up, with no space for Begoina, so we were permitted to temporarily use the fuel dock to clear in. Process was easy with a short phone call and approval granted over the phone (No visit to inspect the boat). We arrived and departed within 20 minutes, and the harbour master indicated this is unusual with waits of up to 2 hours not uncommon. We also managed to top up our water tanks while waiting (all easy). For now we are at the far end of the wall, and once we are rested and reprovisioned we can move on to the more peaceful anchorages and explore Georgian Bay proper.] At: 14:34(EDT) 03-Aug-2023, Outside Temp: 24.8C (76.64F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 22.9C (73.22F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 45º 15.006' N | 81º 38.052' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Dunks Bay, Bruce Peninsula, Lake Huron, Ontario - Inland Waterways, Canada. Our position: loc:45.2513, -081.6418 Sail From: Beachy Cove, Flowerpot Island, Bruce Peninsula, Lake Huron, Ontario To: Dunks Bay, Bruce Peninsula, Lake Huron, Ontario Trip: We travelled 2.9nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 0:54 hours). We have moved 2.9nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.2kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.2kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.9m. The shore is ringed with private cottages. There is a nice sandy beach and the shallower water is busy with swimmers, kayakers, etc in summer. Access to Bruce Trail on southern shore.] General Comments: [We managed all the trails of Flowerpot Island, and did get to see the two remaining 'flowerpot' structures (that part was busy with tourists). The lighthouse museum was open, so we were also able to visit there. Trails were a bit of a challenge in that we had to spend most of our time looking at our feet (rocks and roots), but all grand on another glorious day (amazing after all the rain we had yesterday). We've now moved over to Dunks Bay to spend the next few days.] At: 16:28(EDT) 08-Aug-2023, Outside Temp: 23.4C (74.12F), Humidity:61%, Water Temp: 21.4C (70.52F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 46º 1.038' N | 81º 38.016' W | Begonia | At Anchor: Opposite Mary Ann Cove, along Baie Fine, North Passage, Lake Huron (Ontario) - Inland Waterways, Canada.
Our position: loc:46.0226, -081.6355 Sail From: The Pool, Baie Fine, North Passage, Lake Huron (Ontario) To: Opposite Mary Ann Cove, along Baie Fine, North Passage, Lake Huron (Ontario) Trip: We travelled 9.2nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 4:20 hours). We have moved 6.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 1.5kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.1kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 4m in this tiny cove just across from Mary Ann Cove, Useful if Mary Ann Cove is full. We set anchor and stern tied to a tree for security as there is little swinging room for larger boats. From here we can dinghy/Kayak to Mary Ann Cove to join the trail to Casson Peak (also called Frazer Bay Hill). No Phone signal in bays (weak signal in main Baie Fine channel.] General Comments: [We had glorious weather and a blissful time at The Pool: hiking, kayaking, swimming and loafing around reading books. Aside from regular drop offs to the trail to Topaz Lake, it never seemed busy. We are LOVING the fresh water. We had an old turtle regularly visit us at the boat, and who seemed very sad to see us depart (maybe because we donated salad and fruit to the cause). The Pool has been a great start to our Lake Huron summer. For today, we had originally planned to anchor in Mary Ann Cove itself (how could we pass by?) but numerous frustrating attempts inside and adjacent to the cove failed to have the anchor set once we tested it under power. Much of the area seems to be very shallow mud over a hard rock base. We have this tiny cove to ourselves just across from Mary Ann Cove, and tomorrow we'll dinghy/kayak across to explore the trail to the peak for the views.] At: 14:40(EDT) 03-Jul-2023, Outside Temp: 31.5C (88.7F), Humidity:51%, Water Temp: 28.2C (82.76F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 45º 17.076' N | 81º 37.008' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Beachy Cove, Flowerpot Island, Bruce Peninsula, Lake Huron, Ontario - Inland Waterways, Canada. Our position: loc:45.2963, -081.6182 Sail From: Laronde's Harbor, Cove Island, Bruce Peninsula, Lake Huron, Ontario To: Beachy Cove, Flowerpot Island, Bruce Peninsula, Lake Huron, Ontario Trip: We travelled 6.4nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 1:34 hours). We have moved 4.2nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.7kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.1kt. Location Comments: [Within the Fathom Five National Marine Park. Anchoring is permitted, but discouraged as there is a regular exchange of tour boats arriving at the island. However to leave room for them within the cove, you will be in very shallow water so we anchored outside (on a calm day) on a slope of rubble. You will need a permit for your main boat and any tenders/kayaks/etc (free, and available from the National Park Visitor Center at Tobermory). Any buoy in the bay is private (tourist boat). Currently the no-commercial dock is out of action with no timeframe regarding repair - so be sure to avoid it. Trails and caves and of course the flower pot are the attractions (no services ashore). Phone Signal good.] General Comments: [We had two glorious days poking around with the kayak in sunshine, followed by a day hunkered down in strong winds and heavy rain (thankfully we were well protected). Kyle helped a fellow boater free their anchor that was stuck on a log several meters down (we've been helped many times ourselves by other boaters, so it is nice when we can pay it forward). We tried each night to see possible aurora (with good expectation) but were foiled by clouds and moon (we keep trying). Crossing over to Flowerpot today was quite choppy (remnants of the recent strong winds), but the sun is back out and we are now in the protected side of Flowerpot Island.] At: 11:14(EDT) 08-Aug-2023, Outside Temp: 22.5C (72.5F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 19.5C (67.1F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 46º 2.064' N | 81º 28.068' W | Begonia | Safely arrived: at Anchor in The Pool, Baie Fine, North Passage, Lake Huron (Ontario), Canada - PASSAGE COMPLETE.
Day 2 of Inland Waterways Passage From:Goderich Harbor, Lake Huron (Ontario) To:The Pool, Baie Fine, North Passage, Lake Huron (Ontario). Our position: loc:46.0438, -081.4776 Progress: [We've made 148.4nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 38:06 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 58.0nm; we have made 55.5nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 45.8nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.9kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.7kt, Avg speed for trip:3.9kt. ] Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.0m Extremely well protected, and with beautiful granite(?) hills and rocks and trees all around. This bay is known for its healthy weed, but considered good holding. Floating dock to the N of this inlet can be used to get ashore with dinghy (avoid the private docks). Access to the Artist trail once ashore (a short walk to Lake Topaz is a popular choice). Be prepared for bugs, and possibly even black bears and rattle snakes. The Pool sits at the head of the beautiful 9nm Fjord-like Baie Fine. A the Baie narrows to its eastern end, there is a 1.5m lip to pass before depths increase again. Note:Baie Fine is French for fine bay, and therefore pronounced Bay Fin. No Phone Signal within anchorage.] General Comments: [Once we entered Georgian Bay, we caught some great wind and spent a couple of hours sailing at 7kt between the rugged islands. The biting stable flies have continued to torment on this passage, but we are so glad to now be anchored in such a beautiful spot (and maybe we can believe that they are thinning out?). The whole 9 mile passage along Baie Fine to this location at the end is beautiful, although somewhat muted today with poor visibility due to the wildfire smoke. The frigid 14-17C water temperature in the outer bay, climbed to 24C once we entered Baie Fine - much nicer! There are a handful of boats already anchored here, but it is Canada Day this weekend (1st of July) so we are thinking things may get busy! We hope to pull out the kayak and enjoy exploring this and the other anchorages of the North Channel for a while (no more overnight passages for a while).] At: 17:42(EDT) 30-Jun-2023, Outside Temp: 26.3C (79.34F), Humidity:63%, Water Temp: 24.3C (75.74F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 45º 59.046' N | 81º 26.01' W | Begonia | At Anchor: Thomas Bay, off Georges Bay, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario - Inland Waterways, Canada.
Our position: loc:45.9909, -081.4350 Sail From: Mill lake, Philip Edward Island, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario To: Thomas Bay, off Georges Bay, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario Trip: We travelled 10.2nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 3:00 hours). We have moved 8.1nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.7kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.4kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3m. This peaceful cove (shared with a single cottage). Well protected, and scenic in all directions; high ridge to NW. Plenty of rocky areas and mini islands to explore by kayak. Can go ashore on islands, but mainland is private land (if we've read the maps correctly). 2 bars LTE of Phone Signal. ] General Comments: [We LOVED being in Mill Lake and did plenty of kayaking in-between showers (and managed to find a very short trail to stretch our legs a bit). Today we moved a little more west, through the 2nd half of the beautiful Collins Inlet and out back into the main Georgian Bay waters. With the sun shining all looks stunningly beautiful. Here we have a workable phone signal at last, so we'll be able to catch up on some of that internet stuff (accounts, blog, haul-out planning, etc). We expect to park ourselves here until there is a reasonable weather window to leave Lake Huron and head towards Lake Erie for our haul out (if we get too bored there are other anchorages we can hop around to). We are slowly eating our way through our provisions (hoping to leave nothing for the haul out) so meals are getting 'interesting' as we get creative with how to use up long-buried cans of food. If we get too bored, we are just 6km from Killarny, where we can top up with fresh provisions (it has a small store) and maybe even find a restaurant.] At: 15:12(EDT) 18-Sep-2023, Outside Temp: 21.8C (71.24F), Humidity:54%, Water Temp: 18C (64.4F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 3º 45.696' N | 81º 16.59' W | Begonia | We have moved [67.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 4 Panama to Galapagos. Course: 190(degT), Speed Over Ground:1.4kt, Wind:3Kt(from:N), Cloud Cover:20%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:SW). At: 06:00(GALT) 18-Mar-2014 | almost 11 years ago | Show |
| 45º 58.086' N | 81º 14.052' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Mill lake, Philip Edward Island, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario - Inland Waterways, Canada. Our position: loc:45.9813, -081.2421 Sail From: Burnt Island (NNE), Beaverstone Bay, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario To: Mill lake, Philip Edward Island, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario Trip: We travelled 6.6nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 2:10 hours). We have moved 2.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 1.1kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.0kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 7m, attempts to anchor in 2m depths all failed (way too much weed). Nearby (the other side of Green Island) is the Mahazenazing River Lodge (which I assume allows entry only with a booking). Stunning scenery at anchor, but especially along the entrance/exit via the Collins Channel. No/Poor/Intermittent phone signal.] General Comments: [The weather is overcast more frequently and we are certainly missing our heating (both for the warmth and the drying effect on the humidity aboard - especially when cooking), but we do still get regular blue sky days (just a bit cooler). I (Maryanne) celebrated my birthday at our last anchorage; snuggled on the sofa, binge watching 'The Bates Motel', and munching on chocolate cake while we waited for the weather to turn nice again. We managed a bit of kayaking under clear skies one day of our stay. Today's passage provided stunning scenery of tree topped granite walls, reflected in still waters, as we transited the narrow channel between Philip Edward island and the mainland From Beaverstone Bay to Mill Lake. Mill Lake is a wide finger lake/inlet that sits deep into Philip Edward Island (PEI). PEI is all crown land (with full public access, but no roads). We've seen no other cruising boats for a week I think! We are hoping for bear sightings given the obvious wilderness, maybe even a beaver too as we've seen plenty of lodges but no beavers for at least a month! We've not had a decent phone signal for some time so are well behind on blog postings and other internet things, and are minds are turning more and more to the scheduled haul-out at the end of the month.] At: 11:02(EDT) 15-Sep-2023, Outside Temp: 20.1C (68.18F), Humidity:64%, Water Temp: 19.5C (67.1F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 45º 58.056' N | 81º 11.016' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Burnt Island (NNE), Beaverstone Bay, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario - Inland Waterways, Canada. Our position: loc:45.9764, -081.1860 Sail From: Tanvat Island (NE), Bustard Islands, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario To: Burnt Island (NNE), Beaverstone Bay, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario Trip: We travelled 20.8nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 4:48 hours). We have moved 13.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.8kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.3kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 5m, to the NNE of Burnt Island. To the North is the much larger Philip Edward Island (all park land if we've read the maps correctly).] General Comments: [Back at the Bustard Islands we spent much of our time kayaking (more scenery). We finally got to see an American Mink up close, seeming quite curious about us (poking its head from various rocks to keep an eye on us). Over the last few weeks birds have been confusingly rare; with very few sightings, even hearing any bird calls is unusual (so strange as we were expecting the remoteness to be a haven to so many birds). My kayak paddle has broken (but is still usable with care), and Kyle's is already cracking in the same place (we do have spares, but they are buried and we've yet to dig them out). An overcast and chilly day moving the boat to this new location, and we're expecting some more gloomy weather over the next couple of days. While we have regularly needed to motor most of the time due to the convoluted nature of the Georgian Bay routes, this passage was in more open waters and mostly straight, so we did at least get to sail with the assist of the jib for much of the day.] At: 12:16(EDT) 11-Sep-2023, Outside Temp: 2.375C (36.275F), Humidity:68%, Water Temp: 20.9C (69.62F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 44º 55.062' N | 81º 2.004' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: MacGregor Harbour, Melville Sound, Bruce Peninsula, Lake Huron, Ontario - Inland Waterways, Canada. Our position: loc:44.9269, -081.0336 Sail From: Dunks Bay, Bruce Peninsula, Lake Huron, Ontario To: MacGregor Harbour, Melville Sound, Bruce Peninsula, Lake Huron, Ontario Trip: We travelled 41.4nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 8:10 hours). We have moved 32.3nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.0kt, Avg speed (through the water):5.1kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 4m (mud), Tucked in behind Harbor Point, giving great protection from all but strong westerlies. Peaceful anchorage, Mostly deciduous trees along the shoreline, with a dramatic backdrop string of cliffs (Niagara escarpment). There is a barge like wreck ashore on Harbour Point. Nayausheeng First Nation lands/community ashore (Cape Croker Indian Reserve), but shore access is permitted and there are some boardwalk trails to discover in the Neyaashiinigmiing Nature reserve on the SE shore. Bruce trail about 4km to south. Good phone signal.] General Comments: [At Dunks we managed to kayak some more and return (by kayak) via the shoreline the the area we hiked previously. We'd hoped to do some hiking but I (Maryanne) have a bruised foot and a twisted ankle that I wanted to rest. So we did some swimming instead and managed to clean the hulls while we were at it! We had some heavy rain, but plenty of sunshine to exploit so no matter. A very early start to be sure we could actually sail to this next stop on the circuit.] At: 08:46(EDT) 11-Aug-2023, Outside Temp: 20.8C (69.44F), Humidity:78%, Water Temp: 23.4C (74.12F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 1º 37.404' N | 81º 1.704' W | Begonia | We have moved [43.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 7 Panama to Galapagos. Course: 244(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.3kt, Wind:6Kt(from:SSW), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:1m (to:N). At: 06:00(GALT) 21-Mar-2014 | almost 11 years ago | Show |
| 25º 29.298' S | 80º 58.542' W | Begonia | Day 6 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Bahia Cumberland, Robinson Crusoe Island To:Easter Island
Progress: [So far we've made [578.7]nm (through water) on this passage and have [1504]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [86.1]nm (through water). We have moved [74.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Winds continue to reduce (we hope to have good winds by this evening for the rest of the passage). We finally made the turn west last night so at least we are pointing in the right direction for now.] General Comments: [Night watches have been DARK, and much of the night we can't even make out the horizon line. It has been constantly cloudy - we haven't seen the sun or the stars for the leat 3 days! We continue to have battery issues (Kyle thinks they are not getting as charged as the instrument indicates) - we have run the motor for a couple of hours for each of the last few days to assist (something that we probably only needed to do twice in the whole of last year) - we are looking forward to tomorrow which promises both wind and sunshine. ] At: 06:00(EAST) 15-Apr-2018, Outside Temp: 18.6C (65.48F), Humidity:66%, Water Temp: 26.8C (80.24F)Course: 286(degT), Speed Over Ground:1.3kt, Wind:4Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1019hPa, Swell:1m (to:NW) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 2º 20.664' N | 80º 55.416' W | Begonia | We have moved [75.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 6 Panama to Galapagos. Course: 263(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.5kt, Wind:15Kt(from:SSW), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:N). At: 06:00(GALT) 20-Mar-2014 | almost 11 years ago | Show |
| 45º 53.052' N | 80º 53.028' W | Begonia | At Anchor: Tanvat Island (NE), Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario - Inland Waterways, Canada.
Our position: loc:45.8922, -080.8884 Sail From: Off Sandy Bay, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario To: Tanvat Island (NE), Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario Trip: We travelled 12.7nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 3:04 hours). We have moved 10.2nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.3kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.1kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 4m between Tanvat and Strawberry Islands. A least one cottage ashore. Plenty of kayaking opportunities in the numerous inlets. Internet Poor/intermittent (3G at best).] General Comments: [Back at Sandy Bay, we had some mixed weather (as expected), but a good day of kayaking. We also spotted a black bear ashore (YAY), but it soon moved deeper into the trees and was lost to sight. On our first night the boat swung into some rocky shallows so that caused a little drama overnight, but all was quickly rectified when we brought in some of our scope and the wind returned to its forecast direction. We've certainly missed the heating as the weather is slowly turning (more frequent cooler days). We did patch up the inflatable kayak; there were no holes, but a few heavily scuffed areas that we thought a patch now would save us swimming home with a deflated kayak in the near future. Today's trip was in glorious sunshine and with a beautiful blue sky - but the mosquitos have been out in force for the last day or so and seem to be following us.] At: 12:36(EDT) 09-Sep-2023, Outside Temp: 23.1C (73.58F), Humidity:63%, Water Temp: 20C (68F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 42º 9.096' N | 80º 44.034' W | Begonia |
Day 2 of Inland Waterways Passage From:Erieau Marina, Erieau, Lake Erie, Ontario To:Marine Lake, Presque Isle, Lake Erie, PA. Our position: loc:42.1655, -080.7386 We have 34.3nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 55.8nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 12:00 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 50.7nm; we have made 55.8nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 52.3nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.4kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.7kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.7kt. ] Sailing Conditions [COLD! We departed with calm and fog after a major trough of heavy rain passed through, but the night cleared. Sailing with the wind behind the beam, we eventually hoisted the spinnaker sail.] General Comments: [A quiet night with a handful of cargo/work boats. We crossed into USA waters at 1am. ] At: 06:00(EDT) 18-Apr-2024, Outside Temp: 8.1C (46.58F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 6.4C (43.52F), Course: 86(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.2kt, Wind:13Kt(from:WSW), Cloud Cover:95%, Pressure: 996hPa, Swell:0.5m (from:W) | 8 months ago | Show |
| 4º 44.784' N | 80º 43.608' W | Begonia | We have moved [99.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 3 Panama to Galapagos. Course: 199(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.4kt, Wind:4Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:50%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:SW). At: 06:00(GALT) 17-Mar-2014 | almost 11 years ago | Show |
| 45º 48.024' N | 80º 40.038' W | Begonia | At Anchor: Off Sandy Bay, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario - Inland Waterways, Canada.
Our position: loc:45.8042, -080.6731 Sail From: Raft Island, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario To: Off Sandy Bay, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario Trip: We travelled 12.0nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 3:02 hours). We have moved 6.3nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.1kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.9kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 4m in a sheltered cove off SW End of Sandy Bay. Scenic. In view of wind turbines. Land ashore is all public (if we've read the maps correctly). Phone signal intermittent/weak.] General Comments: [Back at our previous anchorage we did some great scenic kayaking with occasional hops ashore (found cranberries!). A scenic, meandering passage to get here (some very narrow and shallow bits, gulp). A handful of cottages on route, but none see seen around anchorage. We are expecting rain and wind over the next few days. Hopefully we can get to do a bit of kayaking and swimming before the poor weather arrives.] At: 14:32(EDT) 06-Sep-2023, Outside Temp: 26.8C (80.24F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 25.3C (77.54F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 45º 42.012' N | 80º 38.034' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Raft Island, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario - Inland Waterways, Canada. Our position: loc:45.7019, -080.6394 Sail From: Shoal Narrows, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario To: Raft Island, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario Trip: We travelled 13.3nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 2:02 hours). We have moved 9.3nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.5kt, Avg speed (through the water):6.5kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 6m. Surrounded by cottage-free, rocky islands some bald, some tree covered. Feels very remote, but it is close to the main channel running NW-SE and there is a large Wind farm to the north. Phone signal 1 bar.] General Comments: [We had a fine stay at the last anchorage, with the discovery of a pickle ball court (mini-tennis) and a display of the Northern lights to keep us entertained along with the usual kayaking. The nearby cottagers were friendly too! This passage had us travelling via the Hangdog channel, narrow and surrounded by small rocky island - very pretty. We've still yet to see a black bear on this trip, I'm not expecting this will be the place, as it is probably too far from the mainland, but as usual we'll keep our eyes peeled!] At: 11:26(EDT) 04-Sep-2023, Outside Temp: 26.1C (78.98F), Humidity:59%, Water Temp: 21.9C (71.42F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 45º 34.08' N | 80º 30.03' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Shoal Narrows, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario - Inland Waterways, Canada. Our position: loc:45.5796, -080.5051 Sail From: Frederic Inlet, Shawanaga Island, Parry Sound, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario To: Shoal Narrows, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario Trip: We travelled 12.1nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 3:14 hours). We have moved 6.2nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 1.9kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.7kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 6m. Took several attempts to set anchor. Surrounded by evergreen trees on rocky islands and peninsulas. Poor/No Cell service. Out of the way, Nice for kayaking.] General Comments: [We did more kayaking at the last anchorage (getting to be a thing). Unfortunately our heating aboard has decided to fail (after 11 years of excellent service). It seems we need to order a part and then pull it all apart to install said part - so that may have to wait for a month. We've been enjoying a bit of heat in the early mornings, and on some evenings so we will miss it, but we can still keep comfortable in the meantime. It is a holiday weekend here (and in the USA) so we've put ourselves somewhere out of the way a bit to avoid the crazy. The passage here was quite convoluted, through very narrow and very shallow segments to find our way among the islands and peninsulas - very scenic.] At: 10:40(EDT) 01-Sep-2023, Outside Temp: 21.8C (71.24F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 20.4C (68.72F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 45º 29.046' N | 80º 25.08' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Frederic Inlet, Shawanaga Island, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario - Inland Waterways, Canada. Our position: loc:45.4904, -080.4295 Sail From: Snug Haven, Geogian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario To: Frederic Inlet, Shawanaga Island, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario Trip: We travelled 10.3nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 2:44 hours). We have moved 8.9nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.2kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.8kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.8m between Shawanaga Island and Buell Island. Well protected (from all but NE). A few cottages on the shores, plenty of scenic shore kayaking options. Phone signal 3 bars.] General Comments: [We have heavy rain and strong winds forecast, so we headed out early to this anchorage for its extra extra protection (and made it before the rain began). Our stay in Snug Haven was pleasant (following our summer theme of walks and kayaking - we even ate out and found ice cream). Despite there only being Gillys Restaurant - the one place for miles - I was also able to get some smoked fish that I'm looking forward to making a Kedgeree with. We are expecting a day or two hunkered down aboard before we can explore the local shorelines so plenty of time to cook.] At: 10:02(EDT) 29-Aug-2023, Outside Temp: 19.9C (67.82F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 22.4C (72.32F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 45º 22.026' N | 80º 18.036' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Snug Haven, Geogian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario - Inland Waterways, Canada. Our position: loc:45.3706, -080.3058 Sail From: Victoria Island (off Parry Island), Menominee Channel, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario To: Snug Haven, Geogian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario Trip: We travelled 14.0nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 3:26 hours). We have moved 11.1nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.2kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.1kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 7m, surrounded by islands, cottages, and generally pretty scenery. Popular Gilly's restaurant nearby.] General Comments: [We spent a good couple of days exploring at the last anchorage - both with the kayak, and then ashore at the town of Parry Sound. We've had some gloomy days and heavy rain (thankfully constraining itself to overnight visits), but we've arrived at this anchorage in sunshine again. We've spent the last three weeks or so in the area known as Thirty Thousand Islands, and I'm starting to think this is an undercount! Still no bear sightings (we keep hoping to see something from a safe vantage).] At: 12:06(EDT) 26-Aug-2023, Outside Temp: 19.3C (66.74F), Humidity:66%, Water Temp: 21.9C (71.42F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 26º 5.898' N | 80º 10.002' W | Begonia | Florida start. At: 16:46(EDT) 10-Jun-2012 | over 12 years ago | Show |
| 45º 11.046' N | 80º 7.092' W | Begonia | At Anchor: Hare Point, Sans Souci Island, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario - Inland Waterways, Canada.
Our position: loc:45.1907, -080.1320 Sail From: Monument Channel, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario To: Hare Point, Sans Souci Island, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario Trip: We travelled 14.6nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 3:38 hours). We have moved 12.5nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.4kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.0kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 8.5m, well protected. Private homes ashore (no shore access as far as I can tell). 'Sans Souci' translates to no-worries/carefree. Plenty of kayaking opportunities along the shore of this and the many nearby islands] General Comments: [After some strong winds at anchor, we had one reasonable day to explore with the Kayak in Monument Channel. Today's passage was winding and narrow, as we passed between the 1000s of rock islands. From time to time we caused a traffic jam of powerboats behind us (that we encouraged to pass us just as soon as it was safe). We motored all the way, but were able to pull out a sail to assist us on route. The radio chatter has been entertaining, with a power boats claiming right of way over each other with varying degrees of imagination. There have been several seaplanes, flying and at the docks of the properties we are passing. Sky is overcast (presumably smoke from the fires raging to the West). ] At: 13:42(EDT) 20-Aug-2023, Outside Temp: 23.9C (75.02F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 22.9C (73.22F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 44º 52.014' N | 80º 7.05' W | Begonia | At Anchor: Beckwith Island (West Bay), Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario - Inland Waterways, Canada.
Our position: loc:44.8685, -080.1252 Sail From: MacGregor Harbour, Melville Sound, Bruce Peninsula, Lake Huron, Ontario To: Beckwith Island (West Bay), Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario Trip: We travelled 47.8nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 8:34 hours). We have moved 38.8nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.5kt, Avg speed (through the water):5.6kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.8m (mud?), with sandy beach and dunes ashore and trails to explore. No structures ashore (aside from a stand of solar panels, and some camper outhouses). Uninhabited but part of the Ojibwa reserve, and belonging to the Beausoleil First Nation. Phone signal intermittent/poor.] General Comments: [While we did manage a bit of kayaking and hiking, we mostly stayed aboard at our last anchorage (there was also lots of rain, lightning, etc to disincline us from venturing out). We departed early to catch the wind and sailed most of the distance with the spinnaker (nice downwind stuff). We are finally in Georgian Bay proper with this current hop, It's been an overcast and drizzly day, but tomorrow's forecast promises ideal conditions for us to venture out and explore (hopefully the clouds will clear and we'll even get a bit of the Perseid meteor shower during our stay here).] At: 14:14(EDT) 13-Aug-2023, Outside Temp: 21.7C (71.06F), Humidity:78%, Water Temp: 23.4C (74.12F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 42º 9.042' N | 80º 7.026' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Marine Lake, Presque Isle, Lake Erie, PA - Inland Waterways, USA. Our position: loc:42.1567, -080.1205 Sail From: Wolverine Park Marina, Erie, Pennsylvania (PA) To: Marine Lake, Presque Isle, Lake Erie, PA Trip: We travelled 1.9nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 1:00 hours). We have moved 1.8nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 1.8kt, Avg speed (through the water):1.9kt. Location Comments: [A well protected anchorage, alongside state park, lots of wildlife, peaceful, plenty of places to expore with Kayak/dinghy, and trails ashore (also close to state run marina with fuel).] General Comments: [After a few days of part fun, part frustrating chores (we attempted several medical checkups and failed at most of them), we've now hopped across Presque Isle Bay to the tranquility of the state park. On route we stopped off for fuel, and we were amazed to be greeted by people that seemed to know us. It turns out our greeters were friends of the rigger who recently inspected our boat (for insurance purposes), one of the many 'jobs' we were able to get done in Erie.] At: 11:48(EDT) 18-Jun-2023, Outside Temp: 22.9C (73.22F), Humidity:64%, Water Temp: 20.9C (69.62F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 42º 9.042' N | 80º 7.02' W | Begonia |
Destination: Montreal Safely arrived: at Anchor in Marine Lake, Presque Isle, Lake Erie, PA, USA - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 2 of Inland Waterways Passage From:Erieau Marina, Erieau, Lake Erie, Ontario To:Marine Lake, Presque Isle, Lake Erie, PA. Our position: loc:42.1567, -080.1202 Progress: [We've made 90.3nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 18:06 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 34.3nm; we have made 34.5nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 27.5nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.9kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.9kt, Avg speed for trip:5.0kt. ] Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.4m, in protected bay with access to state park. Marina in same bay offers a small shop, Phone Signal 2 bars.] General Comments: [A cold night had me in PJs and with hot water bottles for my off-watch, and well wrapped with many layers for the on-watch. Clouds arrived in time for the morning, but local fishermen line all possible shores (hard-core). Clearance for USA entry was quick and easy through the government CBS ROAM App, and we had the message that we were cleared well before arriving in the bay. Our electronic compass had pretty much forgotten itself over the winter, so Kyle did the calibration maneuvers before arriving at the anchorage. We'll probably wait here (and enjoy the park) for much of the time while we await the Welland Canal to open to pleasure boaters. (maybe a week or two). The nearby marina is open seasonally and clearly closed for now, it is all cordoned off and with major works going on at the empty docks. All the boats on the hard remain shrink wrapped. We are the only boat in the water at this time (not surprisingly!).] At: 13:02(EDT) 18-Apr-2024, Outside Temp: 12C (53.6F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 11.8C (53.24F) | 8 months ago | Show |
| 42º 8.016' N | 80º 5.04' W | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Dock in Wolverine Park Marina, Erie, Pennsylvania (PA), USA - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 2 of Inland Waterways Passage From:Motor Island, Niagara River, NY To:Wolverine Park Marina, Erie, Pennsylvania (PA). Our position: loc:42.1358, -080.0903 Progress: [We've made 129.0nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 28:12 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 20.0nm; we have made 26.2nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 18.0nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.7kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:3.9kt, Avg speed for trip:4.6kt. ] Location Comments: [A well protected, transient only marina with shower, laundry, etc. Close to downtown Erie stuff (museums, etc). Note entry is under a walkway between the hotel and conference center with a clearance reported of 65' (but due to water level was at 68' when we entered (our mast is 59').] General Comments: [We had a glorious caddisfly free night, but as we approached Erie we were invaded by new insects, a type of chironomid called 'Muffleheads' (also locally called sand flies, midges, Canadian soldiers, American soldiers). They look like large mosquitos but don't bite, and the males have a big brush at the end of their antennae. They land on everything, and are everywhere, you can't walk without stepping on them, and they don't fly out of the way as you approach nor if you wave your hand about, so we keep accidentally sitting on them and finding some really undesirable stains on our clothes and deck. Hopefully they won't be staying now we are in the city! We made it, and will have a few days here for some essential chores. I wonder if the Great Lakes are just going to be a constant stream of insects to torture us?] At: 12:42(EDT) 15-Jun-2023, Outside Temp: 22.2C (71.96F), Humidity:66%, Water Temp: 19C (66.2F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 45º 18.072' N | 80º 3.036' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Victoria Island (off Parry Island), Menominee Channel, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario - Inland Waterways, Canada. Our position: loc:45.3124, -080.0559 Sail From: Hare Point, Sans Souci Island, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario To: Victoria Island (off Parry Island), Menominee Channel, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario Trip: We travelled 11.0nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 2:50 hours). We have moved 8.0nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.8kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.9kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 5m, peaceful anchorage within 2nm of the much busier areas of Rose Point, Jenkins Point and Parry Sound Harbour.] General Comments: [We managed serval kayak outings and trips ashore from our last anchorage (fish & chips and ice cream were found!), we watched bald eagles hang out and spotted a couple of Loons. Kyle was excited to spot a possible beaver swimming, but it turned out to be a pet dog. Today's passage started out quite overcast, but we were lucky that forecast storms and heavy rain passed by without quite reaching us. Today's journey has been scenic, and convoluted (under motor), especially in the '7 mile narrows' section. By the time we anchored the overcast skies have given way to blue with puffy white clouds. ] At: 12:38(EDT) 23-Aug-2023, Outside Temp: 22.4C (72.32F), Humidity:63%, Water Temp: 24.8C (76.64F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 45º 0.078' N | 79º 58.08' W | Begonia | At Anchor: Monument Channel, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario - Inland Waterways, Canada.
Our position: loc:45.0130, -079.9798 Sail From: Tonch Point, Beausoleil Island, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario To: Monument Channel, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario Trip: We travelled 17.7nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 4:54 hours). We have moved 10.0nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.0kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.6kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 7m on mostly rocky bottom (test well to make sure your anchor holds for expected conditions). ] General Comments: [We had a good long hike on Beausoleil Island. Today's passage was challenging as we were near constantly winding through narrow passages with obvious rock and/or shallows on either side, and in overcast skies. One 'shortcut' (Big Dog Channel) we attempted based on the reported higher waters giving us extra confidence - but right at the exit we determined we didn't trust one narrow spot and had to retrace our route somewhat to go the longer way around. It's beautiful scenery, but a somewhat anxiety inducing path today (thank goodness for the guidebooks and charts). Lots of channels, and plenty of homes/cottages on the waterfronts to enjoy. One island (barely a rock with just enough space for a house and some yard) was quaintly named 'Little Gibraltar' by the owners, another home named 'Blarney Castle', etc. Lots of small boat traffic (and wakes), we felt quite sorry for the few kaykers we spotted. We initially planned to anchor off Bernadette Island, but a local family there went our of their way to let us know weren't welcome. Telling us we were anchoring in 'their' bay and were in the way of their windsurfing fun. Of course this is neither true nor fair. All the guidebooks warn of unwelcoming locals throughout Georgian Bay unfortunately. The wind was too strong to have a rational conversation, and that bay offered the best protection for the expected winds conditions over the next couple of nights. We DID move, and wasted a lot of fuel and time trying several more distant locations, but ended up still much closer to them than we would have liked - we need good swinging room for the expected wind change and most coves are tiny or exposed one way or the other. Honestly - I would have been happy to spend a week right in the middle of 'their bay' and try and overcome/befriend them eventually. They don't know that we don't have a generator, nor do we blast loud music all night (but even if we did, it still isn't 'their bay')... Sigh. Anyway - we are still in a beautiful location and are sheltered sufficiently for the expected wind changes, but not enough that I feel comfortable getting our kayak out and exploring unfortunately (at least not for today or tomorrow). Phone signal weak, but OK.] At: 14:02(EDT) 17-Aug-2023, Outside Temp: 25.7C (78.26F), Humidity:64%, Water Temp: 25.3C (77.54F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 45º 0.078' N | 79º 58.08' W | Begonia | At Anchor: Monument Channel, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario - Inland Waterways, Canada.
Our position: loc:45.0130, -079.9798 Sail From: Tonch Point, Beausoleil Island, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario To: Monument Channel, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario Trip: We travelled 17.7nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 4:54 hours). We have moved 10.0nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.0kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.6kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 7m on mostly rocky bottom (test well to make sure your anchor holds for expected conditions). ] General Comments: [We had a good long hike on Beausoleil Island. Today's passage was challenging as we were near constantly winding through narrow passages with obvious rock and/or shallows on either side, and in overcast skies. One 'shortcut' (Big Dog Channel) we attempted based on the reported higher waters giving us extra confidence - but right at the exit we determined we didn't trust one narrow spot and had to retrace our route somewhat to go the longer way around. It's beautiful scenery, but a somewhat anxiety inducing path today (thank goodness for the guidebooks and charts). Lots of channels, and plenty of homes/cottages on the waterfronts to enjoy. One island (barely a rock with just enough space for a house and some yard) was quaintly named 'Little Gibraltar' by the owners, another home named 'Blarney Castle', etc. Lots of small boat traffic (and wakes), we felt quite sorry for the few kaykers we spotted. We initially planned to anchor off Bernadette Island, but a local family there went our of their way to let us know weren't welcome. Telling us we were anchoring in 'their' bay and were in the way of their windsurfing fun. Of course this is neither true nor fair. All the guidebooks warn of unwelcoming locals throughout Georgian Bay unfortunately. The wind was too strong to have a rational conversation, and that bay offered the best protection for the expected winds conditions over the next couple of nights. We DID move, and wasted a lot of fuel and time trying several more distant locations, but ended up still much closer to them than we would have liked - we need good swinging room for the expected wind change and most coves are tiny or exposed one way or the other. Honestly - I would have been happy to spend a week right in the middle of 'their bay' and try and overcome/befriend them eventually. They don't know that we don't have a generator, nor do we blast loud music all night (but even if we did, it still isn't 'their bay')... Sigh. Anyway - we are still in a beautiful location and are sheltered sufficiently for the expected wind changes, but not enough that I feel comfortable getting our kayak out and exploring unfortunately (at least not for today or tomorrow). Phone signal weak, but OK.] At: 14:02(EDT) 17-Aug-2023, Outside Temp: 25.7C (78.26F), Humidity:64%, Water Temp: 25.3C (77.54F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 32º 46.782' N | 79º 57.3' W | Begonia | We have moved [7.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Charleston SC - City Marina for 2 nights. At: 12:24(EDT) 15-Jun-2012 | over 12 years ago | Show |
| 9º 22.05' N | 79º 57.09' W | Begonia | We have moved [0.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At dock E11 Shelter Bay Marina, Panama. At: 17:00(EST) 02-Feb-2014 | almost 11 years ago | Show |
| 9º 22.038' N | 79º 57.072' W | Begonia | We have moved [21.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At dock E23 Shelter Bay Marina, Panama. At: 10:14(EST) 05-Dec-2013 | about 11 years ago | Show |
| 32º 46.056' N | 79º 56.1' W | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Dock in safe Harbor/City Marina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 3 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Ginn Sur Mer (abandoned resort project), West End, Grand Bahama Island, Abacos To:safe Harbor/City Marina, Charleston, South Carolina. Our position: loc:32.7757, -079.9498 Progress: [We've made 352.4nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 47:36 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 25.0nm; we have made 32.0nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 23.2nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.1kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.6kt, Avg speed for trip:7.4kt. ] Location Comments: [Safe Harbor/City Marina has lovely wide floating concrete docks, and nice facilities.] General Comments: [We managed to make it into the lee of the break water wall before the stronger winds arrived, but still had a gusty passage through the harbour to the marina. Thankfully we had an outside dock with the wind blowing us straight on and plenty of hands to assist securing Begonia to the dock. We are awaiting our clearance via the CBP app before proceeding. IN the mean time we've managed to lose our Q flag (thankfully we have a spare, currently flying) and I've lost a huge bag of USA coins (great for the laundry) which I recently pulled out of it's long term storage and now can't remember where I put them... Ugh! Anyway - we are here, and safe and well. Once we are officially cleared in, Kyle will nap while I pick up some chores (like laundry) and then the fun can start later.] At: 11:44(EDT) 01-Apr-2023, Outside Temp: 24.9C (76.82F), Humidity:68%, Water Temp: 21.4C (70.52F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 42º 24.006' N | 79º 56.004' W | Begonia |
Day 2 of Inland Waterways Passage From:Motor Island, Niagara River, NY To:Wolverine Marina, Erie, Pennsylvania (PA). Our position: loc:42.4133, -079.9337 We have 20.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 102.8nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 21:30 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 102.0nm; we have made 102.8nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 55.1nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.6kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.8kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.8kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Ugh - Since we delayed our departure by several days to avoid strong head-winds, we were really disappointed in the sailing - once we made it to the lake all was fine, the lake waters were flat ad we were easily sailing along at 7-8 kts. Later winds increased so we ha 20+ head-winds and needed to reef, then they would die to 8kt for an hour (so we unreefed) and then is would repeat ALL afternoon and night. Slowly the seas built too, so in the calmer winds we could barely make 2kts of progress - so frustrating. But, we have tacked all over the lake (including the Canadian side), and are now close-ish to our destination in light winds and calm waters again.] General Comments: [Leaving our anchorage, before reaching Lake Erie we need to transit through a lock, and two separate bridges needed lifting/swinging to let us by. It was all going so well until the swing bridge reported they had a train coming so we'd need to wait... 20 minutes later still no train... still waiting... It took us an hour of waiting before the train finally arrived and passed, and then there had been a change of staff and I think they forgot about us, so we had some unexpected delays there. The passage has taken us much longer than we expected and the route involved much more tacking. Looking at the positive side - it was a good test of the newly stepped rig and our return to sailing after getting rusty for the last month.] At: 06:00(EDT) 15-Jun-2023, Outside Temp: 14.6C (58.28F), Humidity:95%, Water Temp: 13.8C (56.84F), Course: 162(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.7kt, Wind:9Kt(from:SW), Cloud Cover:20%, Pressure: 986hPa, Swell:0.5m (from:SW) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 6º 11.628' N | 79º 55.368' W | Begonia | We have moved [154.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Pacific Passage - day 2 Panama to Galapagos. Course: 213(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.6kt, Wind:10Kt(from:N), Cloud Cover:15%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:S). At: 06:00(GALT) 16-Mar-2014 | almost 11 years ago | Show |
| 9º 15.672' N | 79º 54.12' W | Begonia | We have moved [7.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Moored at Gatun Lake on Panama Canal transit. At: 20:14(EST) 08-Feb-2014 | almost 11 years ago | Show |
| 27º 33.0' N | 79º 52.998' W | Begonia | We have moved [88.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Off Florida - heading for NC. Course: 4(degT), Speed Over Ground:9.4kt, Wind:9Kt(from:ENE), Cloud Cover:2%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:1m (to:SW). At: 07:00(EDT) 12-Jun-2012 | over 12 years ago | Show |
| 44º 52.044' N | 79º 50.1' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Tonch Point, Beausoleil Island, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario - Inland Waterways, Canada. Our position: loc:44.8736, -079.8496 Sail From: Beckwith Island (West Bay), Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario To: Tonch Point, Beausoleil Island, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Ontario Trip: We travelled 21.3nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 6:08 hours). We have moved 11.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 1.9kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.5kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 6m. Beausoleil Island is part of Georgian Bay Islands National Park. Smoothed rock bed landscape with forest and trails ashore. Shore access requires a small fee (for tender), alternatively there ais some dock space (for a fee). If taking your tender ashore - do not tie it to the dock. 2bar phone signal.] General Comments: [Kyle managed to sail off the anchor again, and we had some good wind for the first half of the passage then it left us so we motored the remaining distance. As we approached Beausoleil we spotted a large kayak with around 20 people in it (must be out for a practice, we understand there are several YMCA like camps in the area).] At: 16:08(EDT) 15-Aug-2023, Outside Temp: 27.5C (81.5F), Humidity:56%, Water Temp: 26.8C (80.24F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 32º 47.808' N | 79º 49.104' W | Begonia | We have moved [9.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored for day - rest and sleep!. At: 10:42(EDT) 14-Jun-2012 | over 12 years ago | Show |
| 29º 10.08' N | 79º 49.044' W | Begonia |
Day 2 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Ginn Sur Mer (abandoned resort project), West End, Grand Bahama Island, Abacos To:Charleston, South Carolina. Our position: loc:29.1796, -079.8238 We have 230.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 142.9nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 17:52 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 162.0nm; we have made 142.9nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 156.9nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 8.8kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:8.0kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):8.0kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Rough/confused seas, sailing on a beam reach with the occasional wave causing a wet helm seat. Expecting the wind to increase but veer to a more downwind sail. Current reaching up to 2.5kt so far. Forecasts warn of a rather gusty arrival as we reach the shallow 12nm shipping channel (hopefully we arrive before the worst of that).] General Comments: [We have a blanket on the bed, and wear a jacket while on watch in the cockpit. We've just exited the 'Rocket Impact Area' (off Cape Canaveral), thankfully no NASA launches planned at this time.] At: 06:00(EDT) 31-Mar-2023, Outside Temp: 23.5C (74.3F), Humidity:65%, Water Temp: 30.6C (87.08F), Course: 357(degT), Speed Over Ground:10.2kt, Wind:16Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:55%, Pressure: 1024hPa, Swell:2m (from:E) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 9º 40.044' N | 79º 46.134' W | Begonia | We have moved [104.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage: Turks & Caicos to Panama - Land in sight. Course: 200(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.7kt, Wind:13Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:SW). At: 06:00(EST) 05-Dec-2013 | about 11 years ago | Show |
| 32º 39.156' N | 79º 45.0' W | Begonia | We have moved [106.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Almost in view of land. Course: 325(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.3kt, Wind:15Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:60%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:1.8m (to:SW). At: 07:00(EDT) 14-Jun-2012 | over 12 years ago | Show |
| 26º 0.732' S | 79º 43.122' W | Begonia | Day 5 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Bahia Cumberland, Robinson Crusoe Island To:Easter Island
Progress: [So far we've made [492.7]nm (through water) on this passage and have [1624]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [86.7]nm (through water). We have moved [90.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [A frustrating night - the wind changes direction and speed about every 20 minutes, requiring gybing each time. We made way less than 100nm progress yesterday, and the island group (The 'Miserable Group' of San Ambrosio and San Felix) that we approached last night is still in sight this morning.] General Comments: [Despite the frustrating sailing - we did put out a fishing line yesterday AND catch a fish (Fish curry for dinner). This is how fishing seems to be for everyone else - it feels so good to decide we want fish AND actually catch one. We are having some battery level problems, (cloudy days and light winds), But even if we get them fully charged during the day, they don't seem to last the night. Once they are at low voltage the chart plotter starts with lots of fake error messages needing a response every few minutes. Kyle suspects a problem with the fridge, it could be that they are not actually getting recharged fully, or a host of other issues (To be investigate). In one of the sail gybes of last night we had a small storm petrel come and land on the boat and hang out with us for a while. The last 24 hours have seemed busy!] At: 06:00(EAST) 14-Apr-2018, Outside Temp: 17.8C (64.04F), Humidity:67%, Water Temp: 27.2C (80.96F)Course: 324(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.1kt, Wind:14Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1020hPa, Swell:2m (to:N) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 30º 52.686' N | 79º 39.474' W | Begonia | We have moved [200.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. In the gulf stream, taking a ride. Course: 0(degT), Speed Over Ground:12kt, Wind:12.5Kt(from:WSW), Cloud Cover:85%, Pressure: 1008hPa, Swell:1m (to:NE). At: 07:00(EDT) 13-Jun-2012 | over 12 years ago | Show |
| 32º 31.032' N | 79º 36.018' W | Begonia |
Day 3 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Ginn Sur Mer (abandoned resort project), West End, Grand Bahama Island, Abacos To:Charleston, South Carolina. Our position: loc:32.5214, -079.6027 We have 25.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 320.4nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 41:52 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 205.0nm; we have made 177.5nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 200.8nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 8.4kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:7.4kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):7.7kt. ] Sailing Conditions [We enjoyed the gulf sream but have now departed, and (so far) the strong winds never arrived. ] General Comments: [Air and water are now much colder since we left the gulf stream, Kyle was extra bundled up when he woke me at 6am (balaclava and everything). Yesterday a paring knife fell from the counter and landed in my foot -there was a lot of blood, but all is fine (a lesson NOT to leave the knife there in a rolly sea!). I pulled out my 'Rough Guide to the USA' so I could read up on things to do in Charleston and found the book I have is now over 20 years old - jeez, time flies! The radio weather reports are a big change since everything is now in feet (rather than meters) again - we much prefer metric.] At: 06:00(EDT) 01-Apr-2023, Outside Temp: 20.5C (68.9F), Humidity:89%, Water Temp: 20.4C (68.72F), Course: 335(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.1kt, Wind:12Kt(from:SSW), Cloud Cover:10%, Pressure: 1019hPa, Swell:1.5m (from:S) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 8º 48.15' N | 79º 33.234' W | Begonia | We have moved [6.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored @ Isla Taboga (North bay - Punta Balovento) - since south anchorage full of mooring floats - not sure how to acquire nor rate?. At: 15:15(EST) 12-Feb-2014 | almost 11 years ago | Show |
| 8º 54.588' N | 79º 31.632' W | Begonia | We have moved [30.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored outside La Playita (free anchorage - dinghy dock $35 / week). At: 23:18(EST) 09-Feb-2014 | almost 11 years ago | Show |
| 8º 54.612' N | 79º 31.518' W | Begonia | We have moved [6.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored outside La Playita (free anchorage - dinghy dock $35 / week). At: 13:20(EST) 15-Feb-2014 | almost 11 years ago | Show |
| 33º 19.02' N | 79º 16.086' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: ICW Mile 406 - Frazier Point, Winyah Bay, SC - ICW, USA. Our position: loc:33.3195, -079.2809 Sail From: Safe Harbor/City Marina, Charleston, South Carolina To: ICW Mile 406 - Frazier Point, Winyah Bay, SC Trip: We travelled 56.0nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 12:02 hours). We have moved 46.9nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.9kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.7kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.7m (datum),subject to currents, holding a bit soft, but plenty of space.] General Comments: [An early morning departure, with dew on the decks, from Charleston. A lovely day today, motoring (obviously) but we did manage a sail out for some of the route to add to the motor's efforts. It was a wildlife spotting day today, with alligators and dolphins, and of course, plenty of birds. The bugs (no-see-ums and large flies) attacked a few times and we eventually pulled out the deet. Beautiful ,flat scenery all day, quite remote, the houses we did see were often quite HUGE and with really long jetties from the house to the water - sometimes we couldn't even see the house it was so far back. Traffic remarkably light.] At: 18:58(EDT) 04-Apr-2023, Outside Temp: 26.6C (79.88F), Humidity:68%, Water Temp: 21.9C (71.42F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 33º 15.678' N | 79º 15.588' W | Begonia | We have moved [45.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 19:00(EDT) 17-Jun-2012 | over 12 years ago | Show |
| 42º 53.01' N | 79º 15.0' W | Begonia |
At Dock-Free: Free Dock/Customs Dock, Port Colborne, Ontario - Inland Waterways, Canada. Our position: loc:42.8850, -079.2499 Sail From: Marine Lake, Presque Isle, Lake Erie, PA To: Free Dock/Customs Dock, Port Colborne, Ontario Trip: We travelled 59.5nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 11:20 hours). We have moved 58.2nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 5.1kt, Avg speed (through the water):5.2kt. Location Comments: [Free floating docks (mostly for smaller boats) with a couple of T heads , provided by town. Located at south end of Welland Canal, just before lift bridge on West side of waterway. No facilities (no water, no power). Can clear customs from here and can stay overnight. Access to town (shops, laundry, etc).] General Comments: [We sailed back from the USA to Canada today (currently on hold to clear in). Despite the very early start to catch the wind and avoid the worst of the rain, the rain beat us to the dock, so even once we are officially cleared in, we'll be hunkered down inside for the rest of the day. Leaving early allowed us to cross the lake flying our new spinnaker again (Kyle's happy). We are hoping to pick up a few basic provisions while we await the canal opening to pleasure craft.] At: 14:18(EDT) 28-Apr-2024, Outside Temp: 13C (55.4F), Humidity:88%, Water Temp: 9.4C (48.92F) | 8 months ago | Show |
| 43º 10.698' S | 79º 12.852' W | Begonia | Day 44 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [6023.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [322]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [155.2]nm (through water). We have moved [153.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Things calmed down enough to have the spinnaker up for much of the afternoon (and again this morning). The swell remains from the weather system behind us, which has created some 'nice' surfing (Kyle once saw over 15kt). But it is now clear and sunny and we are making great progress. We're looking good to arrive in Chile in advance of the next ugly weather system (but we are likely to have heavy rain on our arrival to the Chilean channel).] General Comments: [We are now seeing more birds (currently we have a dozen petrels swooping about us). Excitement aboard is growing as we feel our imminent arrival. We have passed the longitude of Charleston (South Carolina,USA) and sun wise we are in the Eastern USA time zone now.] At: 06:00(AKST) 27-Jan-2018, Outside Temp: 19.2C (66.56F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 18.5C (65.3F) Course: 71(degT), Speed Over Ground:8.4kt, Wind:16Kt(from:WNW), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1018hPa, Swell:3m (to:SE) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 43º 13.044' N | 79º 12.096' W | Begonia |
Underway: North End of Welland Canal (Lake Ontario) - Inland Waterways, Canada. Our position: loc:43.2240, -079.2158 Sail From: Free Dock/Customs Dock, Port Colborne, Ontario To: North End of Welland Canal (Lake Ontario) Trip: We travelled 19.8nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 7:26 hours). We have moved 20.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.7kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.7kt. Location Comments: [Completed transit of Welland canal. 100m between lake Erie and Lake Ontario via 8 locks] General Comments: [An easy day, transitting with a new powerboat on delivery. From here we will sail over night to the N shore for an anchorage protected from the expected winds over the following days.] At: 15:30(EDT) 02-May-2024 | 8 months ago | Show |
| 43º 13.044' N | 79º 12.096' W | Begonia |
Underway: North End of Welland Canal (Lake Ontario) - Inland Waterways, Canada. Our position: loc:43.2240, -079.2158 Sail From: Free Dock/Customs Dock, Port Colborne, Ontario To: North End of Welland Canal (Lake Ontario) Trip: We travelled 19.8nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 7:26 hours). We have moved 20.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.7kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.7kt. Location Comments: [Completed transit of Welland canal. 100m between lake Erie and Lake Ontario via 8 locks] General Comments: [An easy day, transitting with a new powerboat on delivery. From here we will sail over night to the N shore for an anchorage protected from the expected winds over the following days.] At: 15:30(EDT) 02-May-2024 | 8 months ago | Show |
| 27º 25.68' S | 79º 8.622' W | Begonia | Day 4 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Bahia Cumberland, Robinson Crusoe Island To:Easter Island
Progress: [So far we've made [406.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [1714]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [129.1]nm (through water). We have moved [129.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Wind remains steady - downwind sailing continues] General Comments: [We've seen no sign of any other boats since we left Robinson Crusoe, nothing but birds and the occasional squid landing on deck. It's been very overcast and we've had to start the engine for a couple of hours to keep the batteries topped up enough to keep the chartplotter and fridge going.] At: 06:00(EAST) 13-Apr-2018, Outside Temp: 17.8C (64.04F), Humidity:63%, Water Temp: 26.3C (79.34F)Course: 345(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.7kt, Wind:12Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1021hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:N) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 43º 48.096' N | 79º 5.064' W | Begonia | Safely arrived: at Anchor in Frenchman's Bay, Pickering, Lake Ontario, Canada - PASSAGE COMPLETE.
Day 2 of Inland Waterways Passage From:North End of Welland Canal (Lake Ontario) To:Frenchman's Bay, Pickering, Lake Ontario. Our position: loc:43.8162, -079.0937 Progress: [We've made 32.5nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 9:10 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 35.0nm; we have made 32.5nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 35.9nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.9kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:3.5kt, Avg speed for trip:3.5kt. ] Location Comments: [Anchored in a deeper bowl of 3.4m among a generally 1.5m bay. Urban surroundings, but well protected from all wind angles.] General Comments: [After exiting the Welland Canal, we proceeded on to cross Lake Ontario. Not ideal, but the forecast weather left us with no safe anchorage on the south side of the lake so off we went. We are expecting strong east winds, and lots of rain over the coming days, so we'll be hunkered down now we've arrived (unless the forecast changes). Today's sail was light winds from abaft the beam, and we were able to fly the new spinnaker again until the winds petered out completely.] At: 00:40(EDT) 03-May-2024, Outside Temp: 11.1C (51.98F), Humidity:78%, Water Temp: C (F) | 8 months ago | Show |
| 8º 37.212' N | 79º 2.256' W | Begonia | We have moved [33.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored at Isla Contradora (Las Perlas Islands) Panama. At: 19:14(EST) 13-Mar-2014 | almost 11 years ago | Show |
| 26º 40.062' N | 78º 58.002' W | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Ginn Sur Mer (abandoned resort project), West End, Grand Bahama Island, Abacos, Bahamas - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 2 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Chub Cay, Berry Islands To:Ginn Sur Mer (abandoned resort project), West End, Grand Bahama Island, Abacos. Our position: loc:26.6771, -078.9666 Progress: [We've made 124.1nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 26:50 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 18.0nm; we have made 27.4nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 18.1nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.6kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.4kt, Avg speed for trip:4.6kt. ] Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.9m (datum) in basin in abandoned resort project of Ginn Sur Mer, good holding. Beautifully protected from all directions, no swell, no currents. The resort project made it as far as building the waterways but nothing else has materialized (now bankrupt). Eventually this will be picked up by someone, but for now it makes a great shelter. Easy wide entrance. We have 5 boats anchored here on our arrival, and there is plenty of room. Anchorages outside are reported to have shallow sand over rock and poor holding, so this is a great refuge if strong winds are expected. Plenty to explore with dinghy.] General Comments: [We are less than 60nm away from West Palm Beach in Florida - so close to the USA. We've heard plenty of USCG radio traffic on the radio overnight. It seems like the wind over the next few days will be from all directions, so we are glad to be so well protected for our last stop in the Bahamas. ] At: 11:02(EDT) 28-Mar-2023, Outside Temp: 28.8C (83.84F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 31.1C (87.98F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 11º 11.742' N | 78º 56.034' W | Begonia | We have moved [137.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage: Turks & Caicos to Panama. Course: 213(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.3kt, Wind:12Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:1m (to:SW). At: 06:00(EST) 04-Dec-2013 | about 11 years ago | Show |
| 42º 58.002' N | 78º 56.028' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Motor Island, Niagara River, NY - Inland Waterways, USA. Our position: loc:42.9674, -078.9380 Sail From: Wardells Boat Yard, North Tonawanda, Tonawanda Creek, NY To: Motor Island, Niagara River, NY Trip: We travelled 7.6nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 1:34 hours). We have moved 4.2nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.6kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.9kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.2m between Grand Island and Motor Island (also called Pirates Island), Expect to see plenty of border force presence. Also regular helicopters flying overhead (border force?, tours?). Constant current of about 2kt. No access to Motor Island without a permit.] General Comments: [We have a mast again! Kyle installed the new forestay into the roller furler system and we got the mast up yesterday. It was all quite exhausting and we ate out last night so as not to add to the workload. This morning, we left the dock of Wardells just to make way for any newly arriving boats today. We've not gone far, but are now in the Niagara River proper. With all the convenient and free docks on the canal, this is the first time we've anchored in over a month. Today we still need to put on the sails and connect all the electronics at the foot of the mast. It's all a bit cold and drizzly for now so we'll wait it out and start on that later. Kyle's back is struggling but he's insisting he can still do all the work required (so I may next be reporting him stuck under the sofa where all the mast wiring is!).] At: 09:40(EDT) 09-Jun-2023, Outside Temp: 16.6C (61.88F), Humidity:66%, Water Temp: 14.6C (58.28F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 33º 39.66' S | 78º 54.9' W | Begonia | Destination: Hanga Roa
Leaving for Easter Island this morning... | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 43º 1.032' N | 78º 52.08' W | Begonia |
At Dock: Wardells Boat Yard, North Tonawanda, Tonawanda Creek, NY - Inland Waterways, USA. Our position: loc:43.0220, -078.8799 Sail From: North Tonawanda, NY To: Wardells Boat Yard, North Tonawanda, Tonawanda Creek, NY Trip: We travelled 0.1nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 0:08 hours). We have moved 0.1nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 1.1kt, Avg speed (through the water):0.7kt. Location Comments: [Fixed dock, rickety structure well patched. The only place this side of the canal to step/unstep a mast. Charged $9/mast foot. (Also sells fuel)] General Comments: [After a day off visiting Niagara Falls (to mentally prepare) we are getting the mast stepped today (and installing the new forestay which I'm sure will involve some swearing).] At: 08:48(EDT) 08-Jun-2023, Outside Temp: C (F), Humidity:%, Water Temp: C (F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 43º 1.032' N | 78º 52.062' W | Begonia |
At Wall: North Tonawanda, NY - Erie Canal, USA. Our position: loc:43.0218, -078.8767 Sail From: Lockport, NY To: North Tonawanda, NY Trip: We travelled 16.5nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 3:30 hours). We have moved 12.0nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.4kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.7kt. Location Comments: [Wall (1.4m depth) with power, water and shower block. Check-in online and pay when dockmaster is open (hours posted on door). Price varies by length and if power hookup required. Free for a 2 hour tie-up. For us (with no power) it was $30/night.] General Comments: [We had a lovely day exploring Lockport and its canal history, the lock tenders were especially kind. Today we had no locks nor lift bridges to worry about. We went through the 'cut' the last bit of the Erie canal, and soon found ourselves in Tonawanda Creek. Plenty of ducks and geese on the water. Now we make a plan to re-step our mast and becoming a sailboat again - but first we'll take a couple of days to explore Tonawanda.] At: 12:40(EDT) 06-Jun-2023, Outside Temp: 24.4C (75.92F), Humidity:45%, Water Temp: 15.8C (60.44F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 33º 38.412' S | 78º 49.422' W | Begonia | Arrived (Day 4)! Robinson Crusoe Island (Juan Fernandez, Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [432.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [59.7]nm (through water). We have moved [59.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [We pushed today with the Spinnaker set to be sure we arrived before we lost the light. We just made it (in time to anchor in the rain) - but we're here and safe.] General Comments: [The island appeared in light cloud and before that even was plenty of radio traffic. We're at anchor and will relax, eat and sleep before going ashore in the morning. Glad to be able to rest as tomorrow is supposed to be a splendid day to be ashore.] At: 19:20(CLST) 02-Apr-2018, Outside Temp: 19.2C (66.56F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 24.8C (76.64F) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 26º 24.054' N | 78º 48.066' W | Begonia |
Day 2 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Chub Cay, Berry Islands To:West End, Grand Bahama Island, Abacos. Our position: loc:26.4088, -078.8105 We have 18.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 96.7nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 21:48 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 75.0nm; we have made 96.7nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 77.1nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.5kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.4kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.4kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Light downwind sailing, and fighting against a 1.5kt current. Lots of cruise ships underway, along with a few cargo ships and the odd pleasure boat too. We are very grateful to have the AIS as we can see that these giant boats divert early to keep out of our way.] General Comments: [We are far enough north now that we can no longer see the whole of the Southern Cross constellation. We had expected to be a lot closer in time for daylight, but the current has pushed us back. We do expect to arrive by noon though.] At: 06:00(EDT) 28-Mar-2023, Outside Temp: 25.4C (77.72F), Humidity:80%, Water Temp: 31.1C (87.98F), Course: 330(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.8kt, Wind:14Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:50%, Pressure: 1018hPa, Swell:0.5m (from:S) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 43º 10.02' N | 78º 41.064' W | Begonia |
At Wall-Free: Lockport, NY - Erie Canal, USA. Our position: loc:43.1703, -078.6938 Sail From: Medina, NY To: Lockport, NY Trip: We travelled 16.5nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 4:00 hours). We have moved 13.8nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.5kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.1kt. Location Comments: [Wall (1.2m depth, shallow) just alongside the outside of Lock 35 - sheltered with high walls all around. Right in the middle of things town-wise. You basically dock at the top of the original canal flight (a flight of 5 now unused/replace by the modern flight of 2).] General Comments: [We DID get to visit the railway museum in Medina (which had a giant model rail way and a huge collection of all sorts of additional oddities - like fire fighter helmets), but not before we had a 'slice' of pizza that turned out to be bigger than most normal pizzas. A fellow boater was surprised with a snake in his cockpit in Medina and after some prodding with a boat hook slithered way via the cockpit drain. Today we continued along the canal with a 4 lift bridges and the last two locks of the Erie Canal official (25' lift each a flight of 2 locks). We had plenty of spectators waving from the sides too. The countryside bit of the canal has been rural with red barns dotting the way. Weather has certainly felt cooler (especially in the mornings) and we're back to wearing jeans. There is one more lock for us to transit, but it is federally owned, so not (technically) part of the Erie Canal. For now we at 172m/565' elevation - probably the highest Begonia has ever been (the Panama canal lifts boats just 16.5m/85' above sea level).] At: 12:40(EDT) 05-Jun-2023, Outside Temp: 23.6C (74.48F), Humidity:42%, Water Temp: 20.4C (68.72F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 32º 3.528' S | 78º 36.852' W | Begonia | Day 2 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Bahia Cumberland, Robinson Crusoe Island To:Easter Island
Progress: [So far we've made [112.3]nm (through water) on this passage and have [2020]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [112.3]nm (through water). We have moved [97.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [We departed Juan Fernandez with strong winds, and quite the swell knowing it would calm - once the rain caught up with us and passed. The rain did pass and we are now in reasonable downwind conditions (Spinnaker up)] General Comments: [Another passage.. All is well and we head for Easter Islands in the hopes of calm conditions once we arrive (so we can actually go ashore)] At: 06:00(EAST) 11-Apr-2018, Outside Temp: 16.7C (62.06F), Humidity:78%, Water Temp: 24.8C (76.64F)Course: 358(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.3kt, Wind:14Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:75%, Pressure: 1019hPa, Swell:2m (to:NE) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 33º 52.944' N | 78º 34.218' W | Begonia | We have moved [50.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Moving along the ICW. At: 18:09(EDT) 18-Jun-2012 | over 12 years ago | Show |
| 29º 31.338' S | 78º 33.63' W | Begonia | Day 3 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Bahia Cumberland, Robinson Crusoe Island To:Easter Island
Progress: [So far we've made [276.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [1843]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [164.6]nm (through water). We have moved [152.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [We continue to sail mostly north - since we are aiming to avoid a giant patch of calm that sits between us and Easter Island. By going North and then west (rather than directly there) we hope to keep in good wind all the way to Easter Island. We expect to continue north for another couple of days. Kyle has had some inspiration, and developed a new setup for using the jib downwind (necessity being the mother of invention and all...)] General Comments: [Yesterday morning, on our wonderful downwind sail - our spinnaker finally gave out with a dramatic rip the top corner peeled away from its sides like a banana skin! It took a while to recover the giant sail from the water. The sail was old when we got the boat, and we've certainly worked it hard over the last few years - but what a loss. We should have expected it was 'due', but we'll definitely miss that sail until we can find a replacement (which will most likely be a while). The loss of this sail means we have an added worry - we MUST reach Easter Island by the end of the month. If we don't - Maryanne's visa will mean she can't legally stay in Chile and we are uncertain if we can even make landfall to officially clear out - weather is already a factor in 'if' we can land in Easter Island, now time adds to it. Additionally Maryanne had a cold before we left mainland Chile - it has long gone, but left behind a lingering and noisy cough. If she is so visibly ill when we arrive at Pitcairn we'll not be allowed to land (with the very small community there), so currently it feels as though both Easter Island and Pitcairn are at risk - Ugh! Fingers crossed.] At: 06:00(EAST) 12-Apr-2018, Outside Temp: 17C (62.6F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 25.8C (78.44F)Course: 350(degT), Speed Over Ground:7kt, Wind:17Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:70%, Pressure: 1023hPa, Swell:3m (to:N) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 43º 13.032' N | 78º 23.016' W | Begonia |
At Wall-Free: Medina, NY - Erie Canal, USA. Our position: loc:43.2221, -078.3863 Sail From: Holley Village,NY To: Medina, NY Trip: We travelled 18.8nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 3:16 hours). We have moved 16.0nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.9kt, Avg speed (through the water):5.8kt. Location Comments: [Wall (3.5m depth) with posts (cleat towards west end). Shower with pin code. Plenty of eating choices. Railway museum in town is highly regarded.] General Comments: [Yesterday we reached the Holley June festival just as it was all closing up, but we did get to amble around and found another nice waterfall (being used as a backdrop for graduation pictures). Today we reached the northernmost point of the Erie Canal, and continue to head mostly west, we also had a section of the canal that had a road beneath it (small, but there!). The weather was little milder today (not so much wind chill). Aside from the usual walkers and cyclists, we were surprised to see several batches of Amish ladies on bicycles along the canal, with the occasional males darting between the groups on their bicycles - they all looked very dapper with their hats.] At: 12:00(EDT) 04-Jun-2023, Outside Temp: 23.5C (74.3F), Humidity:36%, Water Temp: 23.8C (74.84F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 33º 54.084' N | 78º 22.026' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: ICW Mile 329.5 - Sage Island, Shallotte River, NC - ICW, USA. Our position: loc:33.9140, -078.3706 Sail From: ICW Mile 406 - Frazier Point, Winyah Bay, SC To: ICW Mile 329.5 - Sage Island, Shallotte River, NC Trip: We travelled 61.6nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 13:00 hours). We have moved 57.8nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.4kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.7kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.5m (datum), soft mud, near marsh, out of main channel. Bar and Grill on the other side of the river if we wished to step ashore.] General Comments: [Another early morning had us starting in South Carolina in beautiful calm conditions, so some great reflections, morning mist, and sunrise colours. We spotted terrapins (turtles?) resting on logs, it was all so beautiful. We soon hit the 'civilization' of Myrtle Beach and wow, what a difference. A constant stream of speeding boats, and jet skis, lots of fierce wakes to contend with. There were lots of pro-Trump flags (even a F**k Biden Flag) flying too. An hour before the end of the day we crossed over the border to North Carolina (more pro-Trump flags). Throughout the day LOTs of GIANT luxury properties with docks on the water gave us plenty to ogle at. We're anchored in another quiet spot (at last), with plenty of bird noise. The current was in our favour all day today so we made a few extra miles than originally planned (good news), so this will make for an easier day tomorrow. The ICW (Intracoastal waterway) is so very protected, and it is quite amazing just how closely we parallel the wild Atlantic just a mile (or less) to our SE in this section.] At: 18:58(EDT) 05-Apr-2023, Outside Temp: 26.3C (79.34F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 24.3C (75.74F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 34º 26.562' S | 78º 7.77' W | Begonia | Day 4 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Valdivia, Chile To:Robinson Crusoe Island (Juan Fernandez, Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [372.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [60.5]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [145.6]nm (through water). We have moved [151.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Seas calming (and wind), we are now sailing with a full jib. We are hopeful that we may arrive this evening, but if we don't look like we'll get there before dark, we'll slow down and arrive in the morning.] General Comments: [We had a short visit from a large group of dolphins yesterday, and we have the regular birds. However no boats (even on AIS) for the last 36 hours] At: 08:00(CLST) 02-Apr-2018, Outside Temp: 16.7C (62.06F), Humidity:80%, Water Temp: 25.3C (77.54F)Course: 327(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.7kt, Wind:18Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:98%, Pressure: 1018hPa, Swell:3m (to:N) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 43º 13.068' N | 78º 1.026' W | Begonia |
At Wall-Free: Holley Village,NY - Erie Canal, USA. Our position: loc:43.2278, -078.0209 Sail From: Corn Hill Landing, Genesee River, Rochester, NY To: Holley Village,NY Trip: We travelled 23.0nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 4:58 hours). We have moved 18.6nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.7kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.6kt. Location Comments: [Wall in center of village (either side of waterway), alongside park with small lake. 3.4m at wall, lift bridge to west. Diners/Bar to eat at in the village, also a post office, library and Laundromat. Convenience store (gas station). Access to trails.] General Comments: [We enjoyed our time in Rochester. A lot of construction projects had us retracing our steps and missing a few viewpoints, but we did enjoy several dramatic dams and waterfalls (one with a beer in hand). We also ate at the Dinosaur BBQ (again, different branch of the same small chain) and this time knew to order a lot less food! Today we returned to the Erie canal, and passed under 3 bridges (thankfully there doesn't seem to be too much traffic so we don't feel too bad). We continue to see goslings (although they are getting bigger), and the canal is often filled with flowers fallen from the trees, making for a pretty day (although cooler and windy today). We arrived in Holley to find a small festival set up at the park alongside so we'll explore once we're all secure.] At: 14:28(EDT) 03-Jun-2023, Outside Temp: 22.1C (71.78F), Humidity:49%, Water Temp: 27.2C (80.96F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 25º 22.062' N | 77º 50.088' W | Begonia |
Day 2 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Allans Cay (East Side), The Exumas To:Chub Cay, Berry Islands. Our position: loc:25.3769, -077.8481 We have 4.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 70.4nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 19:48 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 69.0nm; we have made 70.4nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 66.6nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.4kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:3.6kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):3.6kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Calm seas, and tail winds - easy sailing. We sailed reefing more and more to keep moving but not too fast, we are currently under bare poles to avoid arriving at the shoals before daylight] General Comments: [A big hop north, we sailed right by Nassau with its cruise ships and sky scrapers, timing our passage so we'd be over the shoals there before dark. We sailed overnight in the open waters between there and the Berry Islands and are now approaching the SW Tip of the Berrys.] At: 06:00(EDT) 25-Mar-2023, Outside Temp: 24.4C (75.92F), Humidity:77%, Water Temp: 29.2C (84.56F), Course: 296(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.2kt, Wind:12Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:45%, Pressure: 1017hPa, Swell:1m (from:SE) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 13º 12.06' N | 77º 49.08' W | Begonia | We have moved [148.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage: Turks & Caicos to Panama. Course: 212(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.3kt, Wind:8Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:45%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:W). At: 06:00(EST) 03-Dec-2013 | about 11 years ago | Show |
| 43º 47.016' N | 77º 44.064' W | Begonia |
Day 2 of Inland Waterways Passage From:Frenchman's Bay, Pickering, Lake Ontario To:Breakey Bay, Wolfe Island, 1000 Islands, Lake Ontario. Our position: loc:43.7863, -077.7435 We have 77.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 62.7nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 19:16 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 59.0nm; we have made 62.7nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 58.5nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.0kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:3.3kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):3.3kt. ] Sailing Conditions [A mixed day of heavy fog, with winds from various directions but mostly light headwinds, overnight switching to downwind sailing with the spinnaker.] General Comments: [Lifting the anchor in Frenchman's bay pulled up a LOT Of sticky mud that flung all over the anchor locker, an had the definite whiff of sewage (YUK). The whole passage has been COLD This morning I can see my breath (not unusual, but today it lingers).. We remain very well wrapped up. We are reminded of our winter travels as I wear the off-shore jacket kindly gifted by the Lindeques, and I listen to podcasts scattered with ads in German (which is where I must have been when I downloaded them!).] At: 06:00(EDT) 06-May-2024, Outside Temp: 6.7C (44.06F), Humidity:92%, Water Temp: 6C (42.8F), Course: 87(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.7kt, Wind:8Kt(from:NW), Cloud Cover:20%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:m (from:) | 8 months ago | Show |
| 43º 8.094' N | 77º 36.066' W | Begonia |
At Wall: Corn Hill Landing, Genesee River, Rochester, NY - Inland Waterways, USA. Our position: loc:43.1491, -077.6105 Sail From: Fairport Village (just east of lifting bridge), NY To: Corn Hill Landing, Genesee River, Rochester, NY Trip: We travelled 15.5nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 4:26 hours). We have moved 8.0nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 1.8kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.5kt. Location Comments: [Wall close to center of Rochester (We had to abandon one spot as too shallow, eventually picked a wall and had 1.6m depth). Power and water available and showers too (they just changed management in June 2023, and is now managed by the Non-Profit 'Cornhill waterfront and Navigation Foundation' that also manages the Riverie Tour boat which also docks here). Plenty of restaurants to visit, and all the expected features of a large city. Cost was $5/night. https://cornhillnav.org/] General Comments: [Fairport retained its charm from our last visit (especially the library). For Kyle it was the ice cream stores - while there were serval, he took a shine to the very first one and returned twice (So 3 visits) in one day. The town was getting busy for a weekend boating festival. Today's passage had us going through two large lift locks - and one of them was filled with school kids awaiting their turn on a tourist boat that we shared the lock with - the kids were loving their day trip, and we were glad they weren't following us all the way to Rochester :-). We turned off the main canal and onto the Genesee River for the detour to Rochester.] At: 13:50(EDT) 02-Jun-2023, Outside Temp: 32.3C (90.14F), Humidity:35%, Water Temp: 27.7C (81.86F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 34º 24.342' N | 77º 35.586' W | Begonia | We have moved [57.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 19:39(EDT) 19-Jun-2012 | over 12 years ago | Show |
| 34º 24.03' N | 77º 35.052' W | Begonia |
Destination: Norfolk, VA At Anchor: ICW Mile 264 - Sloop Point (near Marker G21) - ICW, USA. Our position: loc:34.4046, -077.5917 Sail From: ICW Mile 329.5 - Sage Island, Shallotte River, NC To: ICW Mile 264 - Sloop Point (near Marker G21) Trip: We travelled 62.4nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 11:46 hours). We have moved 48.6nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.1kt, Avg speed (through the water):5.3kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 1.3m (datum), good grab first time on anchor. Several fishing pot floats around and private marker sticks, but there is a space to anchor just off the side channel. This Side channel is only used by smaller local power boats. Marsh around (so expect bugs).] General Comments: [Whilst we are well away from the 'Low Country' everything is still very flat (with the occasional mound/hill of no more than 3m altitude it seems). We had another early start (really early), so had some acquaintance with the bugs first off (some Deet solved that problem). Plenty of birds about, and I even spotted a life-size giraffe (sculpture?) in someone's garden. Kyle spent a frustrating 30 minutes on the phone attempting to unlock one of our credit cards, and I got stung by a wasp. We've been fighting a 1kt+ current all day, and there is some miserable weekend weather ahead for us - but for now all is well. On the plus side, At Figure Eight Island swing bridge, we thought we might get stuck with no opening on the expected hour, but we could see the contractors scrambling fast to clear the way to allow the bridge to open once they saw us coming (thanks for that guys!). Whew - ICW days are busy. There is no really good anchorage we can make ahead of us before dark so we've quit early today; I see another early start in our future!!] At: 17:40(EDT) 6-Apt, Outside Temp: 25.2C (77.36F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 27.7C (81.86F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 43º 6.006' N | 77º 26.046' W | Begonia |
Destingation: Midland, ONTARIO At Wall: Fairport Village (just east of lifting bridge), NY - Erie Canal, USA. Our position: loc:43.1011, -077.4411 We have moved 6.2nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.9kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.4kt. Location Comments: [Wall in center of village (either side of waterway), plenty of restaurants, etc around. Red-Bird Grocery store just a 2 minute walk away. Wifi, Showers, Water, Power and pump out available (included in rate). Rate is minimal and varies by boat length. Lift bridge here is (apparently) the only one in the world built on an incline.] General Comments: [Our last stop turned out to have a butterfly trail (although we didn't see any butterflies, there was plenty of info boards and it was well done). A short hop along the canal today (no locks) after a morning walk finds us back in Fairport, a village we enjoyed last time we were this way.] At: 10:04(EDT) 01-Jun-2023, Outside Temp: 28.3C (82.94F), Humidity:49%, Water Temp: 24.8C (76.64F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 43º 4.044' N | 77º 18.036' W | Begonia | At Wall-Free: Lock E-30 (West side), Macedon, NY - Erie Canal, USA.
Our position: loc:43.0740, -077.3055 Sail From: Newark, NY To: Lock E-30 (West side), Macedon, NY Trip: We travelled 11.0nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 3:26 hours). We have moved 9.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.8kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.2kt. Location Comments: [Rough wall with only distant bollards to secure to, to the west of the lock. 2.7m depth. No facilities. Peaceful with access to trails and plenty of notice boards to explain the surrounding wildlife, history, etc.] General Comments: [Yesterday we had a lovely day in Newark, the ice-cream store's portions were WAY too large (but we managed). We also found a pub with a Trivia night - and WON (well, almost, actually we tied for first place but then lost the tiebreaker question.. but still, very close to a win!). We even treated ourselves to a breakfast out this morning before departing Newark. Today has been another VERY HOT day, we mostly kept in the shade and away from the blistering sun. We passed through the mini-lake of 'Wide Waters' before the canal narrowed again. Today we did 2 locks (not so many more to go). We waited at one as there were divers in the water inspecting the structure. For the third day in a row we've met the same friendly grounds keeper as he applies weed-killer to the concreted areas of the locks. We've heard plenty of catbirds among the many choruses over the last few days too.] At: 13:04(EDT) 31-May-2023, Outside Temp: 33.3C (91.94F), Humidity:38%, Water Temp: 26.8C (80.24F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 43º 2.088' N | 77º 5.058' W | Begonia |
At Dock-Free: Newark, NY - Erie Canal, USA. Our position: loc:43.0476, -077.0931 Sail From: Lauraville Landing, Clyde, NY To: Newark, NY Trip: We travelled 13.8nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 3:42 hours). We have moved 9.9nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.7kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.7kt. Location Comments: [Wall and floating docks (both sides). North side has 2.8m depth at floating dock, South side reports 4'. Pumpout, power and water available. Murals on bridge all Erie Canal themed. Supermarket (Save-A-Lot) on south side (a short walk), and several restaurants to choose from (and an ice cream store just a few steps away). Welcome office right there will give you pin for bathrooms and wifi code. Free showers, Free washer & dryer. Donations accepted, registration on arrival expected.] General Comments: [Our plans for chores were deflected at Clyde when we took several scenic walks in the sunshine (both of us feeling significantly improved now, and no longer taking pain meds!). Our plans to eat our were also thwarted with the ice cream store closing minutes before our arrival and the Mexican restaurant seemingly closed for Memorial Day. We did see a couple of Memorial Day events, one right at the bridge by the dock (thankfully they pointed their guns off from us), and one later in the main town park. Today we transitted 3 locks, the weather remains glorious (a bit too hot perhaps). We were the only boat to travel this section so far today. Kyle spotted a small snake swimming across the canal.] At: 12:42(EDT) 30-May-2023, Outside Temp: 29.5C (85.1F), Humidity:37%, Water Temp: 23.4C (74.12F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 37º 16.998' N | 77º 3.0' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Anchored in 7 mile reach, James River VA. We have moved [47.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 23:21(EST) 27-May-2007 | over 17 years ago | Show |
| 43º 4.086' N | 76º 52.026' W | Begonia |
At Dock-Free: Clyde, NY - Erie Canal, USA. Our position: loc:43.0807, -076.8708 Sail From: Mays Point (West of Lock E-25) To: Clyde, NY Trip: We travelled 7.3nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 1:54 hours). We have moved 6.8nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.6kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.8kt. Location Comments: [Wall and Floating docks, with power, water and pump out alongside a small park. Small, peaceful town setting with a handful of restaurants in town (over the bridge), including diners, Mexican, Chinese, and even a board game cafe.] General Comments: [A short day today with just one lock (6' lift). I forgot to say a couple of days ago, but we are now over the half way point for the Erie Canal. Yesterday's walk went well (we get a little further each day). Despite being a holiday, this section of the canal was quiet and peaceful (just a couple of people fishing), the town of Clyde seems peaceful too. Today we finished early, but plan to work on some sewing projects/repairs, but first I think we'll take a walk through this small town.] At: 10:08(EDT) 29-May-2023, Outside Temp: 25.1C (77.18F), Humidity:46%, Water Temp: 20C (68F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 24º 44.094' N | 76º 50.028' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Allans Cay (East Side), The Exumas - Atlantic Ocean, Bahamas. Our position: loc:24.7484, -076.8384 Sail From: Thunderball Grotto Islands, Off Sentinal Cay, Exumas To: Allans Cay (East Side), The Exumas Trip: We travelled 50.1nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 7:15 hours). We have moved 40.3nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 5.6kt, Avg speed (through the water):6.9kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 1.4m (datum) between Allans Cay and Leaf Cay. Can expect strong currents and boats to swing with currents (so be sure to set anchor well, and keep clear of other boats). Beautiful waters, and easy access to Leaf Cay and South west Allans Cay where the local native Iguanas are used to being fed by visitors (and can bite and bash you with their tails as they wish). When we arrived there were 20+ sunning themselves on the beach immediately to our west. Good cellphone service (3 bars) from nearby Highborne Resort. No pets ashore (to protect the Iguanas).] General Comments: [A choppy day sailing beam reach/close hauled and pushing northwards. We waited out at the previous place two extra days to avoid worse conditions, but that was no hardship as we got to snorkel the grotto several times. ] At: 14:35(EDT) 22-Mar-2023, Outside Temp: 27.5C (81.5F), Humidity:60%, Water Temp: 29.7C (85.46F) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 42º 59.088' N | 76º 45.084' W | Begonia |
At Dock-Free: Mays Point (West of Lock E-25) - Erie Canal, USA. Our position: loc:42.9983, -076.7637 Sail From: Baldwinsville, NY, (West of Lock E-24) To: Mays Point (West of Lock E-25) Trip: We travelled 27.8nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 6:10 hours). We have moved 21.0nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.4kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.5kt. Location Comments: [Wall with rings and bollards, depth 3.4m. Peaceful/Rural area with no facilities near the edge of Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. A short walk to the SW (before reaching I-90) will get you to a couple of different observation points to enjoy the wildlife (one an eagle observation tower).] General Comments: [Kyle and I spent most of yesterday in Baldwinsville (after that early start). We had glorious weather, and ticked off a host of jobs (changing engine oil, laundry, etc). Both of us are feeling much improved on the knee front and plan to take a walk to find the eagle lookout (tower) nearby. Today was another lovely day, with just the one lock, but our longest distance wise for some time. We crossed Cross Lake and given it's a long weekend were not surprised to see plenty of kayakers in the waterways (all friendly). The Eastern Cottonwood trees here are all disbursing their seeds buried in cotton-like balls, currently so abundant it often looks like a snowstorm.] At: 14:22(EDT) 28-May-2023, Outside Temp: 31.5C (88.7F), Humidity:32%, Water Temp: 22.9C (73.22F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 34º 42.684' N | 76º 42.306' W | Begonia | We have moved [47.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Moving along the ICW. At: 17:58(EDT) 20-Jun-2012 | over 12 years ago | Show |
| 34º 43.272' N | 76º 42.258' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [148.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 15:46(EDT) 24-Oct-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 34º 36.894' N | 76º 40.014' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [116.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 154(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.7kt, Wind:6Kt(from:NW), Cloud Cover:0%, Pressure: 1012.19hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 03:00(EDT) 27-Oct-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 34º 57.006' N | 76º 40.002' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: ICW Mile 187.5 (approx) - North Adams Creek - ICW, USA. Our position: loc:34.9512, -076.6672 Sail From: ICW Mile 188.5 - just off channel To: ICW Mile 187.5 (approx) - North Adams Creek Trip: We travelled 8.4nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 2:26 hours). We have moved 1.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 0.7kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.4kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.2m, just outside of channel. Anchor dragged under power for a while before setting (so I assume the bottom is soft mud). Shelter outside the chop of Neuse River on a windy day. No cell service] General Comments: [Well, Kyle was really keen to give it a try. We only had to go a few short miles along the Neuse River before turning into favorable currents, etc - worth a try. The weather was quite miserable (as expected), and once the boat poked out into Neuse River the chop, wind and current was too much to make any more than 2kt with both engines running. Adding to that was the cold temperatures and heavy rain. Despite Kyle being well wrapped up (sea-boots and all), it still wasn't pleasant and Kyle decided to turn around and abandon that effort (we were much faster once turned around. Since we have a similar forecast for tomorrow, we'll probably stay here for a couple of days (totally messing with our 'plan', but it is the sensible thing to do). ] At: 08:42(EDT) 08-Apr-2023, Outside Temp: 9.4C (48.92F), Humidity:96%, Water Temp: 16.6C (61.88F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 34º 42.9' N | 76º 39.888' W | Begonia | We have moved [35.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored: Taylor Creek, Beaufort, NC. At: 18:01(EDT) 30-Oct-2013 | about 11 years ago | Show |
| 34º 42.084' N | 76º 39.084' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Taylor Creek, Beaufort, NC - ICW, USA. Our position: loc:34.7143, -076.6639 Sail From: Cedar Creek, Off Adams Creek / Neuse River, NC To: Taylor Creek, Beaufort, NC Trip: We travelled 12.5nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 3:22 hours). We have moved 13.1nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.9kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.7kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.2m (datum), off the small town of Beaufort, NC to the north, and the Rachel Carson Reserve to the south (with its famous wild horses that sometime show themselves on the beach. Reasonable facilities ashore, a bit of a walk to nearest (small) grocery, but nearby laundry. 2bar Phone Signal.] General Comments: [If all goes to plan (weather wise) this will be our last leg within the USA. Next stop the BVI! We'll be here for at least the weekend, and it seems there is a window early next week to depart (but that may change). We've had a few days of relative isolation, so are looking forward to some time ashore.] At: 09:10(EST) 08-Nov-2024, Outside Temp: 25.2C (77.36F), Humidity:87%, Water Temp: 23.4C (74.12F) | about 1 month ago | Show |
| 34º 55.05' N | 76º 39.03' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: ICW Mile 188.5 - just off channel - ICW, USA. Our position: loc:34.9250, -076.6550 Sail From: ICW Mile 264 - Sloop Point (near Marker G21) To: ICW Mile 188.5 - just off channel Trip: We travelled 76.2nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 15:56 hours). We have moved 55.8nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.5kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.8kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2m (datum), between channel and the private docks on the houses to the East. Holding reported good. Phone signal poor/zero (in entire area).] General Comments: [On lifting the anchor this morning there was a lot of weed in the chain, and while that clears away easily, some if it was stuck fast - it turns out there was fishing line wrapped in among it. I keep a knife at the anchor locker for emergency use, and while this wasn't any emergency it was the perfect task for the knife, once I'd cleared everything away I sat the knife on the deck and continued lifting the anchor only to hear a PLOP! - the knife had slid off the deck and into the water - lost for good. Today was an especially early start (4am) that had us motoring in mirror calm waters by the light of a near-full moon. Sunrise brought some great colour, and a cloak of mist added to the charming countryside views. The rest of the day was somewhat challenging. We've had strong winds against us. The currents are also frustrating us; the multitude of inlets and sparse tide data stations leave us guessing (mostly incorrectly) what we might expect but we seem to both approach and depart each inlet with a strong current against us today - I wish we knew the flow system around here, but that local knowledge has not made it to our guidebooks, and there are very few current stations in the waterway. We DID pass by Beaufort Inlet today (which does have a current forecast), but the waterway didn't seem to conform to that either! We just missed a bridge opening and had to wait for the next (thankfully only a 25 minute wait). They sky is brewing with the impending weather, the temperatures plunged and with the headwinds (often over 22kt, sometimes 30kt) the chill factor out in the cockpit is quite miserable (requiring long trousers and lots of layers). It has been a LONG day today for Begonia's crew. Still, we remain 'on schedule' per Kyle's plan, and are glad to be hunkered down for the night and safely anchored before dark (but only just). Tomorrow will be more of a challenge since heavy rain is expected to add to the general misery... Sigh. I guess we have to have a little bit of all sorts to fully enjoy the good conditions when they come. Scenery remains mostly flat, with long remote stretches (no phone signal) dotted with small waterfront communities. We looked out for otters in one stretch where our guides noted they are known to live (no luck), but there are plenty of birds to entertain us. The Easter period here in the USA isn't a holiday for workers, normally I'd expect the coming weekend to be especially busy on the boating front, but I predict the forecast weather will keep most seeking indoor activities. Not us though - Kyle kindly volunteers to do most of the suffering (in the cockpit) while I'll find indoor jobs for myself aboard Begonia and pass out the occasional hot beverage. Everything should be nice again by Monday (if we can believe the forecasts). ] At: 19:58(EDT) 07-Apr-2023, Outside Temp: 13.9C (57.02F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 21.9C (71.42F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 37º 3.054' N | 76º 39.006' W | Begonia | At Anchor: Burwell Bay, James River, VA - Chesapeake Bay, USA.
Our position: loc:37.0585, -076.6507 Sail From: Waterside Marina, Elizabeth River, Norfolk, VA To: Burwell Bay, James River, VA Trip: We travelled 22.9nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 5:30 hours). We have moved 21.5nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.9kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.2kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.6m (datum), near-shore is tree covered with scattered houses, distant shores house the navy's mothballed fleet, 3bar Phone Signal.] General Comments: [We had a productive and busy time staying in Norfolk/Virginia-Beach and Portsmouth, visiting with friends and getting a few long-overdue chores (new glasses being just one!). It is still a bit early to push south so we will remain in the Cheasapeake for another week or so.] At: 16:32(EST) 21-Oct-2024, Outside Temp: 25.1C (77.18F), Humidity:55%, Water Temp: 19.5C (67.1F) | 2 months ago | Show |
| 34º 55.098' N | 76º 38.076' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Cedar Creek, Off Adams Creek / Neuse River, NC - ICW, USA. Our position: loc:34.9329, -076.6461 Sail From: Eastham Creek Point, Off Goose Creek/Pimlaco River To: Cedar Creek, Off Adams Creek / Neuse River, NC Trip: We travelled 27.7nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 6:48 hours). We have moved 21.9nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.2kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.1kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 1.8m (datum). Avoid pots and sunken sailboat. Some larger fishing vessels have a home here, so expect some traffic (chart depths are shallower than reality). Approx ICW location is about 187.5m. No Phone signal (SOS Only)] General Comments: [USA Presidential election results revealed themselves on our awakening today (way earlier than we expected). We are happy to have (mostly) zero signal (SOS only) to keep away from all the noise. Overcast day, with comfort food planned for dinner. Calm waters, motoring all trip, we are anchored at peace with just the seagulls as background noise.] At: 12:46(EST) 06-Nov-2024, Outside Temp: 26.8C (80.24F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 21.9C (71.42F) | about 2 months ago | Show |
| 37º 3.0' N | 76º 37.998' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Anchored in 8' water - Burwell Bay (James River). We have moved [6.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 16:30(EDT) 09-Jun-2007 | over 17 years ago | Show |
| 15º 23.136' N | 76º 37.002' W | Begonia | We have moved [106.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage: Turks & Caicos to Panama. Course: 215(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.2kt, Wind:13Kt(from:ENE), Cloud Cover:10%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:W). At: 06:00(EST) 02-Dec-2013 | about 11 years ago | Show |
| 35º 17.85' N | 76º 36.354' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [171.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 19:38(EDT) 23-Oct-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 35º 17.808' N | 76º 36.324' W | Begonia | We have moved [33.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored By Red daymarker #4 Easthan Creek(?) off Goose Creek on ICW - south of Pamlico River. At: 16:10(EDT) 29-Oct-2013 | about 11 years ago | Show |
| 35º 17.844' N | 76º 36.312' W | Begonia | We have moved [35.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 19:02(EDT) 21-Jun-2012 | over 12 years ago | Show |
| 35º 17.082' N | 76º 36.036' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Eastham Creek Point, Off Goose Creek/Pimlaco River - ICW, USA. Our position: loc:35.2967, -076.6055 Sail From: Tuckahoe Point/Winn Bay, Alligator River, NC To: Eastham Creek Point, Off Goose Creek/Pimlaco River Trip: We travelled 45.0nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 10:24 hours). We have moved 33.5nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.2kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.3kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2m (datum), in scenic arm of creek - Nearest ICW Mile Marker is mile 154. No obvious sign of homes/structures ashore. Off ICW Mile , Poor/Zero Phone Signal.] General Comments: [Today we moved on through one more stretch of canal (no locks): The Aligator-Pongo Canal. We transitted the Pungo River, and crossed the Pamlico River and are safely at anchor again. While in the little bit of open water we were able to sail (but slowly), so more motoring today (thankfully we have plenty of fuel).] At: 16:20(EST) 04-Nov-2024, Outside Temp: 24.5C (76.1F), Humidity:65%, Water Temp: 20.4C (68.72F) | about 2 months ago | Show |
| 35º 17.082' N | 76º 36.03' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: ICW Mile 153.7 (approx),Eastham Creek (Off ICW Goose Creek), NC - ICW, USA. Our position: loc:35.2970, -076.6049 Sail From: ICW Mile 187.5 (approx) - North Adams Creek, NC To: ICW Mile 153.7 (approx),Eastham Creek (Off ICW Goose Creek), NC Trip: We travelled 25.9nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 7:10 hours). We have moved 21.0nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.9kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.6kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 1.5m (datum), in side-creek off ICW (by red day marker #4). No phone signal.] General Comments: [Our two days hunkered down at anchor gave us some time to catch up with various odd jobs aboard, enjoying a few movies in between jobs. We were very grateful for the diesel heating too (we needed it!). The rain stopped midway through the 2nd day (yesterday) and we managed to get all Kyle's clothes dry in the strong wind. We set off today and once in the River Neuse found the chop and wind were less than our previous attempt, but still conditions were pretty miserable. We were able to make much better progress this time and Kyle, out in the cockpit, is especially glad that it's not raining. The water is still very cold (13degC), but that is still warmer than the air outside this morning. A breakfast of hot oatmeal seemed in order. Today we did Just a few miles in the exposed Neuse River before we could round Maw Point Shoal and turn into the Bay River (thankfully we don't need to go into the more open parts of Pamlico Sound). Once we had turned, conditions and speed improved markedly - more so once we were back within the canal cut through to Goose Creek and had much better protection. It's still too cold to consider the salad in the fridge as a suitable meal option. WIthin a couple of days the forecast suggests that conditions will be more seasonally normal again (temperatures in the mid-20s C). By the time we anchored today (early afternoon), the sun was out and things are starting to warm up at last. No Phone signal (we've been without for all of today - I'm starting to suspect my 'discount' phone plan is discounted for a reason!!!).] At: 13:08(EDT) 10-Apr-2023, Outside Temp: 17.3C (63.14F), Humidity:51%, Water Temp: 14.4C (57.92F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 39º 16.746' N | 76º 35.226' W | Begonia | We have moved [7.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Baltimore, MD - At Dock - Henderson's wharf Marina (C6&8). At: 11:46(EDT) 22-Aug-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 35º 31.35' N | 76º 34.992' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [168.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 12:49(EDT) 23-Oct-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 34º 30.216' N | 76º 32.826' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [135.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 134(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.5kt, Wind:7Kt(from:NW), Cloud Cover:0%, Pressure: 1011.18hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 06:00(EDT) 27-Oct-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 39º 9.312' N | 76º 32.274' W | Begonia | We have moved [4.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Stoney Creek. At: 13:12(EDT) 29-Aug-2012 | over 12 years ago | Show |
| 39º 9.228' N | 76º 32.25' W | Begonia | We have moved [3.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored in Burley Cove, Stony Creek, Baltimore, MD. At: 15:03(EDT) 19-Aug-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 39º 9.0' N | 76º 32.04' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Stoney Creek, MD - North Atlantic Ocean, USA. Our position: loc:39.1502, -076.5394 Sail From: Still Pond, MD To: Stoney Creek, MD Trip: We travelled 22.7nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 5:58 hours). We have moved 21.5nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.6kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.8kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.3m, in creek (behind lift bridge) among dense waterfront neighborhood properties nestled in established deciduous trees., 2bar LTE Phone Signal.] General Comments: [We spent a lot of time kayaking around the anchorage yesterday, seeing plenty of butterflies, bald eagles, kingfishers, and deer. It was just what we expect of gunkholing in the Chesapeake. A really nice day sail in the Northern Chesapeake today, mostly with the spinnaker, taking things slow and easy. The cove we are anchored in is a little south of Baltimore, and from our approach path we could see the remains of Francis Scott Key Bridge (still a long way from being repaired after the accident back in March this year). This current anchorage is much more suburbia than nature, but we should still be able to explore in the kayak (if only for exercise).] At: 15:28(EST) 06-Sep-2024, Outside Temp: 28.7C (83.66F), Humidity:53%, Water Temp: 29.7C (85.46F) | 4 months ago | Show |
| 39º 13.764' N | 76º 31.2' W | Begonia | We have moved [18.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 14:54(EDT) 03-Sep-2012 | over 12 years ago | Show |
| 35º 7.338' N | 76º 31.044' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [161.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 10:01(EDT) 24-Oct-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 37º 43.002' N | 76º 31.002' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Carrotoman River (anchorage) arrived after dark, spent time playing Rummy (card game). We have moved [12.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 20:38(EDT) 03-Oct-2007 | about 17 years ago | Show |
| 37º 4.998' N | 76º 31.002' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Deep Creek overnight - 9' of water. We have moved [9.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 20:30(EST) 31-Mar-2007 | over 17 years ago | Show |
| 38º 54.624' N | 76º 30.468' W | Begonia | We have moved [22.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Selby Bay off South River (MD). At anchor in 3m.. At: 15:39(EDT) 22-Sep-2013 | about 11 years ago | Show |
| 38º 21.018' N | 76º 30.084' W | Begonia | At Anchor: Spring Cove, Cuckold Creek, Off Pautuxent River, MD - Chesapeake Bay, USA.
Our position: loc:38.3526, -076.5138 Sail From: Rollins Cove, St Leonard Creek (off Patuxent River), MD To: Spring Cove, Cuckold Creek, Off Pautuxent River, MD Trip: We travelled 5.4nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 1:18 hours). We have moved 3.6nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.8kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.2kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.9m, suburban bay with waterfront homes and docks, a couple of nearby marinas, and options for dining, 2 bars of Phone Signal.] General Comments: [Yesterday we celebrated my birthday, with a bit of kayaking, a trip to a nearby park/museum, and ended the day at a restaurant with a beautiful river view veranda. Today we've moved just a short distance for the change, so short we didn't even consider the sails.] At: 12:20(EST) 14-Sep-2024, Outside Temp: 27.3C (81.14F), Humidity:66%, Water Temp: 28.7C (83.66F) | 3 months ago | Show |
| 38º 57.486' N | 76º 29.058' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Leave From PCI Dock (Annapolis) with our new boat!. At: 18:00(EST) 23-Mar-2007 | over 17 years ago | Show |
| 38º 24.036' N | 76º 28.08' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Rollins Cove, St Leonard Creek (off Patuxent River), MD - Chesapeake Bay, USA. Our position: loc:38.4062, -076.4802 Sail From: Lusby Cove, St John Creek (near Solomon's Island), MD To: Rollins Cove, St Leonard Creek (off Patuxent River), MD Trip: We travelled 7.8nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 3:26 hours). We have moved 4.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 1.3kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.3kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.9m, small cove with a handful of properties and docks, well sheltered, 1bar Phone Signal.] General Comments: [An easy day, with a mid-morning start, a good sail, over a short distance. Back in Lusby Cove, we took the Dinghy into Solomons twice - once so I could grab some fresh fruit and veggies (when Kyle told me that we *may* not get to a supermarket for another month!), and once to be tourists; we visited the excellent local museum, and found pizza and a cocktail at different establishments ashore. Forecast for the next couple of days is sunshine!] At: 13:58(EST) 12-Sep-2024, Outside Temp: 29.3C (84.74F), Humidity:49%, Water Temp: 29.2C (84.56F) | 3 months ago | Show |
| 39º 7.608' N | 76º 28.002' W | Begonia | We have moved [33.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored in Bodkin Creek, MD (going to Cheshire Crab with Chuck and Mary Ritenour). At: 16:30(EDT) 17-Aug-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 38º 13.002' N | 76º 28.002' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Tipperty Wichity Island, on St Mary's River (setting world records). We have moved [86.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 02:34(EDT) 30-Sep-2007 | about 17 years ago | Show |
| 38º 12.72' N | 76º 27.894' W | Begonia | We have moved [7.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Tippity Wichity Island, MD (St Mary's River) - at anchor. At: 18:46(EDT) 24-Sep-2013 | about 11 years ago | Show |
| 24º 11.01' N | 76º 27.474' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Pig Beach, Big Majors Spot, Exumas - Atlantic Ocean, Bahamas. Our position: loc:24.1852, -076.4579 Sail From: Black Point Settlement, Great Guana Cay, Exumas To: Pig Beach, Big Majors Spot, Exumas Trip: We travelled 9.8nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 2:24 hours). We have moved 5.9nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.5kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.1kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.0m (datum) in good sand holding. An anchorage that is always crowded, mega yachts, super yacts, jet skis and plenty of power boat traffic. The draw - the famed pigs on the beach that can swim and love to interact with visitors/ It is common to bring them food. There are warnings that they can be a bit agressive so interact with caution. We have our carrots at the ready! Warnings also suggest be wary of pig poo if swimming in the water, and if you beach your dinghy, expect they will try to board you.] General Comments: [We had a lovely night (including a bit of fire dancing) with the SSCA GAM. This morning we walked about Black Point town itself and found a restaurant with such beautiful ocean views. We also walked on the outer shores for a bit and found a nice rock arch (and more beautiful scenery). We've sailed the little bit north to try and squeeze in the local sights before the next rain/wind system arrives. Aside form pig beach, around the corner is supposed to be some especially good snorkelling (at Thunderball Cay - named after aJames Bond movie used the location for a scene)] At: 17:02(EDT) 18-Mar-2023, Outside Temp: 28.9C (84.02F), Humidity:68%, Water Temp: 29.7C (85.46F) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 38º 19.914' N | 76º 27.45' W | Begonia | We have moved [34.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Calvert Marina ($1/foot for Boat US) - To visit with Larry and Clare W.. At: 14:02(EDT) 23-Sep-2013 | about 11 years ago | Show |
| 38º 12.072' N | 76º 27.096' W | Begonia | "no-footer At Anchor: Tippity Wichity Island, St Mary's River, MD - Chesapeake Bay, USA. Our position: loc:38.2118, -076.4655 Sail From: Spring Cove, Cuckold Creek, Off Pautuxent River, MD To: Tippity Wichity Island, St Mary's River, MD Trip: We travelled 41.8nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 8:14 hours). We have moved 8.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 1.1kt, Avg speed (through the water):5.1kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.3m (datum), peaceful part of The St Mary's river (almost impossible to go farther due to over head cables and shallow waters). This area is well protected behind several bends in the river. 2bar Phone Signal. Tippity Wichity is said to be a derivation of an earlier name for the island's house of illicit drinking, gambling and other disreputes: “Tippling-house and Witchery-house”. Nowadays the island is private, and you might well find yourself the only boat around. ] General Comments: [It took us over 40nm of sailing to get just about 8nm point to point, we moved into a different river, and then head to tack against headwinds - but a fun day of sailing in some great (strong) winds. The Bay was a little boisterous for the time we were out in it (small craft warning), but all was fine for Begonia. We are expecting some stronger winds (from the recent, distant hurricane) so will stay here for a few days where we are well protected. We have been here before (Kyle appears to be doing a tour of his favorite spots in the Chesapeake).] At: 13:42(EST) 16-Sep-2024, Outside Temp: 28.2C (82.76F), Humidity:61%, Water Temp: 26.9C (80.42F) ----- At 16/09/2024 18:42 (UTC) our position was 38°12.71'N 076°27.93'W" | 3 months ago | Show |
| 24º 10.062' N | 76º 26.934' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Thunderball Grotto Islands, Off Sentinal Cay - Atlantic Ocean, Bahamas. Our position: loc:24.1773, -076.4489 Sail From: Pig Beach, Big Majors Spot, Exumas To: Thunderball Grotto Islands, Off Sentinal Cay Trip: We travelled 1.5nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 0:50 hours). We have moved 0.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 0.8kt, Avg speed (through the water):1.8kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 1.2m (datum). Great spot to go over and swim at Thunderball Grotto (and surrounds). Easy dinghy access ashore to Staniel Cay, and if you have an outboard a short hop around the corner to Pig beach too.] General Comments: [After a visit with the pigs, followed by a very rainy/gusty night, the sun popped out so we've moved around to try the Grotto.] At: 12:58(EDT) 19-Mar-2023, Outside Temp: 26.2C (79.16F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 29.2C (84.56F) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 39º 7.53' N | 76º 26.676' W | Begonia | We have moved [80.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Holed up for weather. At: 04:30(EDT) 28-Aug-2012 | over 12 years ago | Show |
| 38º 20.034' N | 76º 26.076' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Lusby Cove, St John Creek (near Solomon's Island), MD - Chesapeake Bay, USA. Our position: loc:38.3385, -076.4464 Sail From: Long Point, Kent Island, Eastern Bay, MD To: Lusby Cove, St John Creek (near Solomon's Island), MD Trip: We travelled 39.1nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 8:56 hours). We have moved 31.1nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.5kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.4kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.3m (datum), peaceful and sheltered cove with pretty shoreside homes all around. Just north of cable area. 3bar Phone Signal.] General Comments: [An early start to make the most of the morning winds, and those winds had us shifting sails multiple times. We made it in good time (just motoring for the last hour or so), but then spent ages poking around possible anchorages looking for the best phone signal we could find (so we can watch the Trump v Harris presidential debate tonight). Glorious weather and a lovely peaceful anchorage.] At: 14:18(EST) 10-Sep-2024, Outside Temp: 30.8C (87.44F), Humidity:44%, Water Temp: 28.7C (83.66F) | 3 months ago | Show |
| 37º 43.008' N | 76º 26.04' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Corrotoman River, off Rappahannock River, VA - Chesapeake Bay, USA. Our position: loc:37.7177, -076.4402 Sail From: Mill Creek, off Ingram Bay, VA To: Corrotoman River, off Rappahannock River, VA Trip: We travelled 27.3nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 9:04 hours). We have moved 6.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 0.7kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.0kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3m (datum), Just off Punches Cove. Ashore are scattered waterfront properties (with docks) and river banks with (mostly) heavy tree cover, 1-2bar Phone Signal.] General Comments: [We did indeed visit Jacey's winery at our last stop (on an especially sunny day) and stayed aboard on the 2nd rather dreary day. Today we left Mill Creek and then went into the Rappahannock River - we didn't move far as the crow flies, but a distance for a good day sailing where we switched to the spinnaker once we made the last big turn.] At: 15:38(EST) 23-Sep-2024, Outside Temp: 27.7C (81.86F), Humidity:68%, Water Temp: 23.2C (73.76F) | 3 months ago | Show |
| 38º 11.046' N | 76º 26.004' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: St Mary's College, St Mary's River, Maryland - Chesapeake Bay, USA. Our position: loc:38.1913, -076.4338 Sail From: Tippity Wichity Island, St Mary's River, MD To: St Mary's College, St Mary's River, Maryland Trip: We travelled 1.5nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 0:50 hours). We have moved 1.9nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.3kt, Avg speed (through the water):1.8kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 4.8m (datum), off St Mary's college yachting club docks, avoid any buoys and markers (these may mark oyster beds or race routes), 2bar Phone Signal. Can dinghy ashore to YC and walk St Mary's City and the grounds of the college.] General Comments: [After a couple of days of heavy rain, and a glorious day of sunshine (where we kayaked further towards the head of the St Mary's River - until blocked by fallen trees). Today we visit St Mary's City - the first (western) settlement in Maryland.] At: 10:48(EST) 20-Sep-2024, Outside Temp: 26.4C (79.52F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 28.2C (82.76F) | 3 months ago | Show |
| 38º 19.998' N | 76º 25.998' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Solomons Island, at anchor, celebrate first 1000 miles with some bubbly. We have moved [41.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 20:19(EDT) 28-Sep-2007 | about 17 years ago | Show |
| 36º 57.0' N | 76º 25.998' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Very hot - James River at anchor. We have moved [6.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 21:20(EDT) 08-Jun-2007 | over 17 years ago | Show |
| 37º 39.024' N | 76º 25.956' W | Begonia | We have moved [9.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Yopps Cove, Rappahannock, VA - at anchor. At: 12:30(EDT) 29-Sep-2013 | about 11 years ago | Show |
| 37º 9.0' N | 76º 25.002' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Anchored in Pocoson River - 7' at low tide. We have moved [50.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 19:30(EST) 19-May-2007 | over 17 years ago | Show |
| 36º 31.992' S | 76º 24.36' W | Begonia | Day 3 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Valdivia, Chile To:Robinson Crusoe Island (Juan Fernandez, Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [227.3]nm (through water) on this passage and have [211]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [140.0]nm (through water). We have moved [147.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Seas are rough, ride is bouncy, and we remain well wrapped up. Jib is at 2 reefs and it is not looking like we'll be letting any sail out soon.] General Comments: [I woke Kyle up with a mini Easter Egg (Happy Easter). We remain wrapped up. Chart plotter seems to act up every time the fridge comes on (??!!) - it decides to tell us we are in 4m of water, or that we have arrived, or something odd and proceeds to turn off the chartplotter - Ugh!] At: 08:00(CLST) 01-Apr-2018, Outside Temp: 15C (59F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 19.5C (67.1F)Course: 326(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.9kt, Wind:24Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1020hPa, Swell:Nm (to:3.5) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 37º 10.098' N | 76º 24.084' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Chisman Creek, Seaford, VA - Chesapeake Bay, USA. Our position: loc:37.1832, -076.4144 Sail From: Jackson Creek, Deltaville, VA To: Chisman Creek, Seaford, VA Trip: We travelled 33.4nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 9:00 hours). We have moved 22.3nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.5kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.7kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.3m (Datum), tree lined shore with some nice homes (private docks) and a couple of marinas in view (Thomas and Legasea Marinas) Phone Signal 2bars.] General Comments: [We are ahead of our schedule to push south so taking it easy. Lots of rainy and dreary days giving us guilt-free time aboard, although we did manage a couple of days fun ashore at Jackson Creek. Today's sail was mostly with the spinnaker in light winds, we had the anchor down, and were hoisting the anchor ball just as the rain started. ] At: 15:40(EST) 02-Oct-2024, Outside Temp: 23.7C (74.66F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 27.2C (80.96F) | 3 months ago | Show |
| 24º 6.012' N | 76º 24.006' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Black Point Settlement, Great Guana Cay, Exumas - Atlantic Ocean, Bahamas. Our position: loc:24.1019, -076.4008 Sail From: Off Chat 'n Chill (Vollyball beach), Stocking Island (Exumas), The Bahamas To: Black Point Settlement, Great Guana Cay, Exumas Trip: We travelled 57.1nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 8:28 hours). We have moved 49.8nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 5.9kt, Avg speed (through the water):6.7kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.1m (datum) in good sand. Plenty of space for a crowd. Laundry/stores/restaurants ashore in this small settlement (but 2nd biggest in Exumas)] General Comments: [We celebrated our anniversary with snorkelling, a meal at Chat 'n Chill (a bit more casual that we'd expected, but tasty), and some nice hiking. We spent a few days at anchor with some strong winds and a bit of rain and were soon ready to push north as the wind swung. We are here in Great Guana since there is a Seven Seas Cruising Club (SSCC) GAM (boaters get-together). We missed the first day and a half, but hope to at least be here for the next full day. We've been members of SSCA for over a decade and this is the first time we've had chance to get to a GAM.] At: 15:40(EDT) 17-Mar-2023, Outside Temp: 27.9C (82.22F), Humidity:51%, Water Temp: 28.7C (83.66F) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 36º 30.042' N | 76º 21.036' W | Begonia |
Destination: Beaufort, NC At Dock-Free: Welcome Center, Dismal Swamp Canal, South Mills, NC - Chesapeake Bay, USA. Our position: loc:36.5065, -076.3558 Sail From: Waterside Marina, Elizabeth River, Norfolk, VA To: Welcome Center, Dismal Swamp Canal, South Mills, NC Trip: We travelled 24.2nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 6:40 hours). We have moved 20.5nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.1kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.6kt. Location Comments: [Great Dismal Swamp Visitor Center (Free docks). Room for 3x40' boats, some basic facilities ashore. Within a state park with direct access to nature trails and visitor center/museum.] General Comments: [So we delayed our departure from Norfolk so Kyle could have one last medical checkup, but at the last minute it was cancelled/deferred. So we found ourselves back in Portsmouth/Norfolk with one less chore, but there was still plenty to keep us busy. Mostly our time was spent with dull chores (aided with the loan of a car from good friend Peter Y in Portsmouth), but we also found some time for one last farewell meal with our good friends Kate and Mark. Today we set off South properly, and crossed into North Carolina in the Great Dismal Swamp Canal (much nicer than the name implies). Despite having traversed the canal many times, we've never found time to stop at the Visitor Center - this time we have time to do just that, and luckily found space at the dock when another boat cast off its lines as we arrived. We'll spend the day tomorrow exploring the nature trails and welcome center/museum. The canal has been beautiful, with cooler, but sunny weather, mirror calm waters, and the fall leaves slowly dropping from the trees into the reflected fall colours below.] At: 17:26(EST) 29-Oct-2024, Outside Temp: 21.3C (70.34F), Humidity:62%, Water Temp: 15.4C (59.72F) | about 2 months ago | Show |
| 36º 52.002' N | 76º 21.0' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: 50hr Westerbeke Service @ VA Boat and Yacht . We have moved [91.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 15:45(EDT) 11-Jul-2007 | over 17 years ago | Show |
| 37º 47.598' N | 76º 20.22' W | Begonia | We have moved [16.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Mill Creek off of the Great Wicomico River, VA @anchor. At: 12:08(EDT) 27-Sep-2013 | about 11 years ago | Show |
| 37º 47.628' N | 76º 20.202' W | Begonia | We have moved [20.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Heading N towards Baltimre. At: 18:53(EDT) 26-Aug-2012 | over 12 years ago | Show |
| 44º 15.024' N | 76º 20.082' W | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Cassidys Bay, Howe Island, St Lawrence River, Canada - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 2 of Inland Waterways Passage From:Frenchman's Bay, Pickering, Lake Ontario To:Cassidys Bay, Howe Island, St Lawrence River. Our position: loc:44.2536, -076.3474 Progress: [We've made 130.1nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 35:14 hours, or 1.5 Days) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 77.0nm; we have made 67.5nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 66.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.2kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.2kt, Avg speed for trip:3.7kt. ] Location Comments: [Anchored in 4.8m, 2bar Phone signal, protected from all but winds from the SW.] General Comments: [We decided to stop just a handful of miles short of our intended anchorage as dark approached, attempting to avoid arriving in the dark. We'll rest up and decide when to move on another time. For now we are safely anchored in a well protected bay.] At: 21:58(EDT) 06-May-2024, Outside Temp: 10.4C (50.72F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 10.6C (51.08F) | 8 months ago | Show |
| 44º 15.024' N | 76º 20.082' W | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Cassidys Bay, Howe Island, Frontenac Islands, 1000 Islands, St Lawrence River, Canada - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 2 of Inland Waterways Passage From:Frenchman's Bay, Pickering, Lake Ontario To:Cassidys Bay, Howe Island, Frontenac Islands, 1000 Islands, St Lawrence River. Our position: loc:44.2536, -076.3474 Progress: [We've made 130.1nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 35:14 hours, or 1.5 Days) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 77.0nm; we have made 67.5nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 66.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.2kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.2kt, Avg speed for trip:3.7kt. ] Location Comments: [Anchored in 4.8m, 2bar Phone signal, protected from all but winds from the SW. Land ashore seems to be all private (no obvious shore access).] General Comments: [We decided to stop just a handful of miles short of our intended anchorage as dark approached, attempting to avoid arriving in the dark. We'll rest up and decide when to move on another time. For now we are safely anchored in a well protected bay.] At: 21:58(EDT) 06-May-2024, Outside Temp: 10.4C (50.72F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 10.6C (51.08F) | 8 months ago | Show |
| 38º 51.006' N | 76º 20.082' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Long Point, Kent Island, Eastern Bay, MD - Chesapeake Bay, USA. Our position: loc:38.8512, -076.3470 Sail From: Stoney Creek, MD To: Long Point, Kent Island, Eastern Bay, MD Trip: We travelled 30.5nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 6:44 hours). We have moved 20.1nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.0kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.5kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.5m on southern tip of Kent Island. Scattered homes along the shore. Can dinghy into nearby Tanners Creek and Cove Creek (at long point). 2bar phone signal.] General Comments: [We have run down fresh provisions, which is intended/good as we want to practice/test ourselves to eat healthy (low calorie, high nutrient) using long-life/shelf-stable products before we eventually depart the USA. We hope to depart with a good understanding of what we need to stock the boat with to eat (mainly) whole-food-plant-based. A fun day sailing, along with 100s of other sailboats today. We exited Stoney Creek and the lift bridge before 6am today. Once out in the bay we were sailing with the spinnaker but soon switched to main and jib and then later, to the jib alone. We share this latest anchorage area with one other boat (Apparition) which we will likely meet if they hang around. Assuming the weather allows, tomorrow we'll try and explore up the creeks with the kayak.] At: 12:16(EST) 08-Sep-2024, Outside Temp: 21.2C (70.16F), Humidity:53%, Water Temp: 25.8C (78.44F) | 3 months ago | Show |
| 37º 47.064' N | 76º 20.016' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Mill Creek, off Ingram Bay, VA - Chesapeake Bay, USA. Our position: loc:37.7937, -076.3364 Sail From: St Mary's College, St Mary's River, Maryland To: Mill Creek, off Ingram Bay, VA Trip: We travelled 26.5nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 7:14 hours). We have moved 24.3nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.4kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.7kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.7m, on tree lined Mill Creek (found just to the south of the mouth of the Great Wicomico River, in Ingram Bay), Access to Jacey Vinyards (with tasting/restaurant options) via dinghy (dock provided), 1bar Phone Signal.] General Comments: [St Mary's turned out to be quite the gem; we were welcomed to the small college campus (where we even managed a meal at the student canteen). The historical village there was fascinating and well presented (and almost empty, so we were given plenty of time by the attending interpreters). Today we've moved on to another Mill creek a little further south, and finally crossed into Virginia.] At: 13:18(EST) 21-Sep-2024, Outside Temp: 27.3C (81.14F), Humidity:64%, Water Temp: C (F) | 3 months ago | Show |
| 43º 9.036' N | 76º 20.016' W | Begonia |
At Dock-Free: Baldwinsville, NY, (West of Lock E-24) - Erie Canal, USA. Our position: loc:43.1562, -076.3364 Sail From: Syracuse Inner Harbor To: Baldwinsville, NY, (West of Lock E-24) Trip: We travelled 10.2nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 2:30 hours). We have moved 9.5nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.8kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.1kt. Location Comments: [Floating docks with welcome center, water, power and showers available. Beautiful little village with restaurants, ice cream, hairdressers and small grocery store all in walking distance.] General Comments: [Kyle was keen to visit Syracuse, but I was a little wary after definitely feeling the lack of security in the inner harbor when we were there 20 years ago. Given that we decided to eat out in the mid-afternoon (at the renowned Dinosaur BBQ), and be aboard all evening where we were able to enjoy a large firework display (Not quite sure what it was for, but it was impressive). All seemed to go well, but at some point in the night (maybe around 3:30am) someone untied all 4 of our dock lines and left us to drift off. We *thought* we heard something, but when we went out to investigate saw nothing untoward and slept through until around 6:15 am when on hearing a strange sound, Kyle took a look out the window and we were no longer at the dock but drifting out to the river. Ugh. We grounded before we hit a bridge (thankfully), and so had an unexpectedly early start to today's travels. We are now in the Seneca River and continue to see Bald Eagles (and even a swan today). We transitted just the one lock today (up) at E-24) and will stay here overnight as Kyle wants to change engine oil, etc. So - we are back in 'small town' America where we feel much safer and happier.] At: 08:58(EDT) 27-May-2023, Outside Temp: 18.4C (65.12F), Humidity:50%, Water Temp: 17C (62.6F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 37º 31.998' N | 76º 19.998' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Fishing Bay at anchor. We have moved [18.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 15:10(EDT) 05-Oct-2007 | about 17 years ago | Show |
| 37º 47.556' N | 76º 19.284' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Arrive At Mill Creek (by Gt Wicomico Light, off Ingram Bay) - VA. We have moved [88.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 14:00(EST) 24-Mar-2007 | over 17 years ago | Show |
| 37º 32.094' N | 76º 19.086' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Jackson Creek, Deltaville, VA - Chesapeake Bay, USA. Our position: loc:37.5487, -076.3309 Sail From: Corrotoman River, off Rappahannock River, VA To: Jackson Creek, Deltaville, VA Trip: We travelled 25.5nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 9:22 hours). We have moved 11.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 1.2kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.7kt. Location Comments: [Anchored 2.6m (datum) off Jackson Creek Marina (Dinghy dock for a fee), Phone Signal NIL/SOS.] General Comments: [We spent some dreary rainy days at the previous anchorage, and are expecting more heavy rain tomorrow (so today made for the best day to move). Deltaville is the (tiny) town where we initially took Begonia after purchase, and to get her ready for our planned adventures - she has done us well. With light head winds we had a slow, but fine sail today (lots of tacking). Rather overcast still, which is a problem as the batteries were already low from the multiple days of gloom. We are hoping for sunshine once the next storm front passes, in the meantime NO VACUUMING (or other power hungry activities)!] At: 15:38(EST) 26-Sep-2024, Outside Temp: 27.5C (81.5F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 27.2C (80.96F) | 3 months ago | Show |
| 37º 33.354' N | 76º 19.02' W | Begonia | We have moved [6.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Mast unstepped - in DYC marina in the water. At: 14:30(EDT) 29-Jun-2012 | over 12 years ago | Show |
| 36º 51.0' N | 76º 19.002' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Portsmouth Boating Center. We have moved [19.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 12:04(EDT) 30-Jul-2007 | over 17 years ago | Show |
| 36º 50.574' N | 76º 18.102' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Arrive Hospital Point, Portsmouth VA for overnight at anchor. We have moved [200.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 23:00(EST) 25-Mar-2007 | over 17 years ago | Show |
| 36º 50.604' N | 76º 18.048' W | Begonia | We have moved [42.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Hospital Point, Portsmouth, VA - anchored near a half sunk wreck!. At: 08:33(EDT) 02-Oct-2013 | about 11 years ago | Show |
| 36º 50.064' N | 76º 18.0' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Hospital Point, Portsmouth, VA - Chesapeake Bay, USA. Our position: loc:36.8442, -076.3003 Sail From: Chisman Creek (Off Poquoson River), Seaford, VA To: Hospital Point, Portsmouth, VA Trip: We travelled 32.0nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 9:24 hours). We have moved 21.1nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.2kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.4kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.6m (Datum), off the Navy Hospital, access to shore via dinghy dock at marinas on both side of the river. 1 bar Phone Signal.] General Comments: [We remain ahead of ourselves (schedule wise) and will anchor and catch up aboard, preparing for our appointment and visits in Norfolk over the coming weeks. We are SO excited to be back in our home waters, where we have friends to visit with, and are familiar with the streets and neighbourhoods.] At: 16:24(EST) 05-Oct-2024, Outside Temp: 26.3C (79.34F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 28.2C (82.76F) | 3 months ago | Show |
| 36º 54.0' N | 76º 18.0' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Anchored in Lafeyettte River by Bridge. We have moved [45.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 20:20(EST) 18-May-2007 | over 17 years ago | Show |
| 36º 50.124' N | 76º 17.802' W | Begonia | We have moved [0.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. High Street Landing, Portsmouth (Free dock). At: 18:29(EDT) 21-Oct-2013 | about 11 years ago | Show |
| 36º 50.13' N | 76º 17.802' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [119.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 04:16(EDT) 12-Sep-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 36º 50.298' N | 76º 17.796' W | Begonia | We have moved [29.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Portsmouth, VA - yay!. At: 17:20(EDT) 24-Jun-2012 | over 12 years ago | Show |
| 36º 49.878' N | 76º 17.778' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Dock at Ocean Marine Yacht Club, Portsmouth VA (home for a while). We have moved [106.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 14:00(EST) 26-Mar-2007 | over 17 years ago | Show |
| 36º 51.018' N | 76º 17.088' W | Begonia |
At Private Dock: Norfolk Condo (Private Dock) - ICW, USA. Our position: loc:00.0000, 000.0000 Sail From: ICW Mile 44 (approx) Goat Island To: Norfolk Condo (Private Dock) Trip: We travelled 39.8nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 10:52 hours). We have moved 30.6nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.8kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.7kt. Location Comments: [At private dock in Norfolk as guest of OCC members (Greta & Gary). ] General Comments: [What a day! A beautiful start, with a host of colours as the sun surfaced. Calm waters made for easy motoring in peaceful forest waterways. The day brought a little drizzle, but none of the heavy rains forecast. We locked through the Dismal Swamp canal, an 8 foot lift to the fresh water system. At the other end we were greeted by a past work colleague (Chris) - a super nice treat. In the middle an overhanging tree ate our windex instrument from the top of the mast (something to replace). Lots of stops/pauses on route today for bridges, trains, locks, and even a fuel stop, so a long day, but we're off for drinks shortly and then get to meet up with our great friends Kate & Mark (I hope we can stay awake!). ] At: 16:52(EDT) 14-Apr-2023, Outside Temp: 24.6C (76.28F), Humidity:65%, Water Temp: 17C (62.6F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 36º 50.016' N | 76º 17.082' W | Begonia | At Dock-Free: Portsmouth City Docks (Free for 36hours), Main Street, Portsmouth, VA - Chesapeake Bay, USA.
Our position: loc:36.8355, -076.2967 Sail From: Deep Creek, James River, VA To: Portsmouth City Docks (Free for 36hours), Main Street, Portsmouth, VA Trip: We travelled 20.0nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 4:38 hours). We have moved 18.3nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.0kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.3kt. Location Comments: [Portsmouth Town docks, free for 36 hours. Avoid Ferry docking areas (clearly marked). Note docks flood at spring high tides. (any tide depth over ??). Post office just a block away.] General Comments: [We spent a week up and down the James River, and are now back in Portsmouth/Norfolk for a day of chores. Currently at Portsmouth town dock again, Kyle's keen to get to the High St Pizza and Pour place.] At: 15:20(EST) 27-Oct-2024, Outside Temp: 18.9C (66.02F), Humidity:54%, Water Temp: 19C (66.2F) | about 2 months ago | Show |
| 36º 57.0' N | 76º 16.998' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Anchored in Willoughby Bay (first use of anchor trip line). We have moved [40.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 22:20(EDT) 01-Jun-2007 | over 17 years ago | Show |
| 37º 0.078' N | 76º 16.776' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [91.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 254(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.6kt, Wind:14Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1027.09hPa, Swell:1m (to:E). At: 01:00(EDT) 12-Sep-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 37º 27.264' N | 76º 16.218' W | Begonia | We have moved [37.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 14:30(EDT) 25-Jun-2012 | over 12 years ago | Show |
| 37º 27.234' N | 76º 16.212' W | Begonia | We have moved [6.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchorage Rest. At: 09:00(EDT) 26-Aug-2012 | over 12 years ago | Show |
| 36º 20.61' N | 76º 13.11' W | Begonia | We have moved [40.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Just north of Elizabeth City. At: 18:20(EDT) 23-Jun-2012 | over 12 years ago | Show |
| 36º 17.814' N | 76º 13.068' W | Begonia | We have moved [32.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Elizabeth City Public (Free) Dock - alongside waterfront Park. At: 19:34(EDT) 26-Oct-2013 | about 11 years ago | Show |
| 36º 20.076' N | 76º 13.05' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: ICW Mile 44 (approx) Goat Island - ICW, USA. Our position: loc:36.3459, -076.2251 Sail From: Elizabeth City Welcome Dock To: ICW Mile 44 (approx) Goat Island Trip: We travelled 6.6nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 1:30 hours). We have moved 2.8nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 1.9kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.4kt. Location Comments: [Anchored just off the ICW by Green Marker #13. Peaceful, calm, and surrounded by Cyprus trees.] General Comments: [We had a lovely evening and day spent in Elizabeth City with our friend Ron (including a delicious Mexican feast, and a last minute trip to the Albemarle Museum). Elizabeth city is famed for its kind welcome to boaters and a local 'Rose Buddy' came and gave Maryanne a rose as one of the many welcomes to the town. Today we set off late-afternoon to relocate the boat just a few miles up the river (and through one lift bridge) to give us a head start for tomorrow when timing is everything through locks and bridges. ] At: 17:50(EDT) 13-Apr-2023, Outside Temp: 29.9C (85.82F), Humidity:34%, Water Temp: 19.5C (67.1F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 36º 17.094' N | 76º 13.008' W | Begonia |
At Dock-Free: Elizabeth City Welcome Dock, Pasquotank River, NC - ICW, USA. Our position: loc:36.2990, -076.2183 Sail From: Welcome Center, Dismal Swamp Canal, South Mills, NC To: Elizabeth City Welcome Dock, Pasquotank River, NC Trip: We travelled 18.5nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 5:50 hours). We have moved 14.1nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.4kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.2kt. Location Comments: [At Dock, in Elizabeth City. The usual wonderful welcome by the Rose Buddies (help with lines, a welcome pack, and a beautifully scented rose for the ladies)] General Comments: [We had a relaxed time in the Great Dismal Swamp Canal, and managed plenty of exercise (walking). Today we've pushed south to the Elizabeth City which won't be the same now our friend Ron has passed; but Kyle has planned a trip to a Mexican restaurant in his memory.] At: 15:32(EST) 31-Oct-2024, Outside Temp: 28.2C (82.76F), Humidity:57%, Water Temp: 19C (66.2F) | about 2 months ago | Show |
| 36º 17.094' N | 76º 13.008' W | Begonia |
"At Dock-Free: Elizabeth City Welcome Dock - ICW, USA. Our position: loc:36.2991, -076.2182 Sail From: ICW Mile 95 (approx). Alligator River, NC To: Elizabeth City Welcome Dock Trip: We travelled 40.0nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 9:10 hours). We have moved 34.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.7kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.4kt. Location Comments: [Free dock to visitors to Elizabeth City on the ICW. Always a warm welcome and right in the middle of town so access to stores and restaurants.] General Comments: [Today was a fun day and things are warming up. We had a bridge that needed opening for us today (Alligator River Bridge) and the operator was a hoot. He was very charming to me, lots of 'sweethearts', and 'darlings'. He's had new instructions to ask for more boat details and clearly isn't keen. He assumes the new info is an attempt to stop drug trafficking. We later had several fly-overs by the local Coast Guard boat so I'm not sure we passed the test! But good news for the day is was actually got to sail for most of it. Kyle is very happy. Even better is that we hope to meet up with our Marina buddy Ron, and catch up on the many years since we last spent time together. As for online shopping - another fail on my part. Order was cancelled twice, and attempts to re-order from same order only add a third of the items to the cart and the rest must be found and added manually - groan!] At: 14:42(EDT) 12-Apr-2023, Outside Temp: 27.1C (80.78F), Humidity:41%, Water Temp: 18.5C (65.3F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 43º 14.028' N | 76º 11.094' W | Begonia | At Wall-Free: West Side of Lock E-23 (Brewerton) - Erie Canal, USA.
Our position: loc:43.2380, -076.1989 Sail From: West Side of Sylvan Beach Lock E-22 To: West Side of Lock E-23 (Brewerton) Trip: We travelled 25.2nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 5:52 hours). We have moved 24.2nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.1kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.3kt. Location Comments: [Alongside wall (4.6m of depth), plenty of rings to tie to. Park land and picnic tables, lots of shade from tall trees] General Comments: [A very cold start today with frost on the boat. We saw so many bald eagles today (sometimes 4 at once), mostly youngsters so without the full white head/tail. We left the Canal at Sylvian Beach (town) to cross Oneida Lake (17 miles long). It stayed cold all day, but the day had that beautiful crispness to the air giving great views as we crossed the lake. The small towns either side were lined with holiday homes and campsites. The heat from the sun is just about starting to work now we are tied up for the afternoon. We did just the one lock today (E-23) and it only drops 7 feet. From here the locks all go up to reach the Lake Erie (but we have just 12 locks remaining). From here the Oswego Canal branches off, but there is a problem with one of the locks (the gate won't fully lift) so there is at least one boat 'stuck' here for now hoping for a fix soon.] At: 14:18(EDT) 25-May-2023, Outside Temp: 18.3C (64.94F), Humidity:49%, Water Temp: 17C (62.6F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 43º 3.06' N | 76º 9.084' W | Begonia |
At Dock-Free: Syracuse Inner Harbor - Inland Waterways, USA. Our position: loc:43.0602, -076.1642 Sail From: West Side of Lock E-23 (Brewerton) To: Syracuse Inner Harbor Trip: We travelled 17.6nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 4:00 hours). We have moved 10.8nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.7kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.4kt. Location Comments: [Floating docks (Water and power but not sure if they work). Years of silting gave us long stretches of shallows on entry (around 3', but reported to be 7'), and at least one of the bridges seems lower than reported. Unless new dredging operations are undertaken, I suggest others enter slowly and with caution (if at all). Nice trails around the waterways, public transport OK, but doesn't run on weekends. Friday night events in the area over June/July. ] General Comments: [On the knee front Kyle and I are both feeling improved; we have taken some very short walks over the last few days without issue - we're still taking it easy, but feel positive about a full recovery. Today we had no locks to pass through, we departed the Erie Canal for a detour via the Onondaga Lake into Syracuse and for a while we were doubting that decision (when we touched bottom), but we made it to the dock. Around 20 years ago we were here with Prydwen, with her 6' keel she'd never have made it today! We have a restaurant in mind for later (one that was always popular when overnighting in Syracuse for work). ] At: 12:40(EDT) 26-May-2023, Outside Temp: 20.5C (68.9F), Humidity:38%, Water Temp: 15.4C (59.72F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 39º 20.058' N | 76º 8.178' W | Begonia | We have moved [21.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Still Pond. At: 18:59(EDT) 01-Sep-2012 | over 12 years ago | Show |
| 39º 20.004' N | 76º 8.046' W | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Still Pond, MD, USA - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 3 of North Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Coney Island Creek, Gravesend Bay, Brooklyn, NY To:Still Pond, MD. Our position: loc:39.3343, -076.1413 Progress: [We've made 196.8nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 43:08 hours, or 1.8 Days) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 119.0nm; we have made 112.5nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 77.0nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.3kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.8kt, Avg speed for trip:4.6kt. ] Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.8m (datum), Coast Guard station to NW of bay. 1 bar LTE Phone Signal.] General Comments: [Most of yesterday in daylight hours, following the NJ coast (I mis-wrote yesterday and said NY coast) we were deliberately keeping our speed low in order to await favorable winds for the turn into Delaware Bay, and (later) favorable currents. With a following current and just a scrap of sail, we could not slow down sufficiently but managed to at least have the wind shift we wanted at the turn. During my watch this morning, an exhausted bat suddenly landed on my arm (I was wearing a jacket, I'm aware that in the USA they can carry rabies); but it was so very cute, and I was worried for it, as both our confused eyes met, the poor thing panicked and flew off again, battling the winds and many miles from shore. I hope it finds its way safely to land. On Kyle's watch, he was excited to see pelicans again. Boat traffic has been primarily cargo and working boats, and we've kept to the channels to avoid any possible crab pots (just keeping to the far right, or ducking out when a larger boat passes). But, we MADE IT - and quite a bit earlier than expected... So now we can grab a good sleep and tomorrow we can start to enjoy our old haunt, the Chesapeake! The forecast suggest a calm and relaxed few days.] At: 05:16(EST) 04-Sep-2024, Outside Temp: 17.4C (63.32F), Humidity:77%, Water Temp: 26.8C (80.24F) | 4 months ago | Show |
| 39º 19.998' N | 76º 7.002' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: 5 days of sailing up to Still Pond Creek, on route to Solomons Island. We have moved [24.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 18:24(EDT) 27-Sep-2007 | about 17 years ago | Show |
| 35º 40.35' N | 76º 5.298' W | Begonia | We have moved [38.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored at Alligator River (just NE of Alligator-Pongo Canal. At: 16:36(EDT) 28-Oct-2013 | about 11 years ago | Show |
| 35º 40.038' N | 76º 5.082' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: ICW Mile 105, Tuckahoe Point/Winn Bay, Alligator River, NC - ICW, USA. Our position: loc:35.6727, -076.0974 Sail From: Elizabeth City Welcome Dock, Pasquotank River, NC To: ICW Mile 105, Tuckahoe Point/Winn Bay, Alligator River, NC Trip: We travelled 46.7nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 8:48 hours). We have moved 38.0nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.3kt, Avg speed (through the water):5.3kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.5m (Datum), just off East entrance of the Alligator-Pongo Canal, in a large shallow section of water. Possibility of venomous snakes looking for refuge (same for most of these waters), 1 bar Phone Signal.] General Comments: [A generally lazy day in Elizabeth City, we walked to the State University to look at the campus (modern, with a flight school, and a bowling alley). Today's passage was actually mostly sailing (Yay), as we were in more open waters. The winds were more than expected and 'seas' a little choppy in places. We had hoped to make it through the next canal, but we were not certain of making it to the next anchorage before dark, so stopped here, just to the North-East of the Alligator-Pongo Canal. Once anchored we found a venomous snake attempting to board (most likely a Cottonmouth); we tried to dissuade it, but it kept returning, so we all eventually settled that it could stay IF it remained on the back steps and didn't venture further (we hope it fully understands this!).] At: 14:00(EST) 02-Nov-2024, Outside Temp: 19.1C (66.38F), Humidity:57%, Water Temp: 20.9C (69.62F) | about 2 months ago | Show |
| 35º 40.512' N | 76º 3.912' W | Begonia | We have moved [34.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 19:01(EDT) 22-Jun-2012 | over 12 years ago | Show |
| 35º 40.38' N | 76º 3.372' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [85.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 16:10(EDT) 22-Oct-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 35º 52.17' N | 76º 1.29' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [77.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 13:40(EDT) 22-Oct-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 35º 44.088' N | 76º 1.05' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: ICW Mile 95 (approx). Alligator River, NC - ICW, USA. Our position: loc:35.7484, -076.0246 Sail From: ICW Mile 153.7 (approx),Eastham Creek (Off ICW Goose Creek), NC To: ICW Mile 95 (approx). Alligator River, NC Trip: We travelled 52.4nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 11:02 hours). We have moved 39.2nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.6kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.8kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.8m (datum) in large swath outside main ICW channel. Plenty of room for 1000s of boats (a few fishing pots around but they are easy to avoid). No phone signal (T-Mobile).] General Comments: [A peaceful day, mirror calm start, with very few other boaters in either direction. When crossing the Pamlico River we heavy fog (very atmospheric), but the sun eventually burned that off. Despite the blue skies and light winds it has felt cold all day today. We were happy to have the current in our favour as we passed through the Pungo-Alligator canal. On exiting the canal stretch we were joined by several US-Air Force jets for a short period (presumably based in Virginia Beach to our North). We only had an hour of phone signal today (earlier in the morning), and my to-do list of on-line chores remains undone, but hopefully I've managed to reschedule all the plans that were messed up by our delays this week. ] At: 16:52(EDT) 11-Apr-2023, Outside Temp: 20.3C (68.54F), Humidity:46%, Water Temp: 15.6C (60.08F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 37º 49.8' N | 75º 59.64' W | Begonia | We have moved [31.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Parks Marina @ Tangier Island (Tangier Village) - $30 rate for boats over 30' (+$5 optional for electric/water) - showers available - no AT&T cell phone siganl, Wifi available at 4 brothers. At: 00:00(EDT) 26-Sep-2013 | about 11 years ago | Show |
| 37º 10.002' N | 75º 58.998' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Anchored at Butlers Bluff - Kiptopeke, Eastern Shore - cleaned boat bottom - 8' water depth. We have moved [4.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 18:30(EDT) 30-Jun-2007 | over 17 years ago | Show |
| 37º 2.772' N | 75º 58.566' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [72.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 265(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.6kt, Wind:20Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:%, Pressure: 1027.09hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 22:00(EDT) 12-Sep-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 44º 20.058' N | 75º 55.056' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Heart Island, 1000 Islands, St Lawrence River - Inland Waterways, USA. Our position: loc:44.3434, -075.9261 Sail From: Cassidys Bay, Howe Island, Frontenac Islands, 1000 Islands, St Lawrence River To: Heart Island, 1000 Islands, St Lawrence River Trip: We travelled 20.3nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 9:24 hours). We have moved 18.9nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.0kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.2kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 1.9m, to SW of Heart Island with stunning views of Holdt Castle and its amazing boathouse. Bottom seems to be weed on shallow mud over rock so be sure to set and test anchor well. Docks along shore on Heart Island are for use only after 10am daily (no overnight use), tours available ashore along with a tour app for Holdt Castle. Phone Signal:3bars.] General Comments: [Today we departed Cassidys Bay in unexpected sunshine (Forecast was for 94% chance of heavy rain all day, but it never materialized). We crossed back to the south shore of the river and into the USA (the CBP Roam app is great, and this time we were required to complete a video call before a prompt approval). We spent a few hours in Clayton, NY where we topped up the fuel, and fresh provisions, and enjoyed a stroll around the beautiful town (not quite open for the season) and found a pizza for lunch, we skipped the Old boat museum which looked extensive and we thought required a longer stay than we were able to allow for. After that, we proceeded west and stopped at the NY State park of Rock Island, hoping to see the lighthouse and keepers house. We were permitted ashore, but the entry of the buildings is not possible until Memorial day's grand opening for the season. However, the stop was appreciated. As we pushed west we went under the Thousand Islands Bridge (I81), and through the skinny American Narrows (deep but narrow channel littered with shipwrecks); luckily we didn't meet any commercial traffic going the other way! We've also been enjoying the views of the various 'cottages' which range from a shack on a small rock, to giant homes that could easily house families of 20 or more. The St Lawrence River at the narrows has given us a little oompf (currently about 1.5kt) of favourable current, and the water throughout is SO clear, that the view all the way to the river bed sometimes scares us into believing we are too shallow (reassured by the depth sounder). Our final stop for today was the Island housing Boldt Castle - a beautifully grand 'cottage' which is also not yet open for the season. We are expecting several days of heavy rain ahead of us, and we've booked tickets for a tour of the Castle on the weekend.] At: 16:58(EDT) 09-May-2024, Outside Temp: 17.4C (63.32F), Humidity:55%, Water Temp: 11.2C (52.16F) | 8 months ago | Show |
| 39º 28.584' N | 75º 54.738' W | Begonia | We have moved [14.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored, Veazey Cove, Bohemia River, MD. At: 00:48(EDT) 16-Aug-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 44º 22.026' N | 75º 54.006' W | Begonia | At Anchor: Elephant Back Shoals (between Idlewild Island and Lotus Island), Thousand Islands, St Lawrance River - Inland Waterways, USA.
Our position: loc:44.3704, -075.9009 Sail From: Heart Island, 1000 Islands, St Lawrence River To: Elephant Back Shoals (between Idlewild Island and Lotus Island), Thousand Islands, St Lawrance River Trip: We travelled 1.8nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 5:14 hours). We have moved 1.9nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 0.4kt, Avg speed (through the water):0.3kt. (much of the time here is NOT underway, but while we were ashore with our tour, since we first moved the boat to the Heart island dock.). Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.5m in shallows between islands. Picturesque, 1bar phone signal. No known shore access (Private islands)] General Comments: [We spent much of the day ashore at Heart Island, with a tour of Boldt Castle and its Boat shed (First day of opening for the season). We managed to be inside for the scattered rain showers, and have now moved a little further down the river.] At: 15:02(EDT) 11-May-2024, Outside Temp: 17.4C (63.32F), Humidity:66%, Water Temp: 10.6C (51.08F) | 7 months ago | Show |
| 42º 17.718' S | 75º 50.088' W | Begonia | Day 45 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [6175.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [171]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [152.0]nm (through water). We have moved [158.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [We had the spinnaker up all night last night, we still have, although I'm not sure it is that helpful the wind has practically left us. We wait for it to fill] General Comments: [There is so little wind that we just had an albatross float by us. It is also warming up (air and ocean) and neither of us bothered with a hot water bottle last night (progress). Yesterday I cooked up a large batch of beans (that would otherwise need to be discarded on arrival) and today I plan to do the same with some chick-peas, while I have Kyle nibbling on our remaining nut supply. We are hoping that sometime tomorrow we might actually be able to see land (but now we have to wait on the wind), but even when we enter the channel there is still 75 miles to the marina (and this is in an area of strong currents) so it will still be some time before we make it to the marina at the port of entry. Yesterday we saw another cargo ship on the AIS (this one off to China), but we have yet to see any sign of fishing or other boats. Our wind instrument keeps popping back to life and failing again (which encourages us to believe it may be a simple connection fix), and this morning Kyle found one of our new bilge float switches has failed (but don't worry, we're not flooding, he was just testing it as part of our boat inspection rounds).] At: 06:00(AKST) 28-Jan-2018, Outside Temp: 22C (71.6F), Humidity:64%, Water Temp: 20.9C (69.62F) Course: 68(degT), Speed Over Ground:1.6kt, Wind:4Kt(from:W), Cloud Cover:80%, Pressure: 1020hPa, Swell:2m (to:E) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 16º 59.178' N | 75º 48.528' W | Begonia | We have moved [81.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage: Turks & Caicos to Panama. Course: 220(degT), Speed Over Ground:3kt, Wind:6Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:1m (to:W). At: 06:00(EST) 01-Dec-2013 | about 11 years ago | Show |
| 23º 30.036' N | 75º 45.084' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Kidds Cove, George Town, Great Exuma Island, The Bahamas - Atlantic Ocean, Bahamas. Our position: loc:23.5056, -075.7637 Sail From: Man O War Cay, Exuma Sound, The Bahamas To: Kidds Cove, George Town, Great Exuma Island, The Bahamas Trip: We travelled 4.5nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 1:10 hours). We have moved 3.8nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.2kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.8kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 1.4m at datum, busy anchorage with many sailboats anchored and lots of dinghy traffic along with traffic from the marinas. Nearby is a dedicated dinghy dock with access to George Town, also nearby grocery shopping and fuel dock.] General Comments: [A short change had us from an anchorage with just us, to boat in all directions. It's been a long time since we saw so many boats! We plan to take a walk through town and (hopefully) grab some fresh veggies/supplies and maybe even a meal out.] At: 10:42(EDT) 12-Mar-2023, Outside Temp: 29.3C (84.74F), Humidity:68%, Water Temp: 30.6C (87.08F) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 23º 31.008' N | 75º 45.036' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Off Chat 'n Chill (Vollyball beach), Stocking Island (Exumas), The Bahamas - Atlantic Ocean, Bahamas. Our position: loc:23.5177, -075.7562 Sail From: Kidds Cove, George Town, Great Exuma Island, The Bahamas To: Off Chat 'n Chill (Vollyball beach), Stocking Island (Exumas), The Bahamas Trip: We travelled 1.0nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 0:36 hours). We have moved 0.8nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 1.4kt, Avg speed (through the water):1.6kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.35m (datum) of sand. Busy anchorage with the Chat 'n Chill restaurant a popular draw. Also plenty of snorkelling and hiking options, plus vollyball nets. ON the ocean side of the island you can see stromatolites.] General Comments: [In George Town we took a walk about, visited the tiny museum, had several cold drinks and visited the grocery stores to top up with some fresh supplies (including the luxury of grapes, oranges, etc..). Today is our wedding anniversary (20 years today) so we plan to have a nice meal ashore at Chat 'n Chill. Weather will be changing (rain and general misery) in a few days so we'll aim to do as much as possible today and tomorrow). However the BIG draw for this particular anchorage is that it one of the places Begonia visited when Kyle came to first see/inspect the boat with the intent to purchase - so quite the memory lane around this area. Chat 'n Chill wasn't even here back then (2012) and the beach was much quieter and simply known as vollyball beach (the beach vollyball nets are still here).] At: 11:04(EDT) 14-Mar-2023, Outside Temp: 29.1C (84.38F), Humidity:67%, Water Temp: 31.1C (87.98F) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 23º 28.098' N | 75º 41.094' W | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Man O War Cay, Exuma Sound, The Bahamas, Bahamas - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 3 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Man O War Bay, Great Inagua, The Bahamas To:Man O War Cay, Exuma Sound, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:23.4830, -075.6994 Progress: [We've made 265.9nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 53:48 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 39.0nm; we have made 62.9nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 29.1nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.6kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.7kt, Avg speed for trip:4.9kt. ] Location Comments: [Anchored in 1.1m at datum on large shallow sand bank, some swell, but protected. Close to entrance (East Channel Cut) through the barrier islands. 3bar of cell phone signal.] General Comments: [OMG, we had winds and currents directly against us all day today, Lots of tacking and very little VMG (velocity made good) it was hit and miss if we'd make it to a safe anchorage before dark (Kyle insisted on NOT using motor to gain way). We are going to rest up, and are expecting near dead calm conditions for the next couple of days. I'm so very glad we made it before dark!] At: 17:06(EST) 11-Mar-2023, Outside Temp: 26.8C (80.24F), Humidity:68%, Water Temp: 30.6C (87.08F) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 44º 34.074' N | 75º 41.064' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Skeleton Island, Thousand Islands, St Lawrence River - Inland Waterways, USA. Our position: loc:44.5787, -075.6935 Sail From: Elephant Back Shoals (between Idlewild Island and Lotus Island), Thousand Islands, St Lawrence River To: Skeleton Island, Thousand Islands, St Lawrence River Trip: We travelled 13.3nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 4:42 hours). We have moved 15.3nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.3kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.8kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 4.8m (near Mile Island), within close view of some beautiful summer cottages. 4bar phone signal.] General Comments: [Today we crossed over the river to Rockport to clear back into Canada with Customs (over the phone) - we expect to be officially in Canada now until we reach Maine. The day started well, but the rain arrived in time for anchoring. With heavy cloud cover, we missed all the record breaking aurora displays of the past week, but we did finally get to spot a nice patch of pink overnight at Elephant Back Shoals (it doesn't make up for the missed stuff, but helps).] At: 12:26(EDT) 13-May-2024, Outside Temp: 15.8C (60.44F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 11C (51.8F) | 7 months ago | Show |
| 43º 12.054' N | 75º 38.088' W | Begonia |
At Wall-Free: West Side of Sylvan Beach Lock E-22 - Erie Canal, USA. Our position: loc:43.2093, -075.6475 Sail From: West side of Marcy/Westboro Lock E-20, Erie Canal To: West Side of Sylvan Beach Lock E-22 Trip: We travelled 17.0nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 4:14 hours). We have moved 16.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.9kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.0kt. Location Comments: [Alongside Wall there is a built in rub rail, with rings ashore. Depth 4.2m, Nice gardens at the lock with bird feeders and bird houses. Access to canal side trails. Remote from any towns, but great for wildlife spotting.] General Comments: [Last night we ordered pizza to be delivered to the boat and enjoyed that while watching Netflix. We departed early today since we were told to expect workmen installing docks at the wall we were tied to. We transitted 2 locks, both down (or first of this trip), each with a nice a smooth drop. We are expecting rain today so we'll hunker down at our wall and enjoy life - there is deer right by the boat as I type. My knee is still bad, but continues to improve so Kyle has been exercising without me - but now his knee is starting to also rebel so we are both on light duty for the days to come.] At: 10:20(EDT) 24-May-2023, Outside Temp: 19.9C (67.82F), Humidity:62%, Water Temp: 19C (66.2F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 39º 33.21' N | 75º 37.278' W | Begonia | We have moved [24.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passing through the C&D Canal - on route. At: 19:55(EDT) 15-Aug-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 37º 4.164' N | 75º 37.122' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [47.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 265(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.3kt, Wind:13Kt(from:ENE), Cloud Cover:10%, Pressure: 1027.09hPa, Swell:1m (to:NE). At: 19:00(EDT) 11-Sep-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 37º 18.096' N | 75º 36.036' W | Begonia |
Day 2 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Norfolk Condo (Private Dock) To:Haverstraw Cove, Hudson River, NY. Our position: We have 258.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 44.1nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 8:02 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 50.0nm; we have made 44.1nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 43.2nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 5.4kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.5kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.5kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Sloppy/windy start (leaving Norfolk), not surprising after the crazy weather. Things smoothed out once we made it to the bay, but the temperature has really dropped on us (it's COLD). Note:Miles travelled through the water is under reported since the speed wheel failed to work for a bit (after being at the dock for a couple of weeks), but it seems to be working fine now.] General Comments: [We had a really great time back in Norfolk, managed to get some quality time with great long-time friends, and were made welcome by new ones. We visited the beach, a museum or two, and had a TON of deliveries of parts, replacements, etc for the boat (giving us plenty to keep us busy for a while). It was tough to depart (even more so given we knew it would only get colder (brrrrrrr).] At: 06:00(EDT) 01-May-2023, Outside Temp: 14C (57.2F), Humidity:62%, Water Temp: 14C (57.2F), Course: 29(degT), Speed Over Ground:8kt, Wind:20Kt(from:W), Cloud Cover:3%, Pressure: 998hPa, Swell:1.5m (from:W) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 33º 31.836' N | 75º 33.498' W | Begonia | We have moved [89.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage: North Carolina to Turks and Caicos. Course: 163(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.4kt, Wind:11Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1023hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:SW). At: 06:00(EST) 09-Nov-2013 | about 11 years ago | Show |
| 39º 34.968' N | 75º 29.232' W | Begonia | We have moved [52.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 17:10(EDT) 04-Sep-2012 | over 12 years ago | Show |
| 37º 12.6' N | 75º 20.73' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [82.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 213(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.5kt, Wind:12Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:20%, Pressure: 1028.11hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:E). At: 16:00(EDT) 11-Sep-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 44º 48.102' N | 75º 19.086' W | Begonia | At Anchor: Toussaint Island, St Lawrence River - Inland Waterways, Canada.
Our position: loc:44.8165, -075.3309 Sail From: Skeleton Island, Thousand Islands, St Lawrence River To: Toussaint Island, St Lawrence River Trip: We travelled 11.0nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 6:06 hours). We have moved 21.0nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.4kt, Avg speed (through the water):1.8kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 7.5m, to North of Toussaint Island, just SW of Iroqouis Lock. Phone signal 2bars. In 1812 this was the site of the Battle of Matilda (one of the many battles of the 1812 war, between the USA and the UK). In 2021 Toussaint Island and it's neighbour Presqu'ile Island were two of the 4 returned to the Mohawks of Akwesasne as the final piece of a settlement agreement with Ontario Power Generation. The nearest Island] General Comments: [Today we sailed (spinnaker again), gliding further along the river . Starting in fog, with in occasional drizzles, and with several large cargo vessels passing us we all had the current in our favor. We now wait here a few days, until the Lock system is open to pleasure craft.] At: 13:14(EDT) 14-May-2024, Outside Temp: 16.2C (61.16F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 11.2C (52.16F) | 7 months ago | Show |
| 39º 13.752' N | 75º 18.132' W | Begonia | We have moved [24.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage - RI to Delaware Bay. At: 16:00(EDT) 15-Aug-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 43º 8.64' N | 75º 17.52' W | Begonia |
At Wall-Free: West side of Marcy/Westboro Lock E-20, Erie Canal - Erie Canal, USA. Our position: loc:43.144, -075.292 Sail From: West side of Little Falls Lock (E-17) Erie Canal, NY To: West side of Marcy/Westboro Lock E-20, Erie Canal Trip: We travelled 23.9nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 6:16 hours). We have moved 19.9nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.2kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.8kt. Location Comments: [Along side North wall (there is a longer wall to South), Depth 2.6m, access to picnic area, water, bathrooms, and trails.] General Comments: [Yesterday's rudder problem turned out to be a couple of short twigs (no more than finger width) and that was quickly solved when Kyle jumped into the canal to check it out (whew!). We also spotted our first sailing tri-maran to go through the locks (that took up the full width), they must be rarer than catamarans up here!. Today we transitted 3 locks, and with each one shared with more boaters. We'll spend the night here and move on to the next lock (18.2 miles away) tomorrow. The canal has now diverged from the Mohawk River and for now is an entity of its own of to our left.] At: 14:26(EDT) 23-May-2023, Outside Temp: 29.3C (84.74F), Humidity:43%, Water Temp: 18.5C (65.3F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 23º 35.058' N | 75º 11.004' W | Begonia |
Day 3 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Man O War Bay, Great Inagua, The Bahamas To:George Town, Exuma, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:23.5934, -075.1837 We have 39.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 203.0nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 42:42 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 93.0nm; we have made 94.1nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 89.8nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.7kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:3.9kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.8kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Yesterday afternoon the winds held out for us (unexpectedly) but that gain was soon lost. Overnight very light winds and very slow progress (often between 1-2kt) and with lots of sail changes (spinnaker up and down, gybing, main and jib up and down too). Seas have reduced which helps.] General Comments: [We are now north of the Tropic of Cancer (no longer in the tropics!). I just realized that the clocks here change tomorrow (Sunday) - so I'll have to factor that in to future appointments. We still expect (hope) to arrive at our anchorage by early evening.] At: 06:00(EST) 11-Mar-2023, Outside Temp: 23C (73.4F), Humidity:66%, Water Temp: 30.2C (86.36F), Course: 323(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.6kt, Wind:12Kt(from:SSW), Cloud Cover:7%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:1.5m (from:NE) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 18º 12.042' N | 75º 10.62' W | Begonia | We have moved [131.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage: Turks & Caicos to Panama. Course: 223(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.9kt, Wind:11Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1017hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:SW). At: 06:00(EST) 30-Nov-2013 | about 11 years ago | Show |
| 38º 50.094' N | 75º 10.356' W | Begonia | We have moved [33.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage - RI to Delaware Bay. At: 11:00(EDT) 15-Aug-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 44º 53.064' N | 75º 10.074' W | Begonia |
At Dock-Free: Lions Club Dock, Morrisburg, St Lawrence River - Inland Waterways, Canada. Our position: loc:44.8942, -075.1791 Sail From: Toussaint Island, St Lawrence River To: Lions Club Dock, Morrisburg, St Lawrence River Trip: We travelled 6.8nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 2:04 hours). We have moved 8.0nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.9kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.3kt. Location Comments: [At this free, floating Dock (at T head), we had 1.9m of depth but are advised that depth can vary quickly. Exposed to any wake from passing boats. Toilet block nearly with phone for clearing into Canadian customs if required. Town has grocery store, department store, laundry, and plenty of options for eating out.] General Comments: [Today we moved a very short distance, with the major obstacle being the Iroquois Lock. We had registered and paid in advance, and arrived early to tie to their pleasure craft dock and officially report in (they don't officially open to pleasure craft until 8am) - they kindly also let us through earlier than expected. No obvious drop, but there was a fox (one of two regulars) that departed once it spied us.] At: 08:50(EDT) 17-May-2024, Outside Temp: 18.3C (64.94F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 11.6C (52.88F) | 7 months ago | Show |
| 44º 53.064' N | 75º 10.074' W | Begonia |
LAT|44|53.651|N LON|075|10.75|W At Dock-Free: Lions Club Dock, Morrisburg, St Lawrence River - Inland Waterways, Canada. Our position: loc:44.8942, -075.1791 Sail From: Toussaint Island, St Lawrence River To: Lions Club Dock, Morrisburg (Ontario), St Lawrence River Trip: We travelled 6.8nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 2:04 hours). We have moved 8.0nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.9kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.3kt. Location Comments: [At this free, floating Dock (at T head), we had 1.9m of depth but are advised that depth can vary quickly. Exposed to any wake from passing boats. The town has a alternate dock (fixed, not floating) just 100m to the SW. Toilet block nearly with phone for clearing into Canadian customs if required. Town has grocery store, department store, laundry, and plenty of options for eating out.] General Comments: [Today we moved a very short distance, with the major obstacle being the Iroquois Lock. We had registered and paid in advance, and arrived early to tie to their pleasure craft dock and officially report in (they don't officially open to pleasure craft until 8am) - they kindly also let us through earlier than expected. No obvious drop, but there was a fox (one of two regulars) that departed once it spied us.] At: 08:50(EDT) 17-May-2024, Outside Temp: 18.3C (64.94F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 11.6C (52.88F) | 7 months ago | Show |
| 37º 23.01' N | 75º 9.99' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [43.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 231(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.2kt, Wind:7Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:60%, Pressure: 1028.11hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 13:00(EDT) 11-Sep-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 44º 56.016' N | 75º 5.064' W | Begonia | "no
At Dock: Chrysler Park Marina, (St Lawrence River), Stormont, Ontario - Inland Waterways, Canada. Our position: loc:44.9355, -075.0941 Sail From: Lions Club Dock, Morrisburg, St Lawrence River To: Chrysler Park Marina, (St Lawrence River), Stormont, Ontario Trip: We travelled 3.9nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 1:00 hours). We have moved 4.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.4kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.9kt. Location Comments: [At Dock - 2.4m of depth (Visible tall weeds), large marina in rural setting and nearby Altsville Steam Train Museum and Upper Canada Village (Living Museum). All usual marina services.] General Comments: [A short motor down the river to this marina We splashed out on a marina for the weekend (not like Kyle at all), and hope to visit the nearby Upper Canada Village (a living museum) - weather already lovely, and forecast is for a great weekend (bugs all around though.. Sigh).] At: 10:04(EDT) 18-May-2024, Outside Temp: 21.6C (70.88F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 12.8C (55.04F) | 7 months ago | Show |
| 37º 29.67' N | 74º 57.048' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [11.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 225(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.7kt, Wind:14Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:60%, Pressure: 1028.11hPa, Swell:1.2m (to:E). At: 10:00(EDT) 11-Sep-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 45º 0.066' N | 74º 53.034' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Mille Roches Island, South Stormont, Ontario - Inland Waterways, Canada. Our position: loc:45.0105, -074.8889 Sail From: Chrysler Park Marina, (St Lawrence River), Stormont, Ontario To: Mille Roches Island, South Stormont, Ontario Trip: We travelled 9.1nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 2:28 hours). We have moved 9.8nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.0kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.7kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.6m, sheltered bay between the islands of Moulinette, MacDonnell and Mille Roches with its beach and camping areas.] General Comments: [Another gentle sail, down stream with the spinnaker flying, fine weather too. We really enjoyed our time visiting Upper Canada Village (the fun bit), and since we were in a marina we were able to clean off the boat (lots of dead insects) and do laundry (living the life!). We are favoring anchoring on the Canadian side to avoid having to keep clearing in and out between the USA/Canada.] At: 11:28(EDT) 20-May-2024, Outside Temp: 23.6C (74.48F), Humidity:64%, Water Temp: 13.2C (55.76F) | 7 months ago | Show |
| 43º 2.022' N | 74º 50.094' W | Begonia | At Wall-Free: West side of Little Falls Lock (E-17) Erie Canal, NY - Erie Canal, USA.
Our position: loc:43.0372, -074.8486 Sail From: Riverfront Park, Canjaharie Creek/Mohawk River, NY To: West side of Little Falls Lock (E-17) Erie Canal, NY Trip: We travelled 16.9nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 5:18 hours). We have moved 14.5nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.7kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.2kt. Location Comments: [Alongside Wall to West of Lock E-17 of the Erie Canal, Depth 3.8m Easy access to nice canal trail. Note wall space also available on East side of lock.] General Comments: [A lovely morning starting with mist on the Mohawk and dew on the boat, with plenty of sun. Four locks completed this half-day. The lock-keeper at Lock E16 was very excited about our adventures to date (It is very rare for a sailing catamaran to transit the locks so he asked a lot of questions). Our last lock of the day, lock E17, is quite the challenge in that it is a biggest lift in the Canal (40'), it was also blocked by a large tree trunk (there is a lot of debris in this area right now). But we also could ONLY tie up to the south side since the north side is considered too violent for boaters to keep control. Our mast is on that side, so Kyle planned to reverse in (grateful for a calm day) so we wouldn't damage the mast in any way. The locking went just fine, but on exiting (reversing out) we managed to get a log caught in the rudder. Thankfully we can control the boat well with the engines, we'd hoped the log would free itself with a bit of reverse and forward and crossing of the fingers but it didn't so know we are securely tied to a wall, Kyle is planning for a cold swim to free up the rudder, we planned to stay here the night anyway so it is no issue on the schedule. We have now been lifted 348' on the Erie (plus the 14' on the Troy Lock in the Hudson), we have more to go. For more info you can check out this URL https://www.canals.ny.gov/navinfo/charts/mileage.jpg for a diagram of the lifting and lowering. My knees are slowly improving, but still not up for any excursions, so I can spend the remainder of the day working on the computer and enjoying the views from the windows.] At: 13:54(EDT) 22-May-2023, Outside Temp: 26.2C (79.16F), Humidity:48%, Water Temp: 17.5C (63.5F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 37º 39.258' N | 74º 39.192' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [3.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 239(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.1kt, Wind:18Kt(from:ENE), Cloud Cover:75%, Pressure: 1027.09hPa, Swell:2.8m (to:E). At: 07:00(EDT) 11-Sep-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 38º 32.958' S | 74º 38.46' W | Begonia | Day 2 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Valdivia, Chile To:Robinson Crusoe Island (Juan Fernandez, Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [87.4]nm (through water) on this passage and have [358]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [87.4]nm (through water). We have moved [99.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Strong winds off port quarter has us moving well enough (no main, just a heavily reefed jib). Seas are big and choppy and we are getting a push in speed due to current (thankfully we are travelling with it all!)] General Comments: [We departed Valdivia later than planned (3pm) as we squeezed out the last opportunity for wifi in an effort to fix our spare computer issues (no luck). We were waved off by our marina buddies from 'ata 'ata and Sea Rover II (a lovely warm feeling - thanks guys). It always takes a day or two to adjust to the sleep routine required, but since we've been at the dock for so long it definitely feels alien. The rough motion makes it difficult to get about the boat, but at least we are with the current (getting an extra 1kt + over the bottom). It's cold so we are wrapped up and grateful for the enclosure, but all is well aboard.] At: 08:00(CLST) 31-Mar-2018, Outside Temp: 14.2C (57.56F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 20.4C (68.72F)Course: 325(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.5kt, Wind:29Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:75%, Pressure: 1020hPa, Swell:Nm (to:3.5) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 45º 1.998' N | 74º 38.082' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: North of Colquhoun Islands, St Lawrence River, Ontario - Inland Waterways, Canada. Our position: loc:45.0333, -074.6472 Sail From: Mille Roches Island, South Stormont, St Lawrence River, Ontario To: North of Colquhoun Islands, St Lawrence River, Ontario Trip: We travelled 12.5nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 4:54 hours). We have moved 10.3nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.1kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.5kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 4.2m, between Islands and Mainland Canada (and the town of Flen Water), 4bars Phone signal. Anchor took several attempts, and came up fully clean after first try, so we assume bottom has plenty of rock and little mud (TBD).] General Comments: [Another short distance day, but we were occupied with the two American locks in the seaway: Eisenhower and Snell (so lots of waiting around). We'd paid in advance (required), and luckily had printed our receipt as they lowered a bag to collect the proof before allowing us to lock down. Once back out into the river we had a 5kt current in our favor! Our stay at the last anchorage was wonderful weather wise, and we pulled out the Kayak and went for a couple of nice paddles - but the bugs are driving us crazy (two types now are swarming us and covering all surfaces especially overnight). It requires a big clean up every morning so we are grateful for our relatively new cordless pressure washer (not really powerful, but really helpful!).] At: 11:04(EDT) 23-May-2024, Outside Temp: 21.8C (71.24F), Humidity:64%, Water Temp: 14.4C (57.92F) | 7 months ago | Show |
| 39º 18.186' N | 74º 35.184' W | Begonia | We have moved [45.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 19:45(EDT) 05-Sep-2012 | over 12 years ago | Show |
| 42º 54.054' N | 74º 34.02' W | Begonia |
At Wall-Free: Riverfront Park, Canjaharie,Mohawk River, NY - Erie Canal, USA. Our position: loc:42.9091, -074.5696 Sail From: West side of Lock E10 (Erie Canal), Mowhawk River, NY. To: Riverfront Park, Canjaharie,Mohawk River, NY Trip: We travelled 23.7nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 5:40 hours). We have moved 18.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.3kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.2kt. Location Comments: [Alongside Park wall (Creek side), depth 1.7m. Easy access to town (Museums, restaurants, and small deli store for basics)] General Comments: [A cold morning had even the lock keepers well wrapped up. Another short day, transitting just two of the locks, and the countryside is becoming hillier. Plenty of goslings about too (Canada Geese). I rescued a frog from the lock today (at least he seemed pretty keen to hop on my boat hook and get a free ride to the top of the wall). My knees are still very painful so I'll be leaving Kyle to do all the exploring of this small town while I continue to rest up.] At: 15:20(EDT) 21-May-2023, Outside Temp: 23.8C (74.84F), Humidity:51%, Water Temp: 16.1C (60.98F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 45º 4.05' N | 74º 31.02' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Between:Cameron's Point & St Francis Island, St Frances Lake, St Lawrence Seaway, Ontario - Inland Waterways, Canada. Our position: loc:45.0753, -074.5204 Sail From: North of Colquhoun Islands, St Lawrence River, Ontario To: Between:Cameron's Point & St Francis Island, St Frances Lake, St Lawrence Seaway, Ontario Trip: We travelled 4.8nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 1:30 hours). We have moved 5.9nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.0kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.2kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.8m, outside of channel (and outside of current), lots of islands/trees, and with view of passing cargo boats, Phone Signal:3bars] General Comments: [Another short distance day. We are expecting some heavy wind and rain so probably just hunker down here. Today is nice and sunny though. While at our last anchorage we were able to enjoy some fine exploring with the kayak (Still loving the fresh water -way easier on us and the boat).] At: 10:10(EDT) 26-May-2024, Outside Temp: 20.1C (68.18F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 14.8C (58.64F) | 7 months ago | Show |
| 39º 8.064' N | 74º 30.018' W | Begonia |
Day 2 of North Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Coney Island Creek, Gravesend Bay, Brooklyn, NY To:Still Pond, MD. Our position: loc:39.1444, -074.5025 We have 119.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 84.4nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 19:52 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 96.0nm; we have made 84.4nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 89.3nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.5kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.2kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.2kt. ] Sailing Conditions: [We departed NY and continue to head down the NY Coast. We have had current with us and wind from near-behind, conditions became choppy around 2am I the morning and seas have built since then.] General Comments: [We departed NY, and once at sea a host of flies hounded us. Overnight a Carvel(?) replica (called the Santa Maria) was heading in the opposite direction into winds and waves and was struggling to make 1kt. Conditions in our boat are just fine, but Kyle did managed to get waved at one point, entirely unexpected!] At: 06:00(EST) 03-Sep-2024, Outside Temp: 18.2C (64.76F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 24.8C (76.64F), Course: 222(degT), Speed Over Ground:5kt, Wind:20Kt(from:N), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1027hPa, Swell:1.5m (from:N) | 4 months ago | Show |
| 39º 2.118' N | 74º 29.688' W | Begonia | We have moved [186.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage - RI to Delaware Bay. At: 05:00(EDT) 15-Aug-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 32º 16.734' N | 74º 25.554' W | Begonia | We have moved [94.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage: North Carolina to Turks and Caicos. Course: 124(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.1kt, Wind:4Kt(from:SW), Cloud Cover:80%, Pressure: 1020hPa, Swell:1m (to:W). At: 06:00(EST) 10-Nov-2013 | about 11 years ago | Show |
| 22º 16.044' N | 74º 25.002' W | Begonia |
Day 2 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Man O War Bay, Great Inagua, The Bahamas To:George Town, Exuma, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:22.2740, -074.4172 We have 132.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 108.9nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 18:42 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 82.0nm; we have made 108.9nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 84.0nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.5kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.8kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.8kt. ] Sailing Conditions [We departed Great Inagua and were soon tacking into headwinds (as we expected) - it wasn't until after dark that we could hold a course in the path we wanted without needing to tack. Seas choppy, Close hauled, Ugh We knew the first day would be like this, we are expecting winds to calm and veer leaving us downwind sailing by dinner tonight.] General Comments: [Oops - a miscommunication had me believing this was an overnight passage but it turns out to be 2 nights (expecting to arrive on Saturday afternoon/evening). We are hopping further north in one go than we had expected to need during our time in The Bahamas, but the forecasts are not playing along with our grand plan so we have to adjust too, and skip a couple of places we would otherwise have visited.] At: 06:00(EST) 10-Mar-2023, Outside Temp: 23C (73.4F), Humidity:60%, Water Temp: 30.2C (86.36F), Course: 337(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.5kt, Wind:9Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:70%, Pressure: 1017hPa, Swell:1m (from:N) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 34º 22.002' N | 74º 23.922' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [144.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 84(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.6kt, Wind:28Kt(from:NW), Cloud Cover:80%, Pressure: 1008.13hPa, Swell:5m (to:W). At: 07:49(EDT) 28-Oct-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 37º 55.914' N | 74º 21.156' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [27.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 226(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.8kt, Wind:18Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1026.08hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 04:00(EDT) 11-Sep-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 42º 55.008' N | 74º 8.064' W | Begonia |
At Wall-Free: West side of Lock E10 (Erie Canal), Mowhawk River, NY. - Erie Canal, USA. Our position: loc:42.9180, -074.1436 Sail From: West Side of Lock E8 (Erie Canal), Mohawk River, New York To: West side of Lock E10 (Erie Canal), Mowhawk River, NY. Trip: We travelled 10.1nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 2:58 hours). We have moved 8.5nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.9kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.4kt. Location Comments: [Alongside pre-kock wall. A canal trail Path runs on same side. Train tracks across the river (can be noisy), and factories nearby (not so scenic).] General Comments: [An early start AND a short passage today (just two locks). Lock E9 had some gate issues and took several attempts to open and close at both ends (Given this is only day 2 of the season, I'm sure they will have it all fixed soon). Amazingly we've found ourselves in between packs of boats, so we had both lockings to ourselves today. We've finished early since there is rain forecast later today, and this stop has access to the trails so Kyle can take a bit of exercise. I'm resting as I over-exercised back in Waterford and my knees are on strike and in need of said rest.] At: 09:28(EDT) 20-May-2023, Outside Temp: 15.9C (60.62F), Humidity:68%, Water Temp: 16.6C (61.88F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 45º 15.048' N | 74º 7.098' W | Begonia |
At Marina Dock: Quai Public Du Parc, St Francis Bay, Valleyfield, Quebec - Inland Waterways, Canada. Our position: loc:45.2576, -074.1332 Sail From: Between:Cameron's Point & St Francis Island, St Frances Lake, St Lawrence Seaway, Ontario To: Quai Public Du Parc, St Francis Bay, Valleyfield, Quebec Trip: We travelled 18.6nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 4:02 hours). We have moved 19.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.9kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.6kt. Location Comments: [At town docks/Quai (no staff nor services). These docks are divided into two areas. A blue area:Free daytime dock (with fees for overnight - 10pm - 8am) and a Yellow area reservation system fee based dock area (with fingers). Rates vary by season, and payment instructions noted on notice boards. Nice protected area with grocery stores and restaurants, etc nearby.] General Comments: [An early start and some actual sailing today. Poor Kyle spent an hour cleaning off the bugs this morning with bucket and our mini-power washer, and as soon as he lifted the sail once underway 1000's of dead bug bodies fell out of the sail and onto the clean boat - EVERYWHERE! We have now crossed over into the province of Quebec . When we arrived into St Frances bay we were met with a police boat and notified that the bay was closed until 3pm - but they did let us proceed to the dock which was our intention anyway; a reminder to read the ""Notice to Mariners"" Oops!] At: 10:26(EDT) 29-May-2024, Outside Temp: 16.1C (60.98F), Humidity:62%, Water Temp: 16.1C (60.98F) | 7 months ago | Show |
| 39º 25.044' N | 74º 7.008' W | Begonia |
Day 3 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Norfolk Condo (Private Dock) To:Haverstraw Cove, Hudson River, NY. Our position: We have 113.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 186.6nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 32:02 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 145.0nm; we have made 142.5nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 144.6nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 6.0kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.9kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.8kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Variable winds, not really matching forecast in strength or direction. Overnight we could have been flying the spinnaker for hours but I was wary as the forecast was for gale warnings and gusts in the 30s Hours of light winds later I unreefed the main and got a couple of hours of extra speed before those stronger winds arrived about 8 hours behind that forecast. Sailing downwind, we've even been sailing wing-on-wing at times since the seas are at least reasonably smooth] General Comments: [Despite some slower hours of sailing, for much of the day yesterday, we were recording fast speeds (fast for us with plenty of 7nm hours). Our main sail cover got hooked on a jib sheet and has ripped a tear a couple of feet long. We are both feeling the cold and have absolutely no desire to even consider a swim. Brrrr still (we may have to wait several months for attractively warm waters)] At: 06:00(EDT) 02-May-2023, Outside Temp: 12.4C (54.32F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 12.2C (53.96F), Course: 17(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.3kt, Wind:14Kt(from:SSW), Cloud Cover:98%, Pressure: 996hPa, Swell:1.5m (from:SW) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 41º 27.54' S | 74º 6.228' W | Begonia | Destination: Valdivia
Day 1 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Bahia Hueihue, Chiloe to Valdivia, Chile Progress: [So far we've made [35.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [129]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [35.82]nm (through water). We have moved [37.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Anchorage/Marina comments go here] General Comments: [General comments go here] At: 20:00(CLST) 01-Mar-2018, Outside Temp: 19.8C (67.64F), Humidity:55%, Water Temp: 20.8C (69.44F) Course: 353(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.3kt, Wind:17Kt(from:SSW), Cloud Cover:10%, Pressure: 1019hPa, Swell:2m (to:E) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 38º 4.104' N | 74º 5.244' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [33.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 240(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.1kt, Wind:17.5Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1027.09hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 01:00(EDT) 11-Sep-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 40º 18.24' S | 74º 3.72' W | Begonia | Day 2 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Bahia Hueihue, Chiloe to Valdivia, Chile
Progress: [So far we've made [99.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [50.5]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [63.1]nm (through water). We have moved [69.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Good downwind sailing, large-ish swells, making good progress. Again we see no other boats on passage !!??] General Comments: [As we left the harbor we had a short dolphin visit, and once out at sea we saw plenty of (distant) whales spouting (most likely blue whales) This time we had the current with us passing through the Chacao channel and Kyle played dodge the seaweed all the way through.] At: 09:00(CLST) 02-Mar-2018, Outside Temp: 14.8C (58.64F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 17.5C (63.5F) Course: 29(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.3kt, Wind:17Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:90%, Pressure: 1018hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:N) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 40º 41.022' N | 74º 3.0' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Off Liberty Island, Upper New York Bay - Upper New York Bay, USA. Our position: loc:40.6873, -074.0504 Sail From: Town Guest Moorings (Yellow), Port Washington,Manhasset Bay, NY To: Off Liberty Island, Upper New York Bay Trip: We travelled 13.6nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 4:06 hours). We have moved 17.6nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.3kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.3kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 1.8m (datum); Anchored outside of channel, outside of Island restricted area, and away from cables marked on charts. Expect traffic and wakes during the day with the constant stream of tour boats and ferries visiting the island. The anchorage comes with view of the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan skyline beyond, a great place to hang out and watch the busy water traffic around the island. Whilst we are in NJ waters, the land part of Liberty Island itself is NY property by special agreement. 1 bar LTE Phone Signal.] General Comments: [We had a lovely day in Manhattan(Taking the Long Island Rail Road train in and out), we sampled parks, bars, restaurants, and generally soaked up the atmosphere of the City. Today we timed our transit with the currents, through the notorious Hell Gate, and stretches of river with standing waves in places and rebounding wakes in others. Today we can sit back and enjoy the views before moving on tomorrow. Despite several passages taking us past the Statue of Liberty, this is our first time anchoring here.] At: 14:06(EST) 31-Aug-2024, Outside Temp: 26.9C (80.42F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 26.8C (80.24F) | 4 months ago | Show |
| 40º 37.584' N | 74º 2.688' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [75.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 150(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.9kt, Wind:7.5Kt(from:SSW), Cloud Cover:95%, Pressure: 1017.27hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 19:00(EDT) 09-Sep-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 40º 45.594' N | 74º 1.14' W | Begonia | We have moved [91.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Lincoln Harbor Yacht Club/Marina. At: 09:46(EDT) 08-Sep-2012 | over 12 years ago | Show |
| 40º 44.976' N | 74º 0.84' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [33.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 17(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.4kt, Wind:10Kt(from:ENE), Cloud Cover:70%, Pressure: 1019.30hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 18:43(EDT) 02-Sep-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 40º 47.088' N | 74º 0.0' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [34.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 213(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.1kt, Wind:5.9Kt(from:SW), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1017.27hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 15:39(EDT) 09-Sep-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 40º 34.086' N | 73º 59.058' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Coney Island Creek, Gravesend Bay, Brooklyn, NY - Lower New York Bay, USA. Our position: loc:40.5805, -073.9928 Sail From: Off Liberty Island, Upper New York Bay To: Coney Island Creek, Gravesend Bay, Brooklyn, NY Trip: We travelled 7.2nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 2:12 hours). We have moved 6.9nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.1kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.3kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.5m (datum). Plenty of abandoned old barges around. Narrow and shallow entrance with sand spit to navigate. Anchoring area small, so arrive in time for an alternative option. Close to famed Coney Island fun park(s) and beaches, but not scenic from the anchorage itself. Phone Signal 4bar LTE.] General Comments: [It was quite lovely hanging out by the Statue of Liberty yesterday, with a constant steam of ferries, helicopters, and jet skis sharing the area.. All that bustle quietened as darkness fell. This morning we had one of our gear cables disconnect from the gear lever as we were upping anchor (quick fix, but we'll need to so something to be sure it won't happen again). Approaching this anchorage we had to navigate the narrow and shallow entrance, and passed within just a boat length of people fishing while stood in the water with their knees fully dry. ] At: 10:56(EST) 01-Sep-2024, Outside Temp: 25C (77F), Humidity:83%, Water Temp: 25.8C (78.44F) | 4 months ago | Show |
| 42º 49.086' N | 73º 59.052' W | Begonia |
At Wall-Free: West Side of Lock E8 (Erie Canal), Mohawk River, New York - Erie Canal, USA. Our position: loc:42.8311, -073.9922 Sail From: Visitor Docks, Waterford, NY To: West Side of Lock E8 (Erie Canal), Mohawk River, New York Trip: We travelled 21.4nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 8:26 hours). We have moved 14.0nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 1.7kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.5kt. Location Comments: [Alongside Pre-Lock wall. A Canal trail Path runs on same side. Great/Peaceful spot to wait for opening going Eastbound, or after a long day going west bound.] General Comments: [We are now in the Erie Canal 'proper'. It opened today with a host of photographers and film crew to document the event. LOTS of fast/big motor boats turned up to be the first, so we waited a few hours for the rush to pass (one of those boats we later found quite scratched up and aground in the shallows just outside one of the locks). Once underway we motored through the Waterford Flight (Locks E2-E5), and then through two other locks to tie up for the night. We had planned to stop earlier but the wall we were interested in was already busy/full, so we are now past Schenectady, NY. We were stuck for 20 minutes in Lock E7 when the gate refused to open, it's the first day for many a new lock-keeper and it must have been quite stressful for them all. All the locks have been busy (first day of the season). Mostly the river has been quiet, but a section of the river had a host of rowing teams practicing, so them and the logs give us something to keep dodging around.] At: 18:18(EDT) 19-May-2023, Outside Temp: 23.1C (73.58F), Humidity:46%, Water Temp: 17C (62.6F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 40º 42.492' N | 73º 59.004' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [99.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 171(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.1kt, Wind:16.3Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:%, Pressure: 683.37hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 15:58(EDT) 05-Sep-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 40º 47.7' N | 73º 58.698' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [154.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 21:50(EDT) 02-Sep-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 40º 44.076' N | 73º 58.218' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [6.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 177(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.9kt, Wind:10Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:20%, Pressure: 1019.30hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 15:35(EDT) 02-Sep-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 41º 55.008' N | 73º 58.086' W | Begonia |
At Dock: Hudson River Maritime Museum, Rondout Creek, Kingston, NY - Atlantic Ocean/Hudson River, USA. Our position: Sail From: Hudson River (off Rondout Creek), NY To: Hudson River Maritime Museum, Rondout Creek, Kingston, NY Trip: We travelled 1.3nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 0:30 hours). We have moved 0.8nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 1.6kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.6kt. Location Comments: [Dock managed by the Maritime Museum $2.50/ft with admission to museum included. Some nice options for restaurants and walks, also boat trips to nearby lighthouse etc.] General Comments: [A quick relocate into Rondout Creek from the Hudson after spending several days of chores aboard (I'm STILL working on getting the new computers fully functional for all our needs), and we unpacked the last of our packages (delivered in Norfolk) and stowed things away properly. Today is already sunny and fine so looking forward to a bit of a walk followed by a trip to the museum and a meal out perhaps.] At: 09:52(EDT) 07-May-2023, Outside Temp: 18.5C (65.3F), Humidity:57%, Water Temp: 13.4C (56.12F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 41º 55.014' N | 73º 57.078' W | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Hudson River (off Rondout Creek), NY, USA - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 5 of Atlantic Ocean/Hudson River Passage From:Norfolk Condo (Private Dock) To:Hudson River (off Rondout Creek), NY. Our position: Progress: [We've made 347.3nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 86:24 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 30.0nm; we have made 29.7nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 30.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 1.0kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:1.0kt, Avg speed for trip:4.0kt. ] Location Comments: [Motored the remaining distance with a current in our favor. A rather gloomy day with lots of debris (logs, etc) in river (normal for this time of year). ] General Comments: [Beautiful scenery along the river, with towns having quaint American names (such as Poughkeepsie). The odd brave fisherman, and plenty of fixed bridges to pass under. Some beautiful homes and buildings nestled on cliff tops and surrounded by trees of varying colours. All delightful (but still cold!). We passed an Australian boat heading south as we go north - named Outlaw (they may be the more sensible ones of the two of us). Boats on the hard at the various yards we pass are still mostly shrink wrapped, their owners awaiting milder weather to begin their sailing season. For now, we'll anchor for a few days (with the heating on) to rest and catch up on chores, and then go in to the creek to check out the town of Kingston, where we understand there is a nice maritime museum to explore. ] At: 12:22(EDT) 04-May-2023, Outside Temp: 12.5C (54.5F), Humidity:64%, Water Temp: 12.2C (53.96F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 41º 24.042' N | 73º 57.078' W | Begonia | Day 4 of Atlantic Ocean/Hudson River Passage From:Norfolk Condo (Private Dock) To:? Somewhere up the Hudson River (TBD).
Our position: We have 30.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 317.6nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 56:02 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 83.0nm; we have made 131.0nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 119.2nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 5.0kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.5kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.7kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Gusty day at sea keeping the sails reefed (while otherwise we could again have been using the spinnaker). All went well and as we approached NY the boat traffic became busier, once in the Hudson we were dodging cargo vessels, ferries and sailing schools. We have now decided to continue north (beyond our original destination) while we have the current with us - but will anchor this afternoon.] General Comments: [A gloomy start to the day in the open ocean. Cracks of blue were appearing in the sky as we approached Lower Bay from the ocean. By the time we reached Manhattan it was still cold but the sun shone brightly on its iconic skyline. It was tough to sail on by (but sail we did, only starting the motors well passed the city and in the bends of the Hudson River).. Now we are in swell free river we can put the heating on inside Begonia, but any forays outside (especially for the night watch) require a lot of layers (and we are making good use of our new rechargeable hand warmers. For now we are enjoying the unexpected countryside feel of the Hudson, with green hills all around us, and the odd train passing by along the river bank.] At: 06:00(EDT) 03-May-2023, Outside Temp: 9C (48.2F), Humidity:65%, Water Temp: 12.6C (54.68F), Course: 331(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.5kt, Wind:3Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 998hPa, Swell:m (from:S) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 38º 19.23' N | 73º 53.67' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [59.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 198(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.2kt, Wind:19Kt(from:NNE), Cloud Cover:%, Pressure: 1027.09hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 22:00(EDT) 11-Sep-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 41º 9.726' N | 73º 52.938' W | Begonia | We have moved [24.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored at Croton Bay. At: 13:00(EDT) 27-Mar-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 42º 12.084' N | 73º 51.078' W | Begonia |
At Dock: Catskill Marina docks, Catskill Creek (Off Hudson River) - Atlantic Ocean/Hudson River, USA. Our position: Sail From: Hudson River Maritime Museum, Rondout Creek, Kingston, NY To: Catskill Marina docks, Catskill Creek (Off Hudson River) Trip: We travelled 15.5nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 3:54 hours). We have moved 18.5nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.7kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.0kt. Location Comments: [Overflow docks for mast stepping/unstepping by Hop O Nose Marina.] General Comments: [We had an unexpectedly lovely time at Kingston/Rondout, we enjoyed some nice walks and whilst only being there for one night, we somehow managed to patron at at least 5 restaurants and cafes. We talk a couple of 5km walks (one in each direction) and a few shorter ones to make up for it, the weather was delightful. We even managed to visit the Maritime Museum which had some great info/items AND a lot of interesting exhibits and facts on global warming. It is hard even for me to understand just how we managed to squeeze so much in to an overnight stop, we must have been quite motivated after all that aboard time since Norfolk.] At: 17:36(EDT) 08-May-2023, Outside Temp: 20.8C (69.44F), Humidity:53%, Water Temp: 15C (59F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 40º 45.582' N | 73º 51.066' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [67.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 19:59(EDT) 05-Sep-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 40º 27.804' N | 73º 50.166' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [43.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 97(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.5kt, Wind:13.3Kt(from:WSW), Cloud Cover:%, Pressure: 1018.29hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 22:00(EDT) 10-Sep-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 19º 58.662' N | 73º 49.278' W | Begonia | We have moved [125.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage: Turks & Caicos to Panama. Course: 223(degT), Speed Over Ground:8.3kt, Wind:20Kt(from:ENE), Cloud Cover:10%, Pressure: 1018hPa, Swell:2m (to:SW). At: 06:00(EST) 29-Nov-2013 | about 11 years ago | Show |
| 41º 45.438' S | 73º 45.798' W | Begonia | Day 46 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [6281.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [62.6]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [106.0]nm (through water). We have moved [97.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [We had a good sail and have arrived at the Channel just a as the flood ends (too late) we'll now have to wait until dark for the next flood tide, and from there can make our way to the marina.] General Comments: [We have land all around us :-), and Kyle just spotted a seal pop up beside us. We are 'in' Chile, although yet to make it to the Marina (most likely tomorrow am). We are eating our way through the last of the fresh produce (onion gone, last 2 eggs to eat up today, etc). Last night we made good progress, but not good enough to make the flood tide this morning (so disappointed to be so close). We have beautiful sunshine and no swell in the channel, but that is likely to change later today as rain is expected, so we'll be traversing the channel in the dark.] At: 06:00(AKST) 29-Jan-2018, Outside Temp: 18.8C (65.84F), Humidity:68%, Water Temp: 14.8C (58.64F) Course: 83(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.9kt, Wind:8Kt(from:WSW), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:m (to:) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 42º 28.692' S | 73º 45.462' W | Begonia | From: Marina Quinched (Caleta Linlinao, Chiloe)
To: Castro, Chiloe We travelled [7.4]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [6.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Moved a short distance up the estuary into the main town of Chiloe. We are the only sailboat here confused!] General Comments: [Drizzly and overcast with brief spells of sunshine. Plenty of penguins and sea lions (possibly leopard seals) sitting atop the various floats of the mussel farms. Looking forward to a few days around town, and fingers crossed for a good experience with the Armada (another good chance to use our Spanish)] At: 15:00(CLST) 18-Feb-2018, Outside Temp: 18.4C (65.12F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 17C (62.6F) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 42º 34.698' S | 73º 45.36' W | Begonia | From: Estero Pindo, Isla Quehui, Los Angeles
To: Marina Quinched (Caleta Linlinao, Chiloe) We travelled [17.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [11.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [A short sail into strong headwinds through narrow channels filled with mussel floats lots of reefing/unreefing and tacking! ] General Comments: [A bit overcast and drizzly but a very warm welcome at the Marina Quinched] At: 15:02(CLST) 17-Feb-2018, Outside Temp: 21.2C (70.16F), Humidity:75%, Water Temp: 16.6C (61.88F) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 40º 53.946' N | 73º 44.67' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [6.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 191(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.4kt, Wind:6Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:10%, Pressure: 1021.00hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 12:16(EDT) 02-Sep-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 40º 55.044' N | 73º 44.532' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [30.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 12:50(EDT) 01-Sep-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 38º 35.622' N | 73º 44.226' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [62.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 202(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.8kt, Wind:17Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:95%, Pressure: 1026.08hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 19:00(EDT) 10-Sep-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 40º 49.074' N | 73º 42.066' W | Begonia |
At Mooring Ball ($): Town Guest Moorings (Yellow), Port Washington, NY - Long Island Sound, USA. Our position: loc:40.8291, -073.7105 Sail From: West Harbor, Fishers Island, Long Island Sound, NY To: Town Guest Moorings (Yellow), Port Washington, NY Trip: We travelled 84.4nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 12:56 hours). We have moved 81.9nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 6.3kt, Avg speed (through the water):6.5kt. Location Comments: [Town Guest Moorings (Yellow) First come first served, First and last day no charge for ball (but pay for water taxi if used), after that $35/day (Midnight-Midnight) includes taxi service (last day must depart by noon). Anchoring also an option (just pay for water taxi at $8/person per return trip. This is the best value to get to Manhattan for sightseeing (use LIRR). Water Taxi runs from 8am - 9:45pm. Dinghy dock also available (by taxi dock).] General Comments: [A crazy early start by Kyle, meant we hit great winds (flying the spinnaker)and a favorable current. Progress was so good, we scrapped our original plan to go to Port Jefferson, and carried on to here. Over the next couple of days we can now hit Manhattan to revisit some old favorites, and sample some tourist odds that we never got to see previously!] At: 14:32(EST) 29-Aug-2024, Outside Temp: 24.2C (75.56F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 27.2C (80.96F) | 4 months ago | Show |
| 20º 57.03' N | 73º 40.092' W | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas, Underway - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 34 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Clarence Bay, Georgetown, Ascension Island To:Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:20.9553, -073.6823 Progress: [We've made 3719.9nm (through the water) on this passage. Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 8.0nm; we have made 11.1nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 5.8nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.0kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:3.8kt, Avg speed for trip:4.7kt. ] Location Comments: [Anchored in sand 5m Datum off harbour. Island is flat and has extensive salt flats (Moreton Bay Salt Company). Great for bird watching (especially the flamingos).] General Comments: [We made it We held off for daylight to approach the anchorage. Our GPS mileage for the trip is 4031nm (whew!). Will rest up at anchor today and clear in tomorrow. There were 5 boats anchored off the harbour when we arrived, so we assume there is no space in the small harbour for us to tie up (we'll find out for sure tomorrow). We believe that officials in The Bahamas normally want to visit the boat (not sure how that works here). No need to worry for now - It feels SO good to be stopped and there is a bottle of wine in the fridge to celebrate!] At: 08:54(ADT) 05-Mar-2023, Outside Temp: C (F), Humidity:%, Water Temp: C (F) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 42º 47.028' N | 73º 40.08' W | Begonia |
At Dock-Free: Visitor Docks, Waterford, NY - Atlantic Ocean/Hudson River, USA. Our position: loc:42.7881, -073.6804 Sail From: Catskill Marina docks, Catskill Creek (Off Hudson River) To: Visitor Docks, Waterford, NY Trip: We travelled 36.4nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 8:06 hours). We have moved 35.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.4kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.5kt. Location Comments: [Docks are just south of Lock 2 (Some floating docks, but also wall space available). Welcome center just ashore. Showers, power, water available at dock (and pump out). Supermarket you can walk to, and plenty of diners and restaurants in this historic town where the old Champlain canal crosses the start of the Erie Canal.] General Comments: [We were last here around 20 years ago (June 2003) that time Kyle could only spend a short night here before we had to move along to get Kyle off to work. Today we left our dock in Catskill Creek around 5am and had just one lock to transit (Troy Lock) where we were the only boat. We expect to be based here now until the Canal opens on the 19th - so we have time to explore, exercise and catch up with the blog and such. The weather is still spring, so while today reached 30degC - overnight temperatures still drop way below that (below 10 deg C) and by mid-week the forecast suggests we'll be only reaching 16degC as our peak daytime temperature (so we'll keep the quilts on for now, and make most of the great day we have today). We've left the Hudson River now and are officially in the Erie Canal.] At: 13:10(EDT) 12-May-2023, Outside Temp: 30.3C (86.54F), Humidity:39%, Water Temp: 16.6C (61.88F) | over 1 year ago | Show |
| 20º 57.042' N | 73º 40.074' W | Begonia |
At Dock: Government Harbour, Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas - Atlantic Ocean, Underway. Our position: loc:20.9573, -073.6787 Sail From: Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas To: Government Harbour, Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas We travelled 0.3nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 0:22 hours). We have moved 0.2nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 0.6kt, Avg speed (through the water):0.7kt. Location Comments: [Fixed docks, and a concrete wall available (allow for tides). Need to enter to clear customs/immigration on arrival to the Bahamas (if this is your arrival port - note extra fees of $40 each from Immigration and Customs due to 'outpost'). Small daily fee if you chose to stay overnight or longer. Previous visitors have complained about mosquitos, but so far we've seen none. Water available on a separate wall (restricted access).] General Comments: [We took the short move from the anchorage into the harbour for formalities. We are excited to be on land again and looking forward to some exercise! Warm day with a nice breeze.] At: 08:18(ADT) 06-Mar-2023, Outside Temp: C (F), Humidity:%, Water Temp: C (F) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 40º 17.772' N | 73º 39.036' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [57.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 185(degT), Speed Over Ground:5kt, Wind:13Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:80%, Pressure: 1019.98hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 01:00(EDT) 10-Sep-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 42º 31.668' S | 73º 37.98' W | Begonia | From: Castro, Chiloe
To: Rilan, Chiloe We travelled [18.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [6.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [A mid-size bay which we're sharing with several fishing boats and a large mussel raft/farm. ] General Comments: [After a rather mixed stay in Castro (we hired a car and had some great fun exploring, but one night were boarded by presumably some opportunistic petty criminals who fortunately left once we turned on outside lights, and started making some noise. The Armada were very good to us regarding this matter) we've now relocated to a quieter anchorage in anticipation of some rain tomorrow a day to hunker down.] At: 20:24(CLST) 20-Feb-2018, Outside Temp: 20.9C (69.62F), Humidity:49%, Water Temp: 19C (66.2F) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 40º 56.196' N | 73º 36.552' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [7.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 257(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.2kt, Wind:11Kt(from:N), Cloud Cover:0%, Pressure: 1025.06hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 09:30(EDT) 01-Sep-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 20º 52.092' N | 73º 36.084' W | Begonia |
Day 34 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Clarence Bay, Georgetown, Ascension Island To:Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:20.8823, -073.6142 We have 8.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 3708.8nm (through the water) on this passage. Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 107.0nm; we have made 112.8nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 106.8nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.5kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.7kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.7kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Much calmer yesterday, with a few hour of dead calm in the evening. Back to a spinnaker again now.] General Comments: [We are almost there! We are taking it easy until daylight when we plan to anchor for the day (since it is Sunday), get our rest and be good to go and clear in with officialdom on Monday. Yesterday evening we crossed our Nov 29th 2013 track (where Begonia was on route to Panama from the Turks and Caicos) - this means we have now completed a circumnavigation with Begonia. Kyle wasn't comfortable reporting a circumnaviation using two boats, so this one is good for him. The Oceans Cruising Club require a port to port circumnavigation so that goal is still pending. I'm chuffed whatever rules there are. I can't believe it's been over 10 years (which is even crazier when I realized we've sailed the last half of the globe in less than a year).] At: 06:00(ADT) 05-Mar-2023, Outside Temp: 25.9C (78.62F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 31.1C (87.98F), Course: 283(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.7kt, Wind:9Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:80%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:0.5m (from:E) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 21º 5.046' N | 73º 36.078' W | Begonia |
"At Anchor: Man O War Bay, Great Inagua, The Bahamas - Atlantic Ocean, Underway. Our position: loc:21.0907, -073.6128 Sail From: Government Harbour, Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas To: Man O War Bay, Great Inagua, The Bahamas Trip: We travelled 10.7nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 2:12 hours). We have moved 8.8nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.0kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.9kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 4m of sand (scattered bommies, get thinner the more south around the bay you go). A good spot to overnight before heading north (or south)] General Comments: [We cleared in without issue and enjoyed a few meals out, and some cycling around (exercise and scenery) along with all the chores of reaching land after a while (laundry, etc). We still have plenty of emails and e-chores to catch up with, but we'll get there over the next week or so - for now the sun is shining and the water is clear and the beer is cold. We motored up to this little bay to the north of the Island, ready for departure from here to islands to north. Additional good news is we found a fellow cruiser willing to sell us their spare Iridium GO battery - so we now have that back up and running, and a SIM from a local cell phone provider so we have full comms aboard again!] At: 15:22(EST) 08-Mar-2023, Outside Temp: 28.9C (84.02F), Humidity:63%, Water Temp: 31.6C (88.88F) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 40º 2.724' N | 73º 34.872' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [71.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 166(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.6kt, Wind:11Kt(from:NNE), Cloud Cover:%, Pressure: 1021.00hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 04:00(EDT) 10-Sep-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 45º 30.036' N | 73º 33.012' W | Begonia |
At Marina Dock: Port d'escale Marina, Old port, Montreal, QC - Inland Waterways, Canada. Our position: loc:45.5059, -073.5516 Sail From: Longueuil, Quebec To: Port d'escale Marina, Old port, Montreal, QC Trip: We travelled 4.2nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 1:10 hours). We have moved 2.3nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.0kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.6kt. Location Comments: [Marina in heart of old port Quebec, Reservation and payment for first night required in advance. If coming from downstream, be aware of strong currents on approach around bridge/islands, but once near, waters calm, and once inside very tranquil. 11m depth at dock. Showers, wifi, laundry available.] General Comments: [A short hop from the anchorage UP CURRENT to the marina. We were worried we might not make it from the stories we'd heard, but all was well, just one tricky patch of 6.5kt current we had to cross. We are really looking forward to some sightseeing (not so much the laundry and other chores).] At: 10:32(EDT) 03-Jun-2024, Outside Temp: 29.1C (84.38F), Humidity:39%, Water Temp: 20C (68F) | 7 months ago | Show |
| 38º 49.644' N | 73º 32.412' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [108.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 214(degT), Speed Over Ground:5kt, Wind:14Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1025.06hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 16:00(EDT) 10-Sep-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 41º 53.82' S | 73º 31.332' W | Begonia | From: Isla Anihue
To: Bahia Hueihue, Chiloe We travelled [28.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [28.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [This bay is very protected, but has an extremely narrow entrance (which happens to have a fishing boat anchored in the middle) and is best entered at high tide. We're looking forward to seeing what the entrance looks like at low tide (it may not even exist) we are anchored in what should be 5.7 11.4m, we'll see what happens at that low tide!] General Comments: [A gentle sail/motor-sail north, gaining in sunshine and warmth as we travelled.] At: 14:28(CLST) 26-Feb-2018, Outside Temp: 20.8C (69.44F), Humidity:59%, Water Temp: 19.5C (67.1F) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 45º 32.028' N | 73º 31.032' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Longueuil, Quebec - Inland Waterways, Canada. Our position: loc:45.5379, -073.5217 Sail From: St Francis Bay, Valleyfield, Quebec To: Longueuil, Quebec Trip: We travelled 34.6nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 10:44 hours). We have moved 30.8nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.9kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.2kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.9m outside of the mooring field for Nautical Club of Longueuil. Views of Montreal on other bank of river. Phone signal 2bars of LTE (??)] General Comments: [A long and full day with 4 locks, lots of motoring in the canal (down stream, so we have the current with us), and multiple lift bridges. We'll spend a couple of nights at anchor and then hit the marina and the city of Montreal.] At: 18:10(EDT) 01-Jun-2024, Outside Temp: 25C (77F), Humidity:44%, Water Temp: 19.5C (67.1F) | 7 months ago | Show |
| 39º 45.432' N | 73º 30.156' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [121.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 172(degT), Speed Over Ground:8.2kt, Wind:20Kt(from:ENE), Cloud Cover:80%, Pressure: 1022.01hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:NE). At: 07:00(EDT) 10-Sep-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 42º 37.038' S | 73º 29.598' W | Begonia | From: Estero Pellu, Isla Apiao
To: Estero Pindo, Isla Quehui, Los Angeles We travelled [15.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [12.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Light fog for most of the short passage, and no wind so Kyle actually motored! We've used so much fuel (compared to the passage here)] General Comments: [An anchorage with 2 other international Sailboats (still to contact the first foreign cruising yachts we've seen since arriving in Chile) a medley of mooring balls and floats (which we avoided, although the other sailboats have picked them up, so probably OK) and the promise of a bar/restaurant/grocery along with some nice hikes (and rain)] At: 15:30(CLST) 14-Feb-2018, Outside Temp: 22.4C (72.32F), Humidity:63%, Water Temp: 16.6C (61.88F) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 39º 24.606' N | 73º 25.878' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [107.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 167(degT), Speed Over Ground:15kt, Wind:1.5Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:80%, Pressure: 1024.04hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:NE). At: 10:00(EDT) 10-Sep-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 39º 4.728' N | 73º 25.302' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [89.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 186(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.8kt, Wind:15.6Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:90%, Pressure: 1026.08hPa, Swell:1m (to:NE). At: 13:00(EDT) 10-Sep-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 40º 58.524' N | 73º 24.024' W | Begonia | We have moved [30.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Underway - Long Island Sound (NY/CT border). At: 17:34(EDT) 20-Apr-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 39º 50.94' S | 73º 18.96' W | Begonia | Destination: Robinson Crusoe Island
Day 1 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:Valdivia, Chile To:Robinson Crusoe Island (Juan Fernandez, Chile) Progress: [So far we've made [0.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [460]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [0]nm (through water). We have moved []nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Leaving Valdivia] General Comments: [Leavng Valdivia] At: 14:00(CLST) 30-Mar-2018, Outside Temp: C (F), Humidity:%, Water Temp: C (F) | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 39º 50.94' S | 73º 18.96' W | Begonia | Remain in Valdivia, Chile | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 39º 50.94' S | 73º 18.96' W | Begonia | Day 2 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Bahia Hueihue, Chiloe to Valdivia, Chile
Progress: [So far we've made [148.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [49.8]nm (through water). We have moved [43.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [More downwind sailing with a slight current, motoring once we made it into the bay] General Comments: [A beautiful coast to sail along and once in the bay plenty of birds, and boats (mostly ferries, local fishing boats and tour boats) and 3 old Spanish forts to check out as we sail by. - We are now tied up to the marina, but nobody here to direct us (so we may be asked to move in the morning)] At: 20:20(CLST) 02-Mar-2018, Outside Temp: 20.7C (69.26F), Humidity:54%, Water Temp: 25.8C (78.44F) Course: 52(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.7kt, Wind:Kt(from:), Cloud Cover:15%, Pressure: 1015hPa, Swell:m (to:) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 42º 27.84' S | 73º 17.148' W | Begonia | From: Rilan, Chiloe
To: Isla Caguache We travelled [24.5]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [15.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Another short hop to get us in a good place to continue N overcast and chilly (but at least no rain today)] General Comments: [From this anchorage point, we have a beautiful view of small islands with the distant Andes as backdrop not bad!] At: 15:46(CLST) 22-Feb-2018, Outside Temp: 17.3C (63.14F), Humidity:62%, Water Temp: 15C (59F) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 42º 19.368' S | 73º 15.33' W | Begonia | From: Isla Caguache
To: Isla Anihue We travelled [10.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [8.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [An anchorage (4m at low tide) among a cluster of islands (we should be protected from all directions), a sunny day, and clear sky. A few clumps of kelp about.] General Comments: [On leaving our last anchorage our windlass (the little engine that lifts the chain and anchor decided to detatch itself from the mounts. First inspection seems to show that the frame walls (where the bolts screw in) have corroded and broken away at all 4 bolts. We will need to spend the rest of the day coming up with a temporary solution until we can find a machine shop (or replacement windlass) in the mean time we are happy for a shallow (ish) anchorage at high tide we'll be just over 8m.] At: 13:08(CLST) 23-Feb-2018, Outside Temp: 21.5C (70.7F), Humidity:57%, Water Temp: 16.6C (61.88F) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 42º 36.618' S | 73º 13.08' W | Begonia | From: Estero Quintupeu
To: Estero Pellu, Isla Apiao We travelled [92.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [46.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in busy little sound, with locals rowing back and forth.] General Comments: [A long overnight sail, with mixed winds, and a few fishing pots to dodge around we finally arrived at the island in beautiful sunshine. Overnight I managed to lose my phone overboard and have dug out my old, old, old iphones to see if any might still work (time will tell). Will set off and explore tomorrow, and simply rest up for the rest of today. Neptune won this time!] At: 13:38(CLST) 13-Feb-2018, Outside Temp: 19.2C (66.56F), Humidity:64%, Water Temp: 15.4C (59.72F) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 40º 58.872' N | 73º 8.796' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [0.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 278(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.1kt, Wind:13Kt(from:N), Cloud Cover:0%, Pressure: 1023.03hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 06:22(EDT) 01-Sep-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 40º 57.78' N | 73º 4.716' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [21.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 10:55(EDT) 31-Aug-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 41º 29.592' S | 72º 59.04' W | Begonia | Day 46 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [6380.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [99.5]nm (through water). We have moved [38.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Arrived. A little rain on the way inside the bay, but not too bad. Arrived to a very helpful and friendly Chilean guy on night watch officialdom will follow in the morning (in 2 hours!)] General Comments: [We made it. It turns out not all boats are required to have AIS and there were plenty of boats in the bay to dodge and weave around. We could see the distant Andes Mountains once we were inside the Channel and they were beautifully sunlit. But once we were through the channel it was dark so we've yet to see that the local area is like. Time to explore once we've caught up on our zzzzz's and officialdom.] At: 23:48(AKST) 29-Jan-2018, Outside Temp: 13.7C (56.66F), Humidity:82%, Water Temp: 23.4C (74.12F) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 31º 50.676' N | 72º 56.376' W | Begonia | We have moved [79.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage: North Carolina to Turks and Caicos. Course: 84(degT), Speed Over Ground:0.7kt, Wind:1Kt(from:NW), Cloud Cover:90%, Pressure: 1018hPa, Swell:1m (to:NW). At: 06:00(EST) 11-Nov-2013 | about 11 years ago | Show |
| 41º 5.958' N | 72º 49.056' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [104.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 239(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.4kt, Wind:12.1Kt(from:NNW), Cloud Cover:0%, Pressure: 1021.00hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 07:42(EDT) 31-Aug-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 31º 38.064' N | 72º 46.074' W | Begonia |
Day 3 of North Atlantic Passage From:Taylor Creek, Beaufort, NC To: Spanish Town (St. Thomas Bay), Virgin Gorda, BVI. Our position: loc:31.6438, -072.7786 We have 913.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 282.6nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 47:00 hours, or 2.0 Days) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 158.0nm; we have made 170.5nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 157.9nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 6.6kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:7.1kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):6.0kt. ] Sailing Conditions: [Choppy seas continue - and with waves coming from multiple directions can make for a rough ride. Winds up to 34kt yesterday (thankfully from behind) but mostly in the 20s meaning we could not have the 'best' of sail up as had to be reefed for the regular gusts - but we still made a good distance south. Kyle tells me another rough day ahead of us, but all calm within 24 hours.] General Comments: [In days like these (the opposite of champagne sailing), I am so grateful to our amazing autopilot. It does all the hard work while we sit at the helm and occasionally press a button to adjust course or zoom In or out on the chart plotter looking for other traffic. Days like these are not the fun part of sailing at all, but we and the boat are handling it just fine. Yesterday's communications glitch is still unresolved; from my computer I can connect to the Iridium Go, but any attempt to connect to the sailmail server fails (times out). Thankfully we have a lot of redundancy aboard, and Kyle's computer works just fine... I've checked for firewalls and other possible issues without luck, but for now can wait until we are at anchor to resolve the issue, and just use the backup computer.] At: 06:00(AST) 13-Nov-2024, Outside Temp: 21.4C (70.52F), Humidity:59%, Water Temp: 27.7C (81.86F), Course: 148(degT), Speed Over Ground:7kt, Wind:22Kt(from:N), Cloud Cover:90%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:3m (from:N) | about 1 month ago | Show |
| 41º 14.202' N | 72º 30.702' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [137.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 227(degT), Speed Over Ground:6kt, Wind:Kt(from:), Cloud Cover:%, Pressure: hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 04:24(EDT) 31-Aug-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 41º 15.51' N | 72º 28.836' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [148.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 13:50(EDT) 30-Aug-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 42º 27.882' S | 72º 26.928' W | Begonia | From: Estero Quintupeu
To: Caleta Porcelana We travelled [25.5]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [18.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [A beautiful anchorage, surrounded by mountains, and on the edge of a (national?) park. We picked up a mooring ball (motor yacht 'Discovery' indicated to us that this is allowed we hope so). Nearby is a hot spring, we'll have to decide if we can brave the outside temperature in order to enjoy the hot pools. We are also uncertain what the fee is (we think there is a park fee, one old guide book indicates that it is $120 US, we hope not)] General Comments: [No wind, so we motored down the Estero Comau with spectacular scenery (the Andes as a backdrop), and the odd penguin to entertain us.] At: 12:26(CLST) 10-Feb-2018, Outside Temp: 14.6C (58.28F), Humidity:66%, Water Temp: 15.8C (60.44F) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 41º 15.12' N | 72º 26.694' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [106.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 287(degT), Speed Over Ground:2kt, Wind:6.3Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1019.98hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 10:40(EDT) 30-Aug-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 21º 36.954' N | 72º 25.896' W | Begonia | We have moved [11.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Anchor on South West Reef (west of southern end of West Caicos). At: 09:50(EST) 26-Nov-2013 | about 11 years ago | Show |
| 42º 10.2' S | 72º 22.128' W | Begonia | From: Puerto Montt (Chile)
To: Estero Quintupeu We travelled [59.7]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [49.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [An overnight passage through light winds and rain to make it to this beautiful 'sound'. We share it with a salmon farm and a motor yacht with a helicopter] General Comments: [Currently very calm, swirls of mist in the mountains all around us, and penguins popping up every once in a while. We will stay here anchored for 2 nights (maybe try to catch up with the blog?)] At: 10:56(CLST) 08-Feb-2018, Outside Temp: 14.4C (57.92F), Humidity:82%, Water Temp: 22C (71.6F) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 42º 10.212' S | 72º 22.11' W | Begonia | From: Caleta Porcelana
To: Estero Quintupeu We travelled [44.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [18.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [With lovely sunshine, light headwinds, and little time pressure, Kyle got to enjoy tacking up the sound all day (hence the much longer mileage) the views were great so tacking just gave us all the more variety and (aside from a single passing ferry) we were the only boat out there.] General Comments: [The good news at the thermal pools (Caleta porcelana) was we found ourselves the only boat there this morning AND the fee was only $700 pesos to enter (just over $1US). After a plunge and a soak in the hot springs (it took a while to find the pool with the 'just right' temperature, we decide to make the most of the afternoon light and make a start on our sail north enjoying the spectacular mountains. This means we're back at Quintupeu for the night but as we entered this sound we were joined by 8-10 dolphins our first Chilean dolphins. What a day. Now off to enjoy a small dinner and reset up for tomorrows passage.] At: 21:16(CLST) 11-Feb-2018, Outside Temp: 17.1C (62.78F), Humidity:60%, Water Temp: 16.2C (61.16F) | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 34º 22.968' N | 72º 20.448' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [141.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 95(degT), Speed Over Ground:11kt, Wind:Kt(from:), Cloud Cover:%, Pressure: 1010.16hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 00:00(EDT) 29-Oct-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 21º 44.472' N | 72º 17.184' W | Begonia | We have moved [22.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Anchor - Sapodilla Bay, Providenciales (in preparation to clear out of country), Turks & Caicos. At: 16:20(EST) 24-Nov-2013 | about 11 years ago | Show |
| 41º 15.45' N | 72º 14.508' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [81.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 265(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.3kt, Wind:4Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1019.30hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 07:39(EDT) 30-Aug-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 46º 29.052' N | 72º 14.076' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Batiscan, St. Lawrence River, Quebec - Inland Waterways, Canada. Our position: loc:46.4924, -072.2458 Sail From: Port d'escale Marina, Old port, Montreal, QC To: Batiscan, St. Lawrence River, Quebec Trip: We travelled 66.1nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 16:08 hours). We have moved 80.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 5.0kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.1kt. Location Comments: [Anchored outside of channel in mud, depth sounder shows 5m and area subject to (up to 1m) tides (but still fresh water). Poor phone signal.] General Comments: [An early start to make a long distance today (so we can hopefully avoid too much sailing in the expected rain). We had a lovely time in Montreal which is gearing up for the Formula1 racing this weekend. We walked A LOT, and the weather was HOT and sunny. Kyle is trying to behave and resisted nearly every opportunity for ice cream.. Departing Montreal we started today with the brief 5kt+ current kick, and for most of the day have had a good 2kt current pushing us along, which was helpful as the forecast tail winds turned out to be head winds so we had to tack our way along the river, and keep out of the way of a constant stream of cargo vessels - our first day in a while that felt like 'real' sailing. With all that tacking (and current), our total GPS distance (over ground) was 97nm. ] At: 20:08(EDT) 06-Jun-2024, Outside Temp: 23.5C (74.3F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 22.9C (73.22F) | 7 months ago | Show |
| 34º 23.148' N | 72º 5.616' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [140.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 87(degT), Speed Over Ground:8.2kt, Wind:Kt(from:), Cloud Cover:%, Pressure: hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 03:00(EDT) 29-Oct-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 41º 16.668' N | 72º 0.582' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [131.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 286(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.1kt, Wind:6Kt(from:NNE), Cloud Cover:%, Pressure: hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 04:37(EDT) 30-Aug-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 41º 16.458' N | 72º 0.0' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [125.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 14:46(EDT) 29-Aug-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 41º 16.044' N | 71º 59.1' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: West Harbor, Fishers Island, Long Island Sound, NY - Fisher Island Sound, USA. Our position: loc:41.2741, -071.9998 Sail From: Mackerel Cove, Conanicut Island, Nr. Jamestown, Rhode Island To: West Harbor, Fishers Island, Long Island Sound, NY Trip: We travelled 33.4nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 10:16 hours). We have moved 30.5nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.0kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.3kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 4.7m datum (outside of mooring field (When anchoring keep North and East of green ""7"" buoy), Lush, tree lined harbor with small town to SW, 2 bar 5G Phone Signal. Dinghy dock at YC is $free (but far). All guides advise that the anchorage is rolly during the day with wakes from ferries and local power boats (calm at night). I had expected Fishers Island would be part of Connecticut which is just a couple of nautical miles away and readily seen from the anchorage, but the island is actually part of NY state (the border line passing to the North of the island). According to Wikipedia, Tom Clavin of The New York Times wrote that ""the connection remains merely political, not emotional"" to New York State, and that ""in appearance, accent, location, and sensibility, this is a decidedly New England community"".] General Comments: [We had just over a week in Newport, RI (the longest we've ever stayed), and LOVED every minute of it. We explored ashore, but mostly spent treasured time with Andy and Robin of Sotito (friends from way back when we all lived aboard in the same marina during a winter on the Hudson River!). We had an added bonus of meeting up with one of Kyle's ex flying colleagues, Ben. The whole time was a whirlwind of fun and laughter and happiness - just perfect! Moving on now, we had a pleasant sail today in flat seas, passing by beautiful homes (and hotels) perched along the long sandy beaches of Block Island Sound. Maryanne spent the day roasting mushrooms and various tofu in the oven (meal prep for the next few days), and adding a few more blogs to help ease our backlog. We are expecting at least one rainy day at this anchorage so hopefully we'll be able to get a bit more up to date on the blog front!] At: 15:28(EST) 27-Aug-2024, Outside Temp: 26C (78.8F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 23.4C (74.12F) | 4 months ago | Show |
| 21º 38.628' N | 71º 53.49' W | Begonia | We have moved [21.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Anchor - Ciacos Bank (no land around, very shallow water approx 1.4m). At: 11:28(EST) 23-Nov-2013 | about 11 years ago | Show |
| 41º 17.13' N | 71º 49.776' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [11.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 291(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.3kt, Wind:3Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:%, Pressure: 1019.98hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 11:43(EDT) 29-Aug-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 20º 30.006' N | 71º 45.03' W | Begonia |
Day 33 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Clarence Bay, Georgetown, Ascension Island To:Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:20.5005, -071.7553 We have 115.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 3595.9nm (through the water) on this passage. Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 160.0nm; we have made 178.7nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 159.1nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 6.6kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:7.4kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.7kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Seas and winds built during the day, and by early evening we brought down the spinnaker, later in the evening we were reefing the jib with regular mid-20kt winds, and gusts of 30kt (thankfully downwind). Seas mixed however with a current against us - so quite bouncy.] General Comments: [Lots more cruise ships. We spend the day north of the Dominican Republic (soon to reach the border with Haiti). Our first sighting of land (one of the capes of the Dominican Republic). Overnight the VHF channel 16 was a near constant buzz of static that the squelch could not remove (very annoying). We could also smell smoke all night (coming from the Dominican Republic). With a great sailing day yesterday (distance wise) we look good to arrive tomorrow (Sunday) and then anchor off to clear in on Monday.] At: 06:00(ADT) 04-Mar-2023, Outside Temp: 25.6C (78.08F), Humidity:80%, Water Temp: 30.2C (86.36F), Course: 283(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.4kt, Wind:24Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:2.5m (from:SE) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 31º 0.072' N | 71º 39.858' W | Begonia | We have moved [82.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage: North Carolina to Turks and Caicos. Course: 107(degT), Speed Over Ground:1.2kt, Wind:1Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:10%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:1m (to:S). At: 06:00(EST) 12-Nov-2013 | about 11 years ago | Show |
| 41º 12.108' N | 71º 35.868' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [22.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 297(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.6kt, Wind:3.5Kt(from:NW), Cloud Cover:70%, Pressure: 1019.98hPa, Swell:0.2m (to:N). At: 08:08(EDT) 29-Aug-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 41º 12.624' N | 71º 35.364' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Approaching Block Island - looks busy, Forgot this was Labor day weekend!. We have moved [20.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 182(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.4kt, Wind:13Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:60%, Pressure: 1019.30hPa, Swell:0.3m (to:E). At: 17:33(EDT) 28-Aug-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 41º 11.562' N | 71º 34.668' W | Begonia | We have moved [31.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored in Great Salt Pond Block Island (RI) - Breakfast from Aldo Bakery boat delivery. At: 17:22(EDT) 12-Aug-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 41º 11.232' N | 71º 34.428' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [21.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 20:41(EDT) 29-Aug-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 21º 29.706' N | 71º 32.328' W | Begonia | We have moved [20.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Anchor - Cockburn Harbor, South Caicos, Turks and Caicos. At: 11:14(EST) 21-Nov-2013 | about 11 years ago | Show |
| 34º 25.134' N | 71º 31.998' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [148.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 102(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.1kt, Wind:Kt(from:), Cloud Cover:%, Pressure: 1010.16hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 06:00(EDT) 29-Oct-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 41º 17.934' N | 71º 28.536' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Becalmed, attempting to sail, very frustrating. We have moved [9.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 235(degT), Speed Over Ground:1kt, Wind:3Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:70%, Pressure: 1021.00hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 14:28(EDT) 28-Aug-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 41º 34.002' N | 71º 27.0' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Wickford, RI. Rough Day sailing, meet up with JD in evening (Ryan's Market closed). We have moved [13.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 18:30(EST) 25-Apr-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 41º 40.998' N | 71º 27.0' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Appenaugh Harbor, Providence, RI. We have moved [21.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 04:47(EST) 12-Apr-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 41º 18.744' N | 71º 26.334' W | Begonia | We have moved [90.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Underway - Long Island - Point Judith. At: 06:45(EDT) 21-Apr-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 41º 30.45' N | 71º 23.076' W | Begonia | We have moved [6.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored off Dutch Harbor (near Jamestown), Cuneticut Island, RI. At: 15:36(EDT) 16-Jul-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 41º 30.0' N | 71º 22.998' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Anchor at Dutch Harbor. We have moved [13.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 19:10(EST) 17-Apr-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 41º 28.098' N | 71º 22.092' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Mackerel Cove, Nr. Jamestown, Rhode Island - Rhode Island Sound, USA. Our position: loc:41.4830, -071.3817 Sail From: Newport Harbour Moorings, Newport, Rhode Island To: Mackerel Cove, Nr. Jamestown, Rhode Island Trip: We travelled 3.7nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 1:10 hours). We have moved 2.6nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.2kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.1kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.8m sand, lovely inlet with beautiful grand homes on the shores, and a nice sandy beach at head. Cable area, and exposed to strong winds from south. 3bar LTE Phone Signal.] General Comments: [WOW - an amazing time in Newport where we had time with old friends and new ones, sightseeing, and generally enjoying life. The weather was amazing, we also enjoyed fireworks, art, and tours of the grand mansions. We even a fly by and mini-air show from the Italian Navy as we departed. A huge and special thank you to Robin and Andy.] At: 12:22(EST) 26-Aug-2024, Outside Temp: 26.8C (80.24F), Humidity:66%, Water Temp: 22.9C (73.22F) | 4 months ago | Show |
| 29º 12.03' N | 71º 22.032' W | Begonia | "
Day 4 of North Atlantic Passage From:Taylor Creek, Beaufort, NC To: Spanish Town (St. Thomas Bay), Virgin Gorda, BVI. Our position: loc:29.2047, -071.3724 We have 755.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 459.5nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 71:00 hours, or 3.0 Days) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 158.0nm; we have made 176.9nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 163.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 6.8kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:7.4kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):6.5kt. ] Sailing Conditions: [Sailing conditions continued with winds varying regularly by 15kts (really frustrating) and the seas choppy and uncomfortable. Winds have died down, but still hugely variable so we remain over reefed, and the big waves remain (hopefully can slowly die down now). We still need to push south to avoid a storm arriving to the north of us.] General Comments: [I'm looking forward to a calmer day, not least so I can be a bit happier and more adventurous in the kitchen. No wildlife spotted (not even birds). Kyle assures me our last few days of this passage will be more like the magazine articles depict of boats sailing in the Caribbean.] At: 06:00(AST) 14-Nov-2024, Outside Temp: 21.4C (70.52F), Humidity:64%, Water Temp: 27.7C (81.86F), Course: 148(degT), Speed Over Ground:7kt, Wind:17Kt(from:NNE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:3m (from:N) | about 1 month ago | Show |
| 41º 39.0' N | 71º 19.998' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Prudence Island, Potters Cove - Anchorage full of unused mooring balls. We have moved [10.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 14:53(EST) 19-Apr-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 41º 22.278' N | 71º 19.74' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Becalmed, Started motor. Sea amazingly calm. We have moved [0.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 235(degT), Speed Over Ground:6kt, Wind:4Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:80%, Pressure: 1021.00hPa, Swell:0.2m (to:N). At: 11:26(EDT) 28-Aug-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 41º 28.776' N | 71º 19.23' W | Begonia | We have moved [11.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Newport RI - by Day Marker Red #6 - Mooring ball #1101 ($45/night) - for 2 nights - Newport Harbor - Sotito Nearby…. At: 18:08(EDT) 26-Jul-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 41º 28.098' N | 71º 19.044' W | Begonia |
At Mooring Ball ($): Newport Harbour Moorings, Newport, Rhode Island - Rhode Island Sound, USA. Our position: loc:41.4831, -071.3242 Sail From: Sandwich, Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts To: Newport Harbour Moorings, Newport, Rhode Island Trip: We travelled 45.1nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 10:28 hours). We have moved 41.3nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.9kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.3kt. Location Comments: [At Mooring ball in Newport Harbour, $45/night, Harbour master guides you to a ball and collects payment. BUSY, crowded, and with a ton of history. 3bar LTE Phone Signal.] General Comments: [Our plans today changed several times over, and drastically when we were offered the chance to join friends a little earlier than expected. To make the rendezvous we motored (in calm waters), making for a long day, but easy arrival in daylight. After night watches, Kyle is shattered so we are ready to chill for now and can start the fun in the morning.] At: 18:56(EST) 16-Aug-2024, Outside Temp: 23.2C (73.76F), Humidity:75%, Water Temp: 25.8C (78.44F) | 4 months ago | Show |
| 41º 28.998' N | 71º 19.002' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: After a day having fun 'racing' other boats, anchored in Newport, RI in 17.6' of water at HT. We have moved [11.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 16:37(EST) 07-May-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 41º 40.212' N | 71º 17.238' W | Begonia | We have moved [11.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored in Bristol RI - South of Mooring field - around Nav "1" - way out!!!. At: 15:05(EDT) 28-Jul-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 41º 40.2' N | 71º 17.22' W | Begonia | We have moved [3.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored in Mooring Field at Bristol, RI. At: 11:04(EDT) 18-Jul-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 41º 40.176' N | 71º 17.19' W | Begonia | We have moved [5.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored in Bristol RI - South of Mooring field - around Nav "1" - way out!!!. At: 11:02(EDT) 25-Jun-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 41º 43.002' N | 71º 15.0' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Kickamuit River, RI. We have moved [5.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 18:42(EST) 18-Apr-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 41º 42.696' N | 71º 14.928' W | Begonia | We have moved [13.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored in Kickamuit River (East of Bristol, RI) - Entrance Via Bristol Narrows! (Tight and shallow). At: 17:22(EDT) 17-Jul-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 41º 29.526' N | 71º 14.634' W | Begonia | We have moved [10.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchored at Third Beach, Sachuest, Near (just east of) Newport RI (Nice beach, plenty of moorings). At: 16:00(EDT) 15-Jul-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 46º 47.022' N | 71º 13.08' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Anse Au Foulon, Quebec City, St Lawrence River - Inland Waterways, Canada. Our position: loc:46.7864, -071.2297 Sail From: Batiscan, St. Lawrence River, Quebec To: Anse Au Foulon, Quebec City, St Lawrence River Trip: We travelled 32.1nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 9:04 hours). We have moved 45.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 5.0kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.5kt. Location Comments: [Anchored off the Yact Club de Quebec (outside of mooring field), in 5m datum of mud/sand and subject to currents and 5m tides.] General Comments: [As we progress down the river, we now find much bigger tides (around 5m possible here) and a current that can also be against us, so we plan our passages with all this in mind (and know it will only get fiercer as we head towards the ocean). We are spending a couple of nights at anchor just outside of Quebec city to prepare ourselves for a bit of sightseeing in the City itself (next stop). Today the weather has turned much cooler, and with odd bouts of rain, we may even have to turn on the heating tonight.] At: 16:04(EDT) 08-Jun-2024, Outside Temp: 21.9C (71.42F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 22.4C (72.32F) | 7 months ago | Show |
| 41º 34.998' N | 71º 13.002' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Anchored in Sarowet Cove, Saskonnet River (Mass?) in 8.1' - nice views of islands, bridges, etc. We have moved [3.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 14:50(EST) 26-Apr-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 21º 19.878' N | 71º 12.93' W | Begonia | We have moved [9.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Anchor Salt Cay (Turks & Caicos). At: 08:33(EST) 20-Nov-2013 | about 11 years ago | Show |
| 41º 35.58' N | 71º 12.714' W | Begonia | We have moved [13.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. RI - Sakonnet River - South of Tiverton - near Sapowat Marsh Nature Reserve. At: 15:30(EDT) 23-Jun-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 46º 49.02' N | 71º 12.042' W | Begonia |
At Marina Dock: Port Quebec Marina, Quebec City, QC - Inland Waterways, Canada. Our position: loc:46.8201, -071.2064 Sail From: Anse Au Foulon, Quebec City, St Lawrence River To: Port Quebec Marina, Quebec City, QC Trip: We travelled 2.7nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 1:02 hours). We have moved 2.2nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.2kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.6kt. Location Comments: [Marina, close to all city highlights and managed by the port authority. There is a small Lock with floating docks to enter (and a bridge at one end) use Ch 71 to hail lock keeper for permission to pass (keeper will raise bridge also). Lock is generally available between 7am and 1am (and doors left open when water level is more than 3.2m), all usual facilities and appears clean and well maintained. Depth at dock is 5m+] General Comments: [A few minutes after arriving at our last anchorage we were borded by the local police, and then this morning, while getting ready to depart we were visited by Canadian customs - this must be a hot-bed of crime haha! Anyway a short hop today to our marina. Like all city marinas, it is expensive so we wanted to make the most of our time and not arrive too late in the day. While we have been before, we are eager to see Quebec City again (this time without the snow).] At: 11:22(EDT) 10-Jun-2024, Outside Temp: 20.7C (69.26F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 21.4C (70.52F) | 6 months ago | Show |
| 21º 29.724' N | 71º 9.45' W | Begonia | We have moved [98.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage: North Carolina to Turks and Caicos - Land in clear sight. Course: 185(degT), Speed Over Ground:5kt, Wind:11Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:SW). At: 05:44(EST) 18-Nov-2013 | about 11 years ago | Show |
| 21º 28.2' N | 71º 9.126' W | Begonia | We have moved [0.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. On Dive mooring for evening (Grand Turk). At: 08:33(EST) 19-Nov-2013 | about 11 years ago | Show |
| 21º 26.148' N | 71º 9.06' W | Begonia | We have moved [3.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Anchor - Grand Turk Customs dock area. At: 08:45(EST) 18-Nov-2013 | about 11 years ago | Show |
| 21º 28.014' N | 71º 8.994' W | Begonia | We have moved [1.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At Anchor - Grand Turk - Cockburn Town Anchoarge (to West of Island). At: 12:00(EST) 18-Nov-2013 | about 11 years ago | Show |
| 41º 30.0' N | 71º 6.0' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Left Anchorage, heading for Block Island, Another Sunny day forecast. We have moved [1.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 07:00(EDT) 28-Aug-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 41º 31.002' N | 71º 4.998' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [3.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 15:39(EDT) 27-Aug-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 42º 21.63' N | 71º 2.826' W | Begonia | We have moved [4.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Boston Waterboat Marina - at mooring (offered dock for same price, stayed on mooring). At: 10:56(EDT) 27-Apr-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 41º 27.036' N | 71º 2.634' W | Begonia | We have moved [19.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Underway. At: 10:00(EDT) 21-Apr-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 42º 22.002' N | 71º 1.998' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Logan Airport. We have moved [161.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 17:11(EST) 15-Aug-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 42º 20.286' N | 70º 57.276' W | Begonia | We have moved [4.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 20:07(EDT) 06-May-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 42º 19.5' N | 70º 57.246' W | Begonia | We have moved [26.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 23:54(EDT) 24-Apr-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 41º 30.0' N | 70º 57.0' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [98.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 238(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.8kt, Wind:Kt(from:), Cloud Cover:%, Pressure: hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 12:23(EDT) 27-Aug-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 42º 19.002' N | 70º 55.998' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Georges Island (after failng to get good holding in Little Brewster Island - heavy in kelp). We have moved [82.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 21:05(EST) 14-Aug-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 42º 19.998' N | 70º 55.998' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Lovell Island, in 13.7-22.9'. We have moved [94.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 19:30(EST) 19-Jul-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 42º 18.0' N | 70º 55.998' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Peddocks Island, Mass. We have moved [38.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 21:45(EST) 04-Jul-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 42º 15.0' N | 70º 55.002' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Hewitt's Cove Marina, Hingham, MA. We have moved [33.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 14:04(EST) 06-Jul-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 41º 25.998' N | 70º 55.002' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Cuttyhunk Pond - arrived to find it empty despite it's popularity as a boating place. We have moved [31.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 16:35(EST) 10-May-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 41º 37.086' N | 70º 54.528' W | Begonia | We have moved [21.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. New Bedford Harbor (Mass)- no anchor space inside, so just outside hurricane wall.. At: 18:08(EDT) 22-Jun-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 41º 37.998' N | 70º 43.998' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [119.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 218(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.7kt, Wind:Kt(from:), Cloud Cover:%, Pressure: hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 08:58(EDT) 27-Aug-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 43º 4.428' N | 70º 43.074' W | Begonia | We have moved [24.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Portsmouth, NH (Portsmouth Yacht Club). At: 12:15(EDT) 07-May-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 41º 44.136' N | 70º 39.18' W | Begonia | We have moved [24.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. @ Anchor Onset Bay (Just west of Cape cod canal). At: 18:42(EDT) 21-Apr-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 41º 43.998' N | 70º 39.0' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Onsett Bay, MA after passing through Cape Cod Canal. We have moved [135.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 18:07(EST) 26-Aug-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 41º 27.0' N | 70º 37.002' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Martha's Vinyard, Lake Tashimoo. We have moved [186.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 13:32(EST) 11-May-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 42º 37.422' N | 70º 34.308' W | Begonia | We have moved [24.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 01:52(EDT) 07-May-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 42º 41.298' N | 70º 33.546' W | Begonia | We have moved [3.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 04:15(EDT) 07-May-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 42º 0.0' N | 70º 32.724' W | Begonia | We have moved [13.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 18:00(EDT) 24-Apr-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 41º 46.926' N | 70º 29.61' W | Begonia | We have moved [113.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Eastern end Cape Cod Canal (Mass) - anchor by Beach. At: 16:12(EDT) 21-Jun-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 41º 46.698' N | 70º 29.238' W | Begonia | We have moved [7.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 15:00(EDT) 24-Apr-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 41º 46.098' N | 70º 29.07' W | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Sandwich, Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts, USA - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 2 of Cape Cod Bay Passage From:Saco Town Moorings, Saco River, Maine To:Sandwich, Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts. Our position: loc:41.7826, -070.4954 Progress: [We've made 96.3nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 34:26 hours, or 1.4 Days) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 53.0nm; we have made 49.6nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 52.9nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.2kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:3.0kt, Avg speed for trip:2.8kt. ] Location Comments: [Anchored in 4.0m (datum), just off the eastern entrance to the Cape Cod Canal. A fine place to wait for the current change to enter the canal (providing winds allow). 2 bar LTE Phone Signal.] General Comments: [We actually got to sail MOST of the day, only rolling up the jib once a storm approached (thankfully the worst of it passed off to one side of us), and once cleared, we then motored the last couple of hours due to lack of wind! All that motoring put us ahead of schedule so we are anchored for the night and will enter the canal in the morning with the current.] At: 22:26(EST) 15-Aug-2024, Outside Temp: 18.3C (64.94F), Humidity:89%, Water Temp: 19.5C (67.1F) | 4 months ago | Show |
| 47º 19.038' N | 70º 28.002' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: SW of Ile Aux Coudres (outside channel), St Lawrence River, QC - Inland Waterways, Canada. Our position: loc:47.3232, -070.4669 Sail From: Port Quebec Marina, Bassin Louise, Quebec City, QC To: SW of Ile Aux Coudres (outside channel), St Lawrence River, QC Trip: We travelled 36.6nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 9:00 hours). We have moved 42.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.7kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.1kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 4.4m (at bottom of tide), no protection, but an OK place to stop if you are not looking to get ashore. Phone signal 2bars, Nice hilly coast along the NW shore of river.] General Comments: [We loved our time in Quebec City, and managed to see most of the expected sights; lots of walking, lots of stairs. We had some REALLY heavy rain (where everyone hides in doorways and under shop awnings for 30 minutes or more), but mostly the weather was great. Unfortunately, I managed to badly roll my ankle again while touring the citadel (stepping back while taking a photograph, I dropped into a pot-hole!!!!). So now my ankle is on rest mode AGAIN. I'm so frustrated. This required that we take a taxi to and from the grocery store, and that Kyle had to do much of the preparation and work for sailing, AND that we've delayed our plans another day to wait for head-winds to pass so I won't have to be tacking along the river (hence the overnight tonight). For today's exit from the basin, we did stop to get fuel and deal with our tanks. We also needed to use the lock (maybe a 1m drop) and, of course, to have the bridge lifted. The sail along the river has been just right - great weather (not too hot), and a good wind, with current mostly in our favor. Kyle tells me that the water is now just slightly brackish. Other news: Kyle and I are motivated and dabbling with a whole food plant-based diet, that has meant we've selected our eating out options very carefully, and we've even passed by the ice cream stores (!). Luckily (for now at least) we've been quite able to find regular grocery stores to keep us stocked with lots of fresh fruit, greens and veggies, and we're doing all the research we can to see how this lifestyle can work for long term provisioning (like crossing the Pacific Ocean); luckily we have plenty of time to work that out. Even if we don't end up 100% compliant, this shift is definitely for the better health-wise (based on all the reading we've done). The marina wasn't busy, but there was a large contingent of hard-core offshore race-boats; In a couple of weeks, these boats will leave Quebec City for the race to St Milo (France), we expect we'll have left the St Lawrence River before they get a chance to pass us and put us to shame.] At: 19:30(EDT) 14-Jun-2024, Outside Temp: 22.3C (72.14F), Humidity:54%, Water Temp: 18C (64.4F) | 6 months ago | Show |
| 43º 29.052' N | 70º 26.07' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Rumery's Boat Yard (Moorings), Biddeford, Saco River, Maine - Gulf of Maine, USA. Our position: loc:43.4923, -070.4451 Sail From: Saco Town Moorings, Saco River, Maine To: Rumery's Boat Yard (Moorings), Biddeford, Saco River, Maine Trip: We travelled 1.8nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 0:40 hours). We have moved 1.2nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 1.9kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.7kt. Location Comments: [The boat yard has a few moorings (and a little dock space) which are sometimes available to visiting boats. Access via the channel through the Yacht Club, past the dam and loop back down to the NW side of the river where the boat yard is. Very central to town, but since it is a boat yard (rather than a marina) few facilities.] General Comments: [A relaxed evening actually spent in the cockpit AND we finally switched out our winter (fleece) sheets for the summer ones - YAY, Summer is here at last. We are here in Biddeford to meet with the Portland Pudgy folks and pick up our replacement parts we've wanted for some time, and they made it so easy to swing by.] At: 09:50(EST) 12-Aug-2024, Outside Temp: 24.5C (76.1F), Humidity:59%, Water Temp: 28.2C (82.76F) | 4 months ago | Show |
| 43º 28.098' N | 70º 25.02' W | Begonia |
At Mooring Ball (Free): Saco Town Moorings, Saco River, Maine - Saco River, USA. Our position: loc:43.4826, -070.4197 Sail From: Rumery's Boat Yard (Moorings), Biddeford, Saco River, Maine To: Saco Town Moorings, Saco River, Maine Trip: We travelled 1.4nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 0:30 hours). We have moved 1.2nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.5kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.8kt. Location Comments: [At Saco town moorings (1 of 3), which we understand to be free (no writing on balls, but this is what Active Captain reports), a pretty river with marsh and trees and the odd property; the moorings are in a bucolic setting on a corner of the bending river. Location of moorings is a bit peculiar as Saco (and Biddeford) town is some distance away, and these are placed in a tranquil rural setting with no immediate shore access. Dinghy shore access at Saco YC and Saco ""Front Street"" ramp (2nm up the river). There is also a boat ramp at Marblehead Launch Ramp to the down river (on SW bank of river, about .8nm down river). 2bar LTE Phone Signal.] General Comments: [We had a productive time in Biddeford, and managed to collect our Portland Pudgy parts and some mail. We were Kindly loaned a car by Mike (the owner) and this made some grocery shopping a LOT easier, and allowed us to do laundry and fill a propane cylinder too. We even found time to eat out. But now we resume our path generally southward.] At: 13:20(EST) 13-Aug-2024, Outside Temp: 28.4C (83.12F), Humidity:49%, Water Temp: 28.2C (82.76F) | 4 months ago | Show |
| 43º 28.098' N | 70º 25.02' W | Begonia |
At Mooring Ball (Free): Saco Town Moorings, Saco River, Maine - Gulf of Maine, USA. Our position: loc:43.4826, -070.4197 Sail From: E of Snow Island, Quahog Bay, Maine To: Saco Town Moorings, Saco River, Maine Trip: We travelled 38.8nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 9:34 hours). We have moved 30.0nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.1kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.1kt. Location Comments: [At Saco town moorings (1 of 3), which we understand to be free (no writing on balls, but this is what Active Captain reports), a pretty river with march and trees and the odd property, feels rural in this particular corner of the river. Quite amazing as town is some way away, and these are placed in a tranquil rural setting. Dinghy shore access at Saco YC and Saco ""Front Street"" ramp (2nm up the river). There is also a boat ramp at Marblehead Launch Ramp to the down river (on SW bank of river, about .8nm down river). 2bar LTE Phone Signal.] General Comments: [We had some heavy rain (as expected) but also some glorious sunshine at Quahog bay, we kayaked, and relaxed, and met some other cruisers (from all over, including UK and Australia). Today was some fine sailing (but we still needed to tack). Access to the river was crowded and busy (we'll have to get used to that as we head south along the coast). As we follow the river, it has narrow and wide parts, busy and tranquil sections (all in a short distance) and is renowned for its shallow spots and sinuous channel. We've come up the river to visit the relocated Portland Pudgy factory and collect some replacement bits for the dingy - and (we assume) were greeted by the new Portland Pudgy owners as we were entering the river and they were exiting on their own boat (at least these are the only people who we could think would know my name and also own a Portland Pudgy in the area). ] At: 15:02(EST) 11-Aug-2024, Outside Temp: 26.6C (79.88F), Humidity:64%, Water Temp: 27.2C (80.96F) | 4 months ago | Show |
| 42º 39.072' N | 70º 24.066' W | Begonia |
Day 2 of Gulf Of Maine Passage From:Saco Town Moorings, Saco River, Maine To:Sandwich, Massachusetts. Our position: loc:42.6623, -070.4112 We have 53.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 46.7nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 18:00 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 53.0nm; we have made 46.7nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 49.2nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.7kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:2.6kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):2.6kt. ] Sailing Conditions: [Sailing, mixed with motoring in calm and flat seas. Even at 60m deep we still see lobster pots out here, and overnight we shared the seas with several fishing boats.] General Comments: [Our sailing has been slow since we can't use the mainsail. Our head car (gets jammed/stuck on the track going up and down). It is a problem that we thought we'd fixed a while ago (fixing the track) but now it seems clear the problem is the car itself. We have one on order for our next main stop, but for now we'll have to do without, which severely slows our sailing close to the wind. Overnight we saw some very large dolphins or small whales, most likely Pilot Whales; we passed through two groups, but none came close enough (in good enough light) for a proper identification.] At: 06:00(EST) 15-Aug-2024, Outside Temp: 18.7C (65.66F), Humidity:87%, Water Temp: 20.9C (69.62F), Course: 209(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.8kt, Wind:6Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1018hPa, Swell:0.25m (from:SE) | 4 months ago | Show |
| 43º 40.002' N | 70º 15.0' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Portland Yacht Services - Ball 1615. We have moved [33.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 13:58(EST) 26-May-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 43º 39.696' N | 70º 14.424' W | Begonia | We have moved [6.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Mooring 1610 at Portland Yacht Services. At: 10:54(EDT) 15-Jun-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 43º 39.702' N | 70º 14.412' W | Begonia | We have moved [41.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Portland, ME (Portland Yacht Services) - 4000lb mooring ball (#1610). At: 14:28(EDT) 13-May-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 31º 11.346' N | 70º 8.562' W | Begonia | We have moved [79.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage: North Carolina to Turks and Caicos. Course: 103(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.5kt, Wind:29Kt(from:ENE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1009hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:E). At: 06:00(EST) 13-Nov-2013 | about 11 years ago | Show |
| 43º 40.998' N | 70º 6.0' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Jewell Island, Maine. We have moved [14.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 10:09(EST) 24-May-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 43º 41.256' N | 70º 5.466' W | Begonia | We have moved [11.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Jewell Island's tiny cove (we kind-a fill it, a little embarrassing).. At: 10:06(EDT) 13-Jun-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 41º 18.0' N | 70º 4.002' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Cotoqec (??), Nantucket - Harbor too crowded with moorings, so anchored miles from town by a secluded beach in about 12' of water. We have moved [33.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 14:59(EST) 14-May-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 27º 24.018' N | 70º 2.1' W | Begonia |
Day 5 of North Atlantic Passage From:Taylor Creek, Beaufort, NC To: Spanish Town (St. Thomas Bay), Virgin Gorda, BVI. Our position: loc:27.4027, -070.0494 We have 622.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 578.7nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 95:00 hours, or 4.0 Days) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 133.0nm; we have made 119.2nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 128.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 5.4kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.0kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):6.1kt. ] Sailing Conditions: [Wind did indeed decrease (as forecast), but the swell is still mixed (finally decreasing a bit). The odd shower. We are currently motoring to keep the push south from the storm expected to our north, and to top up the batteries which have seen little sun or wind for the last day (any sailing has been downwind).] General Comments: [I spotted my first flying fish in the water yesterday (and a couple on deck). Yesterday we spotted more ships than usual (cargo vessels) and con-trails from passing aircraft - so clearly some regular route for both modes of transport. Both Kyle and I are finally getting 'proper sleep' on our off-watches now. Kyle tells me to expect 24 hours more of 'rough' weather (starting this afternoon), followed by great sailing weather for the remaining passage.] At: 06:00(AST) 15-Nov-2024, Outside Temp: 21.4C (70.52F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 30.6C (87.08F), Course: 148(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.5kt, Wind:1Kt(from:VAR), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:2.5m (from:N) | about 1 month ago | Show |
| 22º 41.874' N | 69º 56.682' W | Begonia | We have moved [119.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage: North Carolina to Turks and Caicos. Course: 233(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.8kt, Wind:17Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:50%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:2m (to:SW). At: 06:00(EST) 17-Nov-2013 | about 11 years ago | Show |
| 43º 48.984' N | 69º 54.096' W | Begonia | We have moved [2.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Quahog Bay - Maine - East of Snow Island, South of Ben Island. At: 13:36(EDT) 10-Jun-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 43º 48.096' N | 69º 54.036' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: E of Snow Island, Quahog Bay, Maine - Gulf of Maine, USA. Our position: loc:43.8157, -069.9056 Sail From: The Basin, New Meadows River, Casco Bay, Maine To: E of Snow Island, Quahog Bay, Maine Trip: We travelled 6.4nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 1:50 hours). We have moved 2.5nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 1.4kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.5kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.2m, a beautiful bay of rocky islands, 3m tides, oyster farming, 1-2 bar LTE Phone Signal. No trails ashore, but some great options for poking about with the dingy/kayak/etc.] General Comments: [We are having some great weather, but rain is coming, so we are off out in the Kayak to make the most of the nice weather today. We enjoyed a LONG hike ashore in The Basin (connecting two trails we'd not done before). We arrived at this anchorage to the calls of osprey, so we'll keep a look out to see if we can actually see them (but they must be nearby).] At: 09:48(EST) 08-Aug-2024, Outside Temp: 23.7C (74.66F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 22.9C (73.22F) | 5 months ago | Show |
| 43º 49.002' N | 69º 54.0' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Ben Island, Quahog Bay. We have moved [24.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 18:41(EST) 21-May-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 43º 48.372' N | 69º 51.108' W | Begonia | We have moved [47.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. The Basin - at anchor (hard to find a safe spot - moorings bagged our previous spot than before). At: 20:22(EDT) 07-Jun-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 43º 48.03' N | 69º 51.006' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: The Basin, New Meadows River, Casco Bay, Maine - Gulf of Maine, USA. Our position: loc:43.8047, -069.8505 Sail From: Burnt Island, Geroge's Islands, Muscongus Bay, Maine To: The Basin, New Meadows River, Casco Bay, Maine Trip: We travelled 28.9nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 9:32 hours). We have moved 24.6nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.6kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.0kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in m 1.8m (at datum, but plenty of deeper options available). Good holding in mud. Beloved location never too busy, and fully protected from all winds and swells. There are a couple of trail optionss ashore, and plenty of corners to poke into with the dingy/kayak/etc to enjoy the scenery. Expect to see bald eagles, osprey and more, 1bar LTE Phone Signal.] General Comments: [Today had a drizzly start but the forecast promised a good wind for sailing. We deliberately took a slight detour to take us by Eastern Egg Rock (more puffins, but still raining), before hoisting the sails and sailing on. The wind decided to come and go, so we sailed fast (briefly) we sailed slowly (for the most part) and we even motored (to navigate the many crab pots and rocky islands). Ahhh Maine, it's memorable! We've had a few passing groups of porpoises, but they never seem interested in staying. And now we have returned to The Basin - having visited in both 2008, and 2013 and loved it every time; word seems to be out, so we don't have it to ourselves, but I'm sure we'll be fine.] At: 15:02(EST) 06-Aug-2024, Outside Temp: 23.5C (74.3F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 20.4C (68.72F) | 5 months ago | Show |
| 43º 49.002' N | 69º 51.0' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: The Basin, New Meadows River, Casco,Maine. We have moved [24.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 06:21(EST) 19-May-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 34º 42.21' N | 69º 44.688' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [154.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 38(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.7kt, Wind:20Kt(from:SW), Cloud Cover:%, Pressure: 1014.22hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 21:00(EDT) 30-Oct-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 43º 49.998' N | 69º 40.002' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Love Cove, Ebenecook Harbor. We have moved [3.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 17:28(EST) 07-Jun-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 48º 0.102' N | 69º 36.03' W | Begonia | Day 2 of Inland Waterways Passage From:SW of Ile Aux Coudres (outside channel), St Lawrence River, QC To:Mont Louis Harbor, QC.
Our position: loc:48.0165, -069.6048 We have 171.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 51.9nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 18:04 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 59.0nm; we have made 51.9nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 54.3nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.0kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:2.9kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):2.9kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Light winds, mostly headwinds yesterday, lots of tacking (on Kyle's watch), turning to light beam/tail winds; we are currently flying the spinnaker. At times (with the current) we were sailing backwards overnight, best SOG we noticed was around 9kt (with the current in our favor).] General Comments: [The windows can attest we are now in salty (brackish) waters as the salt stains are obvious. The river has widened considerably. Water has cooled off. The sky has been clear (so cold, but at least not raining). We have seen LOTs of Loons (beloved Canadian birds), often in quite large groups, they all dive as we approach and we rarely see them reappear so they must be able to stay under for a while (or swim some great distance underwater).] At: 06:00(EDT) 16-Jun-2024, Outside Temp: 12.9C (55.22F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 12.4C (54.32F), Course: 53(degT), Speed Over Ground:7kt, Wind:6Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:2%, Pressure: 1024hPa, Swell:m (from:) | 6 months ago | Show |
| 34º 45.456' N | 69º 28.23' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [150.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 72(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.4kt, Wind:20Kt(from:W), Cloud Cover:%, Pressure: 1014.22hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 00:00(EDT) 30-Oct-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 43º 52.044' N | 69º 17.046' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Burnt Island, Muscongus Bay, Maine - Gulf of Maine, USA. Our position: loc:43.8735, -069.2911 Sail From: Matinicus Island, Penobscot Bay, Maine To: Burnt Island, Muscongus Bay, Maine Trip: We travelled 22.6nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 6:28 hours). We have moved 17.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.7kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.5kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 4.5m, on the east of Burnt (and Little Burnt) Islands. If you are lucky you can find a spot to anchor among the mass of lobster pot floats. Ashore the trails etc are managed by Main Island Trail Association (MITA), and they state ""private seasonal residences, Outward Bound programs, and lobstering operations coexist"" here - daytime access permitted. Phone signal variable. Note: Maine has multiple Burnt Islands, so be sure you have the right one. ] General Comments: [A mixed day of slow sailing (and with occasional reefing). Heavy fog in patches, heavy rain in patches (not exactly fun sailing). Blue skies finally start to hint at an appearance as we are anchoring.] At: 11:58(EST) 04-Aug-2024, Outside Temp: 21.5C (70.7F), Humidity:90%, Water Temp: 16.1C (60.98F) | 5 months ago | Show |
| 43º 58.002' N | 69º 12.0' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: SW Corner, Penobscot Bay, Long Cove, Tenants Harbor ????. We have moved [7.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 17:15(EST) 08-Jun-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 34º 46.908' N | 69º 11.07' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [153.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 83(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.7kt, Wind:16Kt(from:WNW), Cloud Cover:80%, Pressure: 1014.22hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 03:00(EDT) 30-Oct-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 24º 32.22' N | 69º 6.258' W | Begonia | We have moved [135.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage: North Carolina to Turks and Caicos. Course: 214(degT), Speed Over Ground:4kt, Wind:11Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:3m (to:W). At: 06:00(EST) 16-Nov-2013 | about 11 years ago | Show |
| 19º 53.022' N | 69º 0.036' W | Begonia |
Day 32 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Clarence Bay, Georgetown, Ascension Island To:Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:19.8872, -069.0059 We have 275.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 3417.2nm (through the water) on this passage. Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 124.0nm; we have made 142.0nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 125.3nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 5.2kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.9kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.6kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Yesterday's progress felt like 'proper' sailing at last - good solid winds, and reasonably smooth seas. It seems way too long since we averaged over 5kt for the day. We are expecting more of the same today, but with the winds increasing after that. For now we continue to sail with the spinnaker.] General Comments: [We sailed along/over the Puerto Rico Trench yesterday - the deepest part of the Atlantic Ocean at over 8km; scientists believe this feature (a subduction zone) is well overdue to cause a major earthquake/tsunami for the region.. Two tropic birds visited yesterday, heralded by their distinct 'squeaky-toy' call. Kyle had 3 cruise ships pass us - they were each on route to Florida (presumably to switch out for the next batch of passengers).] At: 06:00(ADT) 03-Mar-2023, Outside Temp: 25.1C (77.18F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 30.2C (86.36F), Course: 284(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.9kt, Wind:18Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:20%, Pressure: 1015hPa, Swell:1.5m (from:E) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 34º 46.98' N | 68º 53.34' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [167.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 86(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.4kt, Wind:19Kt(from:NW), Cloud Cover:70%, Pressure: 1014.22hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 06:00(EDT) 30-Oct-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 44º 22.998' N | 68º 52.998' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Anchor at Turtle Head Cove, Isleborou Island, Penobscot Bay (?). We have moved [16.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 18:12(EST) 21-Jun-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 43º 51.078' N | 68º 52.092' W | Begonia |
At Mooring Ball ($): Matinicus Island, Penobscot Bay, Maine - Gulf of Maine, USA. Our position: loc:43.8630, -068.8822 Sail From: Hells Half Acre, Between Devil and Bold Islands, nr. Stonington, Maine To: Matinicus Island, Penobscot Bay, Maine Trip: We travelled 34.4nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 9:40 hours). We have moved 20.9nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.2kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.6kt. Location Comments: [Mooring with 7.1m Depth at datum, tight quarters and moorings are achieved by a rope strung across the harbour and with boats tied to the rope. Fees (to be verified) are $30/night and a payment screw top jar is attached to each mooring pendant (honesty box system). Ashore are trails, but few services (no water or fuel); but this is to be expected on Maine's outermost year-round inhabited island (Population 75). Fishermen use the North end, and there are about 9 guest moorings in the south end (see the orange flags). Shore access is at the commercial wharf (with ladders) in the Northern End of harbour (use a long painter to allow space for other boaters and the 3m+tide).]] General Comments: [A lovely day with some actual sailing again (whew!). We started with light fog, which became heavy fog, but during the day we spotted sharks, and dolphins. We specifically diverted a few miles to take a look at Matinicus Rock where Maine's largest puffin colony nests (and yay, we saw a few even though it is close to the end of the nesting season). Our mooring pendant is missing the details about payment (2024 cost,etc), so we'll work that out in the morning when we go ashore.] At: 15:06(EST) 02-Aug-2024, Outside Temp: 24.5C (76.1F), Humidity:77%, Water Temp: 14.8C (58.64F) | 5 months ago | Show |
| 44º 7.998' N | 68º 52.002' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Waterman Cove, N Haven Island, Penobscot Bay, ME. We have moved [32.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 15:11(EST) 01-Jul-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 44º 7.17' N | 68º 51.078' W | Begonia | We have moved [14.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Off Vinalhaven Island - in Shipwreck Cove (South of/Behind Zeke Pt) - Anchor in Good mud - amazingly no mooring balls or pot floats to hinder location or scope.. At: 13:38(EDT) 06-Jun-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 44º 28.998' N | 68º 49.002' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Fort Point Cove, Penobscot River, ME. We have moved [22.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 14:06(EST) 09-Jun-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 44º 46.002' N | 68º 48.0' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Hamlins Marina, East Hampden, ME (Bangor) - on Mooring. We have moved [34.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 16:45(EST) 10-Jun-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 44º 22.998' N | 68º 46.002' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Holbrook Island cove (anchor) - did not join in with Dinghy raft up!. We have moved [7.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 13:20(EST) 28-Jun-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 44º 9.012' N | 68º 36.084' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Hells Half Acre, Between Devil and Bold Islands, nr. Stonington, Maine - Gulf of Maine, USA. Our position: loc:44.1520, -068.6135 Sail From: Roque Island off Twin Beach, Maine To: Hells Half Acre, Between Devil and Bold Islands, nr. Stonington, Maine Trip: We travelled 58.0nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 12:20 hours). We have moved 53.5nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.3kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.7kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 5m (Datum), beautiful scattered small islands all around. There are two ($Free) mooring balls here, but when occupied there is also space for a single boat to anchor. Phone Signal 3bar LTE.] General Comments: [Another early start and a foggy day, but today we at least got to sail all the way. Kyle spotted a couple of puffins flying by at one point. The lobster pot floats require a constant lookout and regular swerving about to avoid them. Just after we anchored blue sky started to reveal itself, but we are expecting a couple of windy days here.] At: 16:56(EST) 29-Jul-2024, Outside Temp: 17.4C (63.32F), Humidity:89%, Water Temp: 14C (57.2F) | 5 months ago | Show |
| 44º 15.126' N | 68º 34.404' W | Begonia | We have moved [15.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchor in Tiny NorthWest Cove - to NE of the Deer Island Channel (Eggemoggin Reach). At: 18:28(EDT) 05-Jun-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 34º 45.12' N | 68º 24.648' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [160.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 103(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.7kt, Wind:25Kt(from:NW), Cloud Cover:80%, Pressure: 1016.26hPa, Swell:2m (to:SE). At: 11:00(EDT) 30-Oct-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 26º 42.27' N | 68º 22.914' W | Begonia | We have moved [151.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage: North Carolina to Turks and Caicos. Course: 203(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.9kt, Wind:16Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:10%, Pressure: 1020hPa, Swell:2m (to:SW). At: 06:00(EST) 15-Nov-2013 | about 11 years ago | Show |
| 44º 6.342' N | 68º 20.37' W | Begonia | We have moved [86.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchor previous night at Eastern Bay on Long Island, Maine. At: 09:00(EDT) 21-May-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 44º 22.002' N | 68º 19.998' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Sommes Harbor, Mount Desert Island, ME. We have moved [42.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 17:37(EST) 29-Jun-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 44º 21.684' N | 68º 19.638' W | Begonia | We have moved [12.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchor in Somes Harbor (avoiding mass of mooring balls). At: 19:00(EDT) 21-May-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 44º 9.132' N | 68º 15.78' W | Begonia | We have moved [4.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. On Route. At: 15:00(EDT) 21-May-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 44º 16.002' N | 68º 15.0' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Cranberry Harbor. We have moved [0.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 15:09(EST) 30-Jun-2008 | over 16 years ago | Show |
| 44º 15.192' N | 68º 13.23' W | Begonia | We have moved [35.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchor off Little Cranberry Island. At: 19:04(EDT) 04-Jun-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 29º 12.726' N | 68º 1.338' W | Begonia | We have moved [161.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Passage: North Carolina to Turks and Caicos. Course: 165(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.3kt, Wind:14Kt(from:N), Cloud Cover:70%, Pressure: 1020hPa, Swell:3m (to:S). At: 06:00(EST) 14-Nov-2013 | about 11 years ago | Show |
| 34º 44.214' N | 67º 56.694' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [168.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 54(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.6kt, Wind:22Kt(from:NW), Cloud Cover:%, Pressure: 1018.29hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 16:00(EDT) 30-Oct-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 44º 24.114' N | 67º 53.406' W | Begonia | We have moved [18.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchor off Big Pond on far south of western peninsular (in Pigeon Hill Bay, Eastern Maine). At: 11:27(EDT) 27-May-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 34º 40.338' N | 67º 35.574' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [151.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 107(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.4kt, Wind:19Kt(from:NNE), Cloud Cover:70%, Pressure: 1019.98hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 21:00(EDT) 31-Oct-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 26º 14.082' N | 67º 35.034' W | Begonia |
Day 6 of North Atlantic Passage From:Taylor Creek, Beaufort, NC To: Spanish Town (St. Thomas Bay), Virgin Gorda, BVI. Our position: loc:26.2467, -067.5892 We have 500.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 733.6nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 119:00 hours, or 5.0 Days) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 122.0nm; we have made 154.9nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 148.9nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 6.2kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.5kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):6.2kt. ] Sailing Conditions: [Another rough afternoon/night aboard. We reached a low pressure of 1004 and have finally (since 3am) seen it start to rise. Our route is still way to the east of the direct line so we can reduce the impact of the wind and seas until things settle more. (Kyle saw a max wind of 40kt, a rough, wet night!). All looks good for the remaining passage.] General Comments: [Sailing under a full moon is always my favourite for night sailing - great visibility, and with gaps in the clouds we can still enjoy the constellations, although Kyle had heavy rain on his watch (the water activated strobe stowed under the dinghy/life-raft cover managed to trigger (another fun fix!). The strong winds kept the batteries at 100% all through the night (no worries there). Despite the wind and rain, Kyle is now dressed in shorts and t-shirts even for his night watch.] At: 06:00(AST) 16-Nov-2024, Outside Temp: 21.8C (71.24F), Humidity:97%, Water Temp: 29.7C (85.46F), Course: 95(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.9kt, Wind:20Kt(from:WNW), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1005hPa, Swell:3m (from:SW) | about 1 month ago | Show |
| 44º 29.97' N | 67º 31.644' W | Begonia | We have moved [16.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchor in Cows Yard in 5.4m (1.5-6.9) - too many pots and floats around to feel safe. At: 11:40(EDT) 28-May-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 44º 34.068' N | 67º 31.014' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Roque Island Harbour, Roque Island, Maine - Bay of Fundy, USA. Our position: loc:44.5776, -067.5187 Sail From: Flagg Cove, North Head, Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick To: Roque Island Harbour, Roque Island, Maine Trip: We travelled 31.7nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 10:10 hours). We have moved 34.5nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.4kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.1kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 4m at datum. Roque Island, a Maine down-east gem, has been owned by the same family for a couple hundred years (for all but a couple of years). This anchorage can get swelly, but can hold 100+ boats (although it never gets busy). Lobster pot floats make anchoring space and swing room a challenge so be wary of approaching in dark. Visitors are asked not to go ashore beyond the confines of the beautiful mile-long sandy at this anchorage (obay any signage, and understand that this is not a right). Roque is also famed for some impressive bird life, and seals are regular visitors. Phone signal 2bar LTE.] General Comments: [We had a glorious full day of sunshine and a nice long hike in Grand Manan, we felt so lucky to be fog free! Today's passage had us crossing the border back In the USA (clearance approved via app - nice and easy); and we'll be here for the remainder of the summer at least. We knew the instant we crossed the border since the infamous Maine lobster pots appeared. The pots are not too thick for now, but we must still make regular course changes to be sure we avoid them. We've spotted a few distant seals and dolphins but we've not been fast enough to offer them any fun. We passed Cutler with its array of giant antennas (which is a shame as I was really hoping to visit the OCC representatives there), and have returned to Roque Island which we've been lucky enough to visit before (back in June 2013); so here we are closing yet another loop. Today we set off early (before 4am!), and we had the current in our favor, but conditions were such that we still had to motor half of the way, until we could finally bring out the spinnaker (which was still wet from our earlier foggy day sail, so needed a dry out). Cruisers aboard Gray Lady, who we met in our last anchorage, also arrived here today, and for now at least we are the only two boats. From here we switch our clocks back to Eastern Daylight time.] At: 13:54(ADT) 27-Jul-2024, Outside Temp: 20.2C (68.36F), Humidity:64%, Water Temp: 12.8C (55.04F) | 5 months ago | Show |
| 44º 34.242' N | 67º 30.846' W | Begonia | We have moved [10.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchor on Roque Island off Twin Beach - seals abound!. At: 07:30(EDT) 01-Jun-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 34º 37.224' N | 67º 21.078' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [158.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 111(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.7kt, Wind:20Kt(from:NNW), Cloud Cover:80%, Pressure: 1021.00hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 00:00(EDT) 31-Oct-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 44º 37.014' N | 67º 17.196' W | Begonia | We have moved [12.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Anchor in Cross Island Narrows - off Cutler Naval Radio Station - by Mink Island. At: 12:30(EDT) 30-May-2013 | over 11 years ago | Show |
| 34º 37.074' N | 67º 0.54' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [142.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 98(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.4kt, Wind:24Kt(from:NNW), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1021.00hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 03:00(EDT) 31-Oct-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 19º 42.018' N | 66º 47.07' W | Begonia |
Day 31 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Clarence Bay, Georgetown, Ascension Island To:Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:19.7027, -066.7954 We have 399.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 3275.2nm (through the water) on this passage. Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 103.0nm; we have made 110.9nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 102.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.3kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.6kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.6kt. ] Sailing Conditions [The trade winds arrived just before midnight , and we broke a 100nm day after too many slow days (finally). Those lovely smooth seas have switched to quite a chop. We continue to sail with the Spinnaker (on a beam reach)] General Comments: [Slow progress means we've shifted our ETA to Monday Sigh (we'll possibly arrive Sunday evening). Lots of cargo and tanker ships, and even a giant cruise ship yesterday, and another this morning. Kyle spotted our first sailboat (heading SE). I thought the sargassum was finished (I got it wrong previously, the Sargasso Sea has a week of the genus sargassum); I've had a fishing line out for the last two days (no luck), but yesterday it started to catch weed again. We switched our VHF from International to USA (so we can get channels like 22A again) - not sure if we'll need to keep it that way, or switch back to international for the Bahamas. We've spent much of the last 24 hours traversing Puerto Rico (50nm to the north of the coast).] At: 06:00(ADT) 02-Mar-2023, Outside Temp: 24.7C (76.46F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 30.2C (86.36F), Course: 280(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.2kt, Wind:11Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:20%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:1.5m (from:N) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 44º 45.078' N | 66º 45.024' W | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Mooring Ball (Free) in Flagg Cove, North Head, Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick, Canada - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 3 of Bay of Fundy Passage From:Shelburne, Nova Scotia To:Flagg Cove, North Head, Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick. Our position: loc:44.7630, -066.7539 Progress: [We've made 160.9nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 43:30 hours, or 1.8 Days) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 18.0nm; we have made 25.6nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 18.0nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.7kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:3.8kt, Avg speed for trip:3.7kt. ] Location Comments: [The Yellow mooring balls are free to visitors; even though some are marked private, they are open to all (verified with local fisheries and harbour authority), Ashore are some nice trails (lighthouse is a favourite), but a vehicle is needed to get around the island. The ball we selected had a datum depth of 2.3m and I assume the others are deeper. Not all balls have a pick up line so be prepared. They are big cylinder type balls, and can bang on the boat so tie up accordingly (or anchor if preferred).] General Comments: [Ugh - well that is a passage we are glad to be over. We did more motoring for this passage than for the past month total (I'm guessing). It is damp and foggy, the forecast is for no change, but we do hope/expect to get ashore tomorrow and stretch our legs regardless. We've invited a fellow boater for a cuppa, but then we'll eat and rest up to reset our body clocks for the trip ashore tomorrow.] At: 12:40(ADT) 25-Jul-2024, Outside Temp: 16.7C (62.06F), Humidity:95%, Water Temp: 12.4C (54.32F) | 5 months ago | Show |
| 49º 7.062' N | 66º 40.068' W | Begonia | Day 3 of Inland Waterways Passage From:SW of Ile Aux Coudres (outside channel), St Lawrence River, QC To:Mont Louis Harbor, QC.
Our position: loc:49.1270, -066.6776 We have 38.5nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 156.2nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 42:04 hours, or 1.8 Days) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 132.5nm; we have made 104.3nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 133.9nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 5.6kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.3kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):3.7kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Mixed, light winds, we switched from spinnaker to jib overnight when the online radar suggested we might have a storm pass through (it never arrived). Despite some slow hours, we are still making good time and expect to arrive later today.] General Comments: [We are at the most north that Begonia has ever seen (although we've been more north with Footprint). We are now north enough (and so close to longest day) that we have no full darkness (Astronomical twilight is the closest we get). We now see the odd patch of floating seaweed and even fishing/crab pots in the water from time to time. Kyle spotted an ALBATROSS-like bird (It can't have been an actual albatross, maybe a gannet?, but either way, all this adds up to us feeling more like we are back in the ocean again). ] At: 06:00(EDT) 17-Jun-2024, Outside Temp: 15.5C (59.9F), Humidity:63%, Water Temp: 11.8C (53.24F), Course: 67(degT), Speed Over Ground:6kt, Wind:9Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:90%, Pressure: 1019hPa, Swell:0.25m (from:SW) | 6 months ago | Show |
| 34º 37.56' N | 66º 39.408' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [103.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 102(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.5kt, Wind:20Kt(from:NNW), Cloud Cover:60%, Pressure: 1021.00hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 06:00(EDT) 31-Oct-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 44º 31.038' N | 66º 30.024' W | Begonia | Day 3 of Bay of Fundy Passage From:Shelburne, Nova Scotia To:North Head, Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick.
Our position: loc:44.5225, -066.5038 We have 18.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 135.3nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 36:50 hours, or 1.5 Days) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 83.0nm; we have made 74.6nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 82.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.4kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:3.1kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):3.7kt. ] Sailing Conditions: [We've had sails up and down, but mostly been pushed to motor for all night, and most likely until our arrival given the current state of the current and light winds. We'll be glad to arrive - which should be around early afternoon today.] General Comments: [I mis-spoke yesterday assuming we had reached the Bay of Fundy without actually checking, in fact we'd lost a lot of ground on the turn, which we then had to make up and were in the Gulf of Maine. We are NOW in the Bay of Fundy and it has been kicking our ass with current, fog, damp, and cold.. sigh. We've seen plenty of birds swooping around us, and both of us believe we've heard whales exhale nearby, but the fog has meant we've seen nothing; Kyle was sure one was following us for some time last night.] At: 06:00(ADT) 25-Jul-2024, Outside Temp: 11.5C (52.7F), Humidity:95%, Water Temp: 11.2C (52.16F), Course: 332(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.8kt, Wind:5Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1022hPa, Swell:0.25m (from:S) | 5 months ago | Show |
| 43º 12.036' N | 65º 57.066' W | Begonia |
Day 2 of Bay of Fundy Passage From:Shelburne, Nova Scotia To:North Head, Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick. Our position: loc:43.2057, -065.9610 We have 101.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 60.7nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 12:50 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 45.0nm; we have made 60.7nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 43.1nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.4kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.7kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.7kt. ] Sailing Conditions: [We are now in the Bay of Fundy, underway (slowly) in heavy fog, with plenty of fishing boats around us to listen out for and (obviously) avoid. We made great speed until we made the turn, and are now crawling along. And the batteries are looking forward to some power from the sun (if it might pop out)!] General Comments: [We had a wonderful time in Shelburne, accidentally arriving in time for their Bay Festival which filed their tiny, historic, movie-worthy waterfront with laughter and fun. We even had a quite spectacular display of fireworks from a parade of boats that passed by us as we enjoyed a meal kindly cooked by fellow boaters. AND the weather was warm and sunny for the whole time we were there. All quite memorable. And now we are on passage again, and back out into the cold and fog!] At: 06:00(ADT) 24-Jul-2024, Outside Temp: 10.2C (50.36F), Humidity:97%, Water Temp: 9C (48.2F), Course: 65(degT), Speed Over Ground:2kt, Wind:6Kt(from:NW), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1026hPa, Swell:1m (from:S) | 5 months ago | Show |
| 49º 14.01' N | 65º 44.022' W | Begonia |
Destination: Norfolk, VA At Dock: Fishing Docks, (West) Mont Louis Harbor, QC - Gulf of St Lawrence, Canada. Our position: loc:49.2347, -065.7365 Sail From: Mont Louis Harbor, QC To: Fishing Docks, (West) Mont Louis Harbor, QC Trip: We travelled 0.1nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 0:18 hours). We have moved 0.2nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 0.6kt, Avg speed (through the water):0.4kt. Location Comments: [Small section of floating dock (3.9m datum), protected by breakwall of large boulders, can house 4-5 boats and often have space for visitors at $20/day cash (plus tax, extra for power), no water. Captain of the port is in the nearby fish plant, the wind will dictate the smell that reaches the docks! Mont Louis is a small fishing town with a few good range of non-chain restaurants, a small grocery store, post office, library, pharmacy, liquor store, etc. Fresh seafood easy to find. Green covered hills enhance the view. Visitors have the option of a strenuous walk to top of nearby 465m mountain (Mont Louis) on maintenance trails accessed from Rue de la Riviere; the trail is also used by quad-bikes and in the winter by snowmobiles.] General Comments: [Yesterday morning was very blustery but Kyle left (rowing ashore) to scope out the town's options. He got very wet, AND climbed the local hill (which he assures me he won't want to do again). It was full calm on his return so made for an easy row back to the boat. After chatting to locals, we are now tied to the dock, meaning I can get ashore easily and stay dry. I hope to get a bit of (much lighter) exercise in myself and maybe even sample the local fare. It is such a pretty little harbour. For now weather is quite calm, but more winds expected, so being on the dock makes everything much easier, and the price here is well worth not having to row ashore.] At: 10:00(EDT) 19-Jun-2024, Outside Temp: 27.5C (81.5F), Humidity:65%, Water Temp: 14.4C (57.92F) | 6 months ago | Show |
| 49º 13.098' N | 65º 43.098' W | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Mont Louis Harbor, QC, Canada - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 3 of Inland Waterways Passage From:SW of Ile Aux Coudres (outside channel), St Lawrence River, QC To:Mont Louis Harbor, QC. Our position: loc:49.2328, -065.7328 Progress: [We've made 187.2nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 49:12 hours, or 2.0 Days) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 38.5nm; we have made 31.0nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 37.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 5.3kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.3kt, Avg speed for trip:3.8kt. ] Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.4m, Good phone Signal. Good hill cover, but can possibly also expect some wind to spill down the hills. This harbour is home to a small fishing community with a ring of home etc along the shore of the harbor/bay. Small grocery store ashore, post office, etc, with a pretty catholic church in the center. If the winds are right, you'll certainly smell the fishing boats.] General Comments: [We made it, and in good time, the forecast is for extra strong winds this afternoon so it's a perfect time to stay aboard and enjoy the scenery through the windows. We had 29kt+ winds while anchoring and were amazed to see a kite surfer out in the conditions looking thoroughly at home! Tomorrow we are expecting nice, calm conditions and Kyle has already eyed a peak to climb (I'll pass on that for now, nothing too strenuous for my recovering ankle, I'll look for a tea-shop).] At: 13:08(EDT) 17-Jun-2024, Outside Temp: 19.2C (66.56F), Humidity:54%, Water Temp: 11.8C (53.24F) | 6 months ago | Show |
| 24º 45.096' N | 65º 31.026' W | Begonia | "no
Day 7 of North Atlantic Passage From:Taylor Creek, Beaufort, NC To: Spanish Town (St. Thomas Bay), Virgin Gorda, BVI. Our position: loc:24.7656, -065.5204 We have 384.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 885.7nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 143:00 hours, or 6.0 Days) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 116.0nm; we have made 152.1nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 143.0nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 6.0kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.3kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):6.2kt. ] Sailing Conditions: [Mixed. The winds have decreased, but the seas will take a little longer, we tried to switch to the spinnaker yesterday afternoon, but the the rolling caused the spinnaker to hour glass and took some time to get down (very frustrating), so we proceeded with the jib for most of the night. Now however we are safely back with the spinnaker on a run and are looking forward to a fine day at sea.] General Comments: [Finally we can see/feel conditions improve (and Kyle assures me that the remainder of the trip will only be better). It's been a struggle for both of us to get a good off-watch of sleep, but last night was good for both of us. As we've pushed south the twilight has shortened, the water has warmed, and we are both in t-shirts at 6am!] At: 06:00(AST) 17-Nov-2024, Outside Temp: 24.8C (76.64F), Humidity:64%, Water Temp: 31.1C (87.98F), Course: 151(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.9kt, Wind:13Kt(from:NNW), Cloud Cover:80%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:3m (from:NW) | about 1 month ago | Show |
| 43º 45.048' N | 65º 19.062' W | Begonia | "no
At Anchor: Shelburne, Nova Scotia - North Atlantic, Canada. Our position: loc:43.7577, -065.3264 Sail From: Carter's Beach, Port Mouton, Nova Scotia To: Shelburne, Nova Scotia Trip: We travelled 73.6nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 14:58 hours). We have moved 23.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 1.6kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.9kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 4.6m, off the YC moorings, in this protected arm, 3 bar LTE Phone Signal. Will hopefully use the YC dinghy dock and facilities but there is also a public dock available to use.] General Comments: [We had one glorious day in Port Mouton and were able to get ashore at both spectacle island and carter's beach (delightful). We chatted with some of the other cruisers at anchor and were sorry to hear that they don't all have heating given the tough/cold conditions this season. Despite the heat warnings ashore, most days its been quite cold at the boat (today was mostly hovering around 10C outside). By noon the fog had cleared (but still really cold) once we turned into Shelburne Harbour everything transformed, the water shot up by over 15C and the air temperature too, and the sun came out at last. But we did spot our first whales of the season (possibly fin whales), so that was exciting. More head winds and a big swell kept us slow and sure (and late) to our destination. Having arrived at Shelburne we were welcomed by fellow cruisers (from Seraphim), and found news of a weekend festival, including fireworks, planned for this weekend - so we are very happy to be here.] At: 20:08(ADT) 19-Jul-2024, Outside Temp: 23.8C (74.84F), Humidity:63%, Water Temp: 20.4C (68.72F) | 5 months ago | Show |
| 49º 15.084' N | 65º 13.026' W | Begonia |
Day 1 of Gulf of St Lawrence Passage From:Petite-Riviere-Est To:Petite-Riviere-Est. Our position: loc:49.2642, -065.2206 We have 83.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 16.1nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 2:44 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 20.3nm; we have made 16.09nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 20.3nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 7.4kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.9kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.9kt. ] Sailing Conditions: [Tail winds, sailing with Jib alone, sunny and clear skies, following seas.] General Comments: [We had a nice relaxing/lazy break at Mont Louis with some lovely warm weather. We are off now for the next leg, and will start to head south once around the corner (Cape Gatspe), this will an overnight passage and at the other end there is another small inexpensive fishing harbour for us to explore.] At: 06:00(EDT) 21-Jun-2024, Outside Temp: 15.7C (60.26F), Humidity:63%, Water Temp: 12.6C (54.68F), Course: 104(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.7kt, Wind:23Kt(from:W), Cloud Cover:35%, Pressure: 1021hPa, Swell:1m (from:NW) | 6 months ago | Show |
| 34º 32.478' N | 65º 12.324' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [42.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 83(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.3kt, Wind:16Kt(from:N), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1022.01hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 21:00(AST) 01-Nov-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 19º 25.068' N | 65º 0.042' W | Begonia |
Day 30 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Clarence Bay, Georgetown, Ascension Island To:Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:19.4279, -065.0072 We have 502.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 3164.4nm (through the water) on this passage. Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 73.0nm; we have made 71.3nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 73.5nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.1kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:3.0kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.6kt. ] Sailing Conditions [More very calm conditions (where are those trade winds?), but we were able to make some progress (better than yesterday). Winds often only 1 or 2 knots (true). Sailing on a broad reach with the spinnaker when we can. We expect another day of this.] General Comments: [We have been picking up the US Coast Guard VHF broadcasts from Puerto Rico (boats on fire, people in the water). I had THREE whales visit me just before sunset, they seemed to be going the same direction and hung out for 5 minutes before vanishing (cool), after dark I had more of the same sounds (but couldn't see a thing). We see more variety of seabirds now (including frigate birds), and I spent 10 minutes watching some kind of fish leaping from the water (I wonder what they were being chased by?). Kyle had dolphins join him on his night watch. Life around us seems to be getting busier as we skirt around the Caribbean. We had a noddy (bird) spend the night aboard (first time in a while).] At: 06:00(ADT) 01-Mar-2023, Outside Temp: 24.5C (76.1F), Humidity:68%, Water Temp: 30.2C (86.36F), Course: 280(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.4kt, Wind:5Kt(from:ENE), Cloud Cover:50%, Pressure: 1017hPa, Swell:1.5m (from:N) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 34º 30.93' N | 64º 53.556' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [74.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 97(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.4kt, Wind:16Kt(from:NNE), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1022.01hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 00:00(AST) 01-Nov-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 43º 54.066' N | 64º 49.038' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Carter's Beach, Port Mouton, Nova Scotia - North Atlantic, Canada. Our position: loc:43.9112, -064.8231 Sail From: Dogs Hole, East Berlin, Nova Scotia To: Carter's Beach, Port Mouton, Nova Scotia Trip: We travelled 27.3nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 5:14 hours). We have moved 15.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.9kt, Avg speed (through the water):5.2kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 4.8m (datum) off beautiful, sandy, popular/busy public beach ashore, and off to the east, is the nearby Spectacle Islands. Phone Signal 3bar LTE.] General Comments: [Another short hop along the Nova Scotia coast, more tacking into predominantly head winds, and more mixed weather. We had heavy fog for the full journey today, and very cold ocean water, and damp/cold air, we made good use of the radar and the automated fog horn! As we arrived the fog reduced to patches, and a warm breeze was evident from shore, but it is still nothing anywhere near like the heat warning notices for the area led us to expect (presumably that is more inland?). Here it is cold and damp, but beautiful! Definitely a good casserole-weather day. Hopefully we'll get SOME great weather, so we can fully enjoy a trip ashore during our stay.] At: 13:32(ADT) 16-Apr-2024, Outside Temp: 18.7C (65.66F), Humidity:93%, Water Temp: 7.6C (45.68F) | 8 months ago | Show |
| 18º 26.082' N | 64º 46.032' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Saddle Bay, Jost Van Dyke - Caribbean, BVI. Our position: loc:18.4465, -064.7719 Sail From: Vixen Point, Prickly Pear Island, BVI To: Saddle Bay, Jost Van Dyke Trip: We travelled 24.7nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 4:54 hours). We have moved 23.1nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.7kt, Avg speed (through the water):5.0kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 7.5m, remote bay, no shore access, 2bar 3G Phone Signal. Well worth a snorkel.] General Comments: [The Forecast looks for rain on and off for a couple of days, so we've made the jump to Jost Van Dyke Island, and an old 'secret' anchorage that we loved way back in 2009 when we were charmed by squid sheltering under the boat during our stay. This time we arrived to a welcome of 6 dolphins, but since we were slowing down on approaching the anchorage we were not entertainment enough for them, so they soon departed - still magical!] At: 14:54(AST) 02-Dec-2024, Outside Temp: 32.2C (89.96F), Humidity:64%, Water Temp: 34.5C (94.1F) | 20 days ago | Show |
| 18º 18.102' N | 64º 43.038' W | Begonia |
At Mooring Ball ($): Great Lameshur Bay, (within Coral National Monument waters/ Virgin Islands National Park), South Coast of St John - Caribbean, USVI. Our position: loc:18.3165, -064.7227 Sail From: Salt Pond Bay (within Coral National Monument waters), SE St John To: Great Lameshur Bay, (within Coral National Monument waters/ Virgin Islands National Park), South Coast of St John Trip: We travelled 1.5nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 0:34 hours). We have moved 1.0nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 1.8kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.6kt. Location Comments: [Mooring Ball offered by park service ($26/night fee, payable by Recreation.Gov app or ashore with cash or credit card at podium beside sign board). Lush hilly surrounds. Dinghy Dock in NW corner (and trash cans). Nearby are the ruins of Lameshur Plantation (to the west along the road). Ashore are a couple of shorter trail options - Yowzi Point Head, and beyond that Europa Point Trail. These also connect with some longer trail options: Lameshure Bay Trail (and the connecting Petroglyph Trail), and Bordeaux Mountain Trail. Snorkel options around the shore of the bay also. No Phone Signal.] General Comments: [Snorkelling is now in our daily habit (because it is HOT, so snorkelling cools us down, and because it is fun), and we did quite a bit around Salt Pond Bay, along with a bit of hiking. It looks like we are set to repeat the process here at this stop. Mooring ball payment via the app seems to fail, so I'm not sure now if I've paid 5 times (with various credit cards) or not at all, but we'll sort it out either way; I can't believe it is a card issue, but it could still be a poor signal issue as the only chance I get to see the errors in during the brief moments of a signal.] At: 08:58(AST) 21-Dec-2024, Outside Temp: 29.3C (84.74F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 32.6C (90.68F) | about 22 hours ago | Show |
| 18º 18.048' N | 64º 42.042' W | Begonia |
At Mooring Ball ($): Salt Pond Bay (within Coral National Park waters), SE St John - Caribbean, USVI. Our position: loc:18.3078, -064.7072 Sail From: Long Bay (within Round Bay), East End, St John To: Salt Pond Bay (within Coral National Park waters), SE St John Trip: We travelled 3.8nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 1:08 hours). We have moved 2.5nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.2kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.4kt. Location Comments: [Mooring Ball offered by park service ($26/night fee, payable by Recreation.Gov app or ashore at automated kiosk). Again, lush hilly surrounds with a scattering of properties. Ashore are a couple of trail options - one to Ram Head, and the other to the salt pond and eastern beach. Snorkel options around too with a spine of rocky peaks in the middle of the bay right beside moorings. NO Phone Signal.] General Comments: [Rainy and gusty for the last few days (and today), but we managed some snorkelling, and at this current stop hope to go ashore to stretch our legs on the available hikes. Today is a bit swelly, so maybe tomorrow for the hike.] At: 09:44(AST) 19-Dec-2024, Outside Temp: 28.6C (83.48F), Humidity:76%, Water Temp: 32.6C (90.68F) | 3 days ago | Show |
| 32º 22.77' N | 64º 40.332' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Arrived in Bermuda - Anchored in St George's. We have moved [128.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 20:40(AST) 13-May-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 18º 20.034' N | 64º 40.068' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Long Bay (within Round Bay), East End, St John - Caribbean, USVI. Our position: loc:18.3385, -064.6783 Sail From: Trellis Bay, Beef Island/Tortola To: Long Bay (within Round Bay), East End, St John Trip: We travelled 20.5nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 7:12 hours). We have moved 10.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 1.4kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.8kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 5.5m in sandy patch, lush, hills with scattered properties and small sections of beach. Off Pelican Rocks (popular snorkel spot). 1bar/poor phone signal.] General Comments: [After a wonderful time in the BVI, with the last several days spent in Trellis Bay including celebrating Kyle's birthday at the Full Moon party there (lots of fun). Today we sailed to the East End of Tortola (Sopers Hole) to clear out of the BVI, and then hopped across the channel into USVI waters where we were able to clear in using the APP (which meant we didn't need to divert all the way to Cruz Bay at the opposite end of the island - yay!). We'll probably spend a few days just chilling here, some snorkelling, housework, and general catchup, as we've been a bit too busy in the last few days at the BVI. Anchoring in the USVI is restrictive with many areas off limits, so that makes it difficult to hop from bay to bay, so we'll use this as a base for now.] At: 14:46(AST) 16-Dec-2024, Outside Temp: 31.1C (87.98F), Humidity:67%, Water Temp: 33.6C (92.48F) | 6 days ago | Show |
| 18º 25.062' N | 64º 39.054' W | Begonia | At Mooring Ball ($): Cane Garden Bay, Tortola - Caribbean, BVI.
Our position: loc:18.4272, -064.6593 Sail From: Saddle Bay, Jost Van Dyke To: Cane Garden Bay, Tortola Trip: We travelled 13.9nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 3:34 hours). We have moved 6.5nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 1.8kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.9kt. Location Comments: [Picturesque (tourist) bay with high hills. Littered with moorings - some available to reserve via the BoatyBall site @ $55/night, but plenty also available to pick up at $40/night (first come first served), no obvious gaps for anchoring remain (possibly in shallows to NE area, but occupied when we arrived). Phone Signal full bars. A couple of dinghy dock options ashore.] General Comments: [Our remote anchorage was WAY rollier than we expected despite being protected from the winds - the swell must wrap around. Today we return to another repeat anchorage - and sailed (mostly upwind). Last time we were here the main tourist attraction (the rum distillery) looked ready to fall down, so we'll check it out and see if the 'original' is still standing, or if they have rebuilt, and maybe have a tipple.] At: 10:34(AST) 05-Dec-2024, Outside Temp: 30.9C (87.62F), Humidity:67%, Water Temp: 34C (93.2F) | 17 days ago | Show |
| 31º 50.964' N | 64º 37.842' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Day 8 - BVI to Bermuda. We have moved [42.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 79(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.1kt, Wind:15Kt(from:NNE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1018.29hPa, Swell:1m (to:SSW). At: 06:00(AST) 13-May-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 18º 18.066' N | 64º 37.068' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Privateer Bay, Norman Island - Caribbean, BVI. Our position: loc:18.3108, -064.6279 Sail From: Cane Garden Bay, Tortola To: Privateer Bay, Norman Island Trip: We travelled 12.2nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 9:50 hours). We have moved 7.2nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 0.7kt, Avg speed (through the water):1.2kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 8m of sand (outside of small mooring field), nearby great snorkelling at the Caves, or diving at Angelfish reef to the south (around Carvel Rock), 2bar Phone Signal.] General Comments: [After exploring all that Cane Garden Bay has to offer, and taking a 10miles hike with HILLS in the heat of the day (with plenty of water), we moved along today to Norman island, with stops along the way at The Indians (for a snorkel) and the Caves (more snorkelling). ] At: 17:34(AST) 07-Dec-2024, Outside Temp: 31.1C (87.98F), Humidity:65%, Water Temp: 34C (93.2F) | 15 days ago | Show |
| 30º 3.018' N | 64º 36.612' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Day 7. We have moved [119.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 356(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.8kt, Wind:13Kt(from:SW), Cloud Cover:15%, Pressure: 1016.26hPa, Swell:1m (to:NE). At: 06:00(AST) 12-May-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 34º 28.776' N | 64º 33.384' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [123.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 99(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.8kt, Wind:11Kt(from:NNE), Cloud Cover:10%, Pressure: 1021.00hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 03:00(AST) 01-Nov-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 28º 16.956' N | 64º 33.204' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Day 6. We have moved [130.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 5(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.2kt, Wind:7Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:15%, Pressure: 1017.27hPa, Swell:1m (to:N). At: 06:00(AST) 11-May-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 44º 4.08' N | 64º 33.03' W | Begonia | At Anchor: Dogs Hole, East Berlin, Nova Scotia - North Atlantic, Canada.
Our position: loc:44.0802, -064.5551 Sail From: Tanner Pass (Stonehurst), Nova Scotia To: Dogs Hole, East Berlin, Nova Scotia Trip: We travelled 47.8nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 9:48 hours). We have moved 22.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.3kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.9kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 7.2m(datum), nice large open bay, with Dogs Hole being a deeper patch within it. Ther is a beautiful long sandy beach to NW of the bay. Nearby south cardinal buoy (UA, 1.4nm away) has whistle/fog signal that will sound with any swell. 2bar LTE Phone Signal.] General Comments: [Another day of sailing into head winds (so lots of tacking, and no direct course). Indeed we changed our intended anchorage so that we could arrive well before dark. We passed by the Ironbound islands with the hope of seeing some puffins, but heavy fog made that impossible. Passage was cold and damp (with our glasses constantly misting up, so eventually just discarded), but about 40 minutes from our anchorage the fog cleared and we have blue skies and sunshine; and that is much appreciated.] At: 15:14(ADT) 14-Jun-2024, Outside Temp: 18.4C (65.12F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 10.2C (50.36F) | 6 months ago | Show |
| 27º 0.42' N | 64º 32.868' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Day 5 - BVI - Bermuda. We have moved [110.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 2(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.6kt, Wind:8Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1017.27hPa, Swell:1m (to:NW). At: 06:00(AST) 10-May-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 18º 26.076' N | 64º 32.004' W | Begonia | "no
At Mooring Ball ($): Trellis Bay, Beef Island/Tortola - Caribbean, BVI. Our position: loc:18.4458, -064.5340 Sail From: Privateer Bay, Norman Island To: Trellis Bay, Beef Island/Tortola Trip: We travelled 22.1nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 4:56 hours). We have moved 9.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.0kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.5kt. Location Comments: [Picked up Mooring ball. Great location for the regular Full Moon fire party, or for connecting with crew at the airport or a car rental (an easy walk). Small convenience store ashore along with bar and artist scene - very popular with boaters. Full Phone Signal.] General Comments: [After lots of snorkelling at our last stop, we've moved on to Trellis Bay, in anticipation of the Full Moon Fire Party in a few days (that happens to coincide with Kyle's birthday). Getting here was an upwind slog in very choppy seas (ugh!), but we're happy to be secure and protected now.] At: 12:54(AST) 10-Dec-2024, Outside Temp: 29C (84.2F), Humidity:67%, Water Temp: 33.1C (91.58F) | 12 days ago | Show |
| 18º 26.802' N | 64º 31.962' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Trellis Bay, Tortula, BVI. We have moved [182.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 18:28(AST) 09-Mar-2009 | almost 16 years ago | Show |
| 24º 56.058' N | 64º 31.05' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Day 4. We have moved [124.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 0(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.2kt, Wind:15Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1017.27hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:SW). At: 06:00(AST) 09-May-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 22º 16.524' N | 64º 28.782' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Day 3. We have moved [145.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 0(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.8kt, Wind:14Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:75%, Pressure: 1016.26hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:NW). At: 06:00(AST) 08-May-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 19º 39.936' N | 64º 26.556' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Still in First 24 hours of passage BVI - Bermuda. We have moved [169.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 356(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.4kt, Wind:20Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:75%, Pressure: 1014.22hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:W). At: 05:55(AST) 07-May-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 18º 27.276' N | 64º 26.394' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Spanish Point, Virgin Gorda, BVI. We have moved [152.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 08:55(AST) 07-Mar-2009 | almost 16 years ago | Show |
| 18º 27.036' N | 64º 26.046' W | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Spanish Town (St. Thomas Bay), Virgin Gorda, BVI, BVI - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 10 of North Atlantic Passage From:Taylor Creek, Beaufort, NC To: Spanish Town (St. Thomas Bay), Virgin Gorda, BVI. Our position: loc:18.4560, -064.4413 Progress: [We've made 1304.6nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 220:38 hours, or 9.2 Days) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 30.0nm; we have made 29.0nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 26.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.7kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.2kt, Avg speed for trip:5.9kt. ] Location Comments: [Anchored in 6m datum on edge of mooring field, and not too close to shore where coral bommies/rocks show, good access to town and Customs, etc., A bit swelly. 4bar LTE Phone Signal.] General Comments: [We made it! The last few miles were a bit problematic as the port engine decided to stop pumping water and sounded the overheating alarm (fixed). Once I opened the anchor locker there was a strong whiff of dead fish and I had to remove a long-dead flying fish to fix that problem - Yuk! We were last here together in the BVI about 16 years ago (with Footprint). We are so happy to arrive with so much of the day remaining (we can hopefully even clear in with all the officialdom today). Currently flying the Q flag that indicates we're not yet official arrived (we can swap that out once all the paperwork is complete). ] At: 11:38(AST) 20-Nov-2024, Outside Temp: 31.1C (87.98F), Humidity:62%, Water Temp: 33.6C (92.48F) | about 1 month ago | Show |
| 18º 27.096' N | 64º 25.02' W | Begonia |
Destination:Pamama City At Anchor: Savannah Bay, Virgin Gorda - Caribbean, BVI. Our position: loc:18.4662, -064.4202 Sail From: Spanish Town (St. Thomas Bay), Virgin Gorda, BVI To: Savannah Bay, Virgin Gorda Trip: We travelled 8.9nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 5:51 hours). We have moved 1.3nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 0.2kt, Avg speed (through the water):1.5kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 5m, narrow entrance into peaceful bay (be careful to enter via the few deeper spots), long sandy beach and reports suggest snorkelling options too, 4bar Phone Signal.] General Comments: [Since arriving in the BVI we did all the admin and bill paying to make our visit legal. Yesterday we spent the day at the baths, and the pretty beaches at that end of the island. We also picked up some fresh produce and had a nice lunch overlooking the baths and beyond. Today we left the anchorage and stopped off at two different national park moorings for some snorkelling (our first 'fun' snorkelling since the Bahamas last year). We'd picked up our park mooring permit yesterday at the baths, and today we stopped at Fallen Jerusalem Island for a scramble ashore and a snorkel, and then we stopped at 'The Chimneys' on Great Dog Island. Both snorkel spots were a bit swelly today, but plenty of fan corals at both sites. We are expecting some heavy rain overnight.] At: 13:46(AST) 22-Nov-2024, Outside Temp: 31.2C (88.16F), Humidity:66%, Water Temp: 34C (93.2F) | 30 days ago | Show |
| 18º 43.068' N | 64º 24.03' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Pomato Point, Anegada, BVI - Caribbean, BVI. Our position: loc:18.7276, -064.4045 Sail From: Savannah Bay, Virgin Gorda To: Pomato Point, Anegada, BVI Trip: We travelled 16.7nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 3:12 hours). We have moved 15.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.9kt, Avg speed (through the water):5.2kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.3m datum in sand patch, away from "the settlement", this much quieter patch of water has a smattering of homes ashore (and a nearby restaurant), Easy access to road, on this flat, sandy island. 2 bars of 3G Phone Signal.] General Comments: [After some relaxing days aboard with doses of snorkelling, we've moved on to Anegada where I hope to find some flamingos, and possibly even rent a moped for an island tour. Nearer the settlement there is a HUGE mooring field loaded with charter boats, so we decided anchoring off a little further out would be nicer for us.] At: 11:44(AST) 27-Nov-2024, Outside Temp: 32.4C (90.32F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 33.1C (91.58F) | 25 days ago | Show |
| 48º 24.084' N | 64º 23.07' W | Begonia | Safely arrived: at Dock in Petite-Riviere-Est, Sainte Therese-de-Gaspe-Station, QC, Canada - PASSAGE COMPLETE.
Day 1 of Gulf of St Lawrence Passage From:Petite-Riviere-Est, Sainte Therese-de-Gaspe-Station, QC To:Petite-Riviere-Est, Sainte Therese-de-Gaspe-Station, QC. Our position: loc:48.4141, -064.3945 Progress: [We've made 86.4nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 15:46 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 60.5nm; we have made 86.37nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 60.5nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.6kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.6kt, Avg speed for trip:5.5kt. ] Location Comments: [This small fishing factory town, has a fleet of fishing boat, and may have space for visiting pleasure boaters. It is a REALLY protected port, and if you go into the super protected inner section there is a floating dock (but depth is less than 1m to south side of dock, so approach with caution). I've still to work out how to contact the port captain here and make payments, but we are told it is just $12/night and $10 for electricity (plus tax), one report suggests their may be showers available (TBD). Beware LOTS of fishing floats as you approach the area, right up to the entrance. Phone signal 2 bars.] General Comments: [Wow - we made it well ahead of schedule since the strong winds held for us most of the day, AND the current was 2kt in our favour for much of the day too. Things got a little slower towards the end, allowing us to enjoy the dramatic Perce Rock arch. Once we knew we could arrive before dark, we were happy to do so. We have been on the look out for seals and maybe dolphins or even whales, but no luck (seas were a bit choppy to see much of anything to be honest). We are expecting some strong winds over the weekend, so happy to be secure inside a safe port.] At: 19:02(EDT) 21-Jun-2024, Outside Temp: 19.4C (66.92F), Humidity:58%, Water Temp: 13.6C (56.48F) | 6 months ago | Show |
| 18º 30.024' N | 64º 22.02' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Vixen Point, Prickly Pear Island, BVI - Caribbean, BVI. Our position: loc:18.5039, -064.3697 Sail From: Saba Rock (Island Resort), BVI To: Vixen Point, Prickly Pear Island, BVI Trip: We travelled 0.8nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 0:24 hours). We have moved 0.6nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 1.5kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.0kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 4m, beach ashore, and near Sand Box Bar (with packed sun-loungers), Option for hikes ashore, 3bar Phone Signal.] General Comments: [We made the most of being at the Saba Rock resort, played giant Jenga, pool, sipped cocktails and enjoyed a meal out. I was going to replace my hat, but the ticket price in the resort gift shop was $225 - so will make do with my on-board hat selection for now. We also snorkelled, topped up our fresh water and dropped-off our trash and recycling. We've moved on now just around the corner to Prickly Pear Island and (despite already complaining about the heat) are considering a hike.] At: 10:42(AST) 01-Dec-2024, Outside Temp: 31C (87.8F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 33.6C (92.48F) | 21 days ago | Show |
| 18º 30.018' N | 64º 21.054' W | Begonia |
At Mooring ($): Saba Rock (Island Resort), BVI - Caribbean, BVI. Our position: loc:18.5029, -064.3590 Sail From: Pomato Point, Anegada, BVI To: Saba Rock (Island Resort), BVI Trip: We travelled 20.1nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 4:42 hours). We have moved 13.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.9kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.3kt. Location Comments: [Various mooring balls (some can be reserved in advance) - Pay online via the BoatyBall Website, First Come balls $40/night. Ashore is a tiny island, filled with the small Saba Rock Resort to the North of Virgin Gorda. Aside from relaxing the resort is popular for its 5pm tarpon (fish) feeding 'show'.] General Comments: [We sailed across the waters between Anegada and Virgin Gorda (into headwinds, so a bit of tacking, and with a rain squall and a rainbow). We had hoped to anchor in Oil Nut Bay, but the resort there has sectioned off much of the sandy patches for swimming only - so we changed pland and now paid the mooring fee to relax, chill and watch the fish show (and possibly purchase a new hat since mine blew off in the wind during said squall). So far we are the only boat here.] At: 11:44(AST) 30-Nov-2024, Outside Temp: 30.7C (87.26F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 33.6C (92.48F) | 22 days ago | Show |
| 18º 52.098' N | 64º 19.05' W | Begonia |
Day 10 of North Atlantic Passage From:Taylor Creek, Beaufort, NC To: Spanish Town (St. Thomas Bay), Virgin Gorda, BVI. Our position: loc:18.8828, -064.3254 We have 30.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 1275.6nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 215:00 hours, or 9.0 Days) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 124.0nm; we have made 115.2nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 125.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 5.2kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.8kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.9kt. ] Sailing Conditions: [Warms, downwind spinnaker sailing. Winds have settled into steady trade winds, and currents with us - a real 'fair winds and following seas' kind of time.] General Comments: [Night skies remain amazing. As I awoke this morning we can actually see land on the horizon (Tortola, the main Island). We look well set to arrive today on Virgin Gorda - It feels great to know the passage is almost over.] At: 06:00(AST) 20-Nov-2024, Outside Temp: 27.1C (80.78F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 33.1C (91.58F), Course: 224(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.3kt, Wind:10Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:12%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:1m (from:NE) | about 1 month ago | Show |
| 48º 13.092' N | 64º 19.008' W | Begonia |
Day 1 of Gulf of St Lawrence Passage From:Petite-Riviere-Est, Sainte Therese-de-Gaspe-Station, QC To:Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Our position: loc:48.2323, -064.3177 We have 171.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 11.8nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 2:00 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 11.3nm; we have made 11.81nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 11.3nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 5.7kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.9kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.9kt. ] Sailing Conditions: [Choppy seas, but we are able to use the spinnaker, making good time for now. Leaving the port was tough as the wind was pushing us onto the dock, and the passing fishing boats made for some pretty big wakes (we could watch the whole length of the dock turn into a sine wave).] General Comments: [Lots of rain overnight, with some drizzle remaining, the birds seem to love it. All well aboard.] At: 06:00(EDT) 24-Jun-2024, Outside Temp: 13.4C (56.12F), Humidity:98%, Water Temp: 12.6C (54.68F), Course: 162(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.3kt, Wind:16Kt(from:NNE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1001hPa, Swell:2m (from:SE) | 6 months ago | Show |
| 34º 26.928' N | 64º 18.72' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [121.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 122(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.9kt, Wind:9Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:60%, Pressure: 1021.00hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 06:00(AST) 01-Nov-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 44º 22.044' N | 64º 13.038' W | Begonia | At Anchor: Tanner Pass, Heckman Island, Nova Scotia - North Atlantic, Canada.
Our position: loc:44.3737, -064.2229 Sail From: Armdale, Northwest Arm, Halifax, Nova-Scotia To: Tanner Pass, Heckman Island, Nova Scotia Trip: We travelled 57.5nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 12:36 hours). We have moved 30.6nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.4kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.6kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 1.3m (Datum), beautiful skinny pass, scattered with fishing boats secured alongside wooden homes, 2 bar LTE Phone Signal. You can expect occasional traffic to pass by. Looks like some lovely dinghy/kayak exploring if the weather cooperates.] General Comments: [A busy time in Halifax with sightseeing, hanging out with fellow OCC sailors, and a few chores. Lots of walking. While Halifax isn't that pretty, there is plenty to do and it has a lot of history of early Canadian settlement and long term immigration. With the friends we made we also had access to two separate private docks (great for security) where we could readily leave the boat and explore by foot. We even managed to watch bits of a couple of the UEFA European Cup semi-finals and are pleased to see that England is now in the final (to be played this weekend). Today was another early start (!) to leave in calm and before any rain began. But we were soon sailing in cold and heavy fog. Kyle spotted our first dolphin of the season! Amazingly the fog cleared right as we approached the Pass] At: 16:50(ADT) 11-Jun-2024, Outside Temp: 19C (66.2F), Humidity:94%, Water Temp: 13.2C (55.76F) | 6 months ago | Show |
| 22º 46.044' N | 64º 10.068' W | Begonia |
Day 8 of North Atlantic Passage From:Taylor Creek, Beaufort, NC To: Spanish Town (St. Thomas Bay), Virgin Gorda, BVI. Our position: loc:22.7743, -064.1782 We have 260.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 1036.3nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 167:00 hours, or 7.0 Days) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 124.0nm; we have made 150.6nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 140.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 5.8kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.3kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):6.2kt. ] Sailing Conditions: [Downwind, spinnaker sailing. Seas slowly decreasing, but the boat is still slewing around as the waves roll under us so not yet the comfortable sailing I was hoping for (getting there). We continue east of a direct route, in the expectation that the trade winds will push us back west as we approach the islands.] General Comments: [Despite the improved conditions, the clouds and sails have been blocking any light from the solar panels, and we again have needed to run an engine overnight to keep the batteries topped up. We have sealed lead-acid batteries (golf-cart batteries), and how we'd love to have the more popular lithium Iron ones (but our insurance won't permit them). We've discovered too that our alternator is not providing all it should on our starboard engine (preferred as we sleep over the port one) - so Kyle has some wiring investigating to do once we are settled. Good news though - we are officially in the tropics as we crossed the Tropic of Cancer 'line' last night. Kyle shared that this will be our 20th passage of over 1000nm together! We've seen no birds or other animals for days, and fewer ships/boats too. ] At: 06:00(AST) 18-Nov-2024, Outside Temp: 25.8C (78.44F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 33.1C (91.58F), Course: 152(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.6kt, Wind:18Kt(from:N), Cloud Cover:75%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:2m (from:N) | about 1 month ago | Show |
| 46º 12.084' N | 63º 45.078' W | Begonia |
Day 2 of Gulf of St Lawrence Passage From:Petite-Riviere-Est, Sainte Therese-de-Gaspe-Station, QC To:Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Our position: loc:46.2138, -063.7625 We have 34.3nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 157.2nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 26:00 hours, or 1.1 Days) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 136.7nm; we have made 145.4nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 123.2nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 5.1kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.1kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):6.0kt. ] Sailing Conditions: [Seas have calmed slowly over the passage. We had good wind with us much longer than forecast yesterday so are ahead of our expected position. We had very light winds for just a few hours, but even then a small 0.5kt current pushed us southwards (aside from a 20 minute interval when I used the motor to save going backwards).] General Comments: [We are currently sailing through rain and fog, and have just passed under the Confederation bridge (that connects Prince Edward Island to mainland Canada). Overnight sky was too overcast to see any stars, and while we spotted a bit of bioluminescence a few days ago, we've seen none on this passage. No dolphins, seals, nor whales either.] At: 06:00(EDT) 25-Jun-2024, Outside Temp: 15.3C (59.54F), Humidity:88%, Water Temp: 15.2C (59.36F), Course: 119(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.7kt, Wind:12Kt(from:NNE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1006hPa, Swell:0.25m (from:NE) | 6 months ago | Show |
| 19º 11.034' N | 63º 44.004' W | Begonia |
Day 29 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Clarence Bay, Georgetown, Ascension Island To:Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:19.1893, -063.7340 We have 575.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 3093.0nm (through the water) on this passage. Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 67.0nm; we have made 43.8nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 66.0nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.7kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:1.8kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.6kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Very calm, with light or no winds for much of the last 24 hours. A pretty poor day (distance wise) but not the worst for this trip). We've made the best of the winds and made some progress. Kyle swam on the speed wheel to give it a clean from the outside, later when still becalmed, he swam and cleaned the whole hull of barnacles too. Thankfully there has been a slight current in our favour. We are hoping for some faster times today!] General Comments: [We've been catching the weather reports on VHF from French St Martin, and notice to mariners from Puerto Rico. We sailed/drifted by an 'Altantic Fleet Weapons Range area' (thankfully not in active use at the time). We've been seeing plenty of cargo and tanker ships, but Kyle spotted a cruise ship last night (huge). Overnight a whale joined us alongside the boat for a few minutes (could only tell from the noise of its breathing and spout - not sure what type).] At: 06:00(ADT) 28-Feb-2023, Outside Temp: 24C (75.2F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 30.2C (86.36F), Course: 280(degT), Speed Over Ground:1.9kt, Wind:3Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:0%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:1.5m (from:N) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 32º 50.208' N | 63º 43.08' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Sill can hear Bermuda Radio.. We have moved [106.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 65(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.2kt, Wind:5Kt(from:SSW), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1017.27hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:N). At: 09:00(GMT) 27-May-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 20º 52.008' N | 63º 37.068' W | Begonia |
Day 9 of North Atlantic Passage From:Taylor Creek, Beaufort, NC To: Spanish Town (St. Thomas Bay), Virgin Gorda, BVI. Our position: loc:20.8675, -063.6283 We have 154.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 1160.4nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 191:00 hours, or 8.0 Days) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 106.0nm; we have made 124.1nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 118.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.9kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.2kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):6.1kt. ] Sailing Conditions: [Seas continue to calm, sailing mixed (spinnaker and main/jib depending on conditions), warm weather and waters. Expecting conditions to continue.] General Comments: [Still no wildlife. Nice night-sky gazing. Batteries charged fully yesterday with the solar panels (as designed!, no need for the motor overnight!). Night watches pleasant. Looks like we should arrive later tomorrow.] At: 06:00(AST) 19-Nov-2024, Outside Temp: 26.5C (79.7F), Humidity:62%, Water Temp: 33.6C (92.48F), Course: 168(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.4kt, Wind:8Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:1.5m (from:N) | about 1 month ago | Show |
| 44º 38.034' N | 63º 36.072' W | Begonia |
At Anchor: Armdale, West Arm, Halifax, Nova-Scotia - North Atlantic, Canada. Our position: loc:44.6385, -063.6123 Sail From: Shelter Cove, off Popes Harbour, Nova Scotia To: Armdale, West Arm, Halifax, Nova-Scotia Trip: We travelled 60.7nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 13:44 hours). We have moved 41.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.0kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.4kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in ??m, at head of the West Arm, off the Armdale YC, Good Phone Signal. Be sure to keep outside of YC Mooring field and beware of yellow race buoys. Anchored in this popular arm to the west of Halifax and with good bus service into the city and shopping areas. Also with access to the Armdale YC dingy dock and facilities. We've been told this is a very active club with plenty of boats events on the water. Additional dinghy docks are scattered about on public parkland to North and west of the arm, and previous reports suggest locking your dinghy if using these.] General Comments: [We had a lovely time in Shelter Cove, unexpectedly sharing the anchorage with several other international, long-distance cruisers. The folks aboard Zen Again corralled us all to meet up for a beach fire/get-together where Tom (of Bonny) generously provided us all with toasted marshmallows (making S'mores, and making memories) . We spent some quality time with several of the other cruisers (who mostly also happened to be OCC members) and were happy to hear so many wonderful stories of past adventures and future plans; since these were the first cruisers we've really seen all year, it was quite the joyful overload. The folks from the boat Kelper introduced us to a delicious Chilean salsa called Pebre and the food and our time with them just added to the memories of such a beautiful anchorage. Now we are in Halifax area, possibly our last stop in Canada, we also have been in communication with OCC cruisers that live locally (and have already shared some great tips - thanks Judy) - so with this and the nearby Yacht Club we feel quite pampered and welcomed. We had lots of rain, and fog at our last anchorage, and made good use of the heating, but with a full day of perfect sunshine so were able to see the full beauty of the place. Today's passage had us sailing mostly upwind with yet more fog and rain, an downwind once we made the turn towards Halifax. I was especially happy that it was a day passage so no shifts of watches to play tag-team with. I also found time to fix a winch that was sticking (luckily a quick job with no tiny parts falling overboard). Weather wise, it seems this early in summer is still too early for the Maritime Canada season (or we are very unlucky); but no complaints; we are glad to have heating, and we'll make the most of those sunny days when they do sneak an appearance!] At: 18:44(ADT) 06-Jul-2024, Outside Temp: 18.4C (65.12F), Humidity:87%, Water Temp: 14.4C (57.92F) | 6 months ago | Show |
| 34º 22.068' N | 63º 32.004' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [132.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 50(degT), Speed Over Ground:0.1kt, Wind:1Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:10%, Pressure: 1021.00hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 21:00(AST) 02-Nov-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 34º 22.128' N | 63º 30.372' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [15.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 95(degT), Speed Over Ground:0.9kt, Wind:1.6Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:0%, Pressure: 1019.98hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 00:00(AST) 02-Nov-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 34º 14.112' N | 63º 18.858' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [18.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 130(degT), Speed Over Ground:0.9kt, Wind:4Kt(from:NW), Cloud Cover:0%, Pressure: 1019.98hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 03:00(AST) 02-Nov-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 34º 12.288' N | 63º 13.014' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [68.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 107(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.3kt, Wind:7Kt(from:WNW), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1019.98hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 06:00(AST) 02-Nov-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 46º 13.062' N | 63º 7.074' W | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Victoria Park, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 2 of Gulf of St Lawrence Passage From:Petite-Riviere-Est, Sainte Therese-de-Gaspe-Station, QC To:Victoria Park, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Our position: loc:46.2267, -063.1287 Progress: [We've made 207.4nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 35:18 hours, or 1.5 Days) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 34.3nm; we have made 50.2nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 26.3nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.8kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.4kt, Avg speed for trip:5.9kt. ] Location Comments: [Anchored in 6.4m (datum) off Victoria Park. A good place to anchor if you arrive late, and can them move into marina the following morning. We've yet to see how wakes are, but traffic has been light on approaching town.] General Comments: [We made it, and the rain has truly set in (all day), definitely not a day to sightsee so we are happy to be at anchor and wait for tomorrow. Kyle kindly did all the anchoring so I didn't have to get drenched, and I have a towel at the ready for him once the rig check is complete and he is ready to come inside and shelter for the afternoon/evening - his foul weather gear will hang in the head, but I doubt it will get dry overnight.] At: 15:18(EDT) 25-Jun-2024, Outside Temp: 16.4C (61.52F), Humidity:98%, Water Temp: 14.6C (58.28F) | 6 months ago | Show |
| 46º 13.074' N | 63º 7.044' W | Begonia |
At Dock: Charlottetown YC/Marina, Prince Edward Island - Gulf of St Lawrence, Canada. Our position: loc:46.2290, -063.1241 Sail From: Victoria Park, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island To: Charlottetown YC/Marina, Prince Edward Island Trip: We travelled 0.2nm (through the water) on this trip (in a total of 0:22 hours). We have moved 0.2nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 0.6kt, Avg speed (through the water):0.5kt. Location Comments: [Floating Dock, nicely protected, friendly YC in center of this lovely small city. VHF 68, www.cyc.pe.ca, manager@cyc.pe.ca] General Comments: [Relocated to marina for a few days of sightseeing.] At: 11:26(ADT) 26-Jun-2024, Outside Temp: 20.1C (68.18F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 15.2C (59.36F) | 6 months ago | Show |
| 18º 2.694' N | 63º 6.588' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [87.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 12:00(AST) 26-Jan-2009 | almost 16 years ago | Show |
| 18º 2.436' N | 63º 5.658' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [150.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 19:30(AST) 26-Jan-2009 | almost 16 years ago | Show |
| 17º 28.902' N | 62º 59.4' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Statia . We have moved [0.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 17:00(AST) 22-Jan-2009 | almost 16 years ago | Show |
| 44º 46.074' N | 62º 39.03' W | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Shelter Cove, off Popes Harbour, Nova Scotia, Canada - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 2 of North Atlantic Passage From:Glasgow Harbour, Gully Island (near Canso), Nova Scotia To:Shelter Cove, off Popes Harbour, Nova Scotia. Our position: loc:44.7789, -062.6552 Progress: [We've made 79.4nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 35:42 hours, or 1.5 Days) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 65.0nm; we have made 23.5nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 22.1nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.0kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:2.2kt, Avg speed for trip:2.2kt. ] Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.9m (datum), surrounded by low-lying ice-scoured rocks topped with evergreen trees. Phone Signal 2bar LTE. Shelter Cove on the Navionics charts suggests that it is too shallow to enter (at 0.3m), but that is clearly not the case, and other boaters report that at least 6 boats can anchor here with 3m+ bottom, well protected from out swell/waves. Part of the Eastern Shore Wilderness Area. Per other guides we know to look out for eagles, and possibly even the odd bear ashore. There is a trail ashore (to west of cove) heading North to road and South to tip peninsula.] General Comments: [With basically no wind, gorgeously calm conditions to see the coast, and a little nudge from local Ocean Cruising Club member Judy R, we have changed plan and will delay our passage to Halifax, taking time to stop off along the wilderness coast at Shelter Cove. We arrived to find two other boaters already here, and one from the UK, and the other is all the way from Australia!] At: 16:56(ADT) 03-Jul-2024, Outside Temp: 21.6C (70.88F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 14C (57.2F) | 6 months ago | Show |
| 17º 8.166' N | 62º 37.902' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Nevis - Charlestown. We have moved [85.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 12:00(AST) 19-Jan-2009 | almost 16 years ago | Show |
| 17º 12.054' N | 62º 36.69' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Nevis - Oualie Beach. We have moved [3.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 12:00(AST) 20-Jan-2009 | almost 16 years ago | Show |
| 18º 57.054' N | 62º 35.082' W | Begonia |
Day 28 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Clarence Bay, Georgetown, Ascension Island To:Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:18.9592, -062.5967 We have 642.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 3049.2nm (through the water) on this passage. Since last posting we have made 35.9nm (through water). We have moved 90.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.8kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:1.5kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.7kt. ] Sailing Conditions [The seas seem so very calm/smooth - such a shame that the winds are so light and our progress is slow. Still - all is comfortable aboard (Must be great conditions for the rowing team aboard Joshua). The speed wheel is still under reporting (Kyle plans to swim and check from under the boat once daylight arrives). Today is expected to be slower still, and we might be getting swell from a large storm 2000nm to the north.] General Comments: [The sea is still scattered with patches of sargasso weed. I've wanted to put out a fishing line, but there is no hope with all the weed around. We see several cargo boats/tankers now daily, and planes too. We are currently approaching/passing Anguilla to our SSW - we were there in 2009 - it is feeling like we are back in old haunts.] At: 06:00(ADT) 27-Feb-2023, Outside Temp: 24.3C (75.74F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 30.2C (86.36F), Course: 296(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.7kt, Wind:5Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1015hPa, Swell:1m (from:NE) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 33º 25.422' N | 62º 12.216' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [20.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 151(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.7kt, Wind:18Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:%, Pressure: 1022.01hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 21:00(AST) 03-Nov-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 44º 39.054' N | 62º 9.084' W | Begonia |
Day 2 of North Atlantic Passage From:Glasgow Harbour, Gully Island (near Canso), Nova Scotia To:Armdale, West Arm, Halifax, Nova-Scotia. Our position: loc:44.6591, -062.1639 We have 65.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 55.9nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 24:46 hours, or 1.0 Days) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 68.0nm; we have made 53.2nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 62.8nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.6kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:2.2kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):2.3kt. ] Sailing Conditions: [We had a reasonable start, but by early evening the wind practically died and we had a 6 hour patch of only travelling 4nm total (and I think most of that was drifting). The seas have been very flat, with a roll of a long distant swell, and the skies have been mostly clear (great for star-gazing).] General Comments: [Little to report, not much other traffic, although there was a Canadian Warship motor in the opposite direction last night, for a while I did wonder if it was headed towards us (thankfully not).] At: 06:00(ADT) 03-Jul-2024, Outside Temp: 16.2C (61.16F), Humidity:83%, Water Temp: 13.8C (56.84F), Course: 255(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.3kt, Wind:6Kt(from:NNE), Cloud Cover:2%, Pressure: 1025hPa, Swell:1m (from:SE) | 6 months ago | Show |
| 16º 35.754' N | 61º 59.922' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Near Monserat. We have moved [22.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 14:00(AST) 20-Dec-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 33º 11.448' N | 61º 58.374' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [18.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 132(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.8kt, Wind:Kt(from:), Cloud Cover:%, Pressure: 1022.01hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 00:00(AST) 03-Nov-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 16º 18.438' N | 61º 47.73' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Deshaies. We have moved [1.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 11:00(AST) 20-Dec-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 16º 10.062' N | 61º 47.568' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Cousteau. We have moved [3.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 08:00(AST) 20-Dec-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 16º 8.886' N | 61º 46.572' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Bath Place. We have moved [4.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 03:00(AST) 20-Dec-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 17º 0.54' N | 61º 45.972' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [32.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 09:03(AST) 12-Nov-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 17º 0.336' N | 61º 45.642' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: English Harbour - Freeman Bay. We have moved [5.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 17:00(AST) 20-Dec-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 32º 59.508' N | 61º 41.67' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [42.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 127(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.1kt, Wind:21Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:10%, Pressure: 1022.01hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 03:00(AST) 03-Nov-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 17º 7.722' N | 61º 33.486' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [14.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 213(degT), Speed Over Ground:0.8kt, Wind:Kt(from:), Cloud Cover:%, Pressure: hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 04:00(AST) 12-Nov-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 33º 46.866' N | 61º 32.916' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [129.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 68(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.8kt, Wind:15Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1017.27hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:N). At: 09:00(GMT) 28-May-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 45º 43.056' N | 61º 32.034' W | Begonia |
Day 2 of Gulf of St Lawrence Passage From:Charlottetown YC/Marina, Prince Edward Island To:Port Hawksbury, Nova Scotia. Our position: loc:45.7256, -061.5391 We have 9.7nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 78.5nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 15:00 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 80.3nm; we have made 78.5nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 72.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.8kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.2kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.2kt. ] Sailing Conditions: [Clear skies (lovely star show), but light winds (so we begrudgingly motored much of the night) but at least that beats beating into winds. We will soon be approaching the Canso locks and proper entry into the Canso strait, and our anchorage is just a couple of miles on the other side of that.] General Comments: [The weather for our stay in Charlottetown was mixed. One glorious day, one heavy rain day, and one mixed weather day. We made the most of the good day with walks in the parks and waterfront boardwalks, and outside of that we managed to visit the odd museum, etc. A nice waterfront town with plenty of tourists (and regular stops by some giant cruise ships). We had really hoped that we might be able to stay longer and enjoy the long Canada-Day weekend (fireworks and all), but a weather window opened up for us to push East - so off we went. Now sailing again, it has been cold overnight, but still pleasant (properly wrapped up) in the cockpit for our watches.] At: 06:00(ADT) 29-Jun-2024, Outside Temp: 13.9C (57.02F), Humidity:86%, Water Temp: 15.8C (60.44F), Course: 124(degT), Speed Over Ground:4kt, Wind:4Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:50%, Pressure: 1028hPa, Swell:0.5m (from:N) | 6 months ago | Show |
| 17º 14.88' N | 61º 30.15' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [9.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 217(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.3kt, Wind:Kt(from:), Cloud Cover:%, Pressure: hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 01:00(AST) 12-Nov-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 32º 47.262' N | 61º 29.034' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [30.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 146(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.4kt, Wind:26Kt(from:ENE), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1022.01hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 06:00(AST) 03-Nov-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 18º 19.938' N | 61º 9.09' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [13.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 199(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.8kt, Wind:9Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1008.81hPa, Swell:1m (to:W). At: 06:00(AST) 11-Nov-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 18º 38.046' N | 61º 2.016' W | Begonia |
Day 27 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Clarence Bay, Georgetown, Ascension Island To:Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:18.6412, -061.0357 We have 731.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 3013.3nm (through the water) on this passage. Since last posting we have made 91.2nm (through water). We have moved 118.0nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.9kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:3.8kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.8kt. ] Sailing Conditions [The trade winds have been AWOL, and we've had several squalls that have decided to just hover over us. We kept expecting to either break out of them or have them move along (with blue skies all around us) but we were stuck several times sailing well off course for hours while expecting more favourable winds any minute... sigh... For now all is settled as it should be and we are flying the spinnaker again sailing on a broad reach. Kyle pulled out the speed wheel again yesterday to clean it, but could find no issue. At lower speeds it seems to really under report (and this isn't all due to current).] General Comments: [The 'good' antenna on our sat phone snapped off today (ugh) - thankfully we have a spare. I've impressed myself with the stock of spare things we have but we are now running on our last hope - it only needs to last another week (fingers crossed!). We may be able to repair the broken antenna, but I need to dig into our spares and see if we have a coax cable widget thingy of the right size. This morning at 5:42am, Begonia crossed the path of Footprint (on route to Antigua back in November 2008) - this means that Kyle and I have crossed our sailing path and completed a circumnavigation (if you combine the efforts of both Begonia and Footprint) - YAY.] At: 06:00(ADT) 26-Feb-2023, Outside Temp: 24.5C (76.1F), Humidity:77%, Water Temp: 29.7C (85.46F), Course: 284(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.8kt, Wind:12Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:1.5m (from:NE) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 45º 19.002' N | 60º 58.062' W | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Glasgow Harbour, Gully Island (near Canso), Nova Scotia, Canada - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 2 of North Atlantic Passage From:Charlottetown YC/Marina, Prince Edward Island To:Glasgow Harbour, Gully Island (near Canso), Nova Scotia. Our position: loc:45.3166, -060.9773 Progress: [We've made 128.1nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 27:06 hours, or 1.1 Days) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 50.0nm; we have made 49.6nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 34.1nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.8kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.1kt, Avg speed for trip:4.7kt. ] Location Comments: [Anchored in 6.5m (datum) with 2m range, shallow sloping shoreline topped with evergreens. The approach is via a winding channel to north and west of Andrew Island), and with some very shallow patches (so be sure to follow the navigation markers), but great protection once inside. Phone Signal 2bars LTE.] General Comments: [We'd been expecting to wait, but we quickly transitted the Canso Lock since there was no other traffic, the waters were calm (slack current) and the two bodies almost level, the lock tender was also extra friendly and helpful. Having made such good time, and looking ahead to some strong winds in the coming days, we changed our destination and headed to Glasgow Bay for some good protection and some secluded peace, just around the corner is the picturesque town of Canso and we were tempted to stop there, but some tranquility time won over. Port Hawksbury seemed quite industrial (less than 20 years ago it was the 2nd busiest port in Canada by tonnage, after Vancouver, and while it has slid on that particular scale there is still plenty going on). Once we exited the industrial zone, we started spotting seals popping up their heads and then diving down once they spotted us approaching through the winding channels.. Today we reached our furthest east we've been for some time, and it will be several years before we are this far east again. So we have now turned back westwards to follow the coast of Canada and then the USA. The tide lines show seaweed and mussels, and since exiting the Conso Strait we are officially now in the Atlantic again.] At: 18:06(ADT) 29-Jun-2024, Outside Temp: 15.9C (60.62F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 11.5C (52.7F) | 6 months ago | Show |
| 45º 16.086' N | 60º 58.044' W | Begonia |
Day 1 of North Atlantic Passage From:Glasgow Harbour, Gully Island (near Canso), Nova Scotia To:Armdale, West Arm, Halifax, Nova-Scotia. Our position: loc:45.2805, -060.9738 We have 133.0nm remaining (along expected route). Progress: [We've made 2.7nm (through the water) on this passage (in a total of 0:46 hours) Since last posting: we have reduced the distance to go (along expected route) by 2.2nm; we have made 2.7nm (through water/on-speedwheel). We have moved 2.2nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.8kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:3.5kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):3.5kt. ] Sailing Conditions: [We've just set off within the last hour, so still motoring through passage to get to open water and (hopefully) start sailing.] General Comments: [Well we an uneventful Canada Day (1st July) at a peaceful anchorage: 2 days of solid heavy rain at anchor with poor/intermittent phone signal, I'm so glad that we didn't feel we were missing out on any celebrations nor sightseeing while there! We are off again, the conditions are far from perfect, but they are the best we'll see in a while. Rain with some favorable wind, and sunny with light winds (and those conditions beat rain and non-favourable winds!). So, an early start this morning for a planned overnight (day and a half) sail.] At: 06:00(ADT) 02-Jul-2024, Outside Temp: 13.3C (55.94F), Humidity:89%, Water Temp: 10.6C (51.08F), Course: 174(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.1kt, Wind:15Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1018hPa, Swell:0.25m (from:E) | 6 months ago | Show |
| 20º 7.596' N | 60º 29.724' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [9.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 172(degT), Speed Over Ground:5kt, Wind:15Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1010.16hPa, Swell:2m (to:SW). At: 06:00(AST) 10-Nov-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 31º 7.518' N | 60º 20.496' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [15.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 153(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.8kt, Wind:17Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1019.98hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 03:00(AST) 04-Nov-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 30º 53.334' N | 60º 14.058' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [2.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 146(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.9kt, Wind:17Kt(from:ENE), Cloud Cover:80%, Pressure: 1019.30hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 06:00(AST) 04-Nov-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 24º 58.494' N | 60º 1.698' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [6.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 173(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.3kt, Wind:23Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:95%, Pressure: 1012.19hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 06:00(AST) 07-Nov-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 21º 52.698' N | 59º 59.778' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [13.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 173(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.3kt, Wind:11Kt(from:ENE), Cloud Cover:20%, Pressure: 1012.19hPa, Swell:m (to:). At: 07:40(AST) 09-Nov-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 23º 37.884' N | 59º 59.652' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [0.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 183(degT), Speed Over Ground:2kt, Wind:6Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:80%, Pressure: 1009.14hPa, Swell:1m (to:W). At: 06:00(AST) 08-Nov-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 26º 32.202' N | 59º 51.498' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [26.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 185(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.2kt, Wind:20Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:80%, Pressure: 1013.21hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:W). At: 06:00(AST) 06-Nov-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 28º 31.98' N | 59º 51.18' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [8.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 180(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.7kt, Wind:16Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:95%, Pressure: 1016.26hPa, Swell:2m (to:W). At: 06:00(AST) 05-Nov-2008 | about 16 years ago | Show |
| 34º 40.998' N | 59º 3.546' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Rain, overcast, bouncy ride. We have moved [93.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 74(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.5kt, Wind:23Kt(from:SW), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1014.22hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:N). At: 09:00(GMT) 29-May-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 18º 10.014' N | 59º 1.044' W | Begonia |
Day 26 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Clarence Bay, Georgetown, Ascension Island To:Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:18.1692, -059.0237 We have 850.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 2922.1nm (through the water) on this passage. Since last posting we have made 129.3nm (through water). We have moved 146.6nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 6.1kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.4kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.9kt. ] Sailing Conditions [At last, an easy sailing day. We unreefed, and eventually put up the spinnaker too. Our best progress (distance wise) in over a week. That feels better] General Comments: [We had another row boat Joshua related email yesterday, this time from the wife of one of the rowers expressing her thanks (it was truly our pleasure, such a wonderfully unexpected distraction on our own long passage). For those who wish to check out how Joshua is doing you can visit their facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063656361359). We made a much faster day yesterday than the previous few days, just a few rain showers but otherwise the last 24 hours has been all is quite nice (and easy) aboard Begonia. Overnight we had amazing clear skies and with no moon for much of the night (great for stargazing, the milky way looking especially impressive ); Kyle also easily spotted planes (yes plural), a satellite and a meteor. There remain scraps of sargasso in the ocean. Aboard we find ourselves out of wraps (a staple since they last so well) which means I can start making bread now... Overnight we passed a point directly opposite Broome in Western Australia (we departed there just on 1st August 2022). On my kindle I'm reading Jane Eyre, I honestly thought I'd just be re-reading an old classic but it turns out I've never read it!] At: 06:00(ADT) 25-Feb-2023, Outside Temp: 24.5C (76.1F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 29.7C (85.46F), Course: 284(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.8kt, Wind:12Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:1%, Pressure: 1017hPa, Swell:1.5m (from:NE) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 17º 30.078' N | 56º 33.006' W | Begonia |
Day 25 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Clarence Bay, Georgetown, Ascension Island To:Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:17.5125, -056.5513 We have 996.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 2792.8nm (through the water) on this passage. Since last posting we have made 132.3nm (through water). We have moved 141.3nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 5.9kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.5kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.9kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Another frustrating day yesterday. Wind direction changed, and we had plenty of squalls. Spinnaker was up and down, and when sailing with main and jib we were reefing and unreefing regularly. After visiting Joshua, we spent a long time with too little sail up, believing the forecast wind shift would actually happen... Silly us.] General Comments: [We had several unexpected and lovely emails yesterday. One from the brother of one of the rowers aboard Joshua, thanking us for swinging by (you are all welcome). Several of our family and friends also emailed with enthusiasm and awe for the rowers at sea - Go Joshua!. Another email was from a lovely Australian family that now follow us after reaching out and inviting us to dinner with them in Port Hacking after we happened to sail by their house (in April 2021)!. It is quite a treat to receive emails at sea so THANK YOU to all that reach out to us any time. We now have less than 1000nm to go - that feels like a milestone. When sailing we have 'boat time', a central time to the start and end location that we don't shift until we arrive at our destination. This means that as we sail west, the sun rise and sun set get later each day. At the start of the passage I was awoken (at 6am boat time) to bright sunshine, currently we still have an hour before sunrise. Our clunky (and never loved) autopilot remote has finally failed on us.. no real issue, but Kyle did use it when working on the weather to save getting up and adjusting our course at the cockpit controls.] At: 06:00(ADT) 24-Feb-2023, Outside Temp: 25.1C (77.18F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 29.7C (85.46F), Course: 286(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.8kt, Wind:15Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1017hPa, Swell:2m (from:N) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 35º 17.31' N | 56º 24.234' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: calmer seas, nice motion. We have moved [123.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 55(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.6kt, Wind:15Kt(from:SW), Cloud Cover:85%, Pressure: 1015.24hPa, Swell:1m (to:NE). At: 09:00(GMT) 30-May-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 36º 53.826' N | 55º 1.992' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Overcast, cooler.. We have moved [128.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 20(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.6kt, Wind:14Kt(from:SSW), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1014.22hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:E). At: 09:00(GMT) 31-May-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 16º 47.052' N | 54º 12.03' W | Begonia |
"Day 24 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Clarence Bay, Georgetown, Ascension Island To:Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:16.7917, -054.2046 We have 1138.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 2660.5nm (through the water) on this passage. Since last posting we have made 134.1nm (through water). We have moved 128.5nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 5.4kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.6kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.8kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Squalls through the early hours (and very dark) had Kyle reefing, and changing course. Otherwise yesterday was nice, mostly sailing with the spinnaker (switching to main and jib before sunset).] General Comments: [Knowing we had a long passage across the Atlantic, I downloaded a bunch of 'new to us' podcasts before leaving South Africa. One of these is very much a hit aboard: 'Oh No with Ross and Carrie'. They sample and explore various claims of religion, alternative medicines, the supernatural, etc... and then report on their experiences - it has been very entertaining for us. We continue to see cargo ships, and I guess that will get more frequent as we approach the Caribbean. Yesterday evening we heard a radio call from a sail boat with 4 crew requesting fuel from a passing cargo boat (but we only heard the cargo boat end of the conversation). The cargo ship reported it was unable to assist them since they would not declare an emergency, and the cargo vessel would not drop fuel for them (citing pollution laws). This morning we spotted a sailboat 'Joshua' on the AIS and they seem to be drifting and we can see no lights, we are not sure if it is the same boat? Most likely all is well, but we've altered course to swing by and check in on them (so far no response from our radio contact, they are currently just 3nm away). ] At: 06:00(ADT) 23-Feb-2023, Outside Temp: 25.1C (77.18F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 29.7C (85.46F), Course: 359(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.7kt, Wind:12Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:95%, Pressure: 1018hPa, Swell:2m (from:N) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 16º 47.052' N | 54º 12.03' W | Begonia |
Day 24 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Clarence Bay, Georgetown, Ascension Island To:Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:16.7917, -054.2046 We have 1138.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 2660.5nm (through the water) on this passage. Since last posting we have made 134.1nm (through water). We have moved 128.5nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 5.4kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.6kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.8kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Squalls through the early hours (and very dark) had Kyle reefing, and changing course. Otherwise yesterday was nice, mostly sailing with the spinnaker (switching to main and jib before sunset).] General Comments: [Knowing we had a long passage across the Atlantic, I downloaded a bunch of 'new to us' podcasts before leaving South Africa. One of these is very much a hit aboard: 'Oh No with Ross and Carrie'. They sample and explore various claims of religion, alternative medicines, the supernatural, etc... and then report on their experiences - it has been very entertaining for us. We continue to see cargo ships, and I guess that will get more frequent as we approach the Caribbean. Yesterday evening we heard a radio call from a sail boat with 4 crew requesting fuel from a passing cargo boat (but we only heard the cargo boat end of the conversation). The cargo ship reported it was unable to assist them since they would not declare an emergency, and the cargo vessel would not drop fuel for them (citing pollution laws). This morning we spotted a sailboat 'Joshua' on the AIS and they seem to be drifting and we can see no lights, we are not sure if it is the same boat? Most likely all is well, but we've altered course to swing by and check in on them (so far no response from our radio contact, they are currently just 3nm away). ] At: 06:00(ADT) 23-Feb-2023, Outside Temp: 25.1C (77.18F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 29.7C (85.46F), Course: 359(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.7kt, Wind:12Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:95%, Pressure: 1018hPa, Swell:2m (from:N) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 38º 29.22' N | 53º 10.788' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Still overcast - batteries very low... We have moved [149.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 79(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.2kt, Wind:17Kt(from:SSW), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1014.22hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:NE). At: 09:00(GMT) 01-Jun-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 16º 4.014' N | 52º 6.018' W | Begonia |
Day 23 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Clarence Bay, Georgetown, Ascension Island To:Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:16.0689, -052.1025 We have 1266.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 2526.4nm (through the water) on this passage. Since last posting we have made 100.2nm (through water). We have moved 120.8nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 5.0kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.2kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.8kt. ] Sailing Conditions [We continue downwind sailing with the spinnaker, yesterday was sunny and pleasant but overnight a bit variable wind and wave wise.] General Comments: [We are back with a blanket on the bed for the last few nights, but daytime was lovely yesterday. A flying fish landed in the cockpit last night and I managed to scoop it up and return it to the water alive; their scales are giant compared to the size of the fish, and they wriggle a LOT - they also transfer quite a stink once you've touched them. Yesterday Kyle pulled out and cleaned the speed wheel (found 3 barnacles). Tropic birds visited briefly again yesterday (they have a distinctive squeak of a call). We are now at a latitude which is as far south as we ever got in Footprint... Memories...] At: 06:00(ADT) 22-Feb-2023, Outside Temp: 24.9C (76.82F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 29.7C (85.46F), Course: 291(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.8kt, Wind:12Kt(from:ENE), Cloud Cover:70%, Pressure: 1017hPa, Swell:2m (from:NE) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 15º 18.072' N | 50º 9.084' W | Begonia |
Day 22 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Clarence Bay, Georgetown, Ascension Island To:Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:15.3120, -050.1640 We have 1387.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 2426.2nm (through the water) on this passage. Since last posting we have made 85.9nm (through water). We have moved 110.6nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.6kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:3.6kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.8kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Smoother conditions, and we are now flying the spinnaker - following seas and clear skies. Finally we have the current mostly with us too.] General Comments: [Gooseneck barnacles have suddenly appeared all over the bottom of the boat. Weather mild enough that we could actually open up a few hatches to air the boat out somewhat. The sargasso weed is still around (scattered patches). The white-tailed tropic birds visited the boat again (this time there were 4 of them, they seem to be doubling daily). We heard a couple of bursts of radio chatter (but no sign of any associated boat). In the early hours of this morning Kyle witnessed a large meteor (the largest he has ever seen) streaking orange and green across 45 degrees of the sky over about 5 seconds as it broke up and scattered (coming from the south).] At: 06:00(ADT) 21-Feb-2023, Outside Temp: 24.4C (75.92F), Humidity:68%, Water Temp: 29.2C (84.56F), Course: 292(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.5kt, Wind:12Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:1.5m (from:NE) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 39º 4.914' N | 50º 4.974' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Overcast but hopeful, strong winds. We have moved [54.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 82(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.5kt, Wind:19Kt(from:NNW), Cloud Cover:95%, Pressure: 1011.18hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:SE). At: 09:00(GMT) 02-Jun-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 14º 34.026' N | 48º 24.096' W | Begonia |
Day 21 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Clarence Bay, Georgetown, Ascension Island To:Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:14.5714, -048.4162 We have 1498.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 2340.3nm (through the water) on this passage. Since last posting we have made 120.8nm (through water). We have moved 136.5nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 5.7kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.0kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.9kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Winds from two directions battled around for several hours until finally settling yesterday morning causing much frustration in the morning. The afternoon brought more speed and directions changes in the wind - so lots of activity aboard reefing, unreefing, etc. Throw in some heavy rain too... ahhh sailing.] General Comments: [Kyle and I both spotted tropic birds around the boat yesterday (always a pleasure). Cargo traffic seems reasonably regular (2-3 ships every day). The jib roller furler line has several blocks to help guide its path, but one of those came away yesterday (all that activity!), thankfully we had a spare shackle that fitted in that same spot so that was quickly repaired. Start gazing still fun, Kyle notes that Orion is 'upright' again.] At: 06:00(ADT) 20-Feb-2023, Outside Temp: 23.9C (75.02F), Humidity:66%, Water Temp: 29.2C (84.56F), Course: 295(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.9kt, Wind:12Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:2m (from:N) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 39º 6.03' N | 47º 25.656' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [62.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 116(degT), Speed Over Ground:1.8kt, Wind:3Kt(from:NW), Cloud Cover:10%, Pressure: 1016.26hPa, Swell:1m (to:S). At: 09:00(GMT) 03-Jun-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 13º 35.04' N | 46º 17.1' W | Begonia |
Day 20 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Clarence Bay, Georgetown, Ascension Island To:Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:13.5903, -046.2994 We have 1614.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 2219.5nm (through the water) on this passage. Since last posting we have made 111.1nm (through water). We have moved 128.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 5.4kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.6kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.9kt. ] Sailing Conditions [A bit of reefing and unreefing yesterday but generally an easy sailing day (still sailing with main and jib, mostly on a beam reach). Cooler at night, but otherwise mild.] General Comments: [Clear starry night (always good), good bioluminescence. The morning has started with rain. The sargasso weed is much reduced, but still regular patches (just small patches). We are now north of all south America, and looking good for an early March arrival in the Bahamas.] At: 06:00(ADT) 19-Feb-2023, Outside Temp: 23.5C (74.3F), Humidity:78%, Water Temp: 29.2C (84.56F), Course: 296(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.5kt, Wind:17Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:90%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:2m (from:NE) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 39º 13.986' N | 45º 38.64' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [54.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 67(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.2kt, Wind:12Kt(from:WSW), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1016.26hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:E). At: 09:00(GMT) 04-Jun-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 12º 35.1' N | 44º 20.07' W | Begonia |
Day 19 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Clarence Bay, Georgetown, Ascension Island To:Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:12.5998, -044.3454 We have 1763.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 2108.4nm (through the water) on this passage. Since last posting we have made 123.5nm (through the water). We have moved 133.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 5.6kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.1kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.9kt. ] Sailing Conditions [So much more pleasant yesterday, smooth waters and sunshine, sailing with full sail on a beam reach to broad reach. It's a little more boisterous this morning, but the forecast tells us to expect another nice day today; let's hope!] General Comments: [We had 3 dolphins visit us briefly in the morning (always a pleasure, but I'm amazed they live so far out to sea). We managed to save another flying fish that got trapped on the dinghy cover yesterday (we normally don't find them until its too late, this one was making a lot of noise trying to save itself, poor thing). A clear night provided some great star gazing. We are now just about opposite (on the earth) Gove in Northern Territory (Australia).] At: 06:00(ADT) 18-Feb-2023, Outside Temp: 24.3C (75.74F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 29.2C (84.56F), Course: 299(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.7kt, Wind:16Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:2m (from:NE) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 40º 34.518' N | 43º 23.166' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [86.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 46(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.9kt, Wind:6Kt(from:SW), Cloud Cover:70%, Pressure: 1017.27hPa, Swell:2m (to:E). At: 09:00(GMT) 05-Jun-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 11º 29.016' N | 42º 22.074' W | Begonia |
Day 18 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Clarence Bay, Georgetown, Ascension Island To:Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:11.4859, -042.3786 We have 1896.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 1984.9nm (through water) on this passage. Since last posting we have made 150.0nm (through water). We have moved 148.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 6.2kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.3kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.9kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Finally we have much improved conditions aboard. I had my first good night's (0ff-watch) sleep in a week, and we have full sail flying again (first time since day 12). Seas are much more normal too. We are back in the cockpit helm seat for our watches - but it is cold in the wind (so back to long pants and a jacket at least for the night watches).] General Comments: [We have now passed the half way mark (distance wise, and hopefully time wise too). Yesterday Kyle found a flying fish in the folds of the mainsail as he unreefed (poor fish - I had no idea one had flown that high up). He also scooped out 7 from the trampoline and one on from the back step. Both of us were entertained for some time yesterday by a booby(?) catching disturbed flying fish around the boat for several hours. (we've never seen this before this passage). THere is still plenty of sargasso floating around. I am down to my last paperback (will then have to switch to the kindle), and together Kyle and I are reading a Bill Bryson book (The road to Little Dribbling).] At: 06:00(ADT) 17-Feb-2023, Outside Temp: 24.5C (76.1F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 29.2C (84.56F), Course: 301(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.1kt, Wind:14Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:25%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:2m (from:NE) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 40º 3.54' N | 40º 16.26' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: . We have moved [103.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 121(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.2kt, Wind:15Kt(from:W), Cloud Cover:50%, Pressure: 1017.27hPa, Swell:1m (to:NE). At: 09:00(GMT) 06-Jun-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 10º 9.054' N | 40º 14.076' W | Begonia |
Day 17 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Clarence Bay, Georgetown, Ascension Island To:Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:10.1592, -040.2464 We have 2045.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 1834.9nm (through water) on this passage. Since last posting we have made 177.9nm (through water). We have moved 159.8nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 6.7kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:7.4kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.8kt. ] Sailing Conditions [The wind has yet to reduce (ugh!), and we still have 3m seas on the beam with regular waves across the boat (ugh!). Forecast still reports things should be calming and we are hopeful.] General Comments: [We have a lot of dead flying fish in the trampoline (too rough to clean out). We had some cloud free patches for star gazing, and with no moon for much of the night there was also some impressive bioluminescence. Amazingly for this passage we have yet to see an impressive sunrise or sunset. Yesterday cooking was still not going to be easy so we resorted to boil in the bag Indian meals - they were very buried in our provisions and definitely were (over-)due to be eaten, so not all bad that we got around to them.] At: 06:00(ADT) 16-Feb-2023, Outside Temp: 25.8C (78.44F), Humidity:80%, Water Temp: 30.2C (86.36F), Course: 303(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.3kt, Wind:21Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:95%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:3m (from:NE) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 40º 9.288' N | 39º 6.816' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Waiting for the storms….. We have moved [126.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 86(degT), Speed Over Ground:6kt, Wind:13Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1013.21hPa, Swell:1m (to:N). At: 09:00(GMT) 07-Jun-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 8º 37.548' N | 38º 2.004' W | Begonia |
Day 16 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Clarence Bay, Georgetown, Ascension Island To:Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:08.6258, -038.0388 We have 2205.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 1657.0nm (through water) on this passage. Since last posting we have made 182.7nm (through water). We have moved 171.2nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 7.1kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:7.6kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.6kt. ] Sailing Conditions [More of the same. We continue to sail on a beam reach with 'enhanced' trade winds and bouncy seas. We are hoping for much kinder conditions tomorrow (but more of the same for today). The last 24 hours have been our best (distance wise) for the passage to date, hopefully once the wind starts to reduce we can unreef and maintain a good speed. We've had rain - but that has also brought a rainbow for us to enjoy.] General Comments: [My cooking aboard has become much simpler as it is barely possible to keep vegetables on a chopping board, etc. For much of yesterday the sargasso really thinned out. The rudders and steering arm (that connects them) have been taking quite a lot of strain and Kyle keeps tightening things up there to stop rattles and reduce wear. The autopilot has been working perfectly all this time (we basically watch on and press a button once in a while) - we are so grateful to have it. Kyle was able to actually save one of the flying fish that landed on the boat (it is rare we find them before they have already died). We had patches of sunshine, and according to the satellite picture we should be cloud free for a week or more once we break out. ] Nearest Land: [Punta do Presido, Brazil], [699]nm away to our SSW ETA/Emergency - Estimated Arrival: [05-Mar-2023 0800 timezone:(ADT)] Sound Alarm if no contact by: [10-Mar-2023 0800 timezone:(ADT)] Caution: Don't forget this communication relies on our Satellite comms, SSB radio, radio stations, computer and antennas all working, and being available.. i.e. lots can go wrong with the equipment, while we are still safe and well. If you don't hear from us, equipment or connection issues are the MOST likely reason (unless there is also an EPIRB emergency signal set off by us, in which case you will also be hearing from the Coast Guard). If you don't hear from us before the Emergency call time, then also please contact the emergency services. Refer to floatplan for instructions Thanks for following along with us Kyle & Maryanne At: 06:00(ADT) 15-Feb-2023, Outside Temp: 26.2C (79.16F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 30.2C (86.36F), Course: 306(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.5kt, Wind:24Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:90%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:3m (from:NE) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 6º 53.1' N | 35º 44.076' W | Begonia |
Day 15 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Clarence Bay, Georgetown, Ascension Island To:Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:06.8995, -035.7459 We have 2376.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 1474.3nm (through water) on this passage. Since last posting we have made 166.5nm (through water). We have moved 158.8nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 6.6kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.9kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.4kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Rough sailing in bouncy conditions. Strong winds and the main and jib double reefed. The waves and spray keep entering the cockpit (we find flying fish in the cockpit and sargasso weed on the helm seat). We spend most of our watches inside (where we can see outside from the wrap around windows, and have a repeater for the chartplotter), but we can stay dry. We expect another day of this before conditions start to get slowly better to more 'normal' conditions.] General Comments: [Ugh, it is tough aboard and even walking about the boat we take great care to always be holding on to something unless we are sat down. It has been tough to sleep. The night watch starts off very dark until the moon rises. The wind conditions are such that even at night the wind generator keeps the batteries full. Some of our windows have started to sprout leaks (luckily just dribbles, but annoying none-the-less, giving us something new to fix once we arrive in the Bahamas). We are now into week 3 of our passage and are now west of the eastern most point of South America.] At: 06:00(ADT) 14-Feb-2023, Outside Temp: 27C (80.6F), Humidity:82%, Water Temp: 31.1C (87.98F), Course: 310(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.5kt, Wind:22Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:98%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:3m (from:NE) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 41º 23.508' N | 35º 38.28' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Pressure - Just started to climb again… . We have moved [3.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 56(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.5kt, Wind:26Kt(from:SW), Cloud Cover:80%, Pressure: 1000.00hPa, Swell:3.5m (to:E). At: 09:00(GMT) 08-Jun-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 5º 10.044' N | 33º 43.068' W | Begonia |
Day 14 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Clarence Bay, Georgetown, Ascension Island To:Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:05.1736, -033.7279 We have 2535.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 1307.8nm (through water) on this passage. Since last posting we have made 146.7nm (through water). We have moved 148.2nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 6.2kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.1kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.2kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Mixed/Sloppy seas and with waves occasionally entering the cockpit (yuk) make for a miserable and bouncy time aboard. We do seem to be seeing less cloud (good for the solar panel) but wind and waves are increasing. We always expected this 'patch' - which by the 16th should be getting better. Boat is heavily reefed on a beam reach.] General Comments: [We entered the 'sargasso sea' yesterday and all day the trampoline has been scooping up much of the weed. So far its been lots of tiny patches but just everywhere (the largest patch we saw was about the size of a couple of tennis courts), but there is no course we can set that doesn't go through sargasso at least every 30 seconds. The propellers gather it too, and it certainly slows us down. Seems a bit thinner this morning.] At: 06:00(ADT) 13-Feb-2023, Outside Temp: 27C (80.6F), Humidity:86%, Water Temp: 31.6C (88.88F), Course: 312(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.7kt, Wind:19Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:55%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:2.5m (from:NE) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 42º 36.366' N | 33º 38.184' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Pressure didn't lift, remains low… not happy. We have moved [41.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 45(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.3kt, Wind:26Kt(from:WSE), Cloud Cover:90%, Pressure: 998.99hPa, Swell:3m (to:E). At: 09:00(GMT) 09-Jun-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 3º 27.012' N | 31º 57.018' W | Begonia |
Day 13 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Clarence Bay, Georgetown, Ascension Island To:Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:03.4520, -031.9525 We have 2682.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 1161.1nm (through water) on this passage. Since last posting we have made 142.2nm (through water). We have moved 150.6nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 6.3kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.9kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.0kt. ] Sailing Conditions [The wind is back (aside from a few periods with nearby squalls) - so our daily progress just shot up. Another couple of days an we'll be out of the ITCZ. Overcast conditions still (that should end once we exit the ITCZ). Seas are bouncy! We are already in the NE trade winds (and they are expected to get stronger in the next couple of days) we are sailing with reefed main and jib.] General Comments: [Kyle spotted an airplane flying overhead a couple of days ago (a rare event). We had a giant pod of (small) dolphins briefly join us yesterday afternoon, all leaping out of the water. Predictwind support has been really helpful and we now can update our predictwind track via email (since this is a manual effot it will only be once or twice a day, not hourly).] At: 06:00(ADT) 12-Feb-2023, Outside Temp: 27.2C (80.96F), Humidity:89%, Water Temp: 32.1C (89.78F), Course: 315(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.7kt, Wind:16Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:2.5m (from:N) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 43º 56.616' N | 31º 8.706' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Calm for a change! More bad wather approaching.. We have moved [45.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 51(degT), Speed Over Ground:5kt, Wind:16Kt(from:SW), Cloud Cover:98%, Pressure: 1003.05hPa, Swell:2m (to:E). At: 09:00(GMT) 10-Jun-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 1º 39.06' N | 30º 11.064' W | Begonia |
Day 12 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Clarence Bay, Georgetown, Ascension Island To:Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:01.6597, -030.1941 We have 2833.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 1018.9nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:103nm. Since last posting we have made 88.3nm (through water). We have moved 102.3nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.3kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:3.7kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):3.9kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Frustrating light winds (from all directions) for most of yesterday. Several patches of rain, and we still see regular lightning (distant). Overnight we have had stead strong winds (sailing close hauled) which helped make our best 24 hour distance in a week (but still quite a slow day). We are still not out of the ITCZ area so no doubt this good patch won't last.] General Comments: [I used my last good egg (after having to throw out 12) to bake an apple crumb cake (yum). Yesterday we passed the tiny island of St. Peter and St Paul Archipelago; we didn't really trust the charts so gave it a wide berth, but were quite disappointed that we couldn't actually see the island (we assume it must be quite low). Our jury-rig data setup continues to work(good news), it is extra slow, but we are so glad to have it. Predict wind (the company we have our SIM contract with) has assured us that the modem/data calls we are now making will come from our 'unlimited data' plan rather than be charged as call time (that is a HUGE relief).] At: 06:00(ADT) 11-Feb-2023, Outside Temp: 26.3C (79.34F), Humidity:86%, Water Temp: 32.6C (90.68F), Course: 318(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.4kt, Wind:17Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:55%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:2.5m (from:NE) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 0º 22.05' N | 29º 4.032' W | Begonia |
Day 11 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Clarence Bay, Georgetown, Ascension Island To:Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:00.3745, -029.0724 We have 2936.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 930.7nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:79nm. Since last posting we have made 70.7nm (through water). We have moved 79.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.3kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:2.9kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):3.9kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Light winds from mixed directions again - ahh. The ITCZ!! (We don't love it). The main swell is coming from the North for the last day or so. Lots of lightning (thankfully distant) puts on a great show at night. Weather HOT.] General Comments: [So our Iridium Go failed. Thankfully we've been able to switch out the SIM card into our old satellite phone which has a data cable (serial cable!!).. It took me some time, but I eventually got the PC setup and OMG it worked. This means we can send and receive emails (much slower than the Iridium Go even). Unfortunately it also means we can no longer ping our hourly position reports, and I can't work out how to use the predict wind app either (so no satellite pictures, etc). THankfully we can get GRIB file downloads (giving us weather and other sea conditions) via email and put them through our software QtVlm to do route analysis. Anyway - we are hoping that this setup continues to work at least until we get to the Bahamas. Aside from that, we got a great show of a boobie swooping down for several meals of flying fish as they were disturbed by the boat and broke into the air (poor things). Several cargo boats crossed our path yesterday, but the biggest 'news' is that we crossed the equator so we are now in the northern hemisphere again (The last time was in April 2017!!).] At: 06:00(ADT) 10-Feb-2023, Outside Temp: 28.1C (82.58F), Humidity:85%, Water Temp: 32.6C (90.68F), Course: 319(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.4kt, Wind:7Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:25%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:2m (from:N) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 45º 10.818' N | 28º 44.73' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: BIG seas…. But Kyle is wiredly hapy. We have moved [60.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 60(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.5kt, Wind:31Kt(from:W), Cloud Cover:80%, Pressure: 1004.06hPa, Swell:5m (to:E). At: 09:00(GMT) 11-Jun-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 0º 36.066' S | 28º 10.086' W | Begonia |
Day 10 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Clarence Bay, Georgetown, Ascension Island To:Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:-00.6112, -028.1813 We have 3015.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 860.0nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:90nm. Since last posting we have made 74.1nm (through water). We have moved 90.1nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.8kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:3.1kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.0kt. ] Sailing Conditions [We switched back to the spinnaker by noon and slowly started logging some 2 and 3nm hours (much more respectable than the day before). Expecting more of the same for today.] General Comments: [The sun has been topping up the batteries to 100% aside from that one day (Day 8) so that is a relief. The clear skies over night allowed for a lovely star show overhead. We currently have a juvenile boobie flying about the boat, it seems very curious about us, I wonder if we are the first sailboat it has ever seen?] At: 06:00(ADT) 09-Feb-2023, Outside Temp: 29.1C (84.38F), Humidity:80%, Water Temp: 32.6C (90.68F), Course: 303(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.6kt, Wind:8Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:2m (from:N) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 1º 31.074' S | 26º 59.058' W | Begonia |
Day 9 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Clarence Bay, Georgetown, Ascension Island To:Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:-01.5292, -026.9930 We have 3105.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 785.9nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:52nm. Since last posting we have made 29.1nm (through water). We have moved 52.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.2kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:1.2kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.1kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Another frustrating ITCZ day - our slowest yet for the passage. Kyle tells me we can expect reliable wind around the 10th. Depending on wind we have the sails up and down (currently sailing with main and jib since we've had some head winds, and are expecting a close reach if the forecast is correct)] General Comments: [Dolphins visited overnight (twice), AND we had ship traffic (on the AIS). We had a noddie aboard overnight again (but not the squawkers). I also need to post a correction about St Peter and St Paul It is 'only group of Brazilian oceanic islets in the Northern Hemisphere' but of course Brazil itself (mainland) straddles the equator. After astronomical twilight it was 20 minutes of pitch black dark before the moon rose - REALLY DARK. The moon was full on the 5th and still acts as a giant spotlight in the sky once risen. With our calm seas it is all quite beautiful.] At: 06:00(ADT) 08-Feb-2023, Outside Temp: 27.7C (81.86F), Humidity:83%, Water Temp: 32.6C (90.68F), Course: 318(degT), Speed Over Ground:2kt, Wind:7Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:15%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:1.5m (from:se) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 46º 18.594' N | 26º 21.99' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Storm is staying with us!. We have moved [20.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 77(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.6kt, Wind:26Kt(from:W), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1005.08hPa, Swell:5m (to:S). At: 09:00(GMT) 12-Jun-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 2º 2.01' S | 26º 16.05' W | Begonia |
Day 8 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Clarence Bay, Georgetown, Ascension Island To:Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:-02.0354, -026.2751 We have 3157.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 756.8nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:76nm. Since last posting we have made 67.5nm (through water). We have moved 76.0nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.2kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:2.8kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.5kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Ugh - a very frustrating day yesterday. The spinnaker was up and down, gybing a lot when up - yesterday was actual WORK sailing as we navigated squalls and cells and lots of shifting and dying winds. By dark, all was well with the world again and we've been making steady progress and not a hand to the sails at all (much easier).] General Comments: [Our worst day for the passage to date (distance wise) - not at all surprising given the conditions (wind/rain/etc). The overcast conditions meant the batteries were not charging either so we had to run an engine for a bit. Only to discover a slipping alternator belt so Kyle had to adjust that too. Both of us felt our day watch was filled with chores; normally on a long offshore passage there is little to do. Our path will take is close to St Paul and St Peter Archipelago (still a couple of days away) - the only bit of Brazil that is north of the equator, a remote and isolated outpost which is home to a skeleton 'crew' of 4 navy staff (and according to our offline wikipedia it the only location in the Atlantic where the Abyssal mantle is exposed) - unfortunately we won't be able to stop. This is particularly interesting to us since despite all this (and having 2 lights) it isn't appearing on our chartplotter charts (only on the charts on our phone apps) - thanks Navionics!!. The water temperature has been really warm for several days now (Kyle especially notices this since he pre-washes the dishes in sea water. The noddies continue to visit us at night, the squawking pair were back and really going at it - I tried to intervene without success, and eventually I chased them off in fear of having them wake Kyle on his off watch.] At: 06:00(ADT) 07-Feb-2023, Outside Temp: 28.1C (82.58F), Humidity:80%, Water Temp: 32.6C (90.68F), Course: 314(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.5kt, Wind:7Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:45%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:1.5m (from:S) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 2º 58.002' S | 25º 24.096' W | Begonia |
Day 7 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Clarence Bay, Georgetown, Ascension Island To:Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:-02.9670, -025.4157 We have 3233.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 689.3nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:97nm. Since last posting we have made 83.5nm (through water). We have moved 97.6nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.1kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:3.5kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.8kt. ] Sailing Conditions [We had a good day yesterday, but we have occasional squalls where anything goes (mostly no wind, or winds from very much the 'wrong' direction). We had a couple of hours of calm as a system passed us this morning but are now (slowly) moving again. More of the same expected for a few days yet as we transit the ITCZ.] General Comments: [We had a few extra Noddies join us overnight. Two noddies sat on the back steps just behind the helm seat, but they didn't seem to like each other very much; they would rest in a truce for an hour, but then one would start squawking at the other and eventually that would escalate until they both flew off for 10 minutes - returning for another hour of truce and rest. So far the batteries have been reaching 100% each day (topped up by the solar panels), but they get down into the mid-60s each night as well. The wind generator doesn't have enough wind to help.] At: 06:00(ADT) 06-Feb-2023, Outside Temp: 25.6C (78.08F), Humidity:86%, Water Temp: 32.6C (90.68F), Course: 295(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.3kt, Wind:5Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:2m (from:SE) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 3º 55.092' S | 24º 6.024' W | Begonia |
Day 6 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Clarence Bay, Georgetown, Ascension Island To:Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:-03.9320, -024.1043 We have 3330.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 605.8nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:82nm. Since last posting we have made 68.3nm (through water). We have moved 82.9nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.5kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:2.8kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.1kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Even lighter winds than yesterday, plus a few storm cells to skirt around (which seriously were messing with the wind direction). We spent a lot of time with the sails down and just drifting waiting for wind (especially overnight). Amazingly we had only a couple of patches of light rain. Seas remain pretty flat.] General Comments: [Weather is warm/hot with inside and outside the boat at 30C (86F). We now have (those same few?) noddies and a gannet hanging around the boat.] At: 06:00(ADT) 05-Feb-2023, Outside Temp: 29.1C (84.38F), Humidity:80%, Water Temp: 32.6C (90.68F), Course: 310(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.1kt, Wind:6Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:55%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:1m (from:SE) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 47º 27.69' N | 23º 36.792' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Water in STBD Hull - trying to find source now.. We have moved [61.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 11(degT), Speed Over Ground:2kt, Wind:24Kt(from:W), Cloud Cover:70%, Pressure: 1008.13hPa, Swell:3m (to:NE). At: 09:00(GMT) 13-Jun-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 4º 39.042' S | 22º 55.044' W | Begonia |
Day 5 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Clarence Bay, Georgetown, Ascension Island To:Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:-04.6567, -022.9243 We have 3412.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 537.5nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:104nm. Since last posting we have made 97.7nm (through water). We have moved 106.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.4kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.1kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.7kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Very light winds for much of yesterday, but we continue with the spinnaker (our worst day so far for this passage distance wise).] General Comments: [Kyle tells me we had 'our' 3 noddies again last night (I wonder if they are the same ones? And I wonder when they might decide we are too far away from home and ditch us?). Batteries managed to top up yesterday to 100% so our concerns were unfounded there. Nothing much to report.] At: 06:00(ADT) 04-Feb-2023, Outside Temp: 28.9C (84.02F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 32.6C (90.68F), Course: 300(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.1kt, Wind:12Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:37%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:1.5m (from:SE) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 48º 10.014' N | 21º 27.006' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Still mixed seas and v. nasty sailing. We have moved [23.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 62(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.5kt, Wind:28Kt(from:WNW), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1013.21hPa, Swell:5.5m (to:E). At: 09:00(GMT) 14-Jun-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 5º 23.028' S | 21º 17.088' W | Begonia |
Day 4 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Clarence Bay, Georgetown, Ascension Island To:Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:-05.3877, -021.2978 We have 3516.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 439.8nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:139nm. Since last posting we have made 145.7nm (through water). We have moved 141.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 5.9kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.1kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):6.2kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Much the same, but more clouds and occasional rain showers (as we approach the ITCZ). We are hoping we have sufficient sun to keep the batteries charged. African monsoon storms to our NE are well out of our way. Overnight Kyle spotted AIS targets and suffered a lot of unnecessary radio chatter on VHF16 between the fishing boat and its support boats (possibly Japanese). This is the furthest north we've been since 2019 (and we have a lot further north to go this year).] General Comments: [Two noddies (birds) hitch-hiked with us overnight. The temperatures aboard are increasing so we are always seeking out a breeze (or a fan), and Kyle has resumed the regular fizzing of water to keep us refreshed.] At: 06:00(ADT) 03-Feb-2023, Outside Temp: 27.9C (82.22F), Humidity:87%, Water Temp: 32.1C (89.78F), Course: 291(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.4kt, Wind:12Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:50%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:2m (from:SE) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 6º 19.038' S | 19º 7.038' W | Begonia |
Day 3 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Clarence Bay, Georgetown, Ascension Island To:Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:-06.3227, -019.1226 We have 3655.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 294.2nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:154nm. Since last posting we have made 162.5nm (through water). We have moved 156.9nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 6.5kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.8kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):6.3kt. ] Sailing Conditions [No change in sailing conditions. More easy downwind sailing with the spinnaker.] General Comments: [Our trip log for our time with Begonia broke 80,000nm this morning (around 4am) this is equivalent to just under 4 times around the world (at the equator), of course we have yet to complete a circumnavigation given all our detours and back tracking. A space shuttle would do this distance in 4 hours, we've taken quite a bit longer. Overnight we had 3 noddies (birds) hitching a ride with us, departing just before sunrise. Kyle tells me we are in the area of the mid-Atlantic ridge (depth here is around 5,000m). St Helena and Ascension also sit on this ridge line that stretches from Greenland to Antarctica.] At: 06:00(ADT) 02-Feb-2023, Outside Temp: 28.6C (83.48F), Humidity:77%, Water Temp: 32.1C (89.78F), Course: 294(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.9kt, Wind:13Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:50%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:2m (from:SE) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 48º 59.316' N | 18º 55.452' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Calm… ahhh the calm - we are loving it. We have moved [49.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 49(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.3kt, Wind:11Kt(from:WSW), Cloud Cover:90%, Pressure: 1015.24hPa, Swell:1m (to:E). At: 09:00(GMT) 15-Jun-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 7º 11.082' S | 16º 38.04' W | Begonia |
Day 2 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Clarence Bay, Georgetown, Ascension Island To:Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:-07.1967, -016.6403 We have 3809.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 131.7nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:136nm. Since last posting we have made 131.7nm (through water). We have moved 139.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 6.1kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.8kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.8kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Downwind, spinnaker sailing. Conditions were calm and easy at the start, and seas have built a little, but still a giving us easy conditions aboard.] General Comments: [Our departure from Ascension island had us being wary to keep well clear of the jet fuel tanker offloading to the island. It's activities were delayed a day due to the previous cargo boat (Hurst Point) having crane issues. This was all good news for us as it gave us an extra chance to slip ashore on Monday, and I was able to swap 9 books for new-to-me ones at the local book swap (that should help on this long passage). Hurst Point (cargo boat) was especially kind to us - the head chef gifted us some frozen salmon steaks which were very much enjoyed (yum). Sunrise (boat time) is very early right now - around 4am! as as we travel west that will slip to normal and then later in the day. All is well aboard.] At: 06:00(ADT) 01-Feb-2023, Outside Temp: 28.5C (83.3F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 32.1C (89.78F), Course: 284(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.8kt, Wind:17Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:20%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:2m (from:SE) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 7º 11.802' S | 16º 38.004' W | Begonia |
Day 2 of Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Clarence Bay, Georgetown, Ascension Island To:Matthew Town, Great Inagua, The Bahamas. Our position: loc:-07.1967, -016.6403 We have 3809.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 131.7nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:136nm. Since last posting we have made 131.7nm (through water). We have moved 139.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 6.1kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.8kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.8kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Downwind, spinnaker sailing. Conditions were calm and easy at the start, and seas have built a little, but still a giving us easy conditions aboard.] General Comments: [Our departure from Ascension island had us being wary to keep well clear of the jet fuel tanker offloading to the island. It's activities were delayed a day due to the previous cargo boat (Hurst Point) having crane issues. This was all good news for us as it gave us an extra chance to slip ashore on Monday, and I was able to swap 9 books for new-to-me ones at the local book swap (that should help on this long passage). Hurst Point (cargo boat) was especially kind to us - the head chef gifted us some frozen salmon steaks which were very much enjoyed (yum). Sunrise (boat time) is very early right now - around 4am! as as we travel west that will slip to normal and then later in the day. All is well aboard.] Nearest Land: [Ascension Island], [128]nm away to our ESE ETA/Emergency - Estimated Arrival: [05-Mar-2023 0800 timezone:(ADT)] Sound Alarm if no contact by: [10-Mar-2023 0800 timezone:(ADT)] Caution: Don't forget this communication relies on our Satellite comms, SSB radio, radio stations, computer and antennas all working, and being available.. i.e. lots can go wrong with the equipment, while we are still safe and well. If you don't hear from us, equipment or connection issues are the MOST likely reason (unless there is also an EPIRB emergency signal set off by us, in which case you will also be hearing from the Coast Guard). If you don't hear from us before the Emergency call time, then also please contact the emergency services. Refer to floatplan for instructions Thanks for following along with us Kyle & Maryanne At: 06:00(ADT) 01-Feb-2023, Outside Temp: 28.5C (83.3F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 32.1C (89.78F), Course: 284(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.8kt, Wind:17Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:20%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:2m (from:SE) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 49º 53.778' N | 15º 43.692' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Mixed seas, messy with fog - should be calm again by lunch time.. We have moved [47.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 80(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.4kt, Wind:20Kt(from:SSW), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1011.18hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:N). At: 09:00(GMT) 16-Jun-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 7º 59.082' S | 14º 25.032' W | Begonia |
Day 6 of South Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Jamestown, St Helena To:Georgetown, Ascension Island. Our position: loc:-07.9967, -014.4217 We have 5.2nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 666.1nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:83.8nm. Since last posting we have made 61.1nm (through water). We have moved 83.6nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.5kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:2.5kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.5kt. ] Sailing Conditions [We've been 'Sailing' under bare poles since noon yesterday to keep our speed down. We are now awaiting daylight to approach the bay and anchor (less than 6nm away).] General Comments: [Our little noddy stayed with the boat all day with the occasional excursion. It seems to have a slightly damaged right wing (so we know it is the same bird), although it can clearly fly at least short distances. I'm sure it was grateful to find a taxi to get a ride to shore.] At: 06:00(GMT) 28-Jan-2023, Outside Temp: 26.1C (78.98F), Humidity:84%, Water Temp: 31.1C (87.98F), Course: 303(degT), Speed Over Ground:1.5kt, Wind:13Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:1.5m (from:SE) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 7º 55.02' S | 14º 24.072' W | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Clarence Bay, Georgetown, Ascension Island, Underway - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 6 of South Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Jamestown, St Helena To:Clarence Bay, Georgetown, Ascension Island. Our position: loc:-07.9198, -014.4119 Progress: [We've made 671.2nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:5.2nm. Since last posting we have made 5.1nm (through water). We have moved 4.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.4kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:2.6kt, Avg speed for trip:5.5kt. ] Location Comments: [Anchored between floating fuel pipe and local moored boats in 16m datum. Advised not to go much shallower as other boats have had to cut away their anchor after being fouled. Officialdom is contaced with 'Pier head' on VHF#08 and outside of working hours (after 4pm and on weekends) via 'Ascension Radio' on VHF#16. No beach access (due to turtles nesting) so shore access via pier head only (can be subject to swell).] General Comments: [Our little noddy departed just before we anchored, hopefully he is actually home and not at some strange new island. Kyle has been up since midnight (on his watch) but we are waiting to get clearance to go ashore to clear in with immigration etc this morning (he'll sleep well tonight). The museum is only open one day a week (today) so I'm keen to get ashore too (fingers crossed). Plenty of evidence of green turtles (swimming about and tracks ashore from the egg laying. Also lots of lovely black fish hanging out with the boat. We are glad to be here. Weather for following few days may make getting ashore difficult (depending on the swell from the north if that actually arrives) and it isn't easy in the first place, so we are very glad to have arrived when the supply ship is here and we will get a ride into shore and be able to check out how it all works.] At: 07:56(GMT) 28-Jan-2023, Outside Temp: 26.7C (80.06F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 31.1C (87.98F) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 8º 57.054' S | 13º 24.024' W | Begonia |
Day 5 of South Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Jamestown, St Helena To:Georgetown, Ascension Island. Our position: loc:-08.9593, -013.4039 We have 89.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 605.0nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:156nm. Since last posting we have made 149.2nm (through water). We have moved 155.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 6.5kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.2kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):6.3kt. ] Sailing Conditions [We've had good winds (better than expected speed), but it seems that we will arrive after dark tonight - so now we will deliberately slow down to arrive in the morning (Saturday). Seas continue to settle.] General Comments: [Kyle had a noddy (bird) visit him aboard overnight. Clear skies and warm conditions. All good.] At: 06:00(GMT) 27-Jan-2023, Outside Temp: 25.6C (78.08F), Humidity:85%, Water Temp: 30.6C (87.08F), Course: 314(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.5kt, Wind:16Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:70%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:1.5m (from:SE) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 50º 37.644' N | 13º 1.08' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Blue sky peaking through the clouds - shaddows in the cockpit. We have moved [14.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 47(degT), Speed Over Ground:7kt, Wind:17Kt(from:WNW), Cloud Cover:90%, Pressure: 1010.16hPa, Swell:2m (to:SE). At: 09:00(GMT) 17-Jun-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 10º 44.016' S | 11º 29.016' W | Begonia |
Day 4 of South Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Jamestown, St Helena To:Georgetown, Ascension Island. Our position: loc:-10.7364, -011.4856 We have 245.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 455.8nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:148nm. Since last posting we have made 154.6nm (through water). We have moved 147.8nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 6.2kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.4kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):6.3kt. ] Sailing Conditions [We've had a few (mild and short) squalls. We switched to the jib for much of the night (back on spinnaker now). We passed through a number of rain patches (a novelty). Seas are taming.] General Comments: [Kyle spotted a rather beautiful (solitary) blue-bottle (about a foot long) just floating by, but we really haven't seen much in the way of life. He did find a squid in the trampoline and tossed it back (maybe even in time). I disturbed a bird overnight (presumably sleeping in the water as we past by) and as it squawked in protest gave me quite a shock too. ] At: 06:00(GMT) 26-Jan-2023, Outside Temp: 25.1C (77.18F), Humidity:84%, Water Temp: 30.2C (86.36F), Course: 313(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.5kt, Wind:11Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:75%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:2m (from:SE) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 51º 20.046' N | 9º 45.57' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Land Ho - Fastnet light ahead. We have moved [7.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 73(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.5kt, Wind:19Kt(from:W), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1014.22hPa, Swell:4.5m (to:E). At: 09:00(GMT) 18-Jun-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 12º 25.056' S | 9º 39.03' W | Begonia |
Day 3 of South Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Jamestown, St Helena To:Georgetown, Ascension Island. Our position: loc:-12.4257, -009.6553 We have 393.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 301.3nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:160nm. Since last posting we have made 159.6nm (through water). We have moved 160.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 6.7kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.7kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):6.3kt. ] Sailing Conditions [With gusts yesterday afternoon we switched the spinnaker for the Jib (and back again to the spinnaker in the early hours of this morning). We continue sailing downwind. Seas are steady.] General Comments: [We are well settled into our watch keeping, and all is good aboard. A flying fish was scooped up by the trampoline (found too late to rescue). We are enjoying the warmer temperatures. We are now west of all of mainland Europe (including the UK). Nothing much to report here. ] At: 06:00(GMT) 25-Jan-2023, Outside Temp: 25C (77F), Humidity:83%, Water Temp: 29.7C (85.46F), Course: 313(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.3kt, Wind:18Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:90%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:2m (from:SE) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 51º 29.052' N | 9º 22.608' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Arrived and anchored.. We have moved [9.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 13:23(GMT) 18-Jun-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 51º 31.668' N | 9º 10.182' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Castletownshend. We have moved [2.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 13:00(BST) 26-Jun-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 51º 38.13' N | 8º 42.03' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: CourtMacSherry (Yuk). We have moved [1.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 23:00(BST) 26-Jun-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 51º 41.718' N | 8º 31.422' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Kinsale (by bridge). We have moved [7.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 20:38(BST) 27-Jun-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 51º 48.288' N | 8º 18.108' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Crosshaven (near Cork). We have moved [20.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 11:31(BST) 29-Jun-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 51º 57.384' N | 7º 50.652' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Youghal (pronouced YAWL). We have moved [39.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 12:00(BST) 06-Jul-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 14º 14.052' S | 7º 38.04' W | Begonia |
Day 2 of South Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Jamestown, St Helena To:Georgetown, Ascension Island. Our position: loc:-14.2417, -007.6399 We have 553.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 141.7nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:147nm. Since last posting we have made 141.7nm (through water). We have moved 150.1nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 6.2kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.9kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.9kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Once clear of the island we've had good tail winds (spinnaker sailing). Seas are getting a bit mixed so we have a bit of both surfing and slewing about. Kyle tells me that we expect that to slowly improve.] General Comments: [We had a WONDERFUL time in St Helena (could easily have stayed 2 weeks). But on we go. Kyle came across a giant group of noddies yesterday that seemed to use the boat as part of its fishing strategy (snatching up any flying fish that we disturbed in our path). The night sky was clear, and Kyle spotted the FULL big dipper for the first time in many years as we slowly head north again. Another novelty - we have ship in sight (cargo ship heading for Argentina). ] At: 06:00(GMT) 24-Jan-2023, Outside Temp: 24.3C (75.74F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 28.7C (83.66F), Course: 313(degT), Speed Over Ground:8.2kt, Wind:22Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:25%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:2m (from:SE) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 52º 5.208' N | 7º 36.882' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Dungarvan (gales expected this evening and following day. We have moved [22.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 19:48(BST) 10-Jul-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 52º 15.21' N | 7º 3.942' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Kings Channel, River Suir, Near Waterford, Ireland. We have moved [67.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 13:29(BST) 13-Jul-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 55º 13.338' N | 6º 38.436' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Skerries - seals and all. We have moved [44.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 16:27(BST) 05-Aug-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 57º 27.3' N | 6º 35.43' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Dunvegan, Skye. We have moved [15.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 19:49(BST) 06-Sep-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 55º 13.086' N | 6º 32.892' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Portballintrae Hbr, Ireland. We have moved [11.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 13:24(BST) 06-Aug-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 56º 49.782' N | 6º 13.464' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Muck (Port Mor). We have moved [23.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 20:29(BST) 05-Sep-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 55º 17.58' N | 6º 11.628' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Rathlin Island - N. Ireland. We have moved [1.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 11:19(BST) 25-Jun-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 55º 17.52' N | 6º 11.616' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Church Bay, Rathlin Island. We have moved [33.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 12:44(BST) 08-Aug-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 54º 2.946' N | 6º 11.016' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Carlingford Lough. We have moved [18.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 20:37(BST) 23-Jul-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 53º 27.258' N | 6º 9.06' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Malahide, outside Dublin. We have moved [90.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 10:38(BST) 19-Jul-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 55º 12.594' N | 6º 6.84' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Loughan Bay, N of Runabay Head - stunning small cove. We have moved [59.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 14:30(BST) 04-Aug-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 55º 12.6' N | 6º 6.804' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Murlough Bay. We have moved [0.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 09:13(BST) 26-Jun-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 56º 37.212' N | 6º 3.936' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Tobermorry. We have moved [0.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 18:00(BST) 13-Sep-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 55º 3.408' N | 6º 2.496' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Waterfoot (Red Bay). We have moved [68.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 18:00(BST) 03-Aug-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 52º 58.968' N | 6º 2.04' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Wicklow Town - Public docking on harbour wall. We have moved [23.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 14:00(BST) 16-Jul-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 54º 59.622' N | 5º 59.34' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Carnlough Harbour and town. We have moved [2.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 11:06(BST) 27-Jun-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 57º 8.874' N | 5º 47.82' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Duisdale, Isle of Ornsay, Skye. We have moved [31.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 18:51(BST) 11-Sep-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 50º 37.614' N | 5º 45.852' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Still crossing Bristol Channel, Wales now behind us, heading for Cornwall. We have moved [131.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 188(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.2kt, Wind:12Kt(from:NNE), Cloud Cover:0%, Pressure: 1013.00hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:SW). At: 06:00(BST) 29-Apr-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 56º 33.498' N | 5º 45.498' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Loch Aline. We have moved [22.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 18:00(BST) 24-Aug-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 56º 33.366' N | 5º 45.27' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Loch Aline again. We have moved [99.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 19:38(BST) 03-Sep-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 55º 40.362' N | 5º 43.776' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Ardminish Bay, Gigha Island, Inner Hebrides - Last stop in Scotland. We have moved [1.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 16:07(BST) 24-Jun-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 57º 42.138' N | 5º 43.35' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Badachro, Loch Girloch. We have moved [51.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 15:46(BST) 10-Sep-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 15º 55.05' S | 5º 43.044' W | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Mooring Ball ($) in Jamestown, St Helena, Underway - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 14 of South Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Cape Town, South Africa To:Jamestown, St Helena. Our position: loc:-15.9247, -005.7238 Progress: [We've made 1674.3nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:70nm. Since last posting we have made 72.1nm (through water). We have moved 67.3nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 5.9kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.4kt, Avg speed for trip:5.2kt. ] Location Comments: [Island mooring balls (yellow for our weight/size of boat) - we had #10 (2GBP/night). There is a water taxi/ferry option to get us between the boat and the harbour. Hundreds of beautiful but noisy red-billed tropic birds swooping around the cliffs beside the mooring field.] General Comments: [Just around noon we could start to make out the silhouette of the island. The weather was overcast, but slowly more details came into view and the skies started to turn to blue. We were surprised at the amazing geology in the volcanic cliffs that make up the island. We saw a few birds (including a red-billed tropic bird) on the approach. The biggest shock is just how steep the trails and roads seem to be (we'll be getting plenty of exercise). The landmark 'Jacobs Ladder' of 699 steps at 45 degree incline looks way longer and steeper than I expected! For tonight though, we'll rest up aboard Begonia, and then go ashore in the morning to complete all the formalities of arriving in a new country. We managed to keep flying the spinnaker until arriving at the harbour when we switched to motors to pick up a mooring ball. The mooring field wasn't full, but many boats were using fore and aft lines so no balls were free, this meant we waited a while until a kind boat owner untied their stern line to free up a mooring ball for us.] At: 17:20(CET) 16-Jan-2023, Outside Temp: 27.9C (82.22F), Humidity:65%, Water Temp: 28C (82.4F) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 54º 39.828' N | 5º 40.362' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Bangor Marina, Near Belfast. We have moved [2.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 12:26(BST) 28-Jun-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 54º 39.894' N | 5º 40.326' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Bangor Marina, Near Belfast. We have moved [10.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 12:23(BST) 29-Jul-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 54º 22.536' N | 5º 39.216' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Strangford Lough, N. Ireland. We have moved [6.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 12:20(BST) 25-Jul-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 54º 40.092' N | 5º 38.808' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: BallyholmBay, Bangor, N. Ireland. We have moved [62.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 06:00(BST) 28-Jul-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 56º 15.462' N | 5º 37.836' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Cuan Bay. We have moved [79.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 21:31(BST) 22-Aug-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 56º 15.264' N | 5º 37.632' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Cuan Bay. We have moved [18.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 13:46(BST) 23-Jun-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 55º 17.148' N | 5º 34.95' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Sanda - SCOTLAND. We have moved [101.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 12:36(BST) 11-Aug-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 56º 5.508' N | 5º 33.0' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Canal End. We have moved [112.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 18:30(BST) 22-Aug-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 56º 25.152' N | 5º 29.802' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Oban Marina. We have moved [26.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 12:00(BST) 17-Sep-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 56º 24.744' N | 5º 29.076' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Oban Visitor Mooring. We have moved [62.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 13:37(BST) 15-Sep-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 49º 4.806' N | 5º 27.552' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: In French waters, Mid-Channel. We have moved [130.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 170(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.8kt, Wind:16Kt(from:NNE), Cloud Cover:80%, Pressure: 1012.00hPa, Swell:1m (to:SW). At: 06:00(BST) 30-Apr-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 56º 0.738' N | 5º 26.712' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Canal Start. We have moved [70.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 08:30(BST) 22-Aug-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 56º 27.042' N | 5º 26.082' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Dunstaffnage Marina. We have moved [9.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 14:26(BST) 28-Aug-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 52º 11.418' N | 5º 25.938' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Off Davids Head (Wales, Milford Haven nearest town). We have moved [119.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 187(degT), Speed Over Ground:1.5kt, Wind:7Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:0%, Pressure: 1013.00hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:SW). At: 06:00(BST) 28-Apr-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 56º 31.83' N | 5º 24.108' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Eriska Island. We have moved [61.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 17:28(BST) 27-Aug-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 56º 0.618' N | 5º 19.314' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Otter Ferry. We have moved [45.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 14:00(BST) 20-Aug-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 55º 42.522' N | 5º 17.79' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Arran - Lochranza. We have moved [44.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 16:52(BST) 14-Aug-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 55º 53.562' N | 5º 14.304' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Kames, Kyles of Bute. We have moved [75.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 11:41(BST) 18-Aug-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 56º 41.49' N | 5º 10.224' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Ballachulish Bridge. We have moved [24.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 09:00(BST) 16-Apr-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 56º 41.46' N | 5º 10.212' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Ballachulish Bridge. We have moved [26.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 09:00(BST) 15-Apr-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 56º 41.16' N | 5º 9.372' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Ballachulish. We have moved [13.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 12:15(BST) 22-Jun-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 56º 50.544' N | 5º 7.308' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Corpach Basin. We have moved [2.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 16:53(BST) 17-Apr-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 57º 0.546' N | 5º 7.302' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Corpoch Basin - Caledonian Canal. We have moved [22.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 17:08(BST) 21-Jun-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 56º 50.91' N | 5º 5.448' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Atop Neptune's Staircase, Banavie, Fort William. We have moved [23.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 11:20(BST) 18-Apr-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 55º 45.084' N | 5º 1.29' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Bute, Kilchattan Bay. We have moved [116.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 17:00(BST) 16-Aug-2009 | over 15 years ago | Show |
| 56º 42.84' N | 4º 58.926' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: KinLochLeven. We have moved [15.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 14:09(BST) 15-Apr-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 57º 1.614' N | 4º 49.5' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Laggan Locks. We have moved [21.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 16:44(BST) 19-Apr-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 57º 2.694' N | 4º 48.174' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Laggan Bridge. We have moved [14.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 18:25(BST) 20-Jun-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 16º 37.044' S | 4º 48.066' W | Begonia |
Day 14 of South Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Cape Town, South Africa To:Jamestown, St Helena. Our position: loc:-16.6239, -004.8112 We have 70.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 1602.2nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:160nm. Since last posting we have made 167.6nm (through water). We have moved 161.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 6.7kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:7.0kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.1kt. ] Sailing Conditions [We still have good tailwinds and the spinnaker flying. So good that we may even arrive early this evening.] General Comments: [Wildlife is still rare, but Kyle did spot 3 terns yesterday. Yesterday the battery on our life tag died (the elderly device that will set off an alarm if we fall overboard). Kyle rummaged through our battery tub and could not find a replacement (it takes an unusual CR2). I was devastated since it is my job to be sure we always have a supply of whatever batteries we might need AND I want to know ASAP if Kyle falls overboard and I'm asleep in bed. Thankfully I did manage to find new batteries later (right in the same tub). But mostly we are both very excited at the possibility of arriving and being safely on the mooring by early evening TODAY.] At: 06:00(CET) 16-Jan-2023, Outside Temp: 23.9C (75.02F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 27.2C (80.96F), Course: 311(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.8kt, Wind:18Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:97%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:2m (from:SE) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 47º 38.994' N | 4º 43.002' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Just in bay of Biscay, South of Brest. We have moved [64.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 25(degT), Speed Over Ground:1.5kt, Wind:7Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:%, Pressure: 1012.00hPa, Swell:1m (to:WSW). At: 07:00(CEST) 01-May-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 52º 48.078' N | 4º 42.798' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Aberdaron Bay, Wales. We have moved [11.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 20:48(BST) 22-Aug-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 54º 13.344' N | 4º 41.88' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Peel Harbour - Marina. We have moved [1.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 20:35(BST) 09-Jul-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 54º 13.668' N | 4º 41.724' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Peel Harbour - Pier Wall - waiting for cill. We have moved [6.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 13:34(BST) 09-Jul-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 57º 8.724' N | 4º 40.752' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Bottom Fort Augustus Locks. We have moved [45.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 14:29(BST) 21-Apr-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 57º 8.778' N | 4º 40.548' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Fort Augustus - Caledonian Canal. We have moved [20.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 22:17(BST) 19-Jun-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 53º 19.194' N | 4º 38.538' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Holyhead, Anglesea Wales. At: 04:06(BST) 14-Aug-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 53º 29.412' N | 4º 29.55' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Just off Anglesea (Wales). We have moved [84.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 262(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.6kt, Wind:19Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1012.00hPa, Swell:1m (to:W). At: 07:00(BST) 27-Apr-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 52º 53.136' N | 4º 24.378' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Pwllheli, Wales. We have moved [21.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 15:10(BST) 15-Aug-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 53º 8.562' N | 4º 16.662' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Caernafon, Wales. At: 20:37(BST) 23-Aug-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 57º 29.436' N | 4º 15.822' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Inverness - Clachnaharry. We have moved [12.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 00:36(BST) 18-Jun-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 57º 29.406' N | 4º 15.672' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Clachnaharry Sea Loch - end of Caledonian - Inverness. We have moved [36.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 15:29(BST) 24-Apr-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 57º 28.53' N | 4º 15.21' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Caley Marina - Inverness. At: 16:41(BST) 23-Apr-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 53º 12.192' N | 4º 12.828' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Menai Straight - Plas Newydd House Moorings. We have moved [23.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 13:09(BST) 25-Aug-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 52º 24.636' N | 4º 5.256' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Aberystwyth. We have moved [46.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 15:35(BST) 18-Aug-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 53º 17.46' N | 3º 50.304' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Conwy Marina. We have moved [24.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 14:22(BST) 26-Aug-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 58º 6.978' N | 3º 38.88' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Helmsdale Harbour Visitor Dock. At: 19:41(BST) 25-Apr-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 46º 38.592' N | 3º 8.46' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Northern Bay of Biscay (Still). We have moved [73.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 136(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.4kt, Wind:5Kt(from:N), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1012.00hPa, Swell:0.3m (to:S). At: 07:00(CEST) 02-May-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 58º 26.382' N | 3º 5.064' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Wick - Inner Harbour. We have moved [8.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 18:18(BST) 28-Apr-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 58º 59.202' N | 2º 57.51' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Orkney - Main Island - Kirkwall Marina. We have moved [6.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 17:15(BST) 12-May-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 53º 45.492' N | 2º 45.054' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Preston - awaiting Lock. We have moved [8.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 02:13(BST) 14-Jul-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 53º 45.618' N | 2º 44.562' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Preston Marina. We have moved [0.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 14:05(BST) 14-Jul-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 53º 45.636' N | 2º 44.544' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Preston Marina. We have moved [109.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 14:51(BST) 28-Aug-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 18º 22.008' S | 2º 39.084' W | Begonia |
Day 13 of South Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Cape Town, South Africa To:Jamestown, St Helena. Our position: loc:-18.3677, -002.6643 We have 230.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 1434.6nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:173nm. Since last posting we have made 178.4nm (through water). We have moved 173.0nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 7.2kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:7.4kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.0kt. ] Sailing Conditions [We continue with good tailwinds (spinnaker sailing). Seas have built a bit, but all is easy aboard.] General Comments: [It has been overcast and cooler. Accidentally on Friday night the fridge controller was knocked into high so the batteries drained way beyond normal overnight (I could see the battery level going down but could not understand why - next time the fridge will be the first thing I check!). Thankfully despite the mostly overcast conditions we caught up to 100% again yesterday. Yesterday we also made our best day (nautical miles wise) for the passage to date. A few rain showers, mostly missing us. All is well.] At: 06:00(CET) 15-Jan-2023, Outside Temp: 23.4C (74.12F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 26.8C (80.24F), Course: 310(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.6kt, Wind:16Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:95%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:2.5m (from:SE) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 59º 8.556' N | 2º 35.886' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Orkney - Stronsay - Whitehall. We have moved [13.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 16:34(BST) 14-May-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 59º 32.286' N | 1º 36.246' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Fair Isle. We have moved [68.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 20:40(BST) 16-May-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 45º 40.62' N | 1º 27.48' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Holding off entering the River Gironde until the noon flood starts. We have moved [70.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 129(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.8kt, Wind:12Kt(from:WNW), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1011.00hPa, Swell:1.2m (to:N). At: 07:00(CEST) 03-May-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 60º 10.194' N | 1º 9.69' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Shetland - Lerwick (Gremista). We have moved [14.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 17:38(BST) 20-May-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 60º 9.24' N | 1º 8.46' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Shetland - Lerwick. We have moved [31.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 20:19(BST) 19-May-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 45º 11.934' N | 0º 44.646' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: At Dock in Pauillac. We have moved [104.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 20:30(CEST) 03-May-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 20º 12.084' S | 0º 19.008' W | Begonia |
Day 12 of South Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Cape Town, South Africa To:Jamestown, St Helena. Our position: loc:-20.2139, -000.3183 We have 403.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 1256.2nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:154nm. Since last posting we have made 151.2nm (through water). We have moved 153.9nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 6.4kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.3kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.7kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Wind is a good steady tailwind, waves are building (following seas) and we've had a few surf moments overnight. We continue to fly the spinnaker. We have crossed the Greenwich Meridian and our longitude has flipped from East to West (We departed the westerly longitudes back in July 2019). As we head both north towards the equator, and west the sun rises a little later each by Boat Time so my 6am start is now barely with any light.] General Comments: [We've seen no wildlife for ages except for the odd flying fish, so I was surprised to see a small solitary petrel flitting about the waves yesterday. As we approach St Helena I'm expecting we'll start to see more life, but this still feels too far out. ] At: 06:00(CET) 14-Jan-2023, Outside Temp: 23.1C (73.58F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 26.3C (79.34F), Course: 310(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.6kt, Wind:16Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:98%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:2m (from:SE) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 44º 33.75' N | 0º 9.78' W | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Castetes (Waiting for canal Garonne). We have moved [109.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 07:00(CEST) 06-May-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 44º 21.444' N | 0º 16.572' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: St Christophe on Canal Garonne. We have moved [87.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 19:30(CEST) 06-May-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 44º 7.728' N | 0º 49.956' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Lamagistere Lock. We have moved [102.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 03:00(CEST) 09-May-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 43º 57.612' N | 1º 14.202' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Montech Town Docks. We have moved [108.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 11:00(CEST) 09-May-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 43º 32.496' N | 1º 29.46' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Port-Sud on the Canal De Midi (Toulouse). We have moved [120.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 19:29(CEST) 09-May-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 43º 23.97' N | 1º 40.734' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Leval Lock - canal de Midi. We have moved [145.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 19:32(CEST) 10-May-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 21º 47.034' S | 1º 51.006' E | Begonia |
Day 11 of South Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Cape Town, South Africa To:Jamestown, St Helena. Our position: loc:-21.7888, 001.8509 We have 557.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 1105.0nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:115nm. Since last posting we have made 111.2nm (through water). We have moved 115.6nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.8kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.6kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.6kt. ] Sailing Conditions [We continue sailing with the spinnaker with just the occasional gybe (our 5th day). Seas remain pretty calm/easy, and we expect good tail winds for the remainder of the passage.] General Comments: [Mostly clear skies gave some great star gazing overnight. The warmer temperatures in the day mean we are using fans again. We seem to be in a dead zone re ocean critters, no nighttime bioluminescence. For some reason our phones are very slow to get a GPS signal for the last few days. Kyle did manage to rescue a flying fish today, getting it back into the water in time to swim again. Our 'together book' currently is a selection of Jeremy Clarkson columns; I'm not really a fan of the guy, nor do I care much about cars, but boy he has us laughing out loud a LOT. ] At: 06:00(CET) 13-Jan-2023, Outside Temp: 22.3C (72.14F), Humidity:80%, Water Temp: 26.3C (79.34F), Course: 308(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.4kt, Wind:13Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:60%, Pressure: 1015hPa, Swell:2m (from:S) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 43º 17.142' N | 2º 2.004' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Crimelle Lock - Canal du Midi. We have moved [117.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 17:04(CEST) 11-May-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 43º 13.122' N | 2º 21.222' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Carcasonne. We have moved [77.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 16:46(CEST) 12-May-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 43º 14.454' N | 2º 45.888' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Argens Minervoir. We have moved [117.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 18:55(CEST) 14-May-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 43º 19.824' N | 3º 11.688' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Beziers. We have moved [142.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 19:53(CEST) 15-May-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 43º 17.88' N | 3º 27.156' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Grau d'agde - for Mast Unstepping. We have moved [143.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 10:03(CEST) 17-May-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 43º 19.194' N | 3º 27.984' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Agde, waiting for last lock. We have moved [145.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 18:16(CEST) 16-May-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 22º 58.074' S | 3º 29.04' E | Begonia |
Day 10 of South Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Cape Town, South Africa To:Jamestown, St Helena. Our position: loc:-22.9791, 003.4896 We have 672.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 993.9nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:114nm. Since last posting we have made 99.8nm (through water). We have moved 113.2nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.7kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.2kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.6kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Another slow start to yesterday, but by evening we finally managed to start making decent speeds again, Kyle tells me this should be good for the remainder of the trip now.] General Comments: [Yesterday also brought blue skies again after days of near full cloud, making the cockpit pleasant not just for watches but for bathing too. Also giving us some good stargazing at last. I've determined all my remaining books are either unreadable or to share with Kyle, so dug out a navigation text book (Dutton's) to refresh myself - that should keep me busy for several weeks. And the big news, we crossed the tropic of Capricorn so are now officially in the Tropics again.] At: 06:00(CET) 12-Jan-2023, Outside Temp: 21.7C (71.06F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 25.3C (77.54F), Course: 308(degT), Speed Over Ground:5kt, Wind:10Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:50%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:1m (from:SE) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 43º 16.932' N | 3º 30.684' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Cap d'agde - for the week. We have moved [138.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 10:30(CEST) 18-May-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 60º 44.508' N | 3º 31.872' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Passage. We have moved [10.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 07:00(BST) 02-Jun-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 60º 55.896' N | 4º 57.198' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Passage. We have moved [21.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 14:00(BST) 02-Jun-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 60º 56.628' N | 4º 57.222' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Skerjehamn. We have moved [16.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 19:17(GMT) 12-Jun-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 24º 10.014' S | 5º 5.022' E | Begonia |
Day 9 of South Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Cape Town, South Africa To:Jamestown, St Helena. Our position: loc:-24.1686, 005.0874 We have 786.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 894.1nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:69nm. Since last posting we have made 35.2nm (through water). We have moved 69.2nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.9kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:1.5kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.6kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Flat calm conditions, but slow progress. Ugh - so slow that our speed wheel doesn't even register most of the time. We are not in the doldrums but may as well be. Kyle tells me that we can expect winds today and resume normal sailing.] General Comments: [Despite the overcast conditions the batteries have been keeping charged (for which we are very grateful). We are still not technically in the tropics, but with the calm conditions we are sailing in shorts and t-shirts again. Kyle and I just finished re-reading 'Adrift' by Steven Callahan; its an amazing story of a solo sailor who was 76 days adrift in a liferaft back in the 1980s. Even though we know the story well, we were both very emotional once he was finally rescued. With a bit more pondering we found a mini-SD card for the underwater camera (from an old Navionics chip that we no longer needed), so I'm now looking forward to some snorkelling in St Helena. ] At: 06:00(CET) 11-Jan-2023, Outside Temp: 21.9C (71.42F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 24.8C (76.64F), Course: 300(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.8kt, Wind:3Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:95%, Pressure: 1017hPa, Swell:1.5m (from:S) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 60º 23.802' N | 5º 19.338' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Bergen. We have moved [7.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 18:23(GMT) 13-Jun-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 61º 8.22' N | 5º 20.802' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Leirwik I Sogn- Norway. We have moved [9.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 18:42(BST) 02-Jun-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 43º 12.294' N | 5º 30.912' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: PORT miou Calanque. We have moved [142.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 17:01(CEST) 24-May-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 43º 6.15' N | 5º 55.902' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Toulon for the week. We have moved [127.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 09:42(CEST) 26-May-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 24º 54.0' S | 6º 4.002' E | Begonia |
Day 8 of South Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Cape Town, South Africa To:Jamestown, St Helena. Our position: loc:-24.9000, 006.0670 We have 855.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 858.9nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:62nm. Since last posting we have made 44.1nm (through water). We have moved 62.8nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.6kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:1.8kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.1kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Conditions are ridiculously calm (wind and seas), We sail downwind with the spinnaker, with light winds, making very slow but constant progress. Warmer conditions (and the reduced winds) mean that we are enjoying our watches from the helm seat again(for the last couple of day).] General Comments: [Despite the calm sailing conditions, the sky has been mostly overcast. This is causing problems replenishing the batteries, but we are hopeful for some sunshine today (fingers crossed). Yesterday I pulled our our new underwater camera in the ridiculously to set it up and check out how it works - I discovered it takes mini-SD cards and we don't have any aboard - UGH!!!! I'm very frustrated at myself. We are half way there (distance wise) and have completed our first week at sea for this passage. Overnight, around 9pm, there were 1000's of condom-shaped (10-40cm long) basket-like critters in the water. At first I thought they must be squid or even trash, but they didn't have appendages, and didn't move in the water (just drifted). I tried to catch one for a better look, but the motion of the boat pushed them away from me so they were always just out of reach.. They kept me fascinated for hours. I could not tell if they were soft or hard, but they were EVERYWHERE. By the time Kyle came on watch they had all vanished. I'll make a point to look out again tonight.] At: 06:00(CET) 10-Jan-2023, Outside Temp: 21.8C (71.24F), Humidity:66%, Water Temp: 24.3C (75.74F), Course: 311(degT), Speed Over Ground:2kt, Wind:5Kt(from:SSE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:1m (from:SE) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 61º 2.298' N | 6º 16.116' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Finnabotn. We have moved [2.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 15:46(GMT) 10-Jun-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 61º 12.636' N | 6º 32.196' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Balestrand. We have moved [24.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 14:03(GMT) 09-Jun-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 61º 24.27' N | 6º 44.466' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Mondal - Norway. We have moved [6.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 19:43(GMT) 04-Jun-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 60º 55.05' N | 6º 52.272' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Indre Holmaviki - Naeroyfjord - Norway. We have moved [11.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 15:28(GMT) 07-Jun-2010 | over 14 years ago | Show |
| 25º 33.054' S | 6º 57.09' E | Begonia |
Day 7 of South Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Cape Town, South Africa To:Jamestown, St Helena. Our position: loc:-25.5593, 006.9650 We have 917.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 814.8nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:128nm. Since last posting we have made 129.3nm (through water). We have moved 131.1nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 5.5kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.4kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.6kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Wind and seas continue to calm, Kyle warns me it will be very frustrating today with especially light winds. We continue to sail with the spinnaker (our colourful light wind sail). We've yet to get any current advantage (its been mostly to the side, or even against us). Astute observers of our track may wonder why we're so left/west of our direct line - this is because we are expecting the wind to shift and Kyle has planned this so we can continue with the current sail even after the shift.] General Comments: [With the reduced winds we now rely on the solar panels to keep the batteries charged. It's been quite overcast, but so far we've been fully charged by noon each day (fingers crossed this holds and we don't need to resort to any motoring just for the battery). I didn't clarify the other day (and people have asked) - but Kyle's tumble only damaged the table, he is just fine.] At: 06:00(CET) 09-Jan-2023, Outside Temp: 21.3C (70.34F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 23.8C (74.84F), Course: 286(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.2kt, Wind:5Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:1.5m (from:SE) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 43º 43.716' N | 7º 25.296' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Monte Carlo, Monaco. We have moved [131.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 11:54(CEST) 02-Jun-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 26º 21.024' S | 9º 13.074' E | Begonia |
Day 6 of South Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Cape Town, South Africa To:Jamestown, St Helena. Our position: loc:-26.3536, 009.2288 We have 1045.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 685.4nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:146nm. Since last posting we have made 157.4nm (through water). We have moved 144.1nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 6.0kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.6kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.7kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Seas and winds continued to calm - we are now sailing downwind with the spinnaker (newly repaired).] General Comments: [Warmer conditions are helping (long trousers still required). Ship traffic seems to be rarer by the day. Boats from the Cape to St Helena Race (a week ahead of us) have started to arrive at St Helena (winners already announced, but much of the fleet yet to arrive).] At: 06:00(CET) 08-Jan-2023, Outside Temp: 20.7C (69.26F), Humidity:83%, Water Temp: 22.9C (73.22F), Course: 295(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.4kt, Wind:16Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:2.5m (from:SE) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 43º 40.686' N | 10º 18.144' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Pisa, Italy - for the week. We have moved [44.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 22:53(CEST) 04-Jun-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 28º 5.016' S | 11º 6.006' E | Begonia |
Day 5 of South Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Cape Town, South Africa To:Jamestown, St Helena. Our position: loc:-28.0856, 011.1011 We have 1191.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 528.1nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:154nm. Since last posting we have made 153.6nm (through water). We have moved 154.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 6.4kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.4kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.4kt. ] Sailing Conditions [We've actually started to unreef again, Kyle assures me that the worst of the weather for this passage is over with. We had expected to be in a good current by now (the Benguela Current), but it mostly seems to be to one side or the other rather than in our favour.] General Comments: [We are now north of the border between South Africa and Namibia. The chill has started to reduce (yay) as have the waves, but overnight Kyle took a tumble in the cockpit and the cockpit-table broke off. It should be an easy fix, but for now the table is in the guest bedroom. I had an albatross with me for most of my morning watch yesterday. Overnight was a full moon (practically a spotlight). We should not complain about the wind too much as it is keeping our batteries topped up (we haven't dropped below 98% for days!).] At: 06:00(CET) 07-Jan-2023, Outside Temp: 20.5C (68.9F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 22.9C (73.22F), Course: 330(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.9kt, Wind:24Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:75%, Pressure: 1018hPa, Swell:3m (from:SE) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 41º 46.182' N | 12º 13.494' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Fiumicino - wait for bridge. We have moved [6.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 21:58(CEST) 12-Jun-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 41º 46.254' N | 12º 14.484' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Fiumicino - Cantiere Nautico Albula. We have moved [15.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 09:00(CEST) 13-Jun-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 41º 26.778' N | 12º 37.974' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Anzio - Anchored in Harbour (Free 48 hours, hopefully all week). We have moved [43.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 16:12(CEST) 13-Jul-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 41º 26.808' N | 12º 38.136' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Anzio -Forced to move outside harbour - Anchored. We have moved [41.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 22:18(CEST) 13-Jul-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 29º 50.094' S | 13º 14.1' E | Begonia |
Day 4 of South Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Cape Town, South Africa To:Jamestown, St Helena. Our position: loc:-29.8494, 013.2498 We have 1345.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 374.5nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:157nm. Since last posting we have made 153.1nm (through water). We have moved 156.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 6.5kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.4kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.1kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Seas grew to 3.5m+ and we expect that to last for another 24 hours. We had a max gust just over 41kt overnight. We're heavily reefed, and sailing on a run with the occasional big slap by a wave. We are getting excellent service from the autopilot.] General Comments: [There are still regular sightings of passing cargo boats (on the AIS, occasionally visual too). It is COLD with the wind, so we mostly spend our watches keeping a look out from inside the boat.] At: 06:00(CET) 06-Jan-2023, Outside Temp: 19.4C (66.92F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 21.4C (70.52F), Course: 300(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.4kt, Wind:32Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:80%, Pressure: 1021hPa, Swell:3.5m (from:SE) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 40º 47.352' N | 14º 4.89' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Miseno Near Napoli. We have moved [83.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 14:24(CEST) 20-Jul-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 38º 33.696' N | 14º 34.986' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Filicudi, Aeolian Islands, Italy. We have moved [28.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 10:41(CEST) 01-Oct-2011 | about 13 years ago | Show |
| 38º 25.134' N | 14º 57.234' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Vico, Vulcano, Sicily, Aeolian Islands, Italy. At: 17:10(CEST) 29-Sep-2011 | about 13 years ago | Show |
| 40º 25.182' N | 14º 58.968' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Paestum. We have moved [3.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 07:31(CEST) 22-Jul-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 40º 21.288' N | 14º 59.568' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Agropoli beach (could not get anchor to set on nearby harbour… grrrrr.). We have moved [114.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 16:12(CEST) 07-Oct-2011 | about 13 years ago | Show |
| 38º 38.52' N | 15º 4.674' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Panarea, Aeolian Islands, Italy - anchored in small bolder field (very calm weather). We have moved [113.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 10:52(CEST) 03-Oct-2011 | about 13 years ago | Show |
| 38º 38.328' N | 15º 6.642' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Bottaro Rock (Temp stop to snorkel on Fumeroles) - just hovered under motor and took turns - COOL!. We have moved [161.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 08:00(CEST) 04-Oct-2011 | about 13 years ago | Show |
| 38º 49.002' N | 15º 12.0' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Not anchored, watching the volcano at Stromboli. We have moved [6.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 06:00(CEST) 25-Jul-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 38º 48.03' N | 15º 14.628' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Stromboli Island, Aeolian Islands, Italy - Mooring ball - €35/night. We have moved [132.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 11:23(CEST) 04-Oct-2011 | about 13 years ago | Show |
| 38º 13.56' N | 15º 14.712' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Milazzo, Sicily, Italy. We have moved [1.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 18:43(CEST) 27-Sep-2011 | about 13 years ago | Show |
| 40º 1.662' N | 15º 17.682' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Palinuro - anchored - beautiful high cliffs - no wifi signal with wind. We have moved [1.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 14:51(CEST) 23-Jul-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 40º 1.644' N | 15º 17.688' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Palinuro - anchored - beautiful high cliffs - no wifi signal with wind. We have moved [152.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 06:52(CEST) 07-Oct-2011 | about 13 years ago | Show |
| 31º 35.064' S | 15º 30.066' E | Begonia |
Day 3 of South Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Cape Town, South Africa To:Jamestown, St Helena. Our position: loc:-31.5935, 015.5110 We have 1502.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 221.4nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:124nm. Since last posting we have made 129.0nm (through water). We have moved 133.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 5.6kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.4kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.5kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Seas built (we currently have about 3m), and are rougher. The wind makes for cold watches (brrrr) so we are well wrapped. We had a bit of a lull yesterday morning, but were back to making 'normal' progress by mid-afternoon so overall a pretty good day.] General Comments: [The water temperature has increased significantly since we left Cape Town. The wildlife viewing is down to the occasional bird now (no more fur seals). We seem well adjusted to our watches.] At: 06:00(CET) 05-Jan-2023, Outside Temp: 18.9C (66.02F), Humidity:68%, Water Temp: 20.9C (69.62F), Course: 313(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.7kt, Wind:24Kt(from:SSE), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1021hPa, Swell:3m (from:SE) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 38º 14.01' N | 15º 31.392' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Anchored of East coast of Sicily. We have moved [4.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 18:13(CEST) 25-Jul-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 38º 14.04' N | 15º 34.398' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Arrived - Messina, Italy. We have moved [1.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 18:33(EEST) 26-Sep-2011 | about 13 years ago | Show |
| 37º 42.528' N | 15º 57.702' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Passage: Greece to Italy - Monday (day 5). We have moved [2.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 284(degT), Speed Over Ground:6kt, Wind:NEKt(from:23), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1014.00hPa, Swell:1m (to:S). At: 07:00(EEST) 26-Sep-2011 | about 13 years ago | Show |
| 37º 55.788' N | 16º 22.194' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Passage Sicily to Greece - Wed. We have moved [8.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 79(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.6kt, Wind:5Kt(from:NNE), Cloud Cover:0%, Pressure: 1011.00hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:S). At: 06:00(CEST) 27-Jul-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 33º 8.01' S | 17º 24.096' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of South Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Cape Town, South Africa To:Jamestown, St Helena. Our position: loc:-33.1348, 017.4157 We have 1626.0nm to go along estimated route. (Corrected) Progress: [We've made 92.3nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:66nm. Since last posting we have made 90.2nm (through water). We have moved 66.1nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.8kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:3.8kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):3.6kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Frustrating light headwinds for most of yesterday (hence the poor point to point distance - all that tacking), should all be over and we should make more 'normal' progress from now on. Seas relatively calm and a hint of blue skies at last (yesterday was very gloomy).] General Comments: [It is very cold (we both do our watches very wrapped up). The fog came and went over the day, but to distract us we had plenty of times when we passed through groups of cape fur seals, and occasionally had a small group of dolphins pass by. Ahead of us is the fleet from the 'Cape to St Helena' sail race (they departed on 29th December), but we received word from the Harbour master at St Helena, that there will still be plenty of moorings available (no need to anchor when we arrive).] At: 06:00(CET) 04-Jan-2023, Outside Temp: 17.3C (63.14F), Humidity:85%, Water Temp: 15C (59F), Course: 321(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.2kt, Wind:9Kt(from:SSW), Cloud Cover:90%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:2m (from:SW) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 37º 32.43' N | 17º 31.608' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Passage Sicily to Greece - Thu. We have moved [4.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 53(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.6kt, Wind:8Kt(from:SW), Cloud Cover:0%, Pressure: 1011.00hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:W). At: 06:00(CEST) 28-Jul-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 37º 14.232' N | 17º 43.644' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Passage: Greece to Italy - Sunday (day 4). We have moved [2.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 300(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.6kt, Wind:NNEKt(from:8), Cloud Cover:10%, Pressure: 1013.00hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:S). At: 07:00(EEST) 25-Sep-2011 | about 13 years ago | Show |
| 36º 57.72' N | 18º 5.244' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Passage: Greece to Italy - Saturday (day 3). We have moved [4.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 223(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.4kt, Wind:NKt(from:8), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1014.00hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:SE). At: 07:00(EEST) 24-Sep-2011 | about 13 years ago | Show |
| 34º 2.1' S | 18º 20.094' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Marina Dock in Yacht Club, Hout Bay, Western Cape, South Africa - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 3 of Atlantic/Indian Ocean Passage From:Mossel Bay Harbour, Western Cape To:Yacht Club, Hout Bay, Western Cape. Our position: loc:-34.0499, 018.3487 Progress: [We've made 241.5nm (through water) on this passage and We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:66nm. Since last posting we have made 53.8nm (through water). We have moved 54.5nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.8kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:3.8kt, Avg speed for trip:4.0kt. ] Location Comments: [Secure at the 'step off' moorings (aka Dock) at Hout Bay YC. Stunning location surrounded by high hills. The harbour is shared with the fishing fleet - all very photogenic (and a bit smelly).] General Comments: [We rounded Cape of Good Hope in unbelievably calm conditions (thankfully), so were able to enjoy it all. Lots of seals playing about and even a penguin or two. We're so glad we made it before full dark (just after sunset). We had more light winds and some slow hours before finally the wind settled and we could head for the harbour. We were welcomed at the dock by local boater (Andy) and Eliot the overnight security guy - and they helped tie our lines (always a bonus). We'll do all the paperwork in the morning - for now we can crack open a bottle of South African wine and toast another safe arrival. Whew!] At: 20:18(SAST) 06-Dec-2022, Outside Temp: 19.6C (67.28F), Humidity:60%, Water Temp: 16.1C (60.98F) | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 33º 53.046' S | 18º 22.056' E | Begonia |
Day 1 of South Atlantic Ocean Passage From:Cape Town, South Africa To:Jamestown, St Helena. Our position: loc:-33.8909, 018.3763 We have 1898.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 2.1nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:-98nm. Since last posting we have made 2.14nm (through water). We have moved 2.2nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 1.7kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:1.6kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):1.6kt. ] Sailing Conditions [We had an early start, but in heavy fog and very light winds. Kyle can't be persuaded to hoist the spinnaker since winds are expected to pick up mid-morning, and the wind direction expected to change once we are out of the shadow of the point, so our departure is slow and easy.] General Comments: [Waking to heavy fog we didn't expect to get a departure view of Cape town, but slowly the fog thinned and gave us a great suite of vistas. We have very mixed emotions about our departure, and huge gratitude to some special friends who made every location so memorable and magical a visit. Thanks especially to Shana who hosted us last-minute on Christmas Day and shared her family with us. To help make us feel better (I'm sure), as we depart Cape Town we have a group of 20 fur seals frolicking around as they pass Begonia on their way to their breakfast hunting grounds. Farewell Cape Town.] At: 06:00(CET) 03-Jan-2023, Outside Temp: 19.5C (67.1F), Humidity:75%, Water Temp: 14.6C (58.28F), Course: 286(degT), Speed Over Ground:1.1kt, Wind:5Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:2%, Pressure: 1009hPa, Swell:0.5m (from:NW) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 33º 53.1' S | 18º 25.014' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Granger Bay, Cape Town - Atlantic Ocean, South Africa. Our position: loc:-33.8998, 018.4188 Sail From: Royal Cape Yacht Club (RCYC) To: Granger Bay, Cape Town We travelled 2.4nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved 1.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.1kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.0kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 8m near power boat club (plenty of jet ski and power boat activity). A convenient spot to rest for the night and be ready for an early departure the following day.] General Comments: [All official clearance complete. All set for the sail to St Helena next. But we are all ready here with a great view for the start of the Cape2Rio sail race set to depart at 2pm - so plenty of extra activity to distract us for now] At: 12:50(SAST) 02-Jan-2023, Outside Temp: 24.3C (75.74F), Humidity:54%, Water Temp: 13C (55.4F) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 33º 55.014' S | 18º 26.058' E | Begonia |
At Marina Dock: Royal Cape Yacht Club (RCYC) - Atlantic Ocean, South Africa. Our position: loc:-33.9185, 018.4433 Sail From: Yacht Club, Hout Bay, Western Cape To: Royal Cape Yacht Club (RCYC) We travelled 19.9nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved 9.2nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.2kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.7kt. Location Comments: [Free allocation of a dock for up to 6 hours for Immigration Clearance. Contacted YC in advance for Details and to reserve a slip.] General Comments: [Moved from Hout Bay to Cape Town proper to complete our clearing in formalities. Lovely calm ride, and pengins playing in the water when we arrived.] At: 08:36(SAST) 02-Jan-2023, Outside Temp: C (F), Humidity:%, Water Temp: C (F) | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 34º 40.098' S | 19º 8.022' E | Begonia |
Day 3 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Mossel Bay Harbour, Western Cape To:Yacht Club, Hout Bay, Western Cape. Our position: loc:-34.6826, 019.1374 We have 66.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 187.8nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:83nm. Since last posting we have made 93.3nm (through water). We have moved 74.6nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.1kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:3.9kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.0kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Calm mornings, choppy afternoons. Yesterday the wind reduced to about 2kt for much of the evening (we've more again now). Nearly all headwinds/close hauled and lots of tacking, but now we've started to turn north we have a slightly better angle.] General Comments: [We had a large pod of dolphins join us yesterday afternoon, with plenty wanting to leap and play (but while the seas were being especially boisterous tor us so no good pictures). Some more are headed to the boat right now! The coastline has been rugged and with plenty of sand dunes (backed by hills/mountains). We passed by several headlands in the last 24 hours - most notably Cape Agulhas (the southernmost point of Africa) which means two things: We are now in the Atlantic Ocean again, AND we are now heading northwards again (or at least moving with a bit of north in our travel) - back towards the equator and away from the poles (can you tell we've been feeling the cold). To be fair as the winds have dropped the chill factor has also reduce (but I'm still a wimp).] At: 06:00(SAST) 06-Dec-2022, Outside Temp: 19C (66.2F), Humidity:62%, Water Temp: 20.9C (69.62F), Course: 295(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.3kt, Wind:4Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1015hPa, Swell:2m (from:SW) | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 38º 39.654' N | 19º 20.574' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Passage Sicily to Greece - Fri. We have moved [26.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 132(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.8kt, Wind:16Kt(from:NNW), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1009.00hPa, Swell:1m (to:N). At: 06:00(CEST) 29-Jul-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 37º 9.192' N | 19º 32.73' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Passage: Greece to Italy - Friday (day 2). We have moved [3.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. Course: 280(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.8kt, Wind:NNEKt(from:10), Cloud Cover:20%, Pressure: 1010.00hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:S). At: 07:00(EEST) 23-Sep-2011 | about 13 years ago | Show |
| 38º 10.71' N | 20º 29.394' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Arrived Agristoli, Keffalonia. We have moved [3.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 20:06(CEST) 29-Jul-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 34º 39.084' S | 20º 38.1' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Mossel Bay Harbour, Western Cape To:Yacht Club, Hout Bay, Western Cape. Our position: loc:-34.6638, 020.6499 We have 149.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 94.5nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:84nm. Since last posting we have made 94.5nm (through water). We have moved 79.6nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.5kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.2kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.2kt. ] Sailing Conditions [With the perfect wind direction/conditions, a small harbour and no other boat traffic, Kyle was very happy to be able to depart the harbour under sail (no motor). A slow and easy day yesterday, sailing mostly close hauled, and as the day progressed we found our progress being slowed further by the waves that we were fighting against. We remain very wrapped-up as the temperature drops and wind adds to the chill.] General Comments: [Beyond getting a space in the harbour (which everyone predicted was impossible) our stay in Mossel Bay was made even more AMAZING. This was mostly due to the fact that someone I worked with way back, now lives there and was the most fantastic host (Thanks Merinda). We were spoiled with kindnesses: great company, meals, sugary treats, sightseeing, the opportunity to fly in a gyro-plane over the beautiful coastal scenery and so much more. It was difficult to leave, but Kyle was keen to catch this weather window and move on (never knowing when the next might appear). Our 'neighbours', The family of seagulls perched on the boat that we were tied alongside, seemed very happy that they had finally managed to chase us off their territory. We expect to arrive in Hout Bay in the morning (all being well), it seems very strange (pleasant) to be taking such a short sail after the epic passages required to hop across the Indian Ocean. Water and air temperatures continue to drop so we remain well wrapped (even in the day time now)... Brrrr...] At: 06:00(SAST) 05-Dec-2022, Outside Temp: 18C (64.4F), Humidity:63%, Water Temp: 20.9C (69.62F), Course: 337(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.8kt, Wind:12Kt(from:SW), Cloud Cover:20%, Pressure: 1015hPa, Swell:1.5m (from:SW) | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 36º 54.924' N | 21º 41.742' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Greece, Pylos to clear out of Greece - used town dock (not marina) and charged for 2 days (1 night) €15 - Water Key from city hall (€5), fuel from shell delivered.. We have moved [1.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 08:46(EEST) 21-Sep-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 36º 48.912' N | 21º 42.456' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Greece, Methoni Bay beside ancient castle. We have moved [1.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 08:49(EEST) 19-Sep-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 38º 21.564' N | 22º 6.096' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Anchored of uninhabited island (unnamed on chart) - East of Trizonia Nisis (Free). We have moved [92.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 12:14(EEST) 01-Aug-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 34º 10.074' S | 22º 8.088' E | Begonia |
"Safely arrived: at Alongside in Mossel Bay Harbour, South Africa - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 5 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Zululand YC, Richards Bay To:Mossel Bay Harbour. Our position: loc:-34.1785, 022.1474 Progress: [We've made 535.6nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:111nm. Since last posting we have made 114.6nm (through water). We have moved 96.2nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.0kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.8kt, Avg speed for trip:5.6kt. ] Location Comments: [Port control directed us to enter port and tie alongside a local fishing boat (El Marlyn) - we are very happy to be inside port, it makes getting ashore easier AND we don't have to swap our our dinghy from lifeboat mode. Getting a space inside the harbour is never a given so YAY for us, and thanks to Mossel Bay Port Control :-) - even if it is a little fishy around here!] General Comments: [Yesterday's sailing was a world apart from the day before, sunny and calm with a gentle swell. We've had the odd seal come and be curious around the boat when underway (and we expect we'll see them in the harbour too). Glad to have arrived, now we can rest up and catch up before Maryanne gets to meet up with friend she hasn't met in decades!] At: 05:56(SAST) 30-Nov-2022, Outside Temp: 19.8C (67.64F), Humidity:78%, Water Temp: 22.4C (72.32F) | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 36º 38.346' N | 22º 22.896' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Greece, Anchored in Diros Bay, by Diros Neolithic caves, Good sand holding. We have moved [15.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 13:48(EEST) 17-Sep-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 38º 22.59' N | 22º 23.274' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Galaxidi - Med Mooring to wall - guidance from Drunk - Free water, Pay at Port Police. We have moved [174.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 18:08(EEST) 03-Aug-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 38º 12.786' N | 22º 58.536' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Secluded ancorage in cliff fringed cove - Corrinth passage Near Ormos Ay Ioanna. We have moved [162.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 15:30(EEST) 06-Aug-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 37º 55.38' N | 23º 1.038' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Anchor in Town - East end of Corinth Canal. We have moved [9.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 15:45(EEST) 08-Aug-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 36º 25.176' N | 23º 8.4' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Greece, On passage to Pelopense. We have moved [1.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 03:01(EEST) 17-Sep-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 37º 54.294' N | 23º 24.336' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Off island of Nisos Salamis (in channel by Ormos Kanakia Island) - Anchored, Free, Taverna ashore - small hamlet (Kanakia)- required several attempts to successfully anchor (sand over rock). We have moved [87.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 14:33(EEST) 18-Aug-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 37º 56.184' N | 23º 38.832' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Zea Marina to meet with Kate and Mark and visit Athens!. We have moved [9.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 10:53(EEST) 19-Aug-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 37º 39.888' N | 23º 58.158' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Windy anchorage west of Ak Sunion - No fee. We have moved [48.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 15:29(EEST) 23-Aug-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 34º 36.0' S | 24º 1.032' E | Begonia |
Day 4 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Zululand YC, Richards Bay To:Mossel Bay. Our position: loc:-34.5999, 024.0220 We have 111.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 421.0nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:199nm. Since last posting we have made 154.9nm (through water). We have moved 203.5nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 8.5kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.5kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.8kt. ] Sailing Conditions [With an amazing current advantage (often over 5kt) we have made a 2nd 200nm day in a row. Thankfully the boat was going with the conditions. Yesterday (especially overnight) the winds and waves were at their peak, and Kyle and I both agreed to wear life-jackets and tethers whenever outside the cabin (if either of us fell overboard, the boat would not have been able to return against the wind and waves - that would not be good!). Conditions are calming again now so we are over the worst.] General Comments: [Kyle awoke me today dressed like an Eskimo. Winds have been strong and temperatures have dived (water temperature dropped by 10C since yesterday's log post. The big news from yesterday was that we crossed our furthest east longitude, which means that we have now sailed all the longitudes of the globe. Kyle won't count it as a circumnavigation until we cross our actual path (sometime next year). We've had LOTs of birds swooping around happily in the choppy waves (gannets, albatross and more).] At: 06:00(SAST) 29-Nov-2022, Outside Temp: 20C (68F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 18C (64.4F), Course: 265(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.9kt, Wind:21Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:0%, Pressure: 1008hPa, Swell:3m (from:E) | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 37º 34.626' N | 24º 16.704' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Island of Kea - Ormos Kavia - at anchor - no fee. We have moved [8.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 18:00(EEST) 24-Aug-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 37º 23.94' N | 24º 28.194' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Island of Kynthos (Middle of East side) - at anchor - no fee. We have moved [7.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 19:20(EEST) 25-Aug-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 36º 46.59' N | 24º 33.498' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Greece, Island of Kimilos, anchored on beach near hamlet of Alyki. We have moved [0.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 18:20(EEST) 14-Sep-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 37º 28.374' N | 24º 54.066' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Siros, Secluded Cove - Ormos Aetou - at anchor - no fee. We have moved [55.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 00:20(EEST) 27-Aug-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 36º 36.834' N | 24º 56.922' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Greece, Island of Folegandros, Karavostis. We have moved [14.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 12:28(EEST) 13-Sep-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 36º 40.524' N | 25º 8.652' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Greece, Island of Sikinos, Alaipronia Harbour. We have moved [1.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 04:00(EEST) 12-Sep-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 37º 32.232' N | 25º 9.72' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Tinos (Main Port Town), Tinos, Greece - 4€ a day (initial night 2 days) - Med mooring - water turned on if you call to request (5pm - 8pm). We have moved [12.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 17:26(EEST) 28-Aug-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 36º 39.936' N | 25º 20.346' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Greece, Ios Island (West side, small cove, no signs of other inhabitants). We have moved [17.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 14:44(EEST) 11-Sep-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 36º 26.244' N | 25º 21.33' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Greece, Therasia (Santorini): Borrowed a mooring ball (on advice) but no suitable anchor in bay. We have moved [3.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 14:27(EEST) 09-Sep-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 36º 21.078' N | 25º 48.816' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Greece, Anafi Island Beach. We have moved [76.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 17:23(EEST) 08-Sep-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 37º 37.344' N | 26º 18.342' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Ikaria Island (Greece) - Thermia (very small town dock we could use for a few hours to get a hot spring jacuzzi and sauna (and lunch) - no fee - had to move before ferry? Turned up at 5pm. We have moved [5.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 14:00(EEST) 30-Aug-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 36º 34.572' N | 26º 24.456' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Greece, Astypalaia Island. We have moved [1.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 08:10(EEST) 08-Sep-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 37º 31.974' N | 26º 30.3' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: South end of Nisidhes - Fouroni (Eastern Sporades, Greece). We have moved [11.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 18:50(EEST) 30-Aug-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 37º 41.382' N | 26º 56.616' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Pythagoreio, Samos Island, Greece - med moor at town dook - Clear out of Greece. We have moved [70.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 15:27(EEST) 01-Sep-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 36º 56.808' N | 26º 59.082' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Greece, Pothis, Island of Kalymnos - to clear customs - overnight stay - terrible holdiing, took 6+ attempts to get anchor set. We have moved [16.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 16:20(EEST) 06-Sep-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 37º 38.94' N | 27º 1.038' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Turkey - Dilek Y-B M National Park - shallow cove, anchored in 1.7 - good holding (in white sand patches). We have moved [40.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 16:09(EEST) 03-Sep-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 37º 21.24' N | 27º 12.504' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Tukey - Cukurcuk, sandy, shallow industrial ugly bay. We have moved [14.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 17:06(EEST) 04-Sep-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 36º 59.94' N | 27º 15.414' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Turkey - Clear out only so no marina fee Turgetries(?). We have moved [3.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 08:28(EEST) 06-Sep-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 37º 52.344' N | 27º 15.714' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Kusadisi, Turkey - Marina (laid lines) - €40 for night, with all entrance fees, etc - €155. We have moved [120.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 11:15(EEST) 02-Sep-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 37º 6.276' N | 27º 17.214' E | Begonia | Footprint Historic Report: Tukey - Port Bodrom (Yalikavak) - €60 one night - ouch!!! (No immigration). We have moved [10.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting. At: 14:51(EEST) 05-Sep-2011 | over 13 years ago | Show |
| 33º 24.036' S | 27º 51.012' E | Begonia |
Day 3 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Zululand YC, Richards Bay To:Mossel Bay. Our position: loc:-33.4058, 027.8520 We have 310.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 266.1nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:-123nm (negative since we have now extended our expected route). Since last posting we have made 129.7nm (through water). We have moved 201.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 8.4kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.4kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.5kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Change of plan - we are now heading for Mossel Bay - a little further south than East London (so extra miles, but the weather window looks like it will work). Another mixed day, but mostly with good progress, we seem to have found a good current (currently 5.2kt in our favour, but mostly around the 2kt+ mark - so that has really helped). We are expecting some stronger winds tonight (for 24 hours) until we round the corner (but all downwind sailing).] General Comments: [We had a brief dolphin visit yesterday, right at the time we decided we needed to reef and they left as soon as we released the sail and slowed down. Koeksisters are all gone (yummy, but dangerous). We are excited that Mossel Bay is now possible (even if it means an extra couple of days at sea).] At: 06:00(SAST) 28-Nov-2022, Outside Temp: 22.4C (72.32F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 28.7C (83.66F), Course: 232(degT), Speed Over Ground:9kt, Wind:12Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1018hPa, Swell:3m (from:S) | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 30º 58.08' S | 30º 36.018' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Zululand YC, Richards Bay To:East London. Our position: loc:-30.9796, 030.6025 We have 187.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 136.4nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:148nm. Since last posting we have made 136.4nm (through water). We have moved 152.1nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 6.3kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.6kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.6kt. ] Sailing Conditions [A frustrating 'washing machine'. A slow start through the moored cargo boats, and some fast hours too. Lots of reefing and unreefing, rain squalls and (distant) lightning. The seas are much nicer currently but we can see more rain clouds ahead.] General Comments: [With the 'good' weather window (good for 'the wild coast'), several boats departed Richards Bay for the push south yesterday (although we never spotted any of them on AIS or visibly). Plenty of cargo and a smattering of commercial fishing boats around, but I was especially surprised to see a small open fishing boat with 4 guys all in their bright yellow slickers (it didn't look fun). Overnight we passed the city of Durban (prominent from its long glow along the horizon). I've slowly been introducing Kyle to all the special food and drink treats of South Africa:Castle beer, bubble gum flavour soft drinks, Amarula (the bailey's like alcohol made from the fruit of the Marula tree, Rooibos (tea), biltong (cured meat snacks - similar to jerky), Peppermint crisp (chocolate bar), etc. Yesterday he had is first taste of Koeksisters (a syrup laden doughnut-like pastry). On his first bit his eyes opened wide 'This is good.... This can't be good for you... hand me another'. Thanks so much to the ladies of Zululand YC who made sure we departed with a supply of Koeksisters - they are a hit!] At: 06:00(SAST) 27-Nov-2022, Outside Temp: 22.8C (73.04F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 29.2C (84.56F), Course: 220(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.2kt, Wind:11Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:2m (from:E) | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 28º 47.07' S | 32º 4.068' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Richards Bay, South Africa, At Sea - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 12 of Mozambique Channel Passage From:Mayotte To:Richards Bay, South Africa. Our position: loc:-28.7948, 032.0784 Progress: [We've made 1195.4nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:112nm. Since last posting we have made 89.5nm (through water). We have moved 107.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 5.9kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.9kt, Avg speed for trip:4.7kt. ] Location Comments: [Richards Bay Quarantine Dock - awaiting immigration in the morning. This area has a lively party bar/restaurant (busy on weekends and evenings) so don't expect much rest. Allow for up to 2m tide range when securing lines. Nearby Concrete jetty is free to visiting boats (for up to 1 month if space available). We were also warned to expect petty theft (so keep valuables inside boat and secure) and the high chance of a boarding by real 'cheeky' monkeys. Until clearing immigration/customs it is not permitted to leave the boat and wander - but it is possible to get the nearby restaurant to bring you food and drink we understand!] General Comments: [Boy that last stretch was wild. Seas really got steep and choppy and up to 3m (thankfully we were sailing downwind and with the waves and current); we had (distant) but constant lightning (several flashes a second) for hours, current reached 3kts (thankfully in our favour). I was quite concerned about the conditions once we made the turn into the 4nm unprotected channel before we got to the safety of the harbour - but amazingly - everything quit just in time. the waves calmed and the wind died off. So - we made it, just in time for the weather to go as wild as it wishes out there now! We were welcomed on approach with a call from Maia, and once at the dock helped with lines by local boaties 'Norman' and 'Al', and a recent arrival, a solo-sailor 'Ken'] At: 00:14(EAT) 19-Nov-2022, Outside Temp: 25.1C (77.18F), Humidity:83%, Water Temp: 28.7C (83.66F) | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 28º 47.058' S | 32º 4.098' E | Begonia |
At YC-Dock: Zululand YC, Richards Bay - Indian Ocean, South Africa. Our position: loc:-28.7926, 032.0828 Sail From: Richards Bay, South Africa To: Zululand YC, Richards Bay We travelled 1.9nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved 0.3nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 0.4kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.8kt. Location Comments: [Local YC, very welcoming to visiting (and international) sailors. Here they call the floating Docks 'Step off Moorings'. The docks are a little narrow and bouncy when you walk on them, but you can't beat the facilities: Laundry, Showers, bar, restaurant, BBQ (Braai) area. Easy taxi ride to huge mall where all the expected facilities are on offer.] General Comments: [Quick relocate from Q dock to Yacht Club - where we have more facilities and security. And where there are already many boats we've met this season!] At: 11:26(EAT) 21-Nov-2022, Outside Temp: 29C (84.2F), Humidity:52%, Water Temp: 28.7C (83.66F) | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 27º 36.036' S | 33º 36.024' E | Begonia |
Day 11 of Mozambique Channel Passage From:Mayotte To:Richards Bay, South Africa. Our position: loc:-27.6055, 033.6039 We have 112.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 1105.9nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:136nm. Since last posting we have made 104.3nm (through water). We have moved 131.5nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 5.5kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.3kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.7kt. ] Sailing Conditions [More frustrating sailing in a race to reach Richards Bay before the next storm and way too much motoring in order to ensure that goal. We are expecting to arrive overnight and are pleased to be reassured that a nighttime arrival into port is perfectly safe (not something we normally do, but that is the benefit of being back in 'civilization').] General Comments: [Just before midnight we crossed into official South African waters - that felt like progress. Otherwise there is little to really tell. I've run out of podcasts to listen to and am now quite enjoying listening to music from my youth, it's been ages since I actually listened to a WHOLE album (Queen, Pink Floyd, Police, etc). On the 'joint reading' front we are squirming through re-reading Mary Roach's 'Bonk' - she's about my favourite writer. Mostly we are ready to be in port.] At: 06:00(EAT) 18-Nov-2022, Outside Temp: 25.4C (77.72F), Humidity:78%, Water Temp: 30.6C (87.08F), Course: 205(degT), Speed Over Ground:6kt, Wind:11Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:25%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:2m (from:SE) | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 25º 47.028' S | 34º 58.044' E | Begonia |
Day 10 of Mozambique Channel Passage From:Mayotte To:Richards Bay, South Africa. Our position: loc:-25.7877, 034.9740 We have 248.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 1001.6nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:109nm. Since last posting we have made 122.3nm (through water). We have moved 111.5nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.6kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.1kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.8kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Much of yesterday was great for spinnaker sailing (shame we don't have a spinnaker we can use currently!). Over the past few days we've been seeking or avoiding currents. Finally we are 'in' a favourable current (although it's only just over 2kt), and this should take us all the way to Richards Bay. Early morning wind dies and waves remain, so we are motoring again. Weather is clear so plenty of star gazing (another great red moon-rise).] General Comments: [We were close to the Mozambique coast (7nm) for part of yesterday and in the distant shore we could see giant sand dune cliffs for miles along its coast. Boat traffic is busier, we now seem to always have at least a couple of boats on the AIS, and over a watch get to physically see plenty of them. Overnight we spotted fishing boats too, which start as a glow over the horizon. Kyle is disappointed that we are motoring, but it seems the only way we can get to Richards Bay ahead of a rather nasty weather system, so he's dealing with it ;-) He had some fun with the bioluminescence last night by shining a light into the water and getting bright orange pulses signalled back to him (squid?).] At: 06:00(EAT) 17-Nov-2022, Outside Temp: 24.8C (76.64F), Humidity:68%, Water Temp: 30.6C (87.08F), Course: 203(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.4kt, Wind:3Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:2m (from:SE) | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 24º 6.054' S | 35º 51.018' E | Begonia |
Day 9 of Mozambique Channel Passage From:Mayotte To:Richards Bay, South Africa. Our position: loc:-24.1088, 035.8532 We have 357.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 879.3nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:99nm. Since last posting we have made 97.5nm (through water). We have moved 110.9nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.6kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.1kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.7kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Once we started sailing again yesterday we had the remains of wind against current and some large seas - all which slowly died off. With headwinds, our path was more west than south but eventually things calmed and the wind bent. We are expecting a couple of days of relative calm. Right now we are motoring, which is really rare for Kyle, but we are 'keen' to arrive at Richards Bay before the next system passes through (ETA: 19th Nov).] General Comments: [Yesterday morning, after reporting we didn't have the swallow land, one hopped on the door sill and hung out for a bit - each of us watching the other with curiosity. We crossed the tropic of Capricorn yesterday and this means we are no longer in the tropics (I even pulled our a blanket overnight, so I guess that's official). Aboard I finished the the last of our fresh fruit (we'd had a good selection: plums, apples, pears and some mini-pineapples).] At: 06:00(EAT) 16-Nov-2022, Outside Temp: 24.1C (75.38F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 30.2C (86.36F), Course: 230(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.6kt, Wind:5Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:2%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:2m (from:S) | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 22º 47.07' S | 37º 4.05' E | Begonia |
Day 7 of Mozambique Channel Passage From:Mayotte To:Richards Bay, South Africa. Our position: loc:-22.7946, 037.0750 We have 452.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 749.0nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:101nm. Since last posting we have made 67.7nm (through water). We have moved 102.0nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.3kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:2.8kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.4kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Yeserday afternoon the wind died. Poor Kyle had one 5 hour period where we didn't even managed 0.25nm (total). Thankfully there was a current in our favor maintaining some progress south. Going so slowly, and with the swell, it's hard to keep wind in the sails. This morning I awoke to us actually going backwards (no wind, current against us). Kyle warns me that we'll have quite the storm later today (and lots of rain too) so it's probably best not to complain about the lack of wind currently.] General Comments: [We had an unexpected dolphin visit yesterday in calm conditions (no fun for the dolphins and they soon departed). And overnight we had several dragon fly hitch a ride aboard (with beautiful neon blue bodies). My shoulder/arm issue continues to nag but thankfully doesn't stop me winching or doing anything necessary.] At: 06:00(EAT) 14-Nov-2022, Outside Temp: 27C (80.6F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 32.6C (90.68F), Course: 220(degT), Speed Over Ground:1kt, Wind:4Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:95%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:2.5m (from:SE) | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 22º 59.022' S | 37º 27.036' E | Begonia |
Day 8 of Mozambique Channel Passage From:Mayotte To:Richards Bay, South Africa. Our position: loc:-22.9865, 037.4559 We have 456.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 781.8nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:-4nm. Since last posting we have made 32.8nm (through water). We have moved 24.0nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 1.0kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:1.4kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.8kt. ] Sailing Conditions [We've spent most of the last 24 hours hove-to. This was primarily to keep us above the stronger winds, etc to the south. Slowly the edge of the storm reached us and we've had a LOT of rain; thankfully only a few times did I see the sky light up from distant lightning . We saw about 27kts of wind at its max (but mostly in the low 20's, often in the low teens), but the swell has definitely grown (so we were happy to basically bob up and down). Kyle assures me that things are dying off now, so we will soon start heading (slowly) south again. ] General Comments: [We had a swallow (bird) looking like it wanted to rest on Begonia overnight but it never seemed to find a footing, and left before full dark. And DARK it was for my watch, overcast and with the moon yet to rise I could not even see the roller furling at the front of the boat. While we kept watch for the lights of other vessels, I was very glad to have AIS aboard. We seem to have a group of small fish using the boat as shelter, I hope they won't be too upset once we set off again.] At: 06:00(EAT) 15-Nov-2022, Outside Temp: 25.6C (78.08F), Humidity:85%, Water Temp: 32.1C (89.78F), Course: 360(degT), Speed Over Ground:0.5kt, Wind:20Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:75%, Pressure: 1015hPa, Swell:3.5m (from:S) | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 21º 12.03' S | 37º 43.056' E | Begonia |
Day 6 of Mozambique Channel Passage From:Mayotte To:Richards Bay, South Africa. Our position: loc:-21.2048, 037.7258 We have 553.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 681.4nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:130nm. Since last posting we have made 136.0nm (through water). We have moved 129.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 5.4kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.7kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):6.0kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Things did calm yesterday as Kyle predicted. He also tells me that things may be dead calm later today (and then quite a bit rougher tomorrow night). We've had plenty of practice reefing and unreefing over the last couple of days. ] General Comments: [We are feeling well into the 'at sea' routine. There are regular birds spotted, including frigate birds harassing terns for their catch.] At: 06:00(EAT) 13-Nov-2022, Outside Temp: 27.1C (80.78F), Humidity:83%, Water Temp: 32.6C (90.68F), Course: 207(degT), Speed Over Ground:8.7kt, Wind:15Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:25%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:2m (from:SE) | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 19º 16.092' S | 38º 46.068' E | Begonia |
Day 5 of Mozambique Channel Passage From:Mayotte To:Richards Bay, South Africa. Our position: loc:-19.2816, 038.7778 We have 683.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 545.4nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:189nm. Since last posting we have made 152.1nm (through water). We have moved 182.2nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 7.6kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.3kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):6.1kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Well things have certainly changed. We had good currents (mostly in our direction, upto 4.5kts). We also had stronger winds, headwinds (sailing close hauled), and waves have increased in size and reduced in period. So... Very bouncy aboard. Kyle tells me this will all practically die off by mid-afternoon. While we've regularly seen cargo ships on this passage we are now also regularly hearing radio traffic.] General Comments: [We spotted land as we came close to the Mozambique coast yesterday afternoon (it's no longer in sight). I had the night watch and the moon rose a beautiful dark red colour. We had 3 boobies squabbling over wanting a perch on our windward bow last night. They each wanted to be the only one there, but eventually 2 settled so long as some imaginary line wasn't crossed. I'm amazed they perched on such tenuous spots (such a skinny railing) with the bouncy ride and the regular dousing of waves - but eventually, well into Kyle's watch, they gave up on the perch but followed the boat for several hours, perhaps 'just in case' things settled.] At: 06:00(EAT) 12-Nov-2022, Outside Temp: 27.3C (81.14F), Humidity:86%, Water Temp: 32.1C (89.78F), Course: 180(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.4kt, Wind:16Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:35%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:2m (from:SE) | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 16º 32.046' S | 40º 9.012' E | Begonia |
Day 4 of Mozambique Channel Passage From:Mayotte To:Richards Bay, South Africa. Our position: loc:-16.5411, 040.1515 We have 872.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 393.3nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:140nm. Since last posting we have made 147.5nm (through water). We have moved 142.2nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 5.9kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.1kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):6.0kt. ] Sailing Conditions [My daytime watch yesterday was fighting a 5kt current heading SE while we tried to push SW (at least we had some help with the south push); the boat basically moving sideways along while the point of sail was mostly broad reach/run. Kyle had a frustrating night with lots of windshifts in light winds (and with the swell spilling out the wind regularly from the sails). Thankfully though conditions have been quite mild compared to the channel's reputation. We are certainly glad we are not trying to sail north!] General Comments: [Full moon and clear skies overnight (my favourite nighttime sailing conditions!). We had ANOTHER boobie (bird) fly into our wind generator overnight; we've sailed for so many miles without ever having such an issue (until we hit the Indian Ocean), and we're keen to see an end to it. Our joint reading aboard is now 'The God Delusion' by Richard Dawkins. We've had the book for decades and reread it from time to time, it's amazing how much we don't recall!. My personal reading goal is to read more of Margaret Atwood's books - I just finished 'The Blind Assassin' which I would never have guessed was one of hers if I'd read it without knowing the author in advance. Overnight we came within 15nm of Mozambique, but never spotted any sign of lights.] At: 06:00(EAT) 11-Nov-2022, Outside Temp: 26.3C (79.34F), Humidity:85%, Water Temp: 31.6C (88.88F), Course: 202(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.8kt, Wind:11Kt(from:NNE), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:1.5m (from:NE) | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 14º 47.04' S | 41º 48.066' E | Begonia |
Day 3 of Mozambique Channel Passage From:Mayotte To:Richards Bay, South Africa. Our position: loc:-14.7900, 041.8107 We have 1012.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 245.8nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:156nm. Since last posting we have made 144.5nm (through water). We have moved 148.9nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 6.2kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.0kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.9kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Yesterday was a GREAT spinnaker day, we've been using our backup/spare/old spinnaker since our newer one had a line of damage where it caught on something recently. Whilst underway our trusty 'spare' spinnaker failed on us, ripped while sailing along with a miserable tearing sound - from top to bottom along one edge - Ugh. So now we are sailing mostly downwind in light winds with main and jib. We do have a current in our favour (about 2.9kt currently). Seas are relatively easy, but with enough swell to spill out the wind from the sails if we turn too much..] General Comments: [I spent much of the day in pain after slamming my thumb into the bedroom door, thankfully it is much improved this morning. Overnight it was great sailing in clear skies and a full moon, this was disturbed by the clatter of a boobie (bird) crashing into the wind generator and landing on deck beside the helm seat (AGAIN!!!). The poor bird spent most of the night recovering on the back step - and is now back at sea (hopefully OK). The Indian ocean and our wind generator are proving quite a problem for the birds, it's very distressing for us too. We've no idea as yet how the election in the USA has gone (we'll get some basic news once we connect with our email to send this message)] At: 06:00(EAT) 10-Nov-2022, Outside Temp: 27.9C (82.22F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 31.6C (88.88F), Course: 221(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.5kt, Wind:12Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:2m (from:NE) | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 13º 25.038' S | 43º 56.082' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of Mozambique Channel Passage From:Mayotte To:Richards Bay, South Africa. Our position: loc:-13.4232, 043.9472 We have 1168.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 101.3nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:104nm. Since last posting we have made 101.3nm (through water). We have moved 83.0nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 4.7kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.8kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.8kt. ] Sailing Conditions [ As we departed Mayotte in beautifully calm seas, but under sail. The pass was practically glass (that's always nice). By rights we should have been sailing down wind once we turned around the bottom of Mayotte, but the current was so strong (almost 4kt going south) that we basically crabbed west. Overnight Kyle has now switched to the spinnaker, but the swell had him spending hours of tweaking everything, getting it 'just right' (just in time for me to take over). There is regular traffic on the AIS (cargo ships).] General Comments: [So we are off! Our route heading as we left Mayotte was to avoid a strange eddy/counter-current to the SW of Mayotte. Kyle spotted a few boobies overnight (birds) but not much else to report.] At: 06:00(EAT) 09-Nov-2022, Outside Temp: 26.8C (80.24F), Humidity:82%, Water Temp: 32.1C (89.78F), Course: 235(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.6kt, Wind:16Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:35%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:1.5m (from:NE) | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 12º 32.088' S | 45º 8.094' E | Begonia |
Day 14 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Ile Fouquet, Salomon Atoll, Chagos/BIOT To:Dzaoudzi, Ile Petite-Terre, Mayotte. Our position: loc:-12.5483, 045.1488 We have 17.7nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 1752.9nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:78.8nm. Since last posting we have made 59.6nm (through water). We have moved 79.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.3kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:2.5kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.7kt. ] Sailing Conditions [We've spent much of the last 24 hours under bare poles and still heading towards Mayotte, but we have now arrived at the entrance as daylight starts to a break through. Seas are quite calm (down to 1-1.5m).] General Comments: [We ate our last Chagos coconut yesterday (yum). Overnight Kyle saw an impressive meteorite overnight - a long orange streak ending in a HUGE green flash (I wonder what that was? And thank goodness it didn't land on us!!). We should be anchored by Noon today.] At: 06:00(MUT) 27-Oct-2022, Outside Temp: 26.4C (79.52F), Humidity:78%, Water Temp: 31.9C (89.42F), Course: 202(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.5kt, Wind:16Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:55%, Pressure: 1015hPa, Swell:1m (from:NE) | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 12º 53.082' S | 45º 13.074' E | Begonia |
At Mooring Ball (Free): Ilot Bandrele, Mayotte - Mozambique Channel, Mayotte (France). Our position: loc:-12.8971, 045.2287 Sail From: Ile Pouhou (part of Iles Hajangoua), Mayotte To: Ilot Bandrele, Mayotte We travelled 2.9nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved 3.5nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.5kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.1kt. Location Comments: [Free 24 hour Mooring Ball ref 'BAND2'. I'm assuming snorkelling will be OK here, possibly trails ashore too. Depth at mooring around 11.7m at datum. We have cell phone signal at mooring (3bars). Island ashore has some decent foliage and scattered baobab trees. There is a beach and the island is popular for kayakers and occasional groups being dropped off for the day from the mainland via small local power boats. (For a list of all the park mooring balls around Mayotte see https://parc-marin-mayotte.fr/documentation/carte-des-mouillages-du-parc)] General Comments: [We started our morning with a snorkel on the beautiful coral shelf off Ile Pouhou. Conditions were good that we could sail off the mooring ball, and south to this current location (all under sail) OK - So it took us 4 tries to pick up a mooring ball - but we did it! THe sun is shining and I suspect we'll enjoy some more snorkelling today and tomorrow. ] At: 12:48(EAT) 04-Nov-2022, Outside Temp: 29.7C (85.46F), Humidity:66%, Water Temp: 32.1C (89.78F) | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 12º 48.096' S | 45º 13.092' E | Begonia |
At Mooring Ball (Free): Ilot Mbouzi, Mayotte - Mozambique Channel, Mayotte (France). Our position: loc:-12.8158, 045.2316 Sail From: Ilot Bandrele, Mayotte To: Ilot Mbouzi, Mayotte We travelled 8.5nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved 4.9nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.6kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.6kt. Location Comments: [Free 24 hour Mooring Ball ref 'BOUZ2' (anchoring not permitted). Snorkelling possible on coral around the island - also a couple of shallow peaks near mooring ball (to south). Depth at mooring around 23.7m at datum! Small uninhabited Island with high peaks (especially steep near this mooring). No known trails ashore (but small beaches are accessible at most tides). The island is a national nature reserve and there are several (introduced) groups of lemur (Lemur are known locally as Maki) - we hope to meet some on the beach. We have cell phone signal at mooring (2 bars). For a list of all the park mooring balls around Mayotte see https://parc-marin-mayotte.fr/documentation/carte-des-mouillages-du-parc] General Comments: [We had a couple sessions snorkelling at Ilot Bandrele (good, and we were introduced to the pallet surgeonfish which was new to us). We're now area heading back northwards to the main anchorage. For now though - one more night out in the lagoon. Kyle managed a whole trip of sail again (no motor all day, mooring balls make this a little easier) - this time we picked up the mooring on the 2nd try (not bad considering the strong winds roaring down the hills!).] At: 13:00(EAT) 05-Nov-2022, Outside Temp: 30.5C (86.9F), Humidity:67%, Water Temp: 31.6C (88.88F) | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 12º 50.034' S | 45º 14.004' E | Begonia |
At Mooring Ball (Free): Ile Pouhou (part of Iles Hajangoua), Mayotte - Mozambique Channel, Mayotte (France). Our position: loc:-12.8386, 045.2337 Sail From: Dzaoudzi, Ile Petite-Terre, Mayotte To: Ile Pouhou (part of Iles Hajangoua), Mayotte We travelled 4.7nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved 4.5nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 2.6kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.8kt. Location Comments: [Return visit to Pouhou and its Free 24 hour Mooring Ball ref HAJA3 (anchoring not permitted). ] General Comments: [After officially clearing out of Mayotte and doing last minute provisioning (including a GIANT zucchini/courgette that should do at least 4 big meals for us) we've headed off for this mooring ball, giving us an easy exit tomorrow. Almost as soon as we left land, our phone plan data died and the specified top-up text message won't work even though we have sufficient credit (ugh). Oh well, I'll have to get used to no data for a day earlier than expected. ON approaching the Island Kyle spotted what he assumed was a dead seal (as far as I know there are no seals here, so I wondered if it was a dugong); as we got closer it turned out to be a headless goat!] At: 15:56(EAT) 07-Nov-2022, Outside Temp: 32.5C (90.5F), Humidity:65%, Water Temp: 33.6C (92.48F) | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 12º 50.034' S | 45º 14.004' E | Begonia |
At Mooring Ball (Free): Ile Pouhou (part of Iles Hajangoua), Mayotte - Mozambique Channel, Mayotte (France). Our position: loc:-12.8387, 045.2337 Sail From: Dzaoudzi, Ile Petite-Terre, Mayotte To: Ile Pouhou (part of Iles Hajangoua), Mayotte We travelled 5.0nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved 4.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.2kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.6kt. Location Comments: [Pouhou (means poison) is a small skinny uninhabited island. We have cell phone signal at mooring. Free 24 hour Mooring Ball ref HAJA3. I'm assuming snorkelling will be OK here. Depth at mooring around 11m at datum (For a list of all the park mooring balls around Mayotte see https://parc-marin-mayotte.fr/documentation/carte-des-mouillages-du-parc)] General Comments: [After officially checking in and then doing some basic exploring of the two main islands (we even rented a car for a couple of days - the traffic is CRAZY!!!), we've now decided to spend a few days exploring the other (uninhabited) Islands of the atoll] At: 15:06(MEYOTTE) 03-Nov-2022, Outside Temp: 28.7C (83.66F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 31.9C (89.42F) | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 12º 46.044' S | 45º 16.014' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Dzaoudzi, Ile Petite-Terre, Mayotte, BIOT - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 14 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Ile Fouquet, Salomon Atoll, Chagos/BIOT To:Dzaoudzi, Ile Petite-Terre, Mayotte. Our position: loc:-12.7736, 045.2693 Progress: [We've made 1772.3nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:17.7nm. Since last posting we have made 19.3nm (through water). We have moved 15.2nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 3.0kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:3.8kt, Avg speed for trip:5.7kt. ] Location Comments: [Anchored in 7m-11m (7m at datum). Expect 4m tides in Springs. There are plenty of wrecks (in water and ashore) to remind us to check you have good holding. There is the possibility of anchoring further south (shorter distance to get ashore) but this area is filled with moorings occupied by local boats, and given the depths we were hesitant to anchor among them. There are also numerous LARGE moorings around, these are used by local ferries and barges - so it is necessary to give them a wide berth (even if they appear empty you can expect a large vessel to arrive and swing around on them). Floating dinghy dock is on Dzaoudzi Island, more specifically to South of Navy dock (south of Ferry docks) - but we were warned it can be a bit rough there and there were reports of at least one dinghy punctured at the dock. ATM inside the Ferry gate, and taxis readily available (at 2Euro/ride/person). Alternatively you can haul out dingy at yacht club ramp - but be aware of large tide ranges and keep the ramp clear. Good news, nobody generally locks their dingies and all is safe.] General Comments: [How lovely to see HILLS again. Mayotte is a large atoll with several inner island and despite being overcast, it was a pleasure to arrive. We spent some time motoring around attempting to find a nearer/better anchor spot (but given the required depths, we weren't keen). But we've arrived! While motoring around we were able to chat with boats we've met previously: Maia and Coroboree, and a 3rd USA boat (from San Diego). We'll most likely rest up today and then do all the clearing in tomorrow (depending on how enthusiastic Kyle feels - he's been up since midnight). We are looking forward to being able to purchase some fresh veggies and fruit (hopefully even some grapes!).] At: 11:04(MUT) 27-Oct-2022, Outside Temp: 30.1C (86.18F), Humidity:64%, Water Temp: 31.4C (88.52F) | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 12º 46.038' S | 45º 16.02' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Dzaoudzi, Ile Petite-Terre, Mayotte - Mozambique Channel, Mayotte (France). Our position: loc:-12.7730, 045.2698 Sail From: Ilot Mbouzi, Mayotte To: Dzaoudzi, Ile Petite-Terre, Mayotte We travelled 6.7nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved 3.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 1.1kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.1kt. Location Comments: [We're back at the anchorage in Dzaoudzi - pretty much the same spot as before. ] General Comments: [Our last anchorage gave us yet another completely different snorkel experience (hard to believe 3 islands so close can be so different), and (unfortunately) we spied NO lemurs ashore. We've returned now to the main cruiser anchorage so we can visit the authorities and officially clear out of Mayotte. This was another short trip, and fully without motor (Kyle is enjoying the practice, and given the frequent tacking today he was glad to have me to hand to assist). Passage was with light headwinds, and maneuvering around islands and ferries. Once we arrived at the anchorage, even though there was space much closer in, we anchored at the back of the crowd to keep well away from other boats 'just in case', but the anchoring went smoothly and all is well.] At: 17:20(EAT) 06-Nov-2022, Outside Temp: 29.4C (84.92F), Humidity:67%, Water Temp: 32.6C (90.68F) | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 11º 55.092' S | 46º 21.012' E | Begonia |
Day 13 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Ile Fouquet, Salomon Atoll, Chagos/BIOT To:Dzaoudzi, Ile Petite-Terre, Mayotte. Our position: loc:-11.9314, 046.3520 We have 96.5nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 1693.3nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:132.5nm. Since last posting we have made 142.2nm (through water). We have moved 126.7nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 5.3kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.9kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):6.0kt. ] Sailing Conditions [We had brief hopes we might arrive today, but we spent most of yesterday fighting currents, so now we are deliberately slowing down so as to not arrive at the atoll entrance during the dark. We've had strong winds (mid-20kts) and choppy/swirly seas, but not uncomfortable.] General Comments: [I attempted to make yogurt for the last couple of days, both times it didn't set, after the first batch failed I opened a 'new' packet of starter just in case. In both cases that Yogurt starter was (ahem) a few years out of date so I guess I shouldn't have been surprised, but I was disappointed. Since rounding the northern tip of Madagascar we have yet to see land, and on the VHF we've only heard a few broken crackles, so it is still hard to believe we are almost there.] At: 06:00(MUT) 26-Oct-2022, Outside Temp: 26C (78.8F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 30.9C (87.62F), Course: 250(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.4kt, Wind:22Kt(from:ENE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:2.5m (from:E) | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 11º 49.014' S | 48º 30.042' E | Begonia |
Day 12 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Ile Fouquet, Salomon Atoll, Chagos/BIOT To:Dzaoudzi, Ile Petite-Terre, Mayotte. Our position: loc:-11.8192, 048.5065 We have 229.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 1551.1nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:166nm. Since last posting we have made 157.4nm (through water). We have moved 159.4nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 6.6kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.6kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):6.0kt. ] Sailing Conditions [We have past the northern tip of Mozambique (Cap D'ambre) and are now officially within the 'Mozambique Channel' (part of the Western Indian Ocean). We had a couple of (minor) choppy areas (each lasting less than an hour). and at the point were sailing against a 2.5kt current. There are plenty of horror stories for that area, but Des Cason advised us it was the calmest he'd seen it in 6 years - we got very lucky! We are now sailing against a 1.5kt current. Before the turn we switched from Spinnaker to Jib, and we'll likely keep that sail now until we arrive.] General Comments: [Floating out at sea we passed a large rusty metal oil drum (one more thing 'out there' that we'd not want to hit). Land-Ho! - Yesterday afternoon, 20nm away we spotted Madagascar - a light gray silhouette of hills in the distance. Once night fell we even saw the glow of some town/city over the horizon too. We are still enjoying our coconuts from Chagos. Kyle had an hour of a show last night as a meteor shower entertained him. He also spotted our first airplane since leaving Australia (almost 3 months ago).] At: 06:00(MUT) 25-Oct-2022, Outside Temp: 24.8C (76.64F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 30.5C (86.9F), Course: 274(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.6kt, Wind:20Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:55%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:2m (from:E) | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 12º 55.05' S | 50º 58.08' E | Begonia |
Day 11 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Ile Fouquet, Salomon Atoll, Chagos/BIOT To:Dzaoudzi, Ile Petite-Terre, Mayotte. Our position: loc:-12.9249, 050.9804 We have 395.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 1393.7nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:159nm. Since last posting we have made 163.8nm (through water). We have moved 160.3nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 6.7kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.8kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.9kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Seas have calmed a bit more and we continue to sail with the spinnaker. We've adjusted our route a little after a suggestion by Des Cason (the expert for the waters of the are who aids any interested boaters), so we will now pass much closer to the tip of Madagascar than we had planned.] General Comments: [Kyle reports NO flying fish on the deck this morning (for the first time in at least a week). Things are feeling chillier aboard, especially at night (where we both are now wearing jackets); we must be getting way too acclimatized to these tropical conditions to feel the need for extra layers at these temperatures! ] At: 06:00(MUT) 24-Oct-2022, Outside Temp: 24.7C (76.46F), Humidity:78%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F), Course: 283(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.5kt, Wind:13Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:50%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:1.5m (from:SE) | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 13º 1.032' S | 53º 43.02' E | Begonia |
Day 10 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Ile Fouquet, Salomon Atoll, Chagos/BIOT To:Dzaoudzi, Ile Petite-Terre, Mayotte. Our position: loc:-13.0223, 053.7200 We have 554.0nm to go along estimated route. Progress: [We've made 1229.9nm (through water) on this passage and. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by:168nm. Since last posting we have made 177.1nm (through water). We have moved 174.9nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of 7.3kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:7.4kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.8kt. ] Sailing Conditions [Stronger winds and choppy seas early yesterday meant we needed to switch to he Jib, but we were back with the spinnaker by mid-afternoon yesterday. Everything has moderated more since then and we continue at a fast clip in relatively calm seas - we expect today to be the nicest day, we expect things to get much rougher once we approach the tip of Madagascar.] General Comments: [Shearwaters (birds) glide around happily just above the water. Yesterday was our 2nd fastest day (P2P), but also included our fastest hour under sail for the trip (8.93kt), Kyle reported he had 16kt at one point on the speed wheel (surfing down a wave). We haven't seen any other boats for several days (and we've not a cruising boat since Cocos Keeling on the 3rd September). Yesterday we passed our point of solar noon matches most closely with boat noon. We generally pick the boat time to be a time in between our departure and arrival destinations, so the sunrise, noon, and sunset shift on our boat clock as we sail west.] At: 06:00(MUT) 23-Oct-2022, Outside Temp: 24.7C (76.46F), Humidity:83%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F), Course: 280(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.2kt, Wind:15Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1017hPa, Swell:2m (from:SE) | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 12º 51.096' S | 56º 42.042' E | Begonia |
Day 9 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Ile Fouquet, Salomon Atoll, Chagos/BIOT To:Dzaoudzi, Ile Petite-Terre, Mayotte. Our position: loc:-12.8657, 056.7073 Progress: [We've made [1052.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [722]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [165]nm Since last posting we have made [169.0]nm (through water). We have moved [170.3]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [7.1]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:7.0kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.6kt. Sailing Conditions [Seas have built to 2.5m (from our beam), but we expect it to reduce. The increased winds that caused that gave us our 2nd best day of the passage (distance wise), we're sailing on a broad reach (mostly downwind) and continue to fly the spinnaker sail.] General Comments: [We are now officially past the half way mark (distance wise) for this passage. We also, yesterday, registered that we are half way around the world since our last main harbour in the USA (in Oakland, CA). Begonia's deck is littered with flying fish scales. Yesterday I baked some blueberry muffins using flaxseed as an egg substitute - It wasn't a hit. onwards we press.] At: 06:00(MUT) 22-Oct-2022, Outside Temp: 24.8C (76.64F), Humidity:87%, Water Temp: 29C (84.2F), Course: 270(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.8kt, Wind:16Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:25%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:2.5m (from:SE) | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 12º 33.042' S | 59º 35.094' E | Begonia |
Day 8 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Ile Fouquet, Salomon Atoll, Chagos/BIOT To:Dzaoudzi, Ile Petite-Terre, Mayotte. Our position: loc:-12.5569, 059.5989 Progress: [We've made [883.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [887]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [147]nm Since last posting we have made [148.3]nm (through water). We have moved [150.4]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [6.3]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.2kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.4kt. Sailing Conditions [We are still sailing with the spinnaker, the swell from the side is a bit of a pain but winds are consistent in the low teens and (mostly) broad reach conditions.] General Comments: [Firstly - yesterday's report incorrectly said we'd gone through 'the gap'. We had not, we'd just approached it - but now I can report we HAVE passed 'the gap'. As we approached we saw several large pods of active dolphins. They were not at all interested in Begonia, but it was amazing to watch such a large group of animals as they near-constantly leapt from the water on their passage south. A cargo vessel passed across our path (some distance away) but was strange in that the AIS reported it was flipping between 'Not Under Command' and 'Moored', while ploughing through the water at 9kt+. They were also heading in totally the wrong direction given their reported destination. I attempted to call them on the radio but received no reply. Most likely it is just poor captaining and procedures and all is well - but it makes you wonder! We did have a visit from a Sri-Lankan fishing boat yesterday, they were asking for water and cigarettes. If they really needed water that is very worrying as it is a LONG way back to Sri Lanka. Of course we don't have any cigarettes, but we did give them some water and some cans of fruit. They were very friendly and their boat very colourful.] At: 06:00(MUT) 21-Oct-2022, Outside Temp: 24.5C (76.1F), Humidity:82%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F), Course: 265(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.8kt, Wind:12Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:25%, Pressure: 1015hPa, Swell:2m (from:SSE) | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 12º 7.08' S | 62º 7.062' E | Begonia |
Day 7 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Ile Fouquet, Salomon Atoll, Chagos/BIOT To:Dzaoudzi, Ile Petite-Terre, Mayotte. Our position: loc:-12.1298, 062.1271 Progress: [We've made [735.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [1034]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [120]nm Since last posting we have made [119.5]nm (through water). We have moved [121.8]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [5.1]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.0kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.3kt. Sailing Conditions [Seas remain calm and winds light and somewhat variable. We are sailing mostly on a broad reach with spinnaker. The water temperature continues to fall as we head further from the equator.] General Comments: [We are down to our last item of fresh fruit and veg - an onion to be used in a curry for dinner today. We have a batch of sprouts on the go and plenty of canned fruit and veg, and even some dried onions, so we can make mealtime work until we reach Mayotte. Last night was a beautifully clear night - another chance for some great star gazing. There are some major shallow ridges in this part of the Indian ocean and overnight we passed through our first gap in one of these: the Mascarene Plateau. We were warned to look out for unlit fishing boats and gear, but thankfully passed through uneventfully.] At: 06:00(MUT) 20-Oct-2022, Outside Temp: 27.8C (82.04F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F), Course: 262(degT), Speed Over Ground:6kt, Wind:11Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1015hPa, Swell:1m (from:SE) | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 11º 35.058' S | 64º 7.068' E | Begonia |
Day 6 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Ile Fouquet, Salomon Atoll, Chagos/BIOT To:Dzaoudzi, Ile Petite-Terre, Mayotte. Our position: loc:-11.5925, 064.1280 Progress: [We've made [616.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [1154]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [153]nm Since last posting we have made [156.2]nm (through water). We have moved [156.8]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [6.5]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.5kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.4kt. Sailing Conditions [Winds and seas have eased slightly, but we still made good progress. Sailing mostly close reach and beam reach.] General Comments: [Yesterday the door of our top loading fridge fell down on my arm as I was returning milk to the fridge - OUCH!! Thankfully 'just' a bruise to show for it. We sailed through a strange cluster of fishing boat AIS targets overnight; there appeared to be Chinese mother ship and various (unlit, but with AIS signal) devices (reported as 33'x20') - the AIS numbers were odd and the names included a percentage value that changed on each individual child device. I've never seen anything like it and will have to do some research once we again have internet (if anyone knows, do share). We were never closer than a mile but it was a bit worrisome when the targets all popped up on our chart plotter. Kyle spotted a shark (great white?) breaching nearby us - possibly fishing for something - thankfully not us!] At: 06:00(MUT) 19-Oct-2022, Outside Temp: 27.1C (80.78F), Humidity:67%, Water Temp: 30.5C (86.9F), Course: 243(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.8kt, Wind:12Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:1.5m (from:SE) | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 10º 10.428' S | 66º 21.738' E | Begonia |
Day 5 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Ile Fouquet, Salomon Atoll, Chagos/BIOT To:Dzaoudzi, Ile Petite-Terre, Mayotte. Our position: loc:-10.1738, 066.3623 Progress: [We've made [459.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [1307]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [171]nm Since last posting we have made [188.4]nm (through water). We have moved [189.9]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [7.9]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:7.8kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.1kt. Sailing Conditions [Yesterday morning we finally departed the Chagos waters (200nm fisheries limit). This morning we awake to see a cargo boat on AIS (the first we've seen in well over a month), this one headed for Sri Lanka. Winds remain quite consistent, and boat speeds matching that - giving us one of our better 24 hours (distance wise) and we expect that to continue over the next week at least. We even escaped the rain forecast overnight, and there is no rain in the upcoming forecasts - YAY!] General Comments: [With the good winds, we have had no battery issues (batteries were at 100% well before noon). I've now completed all my books that I'd collected and swapped (but we still have plenty on the Kindle). We have started to see flying fish again, indeed we've had several fly into the boat and clear them as we see them. For my watch overnight the moon was yet to rise and the sky was overcast - it was REALLY dark. If there had been any unlit objects out there, there was no way I could see to avoid them, so we sailed on and hoped all was well - Gulp!] Nearest Land: [xxx], [xxx]nm away ETA/Emergency - Estimated Arrival: [30-Oct-2022 1200 timezone:(MUT)] Sound Alarm if no contact by: [03-Nov-2022 1200 timezone:(MUT)] Caution: Don't forget this communication relies on our Satellite comms, SSB radio, radio stations, computer and antennas all working, and being available.. i.e. lots can go wrong with the equipment, while we are still safe and well. If you don't hear from us, equipment or connection issues are the MOST likely reason (unless there is also an EPIRB emergency signal set off by us, in which case you will also be hearing from the Coast Guard). If you don't hear from us before the Emergency call time, then also please contact the emergency services. Refer to floatplan for instructions Thanks for following along with us Kyle & Maryanne At: 06:00(MUT) 18-Oct-2022, Outside Temp: 26.1C (78.98F), Humidity:77%, Water Temp: 30.9C (87.62F), Course: 235(degT), Speed Over Ground:8.2kt, Wind:17Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:98%, Pressure: 1015hPa, Swell:2m (from:S) | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 8º 10.074' S | 68º 51.012' E | Begonia |
Day 4 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Ile Fouquet, Salomon Atoll, Chagos/BIOT To:Dzaoudzi, Ile Petite-Terre, Mayotte. Our position: loc:-08.1792, 068.8520 Progress: [We've made [271.4]nm (through water) on this passage and have [1478]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [146]nm Since last posting we have made [145.3]nm (through water). We have moved [148.8]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [6.2]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.1kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.1kt. Sailing Conditions [Yesterday morning winds were fickle (light and from all directions), but by late morning they finally settled on a direction and while not strong, with the flat seas had us making respectable boat speeds at last. During the day the wind grew more and we flit between a reef and no reefs in the sails. The seas have built but all is still quite tolerable aboard.] General Comments: [Overnight Begonia was a sanctuary for various boobies (up to 5 at one point with 2 more circling and hopeful); thankfully they all hung out in the wet zone of the boat so any poop was being naturally and regularly cleaned off. All is well aboard and we expect the good winds to hold out.] At: 06:00(MUT) 17-Oct-2022, Outside Temp: 28.1C (82.58F), Humidity:75%, Water Temp: 31.9C (89.42F), Course: 223(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.9kt, Wind:15Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:50%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:2m (from:S) | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 6º 26.064' S | 70º 38.034' E | Begonia |
Day 3 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Ile Fouquet, Salomon Atoll, Chagos/BIOT To:Dzaoudzi, Ile Petite-Terre, Mayotte. Our position: loc:-06.4442, 070.6389 Progress: [We've made [126.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [1624]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [72]nm Since last posting we have made [59.2]nm (through water). We have moved [72.1]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.0]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:2.5kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):2.9kt. Sailing Conditions [Light winds continue, with occasional showers. Seas calm with a gentle swell.] General Comments: [Overcast conditions and light winds mean charging the batteries is an issue. We had a lovely sunny afternoon yesterday - but given the sailing direction and location we found the solar panels in the shade (so no good) We're hopeful for a sunny day today (not looking likely so far) - otherwise we'll need to use the motor for a few hours today just to charge the batteries. It's all a very slow get-a-way from Chagos, and we are still well within the 200nm military zone. We are both sleeping well though and have quickly settled into our watch schedules (it helps that it is so calm). Overnight the clouds clear, leaving a fantastic night sky - great for star gazing.] At: 06:00(MUT) 16-Oct-2022, Outside Temp: 26.7C (80.06F), Humidity:75%, Water Temp: 33.4C (92.12F), Course: 220(degT), Speed Over Ground:4kt, Wind:7Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:90%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:2m (from:S) | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 5º 43.068' S | 71º 36.06' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Ile Fouquet, Salomon Atoll, Chagos/BIOT To:Dzaoudzi, Ile Petite-Terre, Mayotte. Our position: loc:-05.7281, 071.6100 Progress: [We've made [66.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [1696]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [54]nm Since last posting we have made [66.9]nm (through water). We have moved [45.7]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.4]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:3.6kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):3.6kt. Sailing Conditions [We departed Salomon, and have been sailing against light headwinds (so tacking), and threading a passage between the atolls and shallows of Chagos] General Comments: [We had an amazingly relaxing and lazy 4 weeks in Chagos. Our departure was overcast and drizzly. We had several groups of dolphins join us. Overnight we have acquired a lot of guano on deck, so at least one bird (probably more) enjoyed the safety of Begonia - we'll have to keep a better eye out tonight to avoid the same issue.] At: 06:00(MUT) 15-Oct-2022, Outside Temp: 30.4C (86.72F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 32.9C (91.22F), Course: 247(degT), Speed Over Ground:5kt, Wind:6Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:20%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:1m (from:S) | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 5º 20.004' S | 72º 15.09' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Ile Fouquet, Salomon Atoll, Chagos, BIOT, BIOT - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 14 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Direction Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands To:Ile Fouquet, Salomon Atoll, Chagos, BIOT. Our position: loc:-05.3336, 072.2648 Progress: [We've made [1600.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [8]nm Since last posting we have made [10.0]nm (through water). We have moved [5.5]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [1.5]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:2.8kt, Avg speed for trip:5.1kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in large sand patch (2.8m at Datum). Inside Atoll between Ile Fouquet and Ile Yakamaka. ] General Comments: [We made it! We'd normally want to enter an atoll with a noon sun (for best light for viewing the bommies), but we could see rain approaching so we went for it - we took it slowly, had good satellite imagery, and me spotting on the bow to be sure . It always feel so good to be safely at anchor after a long passage - the islands are calling, but we'll rest up today and start exploring as the weather allows (forecast continues to report constant heavy rain, but I'm not sure I trust it any more and suspect it's more likely occasional shower). Arriving through the pass was easy (good coordinates are given in the various guides). No other boats here (not surprising since we have permit #6 for the year).] At: 09:36(BIOT) 16-Sep-2022, Outside Temp: 29.9C (85.82F), Humidity:77%, Water Temp: 32.4C (90.32F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 5º 20.01' S | 72º 21.042' E | Begonia |
Day 14 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Direction Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands To:Salomon Island, Chagos, BIOT. Our position: loc:-05.3350, 072.3567 Progress: [We've made [1590.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [8]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [72]nm Since last posting we have made [63.4]nm (through water). We have moved [71.4]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.0]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:2.6kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.1kt. Sailing Conditions [We spent much of yesterday evening under bare poles, and eventually hove-to (just drifting slowly) since we don't want to arrive before full daylight. Conditions yesterday were the best we've had all passage: much calmer, sunny, and pleasant!] General Comments: [Yesterday was so calm and pleasant that I was able to break out a bucket and take a luxurious bathe (hair wash and all); I felt like Cleopatra (although I definitely acknowledge the difference in facilities!). We were witness to a lovely rainbow late afternoon (thankfully the rain was nowhere near us). But most worryingly, overnight, the birds were again heading for the wind generator. Two hit it before I managed to turn it off completely. They were stunned, possibly injured and landed in the cockpit. I put one in a crate to rest/recover before the other landed beside me. They are large-ish birds (Red footed Boobys - with a 1m wingspan). Overnight one has recovered sufficiently to depart, and the other is hanging out asleep, along with a bunch of others that have arrived at the boat without intercepting the wind generator. We've been sailing this boat on overnight passages for 10 years and this trip is the first time we can recall birds hitting the wind generator, it's very distressing. I hope we won't see this continue as we cross on our next passage.] At: 06:00(BIOT) 16-Sep-2022, Outside Temp: 27.5C (81.5F), Humidity:87%, Water Temp: 32.9C (91.22F), Course: 293(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.2kt, Wind:9Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:2m (from:SE) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 5º 56.034' S | 73º 23.016' E | Begonia |
Day 13 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Direction Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands To:Salomon Island, Chagos, BIOT. Our position: loc:-05.9393, 073.3860 Progress: [We've made [1527.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [80]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [105]nm Since last posting we have made [111.4]nm (through water). We have moved [104.8]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.4]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.6kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.3kt. Sailing Conditions [Conditions continue to calm. Our nicest day so far. The heavy rain and storms that have been forecast for days (past and future) have not arrived - yay! (we've just had a few light showers and haven't seen lightning for days). We are still sailing downwind and are slowing down for an arrival on the 16th.] General Comments: [A bird visited us last night and managed to hit the wind generator blades multiple times. Kyle kept shining the light on the blades as it approached (and then it avoided them), but he couldn't be there constantly for the bird. He thinks the bird is OK - just a bid dumb. Our iridium go (satellite device that allows us to get weather and emails at sea) has had a poor signal all passage (taking several attempts and much longer than usual); maybe the Indian Ocean is just poorly serviced? Water temperature is climbing slowly as we head west. And Yesterday we actually had lots of sunshine as the clouds kept away for much of the day (good for the batteries).] At: 06:00(BIOT) 15-Sep-2022, Outside Temp: 27.4C (81.32F), Humidity:85%, Water Temp: 33.4C (92.12F), Course: 300(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.6kt, Wind:13Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:10%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:2.5m (from:SE) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 6º 45.09' S | 74º 56.01' E | Begonia |
Day 12 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Direction Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands To:Salomon Island, Chagos, BIOT. Our position: loc:-06.7654, 074.9350 Progress: [We've made [1415.7]nm (through water) on this passage and have [185]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [108]nm Since last posting we have made [125.5]nm (through water). We have moved [107.9]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.5]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.2kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.4kt. Sailing Conditions [Things did indeed calm down over yesterday. We continue to have rain showers (some heavy, some just drizzle).. Seas have stabilized and winds are consistently under 20kt. We are sailing downwind still and reef and unreef as required to make our 16th September arrival.] General Comments: [That gift that looked like a box of tissues turned out to be a new bluetooth speaker (our old one had disintegrated). Yesterday we seemed to cross another shipping lane (we saw 5 cargo ships in the last 24 hours - all on AIS. Kyle was especially amused by one named 'Tou Fu 6'). We have now entered the 200nm 'Military zone' of BIOT and were required to officially report in. I finally finished reading that book, 'Alan Turing: The Enigma', Kyle and I had been reading it together but it was so painfully written we gave up on it, I was determined to finish it though (and it continued to be painfully dull). I'm amazed that Hollywood were able to dig deep into that prose and make a decent movie. Thanks to all for the good wishes on my Birthday, it is lovely to hear from friends and family, especially when we are so far away right now (where we can only receive emails, not Facebook messages, they will have to wait a while).] At: 06:00(BIOT) 14-Sep-2022, Outside Temp: 27.3C (81.14F), Humidity:87%, Water Temp: 32.9C (91.22F), Course: 299(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.7kt, Wind:16Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:2.5m (from:SE) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 7º 37.08' S | 76º 31.044' E | Begonia |
Day 11 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Direction Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands To:Salomon Island, Chagos, BIOT. Our position: loc:-07.6301, 076.5238 Progress: [We've made [1290.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [293]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [122]nm Since last posting we have made [140.7]nm (through water). We have moved [122.4]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [5.1]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.9kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.4kt. Sailing Conditions [Yeseterday was rougher than exected, with the occasional BIG wave. Often on ocean passages there is little to do but keep watch once the sails are set, but the last few days of this passage have been constant action (something to do every 20 minutes). Reefing, Unreefing, gybing, holding on while surfing, etc... Along with the drizzle/rain it's ""not my favourite"" passage.] General Comments: [It's My Birthday!!! I awoke (just a few minutes ago) to find candles on the table and cookies (substitute for cake), along with a wrapped gift (something that Kyle has kept hidden since Darwin (back in May). I've yet to unwrap it, it's possible a box of tissues ???. Yesterday we had strong gusts again, and while sat in the helm seat I was especially grateful that we'd replaced our wind generator blades recently (Kyle found a crack in one of the old ones, and I was imagining what might happen if one broke and flew off towards the cockpit). We seem to cross a busy shipping lane yesterday (3 cargo ships!!!).] At: 06:00(BIOT) 13-Sep-2022, Outside Temp: 27C (80.6F), Humidity:88%, Water Temp: 31.9C (89.42F), Course: 298(degT), Speed Over Ground:5kt, Wind:20Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:2.5m (from:SE) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 8º 36.03' S | 78º 19.998' E | Begonia |
Day 10 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Direction Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands To:Salomon Island, Chagos, BIOT. Our position: loc:-08.6049, 078.3333 Progress: [We've made [1149.6]nm (through water) on this passage and have [415]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [119]nm Since last posting we have made [128.0]nm (through water). We have moved [119.1]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [5.0]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.3kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.3kt. Sailing Conditions [Rain didn't arrive (yet) - our forecast suggests we've over a week of heavy rain in our future. We continue to sail downwind in reducing winds, Kyle even flew the spinnaker for a few hours last night. We are managing our speed to be sure we don't arrive too early (our permit begins on the 16th).] General Comments: [This morning we see a tanker on the AIS (the first boat we've seen in a week). We continue to discover the occasional tiny flying fish on the deck. Humidity aboard is starting to become an issue (I found spots of mold on the ceiling - which is thankfully easily cleaned off). Otherwise all is well.] At: 06:00(BIOT) 12-Sep-2022, Outside Temp: 26.4C (79.52F), Humidity:89%, Water Temp: 31.9C (89.42F), Course: 298(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.6kt, Wind:20Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:75%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:2.5m (from:SE) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 9º 31.08' S | 80º 6.072' E | Begonia |
Day 9 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Direction Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands To:Salomon Island, Chagos, BIOT. Our position: loc:-09.5296, 080.1123 Progress: [We've made [1021.6]nm (through water) on this passage and have [534]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [133]nm Since last posting we have made [137.1]nm (through water). We have moved [133.4]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [5.6]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.7kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.3kt. Sailing Conditions [Clouds come and go, but we have more time with more sky now. We continue downwind (mostly on a run). Overnight there was significant lightning to our NE (we were very grateful not nearer). Occasional rain showers. Kyle tells me to expect more rain in our future - lots more!] General Comments: [Overnight sailing was great with a full moon (my favourite for night sailing). I've been listening to my usual podcasts but it is clear I won't have sufficient to make it to our next internet download. I have my French lessons to go through (but I can only manage a couple of hours at a time) so last night I sailed with my music on. Its so long since I listened to some of my old favourites and I found myself singing away and laughing and dancing about in the cockpit.] At: 06:00(BIOT) 11-Sep-2022, Outside Temp: 26.3C (79.34F), Humidity:90%, Water Temp: 31.4C (88.52F), Course: 298(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.1kt, Wind:19Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:95%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:3m (from:SE) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 10º 33.006' S | 82º 7.008' E | Begonia |
Day 8 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Direction Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands To:Salomon Island, Chagos, BIOT. Our position: loc:-10.5505, 082.1176 Progress: [We've made [884.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [667]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [150]nm Since last posting we have made [126.9]nm (through water). We have moved [130.2]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [5.4]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.3kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.3kt. Sailing Conditions [Wind and waves eased off a little so things are more comfortable again. We had a few big rain showers, and continue to find the odd flying fish aboard (normally too late to help).] General Comments: [Aboard nothing much else to report, we were grateful for the rain (which gave the rigging a good clean). We are now the farthest north we've been since June of 2017. We were so sad to hear of the death of Queen Elizabeth II; we're still processing that great loss. ] At: 06:00(BIOT) 10-Sep-2022, Outside Temp: 26.6C (79.88F), Humidity:87%, Water Temp: 31.9C (89.42F), Course: 298(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.6kt, Wind:25Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:80%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:2.5m (from:SE) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 11º 11.1' S | 84º 13.05' E | Begonia |
Day 7 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Direction Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands To:Salomon Island, Chagos, BIOT. Our position: loc:-11.1997, 084.2253 Progress: [We've made [757.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [817]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [141]nm Since last posting we have made [131.8]nm (through water). We have moved [141.4]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [5.9]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.5kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.3kt. Sailing Conditions [Yesterday was indeed our roughest at sea on the passage so far. Steep sided 3.5m/short period waves from almost side on - Yuck!!! Currently however all seems much smoother. We had a bit of rain yesterday (and are expecting more to come). We are both well settled into our watch routines.] General Comments: [Yesterday morning our BIOT permit arrived I the email, that was a problem since there were files attached at we needed to see our permit number. It took several hours to download the email - and it was clear some of the attachments had been stripped out by our system; thankfully one of the attachments it did manage to download was the permit we needed - we are number 6 for this year! We had a couple of birds with us last night (possibly an Abbott's Booby). Kyle had to relocate one to a more suitable spot (poop wise) and it seemed to allow Kyle to pick it up and move it with just a minor squawk and soon fell asleep at its new location. We have the autopilot on all the time (either Track or Wind, mostly) - and it continues to work without issue - so we remain very grateful to that.] At: 06:00(BIOT) 09-Sep-2022, Outside Temp: 26.1C (78.98F), Humidity:89%, Water Temp: 30.9C (87.62F), Course: 279(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.6kt, Wind:18Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:60%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:3m (from:SE) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 11º 34.032' S | 86º 35.1' E | Begonia |
Day 6 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Direction Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands To:Salomon Island, Chagos, BIOT. Our position: loc:-11.5717, 086.5997 Progress: [We've made [625.7]nm (through water) on this passage and have [958]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [113]nm Since last posting we have made [143.5]nm (through water). We have moved [130.5]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [5.4]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.0kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.2kt. Sailing Conditions [Seas and winds from the beam for much of yesterday (yuck!). Seas getting bigger also. Kyle tells me this will be our worst day (per forecasts).] General Comments: [Between the winds and the occasional chinks of sky our batteries are holding up. Yesterday the Man Overboard alarm inexplicably went off while I was on watch and Kyle asleep. It's been so long since that happened, that even though I yelled to Kyle all was well he ended up getting up just to switch of the blaring alarm while I was still fumbling through menu options on the chartplotter.] At: 06:00(BIOT) 08-Sep-2022, Outside Temp: 26.7C (80.06F), Humidity:80%, Water Temp: 30.5C (86.9F), Course: 279(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.6kt, Wind:19Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:95%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:3m (from:SE) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 11º 53.088' S | 88º 47.082' E | Begonia |
Day 5 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Direction Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands To:Salomon Island, Chagos, BIOT. Our position: loc:-11.8981, 088.7965 Progress: [We've made [482.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [1071]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [102]nm Since last posting we have made [126.2]nm (through water). We have moved [114.2]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.8]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.3kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.0kt. Sailing Conditions [Conditions feel calmer (seas more rolly than choppy), overcast conditions remain. Sailing mostly on a run.] General Comments: [We've had a couple of different petrel species flying around. In this passage we have reached over 15,000 hours underway aboard Begonia (since our refit after purchase in 2012). Combining all our boats we have sailed over 95,000nm together (and although we've yet to complete a circumnavigation of the globe, that's equivalent to 4 times around the earth at the equator). I still don't feel much like a sailor (more like a traveller with a boat) - thank goodness I have Kyle aboard!] At: 06:00(BIOT) 07-Sep-2022, Outside Temp: 26.9C (80.42F), Humidity:83%, Water Temp: 31.9C (89.42F), Course: 278(degT), Speed Over Ground:5kt, Wind:14Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:3m (from:SE) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 12º 8.028' S | 90º 43.056' E | Begonia |
Day 4 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Direction Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands To:Salomon Island, Chagos, BIOT. Our position: loc:-12.1376, 090.7263 Progress: [We've made [356.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [1173]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [120]nm Since last posting we have made [123.9]nm (through water). We have moved [118.5]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.9]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.2kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.9kt. Sailing Conditions [Conditions are stablilized, sailing mostly on a run/broad reach with a scrap of sail.] General Comments: [The rain finally stopped, but the sky is still mostly overcast (however between wind and rain sufficient to keep batteries charged - up to full by 11am yesterday). The good new is that the humidity has reducing at last (we were in the 95%+ for several days prior, now we are down to 76%). Yeserday I could have mentioned that we'd seen no flying fish, but overnight we scooped up a few. Also our bird (or a bird) returned to rest aboard Begonia overnight, this time it was sensible enough to sit at the bow where any poop gets a regular wash off.] At: 06:00(BIOT) 06-Sep-2022, Outside Temp: 26.8C (80.24F), Humidity:76%, Water Temp: 31.9C (89.42F), Course: 274(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.4kt, Wind:16Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:98%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:3m (from:SE) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 12º 17.052' S | 92º 44.052' E | Begonia |
Day 3 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Direction Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands To:Salomon Island, Chagos, BIOT. Our position: loc:-12.2921, 092.7416 Progress: [We've made [232.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [1293]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [145]nm Since last posting we have made [131.7]nm (through water). We have moved [144.7]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [6.0]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.5kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.8kt. Sailing Conditions [Yesterday was overcast and constant heavy rain (ugh), wind slowly increasing. We are heavily reefed (over reefed) as this makes the boat motion quite comfortable and we have plenty of time. Rain seems to have stopped for now, and the skies have patches of clear.] General Comments: [We needed to run a motor for a few hours yesterday to keep the batteries topped up (overcast skies and downwind sailing don't help with our renewable energy production systems). Right after sending yesterday's email the Saildocs requests all arrived (that worked out to 6 hours of no response, not 12 as I'd mistakenly reported yesterday). Overnight we had a booby (a seabird) overnight on our solar panel and brought a smile to our face as we each established our territories (until Kyle had to clean up the poop after he left).] At: 06:00(BIOT) 05-Sep-2022, Outside Temp: 26.1C (78.98F), Humidity:86%, Water Temp: 32.4C (90.32F), Course: 274(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.3kt, Wind:24Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:90%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:3m (from:ESE) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 12º 26.016' S | 95º 12.042' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Direction Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands To:Salomon Island, Chagos, BIOT. Our position: loc:-12.4361, 095.2069 Progress: [We've made [100.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [1438]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [102]nm Since last posting we have made [100.5]nm (through water). We have moved [100.4]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.2]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.2kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.2kt. Sailing Conditions [We departed Cocos expecting strong winds (with gusts in the 30kts). Frustratingly the winds never made it that strong and were perfect spinnaker conditions for most of the daytime (but we didn't want to raise the spinnaker expecting those forecast conditions to arrive any minute). Stronger winds did finally arrive overnight, but still not nearly as strongly as we expected. We are on the edge of a trough of low pressure. A LOT of rain showers, and continuously overcast conditions make for a damp passage.] General Comments: [Despite our early start (Kyle's signature), Maia was up and waved us off farewell (Thanks Laura!). The sailmail service (from which we get our GRIB files) seems to be down all night (thankfully Kyle also uses PredictWind so we had a backup option, he was just not able to compare/verify the results from PredictWind). THey sometimes are down for an hour to two, it's very unusual that they fail to return a file for this long (over 12 hours now). Despite getting the OK to visit Chagos we still don't have a permit Number, but I'm hoping that all resolves itself before we arrive.] At: 06:00(BIOT) 04-Sep-2022, Outside Temp: 24.4C (75.92F), Humidity:98%, Water Temp: 31.9C (89.42F), Course: 254(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.4kt, Wind:10Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:2.5m (from:SE) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 12º 5.058' S | 96º 52.086' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Mooring Ball (free) in Quarantine Mooring, Direction Island, Cocos Keeling) Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands - Australian Territory. - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 13 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Broome, Western Australia To:Quarantine Mooring, Direction Island, Cocos Keeling) Island. Our position: loc:-12.0927, 096.8811 Progress: [We've made [1507.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [10]nm Since last posting we have made [10.2]nm (through water). We have moved [7.3]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.7]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:3.8kt, Avg speed for trip:5.2kt. Location Comments: [Quarantine Mooring Ball (we were directed her by authorities on arrival - Cocos Police act as Australian Border Force here). 6.7m depth at datum. Beautiful clear water and a couple of black-tip reef sharks greeted us by circling our boat on arrival. Direction Island is unpopulated but a popular spot visited by locals and tourists alike from the other islands in the atoll. No cell coverage for the entire atoll, but internet may be available (via paid wifi, reportedly unreliable) from Direction Island shelter or even at anchor. Ferry service from Direction Island available (but possibly not every day). Nearest populated Island (Home Island) has a primarily muslim population (Malay), so conservative dress code applies if going ashore there.] General Comments: [14 days at sea and once daylight broke we had islands with beaches and palm trees in our sights! We had a little trouble with one the engines being slow to prime (for the cooling water intake), but all was quickly resolved. Once we made it to the mooring we see lush foliage ashore (lots of coconut palms!). We'll now change all our clocks to Cocos Keeling Island time (CCT is UTC+6.5). It really seems that the next few days (week or more) are going to be quite miserable with strong winds and occasional heavy rain too. My plans for snorkelling and exploring with the kayak are on hold (but hopefully not cancelled). The anchorage is not great for the forecast winds, but it is the only permitted anchorage. Any attempt to get ashore may be a wet dinghy ride and a difficult/wild beaching/launching, so we may have to stay aboard and keep alert - but that is much better than being at sea in it all (if there is a gap in the weather I'll take it (once we are all official). For now our Q-flag is up (quarantine) and we're advised to expect all the clearance to be done tomorrow (they come out to our boat - easy). For today we get to rest and wait to see what tomorrow brings.] At: 08:42(AWST) 14-Aug-2022, Outside Temp: 27.6C (81.68F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 32.4C (90.32F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 12º 3.042' S | 96º 59.1' E | Begonia |
Day 13 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Broome, Western Australia To:Direction Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Our position: loc:-12.0572, 096.9997 Progress: [We've made [1497.6]nm (through water) on this passage and have [10]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [133]nm Since last posting we have made [122.4]nm (through water). We have moved [132.9]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [5.5]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.1kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.2kt. Sailing Conditions [Lots of sail changes yesterday. Kyle normally helps me change sails before he goes off watch overnight, and so we are 'good' for whatever we expect during the dark of my night watch; we actually setup the spinnaker (a downwind sail). However the expected wind direction shift didn't come and we were slowly getting further off course so eventually I woke him to help switch back to main and jib (poor guy). That wind has still yet to back 7 hours later.] General Comments: [All yesterday conditions and forecasts seemed to be conspiring against us, and Kyle warned me we may not make it today. Thankfully those conditions didn't arrive and we are just 10 miles off the Island and waiting for daylight to approach/enter. This is a good thing since conditions for the next week or more look quite miserable with strong winds and lots of rain (we may not even want to get off the boat). Overnight, and despite the full moon, Kyle DID spot a single meteor (presumably from the Perseid shower). We see the boat Serengeti on the AIS at anchor inside the Atoll; I think we last saw them in New Zealand!] At: 06:00(AWST) 14-Aug-2022, Outside Temp: 26.5C (79.7F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 32.4C (90.32F), Course: 259(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.1kt, Wind:11Kt(from:SSE), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:2.5m (from:S) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 11º 57.072' S | 99º 15.078' E | Begonia |
Day 12 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Broome, Western Australia To:Direction Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Our position: loc:-11.9623, 099.2628 Progress: [We've made [1375.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [143]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [122]nm Since last posting we have made [101.4]nm (through water). We have moved [122.0]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [5.1]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.2kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.2kt. Sailing Conditions [Yesterday started pretty fast and over the day everything slowed down (with our worst hour being 1nm through the water). Things are much improved now (boat speed back up, and seas remain mild - perfect). All good for arrival on the 14th; hopefully this time tomorrow we'll be slowing down so we can be sure to arrive in daylight.] General Comments: [The full moon makes for a lovely night watch (although hindered any possible view of the Perseids Meteor Shower). We haven't seen another boat (even on AIS) for several days, although we have seen odd scraps of plastic trash so we had been expecting to see something out here. Kyle keeps finding additional squid from our visit the other day (poor things). Yesterday Kyle found a tropic bird sitting on the spreaders, and overnight he had a single dolphin spend time with us playing in the bow.] At: 06:00(AWST) 13-Aug-2022, Outside Temp: 26.3C (79.34F), Humidity:77%, Water Temp: 32.4C (90.32F), Course: 266(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.2kt, Wind:9Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:10%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:1.5m (from:SE) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 11º 48.078' S | 101º 20.01' E | Begonia |
Day 11 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Broome, Western Australia To:Direction Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Our position: loc:-11.8131, 101.3345 Progress: [We've made [1273.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [265]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [169]nm Since last posting we have made [167.6]nm (through water). We have moved [169.4]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [7.1]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:7.0kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.3kt. Sailing Conditions [Another fast day, winds and seas have slightly reduced (we are now flying the spinnaker again). We expect that trend to continue for the remainder of the trip (if the forecasts are correct).] General Comments: [Aside from flying fish, we had a whole school (?) of squid fly out the water and onto the boat yesterday. I went and removed 17 finger sized ones from the deck, and when Kyle came on watch he found another 9 that were more hidden from my initial search! Poor things. The batteries have been doing fine for several days now - reaching 100% by midday.] At: 06:00(AWST) 12-Aug-2022, Outside Temp: 26.7C (80.06F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 32.4C (90.32F), Course: 266(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.7kt, Wind:13Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:32%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:2.5m (from:SE) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 11º 35.082' S | 104º 12.06' E | Begonia |
Day 10 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Broome, Western Australia To:Direction Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Our position: loc:-11.5966, 104.2099 Progress: [We've made [1106.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [434]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [156]nm Since last posting we have made [141.7]nm (through water). We have moved [155.5]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [6.5]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.9kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.1kt. Sailing Conditions [Winds have eased a little and backed slightly (so sailing between a broad reach and a run). Watches remain uneventful.] General Comments: [We are now the furthest west we've ever been (from the USA) and into new (to us) longitudes. We past about 55nm south of Christmas Island (lots of gannets, no phone signal). Kyle notes we in the 'Agonic Line' area - one of those rare patches where the magnetic compass actually point to True North (because the magnetic pole and true north pole are aligned from our position). It's currently still dark, and the moon is about to set ahead of us - a bright orange beacon right now.] At: 06:00(AWST) 11-Aug-2022, Outside Temp: 26.6C (79.88F), Humidity:78%, Water Temp: 32.4C (90.32F), Course: 265(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.3kt, Wind:17Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:35%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:3m (from:ESE) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 17º 55.038' S | 106º 20.004' E | Begonia |
Day 16 of Timor Sea/Indian Ocean Passage From:Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT To:Ceduna, South Australia (SA). Our position: -17.9232, 106.3344 Progress: [We've made [1549.3]nm (through water) on this passage and have [2388]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [184.4]nm (through water). We have moved [167.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Avg speed since last post:7.7kt, Avg speed for trip to date:4.3kt. Sailing Conditions [Wind has crept down, but mostly the period of the waves has greatly increased, so even if a big one comes along we gently roll over it (most of the time). OK, so things are still bouncy, but not washing-machine bouncy any more so relatively we are way more comfortable. We have about 100nm more on this course before we start to turn towards the SW corner of Oz. Kyle assures me that by late afternoon sailing will be 'nice' again. I hope so.] General Comments: [Daytime and nighttime temperatures continue to fall (26C in day, 23 at night) - it feels colder than those numbers imply given the wind chill/exposure. In bed I've even pulled out a blanket (although Kyle doesn't need it). Aboard we are re-reading Bill Bryson's book 'Down Under' and chuckling along; enjoying his stories both of the places we've been, and the ones we hope to see.] At: 06:00(AWST) 06-Oct-2020, Outside Temp: 23.3C (73.94F), Humidity:68%, Water Temp: 29C (84.2F), Course: 229(degT), Speed Over Ground:8.1kt, Wind:22Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:70%, Pressure: 1017hPa, Swell:3.5m (to:NW) | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 18º 53.004' S | 106º 30.042' E | Begonia |
Day 17 of Timor Sea/Indian Ocean Passage From:Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT To:Diverting to Exmouth (WA). Our position: -18.8842, 106.5067 Progress: [We've made [1645.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [486]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [96.6]nm (through water). We have moved [58.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Avg speed since last post:4.0kt, Avg speed for trip to date:4.3kt. Sailing Conditions [Seas continue to calm, but we are motoring into wind and waves.] General Comments: [After several days of rough conditions we were finally seeing things calm down and conditions aboard were easing with the promise of some fine sailing days ahead of us. Around 14:15 WAST (UTC+8) near -18.65,105.85 on Tuesday October 6th, the forestay snapped (the forestay is one of the wires that holds up the mast - it runs from the mast to the front of the boat - it had broken at the top). This left us over 500nm from the nearest land and with the mast unsupported - stopped from falling backwards only by the halyard from the jib/roller-furling (both Jib and main - reefed - were up at the time, and we were sailing at about 55 degrees off wind at 18kt apparent, and in rolly seas). Kyle was on watch at the helm when he heard the bang (as the wire broke), and saw the preventer and shrouds slacken (as the mast fell back a little); he yelled to me to help (I was in bed) and we quickly lowered the sails and moved around a spare halyard to help support the mast. This obviously leaves us unable to sail on. So what next? We have secured the mast for now with additional lines, and we *hope* it will remain secure for the long passage ahead. Everything is slacker than wed like. The main temporary support is the spinnaker halyard (spinnaker halyard moved forward to the middle of the forward beam and cranked down on the winch at the mast. The rolled up jib still attached to roller furling with halyard at the top holding up the fuller and preventing it falling ). We will inspect it regularly to check for chafe/issues, but will probably spend most of our watches within the safety of the cabin just-in-case the rig fails and the mast falls (the helm seat is probably the worst location in such an event). Any ideas welcome! We have numerous spares aboard (including a spare forestay, and various rigging fittings) and may even be able to replace the broken shroud (wire) ourselves - but certainly not at sea - and most likely well need some additional facilities (probably even take the mast down). Even if we could fix everything ourselves wed want a thorough rig inspection before proceeding out on any significant passage (i.e. we need the experts). So we must change our plans. We have limited fuel supplies and cannot continue the passage all the way to South Australia (nor would we trust our rig situation that far), so we must head for the nearest mainland - Western Australia (WA). This causes issues since we are not permitted to enter WA due to Covid19 restrictions, however we really can see no alternative so will have to deal with the regulations and hope they are kind to us. Our current goal is to motor to Exmouth (the nearest port to us, some 500nm+ distant from the incident). Between us and Exmouth we have headwinds and waves against us (not ideal for fuel consumption, nor mast security) - alternative destinations are too far, so not an option, and if we sit and wait we will simply drift further away from land. We have been in touch with the authorities in Exmouth and they are working out what they can do with us - currently we do *not* have permission to enter the harbour. There are no Covid19 rules for our situation I suspect. We do not know yet if we will be allowed to stay with the boat, or be forced into quarantine for 2 weeks in a nearby hotel. We are hoping (but not confident) that they will allow for the time weve been at sea in this unusual situation). We believe we have sufficient fuel aboard for this passage and require no additional assistance to get to port (as things currently stand). However our fuel is a concern given the conditions and we will need to monitor it closely. At the time of the incident we had full tank and jugs (about 190L). Motoring at 2,200 rpm (below normal) on one motor should use about 1.2L/hour of fuel and get us a speed of about 3kt (in good conditions that would have been 4kt, but we need to err on the side of caution here) being slow and cautious should give us our best chance - we should *just* make it. Exmouth would not be the harbour of choice from which to fix such problems, it is a small and isolated town/harbour off on a peninsula a long way from any other towns. It is also within the cyclone region that we have been traveling south to escape from (although we are not yet in cyclone season). We do not know what facilities the harbour and local sailing club might have, nor even if there is a rigger within 500miles of the place. If we were to chose a place on this coast for facilities and repairs it would have been Freemantle (near Perth) - but that is way to far for us to reach with our fuel aboard, and with the state of the mast we need to limit travel until we can make things more properly secure. Thankfully we have boat insurance; earlier this year I found in the small print that rigging is only insured if inspected/surveyed annually - so we *did* get a rigging report/inspection performed back during our haul out in Bundaberg. We should be covered. So at least we know (hope) there is a cap on the expenses in our immediate future. As for everything else, well have to wait and see.] At: 06:00(AWST) 07-Oct-2020, Outside Temp: 23C (73.4F), Humidity:60%, Water Temp: 29C (84.2F), Course: 98(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.8kt, Wind:9Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1015hPa, Swell:2m (to:NW) | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 11º 32.028' S | 106º 51.03' E | Begonia |
Day 9 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Broome, Western Australia To:Direction Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Our position: loc:-11.5376, 106.8549 Progress: [We've made [964.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [590]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [171]nm Since last posting we have made [149.2]nm (through water). We have moved [170.1]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [7.1]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.2kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.0kt. Sailing Conditions [Good solid winds; Our fastest day despite the waves/swell. ] General Comments: [ All looking good for arrival on the 14th, which is good - Kyle tells me to expect several days of rain once we arrive. Life is pretty dull as we continue our watches and progress west. We continue to capture flying fish on deck.] At: 06:00(AWST) 10-Aug-2022, Outside Temp: 26.1C (78.98F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 31.9C (89.42F), Course: 276(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.1kt, Wind:21Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:50%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:3m (from:SE) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 19º 26.064' S | 107º 31.062' E | Begonia |
Day 18 of Timor Sea/Indian Ocean Passage From:Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT To:Exmouth (WA) - Diverting after rigging failure. Our position: -19.4438, 107.5274 Progress: [We've made [1718.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [418]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [73.0]nm (through water). We have moved [66.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Avg speed since last post:3.0kt, Avg speed for trip to date:4.2kt. Sailing Conditions [Despite having a great middle of the day speed wise, by afternoon the waves and wind began to fight against our progress and slowed us down below our goal. We continue to monitor things.] General Comments: [We continue on towards Exmouth (no word as yet regarding permission to enter). Our progress has been slower than we want, but we hope things will improve in the remaining days. Kyle estimates we currently have 38 US gallons ( 144L) of fuel. We set off with about 192L, but had to motor a bit earlier on the passage so had used some of that, and of course we motored all day yesterday. We also expect the last 10L in the tank to be difficult to pick up so we believe we have 134L of available fuel. We appear to be motoring using about 1L/hour. We plan to keep heading towards Exmouth, and where possible quit the engine to drift with the currents, and as we get closer arrange for a fuel delivery somehow (if necessary). Given this we have adjusted our ETA to the Wednesday (we will repeat the calculation daily). Neither of us is sleeping well on our off watches, while we know the boat and have spent years readily sleeping through all the slaps of the waves and general groans and squeaks, now every noise puts us on alert. We start our off watch exhausted and fall asleep readily, but once disturbed we find 'monkey' brain kicks in and we are full of anxiety regarding our passage to Exmouth, and the huge unknown beyond that. While we generally spend our watches at the helm, we are being more cautious (just in case the mast falls) and continue to spend most of our time within the cabin keeping watch via the instruments and windows - just stepping out intermittently to check on things generally. Star gazing is no longer fun since we just see the mast and get anxious all over again.] At: 06:00(AWST) 08-Oct-2020, Outside Temp: 23C (73.4F), Humidity:66%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F), Course: 121(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.2kt, Wind:12Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:98%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:2m (to:W) | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 20º 4.056' S | 108º 39.054' E | Begonia |
Day 19 of Timor Sea/Indian Ocean Passage From:Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT To:Exmouth (WA) - Diverting after rigging failure. Our position: -20.0764, 108.6588 Progress: [We've made [1781.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [344]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [74]nm Since last posting we have made [62.5]nm (through water). We have moved [74.3]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.1]kt Avg speed (through the water) since last post:2.6kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.1kt. Sailing Conditions [We had just a 4 hours of 'easy' motoring yesterday, the rest was choppy which does not help our progress. Overnight things started to get easier, and by morning we have relative calm (the waves having a long period, and the wind is currently calm so we are not fighting the two). For now we are making fair progress (similar conditions are forecast for the rest of the day) - tomorrow the forecast is starting to complicate things again so this may be our best day.] General Comments: [Life aboard for Kyle is a constant checking of all the forecasts (wind, waves, currents) to see if we can make our fuel get us all the way to Exmouth. He keeps tweaking the plans and remains confident that we can do it. We will still need extra fuel at least on standby for us, and the need for that will be clarified as we get closer to land. At 0400 we had 116L of fuel remaining (subtract 10 for pickup, gives 106L of usable fuel, at 1.1L/hour that gives us 4 more days of motoring). Kyle expects our fuel can get us 70 miles from the harbour. His plan now is to have us stop motoring before that. If we set our course a bit south of Cape Range, this should have us a place we can use the main (reefed) to get around Cape Range, and then we can motor south towards Exmouth once we've rounded the cape. Of course the plan will most likely change with every forecast! The fact that the mast is still standing is helping us feel more confident it will last until Exmouth, but we still have some large waves ahead of us in the forecast (3.5m+) - these will be fine if they are not choppy, time will tell.] At: 06:00(AWST) 09-Oct-2020, Outside Temp: 21.6C (70.88F), Humidity:62%, Water Temp: 28.5C (83.3F), Course: 122(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.6kt, Wind:5Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:20%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:NW) | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 16º 28.008' S | 108º 49.002' E | Begonia |
Day 15 of Timor Sea/Indian Ocean Passage From:Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT To:Ceduna, South Australia (SA). Our position: -16.4682, 108.8173 Progress: [We've made [1364.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [2609]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [192.4]nm (through water). We have moved [182.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Avg speed since last post:8.0kt, Avg speed for trip to date:4.1kt. Sailing Conditions [Wow - miserable conditions. While the wind is high (at max generally 30kt - gusts 35kt, but mostly mid-high 20s), it is the seas that make everything miserable. Yesterday felt much like we were living in a washing machine. Kyle assures me that while things will slowly calm, we are definitely over the very worst of the conditions.] General Comments: [If you happen to be comparing our miles travelled and miles to go - you may have noticed that the total has swung dramatically each day. This happens since Kyle adjusts the expected course based on the forecast. We have already gone way more west than we had expected, and while we've been in some miserable conditions, it would have been way worse if we'd taken a more direct route. Our average speed for the day was over 8kt - that is up there for Begonia, especially since we are over reefed and heaving to for meals, etc. So we have started our 3rd week, and have travelled about 1/3rd of the distance. That first week was SLOW though, so we hope to be in South Australia in LESS than 4 weeks from now. Yesterday's conditions were really miserable aboard. We were slapped with a wave from the side regularly (and big ones at least every hour) - but one wave really sent the boat into chaos throwing things off shelves across the cabins and cockpit - it even managed to lift the sliding door from one of the bathrooms and toss it outside into the hallway. Yes, quite miserable. While we are still not in the gentle rolling hills type of sailing, but I'm very glad to hear we are over the worst of things. We really look after our boat when it comes to safety (it has much to be desired aesthetically), and additionally conduct rig inspections twice a day while under passage. The boat is doing fine, it seems as happy as the birds that swoop around the peaks of the waves. Me, not so much!] At: 06:00(AWST) 05-Oct-2020, Outside Temp: 23.9C (75.02F), Humidity:62%, Water Temp: 30.4C (86.72F), Course: 254(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.9kt, Wind:25Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:4m (to:NW) | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 11º 48.09' S | 109º 44.016' E | Begonia |
Day 8 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Broome, Western Australia To:Direction Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Our position: loc:-11.8153, 109.7356 Progress: [We've made [815.3]nm (through water) on this passage and have [761]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [152]nm Since last posting we have made [132.0]nm (through water). We have moved [150.6]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [6.3]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.5kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.9kt. Sailing Conditions [With higher winds expected overnight, we stowed the spinnaker and switched to the jib. Waves built along with the wind overnight (yuk, but it helps we are going downwind). Kyle tells me to expect things to get a little bit worse over the next 24 hours before any reduction. We still have a current in our favour too (hence the P2P speed is so much faster than our through the water speed). Yesterday afternoon I spied 'something' on the horizon that I couldn't make out, as we got closer I thought it might be a sinking ship, then perhaps a submarine, but it turned out to be a large barrel. Kyle believe the Indonesian fishing boats use them (with a parachute anchor) to moor to; they have no lights and I'd hate to come across one in the dark.] General Comments: [We are half way. It seems we'll pass very close to Christmas Island, but I could not persuade Kyle to have us reach out for permission to stop there. Flying fish are a regular sight, sometimes they land on the boat and sometimes we notice in time to return them to the water alive (but not always). Yesterday we needed to run the motor for an hour before dark since they didn't get topped up during the day (although the previous day we were at 100% charge by noon). I think we should be good for the rest of the trip with the wind alone. Kyle and I normally have a book on the go that we read to each other. We just gave up on Alan Turing: The Enigma (we had high hopes for it but it was way too technical and painfully droll), and returned to re-read The Martian which even though we've read it before (and seen the movie) remains a gripping read.] At: 06:00(AWST) 09-Aug-2022, Outside Temp: 26.2C (79.16F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 31.9C (89.42F), Course: 275(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.7kt, Wind:24Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:85%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:3m (from:SE) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 20º 45.084' S | 110º 12.036' E | Begonia |
Day 20 of Timor Sea/Indian Ocean Passage From:Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT To:Exmouth (WA) - Diverting after rigging failure. Our position: -20.7637, 110.2058 Progress: [We've made [1872.6]nm (through water) on this passage and have [256]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [88]nm Since last posting we have made [91.2]nm (through water). We have moved [96.3]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.0]kt Avg speed (through the water) since last post:3.8kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.1kt. Sailing Conditions [Yesterday was an amazingly calm day, which you will see from our other notes we made the most of. Today we are in choppy seas again] General Comments: [Yesterday things started to look much better, the seas were exceptionally calm (certainly compared to recent conditions) - all the chop had gone and we were left with gentle swells. This really improved our speed too. Things looked so good we decided we could lower the roller fuller and jib to the deck. Up until then with the forestay wire broken, it was held only by the jib halyard and swinging a bit (we'd done our best to secure it, but it was not ideal). Lowering took a while, we had a bit of a tangle with the SSB antenna, and the job certainly needed the two of us (I've no idea how solo sailors cope!). While the fuller (with the jib still rolled up on it) 'just' fits on the deck, the benefit was that the jib halyard was now free to be put so some much more useful task. We used it to better secure the mast. With both the Jib and the spinnaker halyard we were able to bring the mast up to its proper angle, which had the added benefit of tightening the slack shrouds too. The mast no longer rocks back and forth on its base, we were really happy with this and felt comfortable enough to step out into the cockpit and using the helm seat on watches. Thank goodness for a calm day at sea. But the good news wasn't over! Later that day we received an email from the Australian JRCC (Joint rescue coordination center), telling us that there was a boat diverted to intercept us and deliver fuel to us. Within an hour we had the fuel aboard, and the tank filled (we were still around 275nm from the nearest land at that time). The transfer was smooth and the Captain of the cargo ship Jazan was kind, jocular, and professional, giving clear instructions to us and keeping us safe (we are but a mosquito compared to his 306m long cargo ship). They lowered fuel jugs into the water and let them drift back for us to collect some distance from the Jazan. We are so grateful to all involved in organizing and performing this unexpected delivery. Our average speed yesterday was already improved (mainly due to the calmer conditions), but now were are also able to increase our engine rpm to normal, which also improves our speed (and ETA). So - now this leaves us totally confident of our safe arrival in Exmouth. The mast is more secure than before (although still needs a better fix), and we will definitely not run out of fuel. We are still waiting to hear if we have permission to enter WA/Exmouth.] At: 06:00(AWST) 10-Oct-2020, Outside Temp: 22C (71.6F), Humidity:62%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F), Course: 107(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.9kt, Wind:11Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:20%, Pressure: 1015hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:NE) | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 15º 34.032' S | 111º 50.058' E | Begonia |
Day 14 of Timor Sea/Indian Ocean Passage From:Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT To:Ceduna, South Australia (SA). Our position: -15.5719, 111.8434 Progress: [We've made [1172.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [3085]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [100.4]nm (through water). We have moved [110.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Avg speed since last post:4.2kt, Avg speed for trip to date:3.7kt. Sailing Conditions [Wind increased, waves got higher and steeper and choppier. By dinner time, we decided to hove to (basically stall the boat with the sails up) so we could eat without the chaos, eventually we left it that way for 11 hours waiting for things to calm somewhat for an easier life on the rigging and the passengers. We are back moving again. Forecast is for things to sloooowly calm over the next 3 days.] General Comments: [We continue with a bouncy ride, yesterday was frightening (or at least high anxiety) at times, now we are back to just uncomfortable. A couple of days ago Kyle put the pressure cooker on the corner of our counter and then backed into it - which promptly went flying down some stairs. A handle broke off from the lid (not repairable) but since I use it so much Kyle assures me it is still usable. As for our progress, we are now west of the entire continent of Australia. Kyle (based on forecasts) again has adjusted our route to send us further west so we don't have to tack into headwinds and large seas.] At: 06:00(AWST) 04-Oct-2020, Outside Temp: 24.3C (75.74F), Humidity:75%, Water Temp: 30.9C (87.62F), Course: 253(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.7kt, Wind:20Kt(from:SSE), Cloud Cover:70%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:3.5m (to:N) | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 21º 26.058' S | 111º 52.002' E | Begonia |
Day 21 of Timor Sea/Indian Ocean Passage From:Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT To:Exmouth (WA) - Diverting after rigging failure. Our position: -21.4433, 111.8670 Progress: [We've made [1955.3]nm (through water) on this passage and have [155]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [101]nm Since last posting we have made [82.6]nm (through water). We have moved [101.5]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.2]kt Avg speed (through the water) since last post:3.4kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.1kt. Sailing Conditions [Yesterday sees were mixed and choppy again. From around noon onwards we had a 1.5kt current in our favor which helped (1kt of which may last until noon). Forecast for today indicates conditions will be our worst since the incident, and then things should calm down slightly once again.] General Comments: [We lost an email yesterday - it downloaded and then was swallowed up by a bug in our Airmail software. If anyone sent us an email and has yet to receive a reply - please, please resend. Neither of us have yet to sleep well since the incident. Despite feeling much more confident of our safe arrival, sea conditions are not good for our peace of mind; but we are a day nearer Exmouth and sanctuary once again, so that is good. We are soon to start easing up to the continental shelf so seas will shallow (but we expect will still be 1km deep this time tomorrow. We have changed our ETA to sometime after dark on Monday (between 8 and 10pm). We won't enter the harbour after dark, and are assuming we can anchor off outside and await instructions on how to proceed from there. Kyle continues to stop and check on the engine twice a day (stop it and generally inspect, take temperature, etc). We still have no official word regarding our entry into Exmouth, but indications from our police contact at Exmouth at least lead us to think we will be allowed in to the harbour (conditions tbd).] At: 06:00(AWST) 11-Oct-2020, Outside Temp: 22.4C (72.32F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F), Course: 111(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.5kt, Wind:13Kt(from:SSE), Cloud Cover:65%, Pressure: 1015hPa, Swell:3m (to:N) | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 25º 52.044' S | 111º 57.012' E | Begonia |
Day 4 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Tantabiddi Reef, Ningaloo Marine Park (WA) To:Fremantle, Western Australia. Our position: -25.8736, 111.9523 Progress: [We've made [367.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [451]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [83]nm Since last posting we have made [131.0]nm (through water). We have moved [93.8]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.9]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.5kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.1kt. Sailing Conditions [Strong headwinds (as forecast) along with increasing waves is never the best sailing conditions. Very wet! According to the forecasts we are now over the worst of it. We headed out offshore in order to fin a favourable current, but for much of the night we had a current against us. Temperature continues to cool.] General Comments: [We passed close by two separate ships yesterday: a crayfish boat and a cargo ship. We are amazed that the commercial fishing boats don't use AIS. Kyle decided that wearing a watch *IS* preferred and is wearing one again. While progress is slow, we are still on track according to the plan.] At: 06:00(AWST) 10-Dec-2020, Outside Temp: 21C (69.8F), Humidity:83%, Water Temp: 26.1C (78.98F), Course: 206(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.4kt, Wind:20Kt(from:SSE), Cloud Cover:90%, Pressure: 1006hPa, Swell:Nm (to:3.5) | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 12º 13.098' S | 112º 16.002' E | Begonia |
Day 7 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Broome, Western Australia To:Direction Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Our position: loc:-12.2324, 112.2666 Progress: [We've made [683.3]nm (through water) on this passage and have [913]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [137]nm Since last posting we have made [123.9]nm (through water). We have moved [135.6]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [5.6]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.2kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.7kt. Sailing Conditions [We remain flying the spinnaker (not touched it for 64 hours) so sailing is easy. We have a current in our favour too (soon to be even better). Things are going well so Kyle has adjusted our ETA to the afternoon of the 14th August.] General Comments: [Sailing really needs none of our attention for days (aside from keeping watch), so yesterday I even did a bit of laundry. We are now west of western mainland Australia. I normally write these updates on my Mac, but that has been getting slower and slower of late so we officially switched to our PC today (much quicker!). I pulled out a new packet of rice yesterday (purchased in Darwin) and found weevils in it (Ugh - that sucks!!!).] At: 06:00(AWST) 08-Aug-2022, Outside Temp: 26.3C (79.34F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 31.9C (89.42F), Course: 294(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.1kt, Wind:10Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:25%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:1.5m (from:SE) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 27º 4.026' S | 112º 19.086' E | Begonia |
Day 5 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Tantabiddi Reef, Ningaloo Marine Park (WA) To:Fremantle, Western Australia. Our position: -27.0708, 112.3306 Progress: [We've made [495.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [363]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [88]nm Since last posting we have made [128.7]nm (through water). We have moved [74.7]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.1]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.4kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.2kt. Sailing Conditions [Headwinds slowly decreased throughout the last 24 hours (seas have yet to do so). Various other cargo and fishing traffic seen.] General Comments: [We are *FINALLY* south of the cyclone zone (whew!). As we head south, the temperature continues to decrease. We see plenty of shearwaters flying around, and the occasional flying fish. We found ourselves drinking too much water so can now adjust that too.] At: 06:00(AWST) 11-Dec-2020, Outside Temp: 22.1C (71.78F), Humidity:88%, Water Temp: 26.5C (79.7F), Course: 133(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.4kt, Wind:15Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:55%, Pressure: 1005hPa, Swell:Nm (to:3.5) | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 23º 41.088' S | 112º 59.07' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Tantabiddi Reef, Ningaloo Marine Park (WA) To:Fremantle, Western Australia. Our position: -23.6984, 112.9945 Progress: [We've made [118.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [582]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [109]nm Since last posting we have made [118.2]nm (through water). We have moved [120.1]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [5.0]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.9kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.9kt. Sailing Conditions [A whole host of wind and directions. We've flown spinnaker and reefed main/jib, tacking up wind and sailing downwind! A great test of us and the new rig. Seas a little choppy] General Comments: [Warm weather sailing, overnight there was a show of distant ligtning over the cost to our south and west. ] At: 06:00(AWST) 08-Dec-2020, Outside Temp: 25.5C (77.9F), Humidity:86%, Water Temp: 28C (82.4F), Course: 227(degT), Speed Over Ground:3kt, Wind:5Kt(from:WNW), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1008hPa, Swell:Nm (to:2) | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 24º 42.096' S | 113º 6.09' E | Begonia |
Day 3 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Tantabiddi Reef, Ningaloo Marine Park (WA) To:Fremantle, Western Australia. Our position: -24.7157, 113.1152 Progress: [We've made [236.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [534]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [48]nm Since last posting we have made [117.9]nm (through water). We have moved [61.4]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.6]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.9kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.9kt. Sailing Conditions [Strong headwinds so lots of tacking and little actual progress. We are over reefed for caution so could be going faster, but everything is quite bouncy so erring on slightly more comfortable ride (!)] General Comments: [The boat is working well, and we are back in the rhythm of things. A few days ago Kyle lost his watch overboard when the clasp broke as he was over the trampoline so he's managing without for now (he does have backups/alternative watches, but he's just seeing how things work without a watch for now). With the headwinds watches are chilly (Kyle is currently wearing full foul weather gear). As we tack back and forth along the coast we see more sand dunes (WA residents are 'affectionately' known as sandgropers) and more mine activity, even the occasional cell phone signal.] At: 06:00(AWST) 09-Dec-2020, Outside Temp: 22.9C (73.22F), Humidity:85%, Water Temp: 26.1C (78.98F), Course: 248(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.8kt, Wind:15Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1006hPa, Swell:NEm (to:2) | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 21º 48.0' S | 113º 9.096' E | Begonia |
Day 22 of Timor Sea/Indian Ocean Passage From:Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT To:Exmouth (WA) - Diverting after rigging failure. Our position: -21.8003, 113.1662 Progress: [We've made [2029.4]nm (through water) on this passage and have [71.7]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [83.3]nm Since last posting we have made [74.1]nm (through water). We have moved [75.6]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.1]kt Avg speed (through the water) since last post:3.1kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.0kt. Sailing Conditions [Most of yesterday progress was very slow as sloppy seas & 22kt head winds kept the boat from keeping any speed. In the early hours of this morning, the wind backed enough for Kyle to determine we could use the fully reefed main - this increased our speed from 1.5kt over ground to more like 5.5kt and helped dampen some of the rolling AND in much more like a straight line!] General Comments: [We expect to arrive after dark and anchor off, outside the harbour tonight. Since we've both slept so poorly recently we are so looking forward to some stress free rest. Yesterday just after 6pm we must have been at the far reaches of VHF contact and had a short call from the local VMR (Volunteer Marine Rescue) to check in on us. We feel close.] At: 06:00(AWST) 12-Oct-2020, Outside Temp: 22C (71.6F), Humidity:82%, Water Temp: 28.5C (83.3F), Course: 66(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.7kt, Wind:14Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:50%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:3m (to:N) | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 28º 37.014' S | 113º 29.016' E | Begonia |
Day 6 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Tantabiddi Reef, Ningaloo Marine Park (WA) To:Fremantle, Western Australia. Our position: -28.6190, 113.4861 Progress: [We've made [648.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [241]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [122]nm Since last posting we have made [152.3]nm (through water). We have moved [111.3]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.6]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.3kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.4kt. Sailing Conditions [We spent the day and night slowly unreefing to meet the conditions. By late evening we were finally able to stop tacking and actually could make a direct line along our planned route. Our speed is pretty good too! However we see more tacking in our future for this passage.] General Comments: [Life feels damp and cold. We have the quilt back out for the bed. Our weather station shows 97% humidity and certainly my wet gloves are not drying even though they are pegged out in a good wind. We are distracted by the occasional shearwater and more occasional passing cargo vessel. All feels rather dull. We are currently passing west of the Abrolhos islands (although they are just too low/far for us to actually see them).] At: 06:00(AWST) 12-Dec-2020, Outside Temp: 21.9C (71.42F), Humidity:97%, Water Temp: 26.1C (78.98F), Course: 135(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.6kt, Wind:15Kt(from:SW), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1002hPa, Swell:Nm (to:2.5) | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 15º 1.056' S | 113º 40.002' E | Begonia |
Day 13 of Timor Sea/Indian Ocean Passage From:Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT To:Ceduna, South Australia (SA). Our position: -15.0255, 113.6668 Progress: [We've made [1072.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [2736]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [164.1]nm (through water). We have moved [154.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Avg speed since last post:6.8kt, Avg speed for trip to date:3.7kt. Sailing Conditions [Well, we have wind! Despite Kyle sending us off away from the worst of things, we need both sails double reefed and are having a somewhat boisterous time aboard in very mixed/choppy seas. Kyle predicts it won't calm until around the 7th October for us. He has tweaked the course a little more, so while we had a great day sailing wise, it did little to subtract much from our extended miles-to-go.] General Comments: [When Kyle woke me this morning he had COLD HANDS!!! Oh no, I'm not sure I like this. We spent yesterday crossing traffic lanes of several more cargo vessels (at good distance), but the distance we can see ships on the AIS continues to amaze us (over 250nm). It seems it is not any special atmospheric conditions but a deliberate effort on the part of the Australians to identify and re-broadcast signals in this area; they must have a very high antenna (?!). On my watch last night I witnessed a ball of fire crash into the ocean (several miles off) and that was a first for me. Our nautical notifications have warned of space debris in parts of the Indian Ocean (but not near us). While Kyle was hit by a flying fish while at the helm on his watch - I knew since there were fish scales on his shoulder that he hadn't noticed Life is getting interesting; I think I prefer boring.] At: 06:00(AWST) 03-Oct-2020, Outside Temp: 25.8C (78.44F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 31.9C (89.42F), Course: 252(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.7kt, Wind:21Kt(from:SSE), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:NE) | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 21º 54.054' S | 113º 58.02' E | Begonia |
At Mooring Ball (free): Tantabiddi Reef, Ningaloo Marine Park - Indian Ocean, Australia. Our position: -21.9092, 113.9699 Sail From: Exmouth (WA) Marina - work dock To: Tantabiddi Reef, Ningaloo Marine Park We travelled [44.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [9.9]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [1.2]kt, Avg speed (through the water):5.1kt. Location Comments: [A lovely sail to round the northern tip of Cape Range, starting downwind, and after the turn we were upwind and tacking as the southerly winds decreased. We are on a state mooring ball #TA05P (Blue) - free once reserved through DBCA.] General Comments: [Still no whale sightings (they've mostly headed south by now we assume), but so good to be sailing today. Kyle suffered a frustrating 20 minutes as the wind decided to play with us by switching direction back and forth; he only relaxed once I handed him a nice chilled watermelon. Once the wind settled again, Kyle went back to being joyful that we are finally heading south again (we are glad to be missing out on the strong winds here within a few days). Tantabiddi is one of the reefs within the Ningaloo Marine Park (UNESCO world heritage marine park) and we've arrived in time for a snorkel today. It is also unusually cloudy again today so we are expecting a nice sunset tonight.] At: 14:34(AWST) 06-Dec-2020, Outside Temp: 28.8C (83.84F), Humidity:64%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F) | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 21º 57.036' S | 114º 8.04' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Dock in Exmouth (WA) - Diverting after rigging failure, Australia - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 22 of Timor Sea/Indian Ocean Passage From:Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT To:Exmouth (WA) - Diverting after rigging failure. Our position: -21.9562, 114.1401 Progress: [We've made [2100.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [71.7]nm Since last posting we have made [70.8]nm (through water). We have moved [55.0]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.8]kt Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.9kt, Avg speed for trip:4.0kt. Sailing Conditions [After a slow start fighting wind and waves, eventually conditions allowed us to hoist the (reefed) main and triple our speed. Once we entered the north of Cape Range sea conditions eased, and once we rounded it, we found really calm seas. Although some stronger SE winds are forecast for overnight.] General Comments: [Great news - our originally rejected G2G permits have been reissued with a two-week on-board self-isolation requirement. We arrived at Exmouth after dark and rather than anchor off, were encouraged to enter the harbour itself where we've been assigned an end dock (nicely taped off from the general public). We had clear instructions regarding how to enter, and have current charts and sat imagery. We expect police and heath visitors tomorrow, at which point we'll know more about our status, and when the self-isolation officially begins/began. ] At: 20:24(AWST) 12-Oct-2020, Outside Temp: 25.1C (77.18F), Humidity:61%, Water Temp: 29C (84.2F) | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 30º 37.098' S | 114º 15.06' E | Begonia |
Day 7 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Tantabiddi Reef, Ningaloo Marine Park (WA) To:Fremantle, Western Australia. Our position: -30.6325, 114.2597 Progress: [We've made [779.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [115]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [126]nm Since last posting we have made [131.4]nm (through water). We have moved [127.4]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [5.3]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.5kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.4kt. Sailing Conditions [More practice reefing and unreefing (especially for poor Kyle in the midnight to 6am watch). We did have the benefit of a good current in our favour, we *think* it was the Leeuwin current, but according to the charts that is seasonal and not during December ?!] General Comments: [Temperature crashing and, along with the wind, it means we keep ourselves well wrapped up, but are very much feeling the cold on our watches. We even had drizzle/rain overnight to contend with.] At: 06:00(AWST) 13-Dec-2020, Outside Temp: 18.8C (65.84F), Humidity:82%, Water Temp: 25.6C (78.08F), Course: 159(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.4kt, Wind:18Kt(from:WSE), Cloud Cover:98%, Pressure: 1004hPa, Swell:NEm (to:2.5) | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 13º 12.078' S | 114º 21.018' E | Begonia |
Day 6 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Broome, Western Australia To:Direction Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Our position: loc:-13.2134, 114.3530 Progress: [We've made [559.4]nm (through water) on this passage and have [1050]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [98]nm Since last posting we have made [84.0]nm (through water). We have moved [104.9]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.4]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:3.5kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.7kt. Sailing Conditions [We managed to fly the spinnaker only over the last 24 hours, but progress has been slow/mixed. We continue to see regular cargo ships heading between Indonesia and Australia. The light winds meant we had a 4 hour period where we went less than 1nm (through the water) TOTAL; thankfully there was a favourable current. Kyle assures me that today will be a much better day!] General Comments: [Light winds and overcast morning meant battery issues by nighttime (another couple of hours of motor time last night to keep the batteries good).] At: 06:00(AWST) 07-Aug-2022, Outside Temp: 25.9C (78.62F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 31.4C (88.52F), Course: 296(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.1kt, Wind:13Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:20%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:2m (from:S) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 34º 23.004' S | 114º 59.04' E | Begonia |
Day 1 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Esperance, WA To:Esperance, WA. Our position: -34.3841, 114.9896 Progress: [We've made [17.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [385]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [11]nm Since last posting we have made [16.99]nm (through water). We have moved [10.1]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [1.8]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:3.1kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):3.1kt. Sailing Conditions [Nice sailing, warm with light winds and smooth seas] General Comments: [An early start with views of the cape Leeuwin light scanning the cape. Kyle has even managed a bit of reefing and unreefing (although I'm asking him not to because of his back).] At: 06:00(AWST) 09-Jan-2021, Outside Temp: 22.7C (72.86F), Humidity:86%, Water Temp: 25.6C (78.08F), Course: 96(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.9kt, Wind:6Kt(from:SSE), Cloud Cover:90%, Pressure: 1009hPa, Swell:1m (to:N) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 33º 40.008' S | 114º 59.094' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Canal Rocks, Nr. Yallingup , WA - Indian Ocean, Australia. Our position: -33.6678, 114.9992 Sail From: Busselton, Geographe Bay, WA To: Canal Rocks, Nr. Yallingup , WA We travelled [28.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [17.0]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.3]kt, Avg speed (through the water):5.5kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 8.5m in a sandy patch (another boat already here had the prime location)] General Comments: [After a lovely time at Busselton and exploring the Margaret River area by car, we finally moved on. Kyle's back is not cooperating (again), but aside from an early start It was a relatively easy downwind(ish) sail. We move on tomorrow for Hamlin Bay.] At: 09:56(AWST) 06-Jan-2021, Outside Temp: 24.3C (75.74F), Humidity:50%, Water Temp: 25.1C (77.18F) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 34º 13.008' S | 115º 1.074' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Hamelin Bay, WA - Indian Ocean, Australia. Our position: -34.2182, 115.0286 Sail From: Canal Rocks, Nr. Yallingup , WA To: Hamelin Bay, WA We travelled [34.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [33.1]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [5.0]kt, Avg speed (through the water):5.2kt. Location Comments: [Anchored off Campsite, 4 other boats already here (some on moorings), but we are anchored in 5m on a sandy patch. ] General Comments: [A pleasant downwind sail with mild seas (yay), Kyle's back is still problematic but he is doing more each day. Temperatures are heating up again, so I predict some swimming in my near future. To our west and south are a bunch of small islets (maybe a fun kayak), and behind us is a beach fringed with dunes, quite lovely. We had internet for much of the passage (but not now at anchor - go figure) - and were horrified to hear the crazy news at the Capitol in DC and the latest Covid numbers in the UK. I'm kind-a glad we won't be able to check in on all that over the next few days.] At: 12:18(AWST) 07-Jan-2021, Outside Temp: 28.7C (83.66F), Humidity:49%, Water Temp: 25C (77F) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 33º 38.064' S | 115º 20.034' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Busselton, Geographe Bay, WA, Australia - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 2 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Parakeet Bay, Rottnest Island, WA To:Busselton, Geographe Bay, WA. Our position: -33.6444, 115.3392 Progress: [We've made [111.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [49]nm Since last posting we have made [51.2]nm (through water). We have moved [48.9]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.6]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.8kt, Avg speed for trip:5.0kt. Sailing Conditions [Wind turned and calmed, and the seas followed, making for day of easy sailing (just a bit slower, but much nicer)] General Comments: [Anchored off the town beach, with the long pier to our East, we'll spend the remainder of the day with the boat and hopefully get to explore the town and facilities in the morning.] At: 16:44(AWST) 28-Dec-2020, Outside Temp: 30.7C (87.26F), Humidity:41%, Water Temp: 27C (80.6F) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 32º 49.08' S | 115º 20.058' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Parakeet Bay, Rottnest Island, WA To:Bussleton, WA. Our position: -32.8295, 115.3433 Progress: [We've made [60.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [49]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [51]nm Since last posting we have made [60.0]nm (through water). We have moved [51.2]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.5]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.2kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.2kt. Sailing Conditions [Strong headwinds (max about 33kt), and sailing into waves with a short chop. Yuk. Also the weather window we had for the next leg (to round the cape) has vanished. Ugh!] General Comments: [After a lovely time at Rottnest, and certainly wishing we could have spent longer, we departed before the winds made the anchorage unsafe. While we expected crayfish pots around the island, we continued to experience them well into the night (at 50m depth) - not sure if these were adrift or placed deliberately. Full foul weather gear in place: for the wind, occassional wave and cooler night.] At: 06:00(AWST) 28-Dec-2020, Outside Temp: 16.7C (62.06F), Humidity:68%, Water Temp: 24.1C (75.38F), Course: 181(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.8kt, Wind:21Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:0%, Pressure: 1017hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:NW) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 31º 59.028' S | 115º 30.09' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Parakeet Bay, Rottnest Island, WA - Indian Ocean, Australia. Our position: -31.9884, 115.5147 Sail From: Fremantle Sailing Club, WA To: Parakeet Bay, Rottnest Island, WA We travelled [13.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [12.9]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.7]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.8kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.2m in one of the sandy patches in this pretty little anchorage. A back drop of sand dunes and low exposed sandstone cliffs, thankfully not too busy (as yet).] General Comments: [An easy Christmas Morning sail across from Perth to Perth's playground: Rottnest Island. The sun is shining, and we had enough wind to sail over, so a lovely start to the festive day.] At: 11:26(AWST) 25-Dec-2020, Outside Temp: 22.2C (71.96F), Humidity:64%, Water Temp: 26.1C (78.98F) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 32º 4.02' S | 115º 44.094' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Dock in Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 8 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Tantabiddi Reef, Ningaloo Marine Park (WA) To:Fremantle, Western Australia. Our position: -32.0696, 115.7485 Progress: [We've made [891.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [115]nm Since last posting we have made [112.3]nm (through water). We have moved [115.1]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [6.3]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.2kt, Avg speed for trip:5.5kt. Sailing Conditions [Strong headwinds and waves against us continued throughout the day, but we made it. We have been assigned a space at the 'Collector Jetty' at the Fremantle Sailing Club.] General Comments: [We arrived at marina in the early hours of Monday morning and managed to find our space. Aside from the wind things are amazingly quiet here (despite being filled to what seems like capacity). Arriving in a new city at night means we'll have the pleasure of discovery at some point tomorrow (after a nice long rest).] At: 00:10(AWST) 14-Dec-2020, Outside Temp: 18.6C (65.48F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 27C (80.6F) | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 14º 4.074' S | 115º 54.096' E | Begonia |
Day 5 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Broome, Western Australia To:Direction Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Our position: loc:-14.0793, 115.9162 Progress: [We've made [475.4]nm (through water) on this passage and have [1148]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [68]nm Since last posting we have made [117.2]nm (through water). We have moved [106.4]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.4]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.9kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.0kt. Sailing Conditions [We switched to the spinnaker just before 8am yesterday, but within a few hours switched back to Main and Jib since wind kept going forward. By 7pm we had the spinnaker flying again (and all night). Seas have slowly calmed (and wind). We expect tail winds for the next few days. Overnight we saw a LOT of cago traffic (with up to 5 boats on AIS at any time, all seemingly travelling the same corridor as we headed NW, the were all headed North or South). ] General Comments: [We can see our course plotted on our Predict Wind route from our last time in this area - and just after 2am we crossed that track - so we are now officially in new-to-us waters. We've had a few Boobies (birds) as we left Australia, and Kyle said terns were chasing the nav lights last night; right now we have frigate birds (we didn't expect that!). As for battery power (ugh!) we had a lot of cloud cover again yesterday, and when the sun did shine the spinnaker basically blocked all the solar panels, so we did run the engine for a couple of hours to keep the batteries at a reasonable level - we are hoping for better luck today.] At: 06:00(AWST) 06-Aug-2022, Outside Temp: 25.1C (77.18F), Humidity:67%, Water Temp: 31.4C (88.52F), Course: 346(degT), Speed Over Ground:4kt, Wind:6Kt(from:SW), Cloud Cover:25%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:2m (from:S) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 14º 13.068' S | 116º 11.094' E | Begonia |
Day 12 of Timor Sea/Indian Ocean Passage From:Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT To:Ceduna, South Australia (SA). Our position: -14.2281, 116.1985 Progress: [We've made [908.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [2793]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [125.2]nm (through water). We have moved [122.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Avg speed since last post:5.2kt, Avg speed for trip to date:3.4kt. Sailing Conditions [Yesterday (for the most part) remained frustratingly slow, but by late afternoon things picked up again to assist with a healthy average. We fly main and jib and are sailing on average about 55 degrees into the (apparent) wind.] General Comments: [We spent the last 24 hours crossing some major shipping lane; while boats were well spaced (often 50nm apart) - compared to what we've been used to in Australia the mass of ships on the AIS, and mostly travelling to and from in a line between Port Hedland and Indonesia, it felt like we were playing frogger. Most of the cargo ships kept well out of our way, which can't have been easy for them as our speed varied so much with the wind, but we were regularly closely monitoring up to 3 ships at any time just in case. We are currently due south of Bali (about 320nm), and Hong Kong and even Wuhan. Bali stings since we would have been visiting earlier this year if Covid hadn't hit. We are also passing (260nm to our SE) the Rawley Shoals - one of the stunning reef areas that would have been on our Western Australia agenda (If they had let us in). Rather we still have weeks of ocean sailing before we'll next step foot on land. Kyle tells me that (longitude wise) we have now managed to cover 3/4 of the globe between Footprint and Begonia. Other tidbits - we had a full moon yesterday (which I love), and saildocs is responding normally again. Kyle is warning me that the conditions are going to get more exhilarating in the coming days as the wind and waves increase and we find ourselves nose on.] At: 06:00(AWST) 02-Oct-2020, Outside Temp: 27C (80.6F), Humidity:84%, Water Temp: 32.9C (91.22F), Course: 252(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.7kt, Wind:8Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:10%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:2m (to:NE) | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 35º 40.062' S | 117º 21.042' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of Southern Ocean Passage From:Hamelin Bay, WA To:Esperance, WA. Our position: -35.6768, 117.3565 Progress: [We've made [154.7]nm (through water) on this passage and have [263]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [122]nm Since last posting we have made [137.7]nm (through water). We have moved [139.8]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [5.8]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.7kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.2kt. Sailing Conditions [A wonderful sail yesterday, winds backing to give us tail winds. Fast sailing (for us) since around 8pm last night (regularly at 7-8kt) with a reef in the jib (and now main too). We've skirted a few shipping channels and seen regular cargo boats sailing in both directions.] General Comments: [Yesterday we rounded Cape Leeuwin (switching from the Indian Ocean to the Southern Ocean). When we visited there ten years ago, we never expected to see it again, we were positively glowing, feeling so lucky. Despite a few patches of light rain yesterday, the boat is still covered in grime we seemed to have mysteriously accumulated at Busselton. The favorable winds we wanted (and have) are also part of a cold front (brrrr), and we are hoping that lasts only long enough to get us where we are headed.] At: 06:00(AWST) 10-Jan-2021, Outside Temp: 19.5C (67.1F), Humidity:80%, Water Temp: 23.6C (74.48F), Course: 120(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.8kt, Wind:21Kt(from:WSE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:NE) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 15º 5.01' S | 117º 25.056' E | Begonia |
Day 4 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Broome, Western Australia To:Direction Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Our position: loc:-15.0847, 117.4259 Progress: [We've made [358.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [1216]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [194]nm Since last posting we have made [166.6]nm (through water). We have moved [154.4]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [6.4]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.9kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.0kt. Sailing Conditions [Wind and seas built, so we had a fast day with plenty of reefing.. We had expected to be sailing the spinnaker by now, but the wind has been slow to back sufficiently.] General Comments: [Kyle spotted a LOT of flying fish on his day watch yesterday, but little else is going on. We spotted two cargo ships (on AIS). Sky still very overcast, but the wind helped a little with our power situation (but battery level remains not great). Dull and uneventful (no complaints there).] At: 06:00(AWST) 05-Aug-2022, Outside Temp: 24.9C (76.82F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 31.4C (88.52F), Course: 299(degT), Speed Over Ground:6kt, Wind:12Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:98%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:2.5m (from:SW) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 13º 31.032' S | 118º 10.002' E | Begonia |
Day 11 of Timor Sea/Indian Ocean Passage From:Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT To:Ceduna, South Australia (SA). Our position: -13.5215, 118.1667 Progress: [We've made [782.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [3007]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [68.0]nm (through water). We have moved [63.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Avg speed since last post:2.8kt, Avg speed for trip to date:3.2kt. Sailing Conditions [The wind (direction and speed) in reality has not matched our forecast and we've had another frustratingly slow day. Also the saildocs server (from which we get some of our weather forecasts) seems to be down, thankfully we can use our predictwind account as a backup, but Kyle much prefers the ability to see the raw data which saildocs (normally, reliably) allows.] General Comments: [Another calm day (despite the swell), life feels a little dull aboard. I am getting through our favourite podcasts and are now starting on my 2nd tier of chosen podcasts entertainment (of which I have plenty) on our watches. I suspect eventually I'll be resorting to my French and Spanish lessons on my watches (no bad thing).] At: 06:00(AWST) 01-Oct-2020, Outside Temp: 27.1C (80.78F), Humidity:82%, Water Temp: 32.9C (91.22F), Course: 274(degT), Speed Over Ground:1.5kt, Wind:4Kt(from:SSW), Cloud Cover:0%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:N) | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 13º 14.07' S | 119º 13.032' E | Begonia |
Day 10 of Timor Sea/Indian Ocean Passage From:Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT To:Ceduna, South Australia (SA). Our position: -13.2454, 119.2218 Progress: [We've made [714.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [2808]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [125.0]nm (through water). We have moved [120.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Avg speed since last post:5.2kt, Avg speed for trip to date:3.3kt. Sailing Conditions [Upwind, in light-ish but steady winds (our fastest day of average speed to date). We are expecting a couple of days more of this and then for the wind to start increasing (along with the waves).] General Comments: [Our AIS generally can identify other boats up to about 25nm away, but for the last 12 hours we are seeing boats up to 450nm away (some strange atmospheric conditions?). We currently are in water over 5km deep (The North Australian Basin), and are being circled by a handful of storm petrels (they are probably more used to fishing boats out here).] At: 06:00(AWST) 30-Sep-2020, Outside Temp: 27.6C (81.68F), Humidity:78%, Water Temp: 32.9C (91.22F), Course: 248(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.1kt, Wind:6Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:0%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:N) | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 16º 18.084' S | 119º 46.05' E | Begonia |
Day 3 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Gantheaume Point, Broome, WA To:Direction Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Our position: loc:-16.3137, 119.7752 Progress: [We've made [191.6]nm (through water) on this passage and have [1410]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [40]nm Since last posting we have made [123.6]nm (through water). We have moved [113.1]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.7]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.1kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.0kt. Sailing Conditions [A mixed day sailing close to the wind much of the last 24 hours but EVENTUALLY in the right direction. We also had currents against us for much of the day (at least on my watches). (Distance travelled in an hour ranged from 1.89nm to 8.31nm). Kyle adjusted the route to go further north to enter a favourable current before we turn west.] General Comments: [We had dolphins visit - a large pod and a few broke off to play in the bows (until they realized that we were not going nearly fast enough for the fun they were hoping for. With the heavy clouds and light winds the batteries are pretty low so we are hoping for that to rectify itself today. The bigger seas are something we are getting used to after a long time in relatively flat waters.] At: 06:00(AWST) 04-Aug-2022, Outside Temp: 25.2C (77.36F), Humidity:83%, Water Temp: 31.9C (89.42F), Course: 298(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.7kt, Wind:18Kt(from:SSW), Cloud Cover:87%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:2m (from:SW) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 35º 2.004' S | 121º 1.068' E | Begonia |
Day 3 of Southern Ocean Passage From:Hamelin Bay, WA To:Esperance, WA. Our position: -35.0337, 121.0278 Progress: [We've made [348.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [94]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [169]nm Since last posting we have made [194.2]nm (through water). We have moved [183.7]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [7.7]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:8.1kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):6.5kt. Sailing Conditions [For most of the past 24 hours we were sailing at about 120 degrees (wind mostly behind us). We had imagined that for much of this passage (based on the forecast) that we'd have the spinnaker out, but this hasn't been possible with the winds we've had (reefed main and jib). Waves come from behind and we spend times surfing, slewing, and sliding on the wave faces. ] General Comments: [While we averaged over 8kts for the last 24 hours (Kyle being disappointed we didn't make the 200nm for the period), we had speeds of 17.7kt through the water (more over the ground) - its been a wild ride and I'm certainly glad not to be going in the other direction. I'd planned to write how the auto-pilot has been our hero of the trip, it is really windy and cold outside (and we hadn't installed our enclosure, so its nice let the autopilot do the work while we watch from the wind free cabin - Duh!). However when I was hurriedly woken for my watch, and to post this, and without my usual cup of coffee, I learned that the bracket that connects the autopilot to the steering rod has broken so Kyle is currently hand steering. He assumes that once I can take over steering, he can actually fix it (at least temporarily, and then hopefully properly once we are at anchor). I sure hope so.] At: 06:00(AWST) 11-Jan-2021, Outside Temp: 16.9C (62.42F), Humidity:66%, Water Temp: 21.2C (70.16F), Course: 48(degT), Speed Over Ground:20kt, Wind:20Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1020hPa, Swell:3m (to:N) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 12º 33.096' S | 121º 9.072' E | Begonia |
Day 9 of Timor Sea/Indian Ocean Passage From:Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT To:Ceduna, South Australia (SA). Our position: -12.5661, 121.1621 Progress: [We've made [589.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [2884]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [120.0]nm (through water). We have moved [122.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Avg speed since last post:5.0kt, Avg speed for trip to date:3.1kt. Sailing Conditions [We have good wind (we are moving 'properly' at last). You may have noticed that the miles to go has jumped - this is because the forecast is predicting a storm ahead of us, so we are diverting somewhat (adding significant time and miles, but safer and more comfortable). Kyle gets the weather forecasts and maps twice a day, so all could change again.] General Comments: [It feels great to be moving. Seas are a little more bouncy, but moving around the boat is still easy. We are really in international waters, and Kyle has seen a few Indonesian fishing boats - these are dodgy-looking factories on the water- a raggamuffin of lines and hardware - large, with no obvious safety codes (nor life rafts). Thankfully they do all seem to have AIS so we are always aware of them even if they are too far away to see. We had a really large pod of 'dolphins' pass us - there must have been over 100; we are not sure if they were pigmy-killer whales, or melon headed whales, or maybe even a false killer whales (I'll have to do some research once we have internet again) but the passing was a highlight for us (despite the mass of them, id-helpful photographs were near impossible, its like playing camera whack-a-mole!).] At: 06:00(AWST) 29-Sep-2020, Outside Temp: 29.4C (84.92F), Humidity:76%, Water Temp: 33.8C (92.84F), Course: 256(degT), Speed Over Ground:5kt, Wind:10Kt(from:SSE), Cloud Cover:2%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:N) | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 17º 38.004' S | 121º 10.086' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Gantheaume Point, Broome, WA To:Direction Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Our position: loc:-17.6335, 121.1812 Progress: [We've made [68.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [1450]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [60]nm Since last posting we have made [68.0]nm (through water). We have moved [61.1]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.6]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:2.8kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):2.8kt. Sailing Conditions [We set off knowing we'd have light winds and progress would be slow for a while. The wind has slowly increased overnight and we are happy that the sea remain pretty flat (for an ocean passage). We remain close hauled. We expect bigger winds and seas later in the passage, but it seems we'll have plenty of time to adjust. Kyle says we should have 3 days of downwind spinnaker sailing before then.] General Comments: [Australian Border Force kindly drove to Gantheaume Point to meet us on the beach and complete the exit paperwork (on Monday). We set off early Tuesday morning. The last time we did a sail of any more than a week was when we left Tasmania back in February this year. By this morning the sky had more cloud than we've seen in months, and the humidity is UP to 80% (we haven't seen that since Darwin). Yesterday we regularly spotted whales - Kyle witnessed one breach twice almost totally out of the water (I was looking in the other direction and only got to see the giant splashes that followed)] At: 06:00(AWST) 03-Aug-2022, Outside Temp: 25.3C (77.54F), Humidity:80%, Water Temp: 30C (86F), Course: 343(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.2kt, Wind:9Kt(from:W), Cloud Cover:50%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:0.75m (from:W) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 17º 14.058' S | 122º 7.074' E | Begonia | Day 2 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Crawford Bay, King Sound, The Kimberley, WA To:Gantheaume Point, Broome, WA. Our position: loc:-17.2431, 122.1287
Progress: [We've made [126.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [43]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [127]nm Since last posting we have made [126.8]nm (through water). We have moved [88.9]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.7]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.3kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.3kt. Sailing Conditions [Ugh - what a strange 24 hours of sailing. We departed with light tail winds (and even used the spinnaker for a while), but the winds flipped and by evening we were tacking into headwinds. During the afternoon we past by lots of mother/calf whale pairs. They weren't active, but just resting on the surface and diving down once in a while. We could hear their songs and replies through the hulls of the boat. Overnight we transitted the narrow and shallow Lacepede Channel and since then we've had plenty of chop making for a miserable ride. It was cold enough for Kyle to be wearing his padded jacket overnight. All looks good to arrive and anchor in Darwin before dark today.] General Comments: [Our time in Crawford Bay was spent between relaxing, planning ahead for our time in Broome, and (finally) pulling out our new portable water maker and testing it out. It all worked just fine and we had all the 'bits' we needed thankfully - so no extra scrambling required once we reach Broome (at least on that topic). We can last 2 months easily with the water we have and the conservation methods we currently use, but our trip across the Indian ocean this year will require more, and rainfall cannot be relied upon - so we invested in the water maker. Its a small one, using just 12V, but sufficient to top up our supplies once in a while. We are headed to Broome with the intent to depart Australia for Cocos (Keeling), but things are already getting complicated and jeopardizing our visit to Cocos - so we'll make a plan once we can make calls and get good internet, etc. If we can't go to Cocos, we may hang around WA a bit longer (we're also still waiting on news regarding our permit to visit Chargos, for which we applied in April). If we can't go to Cocos or Chagos - we've a lot of thinking to do! *Update* it looks like our visa issue is all OK for Cocos!! (Just received an email from Broome Border Force)] At: 06:00(AWST) 26-Jul-2022, Outside Temp: 23.5C (74.3F), Humidity:57%, Water Temp: 28C (82.4F), Course: 205(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.3kt, Wind:18Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:2%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:1m (from:S) ----- At 25/07/2022 22:00 (UTC) our position was 17°14.58'S 122°07.72'E" | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 17º 57.006' S | 122º 11.088' E | Begonia | Safely arrived: at Anchor in Gantheaume Point, Broome, WA, Australia - PASSAGE COMPLETE.
Day 2 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Crawford Bay, King Sound, The Kimberley, WA To:Gantheaume Point, Broome, WA. Our position: loc:-17.9553, 122.1975 Progress: [We've made [178.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [43]nm Since last posting we have made [51.7]nm (through water). We have moved [42.9]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.9]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.7kt, Avg speed for trip:5.1kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.4m at chart datum. We were advised we could anchor anywhere north of the mooring field (but not within the mooring field). Access ashore via beach with consideration for tide state since tide range is 9m at springs (per guidebook), but then need to find trail from beach to road.. (there are cut throughs - look for the white posts). Vehicle access to Gantheaume Point only gives access to the a 500m stretch of beach (taxis and rental cars all seem OK to drive on to beach. It seems nobody leaves their dinghy/tender unattended (espeically at the vehicle end). Most use it for drop off and pick up only and reports of theft (outboards, etc) are common. We rented a car here, but were very uncomfortable leaving unattended at night as break ins seem to be a regular occurance (we left it unlocked). No facilities nearby (no trash, no water, nothing). Mooring balls also available: via Antony Burton (aka Zorba) of Broome Mooring Hire Ph: 0406 938 540 ] General Comments: [OK - Yes, we are in Broome (Not Darwin, I keep saying Darwin when I mean Broome, hopefully a few days here will fix that). Today's sail continued to be bouncy and rough but things eventually calmed down by about 11am. We spent much of the day dodging giant turtles (they are pretty good at getting out of the way but I was trying not to scare them too much, so once I spotted one, I'd divert course to go well around them - but then they see you and get freaked out anyway ... So cute). AND Whales - lots and lots of whales. Mostly at a far distance. A few we diverted so as not to get too close, and a couple of times we were visited by a whale that didn't care for such rules and decided to swim to us, under us, and pop back out at the back to say Hi! Thankfully we were sailing with dying winds and at less than 1kt at the time. I would have so loved to jump in and say Hi back (but it isn't permitted). We'll stay at anchor for today and most likely tomorrow (to do all the internet stuff that we need to do) and then switch to a mooring (most likely).] At: 16:56(AWST) 26-Jul-2022, Outside Temp: 32C (89.6F), Humidity:44%, Water Temp: 24.6C (76.28F) ----- At 26/07/2022 08:56 (UTC) our position was 17°57.32'S 122°11.85'E" | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 33º 59.052' S | 122º 13.038' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Lucky Bay (West end), (near Esperance), WA - Recherche Archipelago, Australia. Our position: -33.9922, 122.2229 Sail From: Lucky Bay (East end), (near Esperance), WA To: Lucky Bay (West end), (near Esperance), WA We travelled [1.5]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.2]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [1.2]kt, Avg speed (through the water):1.6kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.5m depth in a small sand patch (weed all around) on the west end of the bay (nearest caravan park). Lucky Beach is voted(?) the 'whitest beach in Australia' (referring to the sand colour), and is also well known for its Western Grey kangaroos that like to hang on the beach. We relocated to this end since the surf was a bit too wild for landing on the eastern end. Here we found a protected hook where landing the dinghy looks calm (but weedy). We were sure to test the anchor was set well as there is little room to drag. No cell phone service. There is a Coffee Van ashore, something to look forward to after a walk. Ashore is Cape Le Grand National Park and access to Le Grand Coastal Track.] General Comments: [Kyle's back is still dodgy, but he's getting stir crazy. He knows I want to go ashore (and would go without him now I can see a clear safe landing), but he doesn't want to miss out on anything himself, so he's trying to convince himself that he is OK. We've already spotted a few kangaroos bounding along the beach and posing for pictures, and I'm overdue for a nice walk. It's still a bit chilly here, but we can get by with shorts if we keep moving.] At: 08:07(AWST) 14-Jan-2021, Outside Temp: 18.4C (65.12F), Humidity:60%, Water Temp: 22.2C (71.96F) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 33º 59.094' S | 122º 14.07' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Lucky Bay, (near Esperance), WA, Australia - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 4 of Southern Ocean Passage From:Hamelin Bay, WA To:Lucky Bay, (near Esperance), WA. Our position: -33.9985, 122.2451 Progress: [We've made [475.6]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [94]nm Since last posting we have made [126.7]nm (through water). We have moved [86.5]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.7]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.4kt, Avg speed for trip:6.2kt. Sailing Conditions [Anchored in 7-8m sand (weed patches), tucked in to the east end of the bay in anticipation of the 'normal' summer winds. No cell phone service. Bay is in Le Grand National Park. The bay has road access (west end), along with a caravan and camping site, but also access to a coastal walking trail which might be fun.] General Comments: [We made good enough time that we could have arrived around 10pm last night, but we always avoid anchoring in an new place in the dark. So, instead we spent the cold night over-reefed and slowly tacking between the islands of the Recherche Archipelago (in 1627 described as 'an extensive mass of dangers'). You can imagine why one of the early explorers on discovering a sandy, sheltered bay gave Lucky Bay its name. We were very glad of our electronic charts and GPS position fixes to keep us safe. In the early light we pulled into Lucky Bay (now famed for its white sand beach and turquoise waters) and were escorted by a pod of dolphins; a nice welcome. No other boats here (not surprising given the recent winds). Kyle's back is improving and he's keen to get ashore. We'll rest-up today and by the time we are ready to explore, this area should have re-set to its normal wind conditions. ] At: 05:28(AWST) 12-Jan-2021, Outside Temp: 16C (60.8F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 21.7C (71.06F) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 33º 56.088' S | 122º 34.044' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Victory Boat Harbour (Hammer Head), WA - Recherche Archipelago, Australia. Our position: -33.9482, 122.5742 Sail From: Lucky Bay (West end), (near Esperance), WA To: Victory Boat Harbour (Hammer Head), WA We travelled [48.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [17.7]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [1.9]kt, Avg speed (through the water):5.3kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 5m depth, in large sand patch, with winds from the SE this is a very welcome shelter (winds over 30kt from SE outside, at anchor we have 11kt and barely any wave or swell). 4WD tracks to the beach. No phone signal (Telstra). Scenery is smooth granite rolling hills with large boulders randomly sitting on top amid patchy vegetation.] General Comments: [Another early start (5am) as we knew the winds would increase through the morning. Sailing into headwinds, our tacking angle wasn't great as we were heavily reefed and appeared to have a current against us. We started with wind in around 17kt, and by the time we arrived winds were regularly in the mid-30kts; the waves and spray making the short sail tacking into headwinds quite miserable really. Thankfully Kyle had installed the enclosure in anticipation of this passage. We are VERY glad to be in this lovely anchorage and so well protected from the waves and swell. ] At: 14:16(AWST) 18-Jan-2021, Outside Temp: 22.7C (72.86F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 22.1C (71.78F) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 11º 37.038' S | 123º 0.06' E | Begonia |
Day 8 of Timor Sea/Indian Ocean Passage From:Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT To:Ceduna, South Australia (SA). Our position: -11.6227, 123.0096 Progress: [We've made [469.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [2776]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [92.3]nm (through water). We have moved [104.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Avg speed since last post:3.8kt, Avg speed for trip to date:2.8kt. Sailing Conditions [Finally we have constant winds and progress, not always fast, but always moving (our hourly logs ranging between 1.66nm and 6.08nm) in another all spinnaker day, although Kyle expects it will be our last Spinnaker day for some time.] General Comments: [With both wind and a little cloud things seem cooler which helps aboard (although max temperature still reached 34.2C/94F). We have come some distance from the mainland to avoid a large dead patch of air, and we are currently off the continental shelf (we are about 230nm offshore)] At: 06:00(AWST) 28-Sep-2020, Outside Temp: 28.6C (83.48F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 33.3C (91.94F), Course: 241(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.1kt, Wind:7Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:1m (to:SW) | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 33º 59.04' S | 123º 10.026' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Arid Bay, Cape Arid - Recherche Archipelago, Australia. Our position: -33.9896, 123.1708 Sail From: Victory Boat Harbour (Hammer Head), WA To: Arid Bay, Cape Arid We travelled [49.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [29.8]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.2]kt, Avg speed (through the water):5.2kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 4.5m of sand. Ashore is Cape Arid National Park (renowned for its 160+ bird species). This area is remote but there are 4WD trails to this SW section of the park. Scenery is smooth granite rolling hills with patchy vegetation, long narrow white sandy beach with thin strip of sand dunes. No cell phone service (Telstra).] General Comments: [Again with the early start (4:58am this time) to avoid the stronger afternoon winds. Wind throughout the trip was quite variable, clocking from NNE to SSE, but it was the wind speed changes that were especially frustrating With no obvious explanation, the wind would be 5kt, then 25kt. There was a lot of tacking, reefing, and unfreefing with this passage. Aside from sailing to the whims of the wind, we also had to navigate the numerous islands, rocks, shallows, occasional fishing pot AND avoid the unsurveyed areas too. Good news is that Kyle's back seems normal again (finally), and our temporary autopilot fix is holding well (will fix properly once we get to civilization and can find the right resources).] At: 14:22(AWST) 20-Jan-2021, Outside Temp: 21.9C (71.42F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 22.7C (72.86F) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 16º 12.066' S | 123º 27.006' E | Begonia | At Anchor: Silica Bay, Hidden Island, King Sound, The Kimberley, WA - Indian Ocean, Australia. Our position: loc:-16.2105, 123.4550
Sail From: Coppermine Creek, Yampi Sound, The Kimberley, WA To: Silica Bay, Hidden Island, King Sound, The Kimberley, WA We travelled [12.7]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [8.9]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [1.5]kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.2kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 8.9m at chart datum, tide range 8m at spring tides (per guide), at the north end of Hidden Island. Seabed of rubble (best for fair weather conditions). We arrived about 3m above datum and there were plenty of rocks exposed deeper within the little bay so we anchored further out than we had expected to, there are plenty of rocks marked further in the bay in Navionics app we wanted to avoid (matching the line of rocks we spotted). All verified at lower tides. The quartz rocks were sculped into a host of beautiful shapes, and the tide range covered and exposed plenty of toothlike rocks. To anchor overnight closer in is dangerous indeed. But well worth the visit. The bay is full of birdsong. Distinctive white sands ashore from the quartz rocks, not sure why the beaches immediately either side are so much less white. WA Cruising Guide warns to NOT approach/depart between Hidden Island and Byron Island (reported shallow, and lots of unmarked rocks there also added into the Navionics apps), however we witness several large vessels transit without issue at mid-high tides (The Dog Leg creek fuel boats seem to come this way). Strong tidal race approaching bay (can be 5-6kt per guide). Exploring the immeidate bays via dinghy and foot at low tide was very rewarding: Birds, scenery, crocodile, etc. No phone signal (Telstra). Land ashore is Dambimangaria Aboriginal Country; a Dambimangari Visitor Pass is required (along with the WA Aboriginal Land Permit) to go ashore beyond HW Line however there are no such approved locations to investigate in this location (per the 2022 Dambimangaria Visitor Location Schedule). ] General Comments: [We spent our two days at Coppermine Creek exploring the shoreline, mangroves, and inlets by dinghy. Our tide range is starting to decline again as we head south-west, but we still have upto 8m (that is 26 feet) to contend with. The reality of the range continues to amaze us; the same place at high and low tide is so dramatically different. For some time, we have been hoping to spy what we call 'hoppy things' (the smaller marsupials that we believe live in the Kimberley), but we've had very little lucky - just a few sightings of a tail departing in the earlier Kimberley anchorages. But the scenery is still keeping us in awe Even in a small area the geology we see changes so much: large round boulders, layered shale-like cliffs, fractured columns, etc. It's quite inspiring, and I'm ashamed how much of my geology classes I've obviously forgotten. We've regularly spot birds of prey, and kingfishers, and a lot of smaller birds that dart too quickly and hide behind mangrove leaves before I have a hope of capturing them with a camera (especially from the dinghy!). At Coppermine Creek we even spotted a snake and a goanna (Lizard) ashore, from our dinghy. We did spy other boaters in the creek over the time we were there (3 motor boats, and a quick visit of fast tenders from a cruise ship) - but still the place felt very peaceful. Today's plans initially had us going through 'Whirlpool Pass' - an amazing narrow horseshoe shaped passage between Hidden and Chambers Islands, renowned for its unpredictable flow (upto 7kt), but we eventually decided against it (the winds were very light, and we'd have had to get up even earlier to be sure to be there at slack water). However, we still had to motor towards the end to avoid too strong a current against us through our alternative route when what little wind we did have decided to vanish. Oh - and we've just finished the last of the fresh produce (aside from onions, of which I still have plenty). It seems that we have finished with all our 'tourist' stops in the Kimberley and are now just making our way to Broome (slowly, with day sails and rest stops) so we can reprovision with some fresh produce and officially clear out of Australia. Meanwhile... We caught a blip of internet and learned that a large part of Europe is experiencing a record breaking heatwave with temperatures in the high 30Cs and even into the 40C's- we hope everyone there finds shade and keeps safe.] At: 12:02(AWST) 19-Jul-2022, Outside Temp: 29.3C (84.74F), Humidity:48%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F) ----- At 19/07/2022 04:02 (UTC) our position was 16°12.63'S 123°27.30'E" | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 16º 29.004' S | 123º 28.008' E | Begonia | At Anchor: Crawford Bay, King Sound, The Kimberley, WA - Indian Ocean, Australia. Our position: loc:-16.4999, 123.4677
Sail From: Silica Bay, Hidden Island, King Sound, The Kimberley, WA To: Crawford Bay, King Sound, The Kimberley, WA We travelled [30.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [17.4]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.2]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.8kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.8m at chart datum, (4.8-9.8m during our stay). Tide range 8m at spring tides (per guide). No phone signal (Telstra). Land ashore is Military/Defence Reserve on Dambimangaria Aboriginal Country.] General Comments: [We spent our two days at Silica Bay relaxing, and keeping up-to-date with our pictures and blog writing (ready for when we next have a signal). We spent time exploring the shorelines via dinghy, landing at the various beaches for a walk at low tide. There was a resident pair of ospreys with a nest, and from anchor even we could hear plenty of birdsong. The extensive quartz rocks were sculpted into a host of beautiful shapes, and the tide range covered and exposed plenty of tooth-like dangers Today's passage was in really flat waters, but with current against us for much of it and no usable wind, i.e. motoring... Kyle's frustrated since this didn't match the forecast, again. As we travelled across the open waters between quartz islands with quartz hills it was quite amazing to just be experiencing it all as we watched and felt the swirling patches push us around as we made way. Kyle spotted a distant group of dolphins (all of the dolphins in the Kimberley seem shy, none have bothered to approach nor play in our bows).] At: 13:56(AWST) 21-Jul-2022, Outside Temp: 31.3C (88.34F), Humidity:54%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F) ----- At 21/07/2022 05:56 (UTC) our position was 16°29.99'S 123°28.06'E" | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 16º 12.054' S | 123º 36.006' E | Begonia | "At Anchor: Coppermine Creek, Yampi Sound, The Kimberley, WA - Indian Ocean, Australia. Our position: loc:-16.2088, 123.6099 Sail From: Dog Leg Creek, Yampi Sound, The Kimberley, WA To: Coppermine Creek, Yampi Sound, The Kimberley, WA We travelled [11.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [7.0]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [1.7]kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.9kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 4.5m at chart datum, mud, tide range 10m at spring tides (per guide). No phone signal (Telstra). No evidence of any of the pearl farm indicated in charts (at entrance). Good info in the WA Cruising guide (with Mud Map) for transitting the creek. Snubfin dolphin are reported to live in the creek but we saw no signs of them. Land ashore is Dambimangaria Aboriginal Country; a Dambimangari Visitor Pass is required (along with the WA Aboriginal Land Permit) to go ashore beyond HW Line however there are no such approved locations to investigate in this creek (per the 2022 Dambimangaria Visitor Location Schedule). Plenty of dinghy exploring to be had (especially at high tides).] General Comments: [With our surprise gift of fish from Kevin at the fuel barge in Dog Leg Creek, we enjoyed a delicious fish a curry for dinner last night - Yummy!. Once we set off today we found we had a phone/internet signal again (from Koolan Island), and that signal surprisingly held for much of the passage today so I was able to post some more blog (from last month's fun), and browse a little of the mass of social media posts we have missed from our friends and family. Kyle managed to fly the spinnaker (for a bit) today, but mostly had to motor in the beautifully calm conditions (given the container boat traffic transitting the same waters). We were excited to spot the cruise boat Odyssey again today on the AIS, and managed to wave at the crew aboard their tender Homer as we each headed for different anchorages. When we arrived at the creek it was impossible not to notice a flock of (about 50) cockatoos squawking and flying overhead. We appear to be the only boat here.] At: 09:58(AWST) 17-Jul-2022, Outside Temp: 27.9C (82.22F), Humidity:42%, Water Temp: 29C (84.2F) ----- At 17/07/2022 01:58 (UTC) our position was 16°12.53'S 123°36.59'E" | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 16º 9.096' S | 123º 42.042' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Silver Gull Creek, Yampi Sound, The Kimberley, WA - Indian Ocean, Australia. Our position: loc:-16.3691, 123.9714 Sail From: Talbot Bay, The Kimberley, WA To: Silver Gull Creek, Yampi Sound, The Kimberley, WA We travelled [17.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [12.0]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.8]kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.0kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.4m at chart datum, tide range 10m+ at high springs (per guide). Anchored just outside the mouth of Silver Gull creek. Mud bottom. No evidence of the 'Pearl Culture Farms' marked on chart. Silver Gull Creek is famed among Kimberly Cruisers for the now abandoned camp site of 'Phil & Marion', which incorporates an unofficial 'Squatters Arms Boat Club', the site is long fallen into disrepair, but has the attraction of a fresh water tank constantly replensished by stream water which is popular with visiting boaters for relaxing in (a poor man's pool). It's easy to spend the day there just chilling. The freshwater stream has a convenient piping established to enable boaters to top up (at higher water; the stream head dries at low tide even for dinghy access below 3.5m tides at Koonlan Island). No Telstra signal at this location, but a good signal was available (From Koolan Island) further out in this bay. Land ashore is Dambimangaria Aboriginal Country (DAC); The Dambimangaria Visitor schedule indicates that the freshwater access is 'Under DAC Management access subject to special arrangement. Please contact DAC for further information.' However the WA Cruising guide says 'Being crown land with a registered water lease, any person can take a swim and fill their containers with water' (to verify actual rules).] General Comments: [Today's passage had us passing Koonan Island and 'The Canal' between the island and the mainland through to Yampi Sound. We were hoping to be able to sail through, but the maze of island kept the wind out of use. Koonan island is the first location for a phone signal and internet that we've had since we left Darwin (there is a big mining operation there). This gave me a chance to check on bank accounts, and grab a bit of a social media fix, and post a few blogs from our travels. The internet still isn't great (as we travel behind hills etc) but it was something! We entered 'the Canal' with the tide in our favour (it's narrow, beautiful and what a ride!). We also spotted the lovely Ketch 'Nutshell' on AIS, well ahead of us (that is cruising boat #18 that we've seen in the 6 weeks or so that we've been in the Kimberley), and we find ourselves sharing the anchorage with them and a with a large modern power boat 'Mineral Water' - Company again!. Kyle says there is yet another sailboat around the corner, but they had no AIS and he didn't catch the name. Note: We could have anchored in the creek itself, but we are arriving as the tide is falling and don't want to risk it (although we are now finally back in waters that are all charted!). Oh - and a small family of dolphins were feeding about in the bay as we arrived.] At: 15:24(AWST) 14-Jul-2022, Outside Temp: 29.2C (84.56F), Humidity:30%, Water Temp: 30C (86F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 16º 8.004' S | 123º 42.066' E | Begonia | At Anchor: Dog Leg Creek, Yampi Sound, The Kimberley, WA - Indian Ocean, Australia. Our position: loc:-16.1449, 123.7114
Sail From: Silver Gull Creek, Yampi Sound, The Kimberley, WA To: Dog Leg Creek, Yampi Sound, The Kimberley, WA We travelled [6.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.3]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [0.4]kt, Avg speed (through the water):1.8kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.3m at chart datum, tide range 10m+ at spring tides (per guide), good mud, but advised use as fair weather anchorage only. Most people come here for the fuel barge (which primarily services the mining industry and staff at Koolan Island). We were warned not to anchor in the waters beyond the fuel barge as there is a lot of old mooring structures to foul a anchor. Land ashore is Dambimangaria Aboriginal Country; a Dambimangari Visitor Pass is required (along with the WA Aboriginal Land Permit) to go ashore beyond HW Line however there are no approved locations (per the 2022 Dambimangaria Visitor Location Schedule). Weak (1bar) phone signal (Telstra). ] General Comments: [There were 6 boats in all during our time at Silver Gull. All of us seemed surprised to find so many boats coming and going, I think this was chance rather than 'normal'. Luckily it never felt crowded, and when we explored the creek we had it to ourselves, when we visited the pool (at the old squatters camp) to lounge and enjoy a beer under the shade of the jungle we had that to ourselves too. After much discussion we decided to top up our spring-water hose at Silver Gull Creek. There is a rusty old dock structure (posts) and a hose to make it easy, and the locals that work at the nearby Dog Leg Creek fuel dock ASSURED us that they had been drinking it (without boiling or treatment) for years without issue. Just as we were approaching that rusty tie up - the throttle cable from one of our engine controls failed (it was just a split pin that failed, and Kyle fixed it easily once we 'docked'). The boat is CLEAN we are CLEAN and we also got all our laundry done (by hand) during this stop over; It feels so good to see everything clean again! Since upping anchor we filled the boat with water (at Silver Gull Creek, at high tide), and then went to Dog Leg creek to get a couple of fuel jugs filled too (all easier here than in Broome, our next major stop). We spent the last of our Australian cash (with just enough for an ice cream each) - all we have now are laundry coins to spend (we'll not be popular spending it outside the laundry!!! haha). They guys were all very friendly (we'd met them at the water hose in Silver Gull Creek), the took our trash bags and offered us a mooring (but it was a giant rusty thing that would have damaged Begonia so we declined). After we anchored nearby they even took a special trip to deliver us some Red Snapper for our dinner (I'd earlier asked for fishing tips, they knew how terrible we were at fishing!!). We got another blip of a phone signal as we headed in and out of Dog Leg Creek. Oh, and the boat passage speeds reported look really slow, but that is because much of the time we were tied to water or fuel structures and not actually underway.] At: 14:20(AWST) 16-Jul-2022, Outside Temp: 29.8C (85.64F), Humidity:34%, Water Temp: 30.5C (86.9F) ----- At 16/07/2022 06:20 (UTC) our position was 16°08.69'S 123°42.68'E" | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 16º 17.076' S | 123º 51.096' E | Begonia | At Anchor: Talbot Bay, The Kimberley, WA - Indian Ocean, Australia. Our position: loc:-16.2960, 123.8659
Sail From: Horizontal Falls, Talbot Bay, The Kimberley, WA To: Talbot Bay, The Kimberley, WA We travelled [6.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [7.5]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.8]kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.2kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 8.6m at chart datum, tide range 11m+ at spring tides (per guide). Mud bottom. Beware long rock island chain to West (extending SE from small island to WNW) exposed at low springs. Most islands and bays here are unnamed, but this is about mid-Talbot. Area is unsurveyed so be sure to keep a good lookout when approaching anchorage. Peaceful, few visitors, occassional noise of planes flying in and out of Horizontal Falls area. No phone signal (Telstra) - occasional hints, but nothing functional. Land ashore is Dambimangaria Aboriginal Country; there is no permitted shore access (technically, above High water mark).] General Comments: [WOW - what a great and memorable visit we had at Horizontal Falls. The local tour operator has boat trips that normally enter the falls, but after a recent incident they are not currently permitted to do so. Private boats can go through still, and the cruise ships that visit can take their guests as they have their own licenses that permit it. We didn't think our little dinghy, our portland pudgy with its electric motor, was up to the job, so figured we'd have to miss that experience (Unlucky!). We did manage to get space on a boat tour of the general area (and also lunch and a shark feeding show) along with the 'normal' guests that fly in for the day (or an overnight) to this lovely location. The boat tour took us first into Cyclone Creek which has the most amazing geology on full view (Kimberley upthrust), and then we were taken to nudge up to the outside of the 'falls' during a strong ebb tide, meaning we got to feel the power of being buffeted around in the strong ebb and eddies (definitely not a place for the pudgy!). All day long, seaplanes are landing and taking off, and the helicopter comes and goes too. All this is amazing given this remote place where everything is done from air and sea (no roads, and no access to or from shore at all). With all this sky activity Kyle was pining somewhat for his pilot days. To help with that, we ALSO managed to grab some time for a scenic helicopter tour (it wasn't guaranteed, and we had to wait a day to be sure the helicopter had enough fuel, etc) - but the folks from the floating 'hotel' there managed to squeeze us in (thanks Camile!). The chopper pilot (Mitch) took us back into Cyclone Creek, then through a beautiful valley, and finally around the falls several times, he even did a fly-by of Begonia for us. Kyle still has a big grin on his face. Additionally anchored with us overnight was the sailboat 'The Mrs' with two friendly couples aboard. I got to fully swap out all my read books for new-to-me ones and we enjoyed some lovely company over a beer or two aboard their boat; we are headed in opposite directions so won't see them again. The cruise ship Odyssey was around yesterday but with their schedule and our boat tour plans we unfortunately missed meeting up with any of the crew. This afternoon we've moved the boat much of the way out of the bay (this gives us a change of view, and since morning tides work against us, will put is in a better situation to move on tomorrow).] At: 14:02(AWST) 13-Jul-2022, Outside Temp: 29.9C (85.82F), Humidity:27%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F) ----- At 13/07/2022 06:02 (UTC) our position was 16°17.76'S 123°51.96'E" | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 16º 22.014' S | 123º 58.026' E | Begonia | Safely arrived: at Anchor in Horizontal Falls, Talbot Bay, The Kimberley, WA, Australia - PASSAGE COMPLETE.
Day 2 of Indian Ocean Passage From:Montgomery Reef, The Kimberley, WA To:Horizontal Falls, Talbot Bay, The Kimberley, WA. Our position: loc:-16.3691, 123.9714 Progress: [We've made [48.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [48]nm Since last posting we have made [48.9]nm (through water). We have moved [29.3]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [1.6]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:2.7kt, Avg speed for trip:2.7kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 5.1m at chart datum, deeper options available in area, tide range 11m at springs (per guide). Anchored off 'Horizontal Falls' itself. Lalang-garram marine park. Busy area with water and air traffic. Be aware of no anchor zone, sea plane landing area, and other hazards (Re: the Oyster farm area marked on charts, it has been decommisioned since the late 1990s, however, we spotted an old wooden post/stump that would be submerged at high tides within this zone (off slug island), there may be more!). We were surprised to see visiting (smaller) cruise ships anchored in the no-anchoring zone so are uncertain of status (although we were advised this week by Parks and Wildlife about the zone, and given a leaflet dated 2020 that includes/show the no-anchor zone). No phone signal (Telstra), but we did get a brief week signal on entering Talbot Bay. There are a selection of tour options available (helicopter, and fast boats) from the bay - call 'Hotel' on VHF #68 to see if they have any availability. Horizontal Falls (Garaanngaddim) is renowned for its two narrow inlets holding back huge amounts of seawater causing 'falls' as the tide drops leaving a water level difference of up to 5m. Aboriginal stories refer to the Woongudd 'snake' that travels with the rushing falls. A quick look at a satellite photo shows the two narrow gaps readily. If entering the falls yourself (with your tender), be aware that strict rules exist for and procedures for any vessels actually entering the falls: e.g. use VHF Channel (69) to coordinate your entry and be sure no other boat is also in the falls at that time. However crossing the falls can be dangerous (depending on tide state). David Attenborough has called this 'One of the greatest wonders of the natural world' and you can view his BBC episode via Youtube. Land ashore is Dambimangaria Aboriginal Country; there is no permitted shore access (above HW Mark).] General Comments: [We left our anchorage yesterday for a second visit to the 'gutter' as the tide was exiting at Montgomery reef. We then headed off for an overnight trip (SW) to Talbot Bay. We had more time than miles so deliberately went very slowly for much of the night (starting with light headwinds). We especially wanted to be sure we didn't reach the 'uncharted' sections before daylight. There were a few hours of choppy seas overnight, but otherwise an easy passage. Kyle was really excited since on his watch as he spotted a perfect line of meteorites blazing across the night sky over several minutes (kindly waiting until the moon had set for optimum wow factor). Between Montgomery and Horizontal falls we are back in cruise ship/tourist country, and we were very happy to see 'our' friendly cruise ship Odyssey Expeditions at both locations. There has been a recent accident with the only boat tour operator that is based here (requiring a major flying doctor presence and hospital evacuations) so the local tour boat isn't current running into the falls. We had been hoping all that would be resolved and back up running by the time we arrived. Oh well, we will research our options. It's a full moon tomorrow so we are getting close to spring tides and should at least be able to see the effect of the exiting water (hopefully from the anchorage).] At: 08:22(AWST) 12-Jul-2022, Outside Temp: 24.3C (75.74F), Humidity:36%, Water Temp: 28C (82.4F) ----- At 12/07/2022 00:22 (UTC) our position was 16°22.14'S 123°58.28'E | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 35º 1.032' S | 124º 11.022' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of Great Australian Bight Passage From:Arid Bay, Cape Arid, Western Australia To:Kangaroo Island, South Australia. Our position: -35.0216, 124.1866 Progress: [We've made [84.4]nm (through water) on this passage and have [654]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [76]nm Since last posting we have made [84.4]nm (through water). We have moved [79.7]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [6.4]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.7kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):6.7kt. Sailing Conditions [Despite backing winds making for constant trimming, reeefing and unreefing yesterday and overnight, the sailing has been nice. Seas are small/smooth enough. Most of yesterday was spent finding a route between the islands, rocks, shallows, and more uncharted waters but we are finally in clear deep water of the Great Australian Bight] General Comments: [Our mainsail traveller car keeps jamming or squealing when moved. Kyle managed to remove an escaped bearing (which helped) but can't do much more until we bring down the main - for now we can keep it centered (not move it) and sail effectively. The enclosure is keeping us warm and dry during our watches in the cockpit. We are ready for another week at sea.] At: 06:00(ACDT) 24-Jan-2021, Outside Temp: 18.9C (66.02F), Humidity:95%, Water Temp: 22.2C (71.96F), Course: 134(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.9kt, Wind:9Kt(from:SW), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1001hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:NE) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 15º 59.046' S | 124º 17.01' E | Begonia | At Anchor: Montgomery Reef, The Kimberley, WA - Indian Ocean, Australia. Our position: loc:-15.9914, 124.2949 Sail From: Montgomery Reef, The Kimberley, WA To: Montgomery Reef, The Kimberley, WA We travelled [5.7]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.2]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [0.8]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.8kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 1m at chart datum (5m minimum during our stay), deeper options available in area. Tide range 11m+ at springs (per guide). Good spot since protected between a sand island (exposed at lower tides) and the reef (plenty of space), plenty of the smaller cruise ships use this location (for brief stops). We were happy to anchor overnight since forecast was for calm conditions (and not spring tides). This location is very close to the edge of the Marine Sanctuary Zone (permitted to anchor in soft bottoms only) - so be aware of restrictions fishing wise. This reef is quite the special as the water recedes with the tides and causes waterfalls of activity - especially so at Spring tides (best seen around 2 hours before low tide per our guidebook). It is no longer permitted to anchor within the 'gutter' where the viewing is best, but you can wait here for the falling tide, and then take your main boat (or tender/dinghy) into the gutter to enjoy the show (keep someone on the bow to watch for shallowing bottom). It is not permitted to go ashore on the reef, but you can step ashore on the sand bank/island to the east of this anchorage location (a long thin sand island, exposed from half tide, from which we've seen cruise ship guests enjoying swimming and paddling at the edges with pool floats etc - presumably after a quick check for crocs). No phone signal (Telstra).] General Comments: [We spent some time towards low tide, exploring within the Montgomery Reef 'Gutter' from Begonia and watching the falls and cascades from the water on the higher reef tumbling down the lower water in the 'gutter', along with the birds (mostly egrets) enjoying the feast. A unique site. Other cruise ships were also partaking (Kimberley Pearl, Odyssey Expedition, and Caledonian Sky), so it was quite busy, but didn't feel crowded at all! In the middle of all that the Parks and Wildlife boat arrived to check on paperwork (but just gave us a friendly wave having inspected us yesterday). ] At: 13:58(AWST) 10-Jul-2022, Outside Temp: 27.8C (82.04F), Humidity:39%, Water Temp: 28.5C (83.3F) ----- At 10/07/2022 05:58 (UTC) our position was 15°59.48'S 124°17.70'E | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 16º 0.054' S | 124º 18.042' E | Begonia | At Anchor: Montgomery Reef, The Kimberley, WA - Indian Ocean, Australia. Our position: loc:-16.0087, 124.3069 Sail From: Hall Point (East), Nr. Deception Bay, The Kimberley, WA To: Montgomery Reef, The Kimberley, WA We travelled [28.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [21.2]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.3]kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.3kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.0m at chart datum (6.8m minimum during our stay), tide range 11m+ at springs (per guide). This reef is quite the special as the water recedes with the tides and causes waterfalls of activity - especially so at Spring tides (best seen 2 hours before low tide). It is no longer permitted to anchor within the 'gutter' where the viewing is best, but you can take your main boat (or dinghy) into the gutter to enjoy the show. (keep someone on the bow to watch for shallowing bottom). No phone signal (Telstra)] General Comments: [Our afternoon and evening at Hall Point was spent mostly in the cockpit watching over the large bay for any whales; we saw none (just a few dolphins in the distance). By early evening we were visited by the Parks & Wildlife along with an Dambi Aboriginal Corporation Ranger to check on all our permits and fish catching prowess (haha). All were friendly and left us with a bag full of useful information booklets for the area. Today was yet another early start (poor Kyle gets up way earlier than I do, and way before we actually depart). the passage was uneventful, but we got to sail and spotted (in the distance) a mother and baby humpback whale. We are looking forward to seeing the display that the reef puts on towards low tide (even though we are a long way from spring tide ranges, we'll at least get a feel for what it can be like at its 'best').] At: 10:44(AWST) 10-Jul-2022, Outside Temp: 25C (77F), Humidity:41%, Water Temp: 28.5C (83.3F) ----- At 10/07/2022 02:44 (UTC) our position was 16°00.52'S 124°18.41'E | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 15º 39.084' S | 124º 23.016' E | Begonia | At Anchor: Hall Point (East), Nr. Deception Bay, The Kimberley, WA - Indian Ocean, Australia. Our position: loc:-15.6636, 124.3858 Sail From: Southern Arm, Sampson Inlet (Lower), The Kimberley, WA To: Hall Point (East), Nr. Deception Bay, The Kimberley, WA We travelled [14.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [10.6]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.3]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.0kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.6m at chart datum (5.7m minimum during our stay), tide range 10m+ at springs (per guide). Anchored in the east side of Hall Point, Parin Peninsula (just outside and to the south of the entrance to Deception bay). Area known to have whales spending their winter season. Land ashore is Dambimangaria Aboriginal Country; a Dambimangari Visitor Pass is required (along with the WA Aboriginal Land Permit) to go ashore beyond HWM however there are no approved locations beyond HWM to investigate ashore in this area (per the 2022 Dambimangaria Visitor Location Schedule). No phone signal (Telstra)] General Comments: [Back at Sampson Inlet we joined with Brad and Rae of SV Ulysses Blue for a second day, this time exploring the south arm (but not finding any sign of the 1990's camp, nor of the rock-art). We also shared another evening together which was greatly appreciated by all of us. They left to head north east, and on our last night we'd expected to be alone in Sampson inlet but MV Epsiritu Santo joined (anchoring in the upper inlet), and then a family travelling with two small cabin cruisers also arrived (just as we were locking ourselves up inside to avoid the bugs), and we chatted on the radio for a bit with them kindly giving us lots of tips for the anchorages ahead of us. Today we hop a little further West (South actually), and we spotted our first Kimberley whale (looked like a solitary humpback, so probably a male). We had light winds, and a slight current against us, but managed a sedate sail. We'll keep a look out from our anchorage today and hope to see more.] At: 10:32(AWST) 09-Jul-2022, Outside Temp: 27.7C (81.86F), Humidity:34%, Water Temp: 29C (84.2F) ----- At 09/07/2022 02:32 (UTC) our position was 15°39.82'S 124°23.15'E | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 15º 30.048' S | 124º 28.032' E | Begonia | At Anchor: Southern Arm, Sampson Inlet (Lower), The Kimberley, WA - Indian Ocean, Australia. Our position: loc:-15.5084, 124.4721 Sail From: Sampson Inlet (Upper), The Kimberley, WA To: Southern Arm, Sampson Inlet (Lower), The Kimberley, WA We travelled [2.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.4]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [1.6]kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.4kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 1.4m at chart datum (4m during our stay), tide range 10m+ at springs (per guide). Anchored in this southern arm off the inlet, uncomfortably narrow given scope required for high water. Deeper/wider anchorage can be had closer to the entrance of this side inlet, but we were making space for a 2nd boat. At the head of this arm, our guide notes suggest that a young couple once spent a wet season here camped out, and there is reported to be remains of their camp, and even a vegetable plot ashore. Also some rock-art. Land ashore is Dambimangaria Aboriginal Country; a Dambimangari Visitor Pass is required (along with the WA Aboriginal Land Permit) to go ashore beyond HWM. No phone signal (Telstra)] General Comments: [We were so excited when Ulysses Blue came and joined us at the anchorage yesterday AND caught up with us on our exploration of the upper inlet. Brad and Rae are a lovely couple and we were each so pleased to have some company and share stories. Even better they had come from where we are soon heading, so we could swap tips! It seems we'll be hanging out together here for the next couple days, which we all find ourselves very happy about (and yes, I found a book swap).] At: 11:36(AWST) 07-Jul-2022, Outside Temp: 27C (80.6F), Humidity:34%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F) ----- At 07/07/2022 03:36 (UTC) our position was 15°30.50'S 124°28.32'E | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 15º 30.0' S | 124º 29.07' E | Begonia | At Anchor: Sampson Inlet (Upper), The Kimberley, WA - Indian Ocean, Australia. Our position: loc:-15.5034, 124.4953 Sail From: Sheep Island, Camden Harbour, The Kimberley, WA To: Sampson Inlet (Upper), The Kimberley, WA We travelled [16.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [7.2]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [1.7]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.9kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 6.4m at chart datum, tide range 10m+ at springs (per guide). Sampson Inlet is so well protected that it is used as a cyclone hole (and there are permanent private/commercial moorings around this location for that use). There is plenty of space between the moorings for several boats to take anchor. We poked a little deeper into the inlet at the next wide patch, but the water quickly reduced to less than 2m (and we were not at low water) so we backed out and returned to anchor among the moorings. Land ashore is Dambimangaria Aboriginal Country; a Dambimangari Visitor Pass is required (along with the WA Aboriginal Land Permit) to go ashore beyond HWM. With the visitor passes it is permitted to go ashore (without a local aboriginal guide) at the freshwater site at the head of the inlet. No phone signal (Telstra).] General Comments: [Yet another early start today (those tides!!!). The passage was short but with plenty to distract us. There was a flying boat landed at the Kuri Bay pearl farm, and some interesting rock features beautifully lit by the early morning sun as we transitted 'South Entrance' (e.g. Needle Rock). We crossed MV Lithium on its return eastwards, and also saw the sailboat Ulysses Blue on AIS. We past by a passenger boat (Diversity II) that had briefly stopped in Sampson Inlet for some oystering. I'm keen for a book swap (I'm on my last book!) so I'm hoping to share an anchorage with some other private boats soon. Nights have been on the cold side (last night getting down to 16C/61F, and this morning found Kyle with jeans, jacket and hat - not what we'd expected for the tropics!). ] At: 10:06(AWST) 06-Jul-2022, Outside Temp: 24.3C (75.74F), Humidity:38%, Water Temp: 29C (84.2F) ----- At 06/07/2022 02:06 (UTC) our position was 15°30.20'S 124°29.72'E | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 15º 29.058' S | 124º 37.014' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Sheep Island, Camden Harbour, The Kimberley, WA - Indian Ocean, Australia. Our position: loc:-15.5459, 125.2049 Sail From: off Python Cliffs, St George Basin, The Kimberley, WA To: Sheep Island, Camden Harbour, The Kimberley, WA We travelled [34.4]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [23.5]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.2]kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.7kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 4m at chart datum, tide range 10m+ at springs (per guide). Anchored south of Sheep Island. We arrived at close to high water, and the depths on our route in (from the NE) were very variable, with spots of 9m among a route that otherwise was 20m deep, and one spot of 5m (no charted rocks at any of these spikes). It could have been fish, but it was alarming, so proceed wtih caution. Note the WA Cruising guide calls this area 'among the most impressive scenery in the Kimberley'; I'd disagree, it is fine, but not spectacular, or even 'good' compared to many of the other locations we've visited (maybe comment was added to wrong item?). The KCCYC give this location a 1 out of 5. Land ashore is Prince Regent National park, and is also within Dambimangaria Aboriginal Country; a Dambimangari Visitor Pass is required (along with the WA Aboriginal Land Permit) to go ashore. With the visitor passes it is permitted to go ashore (without a local aboriginal guide) at the two nearby sites: Sheep Island (graves), and on the mainland the remains of the failed and abandoned 1860's European settlement of Camden Harbour.] General Comments: [Another early start today (with a bare hint of light) to make the most of currents and wind. We did get to so some sailing again (yay), but still penty of motoring as is normal for the Kimberley. A strange mix of chops and calms as we navigated our way through various straits and channels (and more lovely scenery). No whales sighted. We have clear blue skies again and are looking forward to a dinghy trip to explore ashore (we can already see plenty of boab trees dotted around).] At: 12:38(AWST) 04-Jul-2022, Outside Temp: 28.3C (82.94F), Humidity:37%, Water Temp: 30.9C (87.62F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 11º 2.07' S | 124º 41.016' E | Begonia |
Day 7 of Timor Sea/Indian Ocean Passage From:Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT To:Ceduna, South Australia (SA). Our position: -11.0448, 124.6858 Progress: [We've made [377.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [2883]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [50.5]nm (through water). We have moved [66.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Avg speed since last post:2.1kt, Avg speed for trip to date:2.6kt. Sailing Conditions [We've had wind (not strong, but consistent) since around 6pm yesterday so sailing feels easier, we are sailing with the spinnaker. Forecast is for more consistent winds for the foreseeable future, and are hoping to reach a more typical 100nm day in a few days(!)] General Comments: [We've not had a visit from the ABF plane for a couple of days (I kind-a miss it). Kyle said he heard a small fishing boat cross our path overnight (no lights). I've been yearning for some bread, but it is way too hot to consider baking for now. While sleeping during the day is a bit fitful, we both seem to be comfortably into our watch routine. ] At: 06:00(AWST) 27-Sep-2020, Outside Temp: 29.8C (85.64F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 33.3C (91.94F), Course: 245(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.1kt, Wind:4Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:20%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:SW) | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 15º 14.064' S | 124º 52.05' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Unnamed cove, Opposite/East of Uwins Island, Prince Regent River Approach, The Kimberley, WA - Indian Ocean, Australia. Our position: loc:-14.7475, 125.1332 Sail From: Northern Bay, Coronation Island, The Kimberley, WA To: Unnamed cove, Opposite/East of Uwins Island, Prince Regent River Approach, The Kimberley, WA We travelled [26.7]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [16.7]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.6]kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.1kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 1.3m at chart datum, tide range 7m+ at springs (where this would be too shallow for most, but fine during neaps etc). Sand shelf with much deeper water outside of it. Cove is on mainland, immediately north of Whirlpool Point, and to East of Uwins Island. Land ashore is Prince Regent National park, and is also in Dambimangaria Aboriginal Country; a Dambimangari Visitor Pass is required (along with the WA Aboriginal Land Permit) to go ashore.] General Comments: [We had a relatively lazy day yesterday (after our early arrival at anchor at Coronation Island), and didn't venture ashore. Today was another early start (to be sure of good tide on arrival at our new anchorage), and once we turned southwards to start our approach to the Prince Regent area we needed to work hard against headwinds, so that was a bit of fast and fun sailing into chop, with plenty tacking and reefing - proper sailing so Kyle had fun!. Once we rounded Cape Wellington Kyle was still able to sail (still tacking), but the chop disappeared making things much more settled as we approached our anchorage. We have yet to see whales and for the next few days will be within the protected river systems (so we are unlikely to do so until we depart again). We have now crossed over into Dambimangari aboriginal country (we have the required visitor pass), but for the next week we'll mostly be in the Prince Regent National Park lands.] At: 12:25(AWST) 27-Jun-2022, Outside Temp: 30.9C (87.62F), Humidity:37%, Water Temp: 32.4C (90.32F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 14º 58.014' S | 124º 54.084' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Northern Bay, Coronation Island, The Kimberley, WA - Indian Ocean, Australia. Our position: loc:-14.5396, 125.4267 Sail From: Augereau Island (East Side), Cape Pond, The Kimberley, WA To: Northern Bay, Coronation Island, The Kimberley, WA We travelled [19.7]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [18.4]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.6]kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.9kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.3m at chart datum (pick any depth), tide range 8m+ at springs. Others report Rocky bottom (medium holding). Area known for whales (seasonal), and brolgas (large birds) may be seen ashore. Land ashore is in Wunambal Gaambera Country, a Uunguu Visitor Pass is required (along with the WA Aboriginal Land Permit) to go ashore.] General Comments: [We continue to hop west. Yesterday we didn't go ashore at all, enjoying the views from anchor as the tide level changed. There is a well defined line of clouds running from north to south over the island: cloudy to our east (where we've come from) and clear blue skies above and to the west it's quite dramatic. Today's sailing was the most boisterous we've had in a while, with choppy seas and head winds requiring us to reef more and more as we sailed west. We are well protected, and in sheltered waters at anchor. No whales sighted (nor brolgas as yet).] At: 10:12(AWST) 26-Jun-2022, Outside Temp: 29.3C (84.74F), Humidity:40%, Water Temp: 31.9C (89.42F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 15º 19.044' S | 124º 59.016' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: off Python Cliffs, St George Basin, The Kimberley, WA - Indian Ocean, Australia. Our position: loc:-15.6130, 125.2980 Sail From: off Camp Creek, Prince Regent River, The Kimberley, WA To: off Python Cliffs, St George Basin, The Kimberley, WA We travelled [24.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [18.4]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.6]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.6kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 8.5m at chart datum, tide range 7m+ at springs (per guide, but I suspect significantly less looking at waterlines ashore). Anchored off Python Cliffs (on the mainland), north part of Saint George Basin. Protected by Saint Andrew Island and Saint Patrick Island in the Basin and. I find this all very amusing since Saint Patrick (by legend) was the one to banish snakes from Ireland, yet here Saint Patrick Island forever looks over Python Cliffs. Views of the distinctive Mt Trafalgar and Mt Waterloo to East. Land ashore is Prince Regent National park, and is also within Dambimangaria Aboriginal Country; a Dambimangari Visitor Pass is required (along with the WA Aboriginal Land Permit) to go ashore.] General Comments: [We enjoyed our time exploring Camp Creek (all the inlets from the dinghy, and the waterfalls and rapids from a short hike ashore). We again continued to spot (and avoid) crocodiles, but have still yet to spy a wallaby that won't skitter away without any chance of a photo (and I think to date we've only seen 4 as they run away since we arrived in the Kimberley). I don't know quite why we were surprised (given the name), but when we arrived at the end of the navigable section of Camp Creek we found around twenty people waiting for a boat pickup after spending two nights camping there. We shared our first night at anchor with the two passenger boats previously mentioned, but after that had the anchorage to ourselves. The weather was unusually overcast during our stay (but that was helpful for the dinghy outing). We've now moved out of the river and into the main basin for a couple of nights (for a day of admin and chores). We actually managed to sail out of the river as the wind was directly behind us; since much of the Kimberley requires motoring it was especially nice to cut a few hours of motoring from this journey.] At: 17:20(AWST) 02-Jul-2022, Outside Temp: 28.3C (82.94F), Humidity:51%, Water Temp: 31.4C (88.52F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 14º 44.088' S | 125º 7.098' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Augereau Island (East Side), Cape Pond, The Kimberley, WA - Indian Ocean, Australia. Our position: loc:-14.5211, 125.4832 Sail From: West of unnamed island (immediately NE of Winyalkan Island), South Montague Sound, The Kimberley, WA To: Augereau Island (East Side), Cape Pond, The Kimberley, WA We travelled [25.5]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [21.1]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.7]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.3kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in ??m at chart datum, tide range 8m+ at springs. Attempts to get closer to shore were met with random rocks (visible from boat). Land ashore is in Wunambal Gaambera Country, a Uunguu Visitor Pass is required (along with the WA Aboriginal Land Permit) to go ashore.] General Comments: [We really enjoyed our time in South Montague Sound. For the last couple of days we did chores aboard and then dinghied about, exploring among the unnamed island. We "discovered" lots of spectacular scenery, including a lovely inlet that at lower tides forms 3 beautiful oval lagoons in a line, framed with cliffs... Sigh.... We are already quite envious of the "locals" that get to visit these waters annually. During our stay the cruise ship True North was also around giving its passengers helicopter tours of the surrounding area. One night they anchored by us and put their passengers ashore at "Sunset Beach" to enjoy cocktails and the sunset. They had a tall beach fire and at some point one of the crew(?) started doing fire dancing on the beach, twirling burning branches in the dark; While not intended for us, we got to enjoy it just as much from our boat at anchor. Today we start a push west again (sailing at last), we transited Scott Strait, and despite having the wrong information about the direction of flood and ebb tides we made it through (thankfully we are in neaps and not springs). We spotted the catamaran Sojourn on AIS going east, and had a brief VHF chat with them as we passed going west approaching the strait (thanks for the tips Sojourn!).] At: 14:38(AWST) 25-Jun-2022, Outside Temp: 31.9C (89.42F), Humidity:37%, Water Temp: 32.9C (91.22F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 15º 32.076' S | 125º 12.03' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: off Camp Creek, Prince Regent River, The Kimberley, WA - Indian Ocean, Australia. Our position: loc:-15.2440, 124.8752 Sail From: near King Cascade, Prince Regent River, The Kimberley, WA To: off Camp Creek, Prince Regent River, The Kimberley, WA We travelled [6.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [6.7]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.8]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.5kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.2m at chart datum, tide range 7m+ at springs. Anchored just outside entrance to Camp Creek on the main river. Land ashore is Prince Regent National park, and is also in Dambimangaria Aboriginal Country; a Dambimangari Visitor Pass is required (along with the WA Aboriginal Land Permit) to go ashore.] General Comments: [Our previous anchorage turned out to be an error (oops!). Depthwise it was fine (yay), but we were on the wrong side of the river (and we should have known that simply by looking at the bend and thinking for a second!). Just across the river is a drying sand/mudbank which means the (south) side of the river (that we selected) gets significant current and ALL the debris channeling through. Along with twigs and leaves, large branches, and even tree trunks move with the tides in both directions and anchoring here will put us in their way with a few bumps in the night. We'll be more alert next time! We did get to visit all the sites up stream we wanted (Kings Cascades and Cathedral falls - both running ) and nudged our way into numerous inlets with the dinghy. We saw only one other set of cruisers (the lovely folks from the MV Espiritu Santo, out in their tenders). We were expecting things to be much busier based on the cruising notes. We spotted plenty of crocodiles, and it seems we each give each other a bit of distance when we come within sight of each other. So far none have seemed threatening, but we did avoid going to a couple of places because we spotted them (and of course NO SWIMMING). We also have seen plenty of bats - roosting on the side of the river at one specific spot (very noisy even in the day time), and at night we had a large group repeatedly swooping in to catch insects from the light of our anchor light (that's a first for us). Today we've moved on to Camp Creek where we actually hope to get some more walking in during our stay, and make use of some of the croc safe swim holes higher up. Things got busy while we were waiting for the tide to turn to depart the previous anchorage - we saw a dolphin, helicopter, and a couple of tenders visiting Kings Cascade Falls from the cruise ship Coral Explorer. There are two additional passenger vessels anchored nearby us here (Kimberley Explorer, and the more up-market Kimberley Quest with its own helicopter).] At: 15:12(AWST) 30-Jun-2022, Outside Temp: 32C (89.6F), Humidity:47%, Water Temp: 30C (86F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 15º 32.076' S | 125º 12.03' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: off Camp Creek, Prince Regent River, The Kimberley, WA - Indian Ocean, Australia. Our position: loc:-15.2440, 124.8752 | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 15º 36.078' S | 125º 17.088' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: near King Cascade, Prince Regent River, The Kimberley, WA - Indian Ocean, Australia. Our position: loc:-14.9690, 124.9137 Sail From: 'Whilrpool Point Inlet', Prince Regent River Approach, The Kimberley, WA To: near King Cascade, Prince Regent River, The Kimberley, WA We travelled [25.5]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [33.0]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.6]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.6kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.6m at chart datum, tide range 7m+ at springs (probably less). We anchored in hole in an elbow of the river, out of main channel for general traffic, about 0.7nm north of falls. (Beware depth may vary seasonally). Land ashore is Prince Regent National park, and is also in Dambimangaria Aboriginal Country; a Dambimangari Visitor Pass is required (along with the WA Aboriginal Land Permit) to go ashore.] General Comments: [Despite arriving early yesterday, we spent another day aboard. I had wanted to take a bit of a dinghy tour but Kyle spent much of that 'spare' time removing a blockage in our fresh water system that was suddenly leaving a bare trickle of water at the galley tap (all fixed now). To celebrate we finally opened his 'hot sauce challenge' that I'd purchased for his birthday back in December. Eight sauces ranging from 2,500 to 1.7 million Scoville Heat units (spicy/hotness) wasn't too much of a challenge for him (Kyle scored full points, he really loves very hot sauces, sampling them so regularly that his pallet is desensitized/damaged I'm sure); but I don't think he'll be volunteering to do it again in a hurry, and he'll keep those hotter sauces of the set to a few cautious drops in his food. I watched on amazed that anyone would want to feel so much discomfort (at least it isn't my cooking to blame!). A couple of (private) motor vessels arrived in the river yesterday afternoon, and we spotted one other already in the river (all larger motor vessels) so we already know we don't have this place to ourselves (I'm actually looking forward to some company), but no cruise ships so far. Today's shift into the river required us going with the current but against strong winds (20kt+ winds, 25kt gusts) so an unexpected large chop to fight between Gap Island and well into Saint George Basin, but things did eventually calm again in the basin and beyond into the river for real. The Prince Regent river itself is described as 54nm of almost perfectly straight waterway (that's 62miles or 100km) although we can't reach much of it by boat, I'm guessing it can funnel some wind! We were not sure how far up it we'd be able to get and still have a rising tide - but we made it to the Kings Cascade falls (considered the end of navigation for our boat, and with the falls still flowing nicely). There we were greeted by a crocodile at the narrow entrance which gave us a look and then submerged out of sight. We had a good look around within the small cove and then returned to the main river to anchor in a hole that (if all our maths is correct, fingers crossed) is good for the full tide range during our stay (although we may have mud all around beyond our little hole at low tide; tides here are 7m+ (about 30') but maybe a little less this high up the river - we've allowed for worse case scenario!). From here we hope to scramble to the top of the falls (where there are croc-safe swim holes to enjoy), and also dinghy higher up the river to see more of what it has to offer (maybe tomorrow). Today we also clocked through 70,000nm on our boat log (since we outfitted Begonia back in 2012 in Virginia).] At: 13:08(AWST) 28-Jun-2022, Outside Temp: 32.9C (91.22F), Humidity:42%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 14º 32.04' S | 125º 25.062' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: West of unnamed island (immediately NE of Winyalkan), South Montague Sound, The Kimberley, WA - Indian Ocean, Australia. Our position: loc:-14.6147, 125.4418 Sail From: Woolaston Island (South), Wollaston Bay, South Montague Sound, The Kimberley, WA To: West of unnamed island (immediately NE of Winyalkan), South Montague Sound, The Kimberley, WA We travelled [3.5]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [3.5]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.1]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.2kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 9.3m at chart datum, tide range 7m+ at springs. Hidden cave reported ashore at a small inlet (on unnamed island). Land ashore is in Wunambal Gaambera Country, a Uunguu Visitor Pass is required to go ashore.] General Comments: [The forecast winds didn't seem so bad in the protection of our anchorage, but were sufficient to recharge our electric dinghy motor just fine. During our Wollaston Bay stay we spent most of our time catching up with writing, pictures, and general household stuff. We DID get to go ashore while everything was still calm and found the rock art site we were hoping to see (it was quite amazing, with layers of different art painted on the rock face). The tour boat 'Kimberley Pearl' arrived with guests whilst we were up there, they had a small group and all were friendly. Our new location we hope to go ashore tomorrow and explore again; our notes suggest there is an interesting cave we can enter, but it is unlikely to be a busy day of exploring (maybe we'll see a bit more wildlife if I'm lucky). The whole area (islands and mainland shores) report good dinghy exploring to be had. We keep seeing what we now think of as 'the usual' passenger boats, but a new one popped up on our AIS today (True North), we never did meet up with the private catamaran we spotted when we first arrived in the bay and we've seen no sign of them since.] At: 11:02(AWST) 23-Jun-2022, Outside Temp: C (F), Humidity:%, Water Temp: C (F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 14º 35.07' S | 125º 25.074' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: South of Palm Island (within South Montague Sound), The Kimberley, WA - Indian Ocean, Australia. Our position: loc:-14.0288, 126.0219 Sail From: Krait Bay (Admiralty Gulf), The Kimberley, WA To: South of Palm Island (within South Montague Sound), The Kimberley, WA We travelled [23.5]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [23.1]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.7]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.8kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 4.5 LAT, tide range 7m+, Close to entrance to 'Four Man Creek'. There is plenty to do and see in surrounding area and islands (art, shell middens, caves, white beaches, stunning rock formations, etc). Land ashore is in Wunambal Gaambera Country, a Uunguu Visitor Pass is required to go ashore. Note marine (pearl) farm marked on current Navionics charts was removed in 2008.] General Comments: [Another beautiful day of sailing (and another early start soon after a good red sunrise since we still have some smoke in the skies). The humidity has started to climb again (we had dew on the deck this morning; the first time in weeks). Light winds and incredibly flat seas made for an easy one. Eventually the winds dropped out entirely and we resorted to an engine for the final leg. On route we passed a couple of anchored Cruise ships, and a couple of sailing vessels (in other bays). On entering this area we spotted another catamaran tucked in way to the west of the sound (nothing on AIS, and several miles from us). We plan to be in this area for several days. I'm assuming we may actually start meeting people again!] At: 12:10(AWST) 19-Jun-2022, Outside Temp: 33.2C (91.76F), Humidity:45%, Water Temp: 32.4C (90.32F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 14º 36.09' S | 125º 26.052' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Cave Beach (within South Montague Sound), The Kimberley, WA - Indian Ocean, Australia. Our position: loc:-14.2463, 125.5990 Sail From: South of Palm Island (within South Montague Sound), The Kimberley, WA To: Cave Beach (within South Montague Sound), The Kimberley, WA We travelled [0.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.4]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.1]kt, Avg speed (through the water):0.0kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 6.6 Datum, tide range 7m+ (springs). Close to Cave Beach with its spectacular columns and interconnecting chambers to wander around and explore. Land ashore is in Wunambal Gaambera Country, a Uunguu Visitor Pass is required to go ashore.] General Comments: [Yesterday we had a full day visiting the known rock art sites. Quite a stretch for our little dinghy with its electric motor. We finished at one site and were so sad to be departing (it had great scenic views too) but the sun was soon to set and we wanted to be back at the boat well before dark (for all the obvious reasons). We did manage to disturb a croc during the day, AND had a shark 'chasing us' or probably just enjoying our engine wake - Kyle insists it was a hammer head shark (I wasn't exactly focusing on an ID at the time, but didn't notice the head anyway)!.] At: 07:32(AWST) 21-Jun-2022, Outside Temp: 26.2C (79.16F), Humidity:56%, Water Temp: 30.9C (87.62F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 14º 31.026' S | 125º 28.098' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Woolaston Island (South), Wollaston Bay, The Kimberley, WA - Indian Ocean, Australia. Our position: loc:-14.5951, 125.4292 Sail From: Cave Beach (within South Montague Sound), The Kimberley, WA To: Woolaston Island (South), Wollaston Bay, The Kimberley, WA We travelled [7.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [6.1]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.4]kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.2kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 7m at chart datum, tide range 7m+. Rock art reported ashore (both on mainland side and on Wollaston Island). Land ashore is in Wunambal Gaambera Country, a Uunguu Visitor Pass is required to go ashore.] General Comments: [This morning we anchored off Cave beach. We weren't entirely sure what to expect, but WOW - what a great locations. Beautiful rock formations, arches, columns, and warrens of chambers to explore. All stunningly beautiful. We have moved again, and are anchored here after a tip from Michael aboard Odyssey. We should be well sheltered from any swell from the coming stronger SE winds (but still power the wind turbine) - and just maybe we can find the rock art ashore! (fingers crossed, we have no good GPS locations just very roughly placed markers on our chart apps and visitor guide.).] At: 12:38(AWST) 21-Jun-2022, Outside Temp: 33C (91.4F), Humidity:39%, Water Temp: 31.9C (89.42F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 14º 14.076' S | 125º 35.094' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Krait Bay (Admiralty Gulf), The Kimberley, WA - Indian Ocean, Australia. Our position: loc:-13.8106, 126.7578 Sail From: SW Arm, Parry Harbour, The Kimberley, WA To: Krait Bay (Admiralty Gulf), The Kimberley, WA We travelled [35.5]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [27.9]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.3]kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.2kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 4.4m LAT, tide range 6m+, WWII remnants ashore (which I think is just some barrels left behind, arranged as defence posts). Land ashore is in Wunambal Gaambera Country, a Uunguu Visitor Pass is required to go ashore. Geology around the bay forms very rectangular structures that often look like city blocks, South of the Entrance especially I could easily believe I was approaching an ancient desert city.] General Comments: [A beautiful day sailing. Skies remain smoke tinted. We spotted another sailboat today (SV Magia going west), and the Cruise ship Coral Geographer indeed leap-frogged us overnight, and we passed it again today while it was in the Mitchell River area. You'll deduce from this, that we have skipped a big section of the Kimberley including the Mitchell River (despite it being a favourite of visitors); we simply can't do everything (unfortunately) and there is some poor weather coming this week - so we want to be sure we are somewhere well protected so we've just decided to spend longer at the remaining stops. As for Krait Bay, we'll anchor here just overnight and move on west tomorrow. Today we had the most entertainment from a radio call: someone calling ""Paradise"" and advising that they were soon to land and the passengers were requesting 10 bloody mary's to be at the ready for them once they reach ""Paradise"". Kyle and I couldn't agree if the person calling was likely from a plane or a boat, and we each have no idea where ""Paradise"" is (could be another boat, or a resort of some sort, but there is no such anything we're aware of within VHF radio range).] At: 13:40(AWST) 18-Jun-2022, Outside Temp: 31.6C (88.88F), Humidity:41%, Water Temp: 32.9C (91.22F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 36º 32.07' S | 125º 42.036' E | Begonia |
Day 3 of Great Australian Bight Passage From:Arid Bay, Cape Arid, Western Australia To:Kangaroo Island, South Australia. Our position: -36.5450, 125.7062 Progress: [We've made [189.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [575]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [79]nm Since last posting we have made [104.8]nm (through water). We have moved [117.6]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.9]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.4kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.2kt. Sailing Conditions [The relative calm winds of yesterday are slowly increasing and backing. We are deliberately sailing south of the line we would ideally sail since as the wind moves to the south, it will give us a better angle if we are already a bit more south of the line. ] General Comments: [We are feeling the cold, Kyle is in full foul weather gear for his night-watch (not so bad during the days). Yesterday I actually caught a fish! Unfortunately I caught it at a bad time as I also needed to be recording the log and Kyle was asleep off-watch. I pulled it aboard and went to do the log during which time it managed to work itself off the hook and jump off the boat and back into the sea. Maybe I'll have better luck today (or that could have been my one catch for the year!). By afternoon we had an hour of thunder and lightning, followed by some sweet heavy rain. It's been so very long since we had 'proper' rain aboard Begonia, we were both pleased for it (a free fresh-water shower for the rigging and deck was much appreciated since we haven't been in a marina to properly hose off since Christmas.). Yesterday the speed wheel incorrectly suddenly showed 0kt for a few hours (on my watch) and I waited for Kyle to come on watch so we could track the problem and fix it -turned out to be tiny barnacles in the wheel and soon fixed. This accounts for the low milage through he water - and average speed - recorded yesterday). Despite that we broke 60,000nm of sailing aboard Begonia yesterday (which is over 2.5 around the world at the equator); we are still a long way from our first circumnavigation but it is always a buzz to see the milestones check by.] At: 06:00(ACDT) 25-Jan-2021, Outside Temp: 18.2C (64.76F), Humidity:88%, Water Temp: 22.2C (71.96F), Course: 151(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.9kt, Wind:17Kt(from:SW), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1003hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:NE) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 11º 0.0' S | 125º 48.09' E | Begonia |
Day 6 of Timor Sea/Indian Ocean Passage From:Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT To:Ceduna, South Australia (SA). Our position: -11.0001, 125.8148 Progress: [We've made [327.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [2966]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [40.9]nm (through water). We have moved [54.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Avg speed since last post:1.7kt, Avg speed for trip to date:2.7kt. Sailing Conditions [Much of yesterday was spent drifting with the current, 6 whole continuous hours we recorded 0nm! When wind was available we were sailing with main and jib. We are moving for now, and almost through the windless patch - and by later today we should be in continuous wind.] General Comments: [The frustration of no winds has been balanced with some amazingly beautiful mercury flat seas, with passing dolphins and generally mesmerizing scenes. The gas rigs of BAYU-UNDAN are now finally behind us and out of view. To occupy ourselves (aside from keeping watch) we've been reading the book 'Batavia' about a Dutch East India Company Ship that in 1629 wrecked on Abrohlos islands on the Western Australia Coast on its way to the spice islands. Some of the survivors formed a brutal group that terrified and slaughtered the others. Its a fascinating story, and we will pass by the islands on our way around WA, so it seems so much more than 'just history' right now. Every once in a while we see what appears to be trash in the water, but as we pass, it turns out to be a cuttlefish bone - strange how I've seen them so often washed up on a beach, but I've never seen them before floating in the water (probably more likely now due the unusual flat seas). It is still hot (yesterday's high being 34C/93F, and barely below that for most of the day) - we are especially appreciating our cold home-fizzed water.] At: 06:00(AWST) 26-Sep-2020, Outside Temp: 32.2C (89.96F), Humidity:68%, Water Temp: 33.3C (91.94F), Course: 270(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.5kt, Wind:6Kt(from:NNE), Cloud Cover:0%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:S) | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 14º 1.074' S | 126º 1.032' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: SW Arm, Parry Harbour, The Kimberley, WA - Indian Ocean, Australia. Our position: loc:-13.8899, 127.0833 Sail From: Cape Talbot, Napier Broome Bay, The Kimberley, WA To: SW Arm, Parry Harbour, The Kimberley, WA We travelled [51.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [44.8]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.5]kt, Avg speed (through the water):5.2kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 4.7m LAT. Tide range 4m+. Land ashore is in Wunambal Gaambera Country however even with the required Uunguu Visitor Pass there are no approved visitor locations near this anchorage.] General Comments: [The fires ashore at Cape Talbot made for a beautiful red sunset last night. Today has been another day of sailing west (departing well before sunrise). Again, we don't plan to go ashore here, but will use this anchorage to rest and continue west tomorrow. Kyle has done a great job of picking out our routes, and making sure we arrive at all the 'difficult' areas at appropriate tides and currents. At one point today we had a 5.5kt current in our favour (that only lasted 10 minutes before decreasing to 2.5kt, but it was way better than 5.5kt against us!). We saw one cruise ship on AIS today (Coral Geographer), but it was tucked well into Vanisittart Bay as we sailed by well to the north of it (I expect it is likely to leap-frog us overnight while we rest/sleep). And (finally) we also spotted another sailboat today on AIS (Vaminos). It was ahead of us and heading deeper into Parry Harbour than we intend to go, but it felt somewhat comforting to see other cruisers out here; that's the first we've seen since the Berkeley River. The Kimberley Coast Cruising YC have suggested there are less than 30 cruising boats in the whole Kimberley area this season (less than normal); so far we've seen 4 others. We also passed by Troughton Island today. It is a remote and treeless support settlement (with airstrip and helicopter base) for some of the oil rigs further out to sea; It looked like a posting you'd need to be paid a lot of money to make attractive! The seas have had a lot of large patches of different coloured (sediment filled) waters. Normally this is related to a river run off, but we've been unable to solve the puzzle to identify the source(s) for the patches we've found (perhaps due to the crazy currents that run around this area that presumably can isolate patches of water?). Note: We do have our Uungu (Wunambal Gaambera) visitor pass, but don't plan to go ashore for several more days as we push west. ] At: 14:00(AWST) 17-Jun-2022, Outside Temp: 32.2C (89.96F), Humidity:33%, Water Temp: 32.4C (90.32F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 11º 9.012' S | 126º 43.026' E | Begonia |
Day 5 of Timor Sea/Indian Ocean Passage From:Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT To:Ceduna, South Australia (SA). Our position: -11.1514, 126.7207 Progress: [We've made [286.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [3020]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [34.2]nm (through water). We have moved [34.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Avg speed since last post:1.4kt, Avg speed for trip to date:2.9kt. Sailing Conditions [Sailing mostly with the spinnaker, occasional jib (when upwind sailing possible) but much of the time, no wind at all!] General Comments: [Yesterday (our warmest day so far) we had the regular ABF plane visit us, but this time they already knew our answers and just asked us to verify nothing had changed. Our focus for the what seems like AGES has been getting around the BAYU-UNDAN gas rigs and terminal. We had expected to sail to the north (outside the no-go area) - but the wind and currents had alternative ideas, so at some point we gave up trying and headed to skirt around the south. Hours later we determined we simply had to use the motor to get around the SE point of the no-go zone. We have been avoiding using the motor to save fuel for any real emergencies. When I awoke this morning the oil rigs are still in our clear view, there is no wind at all, and we bob here some distance from the no-go zone. Conditions are so calm that between the sea and the sky it is barely possible to determine the horizon. We even have a sea-snake swimming around. The lack of progress is frustrating (but predicted). I can only hope that we've moved on by the time of our next report.] At: 06:00(AWST) 25-Sep-2020, Outside Temp: 31.6C (88.88F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 32.9C (91.22F), Course: 300(degT), Speed Over Ground:0.03kt, Wind:1Kt(from:N), Cloud Cover:1%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:1m (to:W) | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 11º 9.012' S | 126º 43.026' E | Begonia |
Day 5 of Timor Sea/Indian Ocean Passage From:Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT To:Ceduna, South Australia (SA). Our position: -11.1514, 26.7207 Progress: [We've made [286.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [3020]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [34.2]nm (through water). We have moved [34.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Avg speed since last post:1.4kt, Avg speed for trip to date:2.9kt. Sailing Conditions [Sailing mostly with the spinnaker, occasional jib (when upwind sailing possible) but much of the time, no wind at all!] General Comments: [Yesterday (our warmest day so far) we had the regular ABF plane visit us, but this time they already knew our answers and just asked us to verify nothing had changed. Our focus for the what seems like AGES has been getting around the BAYU-UNDAN gas rigs and terminal. We had expected to sail to the north (outside the no-go area) - but the wind and currents had alternative ideas, so at some point we gave up trying and headed to skirt around the south. Hours later we determined we simply had to use the motor to get around the SE point of the no-go zone. We have been avoiding using the motor to save fuel for any real emergencies. When I awoke this morning the oil rigs are still in our clear view, there is no wind at all, and we bob here some distance from the no-go zone. Conditions are so calm that between the sea and the sky it is barely possible to determine the horizon. We even have a sea-snake swimming around. The lack of progress is frustrating (but predicted). I can only hope that we've moved on by the time of our next report.] At: 06:00(AWST) 25-Sep-2020, Outside Temp: 31.6C (88.88F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 32.9C (91.22F), Course: 300(degT), Speed Over Ground:0.03kt, Wind:1Kt(from:N), Cloud Cover:1%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:1m (to:W) | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 13º 48.066' S | 126º 45.048' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Cape Talbot, Napier Broome Bay, The Kimberley, WA - Indian Ocean, Australia. Our position: loc:-13.9051, 127.0627 Sail From: Glycosmis Bay (Outer), The Kimberley, WA To: Cape Talbot, Napier Broome Bay, The Kimberley, WA We travelled [42.5]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [19.5]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [1.9]kt, Avg speed (through the water):5.2kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.0m LAT (3m+ tide range) - you can pick your depth as you approach. Bay tucked into the mainland just 1.5nm south of Cape Talbot (Sometimes called Bruces Bay per guides). Well protected from winds from the west. Beautiful white sandy beach ashore with a shallow creek at south end. Reefs extend well out to north and south of bay. Good rest anchorage before or after rounding Cape Londonderry. ] General Comments: [Yesterday morning (back at Glycosmis Bay) Kyle and I spent a couple of hours ""treasure hunting"" for rock art around the site known as the Lost City; we failed to find anything. Thankfully, the small cruise ship Odyssey arrived and their lovely crew very kindly helped us find plenty of art (Its everywhere, I've no idea how we missed it all on our own explorations!). Hopefully we now have our eye in for future forays. There seems to be several styles of art in the area, including Bradshaws (Gwion Gwion). I have no way of telling for sure, but some of these may well be tens of thousands of years old, which just ads to the wow factor (google 'Bradshaws' for more info). We also had the 'supermoon' rising just after sunset from our anchorage and looking pretty good silhouetting the trees on the land between us. Today we departed Glycosmis to round Cape Londonderry (commonly known as Cape Laundry due to it mess of seas as different currents converge and cause washing-machine-like chaos); it's a tidal split point, and also WAs most northerly point. Thankfully our passage wasn't so bad. We have now officially left the Timor Sea and are in the Indian Ocean proper. There are fires ashore hare at Cape Talbot (we assume these are controlled burns). We don't plan to go ashore here, but are just using this anchorage as an overnight stop on our passage west. We've seen no other cruisers since the Berkeley River.] At: 14:48(AWST) 16-Jun-2022, Outside Temp: 32C (89.6F), Humidity:36%, Water Temp: 31.4C (88.52F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 13º 54.03' S | 127º 3.078' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Glycosmis Bay (Inner), The Kimberley, WA - Timor Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-13.9051, 127.0627 Sail From: Koolama Bay (SE Corner), The Kimberley, WA To: Glycosmis Bay (Inner), The Kimberley, WA We travelled [19.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [15.7]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.5]kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.3kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.5m LAT. Attempts to anchor closer to falls we could not get anchor to grab (or had insufficient depth/swing room).] General Comments: [Jackets overnight. Kyle let me return to bed after lifting anchor, but it was hard to sleep. We arrived just around sunset and poked our way into Glycosmis (inner) bay. A lovely bay, but falls not currently running at this stage of the dry season. Kyle will rest up and we will explore over the coming days.] At: 07:10(AWST) 13-Jun-2022, Outside Temp: 25.6C (78.08F), Humidity:33%, Water Temp: 29C (84.2F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 13º 53.04' S | 127º 4.998' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Glycosmis Bay (Outer), The Kimberley, WA - Timor Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-13.8899, 127.0833 Sail From: Glycosmis Bay (Inner), The Kimberley, WA To: Glycosmis Bay (Outer), The Kimberley, WA We travelled [1.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.5]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.5]kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.9kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 5.4m LAT. Shore access to the site of ""The Lost City"" and its aboriginal art. Guidebook suggests afternoon winds expected.] General Comments: [In Glycosmis we managed to climb the cliff face (at a recognized, but frightening trail) and see views from on top. The waterfalls are no longer flowing, but there was a host of pretty wild flowers around a billabong, and large boab tree that we were both enamored with. Aside from one plane flying over, we had the bay to ourselves for the duration of our stay. We also took a walk along the beach at the entrance where we found evidence (fresh dung and hoof prints) of feral buffalo (we are just as worried about the buffalo as the crocs - they are each notorious in Australia regarding danger to life); Thankfully we didn't meet one on our walk. The overnight temperatures are now dropping below 20C (time for blankets - I never expected that here in The Kimberley!). Today we exited the shallow bar at high tide to return to the outer bay where we hope to explore the rock art.] At: 06:50(AWST) 15-Jun-2022, Outside Temp: 23C (73.4F), Humidity:41%, Water Temp: 30C (86F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 10º 58.002' S | 127º 16.056' E | Begonia |
Day 4 of Timor Sea/Indian Ocean Passage From:Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT To:Ceduna, South Australia (SA). Our position: -10.9671, 127.2764 Progress: [We've made [251.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [3052]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [64.5]nm (through water). We have moved [64.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [For the last 24 hours we've only flown the spinnaker, and at times we've had no wind and even had to bag that. Progress remains slow (as expected), and will remain so for a few more days. Our average speed since over the last 24 hours is just under 2.7kt] General Comments: [It remains HOT aboard, and we put up shade during the day to protect us from the worst of the sun's cooking effect. Yesterday we again had the Australian Border Force plane fly over and call in on us (asking the standard 3 questions: last port, next port, home port). We had a few more dolphin visits, all brief (we've been going way too slowly for them to enjoy any swimming at the bows). We expect more of the same for the next few days.] At: 06:00(AWST) 24-Sep-2020, Outside Temp: 28.6C (83.48F), Humidity:75%, Water Temp: 32.9C (91.22F), Course: 270(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.1kt, Wind:9Kt(from:ENE), Cloud Cover:45%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:1m (to:SW) | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 14º 2.034' S | 127º 19.05' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Off Twin Falls, King George River, The Kimberley, WA - Timor Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-14.0387, 127.3254 Sail From: Koolama Bay (SE Corner), The Kimberley, WA To: Off Twin Falls, King George River, The Kimberley, WA We travelled [9.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [5.5]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.3]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.8kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.1m LAT (we had 4.2-5.1m) close to Twin falls, spectacular scenery and the high cliffs channel cooling winds/gusts.] General Comments: [Overnight the cruise ship left and another (Coral Adventurer) arrived . We tried to hail them on the radio in case a FB frined was currently captaining (but no answer). A flying boat arrived to swap out / deliver passengers/crew to the Dive boat - that was cool. The winds picked up as we up anchored and approached the river entrance making things a little more challenging and choppy, but all was well. We motored (a sightseeing tour) the full navigable length with its stunning high sided cliffs with their weathered, cleaved, and fractured, sandstone rocks that often appear as stacked towers with many giant blocks ready to topple at any moment. We finally found flowing falls at the head: Twin Falls (where we have a few small streams tumbling healthily down the length, I can only imagine how powerful they must be in the wet season). Our guidebook suggests these are the tallest falls in the state of Western Australia, I'm not sure if that is correct (they are about 78m tall per the map). There were a couple of small fisho boats in the river (presumably from the cruise boats), but no other yachties which is amazing in itself as this is reported to be the most popular/busy of all the river systems in the Kimberley.] At: 11:08(AWST) 08-Jun-2022, Outside Temp: 32.5C (90.5F), Humidity:57%, Water Temp: 34.3C (93.74F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 14º 2.316' S | 127º 19.056' E | Begonia | At Anchor: Off Twin Falls, King George River, The Kimberley, WA - Timor Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-14.0386, 127.3260 Sail From: Off East Arm, King George River, The Kimberley, WA To: Off Twin Falls, King George River, The Kimberley, WA We travelled [4.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [3.3]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.7]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.3kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.4m LAT. Close to Twin Falls. Lots of cruise ship tender traffic. Good mud holding, spectacular scenery and the high cliffs channel cooling winds/gusts. A WA Aboriginal Land Permit is required to go ashore beyond HWM. No phone signal (Telstra).] General Comments: [Humidity and temperature continue to fall making things very comfortable aboard. Yesterday we took the dinghy up to East Arm Falls (which has a small stream still flowing). We met up with the skippers of Odyssey and shared some tips for west Kimberley locations. After we arrived at the falls itself, a croc appeared and hung out on a shelf by our exit path. Hmmm. So we probably spent longer than we intended wondering if we could wait him out (not). Wind is still a bit gusty so we changed our plans to hang out closer to the river mouth tonight and went in totally the opposite direction back to twin falls (enjoying the scenery along the way.] At: 10:24(AWST) 11-Jun-2022, Outside Temp: 27.1C (80.78F), Humidity:33%, Water Temp: 31.4C (88.52F) ----- At 11/06/2022 02:24 (UTC) our position was 14°02.32'S 127°19.56'E | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 13º 56.076' S | 127º 19.074' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Koolama Bay (SE Corner), The Kimberley, WA - Timor Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-13.9461, 127.3288 Sail From: Off Twin Falls, King George River, The Kimberley, WA To: Koolama Bay (SE Corner), The Kimberley, WA We travelled [8.4]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [5.6]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.0]kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.6kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.5m LAT, Gelatinous mud - good holding. ] General Comments: [Since we planned to depart the river today it was great to spend our last night near Twin Falls, with the scenery and the dusk light all to ourselves and a full day of enjoying the scenery. As we motored down the river and into the bay this morning we were surprised to discover we were the only boat here (and no AIS targets around either). We'll have a day out here in the bay (catch up with general admin etc) and then head off EARLY in the morning to (hopefully) make it into Glycosmis Bay at high tide (depending on conditions, etc). The Koolama Bay isn't as choppy as we'd expected (given several days of solid winds), but is still a little bouncy at anchor. We ate the last of our giant water melon for breakfast today; we just have a few apples left as our remaining fresh fruit - we have plenty of canned fruit (and fresh veggies too) still in our provisions.] At: 10:34(AWST) 12-Jun-2022, Outside Temp: 25.9C (78.62F), Humidity:46%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 13º 56.082' S | 127º 19.08' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Koolama Bay (SE Corner), The Kimberley, WA - Timor Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-13.9466, 127.3297 Sail From: Reveley Island, Berkeley River Entrance, The Kimberley, WA To: Koolama Bay (SE Corner), The Kimberley, WA We travelled [40.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [37.1]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.7]kt, Avg speed (through the water):5.0kt. Location Comments: [A good place to wait for tides outside the King George River entrance. The Koolama Bay is named after a the MV Koolama, a passenger vessel/freighter which after being bombed by the Japanese in WWII managed to limp to the NE area of this bay and beach itself to prevent sinking (in an area now known as Calamity Bay) . 140-160 people were removed from the ship and camped ashore awaiting rescue from various sources. Amazingly no-one died in the bombing, and the majority were fit enough were escorted to safety of the Drysdale Mission after a grueling multi-day walk lead by Aboriginal guides.] General Comments: [When lifting anchor, the anchor hardware caught on the roller, strained everything, and blew the circuit breaker (we don't have a spare). Luckily kyle managed to fix it for now while underway so we don't have to manually raise/lower the anchor chain. All was made up for with a beautiful day of sailing. Winds at 16kt (true) behind us, flat seas, sunshine, and the spinnaker pulling us along easily (mostly sailing at 6kt+). A small group of dolphins shared the bay with us on our arrival. (? They barely surface and are too shy to get an ID, but they were small with no obvious beak, I'll do some research when we next have internet, but for now I think they must be Snubfin Dolphin). There were two commercial boats anchored outside the entrance. One (Silver Explorer) a large cruise ship (large for this area). The other (Brute Force) identified as a diving vessel on AIS (that one that surprised us given the crocs in the area, I'm curious if they are actually diving). We'll relax for the afternoon/evening and go into the King George River on the morning flood tide.] At: 14:48(AWST) 07-Jun-2022, Outside Temp: 33.7C (92.66F), Humidity:63%, Water Temp: 35.3C (95.54F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 14º 1.044' S | 127º 20.028' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Off BBQ Beach, King George River, The Kimberley, WA - Timor Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-14.0237, 127.3378 Sail From: Off Twin Falls, King George River, The Kimberley, WA To: Off BBQ Beach, King George River, The Kimberley, WA We travelled [1.7]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.2]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [1.6]kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.4kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 8.3m LAT, Close to BBQ beach, the steep gorge (Scenery/Swim holes where permits allow), and the Mangrove Inlet (good to dinghy in, may see turtles hanging around here and of course, great scenery - entry blocked by sandbank at low water.). Surrounding Cliffs (74m+) too steep/close for satellite signal with Iridium Go! (message delayed sending until we were out of area)] General Comments: [We saw no other cruisers during our stay at Twin Fall, but had a constant stream of boats and tenders from visiting cruise ships/tour boats. One privately chartered boat anchored by us, but waved us off as we approached; we were talking with the crew about their plans and how we could keep out of their way, when the captain came out and told us to leave - maybe they had famous guests aboard or something?. All was made well again when a major cruise ship anchored outside the river (La Perouse), and had a greeting tender at Twin falls to 'greet' the constant traffic from its guests as they got to enjoy the views. They called out to us to chat several times. At one point during a lull in visitors, I went to get a bucket of water straight from the falls (for laundry/showers), and they offered to help (I managed on my own, but nice gesture). Once that was complete, they handed me a glass of champagne AND two bottles for the boat to share with Kyle - well that was NICE!!! We've moved further down the river now for another dinghy exploration, not yet sure if we'll stay the night or move on again - either way - its BEAUTIFUL!] At: 09:46(AWST) 09-Jun-2022, Outside Temp: 29.8C (85.64F), Humidity:43%, Water Temp: 32.9C (91.22F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 13º 59.052' S | 127º 21.048' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Off East Arm, King George River, The Kimberley, WA - Timor Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-13.9923, 127.3576 Sail From: Off BBQ Beach, King George River, The Kimberley, WA To: Off East Arm, King George River, The Kimberley, WA We travelled [2.7]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [2.2]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.7]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.3kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.4. Dinghy access to East Arm Falls (with rope ladder climb or rock scramble to swim holes/views at top of cliffs). Wide open junction in river (no problem getting a satellite signal).] General Comments: [The temperatures and humidity have dropped to much more comfortable levels over the last few days. We still seem to be the only cruiser/yacht in the river, but there are plenty of commercial tour boats and their tenders so we see regular traffic. We heard them chatter on the radio that some are planning to skip the Berkeley River due to the miserable conditions outside (the ones we arrived just ahead of). We are completely protected inside the river system. Yesterday we dinghied about and poked into the various inlets and gorges, still stunned by the beauty. We saw a lot of turtles yesterday, but still no sightings of crocs or dolphins in the river since we arrived (I'm sure the crocs are about, just no so visible). We hear plenty of unusual bird chatter, but they keep themselves hidden too so I'm missing my bird photography and identification (but I've not given up yet!). While our current anchorage has a great signal, please don't worry if you don't hear from us at future points in The Kimberley as the most stunning anchorages (among the cliffs) are causing issues for acquiring any satellite signal. Kyle found and fixed a small fuel leak today in the starboard engine (just needed some screws on the fuel pump tightening).] At: 09:24(AWST) 10-Jun-2022, Outside Temp: 27C (80.6F), Humidity:42%, Water Temp: 31.4C (88.52F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 14º 28.098' S | 127º 40.026' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Amphitheatre Falls, Berkeley River, The Kimberley, WA, Australia - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 4 of Timor Sea Passage From:Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT To:Amphitheatre Falls, Berkeley River, The Kimberley, WA. Our position: loc:-14.4829, 127.6710 Progress: [We've made [255.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [1.5]nm Since last posting we have made [14.8]nm (through water). We have moved [11.9]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.0]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.0kt, Avg speed for trip:3.7kt. Sailing Conditions [Anchored in 5.4 LAT (for our stay we needed to allow for 12m depth at high tide). Clearly this cove has some impressive waterfalls in the rainy season (dry now). The route along the river is stunning, filled with photo-perfect scenery and plenty of wildlife (crocs, birds, dolphins). Further upstream (beyond the rock ledge) are permanent waterfalls (commonly used for water collection and showers by the visiting boaters).] General Comments: [WOW - the scenery has had me taking photos every few seconds (oops). We made it in without issue. Two other sailboats are anchored in the river (different places). L'Attitude has already spent 3 weeks in this river since arriving from Darwin (sadly, we'll only be able to spend a few days). We've already seen plenty of crocodiles and the 'white tip' dolphins were an unexpected surprise (we saw two pairs, each pair in a different stretch of the river). We need to rest up and get back to sensible circadian rhythms but I'm keen to get in the dinghy and explore!] At: 08:56(AWST) 03-Jun-2022, Outside Temp: 29.3C (84.74F), Humidity:77%, Water Temp: 33.4C (92.12F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 14º 23.04' S | 127º 43.086' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Casuarina Creek Entrance, Berkely River, The Kimberley, WA - Timor Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-14.3902, 127.7308 Sail From: Amphitheatre, Berkeley River, The Kimberley, WA To: Casuarina Creek Entrance, Berkely River, The Kimberley, WA We travelled [7.7]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [6.6]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.3]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.9kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 7.3 LAT (for our stay we need to anchor for a max of 11m depth). Just off the entrance to the creek. We've been told that Casuarina Creek is named after a native tree with especially thin (fir tree like) leaves.] General Comments: [We moved back towards the river entrance (part way), and arrived to find two boats anchored here (Zula and Promise). From here we plan to dinghy up Casuarina Creek to explore and then make a plan from there. After exploring the length of the river (between Begonia and the dinghy) we are in love with the Berkeley River! I'd love to see what it looks like in the wet season especially.] At: 12:50(AWST) 04-Jun-2022, Outside Temp: 33.1C (91.58F), Humidity:52%, Water Temp: 33.4C (92.12F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 14º 21.03' S | 127º 46.002' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: First Creek Entrance, Berkeley River, The Kimberley, WA - Timor Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-14.3548, 127.7669 Sail From: Casuarina Creek Entrance, Berkely River, The Kimberley, WA To: First Creek Entrance, Berkeley River, The Kimberley, WA We travelled [4.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [3.0]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.8]kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.1kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 0.7m LAT (For our stay we had a range of 2-5m), off the entrance to First Creek. Plenty of small boat traffic from the nearby Lodge.] General Comments: [We motored back more towards the main river entrance, and today we'll explore First Creek in the hope of seeing some better waterfalls (so far not much more than a trickle). We continue to spot crocodiles (but while clearly aware of us, we've heard no reports of boaties being pestered (thankfully). Yesterday there was one hanging about in front of our boat as we returned via dinghy - we gave it a wide berth! The dolphins we spot are shy and don't seek our company at all, they barely surface to breath so not photogenic types. The scenery remains spectacular and the weather is HOT!] At: 09:20(AWST) 05-Jun-2022, Outside Temp: 31.9C (89.42F), Humidity:68%, Water Temp: 33.9C (93.02F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 14º 19.086' S | 127º 48.012' E | Begonia |
Day 4 of Timor Sea Passage From:Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT To:Berkeley River, The Kimberley, WA. Our position: loc:-14.3313, 127.8018 Progress: [We've made [241.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [1.5]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [66.5]nm Since last posting we have made [55.1]nm (through water). We have moved [52.6]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.2]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:2.3kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):3.7kt. Sailing Conditions [During the day yesterday there were several rain cells that passed over us ( always with some strong gusts ahead of them but always easy to see them coming - blown-apart gulf indeed!). Mostly however the day was mild and easy. Knowing we were ahead of our planned arrival time we deliberately slowed down overnight, but still arrived at the entrance in dark so just bobbed about a couple of miles off waiting for sunrise. We are currently motoring in calm waters towards the entrance (with a rising tide).] General Comments: [Looking out towards the river entrance, there a sand dunes to the north (right) and cliffs to the south (left). The raised plateau of Mt Casuarina standing proud of the surrounding country is kissed by the sunrise. A small cruise ship (Eco-Abrohlos) is existing as we head for the entrance. Our excitement is growing. We are uncertain how good any satellite signal will be once in the river system. Tides today have a 4m range.] At: 06:00(AWST) 03-Jun-2022, Outside Temp: 27.7C (81.86F), Humidity:87%, Water Temp: 33.9C (93.02F), Course: 224(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.3kt, Wind:4Kt(from:SW), Cloud Cover:20%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:0.5m (from:NE) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 14º 21.546' S | 127º 48.03' E | Begonia | At Anchor: Reveley Island, Berkeley River Entrance, The Kimberley, WA - Timor Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-14.3591, 127.8049 Sail From: First Creek Entrance, Berkeley River, The Kimberley, WA To: Reveley Island, Berkeley River Entrance, The Kimberley, WA We travelled [3.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [2.2]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.5]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.5kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in Gelatinous mud - good holding - 1.1m Datum (for our stay we had a range of 2.7-5.3m) In the shelter of the island and the mainland (stunning scenery, nice looking beach ashore). A WA Aboriginal Land Permit is required to go ashore beyond HWM. No phone signal (Telstra).] General Comments: [Entering/Exiting all the river entrances have to be timed to coincide wtih a rising tide and for appropriate depths for a clear passage so we left the river and anchored outside to make for an easy getaway tomorrow as we head north again. Just as we'd lifted the anchor we were visited by the WA fisheries folk. They left their main vessel outisde of the river and arrived by support vessel, boarded and inspected our fridge, checked we had a fishing license. Etc. They were friendly and all smiles. They don't show any AIS signal. With the heat we weren't exactly dressed for visitors and had to scurry for some more 'decent' clothing (that may explain their smiles). ] At: 10:42(AWST) 06-Jun-2022, Outside Temp: 32.7C (90.86F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 34.3C (93.74F) ----- At 06/06/2022 02:42 (UTC) our position was 14°21.54'S 127°48.29'E | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 13º 37.014' S | 128º 19.062' E | Begonia |
Day 3 of Timor Sea Passage From:Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT To:Berkeley River, The Kimberley, WA. Our position: loc:-13.6192, 128.3273 Progress: [We've made [185.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [68]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [101]nm Since last posting we have made [120.8]nm (through water). We have moved [112.0]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.7]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.0kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.5kt. Sailing Conditions [A mixed 24 hours, mostly light wind sailing (varying between headwinds and a broad reach). As per the forecast, and we are still on schedule to arrive on Friday morning (possibly tonight but we don't want to approach a new place in the dark). While the light winds would normally be frustrating, this stretch of water is called Joseph Bonapart Gulf and has the nickname 'blown-apart gulf' so we remind ourselves that light winds is way better than strong winds with choppy seas. Yesterday we spotted two sailboats travelling East (as we go west); we wonder how many we might see once we reach the Berkeley River. ] General Comments: [Kyle put the life-tag (the little device that alarms if either of us fall overboard) in his pocket last night and at some point, while deploying the spinnaker, watched it fall out and bounce across the trampoline and into the water - oops. Thankfully we have multiple backups as they no longer make this unit. We've had almost total cloud coverage since we departed Darwin, and this has meant the batteries were getting very low. Last night Kyle had to motor for a few hours to give them a boost and we are hoping that the cloud cover is less of a problem today and we can get back up to 100% battery charge. Whilst in Darwin we went to a lecture by NASA to talk about the upcoming opportunity to get data from Pluto as it passes in front of a distant star (from remote sites between Katherine and Darwin). So many people travelling were so far for this rare event (and with a ton of equipment borrowed from all over the world), I sure hope they didn't have clouds blocking the view last night.] At: 06:00(AWST) 02-Jun-2022, Outside Temp: 28.9C (84.02F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 34.8C (94.64F), Course: 236(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.3kt, Wind:7Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:25%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:0.5m (from:N) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 37º 31.014' S | 128º 20.058' E | Begonia |
Day 4 of Great Australian Bight Passage From:Arid Bay, Cape Arid, Western Australia To:Kangaroo Island, South Australia. Our position: -37.5186, 128.3426 Progress: [We've made [339.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [458]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [117]nm Since last posting we have made [149.9]nm (through water). We have moved [139.1]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [5.8]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.2kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.6kt. Sailing Conditions [Life is getting bouncier aboard as the seas climb and get choppier generally. We reef and unreef as the wind allows, but otherwise we sail close hauled and our change in direction is due only to the backing wind.] General Comments: [We are well into our passage routines and feeling rested. I lost another fish yesterday (this time before eveing getting to haul it aboard), so will try again today. We've seen several ships (both on AIS and within visible range) which helps give some focus to the watch-keeping.] At: 06:00(ACDT) 26-Jan-2021, Outside Temp: 15.4C (59.72F), Humidity:85%, Water Temp: 20.7C (69.26F), Course: 89(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.6kt, Wind:18Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:80%, Pressure: 1009hPa, Swell:3m (to:N) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 11º 0.018' S | 128º 22.026' E | Begonia |
Day 3 of Timor Sea/Indian Ocean Passage From:Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT To:Ceduna, South Australia (SA). Our position: -11.0028, 128.3707 Progress: [We've made [187.4]nm (through water) on this passage and have [3116]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [104.7]nm (through water). We have moved [94.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [More mixed sailing, but still with generally flat seas. Overnight (midnight to 6am) we were back on the spinnaker and made just 14nm. We've headed so far north to avoid a giant windless patch, and expect to be making poor progress for several days to come based on forecasts.] General Comments: [Yesterday we had a passing pod of 3 dolphins (they swung by but didn't stop to play). Kyle was on watch as the Australian Border Force (ABF) flew over and checked in on us; yesterday was also the day (the equinox) that Kyle shaved his head and he's feeling much happier with the extra breeze during this heat. Overnight I saw a couple of shooting stars which brought a smile to my face. Neither of us have seen any ships in the last 24 hours (except in the far distance on AIS returns). We had another bird visit us, this time to roost overnight, but it didn't pick the best place to stop and was jolted around even with our mild rolling (poor thing).] At: 06:00(AWST) 23-Sep-2020, Outside Temp: 30C (86F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 32.4C (90.32F), Course: 270(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.3kt, Wind:8Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:1m (to:SW) | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 12º 1.026' S | 129º 35.094' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of Timor Sea/Indian Ocean Passage From:Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT To:Ceduna, South Australia (SA). Our position: -12.0205, 129.5988 Progress: [We've made [82.6]nm (through water) on this passage and have [3168]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [82.6]nm (through water). We have moved [75.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Mixed sailing - we've had the spinnaker up and down a few times, and the sails reefed and unreefed (all while still in the Beagle Gulf). We've even gone backwards when the current against us was stronger than our forward progress. Kyle expects our first week to be much like this, before we'll find ourselves in more reliable winds.] General Comments: [Our last night in Darwin had the skies filled with thunder and lightening. Our first full day at sea has been with mixed sailing conditions, but (amazingly) with very flat seas. Coincidentally the good progress hours (7.6nm in one hour) have been on my watches, and the really slow hours (0.06nm in one hour) on Kyle's - so its been fun to tease him about my superior sailing skills. We had a bird, a brown noddy, hang out on the deck for a while (even while we raised and lowered the spinnaker twice!). Kyle managed to trip over his own foot early on yesterday, and has a very bruised toe, but it isn't impacting his sailing ability.] At: 06:00(AWST) 22-Sep-2020, Outside Temp: 28.5C (83.3F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 32.9C (91.22F), Course: 341(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.7kt, Wind:6Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:60%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:S) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 12º 31.068' S | 129º 52.092' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of Timor Sea Passage From:Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT To:Berkeley River, The Kimberley, WA. Our position: loc:-12.5284, 129.8824 Progress: [We've made [65.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [169]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [71]nm Since last posting we have made [65.1]nm (through water). We have moved [55.1]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.2]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:3.7kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):3.7kt. Sailing Conditions [We departed just after noon (Boat time) and headed out in light winds and calm seas. On Maryanne's night watch she slowed to allow a couple of thunderstorm cells pass ahead of us. After that the wind just toyed with her for the remainder of her watch. We saw every angle overnight, and winds from zero to 24kt. Spinnaker was up and down, main was up and down, tacking and reefing/unreefing kept her occupied. When Kyle took over at midnight the wind was a little more consistent (he managed to return to the spinnaker and only had to gybe 3 times). If the forecast is correct we are in for a much easier day today.] General Comments: [We're off at last for the Kimberley and very much looking forward to it. We saw a few sailboats underway as we departed Darwin but so far nobody headed our way (although we do expect plenty of boats as 2 were planning departures around the same time as us from the Marina we were using. A handful of boat traffic overnight, including a borderforce boat (that didn't call on us).] At: 06:00(AWST) 01-Jun-2022, Outside Temp: 29.1C (84.38F), Humidity:77%, Water Temp: 35.3C (95.54F), Course: 227(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.6kt, Wind:10Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:95%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:0.5m (from:NE) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 37º 21.054' S | 130º 12.072' E | Begonia |
Day 5 of Great Australian Bight Passage From:Arid Bay, Cape Arid, Western Australia To:Kangaroo Island, South Australia. Our position: -37.3588, 130.2123 Progress: [We've made [484.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [369]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [89]nm Since last posting we have made [145.7]nm (through water). We have moved [89.6]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.7]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.1kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.7kt. Sailing Conditions [Tacking into the wind (and a bit of current) with plenty of reefs in the sails mean we don't make the best progress towards the goal (but every bit counts).] General Comments: [Yesterday was Australia Day (where the celebrate more than NYE, and much like 4th July). We had to cut free our 3rd propane tank overnight as the two in our locker both emptied yesterday. Kyle has been continuing his French studies and has recently learned the word 'Yaourter' which translates literally to 'yogurt-ing' but means the kind of singing you do when you don't actually know the words to a song, but sing along anyway - it is already getting a LOT of use aboard Begonia.] At: 06:00(ACDT) 27-Jan-2021, Outside Temp: 16.1C (60.98F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 21.2C (70.16F), Course: 139(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.2kt, Wind:17Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:W) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 12º 26.022' S | 130º 49.014' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT - Timor Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-12.4368, 130.8188 Sail From: Bayview Marina, Bayview (Suburb of Darwin), NT To: Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT We travelled [5.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [2.4]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [1.5]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.8kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 1.1m LAT in good holding. Great for sunset views and plenty of sailing traffic around on sailing nights, and sunset cruises most nights too. Weekends can be active/noisy ashore.] General Comments: [We delayed our departure from the marina for an extra day due to mail delays (thankfully our two missing packages came today). We scheduled the lock at the marina for 5pm giving us plenty of time to make it to anchor in time for sunset. We won't need our fenders or dock-lines for months now (all being well). We are fully stocked and provisioned through to December and Kyle is keen for some of that weight to start leaving the boat as we eat/burn through it all. We had a fair mix of fun and chores in Darwin, but are now keen to move on. We also met some amazingly friendly folks in Darwin - so quite a memorable visit..] At: 18:16(ACST) 30-May-2022, Outside Temp: 29.8C (85.64F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 24.8C (76.64F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 12º 26.022' S | 130º 49.014' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT, Australia - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 5 of Arafura Sea Passage From:Two Island Bay, Marchinbar Island (Wessel Island Chain) To:Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT. Our position: loc:-12.4368, 130.8191 Progress: [We've made [421.3]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [63]nm Since last posting we have made [59.0]nm (through water). We have moved [53.5]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.3]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:2.6kt, Avg speed for trip:4.5kt. Sailing Conditions [WOW - that was a frustrating and SLOW passage, helped hugely since there was absolutely no swell/waves to hinder us. We are now safely at anchor. We reported our arrival to the Darwin Harbour authorities and need to call into some COVID hotline (in working hours) for the next step (hopefully just a formality).] General Comments: [We are back, and anchored in a spot we've used before. We didn't see a single other sailboat on this passage (until we arrived at the anchorage in Darwin). Its amazing how little this area of Australia seems to be travelled.] At: 04:56(ACST) 20-May-2022, Outside Temp: 28C (82.4F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 35.3C (95.54F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 12º 26.016' S | 130º 49.014' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT, Australia - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 2 of Timor Sea Passage From:Alcaro Bay (near Cape Don), Cobourg Penninsula, NT To:Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT. Our position: -12.4360, 130.8192 Progress: [We've made [104.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [48.8]nm (through water). We have moved [28.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Anchored in 3m with 4.7m range. We have an appointment for our biosecurity inspection/treatment tomorrow afternoon (required before we are allowed in the marina locks).] General Comments: [The remainder of today's sail was FAST, but the currents were strong and the wind was on the head so it took a while. We were distracted when we found a bat appeared and was 'hanging out' under the trampoline appearing while we were underway. It seems to be a fruit bat (also called a flying fox), he has the perfectly pointy ear, is on the smaller side - body is about 16cm long? - and has brown fur? We were convinced he'd leave once we headed into the wind and he certainly got wet (although he did shift himself around to the driest of the wet options under the trampoline). Amazingly 'Count Blah' is still with us now we are at anchor, but he did give me a dirty look when I was lowering the chain right beside him - he eventually moved a little out of the way and went back to his napping. He has been with us for hours, so is no doubt along way away from his colony, I'll assume he'll head off at dusk. In the meantime we are avoiding getting too close to Count Blah as we know bats here carry a rabies-like disease that is pretty deadly to us humans. We can see the skyline of Darwin ahead of us - time to enjoy a beer and the view while we wait for Count Blah to fly off and find new friends and a more appropriate roost.] At: 16:26(ACST) 25-Aug-2020, Outside Temp: 31C (87.8F), Humidity:46%, Water Temp: 32.4C (90.32F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 12º 25.05' S | 130º 49.038' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT - Timor Sea, Australia. Our position: -12.4252, 130.8228 Sail From: Bayview Marina, Bayview (Suburb of Darwin), NT To: Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT We travelled [6.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [2.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in Fannie Bay - a bit far out (to cater for all tide ranges).] General Comments: [We exited the lock at Bayview in the morning calms, and had an easy motor back to the anchorage.] At: 09:24(ACST) 07-Sep-2020, Outside Temp: 29.6C (85.28F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 32.9C (91.22F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 12º 26.046' S | 130º 51.054' E | Begonia |
At Marina Dock: Bayview Marina, Bayview (Suburb of Darwin), NT - Timor Sea, Australia. Our position: -12.4406, 130.8589 Sail From: Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT To: Bayview Marina, Bayview (Suburb of Darwin), NT We travelled [4.5]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [2.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [At Bayview Marina in a double dock: $59/night + $25/night live-aboard fee.] General Comments: [We made it up in the mangroves to Bayview Marina, where we'll be tied up for just over a week. Thankfully Kyle installed the spare prop just in time to navigate the narrow lock, and a gusty arrival at the dock (whew). We have groceries being delivered this afternoon, so laundry and chore day - hopefully that means we can start exploring Darwin over the weekend.] At: 10:40(ACST) 28-Aug-2020, Outside Temp: 30.8C (87.44F), Humidity:34%, Water Temp: 32.4C (90.32F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 12º 26.046' S | 130º 51.054' E | Begonia |
At Marina Dock: Bayview Marina, Bayview (Suburb of Darwin), NT - Arafura Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-12.4412, 130.8591 Sail From: Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT To: Bayview Marina, Bayview (Suburb of Darwin), NT We travelled [5.5]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [2.4]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [1.5]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.4kt. Location Comments: [Small dock, away from the CBD (5min Uber ride into town), but has laundry/showers, etc for boaters. Its way less expensive than the main marina even if you factor in your uber fares. Nice floating docs behind a lock to keep water level high (max width for lock is 7m, but that would be TIGHT). But beware bugs! https://bayviewmarina.com.au/ marinamanager@bayviewmarina.com.au 0477 661 130] General Comments: [We are back in this marina - will get our (sail) repairs done and some major provisioning. There was a bit of wind which made Kyle anxious about the skinny lock gates/entrance (reported at 7m and we are 6.4m - all you see are the big concrete posts that you might hit), but all went well. We're here for a week (more if there are any delays) ] At: 10:12(ACST) 22-May-2022, Outside Temp: 20.5C (68.9F), Humidity:59%, Water Temp: 35.3C (95.54F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 12º 5.04' S | 131º 8.07' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of Timor Sea Passage From:Alcaro Bay (near Cape Don), Cobourg Penninsula, NT To:Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT. Our position: -12.0896, 131.1450 Progress: [We've made [56.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [41]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [56.0]nm (through water). We have moved [61.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Mostly downwind sailing, but with Jib and Main (switching between around 120 and wing-on-wing) - shifting to a beam reach. The biggest help though has been the current; here, timing is everything, Kyle nailed it and we've had it with us all the way. We are currently in the narrowest gap (between Melville Island and the mainland). There has been other traffic, a few cargo ships and we even passed a tug and barge (which presumably is happy to go slowly for some reason)] General Comments: [As soon as we rounded Cape Don we find ourselves departing the Arafura Sea and entering the Timor. Fires were still burning on the Cobourg peninsula (lots of heavy smoke). We look set to be anchored around noon. The night have been clear, and great for star-gazing.] At: 06:00(ACST) 25-Aug-2020, Outside Temp: 24.9C (76.82F), Humidity:75%, Water Temp: 31.4C (88.52F), Course: 253(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.7kt, Wind:8Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:0%, Pressure: 1015hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:SW) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 11º 50.088' S | 131º 30.03' E | Begonia |
Day 4 of Arafura Sea Passage From:Two Island Bay, Marchinbar Island (Wessel Island Chain) To:Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT. Our position: loc:-11.8479, 131.5047 Progress: [We've made [362.3]nm (through water) on this passage and have [63]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [113]nm Since last posting we have made [124.5]nm (through water). We have moved [101.5]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.2]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.2kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.1kt. Sailing Conditions [A frustrating day yesterday. The mainsail fell to the boom which gave me quite the scare at the helm wondering what had happened. It turned out that the webbing strap that holds the ring that connects to the halyard broke. So that left us with the halyard stuck at the top of the mast, and only the foresail options to use AND fighting a current most of the day.] General Comments: [If the currents still toy with us, we may arrive in the morning.. We still hope to arrive today, but if so, it will be after dark (thankfully we've been to Fannie Bay before and know we can head for an area free of any mooring balls - but will have the spotlight out anyway). Getting the mainsail fixed is just one more job for our time in Darwin.] At: 06:00(ACST) 19-May-2022, Outside Temp: 28.8C (83.84F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 35.3C (95.54F), Course: 244(degT), Speed Over Ground:4kt, Wind:8Kt(from:SSE), Cloud Cover:15%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:0.5m (from:E) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 37º 59.064' S | 131º 35.076' E | Begonia |
Day 6 of Great Australian Bight Passage From:Arid Bay, Cape Arid, Western Australia To:Kangaroo Island, South Australia. Our position: -37.9940, 131.5961 Progress: [We've made [617.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [322]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [47]nm Since last posting we have made [132.4]nm (through water). We have moved [76.0]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.2]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.5kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.7kt. Sailing Conditions [Really frustrating wind speed swings. Every time we think a new speed has finally established itself and reef or unreef to match the 'new' speed, it goes and jumps 10kt or more and we have to undo everything. We are each glad to hand over to the next. Seas are rough (forecast expects this will be our worst day), choppy and variable. Kyle had to make my morning coffee 3 times this morning after the motion of the boat complicated matters.] General Comments: [This is likely to be the worst of our remaining passages around Australia (although Bass strait can always throw a curve ball). We are both ready for a nice quiet anchorage as this passage has been rough (mostly since we are in the wrong month after all our earlier delays). Kyle tells me we can expect rain today. We had an albatross follow us for hours yesterday, mostly at 100-200m away, but often swooping close by the boat too; a nice highlight in the otherwise difficult day. The weather has been cold and overcast. We've been getting some basic news and see that Covid19 is remains rampant in the USA.] At: 06:00(ACDT) 28-Jan-2021, Outside Temp: 15.8C (60.44F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 20.2C (68.36F), Course: 54(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.8kt, Wind:15Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1017hPa, Swell:3m (to:W) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 11º 17.064' S | 131º 48.006' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Alcaro Bay (near Cape Don), Cobourg Penninsula, NT - Arafura Sea, Australia. Our position: -11.2935, 131.8006 Sail From: Seven Spirit Bay, Coral Bay, Cobourg Penninsula, NT To: Alcaro Bay (near Cape Don), Cobourg Penninsula, NT We travelled [27.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [15.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.5m off river.] General Comments: [Another very light-wind day, we managed to fly the spinnaker and main for most of it (although the spinnaker was only occasionally wind-filled). I think we made more progress due to a favourable current than because of the wind! We discovered today that Western Australia continues to push back any opening of the borders (which poses some issues for us!). We've pulled out our spare propeller so we can install that once we purchase a few minor spacers and washers (hopefully readily available in Darwin). Finding a proper replacement will take a bit longer. We expect this anchorage to be the last one before Darwin. Here there are fires ashore (not sure if wild or controlled, all we can see is smoke in the distance), but if it looks safe (and if we feel we can tolerate the heat) we hope to go ashore to visit the Cape Don Lighthouse - but it is VERY hot, so we are currently undecided.] At: 16:24(ACST) 21-Aug-2020, Outside Temp: 31.9C (89.42F), Humidity:63%, Water Temp: 32.4C (90.32F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 11º 11.094' S | 132º 2.1' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Seven Spirit Bay, Coral Bay, Cobourg Penninsula, NT - Arafura Sea, Australia. Our position: -11.1987, 132.0497 Sail From: Palm Bay, Croker Island, NT To: Seven Spirit Bay, Coral Bay, Cobourg Penninsula, NT We travelled [27.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [26.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.1m (lowest tide)] General Comments: [A frustrating day, the forecast winds didn't arrive as expected so Kyle was compelled to motor for an hour before we could finally fly the spinnaker again and be sure of arriving before dark. When we eventually approached the anchorage under sail, Kyle stowed the sail and started an engine, but soon discovered we had no propeller - it must have fallen off sometime during our sail, and it is a very expensive bit of equipment - ugh! Thankfully we have two engines and the propeller on the other one is still attached so we were not in danger. So we are at anchor, the peninsula is a nature reserve, and this particular bay belongs to the high-end Seven Spirit Resort (currently closed due to Covid19) and there is a fancy motor boat also in the anchorage 'Summer Wind'. No cell phone signal, but not as remote as we've been used to. At some point we'll have to find internet and make a plan to replace our propeller. We have spare propellers aboard (thankfully) but the one we lost is feathering (which means it collapses to reduce drag when we aren't using it) and we don't have a spare for that, and we'll have to find a place to careen (probably Darwin) even to install the spare propeller so we'll be running on one for a while.] At: 16:34(ACST) 17-Aug-2020, Outside Temp: 29.3C (84.74F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 32.9C (91.22F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 11º 8.058' S | 132º 29.034' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Palm Bay, Croker Island, NT, Australia - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 4 of Arafura Sea Passage From:Two Island Bay, Marchinbar Island (Wessel Island Chain) To:Palm Bay, Croker Island, NT. Our position: -11.1425, 132.4891 Progress: [We've made [227.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [23.6]nm (through water). We have moved [16.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Anchored in 1.6m at low tide - in a gently shallowing sandy bay] General Comments: [As we rounded Croker Island, we had light headwinds (2kt) and a 2kt current against us - so we conceded and eventually started up an engine. Kyle is wishing it wasn't so. The island is aboriginal and while the main township is on the other side, it has roads and we can see a few distant buildings from the anchorage. We can't go beyond the high-tide line but do hope to go ashore at some point during our stay here (after we've caught up with arrival chores, sleep, and the host of internet jobs I've got on my list.] At: 13:02(ACST) 14-Aug-2020, Outside Temp: 31.4C (88.52F), Humidity:68%, Water Temp: 31.4C (88.52F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 10º 52.056' S | 132º 34.038' E | Begonia |
"Day 4 of Arafura Sea Passage From:Two Island Bay, Marchinbar Island (Wessel Island Chain) To:Palm Bay, Croker Island, NT. Our position: -10.8754, 132.5733 Progress: [We've made [203.6]nm (through water) on this passage and have [19]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [49.8]nm (through water). We have moved [62.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Winds remain light/borderline for the spinnaker. Overnight Kyle resorted to the motor for a couple of hours (since we are again maneuvering around islands and shoals) but we are flying again. We hope to be at anchor around noon today.] General Comments: [For the last few days there has been a LOT of pollen(?) on the water surface, especially at night, making for some mesmerising water watching. An Australian Border Force Plane checked in on us again last night (2nd time this passage). A highlight for Kyle overnight was a long visit from a pod of dolphins, causing the bioluminescence to sparkle as they frolic around the boat and bows.] At: 06:00(ACST) 14-Aug-2020, Outside Temp: 25.5C (77.9F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 30.4C (86.72F), Course: 251(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.3kt, Wind:4Kt(from:ENE), Cloud Cover:50%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:SW) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 10º 51.018' S | 132º 54.006' E | Begonia |
Day 3 of Arafura Sea Passage From:Two Island Bay, Marchinbar Island (Wessel Island Chain) To:Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT. Our position: loc:-10.8527, 132.9009 Progress: [We've made [237.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [176]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [139]nm Since last posting we have made [148.7]nm (through water). We have moved [139.7]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [5.8]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.2kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.0kt. Sailing Conditions [The sailing has been wilder (compared to our beautiful calm start) - we are sailing downwind, and for part of the day the current is against us which adds to the chop. We switched from spinnaker to jib once the winds increased. The next section is heavily influenced by strong currents in the channels between islands and the mainland. We are still hoping to arrive by sunset tomorrow.] General Comments: [Wow - I actually caught a fish (a long-fin Tuna I think) , and within an just one hour of putting out the line. I could see a patch of leaping fish ahead of us and as we passed by, one took the lure. Since I never actually expect to catch anything, dinner had already been planned (left over potato soup) - so the soup became a fish chowder. Apparently that is fish #11 (according to Kyle who managed to keep such stats in his head) - so that's 11 fish in 20 years of living on a boat.] At: 06:00(ACST) 18-May-2022, Outside Temp: 28.8C (83.84F), Humidity:76%, Water Temp: 35.3C (95.54F), Course: 269(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.3kt, Wind:16Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:55%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:1.5m (from:E) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 10º 53.058' S | 133º 38.016' E | Begonia |
Day 3 of Arafura Sea Passage From:Two Island Bay, Marchinbar Island (Wessel Island Chain) To:Palm Bay, Croker Island, NT. Our position: -10.8934, 133.6363 Progress: [We've made [153.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [83]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [76.9]nm (through water). We have moved [92.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [We continue to fly (nurse) the spinnaker, but the wind has been barely more than a whisper for much of the night. Its frustrating, but peaceful. We've had many hours with less than 2nm progress, and even a few less than 1nm, but somehow we made a 3.2kt average over the last 24 hours.] General Comments: [Nothing much to report, the night skies continue to display as the cloud cover has been light; we continue on. Our ETA (Friday by 10am) seems appropriate.] At: 06:00(ACST) 13-Aug-2020, Outside Temp: 25.6C (78.08F), Humidity:84%, Water Temp: 30.4C (86.72F), Course: 277(degT), Speed Over Ground:2kt, Wind:3Kt(from:ENE), Cloud Cover:15%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:W) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 37º 16.008' S | 134º 10.062' E | Begonia |
Day 7 of Great Australian Bight Passage From:Arid Bay, Cape Arid, Western Australia To:Kangaroo Island, South Australia. Our position: -37.2677, 134.1767 Progress: [We've made [756.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [168]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [154]nm Since last posting we have made [138.9]nm (through water). We have moved [130.1]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [5.4]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.8kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.7kt. Sailing Conditions [By afternoon yesterday the wind slowly started to calm, and we are currently sailing at 12kt apparent on smooth seas.] General Comments: [After days of wild jerky conditions aboard, things are finally calm again and sailing might even feel fun (although it feels terribly damp and cold still). Yesterday we had a blue-bottle (jelly fish) washed onto the trampoline, I considered removing it (with gloves) but conditions were just too wild to volunteer to go forward without good reason, and a few hours later the seas had washed it off the boat themselves. Kyle tells us we should expect to arrive and be at anchor by tomorrow night.] At: 06:00(ACDT) 29-Jan-2021, Outside Temp: 16.6C (61.88F), Humidity:95%, Water Temp: 20.2C (68.36F), Course: 72(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.9kt, Wind:14Kt(from:SSW), Cloud Cover:60%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:3m (to:NW) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 10º 59.01' S | 135º 12.042' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of Arafura Sea Passage From:Two Island Bay, Marchinbar Island (Wessel Island Chain) To:Palm Bay, Croker Island, NT. Our position: -10.9845, 135.2073 Progress: [We've made [77.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [175]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [77.0]nm (through water). We have moved [90.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [An easy downwind sail with the spinnaker, we are plodding along with slow speeds but calm seas and we are headed in the right direction] General Comments: [Kyle again departed under sail (it isn't easy as even the manual windlass is quite a bit of work) - but with a large bay all to ourselves it is risk free, and fun to be a true sailboat. We had a visit around sunset from the Australian Border Force Plane ( all they ask is our prior and next port, our name being clear from our boat and our AIS signal). On my watch overnight we had clear skies and the moon didn't rise until well after midnight - so a beautiful display of stars was my company - I especially love the Milky Way, but it feels that the sky is full of a million stars and a billion stories.] At: 06:00(ACST) 12-Aug-2020, Outside Temp: 25C (77F), Humidity:89%, Water Temp: 29.9C (85.82F), Course: 273(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.9kt, Wind:5Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:50%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:NW) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 10º 59.082' S | 135º 16.002' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of Arafura Sea Passage From:Two Island Bay, Marchinbar Island (Wessel Island Chain) To:Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT. Our position: loc:-10.9968, 135.2669 Progress: [We've made [89.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [315]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [105]nm Since last posting we have made [89.1]nm (through water). We have moved [86.5]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.7]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:3.8kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):3.8kt. Sailing Conditions [We departed under motor, but soon shut it down (Primarily used to power the windlass, but Kyle likes to be sure it is warmed fully and cooled properly so we got an hour out of it). We were sailing in REALLY light winds with main and jib close hauled, and barely moving for much of the day yesterday, but eventually the wind backed and filled until we were flying the spinnaker and averaging 5Kt/hour much of the night. Seas have been so flat, and temperature so lovely, even Kyle is enjoying the sailing without any complaints re the waves.] General Comments: [I so love sailing under a full moon, that and flat seas meant I could see anything for miles (if there had been anything to see). It's still up and shining as I type this and as the light of the sun starts to show (still below the horizon). I tried trolling a line yesterday (with the usual result of 0 bites).] At: 06:00(ACST) 17-May-2022, Outside Temp: 27.9C (82.22F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 34.3C (93.74F), Course: 273(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.7kt, Wind:11Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:25%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:0.75m (from:SE) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 11º 35.088' S | 136º 18.024' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Gurulia Bay, Raragala Island (The Wessel Islands), Australia - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 4 of Arafura Sea Passage From:Cape York, QLD To:Gurulia Bay, Raragala Island (The Wessel Islands). Our position: loc:-11.5977, 136.3038 Progress: [We've made [394.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [8]nm Since last posting we have made [9.9]nm (through water). We have moved [5.3]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.2]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.1kt, Avg speed for trip:6.1kt. Sailing Conditions [Anchored in 3.9m (LAT), well protected from any swells, but still get a good breeze from over the low land. Typical stunning Wessel scenery ashore. No cell phone coverage (Telstra). In the past this aboriginal area has allowed permission to go ashore up to the high water mark (which is great to explore the amazing rock features and grab a healthy stroll at lower tides). As of May 2022, that blanket permission has long expired and the a new one is still under negotiation, so there is currently no option to go ashore on these aboriginal lands (but still very much worth a dinghy trip around to see the rock features from the water).] General Comments: [Last time we came this way, we transitted a little further north through the Cumberland Strait. This time we were keen to see the Gurgari Rip, the narrower pass to the south between Raragala Island and Guluwuru Island. Based on the tide tables we had, we planned to squeeze in the Rip before the ebb changed to flood and right at sunrise. Well, it turned out the ebb was most certainly not over so we got a significant push along through the Gurgari Rip; we were expecting calm water and at times had a 5.5kt current pushing us along. Thankfully the tides tables were not out in the other direction and we didn't have to fight any currents or abort, but if we'd have understood the tides better, we'd have waited a bit longer for better light to enjoy the transit. We were shocked to see what we assume to be graffiti on the rocks in the middle of the Rip. Anyway - we are finally at anchor. The forecast has a few days of dead calms ahead of us (no good for sailing) - so we'll hang out in the Wessels and enjoy the views, and hopefully catch up with some admin (we have plenty even without internet), etc. No crocs spotted so far, but we won't be taking the inflatable kayak out for a tour from the water!] At: 08:24(ACST) 09-May-2022, Outside Temp: 30.3C (86.54F), Humidity:78%, Water Temp: 33.9C (93.02F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 11º 34.092' S | 136º 23.052' E | Begonia |
Day 4 of Arafura Sea Passage From:Cape York, QLD To:Wessel Islands, NT. Our position: loc:-11.5822, 136.3923 Progress: [We've made [384.4]nm (through water) on this passage and have [8]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [127]nm Since last posting we have made [132.4]nm (through water). We have moved [125.3]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [5.2]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.5kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):6.2kt. Sailing Conditions [We spent most of the last 24 hours slowing down, so as to arrive at the Gap in daylight and before the tide turns. We are almost there, and once through will anchor on the other side.] General Comments: [Mostly uneventful day at sea, with the odd turtle passing by. I had a very ripe Avocado that I set aside to use a couple of days ago, and since then neither of us can find it. We've checked all over, a complete mystery. I'm sure we'll eventually sniff it out, but I had actually been looking forward to it!]] At: 06:00(ACST) 09-May-2022, Outside Temp: 28.8C (83.84F), Humidity:85%, Water Temp: 34.3C (93.74F), Course: 320(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.1kt, Wind:11Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:10%, Pressure: 1007hPa, Swell:1m (from:SE) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 11º 29.058' S | 136º 26.046' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Guluwuru Island (unnamed bay N end, west side), Wessel Island Chain (Arafura Sea). Our position: -11.4927, 136.4407 Sail From: Truant Island, NT To: Guluwuru Island (unnamed bay N end, west side), Wessel Island Chain We travelled [27.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [24.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.5-6m over sand on lovely flat sandy shelf, well protected. Aboriginal Lands ashore] General Comments: [A sunny passage swapping between spinnaker and jib to make the slack water/ start of ebb at the Cumberland Strait and avoid the tide rips. The strait is wide (certainly compared to the alternative 'Gugari Rip') but in mid channel depths change from 115m to 6m and cause some impressive eddies. A host of birds as we approached the strait between Guluwuru and Marchinbar islands, but no ships/boats seen at all. We remain quite remote, so no cell phone service still] At: 13:02(ACST) 02-Aug-2020, Outside Temp: 28.4C (83.12F), Humidity:66%, Water Temp: 29C (84.2F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 35º 45.0' S | 136º 31.074' E | Begonia |
Day 8 of Great Australian Bight Passage From:Arid Bay, Cape Arid, Western Australia To:Western River Cove, Kangaroo Island, South Australia. Our position: -35.7503, 136.5293 Progress: [We've made [910.3]nm (through water) on this passage and have [23]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [145]nm Since last posting we have made [154.2]nm (through water). We have moved [145.5]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [6.1]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.4kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.8kt. Sailing Conditions [Most of yesterday was so very much nicer than the prior few days, we had relatively smooth following seas (broad reach) and fast speed. So much nicer!] General Comments: [Its been overcast and cold for most of the trip, Kyle greets me in the morning with a coffee and a pre-warmed hat to wear (I love him so). Yesterday was a day of losses: I lost a fishing lure (the fish win again) and we also lost one of our treasured sailing blocks which we move around the boat for 101 uses. Yesterday we crossed back onto continental shelf, with the sea depth changing from over 4km to just over 100m in a couple of hours travel (the chart looking especially dramatic with numerous gullies). The book Kyle and I are currently reading together is 'Three Men in a Raft' a well written story of 3 guys traversing the full length of the Amazon River (from source to sea) - they traverse really dangerous rapids, get shot at, kidnapped, run out of water hiking in desert and basically come close to death way too many times - making our adventures seem very mundane (which I'm grateful for). Both of us are keen to be at anchor, and as the light fills the sky I can see land and a the light from Cape Borda lighthouse from the cabin window as we round the NW tip of Kangaroo Island - we should be at anchor by noon - YAY!] At: 06:00(ACDT) 30-Jan-2021, Outside Temp: 17.4C (63.32F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 21.7C (71.06F), Course: 45(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.6kt, Wind:11Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:NE) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 11º 19.056' S | 136º 34.056' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Lagoon Bay, Marchinbar Island (Wessel Island Chain) (Arafura Sea). Our position: -11.3264, 136.5757 Sail From: Guluwuru Island To: Lagoon Bay, Marchinbar Island (Wessel Island Chain) We travelled [12.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [12.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.5-6m of sand (could pick any depth really in this lovely sandy bay with a very gentle slope)] General Comments: [The winds have finally calmed to pleasant numbers, making for flat seas and an easy sail as we hop north up the Wessel chain. Conditions were so ideal that Kyle was easily persuaded to anchor under sail at this lovely wide bay (all to ourselves). We have a few bits of maintenance that require Kyle to go up the mast so the continuing calm forecast is perfect.] At: 12:00(ACST) 05-Aug-2020, Outside Temp: 28.9C (84.02F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 12º 9.036' S | 136º 41.07' E | Begonia |
Day 4 of Arafura Sea/Gulf of Carpenteria Passage From:Horn Island Anchorage To:Inverell Bay, Gove/Nhulunby. Our position: -12.1558, 136.6948 Progress: [We've made [340.3]nm (through water) on this passage and have [6.4]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [86.5]nm (through water). We have moved [91.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [We hove to much of yesterday afternoon/evening (to be certain to arrive in daylight), but once we finally proceeded and found the shelter of land - wow - calm, and lovely - great star gazing conditions. Kyle decided to alter our route and take the short-cut south of Breamer Island, and we'll soon be entering Gove Harbour proper!] General Comments: [It seemed we have the whole Gulf to ourselves, but now we are again close to land, the boat traffic is back on the AIS. We have all our approvals for arrival into Northern Territory and back to the mainland (Covid19, and Biosecurity). Once we are at anchor we also need to adjust our time zone once again (UTC+9.5 hours here)] At: 06:00(AEST) 28-Jul-2020, Outside Temp: 23.2C (73.76F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 29.9C (85.82F), Course: 263(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.2kt, Wind:11Kt(from:SSE), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:0.25m (to:W) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 12º 11.088' S | 136º 42.03' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Inverell Bay, Gove Harbour, NT - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 4 of Arafura Sea/Gulf of Carpenteria Passage From:Horn Island Anchorage, Torres Strait, QLD To:Inverell Bay, Gove Harbour, NT. Our position: -12.1984, 136.7047 Progress: [We've made [350.4]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [10.1]nm (through water). We have moved [2.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Anchored in sufficient space among mooring field (4-6m depth)] General Comments: [We have arrived in NT. We have been cleared with 'no appointment required' for Biosecurity - so now we are just to meet with the local police and be vetted for our Covid19 application before being officially cleared in. We are hoping they accept our boat tracks/logs as the proof required that we haven't been in any Covid19 hotspot recently (its pretty hard to prove a negative, but we can certainly prove where we have been, and it would be next to impossible to have left the boat to get to any hotspot). It's my first time in Australia's Northern Territory, but Kyle's third!!! Gove/Nhulunby seems to exist primarily as a bauxite mine and processing plant (Aluminium), but there is enough of a workers community to have a welcoming yacht club (with showers and washing machines!!!). The original aboriginal Yolngu people of course, are also here, they own the entire Arnhem lands and to leave the main drag a permit is required to enter aboriginal lands (easily acquited online).] At: 08:28(AEST) 28-Jul-2020, Outside Temp: 25.1C (77.18F), Humidity:66%, Water Temp: 28.5C (83.3F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 11º 4.05' S | 136º 43.092' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Two Island Bay, Marchinbar Island (Wessel Island Chain) - Arafura Sea, Australia. Our position: -11.0747, 136.7324 Sail From: Lagoon Bay, Marchinbar Island (Wessel Island Chain) To: Two Island Bay, Marchinbar Island (Wessel Island Chain) We travelled [19.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [17.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 5.2-7.2m of sand] General Comments: [Kyle was especially keen to go motor free today. We left with 1.2kt of wind and it took us 18 minutes just to exit from our anchor alarm circle. He persevered and the wind came, and at times we were happily sailing north in relatively flat seas at 7kt. Arriving in Two Island Bay we needed to tack between the two islands to our anchorage spot - proper sailing at last! To our surprise we spied another pleasure boat today (a motor boat, headed in the opposite direction), and a fishing boat - so we are not as isolated as it generally feels. The islands here have beautiful long/wide sandy beaches, backed by dunes, and with amazing sedimentary rocky outcrops which erode into mushrooms, pancakes, rubble and overhangs. Wildlife includes eagles and some kind of Rock-Wallaby - we are really enjoying the (apparent) isolation. We also have definitely needed the sunscreen despite it being winter time here, and on our trips ashore get through litres of water/drink as we push our exploratory roving.] At: 12:15(ACST) 08-Aug-2020, Outside Temp: 28.6C (83.48F), Humidity:77%, Water Temp: 29.9C (85.82F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 11º 4.056' S | 136º 44.004' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Two Island Bay, Marchinbar Island (Wessel Island Chain) - Arafura Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-11.0757, 136.7341 Sail From: Gurulia Bay, Raragala Island (The Wessel Islands) To: Two Island Bay, Marchinbar Island (Wessel Island Chain) We travelled [47.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [40.3]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.9]kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.5kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.4m (LAT) on sand. The bay is well protected from all winds except West. Aboriginal lands ashore with no permitted access (last time we were here there was a general permission to explore up to the high water mark, and we understand that this is currently expired but under renegotiation). Ashore of lovely beaches and the classic amazing layered rock features of the Wessels (making cliffs, overhangs, pavements, etc - all stunning).] General Comments: [Somehow we managed to avoid all the rain patches on this passage, but we could see them in all directions. It was a lovely sail with no waves/swell as the island chain protected us from all that (Kyle being especially happy). We arrived to find a fishing boat (Enterprise) anchored just off the bay - this is the only other boat we've seen at anchor since arriving in the NT. Ashore we spotted a Black-Neck Stork take off and fly about on our arrival (big birds that stand over a meter tall and have a wingspan of 2m/6'). We've been to this bay before and managed to dinghy around last time. If the weather allows we'll do a bit more exploring (via dinghy). Worryingly, I have an ear infection (I think from my earpiece/headset I used on my night watches on the passage here) - thankfully I have some antibiotic drops aboard (over a year out of date, but amazingly they seem to be working). ] At: 17:12(ACST) 11-May-2022, Outside Temp: 31.6C (88.88F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 35.8C (96.44F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 11º 39.048' S | 136º 49.062' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Truant Island, NT (Arafura Sea). Our position: -11.6577, 136.8270 Sail From: Inverell Bay, Gove Harbour, NT To: Truant Island, NT We travelled [36.5]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [33.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 7-9m, a bit of swell (which we expect to drop as the forecast is for wind to move more from the south later)] General Comments: [A sunny passage starting really calmly, and slowly getting a bit choppy. The Island gives OK protection though so we can now enjoy the sunshine. On passage we tried a plum-look-a-like fruit purchased at the Nahulumby store (a dark red tamarillo) and both of us spit it out in disgust. There are plenty of areas of South America where this is considered a favourite fruit, NZ exports thousands of tonnes of it to the USA, and we were perplexed! I've since learned we are not supposed to eat the skin, so will try our remaining specimen some other time (but I'm not holding out much hope). On arrival we spotted some strange activity in the water, and on closer inspection found a mating pair of turtles with a buddy keeping close and hoping for next dibs!] At: 12:14(ACST) 31-Jul-2020, Outside Temp: 28.6C (83.48F), Humidity:65%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 35º 40.044' S | 136º 58.026' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Western River Cove, Kangaroo Island, South Australia, Australia - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 8 of Great Australian Bight Passage From:Arid Bay, Cape Arid, Western Australia To:Western River Cove, Kangaroo Island, South Australia. Our position: -35.6742, 136.9707 Progress: [We've made [935.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [23]nm Since last posting we have made [25.2]nm (through water). We have moved [22.0]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.9]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.5kt, Avg speed for trip:5.8kt. Sailing Conditions [Anchored in 4m of sand centered on sandy bay with dramatic rocks to each side. Crested terns hanging out at the East end, and swallows diving in and out of caves on the West side. No cell phone service (doh!). Our guidebook suggests that 3 boats can anchor here; we think 2 would be a squeeze.] General Comments: [Once behind the shelter of the Island, we had wind, but barely any waves - sailing was fun again. We are happy to find ourselves in a sunny anchorage (all to ourselves) with plenty of bird chatter. We'll spend the rest of the day tidying up the boat after the passage and resting, and hope to explore ashore (take a walk up the hill) tomorrow.] At: 11:34(ACDT) 30-Jan-2021, Outside Temp: 22.9C (73.22F), Humidity:60%, Water Temp: 23.1C (73.58F) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 35º 38.022' S | 137º 37.05' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Bay of Shoals/Beatrice Point, Kangaroo Island - Great Australian Bight, Australia. Our position: -35.6366, 137.6248 Sail From: Western River Cove, Kangaroo Island, South Australia To: Bay of Shoals/Beatrice Point, Kangaroo Island We travelled [64.7]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [32.0]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.6]kt, Avg speed (through the water):5.2kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 4m of mud/weed. Between other anchored boats. First attempt failed so we had to re-anchor (same spot). Cell phone signal OK (Telastra). Nearby (1km walk) is the Bay of Shoals Winery. Longer walk to town (Kingscote - 3km/40 minutes to Drakes grocery store).] General Comments: [A long, gusty passage to round the NE corner of Kangaroo Island. Now we have internet we can start making plans for our next big hop, but for now we can relax and enjoy the local winery, and explore the local town.] At: 18:16(ACDT) 01-Feb-2021, Outside Temp: 22.8C (73.04F), Humidity:57%, Water Temp: 25.6C (78.08F) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 35º 47.04' S | 137º 46.038' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: American River, Kangaroo Island, SA - Great Australian Bight, Australia. Our position: -35.7904, 137.7733 Sail From: Bay of Shoals/Beatrice Point, Kangaroo Island To: American River, Kangaroo Island, SA We travelled [19.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [11.7]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.4]kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.1kt. Location Comments: [Anchored between moorings in 3m of mud. Area mostly conservation park and wetlands with lots of shallows, small township (with a slipway & jetty) nearby. OK Phone signal (Telstra).] General Comments: [Today was a pleasant sail. The forecast however is for some strong winds over the next 4-5 days, some rain too. We've relocated to this especially protected spot to wait out the weather. Time to catch up with internet (bills, taxes, etc) and some indoor boat projects, and to make a plan for the next few weeks of cruising.] At: 18:12(ACDT) 03-Feb-2021, Outside Temp: 24.4C (75.92F), Humidity:57%, Water Temp: 25.1C (77.18F) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 35º 36.072' S | 138º 1.098' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of Southern Ocean Passage From:CYCSA (Cruising Yacht Club of South Australia), North Haven, Adelaide To:Stanley, Tasmania. Our position: -35.6122, 138.0326 Progress: [We've made [57.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [492]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [58]nm Since last posting we have made [57.2]nm (through water). We have moved [53.9]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.9]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.2kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.2kt. Sailing Conditions [Fine sailing, over a warm clear night. With a crescent moon to illuminate the way. A bit of variability with the wind stengths (sometimes 5kt, sometimes 25kt) so a test of reefing and unreefing especially before midnight, but all is much easier in the calm/warm conditions. ] General Comments: [Aside from the local sailing club races (just breaking up as we departed) we've seen few boats actually on the move (most of the cargo ships at anchor). We are just rounded Cape Jervis and have the lights of Kangaroo Island on our starboard side with the ferry heading back up to the mainland.] At: 06:00(AEDT) 18-Feb-2021, Outside Temp: 24.8C (76.64F), Humidity:59%, Water Temp: 24.1C (75.38F), Course: 153(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.8kt, Wind:19Kt(from:NNE), Cloud Cover:0%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:1m (to:NW) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 35º 30.006' S | 138º 14.052' E | Begonia |
At Marina Dock: Marina St. Vincent, Wirrina Cove, Yankalilla Bay, SA - Great Australian Bight, Australia. Our position: -35.5010, 138.2416 Sail From: American River, Kangaroo Island, SA To: Marina St. Vincent, Wirrina Cove, Yankalilla Bay, SA We travelled [28.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [28.7]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.7]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.7kt. Location Comments: [At dock in this isolated marina on the Fleurieu Peninsula (and ideal and protected half way point between Kangaroo Island and Adelaide). Currently (Feb 2021) there is some on-going dispute between the government owners and the contracted management team - so docking is currently without charge until dispute is settled and managed by Peter Jackel (0407 470258). Difficult to get anywhere without own transport. Nearby is the New Terry Hotel and Golf Resort (with restaurant). For more facilities you need to get the 13km+ to Normanville and/or Yankalila.] General Comments: [With light and decreasing winds forecast, Kyle had us set off early to catch what wind there was and get across the renowned 'Backstairs Passage' channel between Kangaroo Island and the mainland. Of course the forecast rarely matches reality, and we were soon rushing reefs in the sails and seeing 30+kt gusts. An hour or so later we had winds of 5kt and still declining. Eventually Kyle gave up and we motored for a couple of hours to make it to the marina where we had been pre-assigned dock space. We had a lone dolphin join us for 20 minutes across the passage, and one in the marina when we arrived :-).] At: 14:00(ACDT) 09-Feb-2021, Outside Temp: 28.5C (83.3F), Humidity:57%, Water Temp: 24.6C (76.28F) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 12º 4.098' S | 138º 15.036' E | Begonia |
Day 3 of Arafura Sea/Gulf of Carpenteria Passage From:Horn Island Anchorage To:Inverell Bay, Gove/Nhulunby. Our position: -12.0824, 138.2558 Progress: [We've made [253.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [103]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [158.8]nm (through water). We have moved [156.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [While the depth of the water increased, so did the wind and waves, and we continue to have a rather bouncy ride (Kyle doesn't like waves). We get side-swiped from time to time which keeps us on our toes! We are already over reefed, and we will need to slow down further to be sure of a daylight landfall.] General Comments: [Amazingly 0 ships in the last 24 hours, no dolphins, nothing but an occasional curious bird. ] At: 06:00(AEST) 27-Jul-2020, Outside Temp: 25.2C (77.36F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 29.9C (85.82F), Course: 273(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.1kt, Wind:24Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:NW) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 37º 29.034' S | 138º 27.06' E | Begonia |
Day 3 of Southern Ocean Passage From:CYCSA, North Haven, Adelaide To:Stanley, Tasmania. Our position: -37.4894, 138.4596 Progress: [We've made [173.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [387]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [105]nm Since last posting we have made [116.6]nm (through water). We have moved [114.5]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.8]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.9kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.0kt. Sailing Conditions [Fine sailing yesterday AM, but calms in the afternoon (eventually motored for a few hours). After dark we were expecting to be slammed by high winds (25kt) with strong gusts (40+kt) so we were heavily reefed in expectation - but it never arrived and we struggled to make much speed with our cautious preparation] General Comments: [We had several dolphin visits yesterday - always such a joy. Kyle had quite the scare at one point while asleep (me on watch) the MOB alarm sounded off. Normally this is an accidental press and I yell at him to stay in bed, all is well, but I wasn't there to yell at him. He rushed out of bed, scanned the boat and couldn't see me. He scanned the sea and couldn't see me. He could hear me yelling and figured he'd just make his way back to the MOB position and hope to find me there. Eventually he spied me - I was lying on the trampoline squealing with the large pod of dolphins that had come to play in the bows. I had no idea the alarms had gone off; and had been quite oblivious to Kyle's stress (still, it was good evidence that he WOULD come and rescue me if I needed it.. haha). Overnight we had a clear sky with a beautiful star show (including a shooting star). Our direction of sail coincided with the orientation of the milky way (at least for my watch) - and it felt like our highway for the night.] At: 06:00(AEDT) 19-Feb-2021, Outside Temp: 20.8C (69.44F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 21.2C (70.16F), Course: 180(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.3kt, Wind:22Kt(from:NNE), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1009hPa, Swell:2.5m (from:NE) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 34º 47.064' S | 138º 29.016' E | Begonia |
At Marina Dock: CYCSA (Cruising Yacht Club of South Australia), North Haven, Adelaide - Great Australian Bight, Australia. Our position: -34.7936, 138.4858 Sail From: Marina St. Vincent, Wirrina Cove, Yankalilla Bay, SA To: CYCSA (Cruising Yacht Club of South Australia), North Haven, Adelaide We travelled [47.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [44.1]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.5]kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.8kt. Location Comments: [This club/marina has two basins, we are in the west basin, it a lovely new set of docks, and is less than half full so far. We were assigned K12 and sent a plan, and very much had to use the plan since there are yet to be numbers and letters assigned to the docks/jetties (haha). ] General Comments: [Today's sail was all spinnaker (Kyle is very happy about that), and made good time, so arrived a little earlier than we expected (always a bonus). We had the odd lone dolphin check us out, but otherwise the giant Gulf of St Vincent was quiet as we sailed north and past Adelaide. I'm looking forward to spending some time in the city (it has been a while!), and the surrounding countryside has its own attractions here too! We have been very lucky with a fantastic welcome deal for our visit, and I'm looking forward to meeting up with Traci who (to date) I've only known from Facebook but she is already one of my heros!] At: 16:20(ACDT) 12-Feb-2021, Outside Temp: 23.4C (74.12F), Humidity:56%, Water Temp: 26.5C (79.7F) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 11º 16.098' S | 138º 30.0' E | Begonia |
Day 3 of Arafura Sea Passage From:Cape York, QLD To:Wessel Islands, NT. Our position: loc:-11.2827, 138.5003 Progress: [We've made [252.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [135]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [151]nm Since last posting we have made [159.4]nm (through water). We have moved [153.2]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [6.4]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.6kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):6.6kt. Sailing Conditions [Overnight the wind swung a little more needed some beam reach sailing, and the strength piped up too. We even had a few squalls - we are back on a broad reach now. We are now well over half way across the Gulf of Carpenteria and all set to arrive well in time for the slack at the Gugari Rip (and if so, we'll anchor on the other side).] General Comments: [Yesterday I finally had a dolphin join us (solitary), and while I was up on the bows watching it play, we went passed another snake (which lifted its head to me as if longing for a bit off a dry patch to pull out on! - no thanks buddy). The Australian Border Force (ABF) flew over in the afternoon and requested our details, so we'll expect them again today. Water temperatures and even air temps overnight are very warm; we're drinking plenty of water and making the most of rationing a giant water melon to snack on (I've cut it up and put portions in different plastic tubs to be sure it lasts).] At: 06:00(ACST) 08-May-2022, Outside Temp: 28.9C (84.02F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 34.8C (94.64F), Course: 262(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.2kt, Wind:19Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:95%, Pressure: 1008hPa, Swell:2m (from:SE) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 39º 33.084' S | 139º 43.002' E | Begonia |
Day 4 of Southern Ocean Passage From:CYCSA, North Haven, Adelaide To:Stanley, Tasmania. Our position: -39.5641, 139.7174 Progress: [We've made [322.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [279]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [108]nm Since last posting we have made [148.8]nm (through water). We have moved [137.8]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [5.7]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.2kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.5kt. Sailing Conditions [Yesterday's sail started downwind, and we are now close-hauled. The larger seas were confused at first, but now settling from the SW (growing). Since the front passed through we've had cloudy skies (fully overcast). We expect today to be a bit slower sailing wise.] General Comments: [We've had two albatross circle us for most of the day yesterday (possibly all night too). They look amazingly comfortable despite the seas and winds and sometimes get quite close to the boat. Overnight Kyle enjoyed the bioluminescence. Whilst typically it is a blue green cloud from the microscopic plankton, but lately there have been some big bright flashes which Kyle was able to see came from large squid in a school of the (each about 0.5m long).] At: 06:00(AEDT) 20-Feb-2021, Outside Temp: 16C (60.8F), Humidity:80%, Water Temp: 20.7C (69.26F), Course: 144(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.4kt, Wind:9Kt(from:SSW), Cloud Cover:95%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:2.5m (from:SW) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 11º 12.09' S | 140º 46.05' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of Arafura Sea/Gulf of Carpenteria Passage From:Horn Island Anchorage To:Inverell Bay, Gove/Nhulunby. Our position: -11.2146, 140.7753 Progress: [We've made [95.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [256]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [95.0]nm (through water). We have moved [94.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [We started in flat water with a following current, but once we left the strait we found shallow, open water and a nasty chop soon set in. We ARE making good speed, it is just a bumpy ride.] General Comments: [As we were preparing to depart after a nice couple of days exploring Thursday and Horn Island, we were amazed to see another sailboat arrive, it was Danish and had a large group of young friends. Within an hour a second sailboat arrived - also Danish - also with a large group of younger sailors. We feel like we were the only tourists here during our stay - and now the Danes have arrived. I suspect the parties are already underway! While small populations, there was a constant stream of boat and air traffic during our time in the Straits - and once we departed there were more cargo ships than we've seen in over a month (still not a huge amount, but for us - seeing 12+ cargo ships underway in a day is significantly more than we are used to). In the strait we were just 100nm south of Paupa New Guinea - now as we head west the lands to the north of us slips away again.] At: 06:00(AEST) 26-Jul-2020, Outside Temp: 25.7C (78.26F), Humidity:85%, Water Temp: 29.9C (85.82F), Course: 238(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.8kt, Wind:20Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:NW) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 10º 54.09' S | 141º 4.05' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of Arafura Sea Passage From:Cape York, QLD To:Wessel Islands, NT. Our position: loc:-10.9150, 141.0746 Progress: [We've made [92.6]nm (through water) on this passage and have [286]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [94]nm Since last posting we have made [92.6]nm (through water). We have moved [86.7]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [6.2]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.6kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):6.6kt. Sailing Conditions [We've been sailing on a broad reach since we departed the anchorage. The expectation is we reach the Rip for the Monday morning current in our favour (currently we are a bit fast, so if this continues we'll slow down by reefing more). We watched occasional lightning ahead of us (to the SW) yesterday, but managed to miss it all. We are expecting some heavy rain later today (and overnight) per the forecast.] General Comments: [I loved the flat seas we had for my watch last night, now they are up a bit, but we're still comfortable despite being in the wide expanse of the Gulf of Carpenteria. Kyle loved the impressive bioluminescence he observed last night (the best is always on his watch).] At: 06:00(ACST) 07-May-2022, Outside Temp: 28.3C (82.94F), Humidity:83%, Water Temp: 34.3C (93.74F), Course: 261(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.7kt, Wind:21Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1009hPa, Swell:2m (from:SE) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 39º 56.076' S | 141º 27.012' E | Begonia |
Day 5 of Southern Ocean Passage From:CYCSA, North Haven, Adelaide To:Stanley, Tasmania. Our position: -39.9462, 141.4523 Progress: [We've made [403.3]nm (through water) on this passage and have [195]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [84]nm Since last posting we have made [80.8]nm (through water). We have moved [83.2]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.5]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:3.4kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.9kt. Sailing Conditions [We had the spinnaker up for the whole day. We were not always going in the direction we wanted The forecast had the wind backing so we were not concerned, but the backing took a long while to come. The winds calmed, but with the swell, the sails rarely stayed full. Finally we have a reliable/useful wind and are sailing in the right direction (with the spinnaker!)] General Comments: [Albatross continue to circle around us throughout the day. The overcast skies remove the sky watching. We are now on the edge of the range for occasional VHF radio broadcasts (Tas Radio).] At: 06:00(AEDT) 21-Feb-2021, Outside Temp: 16C (60.8F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 20.2C (68.36F), Course: 118(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.3kt, Wind:6Kt(from:W), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:3m (from:SW) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 10º 35.07' S | 142º 14.052' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Horn Island Anchorage (Torres Strait). Our position: -10.5947, 142.2419 Sail From: Blackwood Bay, Mount Adolphus Island To: Horn Island Anchorage We travelled [22.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [24.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 10-12.5m 'hard sand'] General Comments: [A sunny day, we sailed with the current towards Thursday Island. As we approached things got busy (for us) as there were multiple planes, several helicopters, and lots of commercial boat traffic.. A busy place. Nearest anchorage is at Horn Island, which seemed pretty empty aside from a few commercial vessels and one long term sailboat. To wish to visit Thursday Island we take a ferry from Horn Island. The anchorage is renowned for its currents so we'll spend the rest of the day aboard to watch and see how Begonia acts before going ashore. As soon as we were anchored we could hear bird-song from the nearby mangroves. And wow - our first 'good' phone signal for a long while; no more hoisting the phone up the mast just to make intermittent 1bar into intermittent 2bars!] At: 12:34(AEST) 22-Jul-2020, Outside Temp: 29.1C (84.38F), Humidity:67%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 10º 41.046' S | 142º 31.068' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Cape York, QLD, Australia - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 3 of Coral Sea Passage From:Lizard Island, QLD To:Cape York, QLD. Our position: loc:-10.6912, 142.5274 Progress: [We've made [328.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [12]nm Since last posting we have made [16.3]nm (through water). We have moved [10.4]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.5]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.6kt, Avg speed for trip:6.5kt. Sailing Conditions [Cape York Peninsula, large sand flats at low tide, so timing visits ashore helps prevent hauling the dinghy too far (especially given this is croc territory). Ashore is a short trail to the actual point (northern most point in Mainland Australia), and a couple of camp sites (4WD road to point). Occasional flickers of 1bar 3G Telstra Signal (would probably work fine with a booster).] General Comments: [We made it! The big turning point from which we leave the Coral Sea and can head west across northern Australia. We'll probably be here a couple of days, the tides are not the best to get ashore, but we're keen to try anyway (it's highly unlikely that we'll ever be this way again).] At: 08:56(AEST) 04-May-2022, Outside Temp: 30.2C (86.36F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 33.4C (92.12F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 10º 38.046' S | 142º 38.082' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Mount Adolphus Island (Torres Strait). Our position: -10.6411, 142.6472 Sail From: Bushy Islet To: Mount Adolphus Island We travelled [36.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [38.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 4-7m of good sand/mud] General Comments: [After a special time back in Bushy Islet with an amazing visit from a young sea-eagle, we headed north (with the wind and current) making good time to Mount Adolphus. From here we turn left (west), and from anchor we can see Cape York (the NE tip of Australia). We have brief blips of 1bar phone signal - fingers crossed.] At: 14:12(AEST) 19-Jul-2020, Outside Temp: 27.2C (80.96F), Humidity:77%, Water Temp: 28.5C (83.3F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 10º 45.078' S | 142º 41.028' E | Begonia |
Day 3 of Coral Sea Passage From:Lizard Island, QLD To:Cape York, QLD. Our position: loc:-10.7629, 142.6878 Progress: [We've made [311.7]nm (through water) on this passage and have [12]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [155]nm Since last posting we have made [157.9]nm (through water). We have moved [145.8]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [6.1]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.6kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):6.5kt. Sailing Conditions [Another great day of downwind sailing (mostly with the spinnaker) - as he channels wend their way around the various reefs and islands it was sometimes a broad reach. Plenty of cargo ships and the odd fishing boat also.] General Comments: [We're almost there (just 12nm to go as the sun rises). Plenty of birds swooping about yesterday afternoon. During Kyle's night watch he can see 4 planets at the same time (still very close together), the big dipper gets higher and the southern cross gets lower in the sky. Passage rather uneventful (the way we like it).] At: 06:00(AEST) 04-May-2022, Outside Temp: 28.2C (82.76F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 33.4C (92.12F), Course: 302(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.1kt, Wind:17Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:15%, Pressure: 1009hPa, Swell:1.5m (from:SE) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 11º 14.088' S | 142º 52.002' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Bushy Islet (Great Barrier Reef Coast). Our position: -11.2483, 142.8667 Sail From: Bird Islands/Reef, Saunders Islands NP To: Bushy Islet We travelled [30.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [33.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 4.8-7.6m in sand] General Comments: [Dolphins again came and joined us - one group of over 20, each pushing to be in front of the bow stayed with us for 20 minutes of fun.] At: 13:00(AEST) 17-Jul-2020, Outside Temp: 26.9C (80.42F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 28.5C (83.3F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 11º 45.09' S | 143º 4.08' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Bird Islands/Reef, Saunders Islands NP (Great Barrier Reef). Our position: -11.7653, 143.0803 Sail From: Wuthara Island, Forbes Islands Group To: Bird Islands/Reef, Saunders Islands NP We travelled [37.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [36.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 7-9m behind islands, guidebook suggests this area is an 'anchor eater' so we are hoping we've sighted our anchor drop appropriately] General Comments: [More 'good' winds (mid-20s), and some choppy seas (1.5m) mean we are happy to be sailing with the weather and not against it. Today was overcast and with occasional drizzle, but we had a couple of pods of dolphins visit which brightens any day. Not surprising ling as we arrive at Bird Islets we found lots of birds flying around (nearly all noddys). At low tide there are plenty of exposed reef bommies around the islands, quite dramatic. Our guidebook also describes this area with the text 'crocodiles are common, so be vigilant' - we will.] At: 13:50(AEST) 15-Jul-2020, Outside Temp: 26.5C (79.7F), Humidity:82%, Water Temp: 28.5C (83.3F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 12º 17.016' S | 143º 24.036' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Forbes Islands (Great Barrier Reef). Our position: -12.2857, 143.4061 Sail From: Portland Road (mainland), QLD To: Forbes Islands We travelled [27.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [18.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 10m behind reef - hopefully in sand. North of the cluster/group known as Forbes Islands (Conservation Park).] General Comments: [Somewhat flatter seas today (finally); this helped as the last 7nm after rounding the north end of Gallon Reef was sailing (motoring) back into the wind/waves. Once arriving at Forbes Islands (which are beautiful), we were surprised to see several commercial fishing boats here (it is a Conservation Park, so maybe they are just resting overnight?). On route we were joined twice by small pods of dolphins (always a pleasure). The island here are high (with tallest peak at 81m, which is high for this area) and (per our guidebook) croc free - so we hope to at least get ashore while here. An aside: some of our recent Marine alerts have included warnings to be aware of potential space debris falling over the coming days - we are very glad to be nowhere near that area!] At: 13:36(AEST) 12-Jul-2020, Outside Temp: 27.9C (82.22F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 28.5C (83.3F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 12º 35.064' S | 143º 24.036' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Portland Road (mainland), QLD (Great Barrier Reef). Our position: -12.5937, 143.4063 Sail From: Night Island (originally of the Kawadji people) To: Portland Road (mainland), QLD We travelled [36.4]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [36.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 7m along with two local boats.] General Comments: [A strong wind day, and some choppy seas; we are now nicely protected by Cape Weymouth. Nearby is Restoration Island, one of the few places Captian Bligh stopped in his small boat after the mutiny on the bounty. Despite a small community ashore (houses nestled into the hills) the hope for phone signal doesn't exist. We grabbed a few frustrating moments with 1 bar as we sailed by Lockhart River, but it looks like we have at least another week before we can expect even that again. We never made it ashore at Night Island (unfortunately), the current and choppiness were too miserable to counter (with regular 30kt gusts).] At: 13:10(AEST) 10-Jul-2020, Outside Temp: 27.4C (81.32F), Humidity:83%, Water Temp: 28C (82.4F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 13º 10.05' S | 143º 34.044' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Night Island (originally of the Kawadji people), (Great Barrier Reef). Our position: -13.1747, 143.5735 Sail From: Blanchard Reef To: Night Island (of the Kawadji people), We travelled [17.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [17.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 4-6m depth off beach. ] General Comments: [A short distance jib only mostly downwind sail today, good winds around 20-24kt. A couple of dolphins joined us along the way. No phone signal, although we did have a brief 1bar just as we rounded the N tip of the island (We are hoping for a signal at our next anchorage in a few days). ] At: 11:32(AEST) 08-Jul-2020, Outside Temp: 27.5C (81.5F), Humidity:77%, Water Temp: 28C (82.4F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 13º 39.018' S | 143º 42.09' E | Begonia | "At Anchor: Fife Island, Claremont Isles National Park, QLD (Great Barrier Reef). Our position: -13.6527, 143.7148
Sail From: Stokes Bay, Stanley Island, QLD To: Fife Island, Claremont Isles National Park, QLD We travelled [44.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [42.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 2m of sand (But with big drop of downwind)] General Comments: [A very mixed day of sailing, with sail changes, reefing and unreefing. No other ships seen visually or via the AIS at all (even cargo ships). We had two milestones for the day - we are now at the furthers west we've ever been (at E144 and descending, our furthest east is about 27E so we still have a gap to fill someday), and we also broke 55,000nm on the GPS log for Begonia (we installed new instruments shortly after purchase so all the miles are ours, we arrived in Australia with 50,258nm on the log). Ashore the small uninhabited island has a giant sand-spit at low tide so if weather/conditions permit we hope to go ashore during our stay to stretch our legs and get a bit of exercise while resting up before the next leg as we hop north.] At: 15:10(AEST) 03-Jul-2020, Outside Temp: 27.7C (81.86F), Humidity:65%, Water Temp: 28.5C (83.3F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 12º 58.008' S | 143º 43.08' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of Coral Sea Passage From:Lizard Island, QLD To:Cape York, QLD. Our position: loc:-12.9684, 143.7300 Progress: [We've made [153.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [167]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [153]nm Since last posting we have made [153.8]nm (through water). We have moved [142.8]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [6.0]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.5kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):6.5kt. Sailing Conditions [Downwind sailing, we've been using the jib and Kyle is preparing to switch to the spinnaker as the wind reduces. The sailing catamaran Oceaneer departed Lizard Island shortly after us yesterday, and passed us just before noon. They are so much bigger than us, that we'd expected it earlier. They later pulled off to presumably anchor for the night, I wonder if we'll see them again. We've mostly been staying alongside the channels as the passage among the reefs is definitely not a straight line. When there is no shipping traffic we've cut across (or sailed along) the channels when it helps to reduce the distance or get the better wind angle.] General Comments: [We loved our time at Lizard Island, and spent our day ashore hiking all the trails and visiting the marine research station (squeezing it all into one day!). The passage so far has been nice, with the big dipper now easy to spot in night sky. Yesterday Kyle says he spotted a single dolphin that briefly visited us yesterday (and just surfaced twice before moving on); That is the first we've seen in a very long time. A few birds, and plenty of islands and reefs. We remain on track to arrive Wednesday morning.] At: 06:00(AEST) 03-May-2022, Outside Temp: 27.9C (82.22F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 32.9C (91.22F), Course: 340(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.7kt, Wind:18Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:60%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:1m (from:SE) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 13º 24.042' S | 143º 44.076' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Blanchard Reef (Great Barrier Reef). Our position: -13.4067, 143.7456 Sail From: Fife Island, Claremont Isles National Park, QLD To: Blanchard Reef We travelled [16.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [14.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 6.8m of sand (?) in lee of reef] General Comments: [Choppy day, downwind sailing, spotted one other sailboat to our west, also heading north today. During our stay at Fife we were buzzed by Australian Border Force (and reported details), and finally spotted our first wild crocodile!] At: 11:40(AEST) 06-Jul-2020, Outside Temp: 25.1C (77.18F), Humidity:77%, Water Temp: 27.5C (81.5F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 41º 29.88' S | 144º 3.198' E | Begonia |
Day 6 of NSW, Australia Passage From:Quarantine Beach, Manly, Sydney To:Bathurst, Tasmania. Our position: -41.4979, 144.0534 Progress: [We've made [652.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [148]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [124.6]nm (through water). We have moved [97.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Once we turned the corner of NW Tasmania we've had headwinds and bigger seas (all expected), overnight the wind died (unexpected, the forecast was for 20kt) so we motored to keep our progress and to be sure to avoid some (forecast) miserable weather headed our way in a few days.] General Comments: [Once we reached the Fleurieu Group of islands (NW Tasmania) we spent our time surrounded by large groups of birds. More dolphins joined us from time to time, but the biggest 'news' was blue sky! The wind was mainly from the south and it must have pushed away any smoke. It still seems very cold since South Island NZ, and heading to cold places in summer seems quite wrong (but hopefully worth it).] At: 06:00(AEDT) 18-Jan-2020, Outside Temp: 14.1C (57.38F), Humidity:80%, Water Temp: 15.9C (60.62F), Course: 145(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.1kt, Wind:10Kt(from:N), Cloud Cover:90%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:2m (to:N) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 14º 9.036' S | 144º 13.044' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Stokes Bay, Stanley Island, QLD (Great Barrier Reef). Our position: -14.1560, 144.2242 Sail From: Ingram Island, QLD To: Stokes Bay, Stanley Island, QLD We travelled [42.5]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [41.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 6m of mud/shell (per guidebook)] General Comments: [A lovely sunny day, sailing with the spinnaker, and with calm seas - our best sailing conditions for a while. It was HOT, and we are finally feeling the Oz heat (which may get old fast, especially since we can't/won't go for a dip given the croc warnings). We sailed by some beautiful scenery as we weaved our way through islands and along the coast of this remote part of Australia. There was a lot of smoke on the mainland, and we were uncertain if this was from a controlled or wild fires, luckily we are well away from any smoke here at anchor. We are well protected, with a forecast for some strong winds. Ashore, this island has some accessible caves with 'exceptional' aboriginal paintings - but, unfortunately, they are on the other side, and no trails to get to them from here.] At: 14:40(AEST) 01-Jul-2020, Outside Temp: 29.1C (84.38F), Humidity:67%, Water Temp: 28C (82.4F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 40º 24.078' S | 144º 16.068' E | Begonia |
Day 6 of Southern Ocean Passage From:CYCSA, North Haven, Adelaide To:Stanley, Tasmania. Our position: -40.4125, 144.2783 Progress: [We've made [534.7]nm (through water) on this passage and have [62]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [133]nm Since last posting we have made [131.4]nm (through water). We have moved [132.5]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [5.5]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.5kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.0kt. Sailing Conditions [After flying the spinnaker for 34 hours, we doused it around 10pm last night (boat time) in anticipation of stronger winds. We are currently sailing downwind with just the jib. ] General Comments: [We are busy eating through the last of our fresh produce (strict biosecurity rules in Tasmania). The night watches are especially cold, and we've had a few days now of fully overcast skies so charging the batteries is slow but it still happens (hoping for some sunshine to make it through today). Kyle reports quite the light-show of bioluminescence on his watch last night - with large squid flashing and dolphins darting around the boat leaving rocket trails behind.] At: 06:00(AEDT) 22-Feb-2021, Outside Temp: 16.5C (61.7F), Humidity:75%, Water Temp: 20.7C (69.26F), Course: 88(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.4kt, Wind:16Kt(from:WSE), Cloud Cover:20%, Pressure: 1008hPa, Swell:2.5m (from:SW) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 14º 25.008' S | 144º 52.05' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Ingram Island, QLD (Great Barrier Reef). Our position: -14.4182, 144.8753 Sail From: Mrs Watson's Bay, Lizard Island, QLD To: Ingram Island, QLD We travelled [34.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [36.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.2m of sand.] General Comments: [A pleasant sail, passing through channels around various reefs and islands. Nice day, sunshine, breeze and little cloud cover. We are looking forward to going ashore to walk around the small (.5mile long) island. We can already see a few pelicans ashore. Aside: Lizard Island was much busier than we expected, and while we anchored at the back and didn't go ashore (it is a remote community and strict Covid19 rules apply), we saw that most other boaters did go ashore at some point. Our transit permit does not allow us ashore at Lizard Island; another beautiful place to visit another time...] At: 13:43(AEST) 28-Jun-2020, Outside Temp: 26.6C (79.88F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 27.5C (81.5F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 15º 27.534' S | 145º 14.916' E | Begonia | Safely arrived: at Anchor in Cooktown, QLD, Australia - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 3 of Coral Sea Passage From:Townsville, QLD To:Cooktown, QLD. Our position: loc:-15.4589, 145.2486 Progress: [We've made [249.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [24.5]nm Since last posting we have made [23.3]nm (through water). We have moved [20.8]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [5.6]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.3kt, Avg speed for trip:5.5kt. Sailing Conditions [Anchored off main waterfront in 1.4m at LAT (outside of moorings). Strong currents and logs in water from recent rains in main channel (so far nothing where we are anchored).] General Comments: [We arrived, the skies and weather are clearing (looking like a perfect day with even a pleasant breeze to fight the temperature). The place looks so lush and I'm keen to get ashore (but we'll probably rest up today to get our body clocks back in sync). Given the currents, no rowing, we'll get the electric motor out for the short dinghy trip ashore.] At: 09:42(AEST) 27-Apr-2022, Outside Temp: 29.5C (85.1F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 32.4C (90.32F), Course: 338(degT), Speed Over Ground:kt, Wind:9Kt(from:SSE), Cloud Cover:20%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:m (from:) ----- At 26/04/2022 23:42 (UTC) our position was 15°27.54'S 145°14.91'E | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 40º 46.014' S | 145º 17.1' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Stanley, Tasmania, Australia - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 6 of Southern Ocean Passage From:CYCSA, North Haven, Adelaide To:Stanley, Tasmania. Our position: -40.7692, 145.2996 Progress: [We've made [600.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [62]nm Since last posting we have made [65.5]nm (through water). We have moved [51.2]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.3]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.5kt, Avg speed for trip:5.0kt. Sailing Conditions [Anchored in 3-6m just outside harbour. A bit bouncy tonight, but expecting calmer conditions by morning. Stanley is famed for its 'Nut' a tall volcanic 'table' that stands proud of everything around it. There is a chair lift or a steep walk to the top for the views.] General Comments: [Once we entered the Bass Strait, we had the tide against us (unlucky on the timing!), but were sailing downwind at least. Eventually we had to hang right and head for port, which gave us 20nm of very windy, cold, rough transit. We made it before dark (thankfully) and have reported our arrival to the Covid/Biosecurity authorities, and we hope to sleep and deal with all that in the morning. Looking forward to a hot meal and a good night of sleep. Around 8:20am we crossed our path and therefore completed our circumnavigation of Australia - so we'll maybe take a glass of wine with that meal tonight to celebrate.] At: 17:52(AEDT) 22-Feb-2021, Outside Temp: 18.6C (65.48F), Humidity:58%, Water Temp: 23.1C (73.58F) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 42º 53.49' S | 145º 18.648' E | Begonia |
Day 7 of NSW, Australia Passage From:Quarantine Beach, Manly, Sydney To:Bathurst, Tasmania. Our position: -42.8915, 145.3109 Progress: [We've made [765.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [46]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [112.7]nm (through water). We have moved [100.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [High winds yesterday afternoon, otherwise light and variable. Sailing/motoring into waves reduces our speed.] General Comments: [Yesterday we had the main sail clew slug pulled out of the boom (the clew is the bottom, aft corner of the sail). It is very confusing and we can't work out why. Kyle had inspected it just in the morning when there was no sign of any strain/issue. Currently the sail is fine with the outhaul keeping the clew in place so this is something for our 'to fix sometime' list. Overnight we saw the glow of multiple fishing boats on the horizon (all directions), but my attempts at fishing yesterday bore nothing. We expect/hope to arrive this evening in good time to avoid the strong winds forecast for Monday evening.] At: 06:00(AEDT) 19-Jan-2020, Outside Temp: 13.9C (57.02F), Humidity:84%, Water Temp: 14.9C (58.82F), Course: 154(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.3kt, Wind:4Kt(from:NNE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:1m (to:N) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 40º 11.508' S | 145º 19.782' E | Begonia |
Day 5 of NSW, Australia Passage From:Quarantine Beach, Manly, Sydney To:Bathurst, Tasmania. Our position: -40.1918, 145.3296 Progress: [We've made [527.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [244]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [123.6]nm (through water). We have moved [97.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Another very mixed day, rough seas, squall, headwinds and (eventually) tail winds. Currently sailing with the spinnaker, in relatively calm seas. Yesterday pm we had a mix of currents, winds and waves all conflicting and the only plus was the deck was cleared of any ash.] General Comments: [Not the nicest os sailing days, but the evening was made special when a pod of dolphins hung out at the bow for 40 minutes performing various twisting and leaping acrobatics. The water and air (and wind) all seem very cold. We didn't put on the enclosure before we set off (should have!) so spend our nights pretty wrapped up (complete with scarves and gloves .A hot bowl of porridge is a perfect breakfast.] At: 06:00(AEDT) 17-Jan-2020, Outside Temp: 15.2C (59.36F), Humidity:83%, Water Temp: 17.3C (63.14F), Course: 289(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.1kt, Wind:14Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:95%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:W) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 15º 46.032' S | 145º 24.012' E | Begonia |
Day 3 of Coral Sea Passage From:Townsville, QLD To:Cooktown, QLD. Our position: loc:-15.7718, 145.4016 Progress: [We've made [226.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [24.5]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [145.5]nm Since last posting we have made [130.3]nm (through water). We have moved [144.9]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [6.0]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.4kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.4kt. Sailing Conditions [The last 24 hours has been SO MUCH NICER than the first part of the trip. The wind was from behind (we flew the spinnaker most of the time), the rain mostly stopped (with just a few light sprinkles), and the sea are flat now we find ourselves in the shelter of so many of the reefs and islands. We did have frequent lightning ahead for my night watch (thankfully nothing up close), and that brought the occasional flashlight to the otherwise dark night. We are seeing patches of large logs (even in the main shipping channels) so are keeping an especially keen watch of the water immediately ahead of us.] General Comments: [Well we should indeed arrive today, this morning (Kyle was right).] At: 06:00(AEST) 27-Apr-2022, Outside Temp: 24C (75.2F), Humidity:87%, Water Temp: 32.4C (90.32F), Course: 338(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.7kt, Wind:5Kt(from:SW), Cloud Cover:80%, Pressure: 1009hPa, Swell:0.5m (from:SE) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 14º 39.054' S | 145º 27.006' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Mrs Watson's Bay, Lizard Island, QLD (Great Barrier Reef). Our position: -14.6592, 145.4511 Sail From: Ribbon Reef #5 To: Mrs Watson's Bay, Lizard Island, QLD We travelled [48.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [46.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in the Bay, in 5m of sand.] General Comments: [An overcast, drizzly and boysterous sail downwind with jib alone was uneventful until noon. The afternoon was full of distractions from both dolphins and humpback whales. The dolphins were leaping about happily, and the whale kept approaching us from behind and then passing along side us (quite close) while showing its white belly. We arrived at Lizard Island to see 6 other boats at anchor here. The island has one of the world top (exclusive) resorts, obviously closed currently. We understand that we won't be able to go ashore as this area is classed as a 'remote community', but we had hoped/expected to have a cell phone signal at the boat - unfortunately not really - we get an intermittent 1bar of 3G if we lift Kyle's (telstra) phone as high as we can get it.] At: 15:08(AEST) 25-Jun-2020, Outside Temp: 25C (77F), Humidity:88%, Water Temp: 28.5C (83.3F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 14º 39.072' S | 145º 27.012' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Mrs Watson's Bay, Lizard Island, QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-14.6620, 145.4524 Sail From: Cooktown, QLD To: Mrs Watson's Bay, Lizard Island, QLD We travelled [49.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [49.3]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [6.0]kt, Avg speed (through the water):6.1kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.6m of sand (LAT). Sat imagery great to be sure to avoid corals and sea grass. Long beach ashore and access to the National Park trails (includes sacred aboriginal ceremonial grounds on Cook Lookout (Hill)). Resort is just to the SW of anchorage (avoid), Marine research station to south of Island on Lagoon side.] General Comments: [An early departure and a choppy broad reach passage from Cooktown, but we arrived in glorious sunshine. Last time we were here we were not permitted ashore (COVID restrictions). We hope to rectify that this time around. Also this is probably the last decent chance for some snorkelling (before we head too far north into croc territory. Just one other boat in this bay on our arrival, a big sailing catamaran (Oceaneer).] At: 14:06(AEST) 30-Apr-2022, Outside Temp: 31C (87.8F), Humidity:67%, Water Temp: 33C (91.4F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 15º 43.074' S | 145º 27.036' E | Begonia |
At Mooring Ball: Little Hope Island, QLD (Great Barrier Reef). Our position: -15.7288, 145.4564 Sail From: Low Islands, QLD To: Little Hope Island, QLD We travelled [36.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [39.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Public Mooring ball in 6m depth, weak Telstra phone signal.] General Comments: [A drizzly start, downwind sailing with the jib alone, made good time. No sailboats seen since the Low Isles.] At: 14:18(AEST) 16-Jun-2020, Outside Temp: 27.5C (81.5F), Humidity:78%, Water Temp: 28C (82.4F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 16º 22.086' S | 145º 33.06' E | Begonia |
At Mooring Ball: Low Islands, QLD (Coral Coast). Our position: -16.3812, 145.5596 Sail From: Marlin Marina, Cairns, QLD To: Low Islands, QLD We travelled [34.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [34.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Moored ball in depth of 12m, off the beautiful Low Island with its beach and lighthouse] General Comments: [An easy downwind spinnaker sail again. Departing Cairns during yet another shower (so much for the dry season!) - but it came with a rainbow so a plus!] At: 15:00(AEST) 13-Jun-2020, Outside Temp: 26.5C (79.7F), Humidity:84%, Water Temp: 28C (82.4F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 40º 57.096' S | 145º 43.008' E | Begonia | At Anchor: Freestone Cove, Table Cape, Tasmania - Southern Ocean, Australia. Our position: -40.9659, 145.7300 Sail From: Stanley, Tasmania To: Freestone Cove, Table Cape, Tasmania We travelled [25.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [22.8]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [5.4]kt, Avg speed (through the water):6.0kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 5m of sand, in lee of the tall Table Cape and other bluffs. Ashore is Table Cape Conservation Area. Just north is Cape Table and just to south is Fossil Bluff (with beach). The town of WYNYARD (on the river Inglis) is 1.5km to our South. Anchoring here overnight as we hop west along the N Coast of Tasmania.] General Comments: [We had an early start to beat the rain. Unfortunately the rain didn't adhere to the forecast so it was a rainy and windy downwind sail (gusts up to 32kt, steady at 25kt apparent, seas at 2.5m out of shelter). We have the rest of the day to relax, warm up and cook up a good meal (thank goodness for heating). Tasmanian summers sometimes don't feel very summery.] At: 11:02(AEDT) 25-Feb-2021, Outside Temp: 16C (60.8F), Humidity:86%, Water Temp: 22.2C (71.96F) ----- At 25/02/2021 00:02 (UTC) our position was 40°57.96'S 145°43.80'E | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 40º 59.028' S | 145º 44.01' E | Begonia |
At Marina Dock: Wynyard Town Docks, Inglis River,Tasmania - Southern Ocean, Australia. Our position: -40.9877, 145.7347 Sail From: Freestone Cove, Table Cape, Tasmania To: Wynyard Town Docks, Inglis River,Tasmania We travelled [2.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.3]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [1.6]kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.7kt. Location Comments: [At dock. Entrance to river is just 0.2m at low tide (with a 3m range), so you need to time your entrance. Picturesque town famed for its tulips (October time), short walk to grocery store, laundromat, and plenty of restaurants. Nice river walks.] General Comments: [After a tip via a Facebook group member who reached out (Jan from Women Who Sail Australia) we moved from the anchorage and onto the town docks for a few days. This rural village is picturesque with lovely river frontage. We can explore the surrounds and chill out a bit while here, and be sure to leave with fresh provisions too!] At: 11:04(AEDT) 26-Feb-2021, Outside Temp: 21.2C (70.16F), Humidity:56%, Water Temp: 21.7C (71.06F) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 15º 22.08' S | 145º 45.06' E | Begonia |
At Mooring Ball: Ribbon Reef #5 (Great Barrier Reef). Our position: -15.3803, 145.7598 Sail From: Ribbon Reef #3 To: Ribbon Reef #5 We travelled [8.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [7.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Public mooring in depth of 14m, no cell phone signals.] General Comments: [After days/hours of snorkelling around Ribbon Reef #3 (and a host of bird visitors, guano included!), we've moved a little further north to Ribbon Reef #5. We crossed paths on this passage with 'Spoil Sport' the only other boat we've seen since Low Island, and we are out of sight of each other and with a reef of our own to explore.] At: 10:52(AEST) 22-Jun-2020, Outside Temp: 27.1C (80.78F), Humidity:78%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 16º 55.008' S | 145º 46.086' E | Begonia |
At Dock: Marlin Marina, Cairns, QLD (Coral Coast). Our position: -16.9176, 145.7813 Sail From: Kent Island, QLD To: Marlin Marina, Cairns, QLD We travelled [59.4]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [50.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [At one of the Catamaran Docks, floating docs, nice showers, laundry, etc all available. Grocery delivery expected in the morning (First time!)] General Comments: [Another very rainy passage, lots of strong winds (occasional 29kt apparent/ 38kt true ahead of some of the squalls), a fast sail highest speed we made was 13.6kt through the water (14.8kt over the ground), averaging 8 knots until we arrived in the entrance channel for Trinity Inlet. We managed to arrive between rain showers so we didn't have to dock in a downpour. We'll need a bit of a rest today, but look forward to exploring Cairns - between rain showers (We were last here in August 2009, but this is the first time with our own boat.)] At: 13:18(AEST) 09-Jun-2020, Outside Temp: 25C (77F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 27.5C (81.5F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 15º 30.03' S | 145º 47.094' E | Begonia |
Destination: Darwin At Mooring Ball: Ribbon Reef 3 (Great Barrier Reef). Our position: -15.5046, 145.7990 Sail From: Little Hope Island, QLD To: Ribbon Reef 3 We travelled [24.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [23.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Public mooring on outer reef - in depth of 14m, plenty of bommies around.] General Comments: [(Little) Hope Island had a sign up saying closed for Covid19, so we didn't go ashore the 1st day. By the 2nd day we verified all the NP and forest closures for Covid19 are now open (so presumably they just haven't brought down all the signs), however by then the sea was just a little to boisterous for a dinghy trip so another day aboard. Today's trip was in strong winds, and with some upwind sailing as we maneuvered around the south of Cairns Reef. Currently we are well protected, but we'll see what conditions are like a high tide tonight.] At: 11:54(AEST) 18-Jun-2020, Outside Temp: 27.5C (81.5F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 30C (86F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 43º 19.278' S | 145º 59.898' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Bramble Cove, Port Davey, (Tasmania, Australia). Our position: -43.3213, 145.9984 Sail From: Moulters Inlet, Bathurst Harbour, Tasmania To: Bramble Cove, Port Davey, Tasmania We travelled [11.4]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [10.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.8m of mud, nice cove with white sand beaches ashore and hills aplenty.] General Comments: [More rain, and wind, and cold. Two black swans are swimming by and we are considering if we want to go ashore (we are sure to get wet during the dinghy ride, and it is still very chilly for us, but we are also getting a bit stir crazy - decision pending). Forecast continues to suggest more of the same for us so we'll have to brave it all sooner or later if we want to spend any more time ashore.] At: 12:10(AEDT) 27-Jan-2020, Outside Temp: 15.1C (59.18F), Humidity:76%, Water Temp: 15.4C (59.72F) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 43º 20.832' S | 146º 6.138' E | Begonia | Safely arrived at Frogs Hollow, Bathurst Narrows off Port Davey, Tasmania - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 7 of NSW, Australia Passage From:Quarantine Beach, Manly, Sydney To:Frogs Hollow, Bathurst Narrows off Port Davey, Tasmania. Our position: -43.3472, 146.1023 Progress: [We've made [816.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [51.1]nm (through water). We have moved [44.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [We motored most of the day in either calms or head-winds, but were happy to arrive with plenty of daylight. Anchored in 4m of mud in view of Mount Rugby.] General Comments: [Amazing mirror calm waters this morning and we were able to enjoy the coastline views as we pushed south for Port Davey. By the time we made it to Port Davey we had the sails up again, and were joined first by a fur seal (?) and later by a pod of dolphins. Amazingly once we entered the Bathurst Narrows the temperature(water and air) jumped and we found ourselves needing to remove hats and layers as other boaters motored in the other direction in shorts and t-shirts. We'll get a good rest tonight and be ready to explore in the morning. Scenery is lovely, with vegetation struggling to hold on to the hills and plenty of rocky bald patches.] At: 17:14(AEDT) 19-Jan-2020, Outside Temp: 21.1C (69.98F), Humidity:57%, Water Temp: 19.7C (67.46F) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 17º 40.038' S | 146º 10.068' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Kent Island, QLD (Coral Coast). Our position: -17.6726, 146.1775 Sail From: Walker Reef, QLD To: Kent Island, QLD We travelled [47.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [50.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 7m of small islands North Barnard Island Group] General Comments: [A cold and drizzly sailing day today, mostly downwind under jib alone.] At: 16:00(AEST) 06-Jun-2020, Outside Temp: 23.6C (74.48F), Humidity:80%, Water Temp: 27C (80.6F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 43º 19.122' S | 146º 11.31' E | Begonia | At Anchor: Rowitta Harbour, Bathurst Harbour, (Tasmania, Australia). Our position: -43.3187, 146.1885
Sail From: Frogs Hollow, Bathurst Narrows off Port Davey, Tasmania To: Rowitta Harbour, Bathurst Harbour, Tasmania We travelled [7.7]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [4.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 4m, good holding, in anticipation of some strong winds and heavy rain over the next 48 hours.] General Comments: [From Frogs Hollow we motored towards Melaleuca Inlet and at the head anchored for a short visit to Clayton's corner (from 1950-1976 the basic, isolated and remote home to Clyde and Winsome Clayton). After a look around the simple house, and up to 'TV antenna Hill' for the views, we then moved Begonia off to Rowitta where we plan to enjoy the 360 degree views with plenty of scope and swinging room given the rain and winds the forecast is promising us. Black swans nearby. Currently warm with lovely blue skies but the barometer is dropping.] At: 12:02(AEDT) 22-Jan-2020, Outside Temp: 21C (69.8F), Humidity:65%, Water Temp: 20.7C (69.26F) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 43º 22.692' S | 146º 13.068' E | Begonia | At Anchor: Moulters Inlet, Bathurst Harbour, (Tasmania, Australia). Our position: -43.3782, 146.2178
Sail From: Rowitta Harbour, Bathurst Harbour, Tasmania To: Moulters Inlet, Bathurst Harbour, Tasmania We travelled [3.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [3.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.7m of mud, narrow entrance, following deeper water into the inlet. Mt Fulton to our west] General Comments: [Strong winds and heavy rains for the last few days have had us hunkered up in the boat, watching movies and ticking off boat chores. Various sewing projects mostly. We moved today in the hopes of some nicer weather but so far the forecast does not agree. The stb engine water pump belt was loose so Kyle had to fix that before we set off today (so that the engine can be cooled). With the current water and outside temperature definitely not feeling it's 'summer time' here, thankful for our heating and the great views outside the window (from the protection of the cabin). Wildlife also keeping well hidden.] At: 10:46(AEDT) 26-Jan-2020, Outside Temp: 14.6C (58.28F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 15.9C (60.62F) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 41º 11.04' S | 146º 22.014' E | Begonia |
At Marina Dock: Mersey Yacht Club, Devonport, Tasmania - Bass Strait, Australia. Our position: -41.1902, 146.3692 Sail From: Wynyard Town Docks, Inglis River,Tasmania To: Mersey Yacht Club, Devonport, Tasmania We travelled [27.4]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [31.2]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.4]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.0kt. Location Comments: [At Mersey River Yacht club on the Eastern bank of the Mersey River (and yes, there is a ferry here that crosses the Mersey - a cute little one). The main town of Devonport is on the other bank (so near, yet so far). No worries depth-wise entering the river as the port is the terminal for the giant ferry 'The Spirit of Tasmania' that shuttles between Tassie and the mainland. ] General Comments: [An early start (to be sure of enough depth to exit the river Inglis at Wynyard) had us departing with light winds and calm seas (downwind, so we were able to use the spinnaker). Arrived into the river, finding the YC was easy enough, but the expected dock space was occupied so we grabbed another space and hope we are OK. You may have noticed the British sounding place names.. I can add that we sailed by Somerset, and Leith on the way here today (never a day sail in the UK).] At: 12:32(AEDT) 01-Mar-2021, Outside Temp: 22.2C (71.96F), Humidity:64%, Water Temp: 23.6C (74.48F) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 17º 59.07' S | 146º 23.022' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of Coral Sea Passage From:Breakwater Marina, Townsville, QLD To:Cooktown, QLD. Our position: loc:-17.9947, 146.3872 Progress: [We've made [95.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [170]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [80]nm Since last posting we have made [95.9]nm (through water). We have moved [79.5]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.4]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.3kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.3kt. Sailing Conditions [WOW. We left Townsville with the forecasts all agreeing we could expect some good winds from the south to give us a fast ride north. We started with that (as we needed to head East to get around Magnetic Island), and once we turned north the wind backed to a broad reach, and overnight to a beam reach, and eventually head winds that meant we need to tack. Also those strong winds just kept flipping on and off between 20kt and 4kt, AND we had some great squalls to add to the mix. So far Kyle is still confident we'll arrive at Cooktown tomorrow, but I'd not be surprised if that extends.] General Comments: [A very wet and frustrating time in the helm for the both of us (even though we darted inside once the rain arrived, the need to keep reefing and unreefing had us both getting soaked (at least it's warm). There was so much rain we could have filled our water tanks several times over (except we'd just filled them at the marina). Forecast check today suggests we should be in ESE/SE winds of around 15kt (lets hope it arrives soon)..Overnight was very dark, with 100% cloud, quite eerie sailing along (thank goodness for our instruments)] At: 06:00(AEST) 26-Apr-2022, Outside Temp: 24.7C (76.46F), Humidity:95%, Water Temp: 31.9C (89.42F), Course: 339(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.3kt, Wind:7Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1007hPa, Swell:1m (from:NE) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 18º 18.036' S | 146º 45.084' E | Begonia |
Destination: Cairns At Anchor: Walker Reef, QLD (Great Barrier Reef). Our position: -18.3060, 146.7637 Sail From: Horseshoe Bay, Magnetic Island, QLD To: Walker Reef, QLD We travelled [51.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [48.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.5m of sand, small reef with a small sand cay. Need good visibility to weave way in around reefs and bommies] General Comments: [An early start, mostly downwind sailing, wind and seas increasing during passage. ] At: 13:30(AEST) 03-Jun-2020, Outside Temp: 24.1C (75.38F), Humidity:65%, Water Temp: 28.5C (83.3F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 41º 8.052' S | 146º 47.07' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: West Arm, Taymar River, Tasmania, Australia. Our position: -41.1418, 146.7953 Sail From: Mersey Yacht Club, Devonport, Tasmania To: West Arm, Taymar River, Tasmania We travelled [31.5]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [19.5]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.6]kt, Avg speed (through the water):5.8kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 4.8 of mud. Tidal river (3.2m range during our stay). No obvious local shore access. Windy path along river to avoid the many mud flats at low tide.] General Comments: [A very rough passage with 3.5m seas and 40kt+ winds at times - thankfully we were going with the forces but we still had the occasional wave slam into the side of the boat. We were glad to get into the Taymar and calmer waters. We'll spend a couple of days here just relaxing and catching up with our admin. It was important to Not have the ebb tide against us on arrival so to slow down Kyle kept reducing sail until we were finally on bare poles and STILL going 6kt+ through the water at sea! We will make sure that we don't have such conditions when we exit.] At: 11:50(AEDT) 04-Mar-2021, Outside Temp: 21.2C (70.16F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 22.2C (71.96F) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 19º 14.052' S | 146º 49.068' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in The Duck Pond, Townsville, QLD, Australia - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 2 of Coral Sea Passage From:East Double Bay (Dryander National Park), QLD To:The Duck Pond, Townsville, QLD. Our position: loc:-19.2422, 146.8278 Progress: [We've made [121.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [19.4]nm Since last posting we have made [18.7]nm (through water). We have moved [19.0]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.3]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.3kt, Avg speed for trip:5.6kt. Sailing Conditions [Anchored in 1.3m (between mooring balls). Holding reported to be poor with boats dragging regularly in stronger blows/gusts. Good cell phone signal (3bar 4G with Telstra). The Duck Pond is not as it sounds, but just a sheltered area outside the river/harbour but within the breakwaters.] General Comments: [We made it. More rain showers (with Kyle at the helm). We'll anchor here for the day and head into the marina tomorrow (Monday) for a week before heading north again. ] At: 10:24(AEST) 17-Apr-2022, Outside Temp: 26.8C (80.24F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 31.9C (89.42F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 19º 6.084' S | 146º 51.054' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Horseshoe Bay, Magnetic Island, QLD - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 2 of Coral Coast Passage From:Bait Reef, QLD To:Horseshoe Bay, Magnetic Island, QLD. Our position: -19.1138, 146.8591 Progress: [We've made [134.3]nm (through water) on this passage. We have moved [131.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Anchored in 3.5m among other boats - very pretty. Good cell phone signal.] General Comments: [A long overnight, but easy, sail (mostly with the spinnaker flying gallantly). We've arrived to a beautiful crisp, clear day, in an picturesque anchorage, fringed with beautiful rocks formations and undulating hills covered with trees where we understand Koalas may be seen. There are plenty of other boats here (presumably mostly locals). Finally we have internet/cell phone signal again.] At: 12:40(AEST) 28-May-2020, Outside Temp: 25.4C (77.72F), Humidity:64%, Water Temp: 27C (80.6F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 19º 6.084' S | 146º 51.072' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Horseshoe Bay, Magnetic Island, QLD, Australia - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 2 of Coral Sea Passage From:Off Coral Sea Marina, Pioneer Bay, Airlie, QLD To:Horseshoe Bay, Magnetic Island, QLD. Our position: loc:-19.1138, 146.8618 Progress: [We've made [116.3]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [120]nm Since last posting we have made [116.3]nm (through water). We have moved [125.0]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [5.3]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.9kt, Avg speed for trip:4.9kt. Sailing Conditions [Anchored in 2.6m among moorings and other anchored boats. Ashore is a host of trails and a regular bus service about the island. Trails have gems such as butterflies and koala, and even some rock wallaby that like to feed from your hands. A great island.] General Comments: [An easy overnight sail, with the odd gybe as the wind flipped about behind us. Great starry skies to entertain the night watch, but a bit of a lumpy passage with occasional drizzles. We are happy to be back at this Island we loved so much during our last visit (back in May 2020).] At: 09:22(AEST) 04-Sep-2021, Outside Temp: 23.6C (74.48F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 27.1C (80.78F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 43º 32.028' S | 146º 53.922' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: The Pigsties, Recherche Bay, (Tasmania, Australia). Our position: -43.5338, 146.8987 Sail From: Bramble Cove, Port Davey, Tasmania To: The Pigsties, Recherche Bay, Tasmania We travelled [74.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [41.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 4.9m of mud, well sheltered.] General Comments: [We were unlucky not to get more 'summer' weather on the exposed west coast. Every inch we travelled east today the weather improved . We now have a warm breeze and sunshine. After an early start (at first hint of light) we had great winds and following seas for a relatively fast passage. Kyle even has a signal on his phone - he is with Aldi/Telstra (although I don't - with OVO). We are still in protected park areas, but there are now minor roads and the odd building and campsite dotting the shoreline. Lots and lots of birds for almost all the passage today (they don't seem to care about the weather like we do).] At: 17:40(AEDT) 29-Jan-2020, Outside Temp: 23C (73.4F), Humidity:89%, Water Temp: 17.3C (63.14F) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 41º 14.082' S | 146º 56.052' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Off Marion's Vinyard, Deviot, Tamar River, Tasmania. - Tamar River (Estuary), Australia. Our position: -41.2470, 146.9420 Sail From: Rosevears Pontoon (public), Tamar River, Tasmania To: Off Marion's Vinyard, Deviot, Tamar River, Tasmania. We travelled [6.5]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [5.3]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.6]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.2kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 7m. There is a jetty ashore for Marion's Vinyard dingy access, and posts off the end of the jetty to tie to (and then dinghy to jetty). The jetty is too shallow for sailboats. Vinyard cellar door is open every day for tastings 11-5, PH: 0437 540 422.] General Comments: [A cold and rainy day today, so we used that time to move along the river to our next stop. Tomorrow is expected to be a lovely sunny day so we'll get to go ashore and make the most of it.] At: 16:04(AEDT) 13-Mar-2021, Outside Temp: 19C (66.2F), Humidity:86%, Water Temp: 23.1C (73.58F) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 41º 14.1' S | 146º 57.042' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Supply Bay, Tamar River, Tasmania, Australia. Our position: -41.2499, 146.9566 Sail From: West Arm, Tamar River, Tasmania To: Supply Bay, Tamar River, Tasmania We travelled [12.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [9.8]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.0]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.8kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3m of mud (Tidal river), exposed to winds (good for the wind generator), with a bit of chop.] General Comments: [We are hoping to visit Launceston up the river, but the one marina don't answer calls over the weekend, and the other dock is already occupied with another visiting boat. Since it is a holiday weekend we won't get a call back from the Marina until Tuesday at best. We've moved along the river though (hopeful that we'll find a solution), passing under the Batman bridge and being entertained by the eddies, sea lions, and the masses of jelly blubbers(jellyfish) along the way.] At: 16:00(AEDT) 06-Mar-2021, Outside Temp: 21.6C (70.88F), Humidity:51%, Water Temp: 23.6C (74.48F) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 41º 19.026' S | 147º 0.03' E | Begonia |
At Dock-Free: Rosevears Pontoon (public), Tamar River, Tasmania - Tamar River (Estuary), Australia. Our position: -41.3210, 147.0050 Sail From: Old Seaport Marina, North Esk River, Launceston To: Rosevears Pontoon (public), Tamar River, Tasmania We travelled [8.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [8.9]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.0]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.0kt. Location Comments: [Public Dock, 3 hour mooring limit, but since it is directly outside the Rosevears Hotel/Restaurant it is a perfect place to stop for a meal. Depth at low tide 1.5m. Sign specifies boat mooring has priority over fishing.] General Comments: [We spent the morning completing chores (laundry & grocery shopping) in Launceston awaiting the ebb tide, and then motored down the river for a dinner date at Rosevears Hotel.] At: 16:10(AEDT) 12-Mar-2021, Outside Temp: 27.1C (80.78F), Humidity:53%, Water Temp: 24.1C (75.38F) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 18º 36.09' S | 147º 4.026' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: John Brewer Reef (Near Coral Greenhouse), Great Barrier Reef, QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-18.6149, 147.0708 Sail From: Horseshoe Bay, Magnetic Island, QLD To: John Brewer Reef (Near Coral Greenhouse), Great Barrier Reef, QLD We travelled [37.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [32.2]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.9]kt, Avg speed (through the water):5.8kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 5m on sand patch between coral bommies (tight quarters) - room for one boat only. Nearby is the MOUA installation (The Coral Greenhouse by Jason de Caires Taylor). For access to this anchor location, you enter via a pass to the west of the MOUA art installation, and then travel ESE over the top of it (Its 18m deep on the seabed) so only do with care for any snorkellers/divers (None around when we arrived). It is possible to go a little further in to SE of our position on shallower sand (but would need a stern anchor too due to currents). Best if you have good sat imagery or waypoints (along with good visibility).] General Comments: [An early start (6:30am) and a bouncy sail. Several other boats left Horseshoe bay for the same destination (mostly beating us with an even earlier start), but they have picked up the free mooring balls 1nm to our west, or moved on to Loadstone Reef. The reef colours are beautiful and tomorrow is expected to be nice and calm so we are hoping for some grand snorkelling, both on the reef, and around the MOUA underwater art exhibit.] At: 13:06(AEST) 11-Sep-2021, Outside Temp: 27.1C (80.78F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 28C (82.4F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 18º 41.004' S | 147º 6.018' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Lodestone Reef, Great Barrier Reef, QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-18.6842, 147.1033 Sail From: John Brewer Reef (Near Coral Greenhouse), Great Barrier Reef, QLD To: Lodestone Reef, Great Barrier Reef, QLD We travelled [6.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [4.6]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.0]kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.2kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 10.4m in large sand patch. You can pick your anchor spot along the lee of the reef, most people favor a bit more to the south (where there is also a public mooring ball). No Telstra service at anchor (possibly pick up further south on reef).] General Comments: [We had a lovely couple of days at John Brewer Reef. Today started with a surprise birthday breakfast for Maryanne (cooked by Kyle), one last snorkel, and then an unexpected and beautiful gift from our friends Mahana before our departure. We motored over the short distance to Lodestone for some more snorkelling (and an earlier departure tomorrow). Beautiful calm conditions, lovely clear waters - boater/birthday heaven.] At: 11:14(AEST) 13-Sep-2021, Outside Temp: 30.2C (86.36F), Humidity:64%, Water Temp: 29C (84.2F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 41º 26.004' S | 147º 7.092' E | Begonia |
At Marina Dock: Old Seaport Marina, North Esk River, Launceston - Tamar River (Estuary), Australia. Our position: -41.4340, 147.1315 Sail From: Supply Bay, Tamar River, Tasmania To: Old Seaport Marina, North Esk River, Launceston We travelled [15.7]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [13.6]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.2]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.7kt. Location Comments: [Secure at Old Seaport Marina in Launceston (Doc 13D) @$35/night. Was sure to catch the flood into Launceston along Tamar River (where at low tide there are plenty of mud flats). Depth at dock (low tide) only 0.7m (we are a little concerned we'll be touching bottom at low tide). Water in town is a bit ugly looking.] General Comments: [An early start to catch the flood tide along the River Tamar. A Cool and foggy morning under motor in no real wind. We were accompanied by two white-bellied sea-eagles as they hopped along the navigation markers ahead of us. Once we arrived at the dock, we were greeted by two black swans (clearly wanting a handout).] At: 08:54(AEDT) 09-Mar-2021, Outside Temp: 17.2C (62.96F), Humidity:77%, Water Temp: 20.2C (68.36F) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 43º 14.688' S | 147º 7.398' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Randalls Bay (within Garden Island Bay), (Tasmania, Australia). Our position: -43.2448, 147.1233 Sail From: The Pigsties, Recherche Bay, Tasmania To: Randalls Bay (within Garden Island Bay), Tasmania We travelled [24.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [19.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.7m of sand, A downwind sail east, with occasional frustrating wind shadows and swirls, and additional strong gusts (Starting with 40kt winds) to keep things interesting.] General Comments: [While at Recherche we managed a long day ashore and a 14mile walk in beautiful sunshine, at anchor here in Randalls Bay we hope, while here, to get to the top of the nearby Echo Sugarloaf (a small hill at 197m) - fingers crossed that the weather cooperates!] At: 14:52(AEDT) 01-Feb-2020, Outside Temp: 21.4C (70.52F), Humidity:54%, Water Temp: 18.8C (65.84F) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 19º 10.032' S | 147º 9.03' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of Coral Sea Passage From:East Double Bay (Dryander National Park), QLD To:Townsville, QLD. Our position: loc:-19.1717, 147.1548 Progress: [We've made [103.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [19.4]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [105.6]nm Since last posting we have made [103.2]nm (through water). We have moved [103.4]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [5.9]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.9kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.9kt. Sailing Conditions [Downwind sailing in easy seas. A few rain showers to keep us on our toes] General Comments: [We jump north again. I got an early start today with an email and a text from the USA with a tax filing crisis (all resolved now). Thankfully we had a good enough signal, and I could do it all while Kyle was still on watch.] At: 06:00(AEST) 17-Apr-2022, Outside Temp: 24.5C (76.1F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 32.4C (90.32F), Course: 285(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.5kt, Wind:16Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:90%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:1.5m (from:SE) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 43º 27.048' S | 147º 9.036' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Jetty Beach, South Bruny Island - Tasmania, Australia. Our position: loc:-43.4575, 147.1555 Sail From: Little Fancy Bay, North Bruny Island To: Jetty Beach, South Bruny Island We travelled [14.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [16.8]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.9]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.4kt. Location Comments: [Campsite and trails ashore. Access to road to Cape Bruny lighthouse (about 4k each way, National park pass required, entry fee for lighthouse tour - can be booked online in advance). Telstra signal - 1bar 4G.] General Comments: [Back at Little Fancy Bay we managed a 20km hike (to the cheese shop and to Bruny Island Arch). Today we plan to hike the 4km each way to the lighthouse for the tour. Today might be our last day of nice weather for a while. The sailing was a nice downwind sail with current assist, and aided with a nice big bacon and egg buttie for brunch. We arrived in the anchorage to find a small cruise ship here (Coral Discovery).] At: 12:20(AEDT) 31-Jan-2022, Outside Temp: 25C (77F), Humidity:56%, Water Temp: 19.8C (67.64F) | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 42º 49.08' S | 147º 18.018' E | Begonia |
At Marina Dock: Prince Of Wales Marina, Hobart - Tasmania, Australia. Our position: loc:-42.8294, 147.3028 Sail From: Mary Ann Bay, Arm End To: Prince Of Wales Marina, Hobart We travelled [11.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [9.5]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.9]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.4kt. Location Comments: [PoW Marina located in the northern outskirts (industrial area) of Hobart. Docks new (if a bit short), bathrooms new/clean. Car available for 2 hour window ($10 donation). https://www.princeofwalesbaymarina.com.au/, powmarina@gmail.com. No service after hours or on weekends.] General Comments: [We are here for our COVID boosters, grocery shopping, water top up etc. We would have preferred to stay in Constitution Dock again, but Kyle figured here we would be less likely to mingle with COVID risks (Hmmm).] At: 10:04(AEDT) 20-Jan-2022, Outside Temp: 20.8C (69.44F), Humidity:59%, Water Temp: 19.3C (66.74F) | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 39º 36.738' S | 147º 18.618' E | Begonia |
Day 4 of NSW, Australia Passage From:Quarantine Beach, Manly, Sydney To:Bathurst, Tasmania. Our position: -39.6123, 147.3104 Progress: [We've made [404.3]nm (through water) on this passage and have [344]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [128.9]nm (through water). We have moved [132.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [A mixed day of strong and no wind, downwinds and headwind, and finding a route between oil rigs and cargo traffic] General Comments: [A day and night of poor visibility (between the smoke, and now fog). Neither of us slept well last night as the boat was in light headwinds and rolly seas slamming the sails about. It is also feeling much more cold and damp (not exactly summer-like) as air and water temperatures fall. We have another day in the Bass Strait to 'enjoy'. We currently have headwinds (for the day) and are expecting that to switch to good tail winds by early evening.] At: 06:00(AEDT) 16-Jan-2020, Outside Temp: 16.7C (62.06F), Humidity:95%, Water Temp: 17.8C (64.04F), Course: 235(degT), Speed Over Ground:3kt, Wind:7Kt(from:WNW), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1006hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:SW) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 43º 8.988' S | 147º 19.698' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Sykes Cove, North Bruny Island, (Tasmania, Australia). Our position: -43.1499, 147.3284 Sail From: Randalls Bay (within Garden Island Bay), Tasmania To: Sykes Cove, North Bruny Island, Tasmania We travelled [18.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [10.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 5m of mud (per chart). There are two different club moorings but still plenty of room.] General Comments: [A much colder, wetter, and windier day than we expected made for a quick (but chilly) sailing day. We hope to go ashore tomorrow (where forecasts are for sunshine!) to the 'House of Whisky' - Kyle is especially excited!] At: 14:26(AEDT) 05-Feb-2020, Outside Temp: 14.8C (58.64F), Humidity:67%, Water Temp: 19.3C (66.74F) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 42º 52.968' S | 147º 20.01' E | Begonia |
At Marina: Constitution Dock, Hobart, (Tasmania, Australia). Our position: -42.8829, 147.3335 Sail From: Sykes Cove, North Bruny Island, Tasmania To: Constitution Dock, Hobart, Tasmania We travelled [17.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [16.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Tied to wall (alongside) - a very gnarly wall (mussels and broken wooden beams against a stone wall. Great price though at less than $150 for a week - right in the center of Hobart] General Comments: [A light downwind sail with the Spinnaker to make it to Hobart at last. We are very excited to be here and start some tourist fun (and to take a proper shower, clean the boat, do laundry, etc.. Hahaha!).] At: 13:46(AEDT) 07-Feb-2020, Outside Temp: 16.9C (62.42F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 19.3C (66.74F) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 39º 28.032' S | 147º 20.094' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Winter Cove, Deal Island, Kent Group, Tasmania - Bass Strait, Australia. Our position: -39.4715, 147.3485 Sail From: Peacock Bay, Prime Seal Island, Furneaux Group, Tasmania. To: Winter Cove, Deal Island, Kent Group, Tasmania We travelled [48.7]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [40.7]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [5.7]kt, Avg speed (through the water):6.8kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 4m of sand. Trail from beach across island to lighthouse (with caretaker, and museum). Note island is part of the Kent Group National Park] General Comments: [A cold, blustery and rolly passage North, with huge numbers of mutton birds as we were leaving the tip of Flinders Island. We are now half way across the Bass Strait. We'll spend a few days here and then head north again back to mainland Australia (hopefully to Victoria).] At: 16:14(AEDT) 29-Mar-2021, Outside Temp: 16.5C (61.7F), Humidity:63%, Water Temp: 20.7C (69.26F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 43º 12.096' S | 147º 20.094' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Little Fancy Bay, North Bruny Island - Tasmania, Australia. Our position: loc:-43.2158, 147.3488 Sail From: Prince Of Wales Bay Marina, Hobart To: Little Fancy Bay, North Bruny Island We travelled [46.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [23.3]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.6]kt, Avg speed (through the water):5.1kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 4.3m (LAT) in sand, off sheltered beach backed with woodland (trails ashore).] General Comments: [We departed the Marina after a really wonderful week of sightseeing in all directions from Hobart (with a car). The wind was against us, but I think Kyle was ready for some sailing and he relished the tacking among the crowds of local boats out on the water. It made for a long day, but it gave me chance to catch up on the photos from our busy week (now all up to date, geotagged, etc). Weather feeling decidedly chilly (so glad we have heating aboard to take the nip off the air).] At: 18:36(AEDT) 29-Jan-2022, Outside Temp: 19.3C (66.74F), Humidity:64%, Water Temp: 20C (68F) | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 19º 18.036' S | 147º 23.04' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Cape Bowling Green, QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-19.3060, 147.3897 Sail From: Lodestone Reef, Great Barrier Reef, QLD To: Cape Bowling Green, QLD We travelled [43.4]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [40.7]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.3]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.5kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 1.7m of sand behind sandspit. Weak 1bar 4G telstra signal.] General Comments: [We begin to sail south again (slowly). We had hoped to sail today (hence the very early start of 3:20am), but wind was so light as to make sailing impossible for much of the trip. We were regularly surrounded with leaping tuna, but none bothered to attach themselves to our trailing line unfortunately. Seas were so calm for most of the morning that we easily spotted a lost snake looking to hitch a ride (we declined).] At: 15:48(AEST) 14-Sep-2021, Outside Temp: 28.2C (82.76F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 28.5C (83.3F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 42º 58.032' S | 147º 23.082' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Mary Ann Bay, Arm End - Tasmania, Australia. Our position: loc:-42.9723, 147.3971 Sail From: Lime Bay (Norfolk Bay), Tasman Peninsula To: Mary Ann Bay, Arm End We travelled [39.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [13.7]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [1.9]kt, Avg speed (through the water):5.5kt. Location Comments: [Anchored way out in 9.7m (LAT) - there is plenty of space much shallower, pick your depth. Ashore there large areas of open land atop the cliffs, and the Arm End Track which goes around the Spit/Gellibrand point, etc with a few great viewpoints.] General Comments: [Kyle is a happy smug bug today as we departed and anchored under sail. No motor all day. It did mean we anchored in a little deeper water than we would normally (since the wind was blocked closer into shore). He's so happy to have scheduled a stop (for me?!) in Mary Ann Bay. I'm happy that I was able to get mostly caught up with the blog while he was busy tacking all day to get us here.] At: 16:00(AEDT) 19-Jan-2022, Outside Temp: 19.6C (67.28F), Humidity:57%, Water Temp: 18.3C (64.94F) | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 42º 57.018' S | 147º 42.048' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Lime Bay (Norfolk Bay), Tasman Peninsula - Tasmania, Australia. Our position: loc:-42.9527, 147.7080 Sail From: Eaglehawk Neck, Eaglehawk Bay, Tasman Peninsula To: Lime Bay (Norfolk Bay), Tasman Peninsula We travelled [6.4]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [10.1]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.0]kt, Avg speed (through the water):1.3kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.5m (LAT) in sand patch among weedy bottom. Ashore is Lime Bay State Reserve, with campsite, trails, and road access ashore. 1bar 4G (Telstra).] General Comments: [Firstly - The giant eruption in Tonga of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano yesterday put the all the pacific on alert. While there is still technically a tsunami warning here in Tasmania, it seems clear that the wave has passed. Hobart recorded a 50cm surge, but we didn't feel a thing and all is well/safe. We'll keep an eye on the news for any additional eruptions/issues. We didn't get to sleep until very late last night watching how things progressed. Tonga will be devastated being so close to such a giant eruption and mostly low lying. We see one marina in NZ has been badly impact (but probably due as much to the cyclone they had at the same time). Thankfully all in Australia seem safe/fine. Aside from that, the weather is giving us sunny days and rainy days (today - beautifully sunny), the seals are regularly spotted, and dolphin join us from time to time. ] At: 12:09(AEDT) 16-Jan-2022, Outside Temp: 25.4C (77.72F), Humidity:59%, Water Temp: 21.7C (71.06F) | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 43º 7.35' S | 147º 43.68' E | Begonia | At Anchor: Wades Corner,Crooked Billet Bay, (Tasmania, Australia). Our position: -43.1225, 147.7281 Sail From: Constitution Dock, Hobart, Tasmania To: Wades Corner,Crooked Billet Bay, Tasmania We travelled [30.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [22.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [At Anchor in view of 'White beach' in 8m of sand. Today's passage was very mixed, starting with spinnaker sailing, and ending with triple reefs and 30kt gusts. We're expecting some more strong wind conditions while we are here but have plenty of scope out.] General Comments: [We had a fantastic time in Hobart and crammed our time with plenty of sightseeing and tastings (beer, wine, whisky and more). We move on now heading anti-clockwise (slowly) around Tasmania and getting a bit of a rest.] At: 18:22(AEDT) 14-Feb-2020, Outside Temp: 21.8C (71.24F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 19.3C (66.74F) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 19º 43.056' S | 147º 45.042' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Shark Bay, Cape Upstart, QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-19.7257, 147.7571 Sail From: Cape Bowling Green, QLD To: Shark Bay, Cape Upstart, QLD We travelled [52.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [32.6]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.8]kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.5kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.8m protected by the rugged landscape. Ashore are a few isolated (private) holiday homes (serviced by boats),with some bush walking possible. We are told to be wary of estuarine crocodiles if we go near the creeks. 1bar Telstra 4G (weak).] General Comments: [Well Kyle did it. He was determined to sail here, and despite the wind forecast not matching reality and a lot of ineffective tacking at the start, we MADE IT before sunset and without resorting to motor-sailing. We continue to spot patches of smoke from ashore (presumably agriculture related). Aboard I finished the autobiography of Dawn French (a well-loved British comedienne) and learned a lot about this lovely Cornish lass!] At: 17:22(AEST) 16-Sep-2021, Outside Temp: 26.2C (79.16F), Humidity:59%, Water Temp: 27.5C (81.5F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 40º 4.014' S | 147º 45.084' E | Begonia |
At Mooring Ball (free): Peacock Bay, Prime Seal Island, Furneaux Group, Tasmania. - Bass Strait, Australia. Our position: -40.0693, 147.7642 Sail From: Fotheringate Bay, Flinders Island, Furneaux Group, Tasmania. To: Peacock Bay, Prime Seal Island, Furneaux Group, Tasmania. We travelled [17.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [15.0]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.0]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.6kt. Location Comments: [MAST Mooring ball (there are 2 here), in 8m depth. Telstra Signal: 1bar.] General Comments: [Over the last few days the pressure has swung from 1036 down to 990 (both unusual towards each extreme of 'normal' weather). Strong winds are expected from the South and West so we've relocated to yet another anchorage during a brief calm, we motor sailed as it was so calm and we wanted to be sure to arrive before dark. We arrived in plenty of time but seeing the MAST mooring already taken we made 4 attempts to set the anchor - each failed when we back down at high revs (our normal test). There was too much weed and we couldn't locate a sandy patch that wasn't too shallow AND it was approaching dark. If anchoring failed our alternative was to stay at sea all night and try again in daylight. Thankfully the other boat here, Pipi, called to say that there was a fishing boat mooring near him; although he didn't know if it was any good, it was worth a try. We went for it with Pipi helping by shining his spotlight in the appropriate direction. When we arrived we were SO HAPPY to see it was an official MAST mooring (local government, meaning it will be well maintained and trust-worthy). Whew - we made it.... Now we expect to be here for a couple of days based on the forecast. ] At: 20:00(AEDT) 24-Mar-2021, Outside Temp: 19.3C (66.74F), Humidity:95%, Water Temp: 21.7C (71.06F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 37º 54.03' S | 147º 46.038' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Dock-Free in Resides Jetty, Raymond Island, Gippsland Lakes, Victoria, Australia - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 2 of Bass Strait Passage From:Winter Cove, Deal Island, Kent Group, Tasmania To:Resides Jetty, Raymond Island, Gippsland Lakes, Victoria. Our position: -37.9045, 147.7727 Progress: [We've made [102.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [24]nm Since last posting we have made [16.4]nm (through water). We have moved [11.1]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [1.0]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:1.4kt, Avg speed for trip:4.0kt. Sailing Conditions [48-hour free public dock on quiet side of this busy tourist island (famed for its wild koala population). Dock has a LOT of bird guano so we are glad our bedroom is on the other side of the boat! 2bars Telstra cell-phone Signal.] General Comments: [We made it to Victoria (State)! We arrived well before first light, but then a mismatch between predicted and actual tides/current had us just sitting off the entrance for 12 hours awaiting a safe time to enter. Once we entered the lakes, we motored to a dock deeper into the lakes. It has been overcast and cold all day, but thankfully sea-state was calm while we waited. We'll rest up and be looking forward to a walk ashore for some Koala spotting in the morning.] At: 17:32(AEST) 05-Apr-2021, Outside Temp: 17.9C (64.22F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 23.1C (73.58F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 42º 53.022' S | 147º 49.02' E | Begonia |
At Mooring Ball (free): East Bay, Dunally - Tasmania, Australia. Our position: loc:-42.8868, 147.8204 Sail From: Chinamans Bay, Shoal Bay, Maria Island To: East Bay, Dunally We travelled [14.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [17.1]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.8]kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.4kt. Location Comments: [At MAST Mooring ball (OK for overnight if you arrive after 1pm). Depth 1.9m at LAT. Just NE of the Dennison Canal entrance. Quite crowded.] General Comments: [It was really gusty on our arrival and a struggle to control the boat among the many moorings. Initially we picked up the wrong mooring ball (oops), so we had to face the gusts all over again. The sail south was (ironically) in light winds, and filled with lovely scenery, dolphin visits, and the odd fur-seal spotting. We had hoped to go ashore this afternoon, but NO WAY in this gusty/choppy mess. We can maybe make a new plan in the morning.] At: 14:20(AEDT) 09-Jan-2022, Outside Temp: 22.1C (71.78F), Humidity:59%, Water Temp: 19.8C (67.64F) | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 42º 56.07' S | 147º 51.054' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Murdunna, King George Sound - Tasmania, Australia. Our position: loc:-42.9445, 147.8588 Sail From: East Bay, Dunally To: Murdunna, King George Sound We travelled [7.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [3.9]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [1.8]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.6kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 1.8m (LAT) among mooring balls. Lovely floating dock ashore to leave the dinghy and explore ashore (trails and a small grocery store as part of the nearby fuel station). 3bar 3G on phone.] General Comments: [Transitted the Denison Canal (where road traffic has to be stopped to open the bridge to let the boats through), and headed a short distance south to explore some of the Forestier Peninsula. Murdunna was severely impacted by the 2013 bush-fires but there are no obvious signs of it from the anchorage with all the trees decked in a full complement of leaves.] At: 15:50(AEDT) 10-Jan-2022, Outside Temp: 19.4C (66.92F), Humidity:66%, Water Temp: 19.8C (67.64F) | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 43º 10.992' S | 147º 51.522' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Safety Cove,Port Arthur (Tasmania, Australia). Our position: -43.1832, 147.8587 Sail From: Wades Corner,Crooked Billet Bay, Tasmania To: Safety Cove,Port Arthur We travelled [41.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [6.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [At anchor in 8m depth in this pretty cove (a few empty mooring balls nearer to shore).] General Comments: [We spent the day aboard back in Wades Corner (catching up on chores). The passage today was a sightseeing tour, with beautiful organ-pipe cliffs (Cape Raoul), and plenty of birds and dolphins. By the time we made it to the anchorage we even had blue sky and sunshine (long may it last). From here we are hoping to visit (at least one of) the 'Remarkable Cave' and/or Port Arthur Penitentiary. Note: Port Arthur is also the site of Australia's worst mass shooting; horrific and devastating it was an event that triggered changes to gun regulation throughout Australia).] At: 15:06(AEDT) 16-Feb-2020, Outside Temp: 15.1C (59.18F), Humidity:62%, Water Temp: 17.3C (63.14F) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 38º 3.006' S | 147º 54.096' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of Bass Strait Passage From:Winter Cove, Deal Island, Kent Group, Tasmania To:Raymond Island, Gippsland Lakes, Victoria. Our position: -38.0505, 147.9163 Progress: [We've made [86.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [24]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [86]nm Since last posting we have made [86.1]nm (through water). We have moved [89.3]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [6.4]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.1kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):6.1kt. Sailing Conditions [After a windy start and a fast evening, we have finally had to slow down as we have 7 more hours to go before the suitable time to enter the 'bar' at Lakes Entrance (9nm away). We can practically row and still make that distance in that time. Overnight we transitted through one of Australia's Oil/Gas fields and several rigs (at a safe distance). Lots of very bright bioluminescence last night too.] General Comments: [We have finally departed Tasmania and are soon to arrive in Victoria. ] At: 06:00(AEST) 05-Apr-2021, Outside Temp: 16.6C (61.88F), Humidity:78%, Water Temp: 20.7C (69.26F), Course: 17(degT), Speed Over Ground:1.6kt, Wind:9Kt(from:SW), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1021hPa, Swell:1.5m (from:SW) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 43º 0.102' S | 147º 55.026' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Eaglehawk Neck, Eaglehawk Bay, Tasman Peninsula - Tasmania, Australia. Our position: loc:-43.0166, 147.9211 Sail From: Murdunna, King George Sound To: Eaglehawk Neck, Eaglehawk Bay, Tasman Peninsula We travelled [17.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [5.1]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [1.3]kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.4kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 4m (LAT) in narrow sound. Ashore you are right on the narrow isthmus (about 110m wide) between Forestier Peninusula and Tasman Peninsular (across the shallow neck is Pirates Bay, fully open to the east. There are several natural attractions within walking distance - to the south (The quirky 'Doo Town' and natural blowhole (4km), and beyond that the geological features of Tasman Arch/Devil's Kitchen (5.5km)) and to the north (a Historic site complete with Officers' Quarters Museum - the oldest military building in Australia - admission free, and beyond that a site with natural geological feature of Tessellated Pavement (1km)). For dinghy landing, beware the east end is a big mud flat at low tide so time your departure/arrival to avoid having to drag it too far.] General Comments: [Although we travelled just a short distance there was a lot of tacking and gusty winds involved. Thankfully no waves to worry about. I think Kyle had fun! With all that tacking though we caught a jib line on our mainsail pack and managed to rip that (Ugh - more repairs!).] At: 13:30(AEDT) 12-Jan-2022, Outside Temp: 19.6C (67.28F), Humidity:56%, Water Temp: 19.8C (67.64F) | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 40º 46.038' S | 147º 56.1' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Lemons Beach, Foster Inlet, Cape Portland, Tasmania - Bass Strait, Australia. Our position: -40.7730, 147.9497 Sail From: Off Marion's Vinyard, Deviot, Tamar River, Tasmania. To: Lemons Beach, Foster Inlet, Cape Portland, Tasmania We travelled [72.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [53.8]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.9]kt, Avg speed (through the water):5.2kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 4m. Wind generators loom all around this corner of Tasmania (ominous sign). Cape Portland Conservation Area all around. Petal Point campground ashore (described as primative, part of Mt William National Park, no trash cans) to the south end of Lemons Beach.] General Comments: [We had a very early start to catch the tides AND be sure to arrive before dark - Kyle was up just after midnight! Transitting the last few miles of River Tamar was uneventful until we approached the mouth and the journey became a little wilder with an ebbing current against wind and waves (def. not ideal!). It took a few miles for the seas to dial it down to just miserable, and most of the day was just that before we were back in calmer waters in the anchorage. During the passage we didn't see any other boats, but there was a call on the VHF of the type 'is anybody there, we need help'. Clearly someone not familiar with using a VHF radio. We waited for the excellent Maritime Radio to return the call, but silence so we picked up the call and established that a boat has been attempting to return to their trailer at Blizzard Landing boat ramp, and a wave had washed them off and back out into the water, and left them stuck in a falling tide with two people aboard. We were too far away and no good to help. The signal was weak and I had to ask for information multiple times, but eventually had enough information to call the police from my cell phone and have them make all the appropriate contacts. Shortly after Tas Maritime contacted me (they must have pointed their boosters in my direction) and verified all the information we had. By the time we were pulling into our anchorage we got another call from Tas Maritime confirming the boat and people were now all safe and well - Great news!. We are expecting the winds to shift so we'll be well protected sat here for a few days before heading North.] At: 16:44(AEDT) 15-Mar-2021, Outside Temp: 20.6C (69.08F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 21.7C (71.06F) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 43º 16.026' S | 147º 57.072' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of Tasmania Passage From:Jetty Beach, South Bruny Island To:Riedle Bay, Maria Island. Our position: loc:-43.2713, 147.9623 Progress: [We've made [53.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [37.9]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [57.1]nm Since last posting we have made [53.2]nm (through water). We have moved [36.9]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.0]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.3kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.3kt. Sailing Conditions [We first headed south to round the tip of Bruny Island (and wave at the Cape Bruny Light). Then overnight seas built, but thankfully we are sailing downwind NE to Round the tip of the Tasman Peninsula (amazing geology) just in time for daylight. All a bit chilly so we are well wrapped up and with the enclosure on.] General Comments: [Some periods of rain, and mixed seas we are just off the amazing columns of the SE corner of Tasman Peninsula (and Tasman Island) as I type - view is stunning. And with dolphins playing at the bow. We love Tassie!] At: 06:00(AEDT) 03-Feb-2022, Outside Temp: 13.8C (56.84F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 17.3C (63.14F), Course: 74(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.3kt, Wind:20Kt(from:W), Cloud Cover:60%, Pressure: 1008hPa, Swell:2.5m (from:W) | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 43º 8.388' S | 147º 57.702' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Fortescue Bay (Tasman National Park) (Tasmania, Australia). Our position: -43.1399, 147.9617 Sail From: Safety Cove,Port Arthur To: Fortescue Bay (Tasman National Park) We travelled [26.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [5.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [A lovely day of mostly sailing, wind variable and died a few times (so a bit of motoring). Anchored in 8m of (hopefully) sand in the main bay. We had hoped to anchor in the little protected corner of Canoe Bay, but another boat beat us to it today.] General Comments: [We had a great day ashore at Port Arthur (where we very well treated by some lovely locals AND we did all the sightseeing we had hoped to). Today we moved on around the coast! What an AMAZING day. Blue skies, the dolomite column scenery was spectacular, we had several pods of dolphins join us, and we sat and watched a rather unexpected tightrope (slackrope?) walk across from the main trail to the frighteningly high and isolated 'Candlestick' by The Lanterns at Cape Hauy. We've no idea if the walk was sanctioned or subterfuge, but it was quite the feat and certainly kept us entertained for some time! Now we are safely at anchor, were hoping the weather will hold out and we can enjoy one of the marvelous trails into the Tasman National Park from this beach: there are several partial, single and multi-day hikes and plenty of hiker activity ashore (we'll aim for a shorter one).] At: 15:44(AEDT) 18-Feb-2020, Outside Temp: 18.1C (64.58F), Humidity:62%, Water Temp: 19.3C (66.74F) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 37º 52.092' S | 147º 59.004' E | Begonia |
At Dock-Free: Cunninghame Quay, Lakes Entrance, Gippsland Lakes - Gippsland Lakes, Victoria, Australia. Our position: -37.8824, 147.9843 Sail From: Resides Jetty, Raymond Island, Gippsland Lakes, Victoria To: Cunninghame Quay, Lakes Entrance, Gippsland Lakes We travelled [8.7]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [10.1]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.0]kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.6kt. Location Comments: [48-hour Free Public dock (water available - free), power available (Fee), fixed dock so need to allow for tide. Short walk to woolworths, laundromat, and plenty of restaurants, etc.] General Comments: [We took a leisurely motor back towards the lakes entrance, stopping at Metung village (for brunch from the bakery), and again at the Co-Op fuel dock to top up our diesel (First time since Exmouth, WA!). The sun is finally back out, so we are looking forward to a waterfront stroll.] At: 12:54(AEST) 07-Apr-2021, Outside Temp: 22.6C (72.68F), Humidity:67%, Water Temp: 23.6C (74.48F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 40º 12.054' S | 148º 2.016' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Fotheringate Bay, Flinders Island - Bass Strait, Australia. Our position: -40.2092, 148.0359 Sail From: Trousers Bay, Flinders Island, Furneaux Group, Tasmania. To: Fotheringate Bay, Flinders Island We travelled [2.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.2]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [1.1]kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.4kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 6m of sand (you can pick your depth, just select a sandy patch between weed cover). From anchor we have great views of Strzelecki Peaks in the Strzelecki National Park to our E through ENE and plenty of beautiful rock features to scramble over. Two of Tasmania's 60 great walks can be done from this anchorage: Trousers Point Coastal Track is a relatively easy trail and runs between the north and south coves of Trousers Point, and Strzelecki Peaks(756m) trail head is a 3.5km walk along the road (allow 5-6 hours once at the trailhead). Note: Tasmania National Park passes required for trails. Road access is to south end of beach. Telstra signal: 3-Bars of 4G. ] General Comments: [We have moved around Trousers Point to get a bit more protection from the winds expected later today and all day tomorrow (when we will need to move again). The terrible rains and storms that have hit much of Australia are headed our way and we'll just have to keep moving to remain protected. In the meantime we are dry and safe and have plenty to keep us busy while we remain aboard.] At: 14:58(AEDT) 23-Mar-2021, Outside Temp: 21.1C (69.98F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 22.2C (71.96F) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 40º 13.008' S | 148º 2.016' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Trousers Bay, Flinders Island, Furneaux Group, Tasmania. - Bass Strait, Australia. Our position: -40.2296, 148.0358 Sail From: Spike Cove, Clarke Island, Furneaux Group, Tasmania. To: Trousers Bay, Flinders Island, Furneaux Group, Tasmania. We travelled [27.5]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [19.0]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.5]kt, Avg speed (through the water):5.1kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 5m of sand (select a sandy patch between weed cover). Trousers Bay Beach looks great for a walk/run (certainly at low tides). From anchor we have great views of Strzelecki Peaks in the Strzelecki National Park to our E through ENE and a selection of trail options from the beach, in addition to plenty of beautiful rock features to scramble over. Trousers Point Coastal Track runs between the north and south coves of Trousers Point. Campground (with road access) to north end of beach. Note: Tasmania National Park passes required for trails. ] General Comments: [Another blustery day, mostly sailing broad reach, but against currents. Anchored in the bay with (currently) just one other boat (on the mooring). Expected strong winds from tomorrow night from the NE/ENE so we should be snug and protected here before having to move again for later forecasts. we hope to hit some of the trails; thankfully we a have our Tas NP passes from our earlier visit to Cradle Mountain.] At: 12:30(AEDT) 21-Mar-2021, Outside Temp: 21.1C (69.98F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 21.7C (71.06F) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 42º 39.06' S | 148º 3.018' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Chinamans Bay, Shoal Bay, Maria Island - Tasmania, Australia. Our position: loc:-42.6597, 148.0532 Sail From: Mooreys Bay, Schouten Island, To: Chinamans Bay, Shoal Bay, Maria Island We travelled [32.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [23.8]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.4]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.3kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.9m (LAT), Trails ashore to explore, 3bar of 3G phone signal.] General Comments: [An interesting gloomy sail today, wind varied and swung about (a bit of tacking required into the wind and around a fish farm). We eventually arrived at Maria Island in perfect calm (it won't last!). Forecast is for a few days of rain and gusty conditions - and we are perfectly well protected here with some housework in our future I suspect. We may even attempt to catch up with the blog too (but don't bank on that). Anchored in the same bay is 'Love and War' - one of the recent Sydney-Hobart competitors (an older wooden boat with an impressive pedigree with the S2H race).] At: 16:12(AEDT) 04-Jan-2022, Outside Temp: 22.5C (72.5F), Humidity:58%, Water Temp: 19.8C (67.64F) | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 42º 34.074' S | 148º 3.078' E | Begonia |
At Mooring Ball (free): Darlington Bay, Maria Island - Tasmania, Australia. Our position: loc:-42.5791, 148.0632 Sail From: Whalers Cove, Riedle Bay, Maria Island To: Darlington Bay, Maria Island We travelled [15.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [5.6]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [1.2]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.4kt. Location Comments: [One of 3 (shallow draught - 2.0m LAT) MAST moorings, off the main settlement and ferry stop on the island. Plenty of trails ashore, along with museum and bike rental. Good Telstra Signal: 4bar 3G.] General Comments: [Today we sailed around the East and North of the island to our final anchorage for Maria Island, the trip took us by some more amazing geology (sedimentary) with cliffs and caves galore, including by Fossil Cliffs (which we hope to see up close later). We rounded Ile du Nord at a safe distance and were settled in on our mooring just in time for the ferry to depart. From here we can hit the remaining trails we've missed to date, and hopefully include a trip to the museum too. Of course Kyle is hoping for some more wombat time before we leave Maria Island.] At: 11:02(AEDT) 08-Feb-2022, Outside Temp: 21.2C (70.16F), Humidity:62%, Water Temp: 18.8C (65.84F) | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 42º 41.004' S | 148º 4.038' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Riedle Bay, Maria Island, Australia - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 2 of Tasmania Passage From:Jetty Beach, South Bruny Island To:Riedle Bay, Maria Island. Our position: loc:-42.6837, 148.0734 Progress: [We've made [88.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [37.9]nm Since last posting we have made [35.3]nm (through water). We have moved [35.6]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.6]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.5kt, Avg speed for trip:4.4kt. Sailing Conditions [Anchored in 4.6m (LAT) of sand. Tucked into south corner with protection from swell from S and even SE (it helps that we are a catamaran). Access to shore for Trails especially for South of the Isthmus. Robeys Farm Trail (Moderate/4h/10km Rtn) or Haunted Bay (Moderate/6h/12km Rtn). National Parks rules apply/pass required. Telstra 1bar 3G (no effective signal).] General Comments: [Wow, what a wonderful sail. Kyle had aurora and dolphins (at the same time) overnight, and all day we have had regular visits from dolphins happy to leap about and perform (although rarely where the camera is pointing). The cliffs of Tasman Island, the Tasman Peninsula, The Forestier Peninsula, and even on the Southern end of Maria Island have been magnificent (with rainbows to top it all off) - we feel so privileged to see it all. We'll rest up today and head ashore tomorrow for the Haunted Bay Trail.] At: 13:46(AEDT) 03-Feb-2022, Outside Temp: 19.7C (67.46F), Humidity:61%, Water Temp: 17.8C (64.04F) | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 42º 39.87' S | 148º 7.002' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Whalers Cove, Riedle Bay, Maria Island - Tasmania, Australia. Our position: loc:-42.6645, 148.1167 Sail From: Riedle Bay, Maria Island To: Whalers Cove, Riedle Bay, Maria Island We travelled [2.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [2.2]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.4]kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.2kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 11m (LAT), surrounded by amazing rock structures (avoid if forecast for changing winds). Really pretty location, no trail access, but plenty of rocks to scramble about upon. (Off Three Caverns Point). Telstra phone reports No Service, intermittent 1 bar 3G (not effective) - however a reasonable signal is available in the main bay area on approach.] General Comments: [Since we've completed the southern trails, and with calm winds forecast, we've moved to the North side of Riedle bay with plans to take the Kayak for a tour of the rock features.] All is well Thanks for following along with us Kyle & Maryanne At: 12:34(AEDT) 06-Feb-2022, Outside Temp: 23.8C (74.84F), Humidity:47%, Water Temp: 18.8C (65.84F) | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 40º 32.04' S | 148º 7.014' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Spike Cove, Clarke Island, Furneaux Group, Tasmania - Bass Strait, Australia. Our position: -40.5403, 148.1187 Sail From: Lemons Beach, Foster Inlet, Cape Portland, Tasmania To: Spike Cove, Clarke Island, Furneaux Group, Tasmania. We travelled [15.4]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [15.9]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [7.0]kt, Avg speed (through the water):6.8kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 7.5m of sand. Good sized cove, fringed and spotted with lovely smooth worn bedrock and giant bolders, those around the cove edges are banded with bright orange lichen. All just begging to get the dingy/kayak out and explore from sea and ashore. Very photogenic! Poor 1bar Telstra signal with intermittent 'no service'.] General Comments: [A choppy passage, close reach, but with a favourable current preventing us from needing to consider any tacking. Chilly and blustery on route. However the views on arriving are spectacular and we are keen to get ashore and scramble over some of these amazing sentinels. There was one other boat here when we arrived, and they are already out exploring (we won't be long behind them).] At: 09:26(AEDT) 19-Mar-2021, Outside Temp: 19.7C (67.46F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 21.7C (71.06F) | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 19º 58.086' S | 148º 15.03' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Grays Bay (Queens Bay), Bowen, QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-19.9810, 148.2545 Sail From: Shark Bay, Cape Upstart, QLD To: Grays Bay (Queens Bay), Bowen, QLD We travelled [72.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [32.0]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.3]kt, Avg speed (through the water):5.2kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 1.9m. 3bar of 4G (Telstra).] General Comments: [We had a really early start after receiving some tough family news from the USA. Moved to continue our passage south, and to get a better cellphone/internet signal for the coming days, so we can stay in touch as much as possible with our loved ones. It was a fittingly miserable upwind passage with plenty of tacking to distract us; we made it just in time for sunset.] At: 17:56(AEST) 18-Sep-2021, Outside Temp: 24.2C (75.56F), Humidity:60%, Water Temp: 27.1C (80.78F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 40º 12.072' S | 148º 15.048' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Opossum Boat Harbour, Lady Barron, Flinders Island, Tasmania, Australia - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 3 of Tasman Sea Passage From:Eden, NSW (Tasmania part 2 - isolating) To:Opossum Boat Harbour, Lady Barron, Flinders Island, Tasmania. Our position: loc:-40.2120, 148.2584 Progress: [We've made [225.4]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [128]nm Since last posting we have made [112.1]nm (through water). We have moved [113.3]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.5]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.4kt, Avg speed for trip:4.6kt. Sailing Conditions [Anchored in 2.6m (LAT). Patch of bank ashore to park dinghy and climb up to the road for the short walk to town.] General Comments: [WOW - we made it. Yesterday we had the boat Bowline from the S2H race slowly creeping up on us, and eventually passing us around 6pm at night. The Bass strait remained a calm wonderland with a clear sky giving another amazing display of start for the night watches. As we approached Franklin Sound (between Flinders and Cape Barren Island, the early morning sunlight was great for a few pictures, and a group of penguins popped up to greet us. All that was disturbed when our anchor windlass decided to just start working on its own in an attempt to lower the anchor before we had even arrived at the anchorage. Thankfully we had it all clipped securely in - but gees! It seems we have a cracked wire cable on the controller - so that will require some time to attempt to fix before we can rely on it again (we did get it functioning OK in time to drop the anchor, but it needs to be properly fixed). An Email from border control and biosecurity confirms we are all cleared in and don't need to actually present ourselves to anyone - We need to rest up a bit, and switch the dingy out of liferaft mode before we can go ashore - but I'm so ready to get ashore after almost 2 weeks aboard!] At: 07:14(AEDT) 30-Dec-2021, Outside Temp: 18.9C (66.02F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 19.8C (67.64F) | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 41º 19.578' S | 148º 15.144' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in St Helens, Australia - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 2 of Tasmania Passage From:Bryans Corner/Bryans Beach, Freycinet Peninsula To:St Helens. Our position: loc:-41.3263, 148.2524 Progress: [We've made [59.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [11.6]nm Since last posting we have made [8.6]nm (through water). We have moved [6.8]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [1.9]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:2.5kt, Avg speed for trip:3.4kt. Sailing Conditions [Anchored in 3m (LAT), but assume less (1.2m?) for full swing circle (soft mud bottom). Anchored outside moorings. Also nearby, public dock, and small marina.] General Comments: [We arrived and had an easy entrance over the bar. Unfortunately the public dock (which we were hoping for) was full on our arrival, so we found an anchor spot that will work. Rest day today (especially for Kyle who had the midnight to 6am watch and has yet to sleep since.] Passage Complete Thanks for following along with us Kyle & Maryanne At: 09:30(AEDT) 15-Feb-2022, Outside Temp: 21.4C (70.52F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 22.2C (71.96F) | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 42º 17.094' S | 148º 16.068' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Mooreys Bay, Schouten Island, - Tasmania, Australia. Our position: loc:-42.2985, 148.2782 Sail From: Wineglass Bay, Freycinet National Park To: Mooreys Bay, Schouten Island, We travelled [17.5]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [7.6]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.5]kt, Avg speed (through the water):5.7kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in sand pach in 4m (LAT). 2bar 3G phone signal. Freycinet National Park (no dogs, pass required), Rugged cliffs, sandy beach.] General Comments: [A short hop south again, sailing into light head-winds. Weather is cooler, water getting very cool, but for now the sun is shining and all is well.] At: 11:08(AEDT) 03-Jan-2022, Outside Temp: 21.2C (70.16F), Humidity:59%, Water Temp: 16.1C (60.98F) | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 42º 15.036' S | 148º 16.068' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Bryans Corner/Bryans Beach, Freycinet Peninsula - Tasmania, Australia. Our position: loc:-42.2560, 148.2783 Sail From: off Richardsons Beach, Coles Bay To: Bryans Corner/Bryans Beach, Freycinet Peninsula We travelled [14.7]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [7.7]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.2]kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.1kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 4.5m (LAT) of sand (pick your depth). Nice beach ashore and trail access to north (and camp site). Freycinet National Park (No pets ashore). Phone signal marginal/poor.] General Comments: [We sailed south today (tacking into the winds) to put us in a good place to round Freycinet and head north again. For now we'll hold out here a few days waiting for the north winds to pass before we move on.] At: 16:22(AEDT) 12-Feb-2022, Outside Temp: 24C (75.2F), Humidity:45%, Water Temp: 19.8C (67.64F) | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 42º 7.074' S | 148º 17.082' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: off Richardsons Beach, Coles Bay - Tasmania, Australia. Our position: loc:-42.1286, 148.2971 Sail From: Darlington Bay, Maria Island To: off Richardsons Beach, Coles Bay We travelled [25.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [29.0]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.2]kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.9kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.3m (LAT, but you can pick your depth) - in sand, outside of mooring ball area. Ashore are plenty of trails, and the town of Coles has grocery stores, cafes, and a pub.] General Comments: [A lovely day sailing (with some motoring) - we had planned to stop off at Ils des Phoques (Seal Island) to take the dinghy into some of the amazing caves there - however the swell was too much so we didn't even bother deploying the dinghy. We did loop all around the island and enjoyed the Fur Seals barking away ashore (although the smell was a bit pungent). On the passage today we shared the water with dolphins, penguins and fur seals. And of course, on arriving we got to see the amazing Hazards mountains. Kyle had a notion he wanted to climb one of them, but the trail guide implies a lot of scrambling on all fours on some very slippery granite so I've passed on that. We are expecting some strong northerly winds tomorrow so we are tucked out of harms way and safe.] At: 15:32(AEDT) 10-Feb-2022, Outside Temp: 21.2C (70.16F), Humidity:48%, Water Temp: 21.2C (70.16F) | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 41º 14.088' S | 148º 18.03' E | Begonia |
At Mooring Ball (free): Cosy Corner, Bingalong Bay - Tasmania, Australia. Our position: loc:-41.2484, 148.3048 Sail From: St Helens To: Cosy Corner, Bingalong Bay We travelled [9.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [5.2]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [1.8]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.4kt. Location Comments: [One of 2 MAST moorings (10m depth) in this bay with beautiful white beaches and rocks ashore. Short walk to point to east to pick up Skeleton Bay trail to see the classic Bay of Fires rocks.] General Comments: [We left St Helens, with a beautifully flat/calm bar and a fond farewell from the VMR duty officer. Motored the short way to Bingalong and are hoping to get ashore in these wonderfully (but rare) favourable conditions.] At: 11:04(AEDT) 18-Feb-2022, Outside Temp: 24.7C (76.46F), Humidity:44%, Water Temp: 17.8C (64.04F) | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 42º 10.05' S | 148º 18.048' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Winelgass Bay, Tasmania, Australia - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 2 of Tasman Sea Passage From:Opossum Boat Harbour, Lady Barron, Flinders Island, Tasmania To:Winelgass Bay, Tasmania. Our position: loc:-42.1746, 148.3079 Progress: [We've made [126.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [37]nm Since last posting we have made [35.0]nm (through water). We have moved [36.8]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [5.6]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.4kt, Avg speed for trip:4.1kt. Sailing Conditions [Anchored in sand patch in 4.5m of water. Tucked into the south corner/hook gives a calm spot for dinghy landing in most sea states. Tasmanian National Parks Pass at the ready for exploring ashore.] General Comments: [The wind and seas built throughout the morning and we were uncertain if Wineglass would even offer any protection with the swell - but all is good. Along the way we've seen plenty of giant jellies(? - lions mane-like). We arrived to find a couple of smaller power boats at anchor, and a tour boat popping in to show off the bay before moving along (much busier than we expected given the conditions). Roseanne was well ahead of us and decided to move on to the better shelter of Great Oyster Bay - but we expect we'll meet up again eventually. Happy New Year to all.] At: 12:32(AEDT) 01-Jan-2022, Outside Temp: 26.3C (79.34F), Humidity:57%, Water Temp: 18.3C (64.94F) | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 42º 10.392' S | 148º 18.492' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Wineglass Bay, Freycinet National Park (Tasmania, Australia). Our position: -42.1732, 148.3081 Sail From: Fortescue Bay, Tasman National Park To: Wineglass Bay, Freycinet National Park We travelled [64.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [60.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [A downwind day with a mix of spinnakers and jib as the wind varies (lots of sail changes). Seas were quite big so we were glad to be going downwind, we found ourselves surfing from time to time too. Anchored in 7.3m depth.] General Comments: [Back in Fortescue Bay we found our way ashore to do a 8 mile return hike to Cape Hauy (Pronounced 'hoy' and is part of the Three Capes Trail) and the very point we'd previously spotted the tightrope walker (no sign of them, nor their equipment any longer). Today day started gray and drizzly, things soon improved as we had an almost constant stream of dolphin visitors, leaping and frolicking all about (just never quite in front of the camera!). Kyle even spotted a little penguin & the coastline continues to impress (although the dolerite columns have now switched to impressive sculpted orange tinted sandstone(?). By the time we made it to anchor the sun was even out (although we are still wearing multiple layers and glad for the heating aboard Begonia).] At: 18:28(AEDT) 20-Feb-2020, Outside Temp: 17C (62.6F), Humidity:65%, Water Temp: 18C (64.4F) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 40º 59.076' S | 148º 20.064' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Eddystone Point (South Cove) - Tasmania, Australia. Our position: loc:-40.9961, 148.3440 Sail From: Binalong Bay To: Eddystone Point (South Cove) - Tasmania We travelled [33.7]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [15.2]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.5]kt, Avg speed (through the water):5.5kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in clear water and sand bottom (4m LAT). Great view of the classic Bay of Fires rocks and the beautiful Eddystone Lighthouse. Looks possible to go ashore and visit lighthouse (but we arrived without time to do so).] General Comments: [A day of strong and gusty headwinds, so lots of tacking. At one point a large pod of leaping dolphins came close (but didn't visit the bows). We are now safely tucked in against the north winds and with a splendid view of the lighthouse and rocks We are quite sad that the weather forecast has us on the move again first thing in the morning so we can't go ashore.] At: 18:02(AEDT) 19-Feb-2022, Outside Temp: 23.4C (74.12F), Humidity:56%, Water Temp: 19.3C (66.74F) | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 41º 19.056' S | 148º 24.018' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of Tasmania Passage From:Bryans Corner/Bryans Beach, Freycinet Peninsula To:St Helens. Our position: loc:-41.3262, 148.4029 Progress: [We've made [51.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [11.6]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [50.4]nm Since last posting we have made [51.2]nm (through water). We have moved [56.1]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.9]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:3.6kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):3.6kt. Sailing Conditions [Downwind spinnaker sailing. In order to time the entrance to the bar we needed to sail overnight, but slowwwwwly (departing and arriving in daylight). ] General Comments: [Kyle saw the faint glow of an aurora last night (once the moon had gone down), AND he had dolphins visit on his watch.] At: 06:00(AEDT) 15-Feb-2022, Outside Temp: 18.5C (65.3F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 20.7C (69.26F), Course: 337(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.8kt, Wind:11Kt(from:SSE), Cloud Cover:60%, Pressure: 1021hPa, Swell:1m (from:S) | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 20º 0.0' S | 148º 26.052' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Gloucester Island (west coast) - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-20.0000, 148.4418 Sail From: Grays Bay (Queens Bay), Bowen, QLD To: Gloucester Island (west coast) We travelled [24.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [10.6]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.0]kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.7kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 6.3m (pick you depth), Beautiful scenery (rugged mountains), expect bullets/wind gusts because of that. 1bar 4G signal] General Comments: [We spent 10 days at anchor back in Bowen to be sure we had a decent signal so we can help out with all the work now required, and also stream the memorial service. Now however we need to get to someplace a bit more provided for so we can rent a car and get things mailed to the USA (fedEx) ASAP - so we are making our way back to Airlie.] At: 16:38(AEST) 28-Sep-2021, Outside Temp: 27.4C (81.32F), Humidity:61%, Water Temp: 27.1C (80.78F) | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 20º 12.018' S | 148º 37.032' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: East Double Bay (Dryander National Park), QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-20.2026, 148.6218 Sail From: Tongue Bay, Whitsunday Island, QLD To: East Double Bay (Dryander National Park), QLD We travelled [30.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [22.4]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.7]kt, Avg speed (through the water):5.1kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 4.3m LAT (you can pick your depth), beautiful bay, well protected from most winds, Dryander National Park lands ashore (but I'm not aware of any trail access from the bay). No cellphone service (Telstra). Quiet, feels very remote depiste being on the mainland and within a short sail of various townships.] General Comments: [We departed under sail, but needed to use the motor to get through Hook Channel (between Hook and Whitsunday Island) which had a section of zero wind. Still no dolphins spotted - I think thats a month without seeing them (quite unusual/unlucky).] At: 12:44(AEST) 13-Apr-2022, Outside Temp: 30.8C (87.44F), Humidity:61%, Water Temp: 32.9C (91.22F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 20º 12.018' S | 148º 37.032' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: East Double Bay (Dryander National Park), QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-20.2028, 148.6219 Sail From: Gloucester Island (west coast) To: East Double Bay (Dryander National Park), QLD We travelled [27.5]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [15.8]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.7]kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.7kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 4.3m (pick your depth), beautiful bay, well protected from most winds, Dryander National Park lands ashore. No cellphone service (Telstra)] General Comments: [Another beat south today, weaving between islands, and eventually made it to a calm and peaceful (and so far empty) anchorage for the evening.] At: 13:00(AEST) 29-Sep-2021, Outside Temp: 26.9C (80.42F), Humidity:63%, Water Temp: 28.5C (83.3F) | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 41º 36.054' S | 148º 37.038' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of Tasman Sea Passage From:Opossum Boat Harbour, Lady Barron, Flinders Island, Tasmania To:Winelgass Bay, Tasmania. Our position: loc:-41.6086, 148.6226 Progress: [We've made [91.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [37]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [93]nm Since last posting we have made [91.1]nm (through water). We have moved [85.4]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.6]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:3.8kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):3.8kt. Sailing Conditions [We left Flinders Island (along with another boat: Roseanne) and while there was plenty of wind in the forecast, soon found ourselves in light fickle winds as we rounded Cape Barron Island. Since it was on overnight sail whatever the conditions we milked all we could and managed to keep moving (worst hour 1.6nm), it was a much slower morning than we expected. Eventually the wind returned and we've sailed with the spinnaker since 3pm last night, slow but steady.] General Comments: [This is the quietest NYE we've had in years, no fireworks in sight - although we did have a pod of 15 or so dolphins hang out with the boat and present their own 'firework show' for us with the bioluminescence for 40 mins or so. They seem to especially love when our headlamp lights a patch of water for them to fish in! The last boat of the S2H (the Army boat: Gun Runner) we expected would likely pass us overnight. Unfortunately we heard them call for advice to access St Mary's harbour, where they were keen to get fuel and water - so we assume they have retired Radio traffic was busy last night with the boat True North also in some sort of difficulty (although we could only hear one side of the conversation). ] At: 06:00(AEDT) 01-Jan-2022, Outside Temp: 18.5C (65.3F), Humidity:80%, Water Temp: 17.3C (63.14F), Course: 175(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.9kt, Wind:14Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1006hPa, Swell:1m (from:N) | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 20º 16.008' S | 148º 42.03' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Off Coral Sea Marina, Pioneer Bay, Airlie, QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-20.2676, 148.7053 Sail From: Nara Inlet, Hook Island, Whitsunday Group, QLD To: Off Coral Sea Marina, Pioneer Bay, Airlie, QLD We travelled [13.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [14.5]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.2]kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.1kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.5m depth, on edge of busy mooring field, near western most access to Coral Sea marina. Airlie is the 'gate way to the Whitsundays' and very popular with backpacking visitors. Good Phone/internet signal (as you'd expect from a town).] General Comments: [Kyle persevered and sailed in very light winds to make the passage to Airlie Beach. Here we can top up any provisions and fuel, and we also have appointments to get our #2 Covid Jab (will be glad when that is done). The weather over the weekend doesn't look fantastic, so I see some days aboard in our future! I'm looking forward to exploring the town. It might be our last chance to eat out for a while too. ] At: 14:48(AEST) 28-Aug-2021, Outside Temp: 27.3C (81.14F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 27.5C (81.5F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 20º 15.096' S | 148º 42.048' E | Begonia |
At Dock: Coral Sea Marina/Resort, Airlie, QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-20.2664, 148.7079 Sail From: East Double Bay (Dryander National Park), QLD To: Coral Sea Marina/Resort, Airlie, QLD We travelled [15.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [6.2]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [1.4]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.3kt. Location Comments: [Way at the end of dock, a LONG walk from the land, This place is swanky and the price reflects it $165/night.] General Comments: [Kyle raised the anchor manually and we sailed off for a rather leisurely sail to Airlie. I was able to work on the computer much of the time so didn't get to see the views. On arrival we hit the ground running to pick up a rental car for a drive to Mackay.] At: 11:38(AEST) 30-Sep-2021, Outside Temp: 29.4C (84.92F), Humidity:57%, Water Temp: 28.5C (83.3F) | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 20º 19.092' S | 148º 50.076' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Happy Bay, Long Island, Whitsundays, QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-20.3320, 148.8463 Sail From: Cid Island (western side), Whitsundays, QLD To: Happy Bay, Long Island, Whitsundays, QLD We travelled [5.5]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [5.3]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.0]kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.1kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.5m (low tide), good holding, Empty resort ashore along with a host of trails] General Comments: [We keep nudging south, while aiming to maintain internet connection. An easy motor sail today across the Whitsunday Passage. When we depart we'll have to time it with the tides to transit 'the narrows' and Long Island Sound (Australia Version).] At: 11:20(AEST) 09-Oct-2021, Outside Temp: 28C (82.4F), Humidity:64%, Water Temp: 29C (84.2F) | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 20º 15.09' S | 148º 54.048' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Cid Island (western side), Whitsundays, QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-20.2648, 148.9083 Sail From: Sawmill Bay, Cid Harbour, Whitsunday Island, QLD To: Cid Island (western side), Whitsundays, QLD We travelled [3.4]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [2.3]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.3]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.4kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 4.8m (low tide), good holding] General Comments: [After a walk up to Whitsunday Peak on Whitsunday Island, we moved the boat around to Cid Island where we know we can have phone/internet signal. A sunny day helps make all the tree topped islands look stunning, nestled in these beautiful turquoise waters.] At: 13:32(AEST) 08-Oct-2021, Outside Temp: 29.5C (85.1F), Humidity:59%, Water Temp: 29C (84.2F) | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 20º 7.062' S | 148º 54.09' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Nara Inlet, Hook Island, Whitsunday Group, QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-20.1268, 148.9145 Sail From: Sawmill Bay, Cid Harbour, Whitsunday Island, QLD To: Nara Inlet, Hook Island, Whitsunday Group, QLD We travelled [8.7]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [8.0]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.7]kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.1kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 5.5m of mud, shore access to a couple of short trails, including an Aboriginal cave with artwork. Beautiful Fiord-like inlet. No cell service in the deeper parts of the inlet (where we are).] General Comments: [Motor-sailed north into the beautiful Nara Inlet. The sun is shining. Kyle continues to remain aboard (while I go off and explore), but I think he's ready for an adventure (we'll see).] At: 11:06(AEST) 27-Aug-2021, Outside Temp: 26.7C (80.06F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 27.1C (80.78F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 20º 4.062' S | 148º 55.05' E | Begonia |
At Mooring Ball (free): Butterfly Bay, Hook Island, Whitsundays, QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-20.0766, 148.9252 Sail From: Coral Sea Marina/Resort, Airlie, QLD To: Butterfly Bay, Hook Island, Whitsundays, QLD We travelled [23.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [16.7]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.7]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.8kt. Location Comments: [Picked up a mooring ball so we can go for a snorkel - escape the heat and enjoy the treasures of the reefs around the bay. No (Telstra) Service in Bay ] General Comments: [Despite it being the school holidays, the bay is not busy, just a handful of boats here. Kyle tacked in light winds and calm seas for much of the journey, while I was able to keep a internet connection almost all the way here.] At: 14:02(AEST) 02-Oct-2021, Outside Temp: 29.8C (85.64F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F) | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 20º 13.014' S | 148º 56.082' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Mays Bay, Whitsunday Island, QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-20.2188, 148.9467 Sail From: Burning Point, Shaw Island, Lindeman Group, QLD To: Mays Bay, Whitsunday Island, QLD We travelled [13.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [18.0]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.2]kt, Avg speed (through the water):1.6kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.1m in this beautiful bay fringed by giant smooth rocks and topped with fir trees.] General Comments: [A big day, we stopped on route at Hamilton Island Marina for 2 hours ($60), to collect mail, some groceries, and grab a shower and do laundry - busy day, but now we are at this pretty anchorage (finally) on Whitsunday Island, and alongside our good friends aboard Mahana. The 'Ocean Sailing' Podcast is out and we finally managed to listen to ourselves being interviewed today (episode #103), so that was fun as we sailed along the channels and watched whales breaching in the distance - a wonderful day in QLD.] At: 16:24(AEST) 23-Aug-2021, Outside Temp: 27.2C (80.96F), Humidity:87%, Water Temp: 27.1C (80.78F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 20º 15.036' S | 148º 56.082' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Sawmill Bay, Cid Harbour, Whitshunday Island, QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-20.2562, 148.9468 Sail From: Mays Bay, Whitsunday Island, QLD To: Sawmill Bay, Cid Harbour, Whitshunday Island, QLD We travelled [2.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [2.2]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.8]kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.7kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.5m, not far off the beach. Buoys in the water are 'no swimming' warnings (sharks), ashore are two trails, an easy 20min one to dugong beach, and a tougher 4hour return to Whitsunday Peak (434m).] General Comments: [Moved to have access to the trails. Kyle's back still not up to a tough hike, but he can still enjoy the views. Scenery is very 'Maine-like' lots of rocky shoreline, fringed with fir-trees on slopes aplenty] At: 11:02(AEST) 26-Aug-2021, Outside Temp: 24.3C (75.74F), Humidity:64%, Water Temp: 26.6C (79.88F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 20º 15.036' S | 148º 56.082' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Sawmill Bay, Cid Harbour, Whitsunday Island, QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-20.2563, 148.9473 Sail From: Chance Bay, Whitsunday Island, QLD To: Sawmill Bay, Cid Harbour, Whitsunday Island, QLD We travelled [9.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [6.0]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.1]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.4kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.7m (low tide), good holding, trails ashore.] General Comments: [Sailed downwind with the current to return to Cid Harbor. Last time we came Kyle's back was bad and he couldn't leave the boat - so this time we return to do the hike up to Whitsunday Peak (414m) where the views are reported to be well worth the 3-4 hour return trek!.] At: 13:30(AEST) 07-Oct-2021, Outside Temp: 28.7C (83.66F), Humidity:67%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F) | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 20º 17.1' S | 148º 56.088' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Gulnare Inlet, Whitsunday Island, QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-20.2997, 148.9475 Sail From: West Butterfly Bay, Hook Island, Whitsundays, QLD To: Gulnare Inlet, Whitsunday Island, QLD We travelled [23.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [13.4]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.4]kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.3kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 1.6m depth, Good Telstra Cellphone signal (from Hamilton Island)] General Comments: [A nice sail through some narrow channels with great scenery on a sunny day. Not bad at all. ] At: 13:10(AEST) 04-Oct-2021, Outside Temp: 28.5C (83.3F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F) | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 20º 14.028' S | 149º 1.008' E | Begonia |
At Mooring Ball (free): Tongue Bay, Whitsunday Island, QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-20.2375, 149.0182 Sail From: Boat Port, Lindeman Island, QLD To: Tongue Bay, Whitsunday Island, QLD We travelled [12.7]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [11.6]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.3]kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.7kt. Location Comments: [One of 14 public moorings (2 hour limit) 4.3m LAT, busy with visiting tour boats. Trail ashore (small hill) to see views to the south of Hill Island Inlet and beyond. 2m+ tide range so plan your trip and where to leave the dinghy. No Phone Signal.] General Comments: [A fun sail with currents in our favor to transit Soway Passage (between Whitsunday and Hasle Wood Islands). Plenty of plane and helicoptor traffic (giving tours we assume, they'll have great views!).] At: 11:40(AEST) 11-Apr-2022, Outside Temp: 29.9C (85.82F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 33.4C (92.12F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 20º 25.086' S | 149º 1.086' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Boat Port, Lindeman Island, QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-20.4312, 149.0307 Sail From: Roylen Bay, Goldsmith Island, QLD To: Boat Port, Lindeman Island, QLD We travelled [16.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [15.9]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [5.0]kt, Avg speed (through the water):5.3kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 1.8m LAT (pick your depth) - off fringing reef. National Park ashore (no fires, dogs, etc). Guide book suggests there is access to trails ashore, but we can't see any evidence of that (from anchor). Guidebook also suggests this as 'tolerable' - so probably best for catamarans or those that don't mind a bit of rolling.] General Comments: [We left the mooring ball under sail (Kyle is happy), and had a good downwind sail north again (with just a few gybes to keep us on course around the hazards). Still getting the odd rain shower, but hints of blue sky. Plenty of turles around (on route and at anchorage), but once they notice us they dive fast (its fun to watch them realize we are here).] At: 13:12(AEST) 09-Apr-2022, Outside Temp: 29C (84.2F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 33.4C (92.12F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 20º 18.036' S | 149º 2.046' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Chance Bay, Whitsunday Island, QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-20.3056, 149.0407 Sail From: Gulnare Inlet, Whitsunday Island, QLD To: Chance Bay, Whitsunday Island, QLD We travelled [7.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [5.3]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.4]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.5kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 4.3m, campsite ashore, popular spot on charter and tourist trail. Behind campsite there is a trail across to Whitehaven beach, with a side trail option to a lookout. With 3m+ tides, it may be best to time your shore access with the tides so you don't have to pull it up (or down) too far. No Telstra Signal] General Comments: [Motored along the south of the island so we can get ashore and stretch our legs. To the north were views of Hamilton island and some tall and ugly hotel buildings on one of the beaches there (we didn't expect that). Its hot, and humid and cockatoos are screeching from ashore.] At: 09:12(AEST) 06-Oct-2021, Outside Temp: 27.3C (81.14F), Humidity:82%, Water Temp: 28.5C (83.3F) | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 20º 30.006' S | 149º 3.036' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Burning Point, Shaw Island, Lindeman Group, QLD, Australia - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 4 of Coral Sea Passage From:Arch Cliff, Fraser Island, Hervey Bay, QLD To:Burning Point, Shaw Island, Lindeman Group, QLD. Our position: loc:-20.5007, 149.0563 Progress: [We've made [351.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [108]nm Since last posting we have made [98.8]nm (through water). We have moved [105.7]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.2]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:3.9kt, Avg speed for trip:4.9kt. Sailing Conditions [Anchored in 3.5m of sand (5m tidal range here), good shelter from southerly winds. Popular spot. Slight signal from Telstra (probably OK if from top of mast)] General Comments: [Yay - we made it. But, ugh, Kyle's back is out again. We arrived to drizzle and with the nearby hills topped with mist and rain clouds. We'll spend some time resting after the passage and relaxing (which the weather makes for an easy choice). We had a few issues on the passage - notably the bilge alarm, and worse, the new steering setup isn't up to the job - more ugh! Will need to get our thinking caps on and see what we can do. We are hoping that the clouds will clear and between sun and wind we can recharge our boat batteries during the day.] At: 07:06(AEST) 20-Aug-2021, Outside Temp: 20.7C (69.26F), Humidity:95%, Water Temp: 25.6C (78.08F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 19º 48.072' S | 149º 3.096' E | Begonia |
At Mooring Ball: Bait Reef, QLD (Great Barrier Reef). Our position: -19.8121, 149.0657 Sail From: Scawfell Island, QLD To: Bait Reef, QLD We travelled [73.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [69.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Moored on Inner reef edge in 9.5m depth. Arrived at low tide, no visible coral, no other boats] General Comments: [Our stay at Scawfell was cold, wet and dreary; thankfully we got ashore on the day we arrived and were able to explore the beach at low tide. No obvious trails within the vegetation unfortunately. The passage to Bait overnight was cold and rainy also (full foul weather gear AND handwarmers!), but the forecast is for better weather from this afternoon. No cell phone signal.] At: 06:54(AEST) 24-May-2020, Outside Temp: 18.2C (64.76F), Humidity:62%, Water Temp: 18.2C (64.76F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 20º 40.032' S | 149º 8.094' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Mooring Ball (free) in Goldsmith Island (NW Bay), QLD, Australia - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 2 of Coral Sea Passage From:West Bay, Middle Percy Island, QLD To:Goldsmith Island (NW Bay), QLD. Our position: loc:-20.6719, 149.1493 Progress: [We've made [88.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [88]nm Since last posting we have made [88.0]nm (through water). We have moved [84.9]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [5.7]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.9kt, Avg speed for trip:5.9kt. Sailing Conditions [South Mooring ball (4.0m LAT). There are 2 public mooring balls available. Nice beach ashore. This is an uninhabited, National Park island, the nearby Farrier Island (to the SW of the bay) has privately owned property. No (Telstra) phone signal at mooring, others report signal available if you hoist phone up mast, and northerly mooring ball is likely to have a better signal (clear of nearby islands, the camping area ashore reportedly has a good 3bar signal.)] General Comments: [Sailing was a bit too downwind, so we needed to gybe a few times as the currents shifted, but otherwise it was easy sailing. By 5:30am the heavy rain started, so were especially grateful for a mooring ball to pick up (way quicker than anchoring, so less time on deck in the rain for me). Given the rain, I suspect/hope we will have time to catch up on some photo organizing and blog writing during our time here (we are very behind). Its overcast, and with our wind generator still out of action we may be struggling with the battery power today. ] At: 07:54(AEST) 08-Apr-2022, Outside Temp: 24.1C (75.38F), Humidity:95%, Water Temp: 32.9C (91.22F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 20º 41.088' S | 149º 12.042' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Tinsmith Island (Bay across from Solder Island), QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-20.6975, 149.2068 Sail From: Happy Bay, Long Island, Whitsundays, QLD To: Tinsmith Island (Bay across from Solder Island), QLD We travelled [37.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [29.9]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.0]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.7kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 9.2m (low tide), between the reef and the current eddies. Spotty Telstra signal (sometimes 1bar of 4G).] General Comments: [We had planned to anchor on Goldsmith Island, but the AIS targets suggested it was already too crowded, so we move along a little and found a spot alone to anchor on Tinsmith (many of the islands in this area have smith in them!). It was a day of headwinds, and strong currents so Kyle did a lot of tacking (and a bit of swearing), early on wind was much too light so the day started with more motoring than Kyle cares for. Once he could actually sail, he didn't mind the tacking (or at least he'd rather be tacking than motoring). Another nice sunny day in QLD!] At: 15:28(AEST) 11-Oct-2021, Outside Temp: 27.8C (82.04F), Humidity:63%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F) | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 20º 49.02' S | 149º 16.08' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Dinghy Bay, Brampton Island, Whitsundays, QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-20.8204, 149.2800 Sail From: Tinsmith Island (Bay across from Solder Island),Whitsundays, QLD To: Dinghy Bay, Brampton Island, Whitsundays, QLD We travelled [9.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [8.4]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.2]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.5kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 9.7m (low tide), with a trip line set (just in case).] General Comments: [A lovely downwind sail with the spinnaker (shame it was so short a distance). Few boats around, conditions warm and calm. Absolutely nothing for Kyle to complain about.] At: 11:10(AEST) 13-Oct-2021, Outside Temp: 29.3C (84.74F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F) | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 38º 4.68' S | 149º 20.472' E | Begonia |
Day 3 of NSW, Australia Passage From:Quarantine Beach, Manly, Sydney To:Bathurst, Tasmania. Our position: -38.0779, 149.3411 Progress: [We've made [275.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [476]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [139.0]nm (through water). We have moved [145.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Mostly downwind still, currently sailing wing on wing. Expecting light headwinds later tonight.] General Comments: [No sign of the overturned 'Showtime' boat. We are now (for sure) in the Tasman sea, and saw plenty of Albatross yesterday soaring around. We turned around the corner of Australia, and since 4am are now fully in the lee of the sate of Victoria, the smell of smoke is the strongest we've experienced (like sitting at a campfire), and visibility is reduced (but still about 3nm). It is impossible to know the actual cloud cover since the smoke blocks out the sky.] At: 06:00(AEDT) 15-Jan-2020, Outside Temp: 18.5C (65.3F), Humidity:89%, Water Temp: 19.3C (66.74F), Course: 237(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.7kt, Wind:19Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:50%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:SW) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 20º 55.014' S | 149º 24.0' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Keswick Island (#2 Reef), QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-20.9187, 149.4001 Sail From: Homestead Bay/Egermont Pass, St Bees Island, QLD To: Keswick Island (#2 Reef), QLD We travelled [5.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.7]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [0.9]kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.8kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 6m (low tide) sand with 5m tide range. Well protected from North wind, and out of main currents (better than mooring balls in passage). 1-2Bar 4G on Telstra.] General Comments: [Kyle first attempted to anchor on the South of St Bees Island, but the depth and proximity to coral deterred us. With a change of plan we motored back to Keswick Island and picked a spot that seemed OK (there were several boats her previously, none today). We still have minimal signal, but better than the mooring ball we had last night.] At: 14:54(AEST) 16-Oct-2021, Outside Temp: 29.2C (84.56F), Humidity:42%, Water Temp: 30C (86F) | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 20º 55.098' S | 149º 25.056' E | Begonia |
At Mooring Ball (free): Homestead Bay/Egermont Pass, St Bees Island, QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-20.9325, 149.4260 Sail From: Dinghy Bay, Brampton Island, Whitsundays, QLD To: Homestead Bay/Egermont Pass, St Bees Island, QLD We travelled [10.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [10.6]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.7]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.8kt. Location Comments: [24 Hour Mooring ball, (one of 4). 14m (low tide), good to 35kt of wind. 2 catamarans are careened ashore (so must be a good spot), anchoring inside of the line of mooring buoys is not permitted (coral/marine protection zone).] General Comments: [Another spinnaker day sailing south (a short hop). We remain amazed how few boats seem to be actually out sailing (the crowd of boats that are in the areas must be very well spread out). We are tucked up with a mooring ball for protection against the forecast winds due/expected. The boat behind us is busy hacking open a coconut (so jealous!); we've been looking for a while without luck.] At: 11:30(AEST) 15-Oct-2021, Outside Temp: 29.1C (84.38F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 30C (86F) | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 40º 20.004' S | 149º 28.002' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of Tasman Sea Passage From:Wineglass Bay, Tasmania To:Lord Howe Island, NSW. Our position: -40.3340, 149.4695 Progress: [We've made [135.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [717]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [135.5]nm (through water). We have moved [122.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Very mixed wind conditions. We started off with strong gusts, had 6 hours of calm (2kt winds, variable direction), and have returned to strong winds again. There were a lot of reefing and unreefing going on yesterday. Outside it is cold and we are well bundled, inside warm but it is a bit of a wild ride.] General Comments: [We left Wineglass bay at first light, and with a beautifully streaked sunrise. By the time we felt we were 'at sea' we spotted 5 of the other boats also departing. During the calm we had birds sat in the water barely concerned about us, just paddling around.] At: 06:00(LHDT) 27-Feb-2020, Outside Temp: 15.3C (59.54F), Humidity:66%, Water Temp: 21.7C (71.06F), Course: 45(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.9kt, Wind:24Kt(from:WNW), Cloud Cover:70%, Pressure: 1005hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:E) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 20º 51.084' S | 149º 36.0' E | Begonia |
At Mooring Ball: Scawfell Island, QLD (Great Barrier Reef). Our position: -20.8636, 149.6000 Sail From: Pearl Bay (military exercise area), QLD To: Scawfell Island, QLD We travelled [114.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [113.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Moored in 5m sand (+3.5m range). No cell signal. ] General Comments: [An overnight sail with some rather big seas (thankfully we were sailing mostly downwind). Rather uneventful, a bit bouncy given the sea state. Our time in Pearl Bay was mostly rain and strong gusty wind. We are hoping to actually get ashore here in Scawfell Island. Not surprisingly there is nobody here given the sea state over the last few days.] At: 07:16(AEST) 20-May-2020, Outside Temp: 24.4C (75.92F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 29C (84.2F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 38º 40.056' S | 149º 40.08' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of Tasman Sea Passage From:Eden, NSW (Tasmania part 2 - isolating) To:Lady Barron, Flinders Island, Tasmania. Our position: loc:-38.6760, 149.6799 Progress: [We've made [113.3]nm (through water) on this passage and have [128]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [112]nm Since last posting we have made [113.3]nm (through water). We have moved [95.0]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.0]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.7kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.7kt. Sailing Conditions [Yesterday we started with light headwinds (tacking until we got to Cape Howe). After sunset the wind had backed sufficiently for us to switch to the spinnaker. A lovely, pretty flat, sea for crossing the Bass Strait. For hours we were keeping a pretty steady 5nm ahead of one of the S2H competitors (Flying Fish/Arctos), but once I switched to spinnaker and checked again, he was going 50% faster than I was and soon passed me (by then it was dark). We've seen a few of the boats (mostly on AIS, although Kyle got some snaps of the boat Luna Blue yesterday afternoon with a smiling/happy crew aboard). We were also passed by Reeve last night and currently have Bowline about 8nm behind us (closing). Clearly we are not the fastest downwind! Looks like we can expect to keep flying the spinnaker until this afternoon. We've lost our phone signal so we can't see how the 'pack' of the race is doing any longer but I assume that there will be finishers this morning way down in Hobart.] General Comments: [Overnight, and with a clear sky (for a change), the stars were just SPECTACULAR, absolutely AMAZING. So many and so bright, it was a shock to be reminded of this fantastic southern hemisphere sky. Kyle had dolphins frolicking with trails of bioluminescence, and when he used his spotlight there were Squid everywhere in the night waters.] At: 06:00(AEDT) 29-Dec-2021, Outside Temp: 16.5C (61.7F), Humidity:67%, Water Temp: 18.3C (64.94F), Course: 179(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.2kt, Wind:8Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:10%, Pressure: 1019hPa, Swell:1m (from:SE) | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 21º 36.06' S | 149º 48.042' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: South Side of Curlew Island (Guardfish Cluster), QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-21.6103, 149.8074 Sail From: Victor Bay, Keswick Island, QLD To: South Side of Curlew Island (Guardfish Cluster), QLD We travelled [44.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [47.3]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [5.1]kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.9kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 6.5m (low tide), with 4m+ tides. There was an anchor marker much closer in, but we arrived at mid-tide and while there was a small patch of sand it was surrounded by shallow rock/coral so and decided that it must have been and anchor spot for a tinny and soon abandoned any thought of that. The Islands here are part of Northumberland Island National Park (uninhabited). Lovely rock structures all aroud the island, well worth an explore in the dinghy. No obvious trails ashore. No reliable phone signal - flips between No Signal and occassional 1bar of 3G (Telstra).] General Comments: [A nice beam/downwind sail today and despite the sloppy seas Kyle managed to fly the spinnaker. We were happy for the clouds giving us a more pleasant environment. We shared the exodus from Keswick with many other boats - but they mostly went off to the Percy Islands (while we kept closer to shore in the hopes of maintaining a signal). Another early start, but that suits us currently as we can connect better in the mornings with the USA (in their afternoon).] At: 14:28(AEST) 22-Oct-2021, Outside Temp: 28.8C (83.84F), Humidity:%, Water Temp: 30.9C (87.62F) | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 37º 6.0' S | 149º 53.01' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Eden, NSW (Tasmania part 2 - isolating), Australia - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 2 of Tasman Sea Passage From:Batehaven, Batemans Bay, NSW To:Eden, NSW (Tasmania part 2 - isolating). Our position: loc:-37.1003, 149.8850 Progress: [We've made [119.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [31]nm Since last posting we have made [52.3]nm (through water). We have moved [30.8]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.7]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.3kt, Avg speed for trip:4.3kt. Sailing Conditions [Anchored in 3.6m (LAT), protected from SE by some nice sand cliffs. We'll remain in isolation but were grateful to an invite for Christmas drinks by Persian Sands anchored nearby (sorry we had to decline).] General Comments: [We made it, but again had to resort to motoring. The only plus is that the seas were pleasant and flat. But we really tried to sail - the wind swung through all points of the compass and the strength varied between 2 and 7kt (mostly on the low end). Kyle and I both swapped out between spinnaker and main&Jib (sometimes several times) tying to make the most of it all - but - sigh - we also wanted to share together some of Christmas day, so we eventually conceded and motored. Forecast for overnight and the next few days is strong southerly winds, so we'll hunker down here until we can again move south and HOPE the forecasts for our next hop south actually work out. A sailboat passed us today also heading for Tasmania, and they have gone on ahead - maybe they know more about the forecast reality than we do since we certainly haven't had much luck so far this passage, but I'm happy to be tucked up and comfortable for the next few days. Merry Christmas to all.] At: 14:20(AEDT) 25-Dec-2021, Outside Temp: 24.1C (75.38F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 22.2C (71.96F) | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 21º 59.034' S | 150º 9.054' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: West Side of Marble Island, Duke Islands Group, QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-21.9886, 150.1591 Sail From: South Side of Curlew Island (Guardfish Cluster), QLD To: West Side of Marble Island, Duke Islands Group, QLD We travelled [34.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [30.0]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.2]kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.9kt. Location Comments: [West Side of Marble Island. Private Island so permission is required to go ashore (also sensible to get permission first since there can be active hunting ashore). 2bar+3G Telstra Signal (sometimes 4G)] General Comments: [Another early start (5am). Good sailing with overcast skies to keep us cool. Changing winds from up-wind with full sail, to downwind with the spinnaker. We hit the tide state right so we could pass through Lola Mantes Pass (which in the wrong state can have overfalls). We were not certain where we'd stop as we were in search of a good anchorage WITH a phone/internet signal - glad to have found one before we had to do an overnight passage.] At: 12:10(AEST) 24-Oct-2021, Outside Temp: 30.1C (86.18F), Humidity:%, Water Temp: 30.5C (86.9F) | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 35º 42.054' S | 150º 10.098' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Mooring Ball ($) in Batemans Bay, NSW, Australia - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 3 of Tasman Sea Passage From:Flagstaff Jetty, Lakes Entrance, Gippsland Lakes, Victoria To:Batemans Bay, NSW. Our position: -35.7085, 150.1832 Progress: [We've made [239.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [86]nm Since last posting we have made [106.9]nm (through water). We have moved [85.2]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.5]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.4kt, Avg speed for trip:5.3kt. Sailing Conditions [Ugh! The last 24 hours have had all sorts, with both calms and strong head-winds frustrating our headway. After such great progress the day before, it was frustrating to take another 24 hours to go the last 80nm (Sailing, Ugh!!!). We had hoped all the debris washed out from the recent floods was long gone, but there were warnings of 6m logs and giant water tanks floating in some of the waters we passed. We were much further offshore than the reports, and really slowed the boat down at night, thinking perhaps the only 'stuff' that gets reported is that closer to shore... it all made for a stressful night watch. Well behind us, we had several hours of continuous lightning strikes (about 1 every 10 seconds), and way back on the west coast of Tasmania the reports were showing regular 11m (36') waves, and even a 16m (52') wave (we had 4m at worst, and only for a couple of hours during the passage). Some places were clearly having a way worse night than us. We have picked up a mooring we reserved with Batemans Bay Marina (although I'm not sure we have the right one, we'll have to double check once they open).] General Comments: [Another passage complete. During this one we clocked 13,000 hours underway in Begonia. We are both so glad to be in calm waters AND to see that the water temperature has shot up (currently at 31.9C/89.4F).] At: 06:28(AEST) 11-Apr-2021, Outside Temp: 13.9C (57.02F), Humidity:58%, Water Temp: 31.9C (89.42F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 35º 43.056' S | 150º 12.03' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Batehaven, Batemans Bay, NSW, Australia - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 4 of Tasman Sea Passage From:Paradise Point/Sovereign Islands, Gold Coast, QLD To:Batehaven, Batemans Bay, NSW. Our position: loc:-35.7256, 150.2051 Progress: [We've made [421.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [81]nm Since last posting we have made [73.5]nm (through water). We have moved [80.2]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [6.6]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.0kt, Avg speed for trip:5.0kt. Sailing Conditions [Anchored in 3.8m LAT. With the dramatic Snapper Island just to the East.] General Comments: [Well we are no longer in the tropical heat, we arrived to low cloud, drizzle and chills (no pleasure traffic out and about). Water and air temperature both dropped (we may even need to use the heating in the morning at this rate. But we are so very glad to have arrived before dark, meaning the watches end early. We'll stop here at anchor (remaining aboard) on route to Tasmania (until forecast offers a passage window south again), we expect to remain here for Christmas day (at least). Today's sailing has been close hauled into a bit of chop, but still with some current in our favor - we made it to the anchorage with plenty of daylight left (although overcast). We are the only boat in the anchorage area (not surprisingly given the conditions, and there are plenty of the bigger jellyfish called 'blubbers' in the water). Tonight we rest and maybe share a glass or two of wine (medicinal).] At: 18:14(AEST) 22-Dec-2021, Outside Temp: 19C (66.2F), Humidity:80%, Water Temp: 23.2C (73.76F) | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 21º 39.012' S | 150º 14.07' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in West Bay, Middle Percy Island, QLD, Australia - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 3 of Coral Sea Passage From:Great Sandy Strait To:West Bay, Middle Percy Island, QLD. Our position: loc:-21.6515, 150.2446 Progress: [We've made [306.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [45]nm Since last posting we have made [49.0]nm (through water). We have moved [41.3]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.7]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.6kt, Avg speed for trip:6.0kt. Sailing Conditions [Anchored in 3.2m LAT (3.5m+ tide range), sand bottom. Lovely beach with coconut palms. Ashore is the well visited cruisers' A-frame shack, where since 1962 visiting boats traditionally leave a calling card/momento to mark their visit. No Telstra signal at anchor (can climb the nearby hill ashore to south - Smith Bluff, or at the higher points along the track to the homestead - for a signal). Coconut Palms ashore.] General Comments: [Arrived safe and well, we were flying the spinnaker until the last turn (at Howard Point). Still no dolphins so far on this passage. We plan to spend two nights here, so will go ashore to hike the trail(s) tomorrow; today we'll rest up and get our sleep cycles in sync. It's been a while since we set foot ashore so exercise is long overdue! There are a couple of other boats anchored here so there may even be a bit of socializing. I'm especially excited since our (Navionics) chart app comments suggests there are coconuts ashore (visually confirmed) and its been a long time since we were able to gather coconuts for boat snacks.] At: 14:48(AEST) 05-Apr-2022, Outside Temp: 31.5C (88.7F), Humidity:62%, Water Temp: 33.4C (92.12F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 36º 41.082' S | 150º 16.086' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of Tasman Sea Passage From:Batehaven, Batemans Bay, NSW To:Eden, NSW (Tasmania part 2 - isolating). Our position: loc:-36.6973, 150.2810 Progress: [We've made [66.7]nm (through water) on this passage and have [31]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [69]nm Since last posting we have made [66.7]nm (through water). We have moved [58.4]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.0]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:3.5kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):3.5kt. Sailing Conditions [So frustrating, the wind has been fickle and contrary and much lighter than forecast. Thankfully the seas have been pretty flat too. We are currently sailing under spinnaker (after way too many hours of motoring).] General Comments: [Ugh - we set off yesterday, knowing we'd be sailing on Christmas Day - but because it all made sense to move that extra distance south with some good winds. Its all been much slower than we wanted, and the distance we have gained has been mostly under motor (which Kyle detests), and when we have sailed its been fight-club with the sails up and down. We've amended our ETA now to 4pm today (boat time). Not sure yet if we'll celebrate Christmas once we arrive, or postpone it to tomorrow and celebrate Christmas in USA time zone. In hindsight I'd much rather have just stayed in Batemans and had a PJ day today with us both matched to the same wake-sleep time. Oh well...Progress has been made, the pressies will eventually be found, and the xmas meal will eventually be cooked and enjoyed Merry Christmas all!] At: 06:00(AEDT) 25-Dec-2021, Outside Temp: 19.1C (66.38F), Humidity:87%, Water Temp: 21.2C (70.16F), Course: 196(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.5kt, Wind:6Kt(from:N), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:1m (from:NE) | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 21º 50.022' S | 150º 17.022' E | Begonia |
Day 3 of Coral Sea Passage From:Arch Cliff, Fraser Island, Hervey Bay, QLD To:Shaw Island, Lindeman Group, Whitsundays, QLD. Our position: loc:-21.8365, 150.2867 Progress: [We've made [253.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [108]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [138]nm Since last posting we have made [136.9]nm (through water). We have moved [137.1]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [5.7]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.7kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.4kt. Sailing Conditions [We pulled the spinnaker down for overnight sailing (since wind conditions were predicted to be borderline), so sailing on just the jib. Seas got a bit sloppy, but otherwise all was well. Water temperature warming.] General Comments: [We crossed the Tropic of Capricorn yesterday (we are now in the tropics for REAL!), however Kyle needed to wear 2 coats overnight. Unfortunately our point of sail keeps the solar panels shaded so we have yet to see the batteries fully charged on this passage.] At: 06:00(AEST) 19-Aug-2021, Outside Temp: 20.9C (69.62F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 24.6C (76.28F), Course: 321(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.8kt, Wind:16Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:90%, Pressure: 1019hPa, Swell:1m (from:SE) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 37º 7.002' S | 150º 24.024' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of Tasman Sea Passage From:Flagstaff Jetty, Lakes Entrance, Gippsland Lakes, Victoria To:Batemans Bay, NSW. Our position: -37.1173, 150.4035 Progress: [We've made [132.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [86]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [164]nm Since last posting we have made [132.5]nm (through water). We have moved [124.5]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [5.9]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.3kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):6.3kt. Sailing Conditions [After departure the seas grew, and grew until we had up to 4m waves from our stern quarter (during dinner!), with the occasional side-swipe. Definitely conditions where we won't forget our life jackets. Things have calmed down since then so far we have no current against us.] General Comments: [We left Gippsland's Lakes Entrance and turned left (East), following off shore along 90-mile-beach. Kyle saw plenty of birds and dolphins on his watch (me, not so much). Cargo ships are also seen regularly. Having turned the SE corner of Australia we have now left Victoria and are officially in NSW!] At: 06:00(AEST) 10-Apr-2021, Outside Temp: 16C (60.8F), Humidity:68%, Water Temp: 26.1C (78.98F), Course: 4(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.1kt, Wind:20Kt(from:SW), Cloud Cover:60%, Pressure: 1005hPa, Swell:1.5m (from:SW) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 39º 24.048' S | 150º 33.018' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of Tasman Sea Passage From:Eddystone Point, Tasmania To:Southport, QLD. Our position: loc:-39.4083, 150.5526 Progress: [We've made [146.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [751]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [149]nm Since last posting we have made [146.0]nm (through water). We have moved [139.0]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [6.6]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:7.0kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):7.0kt. Sailing Conditions [The departure started well, although we were the last to leave the anchorage. Based on the forecast we expected the winds to peak around 10pm, but things just continued to grow after that, and have only started to decline since around 5am today. Kyle reported over 40kts sustained, several times overnight. Thankfully we are sailing at about 120 degrees (the wind mostly behind us). This along with some very steep seas meant we didn't need any reminders to be wearing a life jacket and be clipped in for any reefing and unreefing (which requires us to exit the cockpit enclosure). Overnight for my watch we had 4 hours of dramatic, constant lightning all around us (with at least 8 bolts per minute). According to the forecast we'll be expecting to fly the spinnaker later today (although its hard to believe right now).] General Comments: [With the boisterous conditions and first day/night of the passage, we both expect to sleep well on our next off-watches to make up for the anxiety-ridden conditions so far.] At: 06:00(AEST) 21-Feb-2022, Outside Temp: 19.2C (66.56F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 24.6C (76.28F), Course: 30(degT), Speed Over Ground:9kt, Wind:28ktKt(from:WSE), Cloud Cover:80%, Pressure: 1004hPa, Swell:3m (from:SW) | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 22º 26.058' S | 150º 43.074' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Pearl Bay (military exercise area), QLD (Capricornia Coast). Our position: -22.4429, 150.7287 Sail From: Svendson's Beach, Great Keppel Island, QLD To: Pearl Bay (military exercise area), QLD We travelled [48.4]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [44.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 2m of sand, well protected from Southerly winds. The surrounding land is army owned, and we have to be aware to avoid anchoring during military exercises (nothing scheduled). No cell phone signal.] General Comments: [Downwind sail to a beautiful anchorage . Protected from the winds by wooded cliffs, and dotted with pretty islands. We have entered the land of the dugong so we will keep an eye out for those lovelies. We are not allowed to go ashore (military land), we also now need to start keeping an eye out for crocodiles when anchored along the mainland - so no swimming. Thankfully the view from the boat is worth anchoring here!] At: 13:16(AEST) 16-May-2020, Outside Temp: 23.5C (74.3F), Humidity:68%, Water Temp: 28C (82.4F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 22º 26.07' S | 150º 43.098' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Pearl Bay (military exercise area), QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-22.4446, 150.7331 Sail From: West Side of Marble Island, Duke Islands Group, QLD To: Pearl Bay (military exercise area), QLD We travelled [39.7]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [42.0]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.7]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.5kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2m of sand, well protected from Southerly winds. The surrounding land is army owned, and we have to be aware to avoid anchoring during military exercises (nothing scheduled). No cell phone signal. Guidebook warns of crocodiles in area.] General Comments: [A day spent 60% motoring in light winds, but when the wind obliged we sailed (main and jib). Lovely flat seas, very little other traffic (just one power boat at a distance). It would have been great fishing conditions, but we have so much fresh meat to eat after kind gifting from Marble Island that we don't want to go to waste. We were at this anchorage last year waiting out some rough conditions, and it looks like we'll be here a few days this time around also. There is one other boat anchored here on our arrival and so far we are unable to get their attention to give them a steak!] At: 15:52(AEST) 31-Oct-2021, Outside Temp: 30.7C (87.26F), Humidity:66%, Water Temp: 31.4C (88.52F) | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 35º 7.092' S | 150º 44.07' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Hole in the Wall, Darling Road, Jervis Bay, Jervis Bay Territory (JBT) - Jervis Bay, Australia. Our position: -35.1317, 150.7450 Sail From: Long Beach, Jervis Bay, Beecroft Peninsula, NSW To: Hole in the Wall, Darling Road, Jervis Bay, Jervis Bay Territory (JBT) We travelled [5.7]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [5.9]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.3]kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.2kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 10.45m (there are 5 public 24 hour mooring balls, but they were all occupied as it is the last weekend of the school Easter Holidays). Rules require any anchoring here must be in GREATER than 10m of water (presumably to protect the seagrass). Ashore is the Booderee National Park. ] General Comments: [After a good lot of exploring and enjoying the cliff scenery ashore on the Beecroft Peninsular side, we returned to the boat and motored south across Jervis Bay, moving from New South Wales (NSW) into the tiny Jervis Bay Territory (JBT), and in good time for sunset. This means we have now visited ALL 9 of Australia's states(6) and internal Territories(3). We discovered the water is not as warm our our temp sensor is telling us - independently checked with a real thermometer and the result changes from 34.8C to just 19C - so still cold! I've no idea how long its been reading incorrectly, it jumped up after we left Tasmania but we were thinking that was 'normal' as we headed north... Oops.] At: 17:26(AEST) 17-Apr-2021, Outside Temp: 21C (69.8F), Humidity:60%, Water Temp: 19C (66.2F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 35º 2.034' S | 150º 47.016' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Long Beach, Beecroft Peninsula, Jervis Bay, NSW - Tasman Sea, Australia. Our position: -35.0393, 150.7861 Sail From: Batemans Bay, NSW To: Long Beach, Beecroft Peninsula, Jervis Bay, NSW We travelled [49.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [49.8]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.4]kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.4kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 1.5-2.5m (shallow), in sand patch. Checked notice board reads [Open to Public] for shore access - as this is peninsula sometimes a live firing range! Phone verification for schedule can be found via Ranger Station: 4448 3411.] General Comments: [So much for light winds! as the sky hinted at daylight we soon had to take down the spinnaker and were sailing under jib alone were close to needing to reef it too (in the gusts); Good news is we arrived well before we expected (YAY!). The route up here took us past the town of Ulladulla (sounds so Australian), and Jervis Bay (where we are now) is famed for several reasons; it has Australia's highest sea-cliffs, and (the south east part) is in the tiny 'Jervis Bay Territory' giving the ACT access to the sea, and under ACT laws (although not technically part of the ACT, all very confusing!)] At: 13:36(AEST) 16-Apr-2021, Outside Temp: 22C (71.6F), Humidity:54%, Water Temp: 35.3C (95.54F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 22º 4.032' S | 150º 49.086' E | Begonia |
Day 3 of Coral Sea Passage From:Great Sandy Strait To:Middle Percy Island, QLD. Our position: loc:-22.0723, 150.8310 Progress: [We've made [257.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [45]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [152]nm Since last posting we have made [150.8]nm (through water). We have moved [145.7]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [6.1]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.3kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):6.1kt. Sailing Conditions [More fine sailing, the spinnaker remains up (we just need to gybe once in a while). We've seen no other boats by eye, but we see a few (cargo and sail) on the AIS and the occasional distant glow of fishing boats over the horizon. We crossed the Tropic of Capricorn yesterday so are now officially in the tropics (and yes, I did my overnight watch without a jacket).] General Comments: [Change of destination - we've decided to stop at Middle Percy Island for a quick explore on our push North. This means we'll be at anchor sometime this afternoon (See changes to ETA). Amazingly we've seen NO dolphins on this trip, Yesterday afternoon however Kyle spotted a large python like snake (8 feet long) apparently looking for land (poor thing). Our night watches have been quite ablaze with the stars, I spotted lots of meteors blazing across the sky. On Kyle's watch he was on deck trying to get a view of a particular constellation (blocked by the spinnaker) and he got slapped with a spinnaker sheet (rope) and lost his glasses overboard (thankfully we carry spares with his current prescription).] At: 06:00(AEST) 05-Apr-2022, Outside Temp: 26.7C (80.06F), Humidity:75%, Water Temp: 32.9C (91.22F), Course: 305(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.7kt, Wind:14Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:1m (from:SE) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 23º 11.052' S | 150º 57.006' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Long Beach, Great Keppel Island, QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-23.1922, 150.9505 Sail From: Pearl Bay (military exercise area), QLD To: Long Beach, Great Keppel Island, QLD We travelled [60.4]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [46.4]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.3]kt, Avg speed (through the water):5.6kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 4.1m of Sand (low tide), well protected from N winds, Trails ashore and the option of a 2km hike to a pub/cafe/burger-bar in the main resort area. 3bars of 4G signal (Telstra)] General Comments: [A day of close hauled sailing (and a bit of tacking at the start) - all contrary to the forecast leading us to expect a day of close reaching. Lot of evidence of the recent coral spawning event (dust like particles) on the water still. ] At: 16:36(AEST) 06-Nov-2021, Outside Temp: 26.8C (80.24F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 30C (86F) | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 23º 9.054' S | 150º 57.042' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Svendson's Beach, Great Keppel Island, QLD (Coral Coast). Our position: -23.1592, 150.9571 Sail From: Pancake Creek To: Svendson's Beach, Great Keppel Island, QLD We travelled [70.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [67.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 4m of sand] General Comments: [After a wonderfully relaxing time at Pancake Creek (with butterflies, kangaroos, and a walk to the lighthouse), we set off North and are finally within the tropics again. We arrived in this anchorage to find 17 other cruising boats - over half of which are catamarans - our biggest crowd in some time! Luckily there is plenty of space. We are hoping for some fine weather to get ashore for some long walks.] At: 13:34(AEST) 13-May-2020, Outside Temp: 24.9C (76.82F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 27.5C (81.5F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 36º 4.11' S | 151º 1.578' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of NSW, Australia Passage From:Quarantine Beach, Manly, Sydney To:Bathurst, Tasmania. Our position: -36.0685, 151.0263 Progress: [We've made [136.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [627]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [136.5]nm (through water). We have moved [135.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [A slow start with expected winds not arriving until mid-afternoon, and then increasing. We are currently back to the spinnaker though and making good time.] General Comments: [It still looks like we can make it all the way to Tasmania with the current weather forecasts. We are aware of a yacht (Showtime) that lost its keel last week, and turned upside down; the crew were rescued but the yacht is still 'out there'. It hasn't been sighted for a while so it is possibly sunk, but most likely just floating around partially sunk so we are keen not to 'find' it, especially in the evening dark before the moon comes up. We've seen plenty of birds, and a couple of dolphins. Two other American sailboats seem to be going in the same direction as us (Tregonning and Silhouette) along with regular cargo traffic passing in both directions. Quite cold (especially at night), but otherwise all is well.] At: 06:00(AEDT) 14-Jan-2020, Outside Temp: 21.5C (70.7F), Humidity:77%, Water Temp: 27C (80.6F), Course: 201(degT), Speed Over Ground:7kt, Wind:16Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1017hPa, Swell:2m (to:SW) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 34º 5.022' S | 151º 5.094' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Mooring Ball (free) in South West Arm, Port Hacking, NSW, Australia - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 2 of Tasman Sea Passage From:Hole in the Wall, Darling Road, Jervis Bay, Jervis Bay Territory (JBT) To:South West Arm, Port Hacking, NSW. Our position: -34.0872, 151.0984 Progress: [We've made [80.6]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [4.8]nm Since last posting we have made [5.5]nm (through water). We have moved [4.0]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [1.9]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:2.6kt, Avg speed for trip:5.0kt. Sailing Conditions [One of 5 public mooring balls (this one has 10m depth), well protected and peaceful cove (at least on a weekday - we are the only ones here!). With Sulphur-Crested Cockatoos squawking from the cliffs, and a flock of Silver Gulls hanging around. Surrounded by the Royal National Park. 4kt speed limit so it should remain peaceful. Telstra Signal 1bar (workable).] General Comments: [We made it, the channel involved some very narrow patches, and took us very close to some rocks (thank goodness for charts and navigation aids to reassure us!), also some very shallow patches (gulp) but we made it. Port Hacking is basically a suburb of Sydney, and we passed by some beautiful cliff-top homes (reminded me of Tiburon in San Francisco Bay), we could easily have stopped near any of the suburbs, but we decided to head for the peace of the National Park instead. We'll rest up and hopefully make a kayak trip up the river to take a trail to see Winifred Falls during our stay. For now we have the place entirely to ourselves (school holidays over, and a weekday certainly helps!). ] At: 08:06(AEST) 21-Apr-2021, Outside Temp: 20C (68F), Humidity:55%, Water Temp: 20C (68F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 34º 4.086' S | 151º 9.09' E | Begonia |
"At Mooring Ball (free): Jibbon Beach - Port Hacking, Australia. Our position: -34.0807, 151.1645 Sail From: Turriell Pt, Port Hacking To: Jibbon Beach, Port Hacking We travelled [1.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [2.0]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.9]kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.6kt. Location Comments: [Picked up one of the 5 RMYC moorings (this one has 2.2m depth), Close the the bay entrance. Royal National park ashore (with a trail to aboriginal artwork!)] General Comments: [We are thoroughly enjoying Port Hacking and after some time kayaking about in SW arm and meeting the lovely Story family (locals), we've moved closer to the exit ready to move on to Sydney Harbour tomorrow.] At: 10:06(AEST) 24-Apr-2021, Outside Temp: 21.1C (69.98F), Humidity:53%, Water Temp: 19C (66.2F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 33º 51.138' S | 151º 9.858' E | Begonia |
At Mooring: St George Marina, Drummoyne, Sydney (NSW, Australia). Our position: -33.8524, 151.1643 Sail From: Farm Cove, Sydney To: St George Marina, Drummoyne, Sydney We travelled [3.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [2.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [At marina mooring ball, 6.6m depth ] General Comments: [We were very lucky to find a marina with space for us this time of year, whew!] At: 13:26(AEDT) 01-Jan-2020, Outside Temp: 24.5C (76.1F), Humidity:63%, Water Temp: 28C (82.4F) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 34º 4.032' S | 151º 10.062' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of Tasman Sea Passage From:Hole in the Wall, Darling Road, Jervis Bay, Jervis Bay Territory (JBT) To:Port Hacking, NSW. Our position: -34.0715, 151.1773 Progress: [We've made [75.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [4.8]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [65.2]nm Since last posting we have made [75.1]nm (through water). We have moved [67.3]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.8]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.4kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.4kt. Sailing Conditions [Winds stronger than forecast, so we have made good speed since departing. We've decided to go a little deeper into the inlet (and more into the national park part of the bay, rather than the city part)] General Comments: [Kyle was well wrapped up against the cold and wind when I woke up this morning; looked like a rough night. The good news is we are here somewhat earlier than expected (currently right outside the entrance, and Kyle has just doused the sails and started the engine to help navigate the narrow channel within the otherwise shallow/sandy estuary).] At: 06:00(AEST) 21-Apr-2021, Outside Temp: 16.6C (61.88F), Humidity:60%, Water Temp: C (F), Course: 310(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.7kt, Wind:15Kt(from:SW), Cloud Cover:10%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:0.5m (from:SW) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 33º 52.032' S | 151º 11.016' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: East Anchorage, Blackwattle Bay, Sydney, NSW - Sydney Harbour, Australia. Our position: -33.8722, 151.1860 Sail From: Blues Point, Balls Head Bay, Sydney Harbour, NSW To: East Anchorage, Blackwattle Bay, Sydney, NSW We travelled [1.7]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.6]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.3]kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.4kt. Location Comments: [Designated anchorage area, good for about 6 boats, (access under ANZAC Bridge), anchored in 3.9m with dinghy dock, rubbish bins, and small cafe nearby.] General Comments: [Relocated for better shore access, we'll spend a couple of days aboard catching up with odd projects and have plans to meet up (with someone we met in Tasmania) for dinner one evening. The sun is shining, it's odd to see traffic around us, but we're loving the city skyline. We were last here over a year ago and were quite surprised today to find the anchorage so busy outside of the Xmas/NYE season (thankfully not quite full!).] At: 14:12(AEST) 26-Apr-2021, Outside Temp: 25.9C (78.62F), Humidity:53%, Water Temp: 22C (71.6F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 33º 52.308' S | 151º 11.142' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: BlackWattle Bay East Anchorage (NSW, Australia). Our position: -33.8719, 151.1856 Sail From: Rose Bay, Sydney Harbour To: BlackWattle Bay East Anchorage We travelled [5.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [4.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 4.2m, anchorage is a bit tight but luckily we know the neighbours: Mahana! Moved here today via White bay (Baileys Marine) for fuel top-up (and usual stuff)] General Comments: [Another lovely sunny day, with clear skies, we expect (hope) to spend 2 nights here and then move on again.] At: 15:20(AEDT) 27-Dec-2019, Outside Temp: 25.8C (78.44F), Humidity:58%, Water Temp: 28.5C (83.3F) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 33º 50.094' S | 151º 12.012' E | Begonia |
At Mooring Ball (free): Blues Point, Sydney Harbour, NSW - Port Hacking, Australia. Our position: -33.8489, 151.2019 Sail From: Jibbon Beach, Port Hacking To: Blues Point, Sydney Harbour, NSW We travelled [22.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [14.0]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.2]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.4kt. Location Comments: [Free 24 hour mooring (20T max / nearby Emergency mooring swing hazard for boats of 11m+)] General Comments: [Kyle thoroughly enjoyed a spinnaker sail along the beautiful coastal sea-cliffs, and eventually our turn and sail into Sydney Harbour. And then we realised it was Sunday (therefore race day) and we were suddenly having to worry about sailboats from all directions - YIKES. We headed for Farm Cove (right by the Sydney opera house) but found it cordoned off for the current Handa Opera event (but could find no 'notice to mariners' announcement to explain). We changed our plan and headed for a free public mooring on the other side of the Sydney Bridge which was luckily empty (yay!) so we are set for at least the next 24 hours.] At: 15:44(AEST) 25-Apr-2021, Outside Temp: 20.1C (68.18F), Humidity:68%, Water Temp: 21C (69.8F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 33º 51.6' S | 151º 13.218' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Farm Cove, Sydney (NSW, Australia). Our position: -33.8600, 151.2203 Sail From: BlackWattle Bay East Anchorage To: Farm Cove, Sydney We travelled [1.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 8.6m depth, Farm Cove is just off the Opera House and Mrs Mcquaries point - prime location for the fireworks on NYE (if we can survive the chaos) - so far there are only 2 other boats, one of which does not seem likely to be staying until NYE] General Comments: [After a couple of days in healthy walking distance to Sydney Central and making the most of that, we've retired to the tranquility of an anchorage (that is even closer, but with no real shore access to leave the dinghy) - time to catch up on some jobs so we can be ready for the new year.] At: 14:16(AEDT) 29-Dec-2019, Outside Temp: 26C (78.8F), Humidity:63%, Water Temp: 27.5C (81.5F) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 33º 50.958' S | 151º 14.502' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Athol Bay (of Taronga Zoo/Gardens), Sydney (NSW, Australia). Our position: -33.8493, 151.2417 Sail From: The Basin, Pittwater To: Athol Bay (of Taronga Zoo/Gardens), Sydney We travelled [29.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [15.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 11.5m (very crowded with party boats)] General Comments: [Departed at first light under sail, and made our way down the coast and into Sydney Harbour. Yep - Sydney Harbour!!! There is plenty of traffic, ferries, pleasure boaters and several of the Sydney-Hobart race boats out practicing. We took a tour around, to see the iconic opera house and bridge, went under the bridge and around Goat Island, and back again, out to the zoo/gardens and anchorage. Wow, It's the weekend, and there are a mass of boats here, all over loaded with partygoers and many with their swim decks under water. It will take a while for our senses to stop alarming.] At: 13:50(AEDT) 21-Dec-2019, Outside Temp: 27.1C (80.78F), Humidity:68%, Water Temp: 26.1C (78.98F) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 33º 50.838' S | 151º 14.532' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Athol Bay (of Taronga Zoo/Gardens), Sydney (NSW, Australia). Our position: -33.8473, 151.2422 Sail From: Manly Cove, North Harbour, Sydney To: Athol Bay (of Taronga Zoo/Gardens), Sydney We travelled [4.4]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [3.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 10.1m (all public moorings occupied)] General Comments: [We spent the moring with Phil (from Muse) and then made our way over to the zoo anchorage again. Even had a light drizzle on the way.] At: 17:06(AEDT) 24-Dec-2019, Outside Temp: 24.8C (76.64F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 26.5C (79.7F) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 33º 35.76' S | 151º 15.522' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: America Bay, Cowan Creek, Broken Bay (NSW, Australia). Our position: -33.5961, 151.2586 Sail From: Hunter River, Stockton, Newcastle To: America Bay, Cowan Creek, Broken Bay We travelled [66.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [48.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Unable to find the public mooring in the mass of empty mooring balls, we eventually picked up one of the many club ones and called it good. Well protected from all winds. Nestled in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park] General Comments: [Underway before 3am, for this long day, with mostly light winds until mid-afternoon. Arrived 30 minutes before sunset (whew). Today is Kyle's birthday, his back is still recovering, and he is on very light duties, so it wasn't much fun for him - we plan to celebrate officially tomorrow. Very large jellyfish in the water here although I think they are harmless to us, or at least not deadly which is the best you can hope for in Australia, called the Jelly Blubber.] At: 19:12(AEDT) 15-Dec-2019, Outside Temp: 26.1C (78.98F), Humidity:80%, Water Temp: 23.8C (74.84F) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 33º 35.76' S | 151º 15.522' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: America Bay, Cowan Creek, Broken Bay (NSW, Australia). Our position: -33.5961, 151.2586 Sail From: Hunter River, Stockton, Newcastle To: America Bay, Cowan Creek, Broken Bay We travelled [66.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [48.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Unable to find the public mooring in the mass of empty mooring balls, we eventually picked up one of the many club ones and called it good. Well protected from all winds. Nestled in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park] General Comments: [Underway before 3am, for this long day, with mostly light winds until mid-afternoon. Arrived 30 minutes before sunset (whew). Today is Kyle's birthday, his back is still recovering, and he is on very light duties, so it wasn't much fun for him - we plan to celebrate officially tomorrow. Very large jellyfish in the water here although I think they are harmless to us, or at least not deadly which is the best you can hope for in Australia, called the Jelly Blubber.] At: 19:12(AEDT) 14-Dec-2019, Outside Temp: 26.1C (78.98F), Humidity:80%, Water Temp: 23.8C (74.84F) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 33º 51.888' S | 151º 15.972' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Rose Bay, Sydney Harbour (NSW, Australia). Our position: -33.8648, 151.2661 Sail From: Athol Bay (of Taronga Zoo/Gardens), Sydney To: Rose Bay, Sydney Harbour We travelled [1.7]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [At public mooring ball *yay, there was one free!*] General Comments: [We spent our Christmas day at the Taronga Zoo enjoying the animal, and were lucky enough to get a sunny, bright day (amazing after all the smokey overcast days weve had recently! We've relocated now so we can get ashore to watch the Sydney-Hobart race tomorrow (on boxing day). In the meantime our 'Christmas dinner' is Kyle's favourite: Potato soup!] At: 18:30(AEDT) 25-Dec-2019, Outside Temp: 25C (77F), Humidity:65%, Water Temp: 26.5C (79.7F) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 33º 47.1' S | 151º 16.086' E | Begonia |
At Mooring Ball (free): Manly, NSW - Sydney Harbour, Australia. Our position: -33.7998, 151.2814 Sail From: East Anchorage, Blackwattle Bay, Sydney, NSW To: Manly, NSW We travelled [11.4]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [6.4]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.1]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.7kt. Location Comments: [One of 5 free 24 hour public moorings, depth 3.9m] General Comments: [Fun tacking through a much quieter (week-day) Sydney harbour. We've relocated for a bit of basic grocery shopping, and to be closer for a meet-up with the crew from Muse over the weekend.] At: 15:02(AEST) 29-Apr-2021, Outside Temp: 23.4C (74.12F), Humidity:62%, Water Temp: 21.5C (70.7F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 33º 48.048' S | 151º 16.8' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Manly Cove, North Harbour, Sydney (NSW, Australia). Our position: -33.8009, 151.2799 Sail From: Athol Bay (of Taronga Zoo/Gardens), Sydney To: Manly Cove, North Harbour, Sydney We travelled [25.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [3.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 7m (all the public mooring balls taken when we arrived)] General Comments: [An amazing day aboard. We picked up old friends (who happen to be visiting Sydney) and took them for a sail-about in Sydney harbour. They generously provided lunch and snacks and the weather behaved - it was lovely. Moved over to Manly to find the boat Mahana already here (who we also shared an anchorage with yesterday!)] At: 20:12(AEDT) 23-Dec-2019, Outside Temp: 21.3C (70.34F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 24.6C (76.28F) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 33º 48.054' S | 151º 17.04' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Collins Beach, Spring Cove, Little Manly, NSW - Sydney Harbour, Australia. Our position: -33.8087, 151.2896 Sail From: Manly, NSW To: Collins Beach, Spring Cove, Little Manly, NSW We travelled [0.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [0.7]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [1.3]kt, Avg speed (through the water):1.7kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 4m of water - outside the do-not-anchor boundary (boards/markers ashore each side of the cove define boundary line). No dogs permitted (Penguin breeding ground). ] General Comments: [Relocated after chore day in town, and a walk along (part of) the Manly-Spit trail. Now looking forward to meeting up with Muse and crowd over the weekend.] At: 16:22(AEST) 30-Apr-2021, Outside Temp: 26.4C (79.52F), Humidity:57%, Water Temp: 21C (69.8F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 33º 48.72' S | 151º 17.172' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Quarantine Beach, Manly, Sydney (NSW, Australia). Our position: -33.8121, 151.2862 Sail From: St George Marina, Drummoyne, Sydney To: Quarantine Beach, Manly, Sydney We travelled [7.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [6.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 10m (all 3 public moorings occupied)] General Comments: [After visiting the marina dock for water, cleaning, etc, we set off towards Manly while awaiting our departure from Sydney. This area has penguins on the coastline which we'll keep an eye out for, and the lovely Q-Station ashore with all sorts of options for keeping any visitor occupied. We came to visit the 'Muse' family before we head off South.] At: 15:22(AEDT) 11-Jan-2020, Outside Temp: 21.6C (70.88F), Humidity:80%, Water Temp: 25.6C (78.08F) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 33º 36.108' S | 151º 17.868' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: The Basin, Pittwater (NSW, Australia). Our position: -33.6019, 151.2978 Sail From: Bayview, Pittwater (via Jerusalem Bay) To: The Basin, Pittwater We travelled [3.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [3.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Public moorings all taken, so we've 'borrowed' a club one and will move to a public one once free] General Comments: [Kyle's back had a relapse yesterday so we were not terribly adventurous today - just moved out of the busy bay view and into the protected cove for anticipated strong southerly winds tonight. Smoke has returned and visibility is poor. Temperature is expected to be HOT today, so I anticipate a few jumps into the water to cool down (not an option for poor Kyle and his back!).] At: 12:40(AEDT) 19-Dec-2019, Outside Temp: 28.9C (84.02F), Humidity:56%, Water Temp: 27C (80.6F) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 33º 39.318' S | 151º 17.868' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Bayview, Pittwater (via Jerusalem Bay) (NSW, Australia). Our position: -33.6554, 151.2978 Sail From: America Bay, Cowan Creek, Broken Bay To: Bayview, Pittwater (via Jerusalem Bay) We travelled [14.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [4.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored among the moored boats (by the shallows) in 1.7m, mud bottom] General Comments: [Kyle was feeling much more mobile today, so after a short tour of the anchorage at America Bay, we towed the dinghy around to Jerusalem Bay and went for a walk along the trails there. Koalas have vanished from this area in the last 40 years, and the birds were keeping well hidden, but the views were spectacular (Kyle naturally wanted to climb to the viewpoints). We've been fueled by the mass of chocolate muffins I made for Kyle's birthday and accidentally doubled a recipe that was already doubled! The sky was actually blue (not sure if this means the fires are getting under control, or that the wind was just coming from a different direction?). After returning to the public mooring ball, we set off to Pittwater in the hopes of finding somewhere to anchor and we managed it (thanks to Phil from the catamaran Muse for the many tips!). This whole swath of water if absolutely full of marinas and moorings, we haven't seen so many boats since ... I'm not even sure when -not for a long time (maybe in San Diego? 37,000nm ago!). As an aside: today seemed like a mini-tour of the world as we started in America (bay), went off to see Jerusalem (bay), and on the way to our anchorage passed Scotland (Island) :-)] At: 18:24(AEDT) 17-Dec-2019, Outside Temp: 23.8C (74.84F), Humidity:56%, Water Temp: 26.5C (79.7F) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 23º 46.014' S | 151º 19.008' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Farmers Reef/Rat Island, Gladstone North Channel, QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-23.7688, 151.3174 Sail From: Long Beach, Great Keppel Island, QLD To: Farmers Reef/Rat Island, Gladstone North Channel, QLD We travelled [46.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [40.1]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.4]kt, Avg speed (through the water):5.1kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.7m at low tide. Checking to be sure any swing arc doesn't interfere with channel as there is a regular ferry between Gladstone and Curtis Island (doesn't run every day, we checked the timetable online and noticed it wasn't running the day we arrived anyhow).] General Comments: [An early start to the day had us lifting the anchor during a (slightly) lighter patch of heavy rain. A quick look at the radar showed us there was no point in waiting for a actual lull in the rain. Light winds at the start meant the spinnaker wouldn't fill so we motored a bit until eventually all things worked out and we were able to sail downwind in relatively calm seas. Eventually even the rain stopped and the sun came out - once of those times you are happy the forecast was incorrect. We made good progress south today though, and are anchored ready for a quick exit from the port area and another jump south tomorrow.] At: 14:40(AEST) 09-Nov-2021, Outside Temp: 26.8C (80.24F), Humidity:85%, Water Temp: 30.5C (86.9F) | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 33º 5.07' S | 151º 35.064' E | Begonia |
At Mooring Ball (free): Pulbah Island, Lake Macquarie, NSW - Tasman Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-33.0949, 151.5935 Sail From: Collins Beach, Spring Cove, Little Manly, NSW To: Pulbah Island, Lake Macquarie, NSW We travelled [57.7]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [45.4]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.4]kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.3kt. Location Comments: [We are using one of the 3 24-hour limit courtesy moorings (4.2m depth). Pulbah Island is the largest on lake Macquarie, it is also Nature Reserve (no dogs allowed ashore). ] General Comments: [An early start to get north and enter the narrow bar and bridge for entry into the giant Lake Macquarie area. Ocean part of passage was ideal (aside from the rain), swapping from spinnaker to reefed jib as we approached Lake Macquarie. We had a lot of rain/drizzle on the passage, but the sun eventually shone once we were waiting for our bridge opening time (1pm). We'll be resting up before exploring the area in between the forecast rain shower days.] At: 14:32(AEST) 05-May-2021, Outside Temp: 21.9C (71.42F), Humidity:78%, Water Temp: 21.5C (70.7F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 35º 2.046' S | 151º 36.084' E | Begonia |
Day 4 of Tasman Sea Passage From:Paradise Point/Sovereign Islands, Gold Coast, QLD To:Batemans Bay, NSW. Our position: loc:-35.0413, 151.6138 Progress: [We've made [347.7]nm (through water) on this passage and have [81]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [129]nm Since last posting we have made [110.7]nm (through water). We have moved [130.0]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [5.4]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.6kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.8kt. Sailing Conditions [We remain headed for Batemans Bay (NSW) to use as a rest stop at anchor only. Yesterday by evening we were facing headwinds and sailing into the seas (yuk, not great for the offwatch), we did have a slight current in our favour all day which helped. Kyle spent much of his watch reefing and unfreefing sails as the wind changed. Much cooler at night too (long pants and sleeves now, and a blanket on the bed at night). We remain in headwinds and expect to arrive by first light in the morning (possibly we can make it before dark tonight, but we'll make that call by noon).] General Comments: [This morning Kyle found a by-the-wind sailor on the trampoline (not so easy to remove as a flying fish).] At: 06:00(AEST) 22-Dec-2021, Outside Temp: 22.5C (72.5F), Humidity:83%, Water Temp: 29C (84.2F), Course: 250(degT), Speed Over Ground:5kt, Wind:10Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:95%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:1.5m (from:S) | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 33º 1.038' S | 151º 37.086' E | Begonia |
At Mooring Ball (free): Greenpoint, Lake Macquarie, NSW - Tasman Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-33.0230, 151.6307 Sail From: Murrays Beach, Lake Macquarie, NSW To: Greenpoint, Lake Macquarie, NSW We travelled [10.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [5.6]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [1.8]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.3kt. Location Comments: [One of 2 24 hour limit courtesy moorings (2.4m depth), Green Point Foreshore Reserve parkland ashore and access to a host trails (flat and/or hilly).] General Comments: [Another motorless day of sailing for fun alone, heading towards the north end of the ""lake"". Kyle is appropriately smug, and in his happy place. He had wanted to go further north but the wind was starting to die and the forecast said to expect no more (we had 1kt gusts as a max overnight). Naturally once safe on the mooring with the sails packed away, the wind picked up again. We had expected to depart tomorrow but based on current forecasts we'll delay that. Rain forecast again for the next couple of days, but today was a gloriously sunny day with blue skies and the odd puffy white cloud to make it look extra nice. Having been overcast and with very light winds since we arrived, we need the sunshine for the battery bank so long may it last today.] At: 13:23(AEST) 10-May-2021, Outside Temp: 24.7C (76.46F), Humidity:59%, Water Temp: 21C (69.8F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 33º 5.016' S | 151º 38.064' E | Begonia |
At Mooring Ball (free): Swansea Bridge, Lake Macquarie - Tasman Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-33.0858, 151.6436 Sail From: Green Point, Lake Macquarie, NSW To: Swansea Bridge, Lake Macquarie We travelled [7.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [3.8]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [0.6]kt, Avg speed (through the water):1.3kt. Location Comments: [One of 3 24-hour limit courtesy moorings (3.8m) - Good for waiting for bridge openings or departure for sea.] General Comments: [We sailed around the N end of the lake today, and then departed via the 5pm lift of the Swansea Bridge (ready for our departure in the morning). We had a lone dolphin join us for much of the afternoon, with spectacular leaps and even (a first for me) visited us with a fish it had just caught (to show off? as a gift?) as we were waiting on the bridge. So cool!] At: 17:08(AEST) 13-May-2021, Outside Temp: 22.7C (72.86F), Humidity:64%, Water Temp: 21.4C (70.52F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 24º 2.022' S | 151º 43.074' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Middle Island, Pancake Creek, QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-24.0374, 151.7288 Sail From: Farmers Reef/Rat Island, Gladstone North Channel, QLD To: Middle Island, Pancake Creek, QLD We travelled [32.4]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [27.7]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.7]kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.4kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 1.9m (at low tide) - Cellphone signal:3Bar 3G on Telstra] General Comments: [The forecast heavy rain has held off (at least over our boat), but the skies are filled with beautiful and dramatic-looking clouds. We arrived to a fresh sprinkle of rain, and now we've anchored blue skies are starting to show in slivers. Today's sail was pleasant (aside from the early start) and we passed through the mass of cargo shipped anchored off Gladstone as the sun rose.] At: 11:00(AEST) 10-Nov-2021, Outside Temp: 29.4C (84.92F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F) | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 33º 6.09' S | 151º 43.092' E | Begonia |
At Mooring Ball (free): Murrays Beach, Lake Macquarie - Tasman Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-33.1144, 151.6122 Sail From: Pulbah Island, Lake Macquarie, NSW To: Murrays Beach, Lake Macquarie We travelled [10.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.5]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [0.3]kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.2kt. Location Comments: [One of 2 24-hour limit courtesy moorings (4.9m depth), close to public dock, BBQ facilities ashore, café nearby.] General Comments: [A day of sailing JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT. No real destination in mind, we just sailed about in the South arms of Lake Macquarie, partook in a sail race course for a while, and eventually moved across back to the mainland peninsula. Kyle is extra happy since we didn't use the motor all day - both dropping and picking up mooring balls in these lovely flat conditions. Sun shining, blue skies, and a low-pressure sailing day - bliss (don't think too hard that we are only 1.5nm from where we started after sailing for almost 5 hours).] All is well Thanks for following along with us Kyle & Maryanne At: 16:51(AEST) 08-May-2021, Outside Temp: 27.5C (81.5F), Humidity:63%, Water Temp: 24C (75.2F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 24º 1.08' S | 151º 44.058' E | Begonia |
At Mooring Ball: Pancake Creek (Coral Coast). Our position: -24.0301, 151.7431 Sail From: Inner Reach, Burnett River (Bundaberg), QLD To: Pancake Creek We travelled [64.4]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [56.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Picked up mooring ball (two pickup lines) at high tide(ish).] General Comments: [An overnight sail, mostly with spinnaker. Too cloudy for any meteor shower viewing unfortunately. Just two other boats here on arrival.] At: 11:04(AEST) 09-May-2020, Outside Temp: 25.5C (77.9F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 28C (82.4F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 23º 40.062' S | 151º 45.036' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of Coral Sea Passage From:Arch Cliff, Fraser Island, Hervey Bay, QLD To:Shaw Island, Lindeman Group, Whitsundays, QLD. Our position: loc:-23.6772, 151.7555 Progress: [We've made [116.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [246]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [114]nm Since last posting we have made [116.2]nm (through water). We have moved [114.2]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [5.0]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.1kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.1kt. Sailing Conditions [An unexpectedly fast start (slowed down for Kyle's afternoon watch). We've been flying the spinnaker since about 7pm last night. Clear skies. Overnight we need to be bundled up, but once we are going mostly downwind things were much nicer in the daytime.] General Comments: [Kyle managed to sail off the anchor (which involves manually winching up all the chain) - he was very happy (I watched on). When I woke Kyle at midnight for his watch he was really disoriented - its been WAY too long since we did any real sailing (haha).] At: 06:00(AEST) 18-Aug-2021, Outside Temp: 18.5C (65.3F), Humidity:64%, Water Temp: 22.2C (71.96F), Course: 312(degT), Speed Over Ground:8.2kt, Wind:14Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1020hPa, Swell:1m (from:SW) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 37º 54.066' S | 151º 46.062' E | Begonia |
Day 3 of Tasman Sea Passage From:Wineglass Bay, Tasmania To:Lord Howe Island, NSW. Our position: -37.9106, 151.7764 Progress: [We've made [328.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [538]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [192.7]nm (through water). We have moved [180.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Strong winds with both sails fully reefed, big waves with occasional one finding its way into the cockpit. Kyle describes it as a 24 hour earthquake Things finally seem to be calming down (or at least heading in the right direction).] General Comments: [Sea and air is getting warmer and we have found ourselves in the east Australia current (a back eddy giving us a nudge). Another beautiful night sky full of stars to ponder. A few birds, but otherwise no wildlife. Until now we've been very wrapped up - getting dressed takes 20 minutes and we do all possible to avoid needing a pee with so many layers and the safety gear to remove (this issue should be resolved as the weather gets warmer the more north we reach). Our goal:Lord Howe island, has the worlds most southerly coral reefs and (we are hoping that when we arrive) the weather to match that..] At: 06:00(LHDT) 28-Feb-2020, Outside Temp: 19.1C (66.38F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 25.6C (78.08F), Course: 61(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.9kt, Wind:29Kt(from:W), Cloud Cover:70%, Pressure: 1006hPa, Swell:3m (to:E) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 23º 36.09' S | 152º 9.06' E | Begonia |
At Mooring Ball: Fitzroy Reef - Capricorn Group (Great Barrier Reef). Our position: -23.6146, 152.1597 Sail From: Lady Musgrave Island - Bunker Group To: Fitzroy Reef - Capricorn Group We travelled [23.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [22.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Easy, well marked entrance (whew!). Secure to public mooring; there is one other boat within the reef on our arrival (Cat Nap). ] General Comments: [After checking the forecast and finding it indicated a beautifully calm day tomorrow, we departed Lady Musgrave a day early to make use of the wind, and had a lovely downwind sail to Fitzroy Reef (not to be confused with Fitzroy Island much further north in QLD). We hope that tomorrow we can enjoy some snorkelling and exploring during tomorrow's promised (hopefully) calm.] At: 15:20(AEST) 15-Apr-2020, Outside Temp: 27.3C (81.14F), Humidity:67%, Water Temp: 30.9C (87.62F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 32º 41.1' S | 152º 10.5' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Jimmys Beach, Port Stephens (NSW, Australia). Our position: -32.6850, 152.1750 Sail From: Sugarloaf Bay, Seal Rocks To: Jimmys Beach, Port Stephens We travelled [32.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [23.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 3-5m of sand] General Comments: [Another start before sunrise, and a slow, sedate, uneventful journey south mostly sailing with the spinnaker. Amazingly no dolphins spotted today, but we did have a few petrels hanging out with us for much of the first 1/3rd of the journey. I'm loving the local town names and we are currently just 1km from one called 'Winda Wopper'.] At: 12:44(AEDT) 08-Dec-2019, Outside Temp: 23.3C (73.94F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 24.1C (75.38F) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 32º 43.062' S | 152º 10.68' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Shoal Bay, Port Stephens (NSW, Australia). Our position: -32.7177, 152.1780 Sail From: Jimmys Beach, Port Stephens To: Shoal Bay, Port Stephens We travelled [2.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [2.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Trial Mooring Ball (For better protection of the sea grass) in 1.2 - 2.8m] General Comments: [Moved to other side of Port Stephens bay for better protection re forecast winds and hopefully a trip ashore. Dolphins swimming around anchorage.] At: 14:22(AEDT) 10-Dec-2019, Outside Temp: 27C (80.6F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 24.6C (76.28F) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 24º 51.078' S | 152º 20.088' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Bundaberg Town Reach, QLD (Coral Coast). Our position: -24.8634, 152.3479 Sail From: Inner Reach, Burnett River (Bundaberg), QLD To: Bundaberg Town Reach, QLD We travelled [7.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [6.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 9m of water by town bridge(s)] General Comments: [We are STILL waiting on one last mail item from the USA, and rather than hang out so far out of town, we've moved into the center of things for a few days (or longer?). Hoping our mail arrives eventually and before our visas expire (in January). :-) From this anchorage it is easy to get ashore (public dinghy dock) and there are plenty of nearby shopping options from hardware, chandlery, grocery and specialist stores. We'll probably stay mostly aboard though and wait the mail out.] At: 15:08(AEST) 03-May-2020, Outside Temp: 25.7C (78.26F), Humidity:34%, Water Temp: 27C (80.6F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 24º 51.072' S | 152º 21.03' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Town Reach, Bundaberg, Burnett River, QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-24.8621, 152.3547 Sail From: Rocky Reach, Burnett River, QLD To: Town Reach, Bundaberg, Burnett River, QLD We travelled [5.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [3.9]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.6]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.8kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 9.5m (low tide) between boats at anchor and on moorings. An area famous for fouling anchors (fingers crossed we'll be OK), but great access to town for a few days of ambling about and minor chores, supermarkets and other facilities readily available.] General Comments: [An early start to catch the tide and high water to make it up the river, we'll spend a few days hanging about in town before getting ready to return to the marina to collect our missing mail and keep the progress south.] At: 08:32(AEST) 19-Nov-2021, Outside Temp: 27.3C (81.14F), Humidity:62%, Water Temp: 30.5C (86.9F) | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 24º 51.072' S | 152º 21.03' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Bundaberg Town Reach, QLD (Coral Coast). Our position: -24.8618, 152.3548 Sail From: Inner Reach, Burnett River (Bundaberg), QLD To: Bundaberg Town Reach, QLD We travelled [7.4]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [6.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 10.3m, picking out a spot where we can have sufficient swing room for other moored and anchored boats. Dinghy dock nearby to get us ashore.] General Comments: [An early start today due to the tides. We'll probably be doing chores today aboard, and then go ashore tomorrow for some basics and long overdue optician appointments.] At: 08:16(AEST) 22-Mar-2020, Outside Temp: 25.9C (78.62F), Humidity:89%, Water Temp: 29.9C (85.82F) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 24º 45.072' S | 152º 22.002' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Inner Reach, Burnett River (Bundaberg), QLD (Coral Coast). Our position: -24.7614, 152.3673 Sail From: Lady Musgrave Island - Bunker Group To: Inner Reach, Burnett River (Bundaberg), QLD We travelled [50.7]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [51.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [A long day with light seas, flying the spinnaker. Anchored in 10m of good mud off channel in river.] General Comments: [An uneventful sail, with another stunning sunset underway. We are back in Bundaberg to (hopefully) unite with our missing mail before we can finally head North longer-term.] At: 21:48(AEST) 30-Apr-2020, Outside Temp: 24.3C (75.74F), Humidity:77%, Water Temp: 29C (84.2F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 24º 48.006' S | 152º 22.062' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Rocky Reach, Burnett River, QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-24.8007, 152.3772 Sail From: Bundaberg Marina, QLD, Australia To: Rocky Reach, Burnett River, QLD We travelled [3.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [2.4]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.0]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.8kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.5m (low tide) in the Bend between Long reach and Rocky Reach - a quiet place to wait for the high tide to get further up the river to Bundaburg town.] General Comments: [There has been spectacular torrential rains and thunder/lightning storms during our stay (thankfully we managed to stay dry on our trips ashore). We held out as long as we could at the marina today for mail that was expected to arrive this morning - eventually we had to give up. We missed the chance to go all the way up the river to the town, so anchor part way for the night. We will hopefully collect the missing package on the way back out!] At: 15:50(AEST) 18-Nov-2021, Outside Temp: 27.8C (82.04F), Humidity:59%, Water Temp: 31.4C (88.52F) | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 24º 45.066' S | 152º 22.098' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Inner Reach, Burnett River (Bundaberg), QLD (Coral Coast). Our position: -24.7608, 152.3827 Sail From: Fitzroy Reef - Capricorn Group To: Inner Reach, Burnett River (Bundaberg), QLD We travelled [81.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [69.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Returning after dark we were glad to find our previous spot vacant. Anchored in 6-9m of good mud off channel] General Comments: [A rare North wind made it an ideal day to head back towards Bundaberg where we hope to meet up with our various delayed packages. We had a great downwind sail (mostly under spinnaker), a short visit from a family of dolphins, and a rather dramatic and extensive thunderstorm skirt us. We are glad to be at anchor a little ahead of our expected time. Here we are back to 'normal' civilization with access to internet, stores, laundry, etc - but the water isn't the type I'd want to swim in, and the mosquitoes seem to like hanging around (we are already missing the reef!).] At: 21:20(AEST) 18-Apr-2020, Outside Temp: 24.1C (75.38F), Humidity:83%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 24º 45.624' S | 152º 22.098' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Inner Reach, Burnett River (Bundaberg), QLD (Coral Coast). Our position: -24.7604, 152.3828 Sail From: Anchorage Area (off Bundaberg Port Marina), QLD To: Inner Reach, Burnett River (Bundaberg), QLD We travelled [18.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [0.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored off the Marina again, we will hang out here until the wind forecast looks better] General Comments: [We headed out today for a change of scenery - but the wind really didn't perform as forecast. Now is not the time to be wasting fuel, and we didn't want to arrive after dark, so we returned to the Burnett River to chill. A frustrating day, but we did get to test out the sails after their recent spa treatment so not a total loss.] All is well Thanks for following along with us Kyle & Maryanne At: 12:28(AEST) 10-Apr-2020, Outside Temp: 24.8C (76.64F), Humidity:76%, Water Temp: 30C (86F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 24º 45.066' S | 152º 22.098' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Inner Reach, Burnett River (Bundaberg), QLD (Coral Coast). Our position: -24.7609, 152.3828 Sail From: Bundaberg Town Reach, QLD To: Inner Reach, Burnett River (Bundaberg), QLD We travelled [7.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [6.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored off the Marina again, ready to go into dock in the morning.] General Comments: [We spent a few days struggling to get provisions in Bundaberg (it is a gret location normally, but the CoronaVirus scare has everyone panic buying; the stores have very tight limits on what you can purchase and most of those limited items are not available anyway (empty shelves). Some stores are limiting purchases to 1 toilet roll (not even a packet, but a single roll). Mostly we can only buy 2 cans of vegetables (which includes tomatoes) on any trip. Each store has different limits though so it is a little easier if you have a car (but not good in the sense of preventing the spread of any virus). To help solve our problems (and protect ourselves somewhat) we've decided to rent a car, so I drove to the marina while Kyle took the boat.] At: 12:20(AEST) 25-Mar-2020, Outside Temp: 27.3C (81.14F), Humidity:51%, Water Temp: 30.4C (86.72F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 24º 45.066' S | 152º 22.098' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Inner Reach, Burnett River (Bundaberg), QLD (Coral Coast). Our position: -24.7606, 152.3827 Sail From: Shoulder Point, Great Sandy Strait, QLD To: Inner Reach, Burnett River (Bundaberg), QLD We travelled [55.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [52.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored off Port Bundaberg Marina in 8m of mud.] General Comments: [A long day (over 14 hours). Calm waters and light winds. Occasional distant solitary dolphin and shy turtle on our passage. We've anchored for the night and will move upstream (towards town) in the morning. There be mosquitos here so once Kyle has finished a killing spree (of those inside the boat) we can relax and rest.] At: 22:04(AEST) 21-Mar-2020, Outside Temp: 25.1C (77.18F), Humidity:77%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 24º 45.642' S | 152º 22.968' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived at Bundaberg, QLD, Australia - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 7 of South Pacific Passage From:New Caledonia To:Bundaberg, QLD, Australia. Our position: -24.7606, 152.3829 Progress: [We've made [820.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [152.6]nm (through water). We have moved [138.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [We sailed right up to the entrance channel for Bundaberg, and then motored up the river (1hour before slack, with about 1kt ebb current still), anchorage by marina crowded (and given it is night/dark) we decided to anchor across the river, at least until morning when we can establish instructions for clearing in.] General Comments: [We made it. And we've almost finished the Bill Bryson book 'Down Under' which was our passage book to put us in the 'mood' for Australia. We have our yellow (quarantine) flag up to show we have yet to clear all officialdom - now time for some sleep before what we assume will be a hectic day tomorrow. Lots of other boats arrived in the days before us, so we are not sure if they are also waiting to be processed, or if they are all done and we'll be next in line. Still... for now.... sleep!] At: 03:14(AEST) 30-Oct-2019, Outside Temp: 21.8C (71.24F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 28.5C (83.3F) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 24º 45.054' S | 152º 23.034' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Inner Reach, Burnett River (Bundaberg), QLD (Coral Coast). Our position: -24.7588, 152.3887 Sail From: Bundaberg Town Reach, QLD To: Inner Reach, Burnett River (Bundaberg), QLD We travelled [7.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [6.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 6m of water off Marina] General Comments: [We are STILL waiting on one last mail item from the USA - so back at the Marina to check (fingers crossed). Thankfully sun is shining and we had a productive few days anchored in downtown (where Kyle even found a chain Mexican restaurant to celebrate 5-May with a takeout).] At: 11:34(AEST) 08-May-2020, Outside Temp: 25.1C (77.18F), Humidity:51%, Water Temp: 26.1C (78.98F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 24º 45.054' S | 152º 23.034' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Anchorage Area (off Bundaberg Port Marina), QLD (Coral Coast). Our position: -24.7591, 152.3889 Sail From: Inner Reach, Burnett River (Bundaberg), QLD To: Anchorage Area (off Bundaberg Port Marina), QLD We travelled [1.7]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [0.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored off the Marina with easy shore access (beach) in 3-6m of mud] General Comments: [Since our last post we were hauled out on 27th March for routine maintenance (At Bundaberg Port Marina in QLD). This was scheduled several months ago, with the initial intent being to leave the boat on the hard and go visit family and friends in Europe and the USA. The Covid19 pandemic has made all travel heavily restricted and difficult so we canceled the visiting family plans, and just went ahead with the usual boat maintenance. We were put back into the water on 3rd April and spent a few days at the marina slip - now we anchor out and monitor rules and regulations as they change, and the status of our visa change request (our current visa expires tomorrow!). We hope to start heading north while social distancing, and in anticipation of keeping our original planned departure from Australia - but all plans are written in the sand at low tide right now, for us and so many others.] At: 12:10(AEST) 07-Apr-2020, Outside Temp: 27.8C (82.04F), Humidity:57%, Water Temp: 30.9C (87.62F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 24º 45.042' S | 152º 23.07' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Middle Reach, Burnett River, Port Bundaberg, QLD, Australia - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 2 of Coral Sea Passage From:Middle Island, Pancake Creek, QLD To:Middle Reach, Burnett River, Port Bundaberg, QLD. Our position: loc:-24.7569, 152.3953 Progress: [We've made [61.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [60]nm Since last posting we have made [61.5]nm (through water). We have moved [56.5]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.2]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.6kt, Avg speed for trip:4.6kt. Sailing Conditions [Anchored in 3.4m of water (low tide) to south of channel.] General Comments: [An overnight sail (with the spinnaker) to Bundaberg (the port at which we first arrived at Australia). Lovely clear night (getting to watch Orion slowly move across the sky). Today we'll just anchor out (rest/sleep), tomorrow we have a reservation at the marina where we have a pile of mail/packages to collect (it feels like Christmas, and I'm sure they will be glad to have some space back once we've picked it all up)] At: 06:24(AEST) 15-Nov-2021, Outside Temp: 24.8C (76.64F), Humidity:66%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F) | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 24º 45.042' S | 152º 23.076' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Middle Reach, Burnett River, Port Bundaberg, QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-24.7573, 152.3957 Sail From: Town Reach, Bundaberg, Burnett River, QLD To: Middle Reach, Burnett River, Port Bundaberg, QLD We travelled [7.7]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [6.7]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.6]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.0kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.3m (low tide) - good spot for an easy exit from the Burnett River for a trip along the coast] General Comments: [We left the town, swung by the Marina to collect one last bit of mail that had arrived later, and then anchored in the river for a departure south later tonight. We will rest up, prepare our meal, and do nothing much otherwise.] At: 11:24(AEST) 21-Nov-2021, Outside Temp: 28.7C (83.66F), Humidity:60%, Water Temp: 31.9C (89.42F) | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 23º 54.03' S | 152º 24.006' E | Begonia |
At Mooring Ball: Lady Musgrave Island - Bunker Group (Great Barrier Reef). Our position: -23.9048, 152.4006 Sail From: Inner Reach, Burnett River (Bundaberg), QLD To: Lady Musgrave Island - Bunker Group We travelled [58.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [51.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [A nice broad reach sail with good winds. Picked up public mooring ball (3 other boats in reef)] General Comments: [A 2am start to be sure to arrive at the reef in good light, and we arrived ahead of schedule too. A lazy day (for the remainder of) today and then we hope to hang out for a few days here and enjoy the island and the reef. A small pod of dolphins joined us briefly just before the entrance to the reef.] At: 11:50(AEST) 25-Apr-2020, Outside Temp: 26.6C (79.88F), Humidity:59%, Water Temp: 29.9C (85.82F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 23º 53.004' S | 152º 24.078' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Lady Musgrave Island (Great Barrier Reef). Our position: -23.8998, 152.4126 Sail From: Lady Elliot Island To: Lady Musgrave Island We travelled [20.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [20.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in large sand patch near reported good snorkelling. 6-8m depth] General Comments: [We had a wonderful time at Lady Elliot (although the first day was a bit choppy). Some Easter chocolate found its way to the island in our provisions too. While we were not allowed to go ashore (the resort is closed, but around 20 people remain and there continues to be two flights a week to provision and to swap out staff), we did get to do a lot of snorkelling. Coral was OK, but we were so happy to get our exercise snorkelling with manta rays, and turtles, and lots of very large fish, along with big groups of small fish that seemed fearless of us. The staff did swing by a few times to say hi, and even offered us a ride to the different snorkel areas (which we declined). Apparently turtles are still hatching on the beaches, but (of course) we were not able to see this with the restrictions in place. Once we finally left Lady Elliot, Kyle was extra happy that we could sail off our mooring ball and avoid using the motor. Today was a nice downwind sail with occasional dolphins passing our path. While we were the only visiting boat at Lady Elliot, there are 4 others here in Lady Musgrave - all social distancing.] At: 10:58(AEST) 13-Apr-2020, Outside Temp: 26.8C (80.24F), Humidity:61%, Water Temp: 30C (86F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 37º 36.072' S | 152º 25.026' E | Begonia |
Day 3 of Tasman Sea Passage From:Eddystone Point, Tasmania To:Southport, QLD. Our position: loc:-37.6117, 152.4207 Progress: [We've made [303.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [611]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [140]nm Since last posting we have made [157.1]nm (through water). We have moved [139.0]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [5.8]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.5kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):6.7kt. Sailing Conditions [The conditions really did improve yesterday, the swell/waves reduced and the wind backed, by 3pm we were using the spinnaker and have been all night. Nice sailing conditions now] General Comments: [Kyle had dolphins join him for over an hour during the night (that made him happy). This morning he knocked over a coffee mug (not so happy).. Poor guy.] At: 06:00(AEST) 22-Feb-2022, Outside Temp: 19.7C (67.46F), Humidity:68%, Water Temp: 23.2C (73.76F), Course: 3(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.6kt, Wind:14Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:60%, Pressure: 1018hPa, Swell:1.5m (from:SE) | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 32º 10.728' S | 152º 30.12' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Tuncurry/Forster (Public Mooring Ball) (NSW, Australia). Our position: -32.1788, 152.5020 Sail From: Laurieton (Public Mooring Ball), Camden Haven Inlet To: Tuncurry/Forster (Public Mooring Ball) We travelled [39.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [35.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Another free mooring ball (thank you) - although it may take a while to relax as there is a strong current and we are just beside a bridge that will swipe off our mast if we drift from the mooring ball (2.2m)] General Comments: [Another very early start to depart (from Laurieton), conditions great for some more spinnaker sailing, dolphins visit us again (although we were too slow for them to stay and play with us).] At: 13:38(AEDT) 03-Dec-2019, Outside Temp: 21C (69.8F), Humidity:51%, Water Temp: 21.2C (70.16F) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 32º 26.022' S | 152º 31.932' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Sugarloaf Bay, Seal Rocks (NSW, Australia). Our position: -32.4337, 152.5322 Sail From: Tuncurry/Forster (Public Mooring Ball) To: Sugarloaf Bay, Seal Rocks We travelled [21.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [15.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored off beach in (6.2-7.1m)] General Comments: [A relatively relaxed passage today. No luck fishing but we did see a whale spouting and fin slapping (probably a humpback). We had very little wind so Kyle motored most of the way with occasional attempts to sail that didn't last long. However for at least a 3rd of the time we seemed to have dolphins with us, all playful at the bows so we were quite distracted from our motoring v sailing issues. No luck fishing (despite a new lure), mostly because we kept reeling the thing in as there were too many things going on. I've never heard of a dolphin grabbing at a lure, but we didn't want to risk it. Dolphins always bring joy - so another lovely day at sea.] At: 12:34(AEDT) 06-Dec-2019, Outside Temp: 24.9C (76.82F), Humidity:64%, Water Temp: 22.7C (72.86F) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 23º 54.072' S | 152º 33.018' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of Coral Sea Passage From:Great Sandy Strait To:Whitsunday Island, QLD. Our position: loc:-23.9119, 152.5532 Progress: [We've made [107.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [297]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [93]nm Since last posting we have made [107.1]nm (through water). We have moved [99.8]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [5.5]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.9kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.9kt. Sailing Conditions [Winds were so light as we left our anchorage, and then headwinds as we traversed the channels that we had no choice to motor until we were out of the channels and into Hervey Bay. Once sailing the headwinds forecast were kindly beam reach (much nicer), and the seas have been flat enough for a gentle, pleasant sail - YAY! We are currently sailing downwind with the spinnaker, and boobies (birds) are flying past off for breakfast someplace.] General Comments: [So we are off again, heading North. T-shirt weather in the day (at night a jacket for Maryanne, but Kyle sticks to just T-Shirt and shorts).] At: 06:00(AEST) 04-Apr-2022, Outside Temp: 25.9C (78.62F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 31.9C (89.42F), Course: 321(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.6kt, Wind:11Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:50%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:1m (from:E) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 25º 32.028' S | 152º 42.042' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Mooring Ball ($) in Maryborough Marina, Mary River, QLD, Australia - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 2 of Mary River Passage From:Middle Reach, Burnett River, Port Bundaberg, QLD To:Maryborough Marina, Mary River, QLD. Our position: loc:-25.5383, 152.7073 Progress: [We've made [75.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [75]nm Since last posting we have made [75.9]nm (through water). We have moved [49.8]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.8]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.7kt, Avg speed for trip:5.7kt. Sailing Conditions [Marina has moorings about 20nm up the tidal Mary River, and a few (rarely available) docks. River has quite a bit of debris in both tide directions after any rain. Town is famed for its historic quaintness and connection to the Mary Poppins author] General Comments: [An overnight passage had us catching the tides just right as we approached the Great Sandy Strait, and traversed the Mary River to the Marina. We arrived just before the rain made it to us. We hope to be here a few days, unfortunately rain, and lightning are going to be our companions during our visit (so we'll be making the most of the indoor museums, etc).] At: 10:16(AEST) 22-Nov-2021, Outside Temp: 23.4C (74.12F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 30.9C (87.62F) | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 24º 6.012' S | 152º 42.054' E | Begonia |
At Mooring Ball: Lady Elliot Island (Great Barrier Reef). Our position: -24.1150, 152.7089 Sail From: Inner Reach, Burnett River (Bundaberg), QLD To: Lady Elliot Island We travelled [50.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [42.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [No other visiting boats today, we picked up one of the visitor moorings. A bit rolly, 8-10m] General Comments: [We made it today with good winds (mostly head winds, and with a 3am start), we were very grateful to see the mooring balls empty and are looking forward to our snorkel (exercise) in such beautiful clear waters. Plenty of birds flying around too.] At: 12:58(AEST) 11-Apr-2020, Outside Temp: 27.1C (80.78F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 30.9C (87.62F) | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 31º 39.042' S | 152º 48.102' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Laureton (Public Mooring Ball), Camden Haven Inlet (NSW, Australia). Our position: -31.6506, 152.8017 Sail From: Hastings River, Port MacQuarie To: Laurieton (Public Mooring Ball), Camden Haven Inlet We travelled [25.7]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [14.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [A free public mooring, well protected, 2.8m] General Comments: [A lovely calm sea in light winds to depart the mooring (under sail) and navigate the bar exiting Port MacQuarie. At sea we made several tacks in light winds, with the occasional dolphin escort as we sailed south. Entry into Camden Haven brought more dolphins, and conditions remained straightforward even with a 2kt flood current running. Very peaceful anchorage.] At: 13:16(AEDT) 01-Dec-2019, Outside Temp: 21.9C (71.42F), Humidity:86%, Water Temp: 20.7C (69.26F) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 31º 25.53' S | 152º 54.438' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Hastings River, Port MacQuarie (NSW, Australia). Our position: -31.4255, 152.9073 Sail From: Coffs Harbour International Marina To: Hastings River, Port MacQuarie We travelled [68.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [68.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [At Free 24hour Public mooring in river (3m)] General Comments: [A choppy sea today but sailing downwind with the spinnaker and with a good current to further assist. We had dolphins come and play as we approached Port MacQuarie but we were a little too slow for them to fully enjoy us. While at Coffs Harbour we had TWO computer v wine failures (yes, apparently we didn't learn our lesson) - so we spent $$$ on a new PC which I've yet to get setup and luckily were able to make a working Mac from our spares. Ugh! We will celebrate USA Thanksgiving now we are secure - happy Thanksgiving to all.] At: 13:38(AEDT) 29-Nov-2019, Outside Temp: 23.2C (73.76F), Humidity:84%, Water Temp: 22.2C (71.96F) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 25º 32.04' S | 152º 56.01' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Great Sandy Strait, Australia - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 2 of Coral Sea Passage From:Yellow Patch, Moreton Island (North End), QLD To:Great Sandy Strait. Our position: loc:-25.5395, 152.9351 General Comments: [Anchored for the night before pushing north again tomorrow.] At: 11:04(AEST) 02-Apr-2022, Outside Temp: 29.1C (84.38F), Humidity:62%, Water Temp: 30.7C (87.26F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 25º 31.572' S | 152º 56.172' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Off Turkey Island, in Great Sandy Strait (QLD, Austalia). Our position: -25.5262, 152.9361 Sail From: Bundaberg, QLD, Australia To: Off Turkey Island, in Great Sandy Strait We travelled [65.4]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [54.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [We sailed most of the way under spinnaker (with a few gybes as we meandered). The great sandy strait is a channel between Fraser Island and the mainland and we've made it about half way through.] General Comments: [Our time at Bundaberg Port Marina went well. We completed our key jobs (we now have a functioning wind generator again), met some new cruising friends, and were entertained royally whenever time allowed. We also WON a free haul out which we can put to good use, a prize that more than covers the cost of the rally. Big win. We left a very tight spot at the marina at first light and (thankfully) without incident. Kyle did a great job of slowly and carefully turning us and backing out while we were surrounded by hazards in very tight quarters. Whew! The sail south was mostly through the sandy shallows and islands between Fraser Island and the mainland, thankfully there are plenty of navigation markers to show the safe passage through. On route we've been reading about all the things that might kill us off while we are here (new to us, we now also have to worry about being gorged by wild pigs when we go ashore with several very nasty encounters reported in our guide books)] At: 15:24(AEST) 07-Nov-2019, Outside Temp: 26.1C (78.98F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 29C (84.2F) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 25º 27.042' S | 152º 57.054' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Shoulder Point, Great Sandy Strait, QLD (Coral Coast). Our position: -25.4570, 152.9589 Sail From: Tin Can Bay, QLD To: Shoulder Point, Great Sandy Strait, QLD We travelled [32.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [27.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [We managed to sail much of the narrow windy channel today, a mix of spinnaker and jib, numerous jibes to match the various bends. Occasional motoring when wind didn't comply and sand banks were close.] General Comments: [After a morning visit to Barnacles dolphins, we set off to push north as much with the current as possible. Today's sailing was challenging fun, the weather is great (sunny with a breeze) and nothing is too busy. We even had a visit from a pair of Australian humpback dolphins while underway - Go Figure! ] At: 17:36(AEST) 20-Mar-2020, Outside Temp: 26.3C (79.34F), Humidity:67%, Water Temp: 28.5C (83.3F) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 25º 37.086' S | 152º 58.038' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Garry's Anchorage, Fraser Island, Great Sandy Strait, QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-25.6304, 152.9731 Sail From: Double Island Point, Wide Bay, QLD To: Garry's Anchorage, Fraser Island, Great Sandy Strait, QLD We travelled [25.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [21.7]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.7]kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.2kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.7m. Anchorage renowned for its bugs (hopefully not too bad this time of year). Walks ashore, along with possible dingo (and even a very rare crocodile) sightings.] General Comments: [Wow - a beautiful light-wind day which had us motoring on calm ocean seas, with an easy (stress free) crossing of the wide-bay bar. We spotted a couple of whales heading south, and a few dolphins both in the ocean and in the bar, but nothing came close to us today. We are crossing our fingers and hoping this anchorage isn't as buggy as reputed.] At: 13:08(AEST) 13-Aug-2021, Outside Temp: 27C (80.6F), Humidity:57%, Water Temp: 21.7C (71.06F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 25º 11.082' S | 153º 0.06' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Hawk Nest Beach, Moon Point, Fraser Island, QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-25.1971, 153.0097 Sail From: Garry's Anchorage, Fraser Island, Great Sandy Strait, QLD To: Hawk Nest Beach, Moon Point, Fraser Island, QLD We travelled [28.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [26.1]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.9]kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.3kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3m of sand. Protected by sand spit to NW at low tide, nice beach ashore, and walking track paralleling beach makes for a nice (short) circuit walk.] General Comments: [We managed to sail most of this hop north, motoring where the great sandy strait meandered through narrow channels and the wind wasn't cooperating. We are now in Hervey Bay (famed for its whales this time of year).] At: 16:34(AEST) 14-Aug-2021, Outside Temp: 24.2C (75.56F), Humidity:55%, Water Temp: 21.7C (71.06F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 25º 54.018' S | 153º 1.038' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Tin Can Bay (Coral Coast). Our position: -25.9026, 153.0234 Sail From: Wide Bay / Double Island Point To: Tin Can Bay We travelled [17.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [7.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Finally the strong winds and big swells had died down (but not off) - the commercial fishermen all were exiting and we made the call to go into the bar. It wasn't nearly as pleasant as our exit back in November, but all is well. Anchored in 1.5 of good holding. ] General Comments: [We made it a little closer to land today. From here we start our passage north within the more sheltered waters of Tin Can Bay. We are anchored among multiple boats in dead calm - just in time for sunset. We're hoping to go ashore in the morning to Barnacle Dolphins to help feed the wild dolphins - (and if it checks out and looks safe and not over crowded we may well have breakfast there too).] At: 17:42(AEST) 19-Mar-2020, Outside Temp: 27.2C (80.96F), Humidity:61%, Water Temp: 28.5C (83.3F) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 27º 28.092' S | 153º 1.968' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Central Business District, Brisbane (QLD, Australia). Our position: -27.4681, 153.0328 Sail From: Pelican Bay (off Inskip Point at south end of Great Sandy Strait) To: Central Business District, Brisbane We travelled [135.73]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [99.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [An overnight sail in mixed winds offshore to Moreton Bay, and then through channels to Brisbane River. A nice river tour up the river to the Central Business District (CBT) where we found a place to anchor in 8m, we'll sit and watch all is well for a day before going ashore.] General Comments: [Entrance to the Brisbane river was very industrial (although not busy), eventually the river meanders and narrows and there are beautiful homes and lovely riverside walks for miles. Brisbane is the 3rd biggest city in Australia and it is quite amazing that you can anchor in 'downtown' (although we've yet to verify how to get ashore).] At: 12:32(AEST) 12-Nov-2019, Outside Temp: 28.2C (82.76F), Humidity:55%, Water Temp: 29C (84.2F) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 25º 49.002' S | 153º 3.06' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Pelican Bay, Great Sandy Strait, QLD - Mary River, Australia. Our position: loc:-25.8171, 153.0601 Sail From: Maryborough Marina, Mary River, QLD To: Pelican Bay, Great Sandy Strait, QLD We travelled [42.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [25.4]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [0.0]kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.7kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.0m depth - a nice spot to wait for the tides to exit the Wide Bay Bar (or to pause after entering).] General Comments: [A very early start to catch the tides we needed in the river and the strait today. I cooked up some cherry pies and apple turnovers to celebrate Thanksgiving, but was delayed somewhat when I left a plastic lid in the oven while it came up to temperature (Ugh!). Eventually we got to cook and eat those cherry pies. The day was drizzly with light winds so not so great, but we did have one dolphin briefly visit.] At: 15:18(AEST) 26-Nov-2021, Outside Temp: 26.6C (79.88F), Humidity:87%, Water Temp: 31.4C (88.52F) | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 27º 26.478' S | 153º 3.51' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Hamilton Reach, Brisbane River (QLD, Australia). Our position: -27.4413, 153.0584 Sail From: Northshore Riverside Park, Brisbane River, Brisbane To: Hamilton Reach, Brisbane River We travelled [1.5]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Motored back upstream after prior anchorage proved too tight in strong gusts and wind against current - we now have PLENTY of space, but are not quite so convenient to get ashore.] General Comments: [Our anchoring escapades are turning into a comedy of errors, Bribane river had not been easy on us (or we've been terribly unlucky). We did get to meet up with fellow Athena owners aboard Lola though - so thats a plus - now maybe we can finally get ashore and explore] At: 13:56(AEST) 13-Nov-2019, Outside Temp: C (F), Humidity:%, Water Temp: C (F) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 25º 49.11' S | 153º 3.792' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Pelican Bay (off Inskip Point at south end of Great Sandy Strait) (QLD, Australia). Our position: -25.8185, 153.0632 Sail From: Off Turkey Island, in Great Sandy Strait To: Pelican Bay (off Inskip Point at south end of Great Sandy Strait) We travelled [17.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [18.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Sandy anchorage (4-6m) with good winds and sunshine today after a short hop both downwind and with the current.] General Comments: [Surrounded by sandy spits and low scrub ashore - we even had some black and white pelicans swimming about - very apt for 'Pelican Bay'] At: 10:26(AEST) 08-Nov-2019, Outside Temp: 28C (82.4F), Humidity:58%, Water Temp: 28.5C (83.3F) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 27º 10.08' S | 153º 5.04' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Deception Bay, Scraborough, QLD, Australia - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 2 of Coral Sea Passage From:Double Island Point (DIP), Wide Bay, QLD To:Deception Bay, Scraborough, QLD. Our position: loc:-27.1804, 153.0895 Progress: [We've made [96.3]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [100]nm Since last posting we have made [96.3]nm (through water). We have moved [74.2]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.8]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.9kt, Avg speed for trip:4.9kt. Sailing Conditions [Anchored in 3.6m (low tide), a good place to wait for daylight/slip before entering the channel to the Newport Marina] General Comments: [An overnight passage, we had better winds than expected and arrived early (too early for our reserved slip a the marina) so we've anchored off in the bay (for now). Naturally the rain started just as we arrived. Kyle was keen to set the anchor manually (so he didn't have to use the engines) - so he did the work (out in the rain) in place of me today. But the highlight is our little hitchhiker (a green tree frog) that we 'found' hopping about the cabin top at night - we have no idea how long he's been aboard for (presumably since the Mary River?).] At: 06:42(AEST) 01-Dec-2021, Outside Temp: 24.7C (76.46F), Humidity:90%, Water Temp: 28.5C (83.3F) | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 27º 12.066' S | 153º 5.064' E | Begonia |
At Marina Dock: Newport Marina, Scarborough, QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-27.2110, 153.0942 Sail From: Deception Bay, Scarborough, QLD To: Newport Marina, Scarborough, QLD We travelled [2.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.9]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.2]kt, Avg speed (through the water):2.6kt. Location Comments: [Newport marina has guest berths available, key access at gates, laundry, showers, BBQ, etc. Very welcoming and helpful staff. info@marinalife.com.au, 0450 698 737, https://www.newportmarina.com.au/] General Comments: [We planned to move the boat during a lull in the rain (failed) - but are now safely at the dock. Plenty to explore here, and boating friends in the area too, but we'll need our umbrella wherever we go this next few days.] At: 12:48(AEST) 01-Dec-2021, Outside Temp: 23.9C (75.02F), Humidity:88%, Water Temp: 28.5C (83.3F) | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 27º 10.068' S | 153º 5.094' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Deception Bay, Scarborough, QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-27.1779, 153.0992 Sail From: Newport Marina, Scarborough, QLD To: Deception Bay, Scarborough, QLD We travelled [1.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [2.0]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.2]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.0kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.2m (low tide), a good place to spend the night waiting to move on (or to enter into marina)] General Comments: [Our time in the marina ends. We did a few good chores, spent some time with fellow boaters from Waru (who happen to leave next door to the marina), got all our Christmas cards written and mailed, and took a WHOLE day off to explore the local waterfronts, restaurants, and museum. Despite a rainy start the sunshine did eventually return and seems stable again (This area has just reported it's wettest November EVER recorded).] At: 12:58(AEST) 04-Dec-2021, Outside Temp: 30.6C (87.08F), Humidity:58%, Water Temp: 33.4C (92.12F) | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 27º 26.778' S | 153º 5.148' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Northshore Riverside Park, Brisbane River, Brisbane (QLD, Australia). Our position: -27.4463, 153.0858 Sail From: Central Business District, Brisbane To: Northshore Riverside Park, Brisbane River, Brisbane We travelled [2.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [3.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [After anchoring in downtown we found with currents and other boats we were just too close to everyone. We tried reanchoring several times, several locations, and eventually gave up and found a good place with plenty of room out of town but miles from any good dinghy landing. Today we nudged a little further out of town Just up stream of the Sir Leo Hielscher Bridge(s). Anchored in 6-8m - took a few tries to set but we have good holding eventually] General Comments: [We've moved to this area for shore access, and to meet up with another Athena owner that so far we've only 'met' on-line. Finally we also hope to get ashore and actually explore some of Brisbane.. Gees this has been ridiculous hard work/bad luck so far.] At: 10:14(AEST) 13-Nov-2019, Outside Temp: 31.3C (88.34F), Humidity:32%, Water Temp: 29C (84.2F) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 25º 6.084' S | 153º 7.056' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Arch Cliff, Fraser Island, Hervey Bay, QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-25.4472, 153.1255 Sail From: Hawk Nest Beach, Moon Point, Fraser Island, QLD To: Arch Cliff, Fraser Island, Hervey Bay, QLD We travelled [8.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [16.3]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [7.3]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.7kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3m of sand. A bit south of the 4WD campsite, looking forward to sunset light on the sandy cliffs behind us.] General Comments: [After a lovely walk ashore at Hawk Nest Beach, we've moved a little further North along the coast to the sand cliffs (variety). Conditions should be calm for the next couple of days.] At: 14:32(AEST) 15-Aug-2021, Outside Temp: 24.6C (76.28F), Humidity:67%, Water Temp: 22.7C (72.86F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 31º 2.01' S | 153º 8.004' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of Tasman Sea Passage From:Swansea Bridge, Lake Macquarie To:Coffs Harbour, NSW. Our position: loc:-31.0348, 153.1341 Progress: [We've made [144.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [44]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [156]nm Since last posting we have made [144.1]nm (through water). We have moved [144.5]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [6.3]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.3kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):6.3kt. Sailing Conditions [We left Lake Macquarie at first light and once we were able to turn to the north we've been on a broad reach / downwind sailing since then; for several hours things were calm enough to allow us to sail wing-on-wing. Despite the forecast for decreasing winds, that has yet to happen, eventually the seas keep building too making for some occasional surfing (i don't like it). This persistent wind does help our progress though. We also had an unexpected current with us for much of the last 24 hours, changing just recently - we now have 1.5kt against us.] General Comments: [Overnight the sky was clear and the stars & the bioluminescence put on a great show. We've seen only one other sailboat (Polar Star), that was with us for part of our journey yesterday (branching off mid-afternoon), but there is a regular stream of cargo ships (many anchored at sea too). We even had an Australian military ship (HMAS Brisbane) cross our path as it headed to harbour from sea. It looks like we *should* make it earlier than we'd initially estimated, and if we are lucky even in daylight today.] At: 06:00(AEST) 15-May-2021, Outside Temp: 16C (60.8F), Humidity:63%, Water Temp: C (F), Course: 358(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.4kt, Wind:15Kt(from:W), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1015hPa, Swell:2m (from:SW) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 25º 46.032' S | 153º 8.022' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of Coral Sea Passage From:Yellow Patch, Moreton Island (North End), QLD To:Great Sandy Strait. Our position: loc:-25.7718, 153.1370 Progress: [We've made [66.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [20]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [65]nm Since last posting we have made [66.9]nm (through water). We have moved [77.1]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.7]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.1kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.1kt. Sailing Conditions [We are just negotiating wide bay bar now (in the magic mile) - conditions are great. We were sailing most of yesterday with spinnaker, but reduced to the jib to avoid arriving at the bar too early. From here we will continue north for as long as the flood allows us to and find a suitable spot to anchor.] General Comments: [With plenty of space and the wind pushing us away from the shore, Kyle manually lifted the anchor to depart (he loves that!). A rather uneventful overnight sail (always good). There were quite a few cargo ships and fishing boats to keep us occupied through the beautiful starry night (new moon) as we sailed north.] At: 06:00(AEST) 02-Apr-2022, Outside Temp: 24.3C (75.74F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 30C (86F), Course: 250(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.1kt, Wind:8Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:25%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:1.5m (from:SE) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 30º 18.036' S | 153º 8.058' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 2 of Tasman Sea Passage From:Swansea Bridge, Lake Macquarie To:Coffs Harbour, NSW. Our position: loc:-30.3063, 153.1431 Progress: [We've made [189.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [44]nm Since last posting we have made [45.4]nm (through water). We have moved [43.7]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.1]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.3kt, Avg speed for trip:5.6kt. Sailing Conditions [Anchored in 4.7m, Dinghy dock ashore at Marina.] General Comments: [We made such unexpected progress yesterday and overnight, so when the when the wind finally just quit on us and we were within 20nm of the the harbour, we caved in and motored so we could be at anchor in daylight and not bobbing around all night at sea. Kyle PC refuses to boot up with some hard disc error - interestingly it was at Coffs harbour we purchased it to replace the previous failed computer!] At: 16:34(AEST) 15-May-2021, Outside Temp: 21.6C (70.88F), Humidity:58%, Water Temp: 21.2C (70.16F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 30º 18.258' S | 153º 8.598' E | Begonia |
At Mooring Ball: Coffs Harbour (Public Mooring Ball) (NSW, Australia). Our position: -30.3044, 153.1434 Sail From: Iluka Bay, Clarence River To: Coffs Harbour (Public Mooring Ball) We travelled [52.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [54.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [At one of two public mooring balls (24hr limit) in 4-5.5m depth] General Comments: [Another day with mostly spinnaker sailing (switched to jib once wind strengthened). The departure sky was dominated by nearby bush fire, and even 5nm out to sea we had ash falling on the boat. Arriving in Coffs Harbour we find the catamaran 'Mi Corazon', and owner Hans Peter dinghied over to greet us (we last met in Suwarrow in 2017!). I've planned to rent a car and visit some nearby parks, but so far fires have closed them all - so will be looking for alternate plans (winery?). ] At: 17:10(AEDT) 25-Nov-2019, Outside Temp: 22.5C (72.5F), Humidity:80%, Water Temp: 23.6C (74.48F) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 30º 18.282' S | 153º 8.85' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Coffs Harbour International Marina (NSW, Australia). Our position: -30.3047, 153.1475 Sail From: Coffs Harbour (Public Mooring Ball) To: Coffs Harbour International Marina We travelled [0.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [0.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [At the dock in the Marina, very windy and quite tight quarters, but Kyle docked like a pro. They also sent 3 hands to come and assist which was helpful!] General Comments: [Moved into the marina so we can do laundry and other chores, collect packages, and take a sightseeing day (car rental) to balance it all out. We'll remain here for a few days as wind is predicted to switch around about over the next day or so.] At: 11:44(AEDT) 26-Nov-2019, Outside Temp: 24.1C (75.38F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 24C (75.2F) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 25º 56.472' S | 153º 9.768' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Wide Bay / Double Island Point - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 4 of Tasman Sea Passage From:Lord Howe Island, NSW To:Wide Bay / Double Island Point. Our position: -25.9412, 153.1628 Progress: [We've made [490.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [55.4]nm (through water). We have moved [48.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Drizzly, gusty, with hints of blue sky] General Comments: [Having missed the ideal times (and even the borderline times) for the Bar entrance, we were grateful to find a protected anchorage (just 10nm from the entrance) to hang out until tomorrow when we will enter dreaded bar (the sandy kind, not the beer providing type). It is much nicer to know we can sleep and relax, rather than just bob about in the ocean for 18 hours. Another passage complete.] At: 14:52(AEDT) 13-Mar-2020, Outside Temp: 23.9C (75.02F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 30C (86F) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 25º 56.076' S | 153º 10.026' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Double Island Point, Wide Bay, QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-25.9464, 153.1713 Sail From: Pelican Bay, Great Sandy Strait, QLD To: Double Island Point, Wide Bay, QLD We travelled [35.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [9.8]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [1.6]kt, Avg speed (through the water):5.8kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in a very shallow 1.1m (low tide) well protected from south winds. If the weather allows we hope to take a walk ashore again to the lighthouse and beyond, maybe even make a walk of the full circuit if we can. (Good cell phone reception with Telstra).] General Comments: [Another overcast and humid day, but the rain at least held off. The forecast northerly winds failed to arrive, but Kyle was determined to sail anyway so we did a lot of tacking this trip once we exited the Wide Bay Bar. We'll be here a few days waiting for good conditions to continue our push south. I have plenty of aboard jobs to occupy me, but we do hope to get ashore and enjoy this lovely location. ] At: 17:22(AEST) 27-Nov-2021, Outside Temp: 24.7C (76.46F), Humidity:87%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F) | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 25º 56.064' S | 153º 10.032' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in Double Island Point, Wide Bay, QLD, Australia - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 2 of Coral Sea Passage From:Myora, North Stradbroke Island, QLD To:Double Island Point, Wide Bay, QLD. Our position: loc:-25.9440, 153.1723 Progress: [We've made [106.4]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [106]nm Since last posting we have made [106.4]nm (through water). We have moved [92.4]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [5.5]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.4kt, Avg speed for trip:6.4kt. Sailing Conditions [Anchored in 1.4m of water between beach and sandspit, well protected from swell in all directions. We still get some wind - so good for wind generator/breeze. In Great Sandy Marine Park. 2 bars 4G Telstra signal. Lighthouse walk ashore to east, and Sand cliffs/Rainbow Beach to north. ] General Comments: [A rather choppy overnight passage with very mixed seas, waves and two separate swells all mixing up. But we are here and can rest for several days. Finally the water temperature is in the 20s (Celcius) - and that what we were hoping for by moving north.] At: 08:40(AEST) 10-Aug-2021, Outside Temp: 21.6C (70.88F), Humidity:62%, Water Temp: 21.7C (71.06F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 27º 0.006' S | 153º 14.052' E | Begonia |
Day 8 of Tasman Sea Passage From:Eddystone Point, Tasmania To:Slipping Sands, North Stradbroke Island, QLD. Our position: loc:-27.0008, 153.2423 Progress: [We've made [1060.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [40]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [-8]nm Since last posting we have made [137.1]nm (through water). We have moved [84.7]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.5]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.7kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):6.4kt. Sailing Conditions [I thought yesterday was a miserable night - last night certainly topped it with wild seas, heavy rain, and winds regularly gusting in the high 30kts AND all the time second guessing ourselves regarding skipping the Southport Seaway Bar for another night of this. We rounded Moreton Island, but were unabel to take an shortcuts and are still to find ourselves in any shelter - we have 2m waves inside the Bay. The radar suggests we may be almost done with the worst of it all. We are also glad to enter the bay in daylight as we are expecting a ton of debris to be floating about given the recent storms.] General Comments: [So looking forward to anchoring and being still-ish for a few days. With the expected wind shifts I believe we are headed for Slipping sands (for now) - should be anchored later today. Oh - and to add to the misery, Kyle's back is on its way out again, it keeps twinging and he has to walk in a very peculiar way (not easy given the conditions).] At: 06:00(AEST) 27-Feb-2022, Outside Temp: 28.5C (83.3F), Humidity:95%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F), Course: 150(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.7kt, Wind:22Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1003hPa, Swell:2m (from:E) | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 27º 52.032' S | 153º 20.022' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Coomera River (off The Boat Works) - Moreton Bay, Australia. Our position: loc:-27.8717, 153.3365 Sail From: Slipping Sands, North Stradbroke Island, QLD To: Coomera River (off The Boat Works) We travelled [22.7]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [9.7]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [1.6]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.9kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.5 (LAT), in good holding. A great place to anchor the night before a haul-out at The Boat Works] General Comments: [Kyle spent much of the afternoon (it seemed) sailing but making no way against the current - he was perfectly happy about that, I was confused, but busy with admin stuff so I left him to it. His back is still a problem, so he called for help to deploy and roll up the jib a few times. Hopefully he truly can be convinced to rest up now before our haul out next week.] At: 18:18(AEST) 02-Mar-2022, Outside Temp: 26.1C (78.98F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 27.5C (81.5F) | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 27º 52.032' S | 153º 20.022' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: off Links Hope Island, Coomera River, QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-27.8717, 153.3369 Sail From: The Boat Works, Coomera, QLD To: off Links Hope Island, Coomera River, QLD We travelled [0.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [0.2]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [0.6]kt, Avg speed (through the water):0.1kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.2m, a perfect place to wait for our haul out at The Boat Works (some wakes from passing boaters and jet skis)] General Comments: [We spent a day of chores (laundry, quotes, etc) with a bit of pampering (shower, restaurant) to get a jump on our imminent haul out and repairs for begonia. Despite the damage we've been assured by two separate businesses that the boat is safe to haul (whew), and once that is done the major work can begin.] At: 12:50(AEST) 05-Jun-2021, Outside Temp: 35C (95F), Humidity:33%, Water Temp: 20.8C (69.44F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 29º 26.01' S | 153º 21.012' E | Begonia |
At Shallow-Anchor: Yamba Channel, Yamba, NSW - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-29.4348, 153.3521 Sail From: Coffs Harbour, NSW To: Yamba Channel, Yamba, NSW We travelled [56.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [53.4]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.7]kt, Avg speed (through the water):5.0kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 1.3m among crowded/narrow mooring field (reported to be good holding mud), well protected aside from wake from passing boats.] General Comments: [We continue to push North. We departed Coffs Harbour before Midnight and Kyle took the graveyard watch as normal (and it rained!). We made great time and arrived just as all the forecasts/routers predicted we would. Since most of the passage was at night there is little to report, but we did get to fly the spinnaker for most of the passage (until the squalls arrived). When we arrived at the bar there was still a smidge of ebb, but all was well. We plan to go ashore and explore Yamba (last time we were in this area, we were on the other side of the Clarence River at Iluka (while the 2019 fires were still raging). ] At: 10:56(AEST) 18-May-2021, Outside Temp: 20.4C (68.72F), Humidity:66%, Water Temp: 18C (64.4F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 27º 30.03' S | 153º 21.054' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Horseshoe Bay, Peel Island, Moreton Bay - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-27.5049, 153.3593 Sail From: Paradise Point/Sovereign Islands, Gold Coast, QLD To: Horseshoe Bay, Peel Island, Moreton Bay We travelled [30.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [22.3]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.2]kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.3kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.2m, surprised to see it so busy since the Snap lockdown started at 4pm, not sure if everyone here has heard the news.] General Comments: [We motored in head-winds and meandering channels among sand flats to get here - cracking scenery on route, but a bit chilly at the helm. While underway the South-East of Queensland (where we currently are) declared a snap 3 day lockdown from 4pm today; the Delta Variant is out and spreading and hopefully this will stop/contain it. We are not sure how long we may need to stay here now, but we are hoping the lockdown will end as currently planned (but that may be a bit too hopeful). Luckily we are fully stocked on the food front. While we can't visit aboard other boats, we can go ashore for exercise (a non-inhabited island that is also a national park). We have plenty of things to keep us busy aboard too.] At: 16:44(AEST) 31-Jul-2021, Outside Temp: 20.5C (68.9F), Humidity:68%, Water Temp: 17.3C (63.14F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 29º 24.792' S | 153º 21.108' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Iluka Bay, Clarence River (NSW, Australia). Our position: -29.4132, 153.3518 Sail From: Richmond River, Ballina To: Iluka Bay, Clarence River We travelled [34.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [34.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 3m within protected bay] General Comments: [An odd day of sailing, we started out with a bit of Jib until we could get out of the Ballina bar and turn south, put up the spinnaker and soon realized we were going too fast and would arrive at the next bar entrance (Yamba/Iluka) too soon. We took all sail down thinking we might use a furled jib only, but without any sails we were still headed south at 5kt (7 when surfing) - crazy - that is with just the boat windages (Yikes). Kyle turned the boat off the wind for a bit which left us with in a swelly parking position while we waited for the worst of the ebb current at the bar. Wind and waves slowly increased all day - and we snuck in over the bar a little early (after taking advice from the local marine rescue service) and are glad to be safely at anchor now. The skies are crazy dark with smoke from nearby fires. The parks and rainforest trails ashore are all closed due to fire risk, so we should have a quiet time here. We're told the local fisherman's co-op does an impressive fish and chips! Maybe we can find a more traditional bar too ;-)] At: 13:56(AEDT) 23-Nov-2019, Outside Temp: 22.8C (73.04F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 24.1C (75.38F) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 27º 30.282' S | 153º 21.882' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Horseshoe Bay, Peel Island, Moreton Bay (QLD, Australia). Our position: -27.5046, 153.3646 Sail From: Hamilton Reach, Brisbane River To: Horseshoe Bay, Peel Island, Moreton Bay We travelled [31.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [16.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [We departed Brisbane with both current & wind against us - so it was motoring until we were out of the river, and then a bit of motor sailing until we were finally around all the obsticals and able to move under sail alone. Anchored (under sail) in 8m. ] General Comments: [Leaving Brisbane we had a 'farewell' from Mahana, and swung by Lola (our 'twin' Athena) for a photo op. During the sail in the bay we cut through a race (where all the sailboats had giant spinnakers up in pretty strong winds) and made it to the anchorage in time for sunset. I made the mistake a week or so ago of calculating our underway v motoring times and Kyle is now a bit too aware of our stats and is keen to try and reduce the numbers (I unleashed a beast). We had a lovely few days sightseeing in Brisbane (after the anchoring fiasco) but lost some of our fun time to more repairs (water pump) and of course our trouble getting an anchorage we felt safe to leave the boat at, so unfortunately we won't be going ashore at Peel island. Peel island has various conservation statuses (Teerk Roo Ra National Park and a Marine Park too) It has a stunning big sandy bay, and ashore are the remnants of an old lepracy colony. Maybe on the way north we can rectify this loss.] At: 16:50(AEST) 16-Nov-2019, Outside Temp: 27C (80.6F), Humidity:75%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 27º 17.076' S | 153º 23.082' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: The Sandhills, Moreton Island, QLD - Moreton Bay, Australia. Our position: loc:-27.2956, 153.3973 Sail From: Deception Bay, Scarborough, QLD To: The Sandhills, Moreton Island, QLD We travelled [35.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [17.4]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.8]kt, Avg speed (through the water):5.7kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.8m, off sand dunes. Popular spot with 4WD and boat visitors for tobogganing/boarding down the dunes. (1 bar 4g Telstra mobile, previous visitors report needing to climb dunes for a signal, so may not be reliable from anchorage)] General Comments: [WOW - a very boisterous Moreton Bay today, with winds well above forecast. We had the current against us, and were sailing close hauled, so need a few tacks to get us across the bay and into the protection of Moreton Island (often seeing apparent wind in the high 20kts and sometimes even in the low 30's!, so we we well reefed which reduces our pointing ability somewhat). We watched a couple of boats turn around and abandon their Sunday sailing plans. On the plus side, it means there isn't a crowded anchorage on our arrival (just 2 other boats).] At: 15:00(AEST) 05-Dec-2021, Outside Temp: 29.5C (85.1F), Humidity:60%, Water Temp: 30C (86F) | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 27º 17.076' S | 153º 23.088' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Anchor in The Sandhills, Moreton Island, QLD, Australia - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 8 of Tasman Sea Passage From:Eddystone Point, Tasmania To:The Sandhills, Moreton Island, QLD. Our position: loc:-27.2964, 153.3977 Progress: [We've made [1083.7]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [40]nm Since last posting we have made [23.5]nm (through water). We have moved [19.6]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.9]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:3.5kt, Avg speed for trip:6.3kt. Sailing Conditions [Anchored in 4m (LAT), off sand dunes. Popular spot with 4WD and boat visitors for tobogganing/boarding down the dunes. (We show 1 bar 4g Telstra mobile, previous visitors report needing to climb dunes for a signal, so may not be reliable from anchorage)] General Comments: [We made it - finally at anchor. The rain stopped to allow me to anchor (score!), and the chop is minimal as the dunes protect us here. Weather remains quite miserable and we are absolutely ready for a rest. Will move further south in a couple of days (conditions permitting). News reports are showing incredible flooding events and loss of property (and life) in a huge area of South-East Queensland. We are avoiding any river outlets for now (where trees and other debris are likely), and hopefully these excessive winds will be ending soon (we were still seeing 30kt+gusts as we approached the anchorage). Poor Kyle is a wrinkly prune on hands and feet, and his back needs some serious rest time. I have Netflix at the ready, and potato soup planned, add a beer or a glass of wine and we'll both end up skipping the Netflix!] At: 12:48(AEST) 27-Feb-2022, Outside Temp: 27C (80.6F), Humidity:88%, Water Temp: 30C (86F) | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 27º 52.062' S | 153º 24.0' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Paradise Point/Sovereign Islands, Gold Coast, QLD - Moreton Bay, Australia. Our position: loc:-27.8773, 153.4003 Sail From: Bum's Bay (Marine Stadium), Southport, QLD To: Paradise Point/Sovereign Islands, Gold Coast, QLD We travelled [6.4]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [4.2]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.0]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.0kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.8 LAT, Good shore access (lock your boats), and a little less jet ski traffic than other anchorages. Less likely to get bug problems too as surrounding area is built up (posh suburbs)] General Comments: [Kyle's sink drain broke this morning so we need a new part (from here we'll dinghy/kayak into Boat works which has a chandlery tomorrow morning). Our new inflatable double kayak was delivered to us this morning (we've been trying to order it all year, but supplies have been a problem, along with connecting with deliveries) - Finally we have one - so we'll test it out and have a play in the canals around here. We also have a few jobs to do to prep the boat for Tasmania (some repairs to the enclosure, etc) - so that will keep us occupied. Good shore access and rumors of a nearby pub should help distract us too.] At: 12:50(AEST) 10-Dec-2021, Outside Temp: 32.3C (90.14F), Humidity:54%, Water Temp: 31.9C (89.42F) | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 27º 52.056' S | 153º 24.006' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Paradise Point/Sovereign Islands, Gold Coast, QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-27.8761, 153.4011 Sail From: Terranora Creek (Tweed River), Tweed Heads, NSW To: Paradise Point/Sovereign Islands, Gold Coast, QLD We travelled [18.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [20.1]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.6]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.3kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3m of mud among several other boats. From here we can easily get to our haul out scheduled for next week.] General Comments: [Exiting the Tweed head bar (with steering functional, and in calmer conditions) was a lot simpler. We hopped north and re-entered protected waterways via the Spit/Southport Bar. Anchored well before dark and near boating friends - food for the soul! Expecting rain tomorrow.] At: 16:16(AEST) 02-Jun-2021, Outside Temp: 22.3C (72.14F), Humidity:65%, Water Temp: 20.5C (68.9F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 27º 52.05' S | 153º 24.006' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Paradise Point/Sovereign Islands, Gold Coast, QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-27.8747, 153.4012 Sail From: The Boat Works, Coomera, QLD To: Paradise Point/Sovereign Islands, Gold Coast, QLD We travelled [6.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [3.5]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [1.8]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.3kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 5m, a bit crowded today so we'll keep a good watch regarding how everyone swings as the tide changes] General Comments: [Finally away from the boat yard, after 7 weeks we have everything necessary fixed, all the general maintenance up to date, and are now down to the usual list of nice-to-have and do-when-bored items. We are hoping to sleep in and just hang out without interruptions or chores for a while before moving on North. However we are behind on the blog and a host of other odds, so we'll have to balance all that somehow (at some point, but maybe not today).] At: 15:14(AEST) 29-Jul-2021, Outside Temp: 25.6C (78.08F), Humidity:36%, Water Temp: 19.8C (67.64F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 27º 43.02' S | 153º 24.018' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Slipping Sands, North Stradbroke Island, QLD - Moreton Bay, Australia. Our position: loc:-27.7204, 153.4027 Sail From: The Sandhills, Moreton Island, QLD To: Slipping Sands, North Stradbroke Island, QLD We travelled [46.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [25.4]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.4]kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.4kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.7m LAT, the anchorage is well protected by the shore, a long sandbank that parallels the shore, and numerous islands in the bay. Easy shore-access to the National Park (and trails). Subject to currents. 1bar 4G (Telstra)] General Comments: [Ugh - we really wanted to rest up today (and we have plenty of catch-up jobs outstanding too), but the forecast is for winds from the South which we were not so well protected from. So we have moved further south (closer to Boat Works) and well protected from all sides. Mostly motoring today as we navigate the sinuous channels, with a bit of motor sailing when conditions allowed. Thankfully conditions were very calm so it was easy to spot (and avoid) everything that has been washed down with the recent flooding. Kyle's back is still a problem so I really need to enforce a few rest days now we are secure and safe from most conditions. We are feeling the heat and have already spotted a few March Flies so we may be a little crazy by the time we leave this anchorage, but hopefully we can at least catch up with all our on-line jobs.] At: 17:18(AEST) 28-Feb-2022, Outside Temp: 27.8C (82.04F), Humidity:75%, Water Temp: 28C (82.4F) | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 27º 43.026' S | 153º 24.018' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Slipping Sands, North Stradbroke Island, QLD - Moreton Bay, Australia. Our position: loc:-27.7205, 153.4030 Sail From: The Sandhills, Moreton Island, QLD To: Slipping Sands, North Stradbroke Island, QLD We travelled [29.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [25.5]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.8]kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.3kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.2m LAT, the anchorage is well protected by the shore and a long sandbank that parallels the shore, and numerous island in the bay. Easy shore access to the National Park (and trails).] General Comments: [Another early start (4:30am). Light winds meant we spent a lot of the journey motoring today (although there was some real sailing when we reached 7kts, so not all bad). Very little traffic (not surprising given its a week-day, the early start, and the poor weather recently).] At: 11:12(AEST) 07-Dec-2021, Outside Temp: 29.6C (85.28F), Humidity:63%, Water Temp: 30C (86F) | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 30º 33.078' S | 153º 24.03' E | Begonia |
Day 6 of Tasman Sea Passage From:Eddystone Point, Tasmania To:Moreton Island, QLD. Our position: loc:-30.5626, 153.4052 Progress: [We've made [764.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [219]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [83]nm Since last posting we have made [173.9]nm (through water). We have moved [133.9]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [5.6]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:7.2kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):6.5kt. Sailing Conditions [The wind change we'd expected from the forecasts before departure are now vanished from current forecasts, we've made the call and have changed our destination to Moreton Island (about 50nm North of Southport Bar). This is an open bay which will allow us entry any time, and we can anchor and be protected from wind and swell. From there we will then back-track with day sails. In the meantime, aboard, seas remain boisterous (yuk).] General Comments: [Plenty of shearwater (Mutton Birds) clearly enjoying the conditions at sea. They look so graceful as we bounce along. Yesterday we had the current against us for much of the time (which explains the reduced distance actually travelled).] At: 06:00(AEST) 25-Feb-2022, Outside Temp: 25.1C (77.18F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 30.5C (86.9F), Course: 347(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.1kt, Wind:21Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:95%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:2.5m (from:E) | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 27º 52.458' S | 153º 24.102' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Paradise Point/Sovereign Islands (QLD, Australia). Our position: -27.8744, 153.4016 Sail From: Horseshoe Bay, Peel Island, Moreton Bay To: Paradise Point/SovereignIslands We travelled [31.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [22.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Today had very slight headwinds so we had to motor a good distance before we were finally able to use some sail. Anchored off the luxury development of Sovereign Islands in 4-5m of mud] General Comments: [The journey today was meandering around sand spits and often in narrow channels of Southern Moreton Bay Islands National Park. Lots of traffic (It's the weekend) too. For much of today we additionally had the definite smell of smoke along with poor visibility. Right now the skies seem to be hinting at some rain and the forecast is for thunderstorms later (although most likely still not sufficient rain to reduce the current fire threat here in Queensland).] At: 13:30(AEST) 17-Nov-2019, Outside Temp: 26.4C (79.52F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 28C (82.4F) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 27º 43.242' S | 153º 24.162' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Slipping Sands, North Stradbroke Island, QLD - Moreton Bay, Australia. Our position: loc:-27.7207, 153.4027 Sail From: The Boat Works (Marina), Coomera, QLD To: Slipping Sands, North Stradbroke Island, QLD We travelled [15.7]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [9.6]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [2.7]kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.5kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.2m LAT. Area subject to currents. Pleasant anchorage with dunes ashore, popular at weekends.] General Comments: [After a last coffee at 'The Galley', we left the dock and motored down the Coomera river. We had great weather, sunshine and a mild breeze, but the forecast is for several days of heavy rain (a perfect place for some enforced rest).] All is well Thanks for following along with us Kyle & Maryanne At: 11:30(AEST) 26-Mar-2022, Outside Temp: 29.1C (84.38F), Humidity:65%, Water Temp: 31.4C (88.52F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 27º 28.014' S | 153º 25.002' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Myora, North Stradbroke Island, QLD - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-27.4689, 153.4166 Sail From: Horseshoe Bay, Peel Island, Moreton Bay To: Myora, North Stradbroke Island, QLD We travelled [3.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [3.7]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.7]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.3kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3m, plenty of shallows and a few oyster farms to avoid, poor shore access but 2bar of 4G.] General Comments: [We relocated from our spot in Peel Island due to strong SE winds expected on Sunday (For safety reasons this is permitted under the lock-down rules). It was beautiful and calm today so seemed like an easy time to make the move. Just one other boat here for now. We are still unsure if the lockdown will lift on Sunday, but if it does we hope to depart on Monday for anchorages north (while following mask mandates, etc).] At: 10:20(AEST) 06-Aug-2021, Outside Temp: 20.2C (68.36F), Humidity:55%, Water Temp: 16.4C (61.52F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 27º 56.07' S | 153º 25.044' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Bum's Bay (Marine Stadium), Southport, QLD - Moreton Bay, Australia. Our position: loc:-27.9445, 153.4234 Sail From: Slipping Sands, North Stradbroke Island, QLD To: Bum's Bay (Marine Stadium), Southport, QLD We travelled [13.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [13.5]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [3.0]kt, Avg speed (through the water):3.1kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.5m LAT, a crowded anchorage with numerous house boats and long-timers along with the occasional cruising boat. Close to the Seaway entrance, and for entertainment ashore there is Sea World and a host of other big ticket fun stuff (which we are unlikely to visit).] General Comments: [WOW - We just motored through the heaviest rain storm I think I've EVER seen. At times with ZERO visibility, wind gusts up to 46kt, and the sea state crazy with whitecaps (despite the surrounding protection), Thank goodness we had the sails all stowed before it arrived. At times we simply pointed into the wind, and tried to hold a position. With current and winds in a narrow channel, we sometimes just ran with it and with the two of us spotting for any possible obstacles at all times: we were dodging boats under tow, and even a giant motorboats rushing through the channel at 20kts.. That was crazy.] At: 16:16(AEST) 08-Dec-2021, Outside Temp: 23.1C (73.58F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 30C (86F) | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 27º 1.08' S | 153º 25.08' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Yellow Patch, Moreton Island (North End), QLD - Moreton Bay, Australia. Our position: loc:-27.0299, 153.4299 Sail From: Slipping Sands, North Stradbroke Island, QLD To: Yellow Patch, Moreton Island (North End), QLD We travelled [52.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [41.5]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.2]kt, Avg speed (through the water):5.3kt. Location Comments: [Anchored in 4.6m LAT (Pick your depth), area subject to swells and waves, so only suitable in appropriate weather conditions. Ashore for a walk on the beach (plenty of passing 4wd traffic). Phone signal low but functional (Telstra)] General Comments: [We spent our time just relaxing at anchor in some very heavy rains (in just 3 days the area got the annual rainfall of London). Ashore there was more devastation for some of the inland towns suffering 2nd major flood events for the year in QLD, before the system shifted south and continues to cause loss of property and life in NSW. We've now moved north and are anchored on the North end of Moreton Island with the expectation that by later his afternoon the wind is to shift to the south, and build/be strong for a few days.. The passage today was a lot of work (and with an early start), lots of reefing and unreefing, sailing through meandering channels changing the point of sail, and ferry traffic to keep us alert. I think Kyle had fun. Some of the recent repairs need to be reworked (the windlass works, but backwards, and the wind generator is constantly breaking when it shouldn't). Hopefully we have time to address both these while stopped here..] At: 15:00(AEST) 30-Mar-2022, Outside Temp: 26.9C (80.42F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 30C (86F) | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 33º 30.084' S | 153º 28.044' E | Begonia |
Day 3 of Tasman Sea Passage From:Paradise Point/Sovereign Islands, Gold Coast, QLD To:Batemans Bay, NSW. Our position: loc:-33.5142, 153.4740 Progress: [We've made [237.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [210]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [440]nm Since last posting we have made [114.7]nm (through water). We have moved [162.2]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [6.8]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:4.8kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):4.9kt. Sailing Conditions [Change of Plan - We are still heading towards Tasmania BUT given forecast for conditions ahead we will stop in Batemans Bay (NSW) for a few nights (remaining aboard at anchor) - so the plan and ETAs now reference the Batemans Bay destination. Our earlier planning had suggested we may just heave-to for a few hours, but forecasts change and we're glad we can view them regularly; they may even change again! I'm disappointed we won't be sailing direct to Tasmania, but we'll just manage what we have. For the last 24 hours we've been flying the spinnaker in a pretty good sea state (small waves, following seas) - AND we've had a current adding a couple of kt to our speed (even though we had 3 hours in the afternoon all under 2nm actual through the water progress). Expected weather for the next 24 hours: Expecting the winds to switch to light-headwinds from this afternoon.] General Comments: [At first light Kyle found a flying fish on deck (too late to save it). Passage conditions remain pleasant and comfortable (Shorts and T-Shirts still. Easy sailing). The waters are well populated with shearwaters (sea-birds)] At: 06:00(AEST) 21-Dec-2021, Outside Temp: 27.7C (81.86F), Humidity:80%, Water Temp: 30C (86F), Course: 223(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.4kt, Wind:16Kt(from:NNE), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:2m (from:SW) | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 28º 11.016' S | 153º 32.07' E | Begonia |
At Mooring Ball (free): Terranora Creek (Tweed River), Tweed Heads, NSW - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-28.1859, 153.5448 Sail From: Boyd Park Jetty, Terranora Creek (Tweed River), Tweed Heads South, NSW To: Terranora Creek (Tweed River), Tweed Heads, NSW We travelled [0.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [0.2]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [1.0]kt, Avg speed (through the water):1.5kt. Location Comments: [On a 24-hour limit courtesy mooring, river traffic can cause a few wakes, otherwise peaceful. Nice scenery.] General Comments: [After making steering and engine repairs we left the dock and hard tested the systems in the river. All is well, so we will await the next weather window for departure while organizing pending haul-out.] At: 16:00(AEST) 28-May-2021, Outside Temp: 26.3C (79.34F), Humidity:39%, Water Temp: 21C (69.8F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 28º 52.182' S | 153º 32.472' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Richmond River, Ballina (NSW, Australia). Our position: -28.8697, 153.5411 Sail From: Terranora Creek, Tweed Head South To: Richmond River, Ballina We travelled [42.4]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [41.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 6.6m just west of mooring balls] General Comments: [Another early start, and once clear of the bar and out to sea again we were able to deploy the spinnaker for a fine sail down the coast. We sailed passed Byron Bay and Cape Byron Lighthouse with good views. The sand bar entrance at Ballina was calm and straightforward and with a pod of dolphins to greet us. We'll spend a couple of nights here to reset/explore before continuing south.] At: 13:10(AEDT) 21-Nov-2019, Outside Temp: 25.2C (77.36F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 26.5C (79.7F) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 28º 11.118' S | 153º 32.772' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Terranora Creek, Tweed Head South (NSW, Australia). Our position: -28.1853, 153.5462 Sail From: Paradise Point/Sovereign Islands To: Terranora Creek, Tweed Head South We travelled [21.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [20.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 3m sand] General Comments: [Today was an early start (underway around 4:30am, and the sun already up), we crossed two bars (one out to sea, the other inshore again) and also crossed the state border from Queensland to New South Wales. We need to change our clocks again since NSW has 'summer time'. We see people swimming in the water and Kyle's thinking of taking a swim to clean the bottom slime off the paint.] At: 10:18(AEST) 19-Nov-2019, Outside Temp: 25.6C (78.08F), Humidity:67%, Water Temp: 25.6C (78.08F) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 28º 11.022' S | 153º 33.006' E | Begonia |
At Mooring Ball (free): Ukerebagh Island, Tweed River, Tweed Heads, NSW - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-28.1864, 153.5512 Sail From: Richmond River, Ballina, NSW To: Ukerebagh Island, Tweed River, Tweed Heads, NSW We travelled [44.4]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [41.4]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.3]kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.6kt. Location Comments: [One of 2 24-hour limit free moorings in the river, in a nook just outside the worst of the currents. Depth 3.4m (close to bank, and other sandy shallows). Ashore the island is all part of the Ukerebagh Nature Reserve. Historical snippet: the small island is where Australias first Aboriginal politician, Neville Bonner, was born. Within the reserve, on the mainland to the south is the Minjungbal Aboriginal Cultural Center which offers a museum of aboriginal culture curated by aboriginal guides.] General Comments: [Another early start to make the right tide state for the bars involved. We again had to bring down the spinnaker for frear of arriving too early at Tweed Heads, and still arrived too early anyway. We held off for a while, and entered without issue but before conditions were ideal to be sure.] At: 13:14(AEST) 23-May-2021, Outside Temp: 23.8C (74.84F), Humidity:62%, Water Temp: 21C (69.8F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 28º 52.056' S | 153º 33.078' E | Begonia |
At Mooring Ball (free): Richmond River, Ballina, NSW - Coral Sea, Australia. Our position: loc:-28.8758, 153.5633 Sail From: Yamba Channel, Yamba, NSW To: Richmond River, Ballina, NSW We travelled [38.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [35.3]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [4.4]kt, Avg speed (through the water):4.7kt. Location Comments: [One of 2 24-hour limit moorings in river. Depth 3.1m, with wind and currents I would not recommend to row ashore (better to use an outboard).] General Comments: [We continue our push north, and with another early start (yay Kyle!) in order to have the best of the bars at both ends of this passage. The Ballina Bar web cam was out of action unfortunately (we love checking the webcams on the days leading up to our arrival). Ballina Bar is renowned as one of the most difficult (waves can continue to break far within the narrow channel of the breakwaters, so we were not made any easier when also learning that there was a large log in the channel! Thankfully all was well (we never did see the log). Mostly spinnaker sailing, but cold so we are well wrapped up against the winds, Eventually we had to douse the spinnaker to avoid arriving too early.] At: 11:50(AEST) 21-May-2021, Outside Temp: 21.7C (71.06F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 20C (68F) | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 35º 29.082' S | 153º 36.102' E | Begonia |
Day 4 of Tasman Sea Passage From:Eddystone Point, Tasmania To:Southport, QLD. Our position: loc:-35.4970, 153.6165 Progress: [We've made [440.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [469]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [142]nm Since last posting we have made [137.7]nm (through water). We have moved [139.4]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [5.8]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.7kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):6.4kt. Sailing Conditions [We have entered a back eddy of the East Australia Current so we are getting a bit of assistance (which is why we are so far offshore). Conditions aboard are boisterous (yuk) as we sail about 60 degrees to the wind in choppy conditions. We expect conditions to remain the same until tomorrow morning. It seems entry to Southport is not going to be 'nice' so we may have to sail around and enter further north, we'll keep checking on those forecasts.] General Comments: [We had a large pod of (small) dolphins join us over dinner yesterday. They were loving the conditions!] At: 06:00(AEST) 23-Feb-2022, Outside Temp: 23.4C (74.12F), Humidity:83%, Water Temp: 27.1C (80.78F), Course: 6(degT), Speed Over Ground:9.6kt, Wind:20Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:60%, Pressure: 1020hPa, Swell:2.5m (from:NE) | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 30º 49.056' S | 153º 48.06' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of Tasman Sea Passage From:Paradise Point/Sovereign Islands, Gold Coast, QLD To:Whitemark, Flinders Island, Tasmania. Our position: loc:-30.8262, 153.8097 Progress: [We've made [122.3]nm (through water) on this passage and have [650]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [250]nm Since last posting we have made [122.3]nm (through water). We have moved [178.2]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [7.4]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:5.1kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):5.1kt. Sailing Conditions [Despite a very slow start (no wind, light winds with spinnaker, then jib) - eventually we had a reefed jib and a 4-5kt current assist which accounts for a whole 1/3rd of our progress in the last 24 hours! For my night-watch I had the full (beautiful red) moon rise as the sunset (I love having the moon with me when I sail), and before I handed over to Kyle at midnight I'd been witnessing hours of red lightning ahead of us, that finally stopped before we needed to be concerned. We have following seas and tail winds (would not be fun trying to go the other way), and each enjoyed our night watch with shorts and t-shirt attire.] General Comments: [An early start to prepare the boat and reach the seaway at the appropriate state of tide, gave us both a good start to our watch patterns (allowing me to sleep for a bit in the afternoon, rested for my night watch, and Kyle to sleep well from an 'early' bedtime so he would be up and ready again at midnight). We had a lovely sunrise at anchor to reward us. Winds were so light and calm, that even once out into the Tasman Sea, Kyle was able to sit at the back step and husk our last coconut aboard. Tasmania has strict biosecurity rules for visiting boaters and all must be eaten well before we arrive. While we still had internet we were able to submit (and get approval) for our Tas-e-Pass (covid interstate border pass) to enter Tasmania.] At: 06:00(AEST) 20-Dec-2021, Outside Temp: 26.1C (78.98F), Humidity:77%, Water Temp: 30.9C (87.62F), Course: 200(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.2kt, Wind:25Kt(from:N), Cloud Cover:90%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:2m (from:N) | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 32º 44.064' S | 153º 57.09' E | Begonia |
Day 5 of Tasman Sea Passage From:Eddystone Point, Tasmania To:Southport, QLD. Our position: loc:-32.7437, 153.9647 Progress: [We've made [590.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [302]nm (along route) to go. We have reduced distance-to-go along expected route by: [167]nm Since last posting we have made [149.4]nm (through water). We have moved [166.1]nm from prior posting position - giving a P2P average of [6.9]kt, Avg speed (through the water) since last post:6.2kt, Avg speed for trip to date (through the water):6.3kt. Sailing Conditions [A reasonable morning/day yesterday, with the current mostly in our favor, but another boisterous night when we had a current heading east and 25kt winds from the East both working against each other to make a bouncy sea. Even though the current is changed, the seas remain a mess this morning.] General Comments: [It seems we should arrive at the Southport entrance by evening on Saturday 26th - however we are not sure we can expect conditions to allow entry, and may still have to sail on further north to enter via the bay (or wait offshore for conditions to improve).. We keep monitoring the forecasts and, once we arrive, we can see the reality of the situation.] At: 06:00(AEST) 24-Feb-2022, Outside Temp: 25.1C (77.18F), Humidity:80%, Water Temp: 30.5C (86.9F), Course: 4(degT), Speed Over Ground:5kt, Wind:17Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1017hPa, Swell:2.5m (from:NE) | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 26º 0.018' S | 154º 3.102' E | Begonia |
Day 4 of Tasman Sea Passage From:Lord Howe Island, NSW To:Wide Bay Bar / Tin Can Inlet. Our position: -26.0034, 154.0666 Progress: [We've made [435.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [64]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [158.2]nm (through water). We have moved [159.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Big, sloppy seas make for a messy ride, sailing downwind with jib alone (reefed)] General Comments: [Distance wise we should arrive today. However we can only safely enter at high tide and the very start of flood - so it is a rush/unlikely that we'll make it. If we don't make it we'll need to bob around for most of a day to wait for the next ideal tide in daylight tomorrow.] At: 06:00(AEDT) 13-Mar-2020, Outside Temp: 24.2C (75.56F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 30.9C (87.62F), Course: 284(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.5kt, Wind:23Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:3m (to:NW) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 36º 49.044' S | 154º 5.022' E | Begonia |
Day 4 of Tasman Sea Passage From:Wineglass Bay, Tasmania To:Lord Howe Island, NSW. Our position: -36.8235, 154.0870 Progress: [We've made [458.6]nm (through water) on this passage and have [414]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [130.5]nm (through water). We have moved [128.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [From strong winds most of yesterday we now have practically calm, along with some rather sloppy seas causing the sails to slap and spill their fill. Yesterday we had a significant current with us for the most part, right now it seems to be against us adding to frustrations - Kyle just started one of the engines to keep us moving.] General Comments: [We are over half way distance-wise, but forecast conditions mean that is not the case duration-wise. Aside from the frustration with the wind all is well aboard, and the calmer conditions should make cooking & living aboard a little easier.] At: 06:00(LHDT) 29-Feb-2020, Outside Temp: 19.3C (66.74F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 26.1C (78.98F), Course: 10(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.4kt, Wind:4Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:10%, Pressure: 1015hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:NE) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 23º 26.472' S | 154º 27.678' E | Begonia |
Day 6 of South Pacific Passage From:New Caledonia To:Bundaberg, QLD, Australia. Our position: -23.4411, 154.4614 Progress: [We've made [667.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [142]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [106.8]nm (through water). We have moved [105.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Winds reduced more, we were sailing with the spinnaker and main, until the spinnaker collapsed and got caught on a spreader and ripped. Since then we've been sailing with main and jib (even slower than we'd hoped)] General Comments: [Around 6:30am yesterday we completed 50,000nm underway, this is according to our instruments (which were all replaced and reset to zero about a month after we purchased the boat) - so another milestone. 50,000nm is about 92,600km and 57,000 'statute' miles. The circumference of the earth is just 40,000km, so with Begonia, we've sailed the equivalent of twice around the world and change (you've most likely done more in your car). Of course, we still have a long way to go to actually complete a circumnavigating of the earth (current plans suggest we might actually do that sometime in 2022, but, you know..., plans...). When we passed (about 20nm south) of Cato island we had a host of noddies (birds) around us swooping about and looking like they were enjoying life.] At: 06:00(AEST) 29-Oct-2019, Outside Temp: 23C (73.4F), Humidity:76%, Water Temp: 28C (82.4F), Course: 282(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.9kt, Wind:16Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:75%, Pressure: 1019hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:NW) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 35º 26.022' S | 154º 41.094' E | Begonia |
Day 5 of Tasman Sea Passage From:Wineglass Bay, Tasmania To:Lord Howe Island, NSW. Our position: -35.4367, 154.6991 Progress: [We've made [561.3]nm (through water) on this passage and have [334]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [102.7]nm (through water). We have moved [88.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [A frustrating morning yesterday when the motor was put to intermittent use (we kept getting wind and stopping the motor, only for the wind to quit again). Eventually the wind was reliable, but pretty much exactly from where we are trying to head (but at least we're sailing). Now the wind keeps toying with us, leaving us thinking it is safe to un-reef and once we've done so, letting us know 'not yet!'.] General Comments: [Aside from the wind conditions frustrating us, we had two other issues yesterday. The first was with our AIS (which tells other ships where we are) when it decided it no longer knew itself where we are - its GPS unit seeming to fail. Kyle fiddled with that for some time, found a lose wire to 'fix' and it briefly worked again (but for less than a minute). We use the same GPS for our chartplotter so were using our phones as our guidance system for a while (we eventually switched to the chartplotter's internal GPS). So for now our chartplotter is fine, but our AIS isn't sending out our signal to other ships (Since there are no other ships that isn't an issue right now, but we'll have to fix it ASAP). Later in the day as Kyle was busy inspecting stuff, he found a tiny bolt on the deck (oh-oh!) and after some time with binoculars discovered it had once been the set screw in one of our upper sail cars (the bits that hold the sail into the track that slides up the mast. He was concerned that if we lowered the sail to reinstall it, then the 'bit' it was holding in would simply drop out (and overboard) once the tension was off it. Thankfully he kept the tension on until the sail was mostly down and that perilous part did fall, but kyle managed to chase it across the deck until it was safely in his hands. All reinstalled with extra loc-tite and minimum swearing. Our speed has dropped significantly but everything is warming up and we feel like we're fully used to the watch schedule now.] At: 06:00(LHDT) 01-Mar-2020, Outside Temp: 22.3C (72.14F), Humidity:78%, Water Temp: 29C (84.2F), Course: 20(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.4kt, Wind:12Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:50%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:2m (to:W) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 27º 50.094' S | 156º 12.012' E | Begonia |
Day 3 of Tasman Sea Passage From:Lord Howe Island, NSW To:Wide Bay Bar / Tin Can Inlet. Our position: -27.8484, 156.2150 Progress: [We've made [277.3]nm (through water) on this passage and have [236]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [152.0]nm (through water). We have moved [155.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Seas and wind increased, and occasional rain showers. We continue to sail mostly downwind, with only occassional reefing/unreefing of jib.] General Comments: [Bird numbers reducing around us, and we are now north of the NSW-QLD border. Nothing of any note-worthy nature to report.] At: 06:00(AEDT) 12-Mar-2020, Outside Temp: 23.5C (74.3F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 28.5C (83.3F), Course: 324(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.1kt, Wind:23Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:70%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:3m (to:NW) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 23º 38.04' S | 156º 21.96' E | Begonia |
Day 5 of South Pacific Passage From:New Caledonia To:Bundaberg, QLD, Australia. Our position: -23.6341, 156.3660 Progress: [We've made [560.7]nm (through water) on this passage and have [246]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [108.8]nm (through water). We have moved [123.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Winds reduced further (including a few lulls). We are currently in a lull (but forecast 'promises' more wind soon). We've been sailing with the spinnaker for almost 2 days now.] General Comments: [Yesterday we had a tropic bird circling the boat for an hour (cool). Amazingly (so far) we've yet to see a albatross. Last night, around dusk, we had a boobie (bird) circle and make multiple attempts to land on the boat. It kept picking on the 'roof' of the spinnaker to attempt to land, and then would slide down seeming quite perplexed (it was hilarious to watch its numerous attempts). Eventually it decided to land on the spreader (A Spreader is the solid horizontal bars that hold out the shrouds, A Shroud is one of the guy wires that hold up the mast). It managed to hold on up there all night (despite the rolling, and a midnight gybing of the spinnaker). It was so cute and had its beak tucked under his wing, quite happy to just ignore us and disregard the noise and motion. It finally untucked its head and stretched its wings (morning exercises!) at dawn, and eventually left us for a search for breakfast. It also left quite the deposit on the deck, but brought so much joy we've forgiven it. ] At: 06:00(AEST) 28-Oct-2019, Outside Temp: 23.6C (74.48F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 27C (80.6F), Course: 272(degT), Speed Over Ground:1.7kt, Wind:4Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:15%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:1m (to:SW) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 34º 50.064' S | 156º 40.038' E | Begonia |
Day 6 of Tasman Sea Passage From:Wineglass Bay, Tasmania To:Lord Howe Island, NSW. Our position: -34.8440, 156.6726 Progress: [We've made [688.7]nm (through water) on this passage and have [243]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [127.4]nm (through water). We have moved [103.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Wind finally backed enough that we are (almost) heading directly to the island now. We are sailing upwind and expecting the wind to back further as we proceed. Amazingly we find ourselves in a current over 4kt (in our favour)!. ] General Comments: [While writing this I was distracted by dolphins! A large pod of well over 100 was leaping all over the place and in every direction. We're amazed to see them out here (we've never seen so many dolphins so far from land) but what a great start to the day! At the same time the sun was rising and since the waves are big enough Kyle spotted the green flash multiple times as we rose and fell. Overnight there was a giant flash of light from behind me on my watch. I never identified the cause (a far off single bolt of lightning? A meteor entering the atmosphere?). It was so bright it was like a helicopter was shining a spotlight on us. For now it looks likely that we will arrive a day early, unfortunately the forecast is suggesting rain for much of our stay in Lord Howe.] At: 06:00(LHDT) 02-Mar-2020, Outside Temp: 22.3C (72.14F), Humidity:77%, Water Temp: 27C (80.6F), Course: 54(degT), Speed Over Ground:5kt, Wind:10Kt(from:NNW), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:SW) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 30º 2.028' S | 157º 48.072' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of Tasman Sea Passage From:Lord Howe Island, NSW To:Wide Bay Bar / Tin Can Inlet. Our position: -30.0379, 157.8122 Progress: [We've made [125.3]nm (through water) on this passage and have [401]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [125.3]nm (through water). We have moved [109.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Perfect downwind sailing, smooth and comfortable - warm, clear, full moon at night - Love IT!] General Comments: [Departed Lord Howe and we could still see the island (at least the large hills) 50nm away. Overnight we had the full moon and (it seemed) the ocean to ourselves. A lovely start to the passage. Shearwaters flying around much of the time. We did have a flying fish land in the boat overnight and unfortunately didn't notice in time to save the poor thing.] At: 06:00(AEDT) 11-Mar-2020, Outside Temp: 22.2C (71.96F), Humidity:65%, Water Temp: 28.5C (83.3F), Course: 321(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.6kt, Wind:16Kt(from:SSE), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:N) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 23º 25.812' S | 158º 36.0' E | Begonia |
Day 4 of South Pacific Passage From:New Caledonia To:Bundaberg Port Marina, Bundaberg, QLD Australia. Our position: -23.4302, 158.6000 Progress: [We've made [452.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [362]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [133.7]nm (through water). We have moved [134.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Seas Calmer (wind reduced, still sailing downwind). We've been flying the spinnaker since noon yesterday.] General Comments: [Kyle found and fixed our chartplotter issues quickly yesterday (no obvious problem, but he simply removed and reset wires until the signal returned). We are soon to cross the Tropic of Capricorn (will be the 5th time). So far we've seen only 3 other boats (on AIS), and all these were cargo boats.] At: 06:00(AEST) 27-Oct-2019, Outside Temp: 23C (73.4F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 26.1C (78.98F), Course: 265(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.7kt, Wind:10Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:60%, Pressure: 1015hPa, Swell:1m (to:W) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 33º 14.01' S | 158º 48.084' E | Begonia |
Day 7 of Tasman Sea Passage From:Wineglass Bay, Tasmania To:Lord Howe Island, NSW. Our position: -33.2446, 158.8140 Progress: [We've made [817.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [110]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [129.2]nm (through water). We have moved [143.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Lighter winds, continue to calm and shift - stress free sailing] General Comments: [Kyle sat his night watch in shorts and t-shirt - the weather is definitely improving as we head north. Unfortunately forecast is still for some heavy rain for most of the time once we actually arrive. Luckily It looks like we will arrive a day early and get at least that one nice day.] At: 06:00(LHDT) 03-Mar-2020, Outside Temp: 23.7C (74.66F), Humidity:87%, Water Temp: 28C (82.4F), Course: 14(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.4kt, Wind:10Kt(from:W), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:NE) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 31º 31.044' S | 159º 3.012' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived: at Mooring Ball in Lord Howe Island, NSW - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 8 of Tasman Sea Passage From:Wineglass Bay, Tasmania To:Lord Howe Island, NSW. Our position: -31.5236, 159.0522 Progress: [We've made [918.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [19.3]nm (through water). We have moved [18.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Safe inside the reef, with excellent guidance from the local police officer monitoring port channels (despite recent loss of the main entry marker).] General Comments: [Bell's Pyramid was well worth the detour to visit and when seen from one end appeared like a sword from the ocean (really steep!). Rain clouds drape over the mountains on the main island today and we plan to go ashore regardless of the fatigue (we'll sleep very well tonight!).] At: 11:28(LHDT) 04-Mar-2020, Outside Temp: 25.2C (77.36F), Humidity:75%, Water Temp: 29C (84.2F) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 31º 46.074' S | 159º 15.0' E | Begonia |
Day 8 of Tasman Sea Passage From:Wineglass Bay, Tasmania To:Lord Howe Island, NSW. Our position: -31.7790, 159.2503 Progress: [We've made [898.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [21]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [80.9]nm (through water). We have moved [90.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Much choppier seas, but downwind sailing. Cloudy.] General Comments: [We slowed ourselves down so we could arrive at Balls Pyramid in daylight. We are there right now and it is very dramatic. Despite being over a mile away it rises from the ocean so dramatically I'm sure any photos will look like we must have been just 100m away. We should be arriving today by noon - very excited to switch modes.] At: 06:00(LHDT) 04-Mar-2020, Outside Temp: 23.2C (73.76F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 29C (84.2F), Course: 350(degT), Speed Over Ground:0.4kt, Wind:14Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:60%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:N) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 22º 46.17' S | 160º 55.368' E | Begonia |
Day 3 of South Pacific Passage From:New Caledonia To:Bundaberg Port Marina, Bundaberg, QLD Australia. Our position: -22.7694, 160.9229 Progress: [We've made [318.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [489]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [186.6]nm (through water). We have moved [175.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [We continue to sail downwind (about 120 apparent) and have made an average speed so far (7.07kt) much faster than our usual. We expect to start slowing down today given the forecast.] General Comments: [Dark (moonless) sky overnight gives Kyle the chance to see some amazing bioluminescence during his watch (in my watch they generally haven't risen to the surface yet). Kyle managed to spot the 'green flash' with the sunrise this morning too ( a very rare moment). Seas appear to be calming. Our passage is going well (uneventful) and so far the weather has been good (no rain). Yikes I spoke too soon, the Chart-plotter is just complaining it has no data from a bunch of instruments (sigh - off to help Kyle investigate on that!).] At: 06:00(AEST) 26-Oct-2019, Outside Temp: 21.9C (71.42F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 25.6C (78.08F), Course: 247(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.9kt, Wind:19Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:35%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:2m (to:NW) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 21º 54.378' S | 163º 56.928' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of South Pacific Passage From:New Caledonia To:Bundaberg Port Marina, Bundaberg, QLD Australia. Our position: -21.9063, 163.9488 Progress: [We've made [131.6]nm (through water) on this passage and have [665]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [131.6]nm (through water). We have moved [134.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [We left the mooring ball under sail and headed for the pass. Once out we put up the spinnaker in place of the jib and used that for several hours. By evening we were back to the jib, and eventually the main too. We've headed a little north of our original intended route in order to catch some favorable currents.] General Comments: [We seem to have settled into being at sea quite happily. I had a fishing line out all day yesterday with no luck (which is my usual luck). Thankfully we have plenty of food aboard and don't need to rely on such skills.] At: 06:00(AEST) 25-Oct-2019, Outside Temp: 21.8C (71.24F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 27C (80.6F), Course: 270(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.4kt, Wind:19Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1017hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:NW) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 22º 0.108' S | 165º 56.442' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Tenia Island (Ile Ténia), Nr St Vincent Pass, New Caledonia (South Pacific). Our position: -22.0018, 165.9407 Sail From: Signal Island (Ilot Te Ndu), main lagoon, New Caledonia To: Tenia Island (Ile Ténia), Nr St Vincent Pass, New Caledonia We travelled [28.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [26.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 2-3m of good sand (although we are quite a distance from the island as the wind is expected from all directions over the next day or so).] General Comments: [We left Signal Island just before 7am, once again motor free, and after a quick rain shower we soon had the spinnaker up again which brought us all the way NW to our new anchorage. This is most likely the furthest North in the lagoon we'll get before heading slowly back towards Noumea for our eventual departure.] At: 12:22(NCT) 12-Oct-2019, Outside Temp: 25C (77F), Humidity:78%, Water Temp: 28C (82.4F) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 22º 10.29' S | 166º 16.962' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Ilot T'Ndu, New Caledonia (South Pacific). Our position: -22.1715, 166.2827 Sail From: Tenia Island (Ile Ténia), Nr St Vincent Pass, New Caledonia To: Ilot T'Ndu, New Caledonia We travelled [21.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [21.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 5m of sand (good holding), just off Tiare on the Main Island (well protected)] General Comments: [Kyle is on a roll and again lifted the anchor without the motor (manually cranking - lets hope is back lasts!), we were soon undersail and when almost at our target we had a rain shower and then the wind stopped, making it an easy decision to motor into the anchorage. Ashore on the main island there appears to be several new home developments, many with docks in the back yard, but closer still for us there is the uninhabited island of T'Ndu to explore. We're going to take a few days to both relax and to catch up with chores and planning for our sail to Australia.] At: 13:40(NCT) 14-Oct-2019, Outside Temp: 24.3C (75.74F), Humidity:65%, Water Temp: 28.5C (83.3F) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 22º 17.628' S | 166º 17.412' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Signal Island (Ilot Te Ndu), main lagoon, New Caledonia (South Pacific). Our position: -22.2938, 166.2901 Sail From: Amedee Island, main lagoon, New Caledonia To: Signal Island (Ilot Te Ndu), main lagoon, New Caledonia We travelled [15.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [14.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Secure on a mooring ball (provided in marine reserve) in 8.5m] General Comments: [We loved Amedee island, with white sandy beaches, plenty of turtles, and the beautiful lighthouse. We also recovered our boat hook, so Amedee was an all-around hit. Today we mortored NW to Signal Island (with such low winds for 90% of the journey that Kyle wasn't even tempted to turn off the motor). We found Signal island moorings almost full - we were the 10th sailboat (it's practically the weekend!).] At: 10:56(NCT) 11-Oct-2019, Outside Temp: 26.5C (79.7F), Humidity:68%, Water Temp: 27.5C (81.5F) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 22º 19.542' S | 166º 19.008' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Ile Nge / Ile Laregnere (Nature Reserve), main lagoon, New Caledonia (South Pacific). Our position: -22.3256, 166.3168 Sail From: Baie des Citrons, Noumea, New Caledonia To: Ile Nge / Ile Laregnere (Nature Reserve), main lagoon, New Caledonia We travelled [9.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [6.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [We are secure to one of the provided mooring in nature reserve (by pass). Sharing anchorage with pilot boat and some nature reserve officials. Depth 3.1m. Note originally we'd planed a stop at a different island, but latest weather suggested this would make for a better sailing angle to depart the mooring. ] General Comments: [An early start didn't materialize into an early departure, but once we left the anchorage we did collect our laundry and depost our remaining trash, etc. We then sailed across the lagoon and are set in a great position for an early departure in the morning - heading for OZ in the morning!] At: 11:34(NCT) 23-Oct-2019, Outside Temp: 24.5C (76.1F), Humidity:75%, Water Temp: 28C (82.4F) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 22º 17.79' S | 166º 26.088' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Baie des Citrons, Noumea, New Caledonia (South Pacific). Our position: -22.2965, 166.4349 Sail From: Mato Island, main lagoon, New Caledonia To: Baie des Citrons, Noumea, New Caledonia We travelled [30.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [25.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Downwind sailing (jib only) in choppy seas and gusty winds. Anchored in 7-8m of sand (exposed to some wind, but forecast is for wind to stop shortly). Anchorage is suspiciously empty, but all documentation we have verifies it is an official anchorage (outside of swiming areas, and military zones).] General Comments: [We've moved back into town with the hopes to meet up with friends from way back in time (From Maryanne's time with LITS in the UK). We're not yet sure where (if) it is safe to leave the dinghy ashore and are hoping someone else comes along to anchor and leads the way for us. While our previous marina was in central Noumea, it is this bay where all the tourists and nightlife are (should be 'fun' on a Saturday night!).] At: 11:50(NCT) 28-Sep-2019, Outside Temp: 23.7C (74.66F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 26.1C (78.98F) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 22º 17.76' S | 166º 26.142' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Baie des Citrons, Noumea, New Caledonia (South Pacific). Our position: -22.2961, 166.4356 Sail From: Ilot T'Ndu, New Caledonia To: Baie des Citrons, Noumea, New Caledonia We travelled [18.7]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [11.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 5.1m of sand along with 4 other rally boats] General Comments: [We spent several days at T'Ndu - mostly preparing the boat (deep cleaning) for Oz, but we did manage a hike and a snorkel too to help balance it all. Today we moved back to the marina, almost, apparently our place on the reserved list didn't help us - so after getting fuel we relocated to Lemon bay and will try our luck again tomorrow (unfortunately there are plenty of others also trying). It will be much easier for us if we can be at the marina to do our clearing out and last minute shopping and sightseeing - but we may not have that luxury... We'll see if our place on the waiting list (we MUST be at the top) is worth anything.] At: 15:30(NCT) 20-Oct-2019, Outside Temp: 27.3C (81.14F), Humidity:64%, Water Temp: 28.5C (83.3F) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 22º 16.608' S | 166º 26.4' E | Begonia |
At The Dock: Port Moselle Marina, Noumea, New Caledonia (South Pacific). Our position: -22.2769, 166.4401 Sail From: Port Boise, New Caledonia To: Port Moselle Marina, Noumea, New Caledonia We travelled [36.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [29.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [YAY - we won the lottery and nabbed a place at the visitor dock (Noumea has way more boats than space - so this wasn't a given) - Kyle is off to do paperwork for our official entry as soon as the motor was stopped.] General Comments: [A wonderfully relaxing sail in calm waters with a spinnaker for most of it - Kyle was so happy and thoroughly enjoying the sail today compared to our passage to New Cal (long may it last). We also sailed by our friends on Muse and had a VHF welcome from the family aboard (it's becoming a tradition!)] At: 11:28(NCT) 19-Sep, Outside Temp: 24.4C (75.92F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 26.1C (78.98F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 22º 28.602' S | 166º 27.858' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Amedee Island, main lagoon, New Caledonia (South Pacific). Our position: -22.4767, 166.4643 Sail From: Ui/Uie/Ouie Bay, New Caledonia To: Amedee Island, main lagoon, New Caledonia We travelled [20.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [17.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Secure on one of the free moorings (the only boat here!) in 5m of water depth. A bit choppy right now but forecast to die off whispers of wind for tomorrow.] General Comments: [As the only boat in a large bay, it was easy (aside from the cranking) to depart under sail today from Ouie Bay. Kyle really wanted to continue the no motor policy once we arrived at the mooring field in Amedee, and we were lucky that no other boats were here so we had our choice of balls. However with the 20kt winds and quite the chop we kept missing the chance to catch the loop on the ball with the boat hook, or we got a line partially threaded before it was pulled out of our hands.. We lost 2 boat hooks and so far have recovered only one (a swim in in order right now!). We must have failed at least 9 times before Kyle eventually agreed to use the motor, and THEN we secured the boat first time (we'd had a lot of practice I guess). He gave this no-motor thing a good try, bless him, and I didn't kill him either so all is well. Ashore on Amedee Island there is New Caledonia's tallest lighthouse to visit, and the promise of snacks AND some good snorkelling. I'm pretty sure I saw a dugong on one of our passes and we did see a very large turtle too (all before the snorkelling even starts).] At: 15:08(NCT) 09-Oct-2019, Outside Temp: 24.1C (75.38F), Humidity:77%, Water Temp: 26.5C (79.7F) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 45º 47.76' S | 166º 34.422' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Astronomers Point, Pickersgill Harbour, Dusky Sound, Fiordland
From: Second Cove, Breaksea Sound, Fiordland To: Astronomers Point, Pickersgill Harbour, Dusky Sound, Fiordland We travelled [19.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [17.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [This narrow cove, we've set the anchor in about 8m and backed down into the cove (the stern in about 2m depth) and set a stern line of each side to the trees ashore. There is a river (Cook Stream) flowing into the cove and it adds a little current to complicate matters (not too bad).] General Comments: [A very heavy rain and and overall grey day today so the expected views in Breaksea Sound and the Acheron Passage to Dusky Sound were lost to us! Kyle even needed to use the radar for some of the trip so we were definitely not sightseeing today! The sun does seem to start shining by afternoon (at least from our visit experience) - and today too we finally have chinks of blue sky and sunlight now we are at anchor (and also more sandflies). This anchorage location is yet another from Captain Cook's visits - this time he spent 6 weeks here to conduct a Transit of Venus was in 1773 (apparently). I wonder if there were sandflies when he was here? ] At: 13:04(NZDT) 14-Feb-2019, Outside Temp: 18.5C (65.3F), Humidity:84%, Water Temp: 16.3C (61.34F) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 22º 30.93' S | 166º 36.42' E | Begonia | At Anchor: Ile Redika, main lagoon, New Caledonia (South Pacific). Our position: -22.5155, 166.6070 Sail From: Port Moselle Marina, Noumea, New Caledonia To: Ile Redika, main lagoon, New Caledonia We travelled [39.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [17.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [A rough sail up wind in quite the chop. We made a hard won 17nm but that took us over 7 hours and we travelled over 2.5 times that distance with tacking. We felt every bounce. Anchored in 11m in lee of island (protection from waves, not so much the wind).] General Comments: [After a busy few days in Noumea, we've ventured out into the lagoon and so far made it (a bit short of our intended destination) to this tiny deserted island. Water temperature isn't great so I'm dithering regarding taking a snorkel. I really should, but brrrrrrr…. The passage was rough, but sweetened with baked goods kindly provided by the young Hannah from the boat Muse (Yummy).] At: 16:20(NCT) 23-Sep-2019, Outside Temp: 23.2C (73.76F), Humidity:66%, Water Temp: 25.6C (78.08F) ----- At 23/09/2019 05:20 (UTC) our position was 22°30.93'S 166°36.42'E | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 46º 8.13' S | 166º 37.692' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Otago's Retreat, Coal Island, Preservation Inlet, Fiordland
From: Lake Cove, Edwardson Sound, Off Chalky Inlet, Fiordland To: Otago's Retreat, Coal Island, Preservation Inlet, Fiordland We travelled [19.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [16.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.5-6m depth just inside sound.] General Comments: [Preservation Inlet is the last of the Fiord inlets as we head south (and our most southerly point ever to date). There are plenty of albatross around, and ashore Kyle is convinced he can hear Kiwi (on Coal Island). We have arrived to sunshine and an anchorage windy enough to be (so far at least) bug free) but we'll most likely not be going ashore. Maryanne has hurt her back so today Kyle did EVERYTHING. From lifting anchor to setting anchor while Maryanne remained in bed.] At: 11:10(NZDT) 18-Feb-2019, Outside Temp: 18.1C (64.58F), Humidity:75%, Water Temp: 14.4C (57.92F) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 45º 51.912' S | 166º 42.3' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Lake Cove, Edwardson Sound, Off Chalky Inlet, Fiordland
From: Astronomers Point, Pickersgill Harbour, Dusky Sound, Fiordland To: Lake Cove, Edwardson Sound, Off Chalky Inlet, Fiordland We travelled [46.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [6.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 15m of water, but sides of basin slope up. We have 75m of scope out and no sign of any other vessels.] General Comments: [Another rainy, overcast day, distracting from the potential views. A rather long passage into the head of the sound - hopefully we can enjoy the views on the way out.] At: 16:56(NZDT) 15-Feb-2019, Outside Temp: 15.7C (60.26F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 12.9C (55.22F) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 22º 20.658' S | 166º 45.108' E | Begonia |
"At Anchor: Ui/Uie/Ouie Bay (Various spelling), New Caledonia (South Pacific). Our position: -22.3443, 166.7519 Sail From: Casy Island moorings ($0), Prony Bay, New Caledonia To: Ui/Uie/Ouie Bay, New Caledonia We travelled [16.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [5.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 5.5m of good holding in Ui/Uie/Ouie Bay (Various spelling). Large bay with (so far) no other boats nor signs of life. Classic red New Cal hills and plenty of pines to dot the landscape along with a ridge of wind turbines. Expecting some nice hikes ashore and possibly a dinghy trip up the river.] General Comments: [A day without the motor, we left the mooring ball under sail, rounded the southern point through the Woodin Channel, and anchored in the bay - all under sail. Kyle is feeling very smug.] At: 13:34(NCT) 08-Oct-2019, Outside Temp: 25.7C (78.26F), Humidity:60%, Water Temp: 27C (80.6F) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 22º 32.952' S | 166º 47.91' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Mato Island, main lagoon, New Caledonia (South Pacific). Our position: -22.5492, 166.7985 Sail From: Ua Island (5 islands), main lagoon, New Caledonia To: Mato Island, main lagoon, New Caledonia We travelled [10.4]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [9.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Downwind sail today, easy seas, anchored in 4-5m of good sand, sheltered from waves by surrounding reefs/corals] General Comments: [Our anchorage at Ua was the typical tropical paradise (minus the coconut palms). We saw dolphins, turtles, and even an Osprey, and spent some time with the crew from Muse. Water temperature is such that a wet suit is definitely preferred - and with it we thoroughly enjoyed the coral at Ua. We're not sure yet how long we'll spend here at Mato, but there is a hill to climb and snorkelling to be enjoyed while we are here.] At: 16:06(NCT) 25-Sep-2019, Outside Temp: 22.4C (72.32F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 26.1C (78.98F) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 45º 33.078' S | 166º 48.36' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Second Cove, Breaksea Sound, Fiordland
From: Blanket Bay, Secretary Island, Doubtful Sound, Fiordland To: Second Cove, Breaksea Sound, Fiordland We travelled [32.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [16.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [The passage was another downwind sail in big seas, but we made good time. As we headed South the 'Carnival Legend' Cruise ship passed by us headed North. Here at breaksea Sound, Second Cove is an all weather anchorage and to our surprise 2 sets of mooring balls and stern lines have been installed. We've made use of them and hopefully that is OK. ] General Comments: [We departed Doubtful sound with a gift from the local fishermen of 3 freshly caught Crayfish (Spiny lobster) any one of which would have made a good meal for the two of us. Despite their 3am start today, they were happy as it is the last day of the season for them, and after dropping off the catch for the helicopter were headed home. I've cooked up the crayfish on the passage and we will be eating various lobster dishes for the next 2 days (delicious!). When we finally spied our anchorage there was one other boat already here (a nice cruising power boat) but we've seen no sign of life (presumably hiding from the sandflies). This is the first fellow cruiser we've seen since we were up in Able Tasman.] At: 13:36(NZDT) 13-Feb-2019, Outside Temp: 21.2C (70.16F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 15.9C (60.62F) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 22º 42.462' S | 166º 48.48' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Ilot Ua (5 islands), main lagoon, New Caledonia (South Pacific). Our position: -22.7076, 166.8080 Sail From: Ile Redika, main lagoon, New Caledonia To: Ilot Ua (5 islands), main lagoon, New Caledonia We travelled [19.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [16.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [A much nicer sail today, mostly due to the much reduced chop (and a slight shift in the wind direction in our favour). Anchored in 11.5m between scattered bommies] General Comments: [A lovely sail through the reef in sunshine, with a few tacks mostly to avoid mini islands and coral bommies close to the surface. Water looks beautiful (but still a little on the cold side for us). Naturally we had a heavy rain shower right when we needed to set the anchor. Still the view is spectacular. One other (Charter) boat here, and Muse on its way to join us - looking forward to some fun and relaxation!] At: 09:50(NCT) 24-Sep-2019, Outside Temp: 22.3C (72.14F), Humidity:67%, Water Temp: 22.3C (72.14F) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 22º 21.378' S | 166º 50.49' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Casy Island moorings ($0), Prony Bay, New Caledonia (South Pacific). Our position: -22.3563, 166.8415 Sail From: Carenage Bay, Prony Bay, New Caledonia To: Casy Island moorings ($0), Prony Bay, New Caledonia We travelled [3.5]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [3.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [This is a protected area and to protect coral mooring balls are supplied for use of visitors, thankfully there was one ball available when we arrived (5 other boats here) - depth about 10m and a short row to the dock to get ashore and explore the island] General Comments: [With such a short distance to move and needing the motor to lift the anchor, we motored using just the port engine to this lovely little island where we plan to enjoy some more hiking.] At: 12:14(NCT) 06-Oct-2019, Outside Temp: 24.1C (75.38F), Humidity:67%, Water Temp: 26.1C (78.98F) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 22º 18.222' S | 166º 50.622' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Carenage Bay, Prony Bay, New Caledonia (South Pacific). Our position: -22.3036, 166.8436 Sail From: Kuto Bay, Ile des Pins, New Caledonia To: Carenage Bay, Prony Bay, New Caledonia We travelled [46.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [39.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 6.5m of good sand (murky waters), avoiding shallows and local private mooring balls.] General Comments: [Spinnaker sailing today, as we charted a course heading west back to the main island. Our time in Ile des Pins was LOVELY with beautiful turquoise bays and long white sand beaches (and lots of tall skinny pine trees for which the island is named). From where we are now anchored we are hoping for some short hikes and maybe find the hot springs too (sounds nice after a hike?).] At: 13:08(NCT) 04-Oct-2019, Outside Temp: 23.4C (74.12F), Humidity:53%, Water Temp: 26.1C (78.98F) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 22º 21.138' S | 166º 58.14' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived at Port Boise, New Caledonia - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 5 of South Pacific Passage From:Luganville, Espiritu Santo Island, Vanuatu To:Port Boise, New Caledonia. Our position: -22.3523, 166.9690 Progress: [We've made [597.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [70.7]nm (through water). We have moved [51.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [The rest of today was easy sailing. We were planning to go through the pass around 3pm, but noticed a boat ahead of us managed it just fine at 2pm so we went ahead and all was well for us too (around 2:30pm). This gave us time to get to a reasonable anchorage in daylight. We'll rest well tonight] General Comments: [We're at anchor - always feels good after a multi-day passage. The sun is shining and tall, skinny, pine trees dot the landscape, with mountains in the background. We've arrived! Tomorrow we'll have a long day moving the boat on to Noumea for our official entry, but for now we are safe, cozy, and can sleep well. ] At: 16:14(VUT) 18-Sep-2019, Outside Temp: 23.6C (74.48F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 26.1C (78.98F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 22º 40.74' S | 166º 58.308' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Ndo Island/Ilot Ndo, main lagoon, New Caledonia (South Pacific). Our position: -22.6791, 166.9718 Sail From: Baie des Citrons, Noumea, New Caledonia To: Ndo Island/Ilot Ndo, main lagoon, New Caledonia We travelled [37.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [37.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 14.5m of (hopefully) sand. Anchorage is not nearly as favourable as we'd anticipated based on the guides, quite narrow area with deep (uncertain bottom) and walls of reef to the surface on either side. Thankfully forecast is for very light winds overnight.] General Comments: [Some easy sailing (occasional spinnaker, but mostly jib/main) on the beam, weaving our way through the islands and islets in the lagoon. Splendid sunshine, and calm seas made for some spectacular views for the day.] At: 14:44(NCT) 30-Sep-2019, Outside Temp: 26.9C (80.42F), Humidity:68%, Water Temp: 27C (80.6F) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 45º 11.688' S | 166º 58.5' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Deas Cove, Thompson Sound, Fiordland, New Zeealand.
From: Alice Falls Anchorage, George Sound, Fiordland To: Deas Cove, Thompson Sound, Fiordland We travelled [38.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [23.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Large (4m+ seas) today, but with good downwind conditions. "Anchorage" has a fixed mooring line to tie to (with several loops to pick up and secure to boat or own lines) so no need for an anchor here (4.5-6.2 m depth). So far we are the only boat.] General Comments: [We left Alice Falls amid a cloud of Sandfiles (thankfully we still have our Australian fly nets for our heads/hats). On route we had originally planned to stop at Caswell Sound and see Styles Island and its population of Fiordland Crested Penguins, but the seas were too rough to get close enough and even with our binoculars we could see no sign of any penguins in the sea, nor on the island. We did however make this Thompson Sound anchorage in good time with much of the day left to explore. Currently there is plenty of wind so no sandflies (fingers crossed they won't descend on us once the wind finally dies off).] At: 13:40(NZDT) 11-Feb-2019, Outside Temp: 21.8C (71.24F), Humidity:58%, Water Temp: 15.9C (60.62F) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 45º 18.018' S | 166º 58.608' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Blanket Bay, Secretary Island, Doubtful Sound, Fiordland
From: Deas Cove, Thompson Sound, Fiordland To: Blanket Bay, Secretary Island, Doubtful Sound, Fiordland We travelled [40.4]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [6.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [This anchorage area has a number of bow and stern line combinations to pick up each with plenty of depth (10m) - available on a first come first served basis. As we arrived a helicopter was departing from the dock/structure on the little Island where the local crayfish boats unload their catch. (So don't go anywhere near the dock as helicopters seem to come in regularly to deliver the catch as fresh as possible both to NZ and much further afield (current big market is China!). Sandflies around and seagulls landing on the boat.] General Comments: [Wow - at the start of the day we had swarms of sandfiles, then heavy rain - It was hard to see why anyone really bothers with the hassle of getting a boat here - we were both feeling trapped and miserable. Kyle had planned a sightseeing motor about some of the Doubtful Sound and in particular the Hall Arm so we set off anyway (well covered). By the mid-day the sun was shining, there was wind enough to keep the sandflies away, AND the scenery was spectacular - the earlier rain making sure that the fiord walls were full of waterfalls. We are all happy again. Once we arrived at the anchorage one of the local boats was very kind and explained the various mooring options - and warned us he'd be off at 3am.] At: 16:28(NZDT) 12-Feb-2019, Outside Temp: 22.5C (72.5F), Humidity:68%, Water Temp: 17.3C (63.14F) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 15º 31.38' S | 167º 9.828' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Beachfront Resort, Luganville, Espiritu Santo Island, Vanuatu (South Pacific). Our position: -15.5230, 167.1638 Sail From: Aisari Bay, Aore Island, Vanuatu To: Beachfront Resort, Luganville, Espiritu Santo Island, Vanuatu We travelled [7.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [3.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 8.5m off resort (with 4 other boats), a little breezy, choppy, but hopefully this will be a reasonable place until our departure from Vanuatu (To be Verified)] General Comments: [At our previous anchorage (Aisari bay) we did manage to fix a few odds from the to-do list, but mostly chilled. Snorkelling was cloudy and unrewarding. Just as we were preparing to leave this morning a local boat came and requested 5000 VTU for anchoring (that is around $42US) - thankfully we were able to apologize and say we were about to leave. We've no idea of the validity of the claim, and the local boat didn't go out to the others in the anchorage, but were grateful we hadn't planned on stopping there longer.] At: 11:48(VUT) 10-Sep-2019, Outside Temp: 26.7C (80.06F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 30.4C (86.72F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 15º 34.41' S | 167º 12.27' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Aisari Bay, Aore Island, Vanuatu (South Pacific). Our position: -15.5735, 167.2046 Sail From: Norsup Bay, Port Stanley, Malekula Island, Vanuatu To: Aisari Bay, Aore Island, Vanuatu We travelled [35.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [31.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in breeze, but behind reef in 9m of water - no phone signal] General Comments: [Another early start, and an easy, fast sail (beam reach). We are our furthest north for the year so far. No other boats here and (hopefully) some nice snorkelling for later] At: 11:54(VUT) 07-Sep-2019, Outside Temp: 27.1C (80.78F), Humidity:56%, Water Temp: 30.4C (86.72F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 16º 3.672' S | 167º 23.58' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Norsup Bay, Port Stanley, Malekula Island, Vanuatu (South Pacific). Our position: -16.0611, 167.3929 Sail From: Gaspard Bay, Sothern end of Malekula Island, Vanuatu To: Norsup Bay, Port Stanley, Malekula Island, Vanuatu We travelled [43.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [34.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [A good mostly downwind sail with the spinnaker for much of the time (resorting to Jib when the wind became stronger). Anchored in 6m of sand] General Comments: [Back in Gaspard bay we saw Dugong (but only rarely and at the surface), and did plenty of kayaking both into the mangroves at high tide (amazing) and out into the main channel between islands (dolphins!!). We've jumped north now and see locals tending nets on the beach and plenty of buildings ashore (will explore in the coming days).] At: 15:50(VUT) 04-Sep-2019, Outside Temp: 26.6C (79.88F), Humidity:57%, Water Temp: 30.4C (86.72F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 44º 58.602' S | 167º 25.998' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Alice Falls Anchorage, George Sound, Fiordland
From: Deepwater Basin, Milford Sound, South Island To: Alice Falls Anchorage, George Sound, Fiordland We travelled [65.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [27.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Good wind at sea for downwind sailing with just the jib, but lots of gusts and lulls in the sounds - very difficult to pick a sail or a tack once in the sounds - so lots of motoring for our tour of Bligh Sound on route. We are anchored by Alice Falls - There is a line across the little cove with two (rather slimy) stern lines with loops on the ends to secure to the boat stern cleats, and we have an anchor set forward. (No need to deploy the dingy or the kayak - we could back up to the stern lines and then pull in some of the anchor chain).] General Comments: [Milford Sound was spectacular with sunshine both days that were were exploring. We managed several short hikes, and a trip to the underwater observatory with a private tour just for the two of us (there aren't many people show up in their own dinghy!). There we were able to see the (white) 'black coral' growing (without us having to get wet to do so). Departing Milford Sound - we had an early start for a day sail to George Sound and were joined by a large cruise ship that came into Milford flying a Q flag, but then turned around and headed south along the coast well ahead of us. On route south we diverted into Bligh sound for a 4 hour tour in and out. It was overcast but pretty cool to see. Once we made it into George Sound we had lots of strong gusts (and lulls) and at times the wind alone was pushing us at 7 knots with bare poles. We had a group of perhaps 3 dolphins joins us for a while as we motored along in the sound (always nice). In Alice falls we are all calm and the falls are running light and gentle. There is (currently) no wind in our cove but plenty of sand flies! We're expecting several days of heavy rain so we'll wait out here before moving further sound - if the weather allows we'll take a few tours about the sound and possible hikes to enjoy the local scenery (only way is UP hill). There is no sign of any other boats in the sound.] At: 19:12(NZDT) 08-Feb-2019, Outside Temp: 18.5C (65.3F), Humidity:62%, Water Temp: 15.4C (59.72F) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 22º 39.588' S | 167º 26.472' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Kuto Bay, Ile de Pins, New Caledonia (South Pacific). Our position: -22.6598, 167.4411 Sail From: Ndo Island/Ilot Ndo, main lagoon, New Caledonia To: Kuto Bay, Ile de Pins, New Caledonia We travelled [44.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [26.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in lovely shallow sand. Many islands and anchorages cruisers have been told to avoid, so this one is extra busy (19 boats) ] General Comments: [A lovely sail again today, plenty of sunshine. Ile de Pins (Island of Pines) has already won our hearts for the great view from the anchorage, white sandy beaches, and a hill for Kyle to climb. Our friends aboard Devana were here to give a welcome wave on our arrival.] At: 13:04(NCT) 01-Oct-2019, Outside Temp: 24.4C (75.92F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 26.5C (79.7F) | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 47º 19.038' S | 167º 32.688' E | Begonia | Day 2 of New Zealand Passage
From:Otago's Retreat, Coal Island, Preservation Inlet, Fiordland To:Port Pegasus, Stewart Island, New Zealand Progress: [So far we've made [92.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [12.3]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [73.8]nm (through water). We have moved [80.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Overnight passage with a full moon - perfect. Beam Reach/Downwind sailing with 4m swells to spill out wind readily from the sails ] General Comments: [We remain wrapped up from the cold (especially overnight). There are LOTS of seabirds around for the whole passage and we seem to have a constant view of at least one Albatross as they swoop about. We are hovering outside Port Pegasus entrance awaiting a more favorable current.] At: 06:00(NZDT) 21-Feb-2019, Outside Temp: 13.4C (56.12F), Humidity:78%, Water Temp: 12.5C (54.5F)Course: 127(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.2kt, Wind:8Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:90%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:NE) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 47º 13.962' S | 167º 33.768' E | Begonia | Safely at Anchor at Sylvan Cove, South Arm, Port Pegasus, Stewart Island Passage Complete.
Day 2 of New Zealand Passage From:Otago's Retreat, Coal Island, Preservation Inlet, Fiordland To:Sylvan Cove, South Arm, Port Pegasus, Stewart Island Progress: [So far we've made [118.7]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [25.8]nm (through water). We have moved [5.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Lovely big anchorage, anchored in 7-10m in Sand. ] General Comments: [The entrance to Pegasus Cove is full of stunning scenery. We were really lucky to have sunshine and chinks of blue sky. We even spotted a Fiordland Crested Penguin (?Some time of macaroni type penguin ??). When we arrived in Sylvan Cove we spotted our first fellow cruiser since Able Tasman - 'Hornpipe' a Kiwi Couple who reported they have been here for 3 weeks of rain and gales - we are VERY lucky to have sunshine on arrival! Kyle needs a nap, and then we'll be off to explore the nooks and crannies!] At: 10:22(NZDT) 21-Feb-2019, Outside Temp: 17.7C (63.86F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 12.9C (55.22F) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 21º 45.798' S | 167º 37.962' E | Begonia |
Day 5 of South Pacific Passage From:Luganville, Espiritu Santo Island, Vanuatu To:Noumea, New Caledonia. Our position: -21.7634, 167.6326 Progress: [We've made [526.3]nm (through water) on this passage and have [87]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [169.4]nm (through water). We have moved [160.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [By late afternoon yesterday we were able to start our turn (from headwinds to abeam), This improved conditions aboard and increased our speed (less pounding into the waves). Water and air is getting cooler by the day (Yuk). We will need to slow down to enter the pass after flood. Overnight poor Kyle found himself reefing in a brief rain storm, but generally conditions have been dry.] General Comments: [We are now within New Caledonian waters. The little radio chatter we've heard is in French again. In the early hours of this morning we passed through the Loyalty Islands (which we'll need to beat back up to, or through, later). Due to the distance once inside the main reef of the clearance port at Noumea (along with currents etc) we are permitted to anchor inside the reef overnight on the way to Noumea and we'll most likely do that later today, moving on to Noumea the following day. In the meantime we are busy eating up all our fresh provisions which will otherwise be confiscated once we arrive in Noumea and meet the bio-security team.] At: 06:00(VUT) 18-Sep-2019, Outside Temp: 20.6C (69.08F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 26.5C (79.7F), Course: 200(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.2kt, Wind:10Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:95%, Pressure: 1020hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:W) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 16º 5.388' S | 167º 47.652' E | Begonia | Day 2 of South Pacific Passage From:Luganville, Espiritu Santo Island, Vanuatu To:Noumea, New Caledonia. Our position: -16.0898, 167.7942 Progress: [We've made [106.3]nm (through water) on this passage and have [472]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [106.3]nm (through water). We have moved [49.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [A day of headwinds and little actual headway (all as forecast), heavily reefed. Lots of drizzle/rain along with the odd wave to catch us. Ugh!] General Comments: [As you will see from our position, we are still very much in Vanuatu (but further South). It feels like frustrating progress (and time that may have been better spent at anchor), but the forecast didn't show a better day to leave (and our visa had expired, etc). Kyle's hair looked especially cute (unfortunately it was due the select waves he took in the face).] At: 06:00(VUT) 15-Sep-2019, Outside Temp: 24.6C (76.28F), Humidity:83%, Water Temp: 29.9C (85.82F), Course: 210(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.4kt, Wind:17Kt(from:SSE), Cloud Cover:90%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:N) ----- At 14/09/2019 19:00 (UTC) our position was 16°05.39'S 167°47.65'E | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 16º 28.092' S | 167º 48.78' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Gaspard Bay, Sothern end of Malekula Island, Vanuatu (South Pacific). Our position: -16.4681, 167.8130 Sail From: Uliveo Island, Maskeelyn Group, off Malakula Island, Vanuatu To: Gaspard Bay, Sothern end of Malekula Island, Vanuatu We travelled [6.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [3.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [We motor-sailed the short distance to Gaspard Island (choosing our timing to be with the current). No cell signal deep into the bay (but OK on entrance). We are anchored in 6.5m] General Comments: [Our time in Uliveo was really magical. The village of Lokienuen (Sangalai?) has the most basic living we've seen in all our travels, they still actively make (and use) dugout canoes /outriggers. In other villages (even elsewhere in Vanuatu on our travels to date) the dugouts are sitting rotting and overgrown in favour of fiberglass and outboards, but these cost money, a dugout can be made (with huge manpower) for free. The village has around 150 people living there, but also is home to primary, middle and secondary school for the surrounding villages (with over 200 kids at the school). The village adults were friendly, curious, and welcoming to cruisers (not pushy nor expectant). The kids seemed happy (even those we found doing their maths homework); their natural playground has them swimming, paddling in the dugouts, and climbing among the mangrove trees, they were especially excited to be able to trade fruit for t-shirts (which another boat thought to bring) and other goodies. We left on the local Fathers' Day, with special meals planned, and the children organizing some group songs for their dads. What a wonderful village experience. Separately we went on a trip to see Dugong (with a rather pushy guy called Tom from another village who rowed out to us at anchor), the trip was really nice but the price fluctuated and increased after the fact. The locals all warned us against Tom, but only after we'd already committed to the tour. For any that follow we recommend using the guys from the local village to arrange any tours.] At: 10:46(VUT) 01-Sep-2019, Outside Temp: 27.8C (82.04F), Humidity:80%, Water Temp: 29.9C (85.82F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 16º 31.89' S | 167º 49.758' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Uliveo Island, Maskeelyn Group, off Malakula Island, Vanuatu (South Pacific). Our position: -16.5316, 167.8293 Sail From: Lamen Bay, Epi Island, Vanuatu To: Uliveo Island, Maskeelyn Group, off Malakula Island, Vanuatu We travelled [24.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [19.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [A short sail north (with the spinnaker), anchored in 17m (hopefully sand)] General Comments: [We delayed our departure from Epi by a few days to witness a 'Kastom' circumcision ceremony this morning (the part after the boy has had the operation and been staying with an uncle healing, waiting for this big celebration and him formally becoming a man) - it was impressive (more later) and involved a huge number of people and lots of gift giving between them. We arrived in Ulivio and were greeted with dugout out-riggers and a warm welcome. We have some maintenance to do today and will go ashore and on the search for more dugongs tomorrow (Fingers crossed as Kyle has yet to see one).] At: 14:20(VUT) 30-Aug-2019, Outside Temp: 26.5C (79.7F), Humidity:64%, Water Temp: 29.9C (85.82F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 44º 40.89' S | 167º 55.548' E | Begonia | Safely at Anchor at Deepwater Basin, Milford Sound, South Island Passage Complete.
Day 4 of New Zealand Passage From:Onetahuti Beach, Tonga Roadstead, Tasman Bay To:Deepwater Basin, Milford Sound, South Island Progress: [So far we've made [461.3]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [79.4]nm (through water). We have moved [71.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [We made it well before dark after some nice downwind conditions - YAY!!! - We were directed to a mooring ball (the one on the far right as you enter) by the local lobster company (VHF 62) so no anchoring issues. Once we were settled on our mooring ball though - a cruise ship came and told us we were on their mooring and directed us to a different one - no doubt the one we should have had all along in the far SW corner of the harbour, a different ""right"".] General Comments: [The seas and wind slowly calmed all day, and just as we approached Milford Sound entrance, we were seeing little chinks of blue sky. By the time we made it to the basin - WOW - spectacular. Sun is out, sandflies and mosquitos are not (not too bad anyway) - waterfalls flowing everywhere from the recent rain. We're in time for a good night sleep and we'll be up and at 'em tomorrow to explore ashore. Amazingly no cell phone service in the small tourist town.] At: 19:12(NZDT) 05-Feb-2019, Outside Temp: 18.1C (64.58F), Humidity:67%, Water Temp: 12.9C (55.22F) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 46º 54.678' S | 168º 2.862' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Whalers Base, Prices Inlet, Paterson Inlet, Stewart Island
From: Oyster Cove, Port Adventure, Stewart Island, NZ To: Whalers Base, Prices Inlet, Paterson Inlet, Stewart Island We travelled [21.4]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [10.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 5.4-7.8m of mud. ] General Comments: [Finally - a day of wonderful sailing in calm seas! Anchored in preparation for a few days of strong NW through SW winds and lots of rain over the next few days. We arrived at low water revealing many of the old whaling equipment and a lot of beautiful rocky outcrops. Weather will most likely keep us aboard for a few days and then we'll relocate and visit Oban (the main town - village? - here in Stewart Island).] At: 12:26(NZDT) 25-Feb-2019, Outside Temp: 17.4C (63.32F), Humidity:53%, Water Temp: 12.9C (55.22F) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 16º 59.652' S | 168º 5.94' E | Begonia |
Day 3 of South Pacific Passage From:Luganville, Espiritu Santo Island, Vanuatu To:Noumea, New Caledonia. Our position: -16.9941, 168.0991 Progress: [We've made [232.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [375]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [125.9]nm (through water). We have moved [57.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Rough conditions (definitely using our life jackets to tack and reef), headwinds and miserable waves, really not ideal] General Comments: [We continue our zig-zag passage through the Islands of Vanuatu as we head towards New Caledonia (We should be done with the zig-zagging now). We expect today to be our roughtest day, and then for things to calm (relatively). Occasionally yesterday we had the lee of an island to calm the seas. We also got to enjoy a brief dolphin encounter yesterday as we passed (Malakula). You may have noticed I reported the wrong position yesterday (I said we were 16 deg and 15 minutes south, but actually it should have been only 5 minutes south) - oops.] At: 06:00(VUT) 16-Sep-2019, Outside Temp: 23.5C (74.3F), Humidity:78%, Water Temp: 29C (84.2F), Course: 190(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.7kt, Wind:24Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:27%, Pressure: 1017hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:NW) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 46º 54.27' S | 168º 7.398' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Golden Bay, Oban, Stewart Island
From: Whalers Base, Prices Inlet, Paterson Inlet, Stewart Island To: Golden Bay, Oban, Stewart Island We travelled [3.5]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [3.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 8-10m of mud/silt inside of Lona Island] General Comments: [A short relocation, now the weather has calmed down a bit, to be closer to town (Oban). Aside from sightseeing we hope to meet up with some of the crews of the Round New Zealand race who just ended leg 2 here over the last few days - one of whom is one of our Kiwi Friends (Dave) - we're excited to be able to congratulate them all on their rather miserable passage south to get here.] At: 08:04(NZDT) 28-Feb-2019, Outside Temp: 13.2C (55.76F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 12C (53.6F) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 46º 55.638' S | 168º 8.088' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Sydney Cove, Ulva Island (off Stewart Island)
From: Golden Bay, Oban, Stewart Island To: Sydney Cove, Ulva Island (off Stewart Island) We travelled [1.7]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [anchored in 6.5-7.5 bottom marked as Weed] General Comments: [A very short relocation to Ulva Island in preparation for a morning walk through the nature trails. We had a lovely day in Oban, and managed to meet up with some of the racers in the RNZ 2019 sailors!] At: 19:08(NZDT) 28-Feb-2019, Outside Temp: 14.8C (58.64F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 12.5C (54.5F) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 47º 4.02' S | 168º 9.498' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Oyster Cove, Port Adventure, Stewart Island, NZ
From: Sylvan Cove, South Arm, Port Pegasus, Stewart Island To: Oyster Cove, Port Adventure, Stewart Island, NZ We travelled [40.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [26.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 6-9m of mud in this long cove. Wide enough to avoid a stern line.] General Comments: [A sunrise departure in fair weather (only occasional drizzle) moving a little more west on the island. On route we put out a fishing line and caught a barracuda so dinner is going to include some fish dish! Lots of albatross and other seabirds followed us again today, and we again saw more penguins (these are not the fiordland penguin but a yellow eye penguin we now believe). We had miserably strong gusts in Pegasus cove and didn't get to go ashore among all those amazing rock formations - so we are hoping for suitable weather that will allow us to at least get off the boat and explore Port Adventure a little.] At: 16:16(NZDT) 23-Feb-2019, Outside Temp: 16.1C (60.98F), Humidity:59%, Water Temp: 12.9C (55.22F) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 16º 35.718' S | 168º 9.858' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Lamen Bay, Epi Island, Vanuatu (South Pacific). Our position: -16.5954, 168.1643 Sail From: Port Vila, Efate, Vanuatu To: Lamen Bay, Epi Island, Vanuatu We travelled [90.7]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [69.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Overnight Passage, rough and choppy (especially clearing Efate), mostly beam seas/beam reach the whole way (a bit of a washing machine ride). Anchored in 5m of sand. Two other boats at anchorage on our arrival (plenty of space for 15 boats!). Nice protected anchorage from likely winds.] General Comments: [Sailing this overnight Passage was well lit: with the glow behind us of Efate's lights bright for 50nm (until the moon came up) and the glow of a volcano on Ambrym Island ahead. Kyle had dolphins join him too around 2am (just as he was becalmed in the lee of Epi, so they didn't stay long, but still... COOL!).] At: 07:06(VUT) 26-Aug-2019, Outside Temp: 23.5C (74.3F), Humidity:66%, Water Temp: 29.9C (85.82F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 19º 8.1' S | 168º 10.482' E | Begonia |
Day 4 of South Pacific Passage From:Luganville, Espiritu Santo Island, Vanuatu To:Noumea, New Caledonia. Our position: -19.1350, 168.1747 Progress: [We've made [356.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [248]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [124.7]nm (through water). We have moved [128.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Rough conditions remain (with occasional temporary reduction in wind), yesterday we had winds upto 30kt (apparent), currently in the low-mid 20s, but it is the seas that are the most annoying; we're sailing into waves with a very short period so plenty of pounding and misery remains. We are at least now moving in a straight line (no more tacking).] General Comments: [An uneventful day. We finally left Vanuatu waters. Overnight It is nice to have a (just) full moon, and Kyle spent an hour overnight trying to outwit a boobie that wanted to land on the mast. ] At: 06:00(VUT) 17-Sep-2019, Outside Temp: 22.6C (72.68F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 27C (80.6F), Course: 175(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.7kt, Wind:21Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1017hPa, Swell:2m (to:NW) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 17º 46.152' S | 168º 14.538' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of South Pacific Passage From:Ponamias Bay, Erromango Island, Vanuatu To:Port Vila, Efate, Vanuatu. Our position: -17.7691, 168.2423 Progress: [We've made [78.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [4.6]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [78.1]nm (through water). We have moved [69.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Sailing under spinnaker all the way, until it was clear we'd arrive before sunrise (and the wind picked up), then Kyle switched to a reefed jib to slow us down.] General Comments: [Amazingly during our 3 days in Erromango we only saw no yachties and just two local boats, and I guess we were such a novelty that they both stopped by us to see who we were. We departed Erromango just before sunset, and we are currently approaching Port Vila (one 'L') with the sunrise. A fast and straightforward passage. A beautiful clear night for star-gazing with the milky way and 1000s of stars clear to see (at least until the moon rose).] At: 06:00(VUT) 21-Aug-2019, Outside Temp: 22.5C (72.5F), Humidity:62%, Water Temp: 28.5C (83.3F), Course: 359(degT), Speed Over Ground:1.4kt, Wind:17Kt(from:SSE), Cloud Cover:65%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:NW) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 17º 44.478' S | 168º 18.708' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived at Port Vila, Efate, Vanuatu - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 2 of South Pacific Passage From:Ponamias Bay, Erromango Island, Vanuatu To:Port Vila, Efate, Vanuatu. Our position: -17.7413, 168.3118 Progress: [We've made [83.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [5.0]nm (through water). We have moved [4.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [No obvious moorings free, and boats behind us VHF chatter indicated that at least some had reserved a mooring ball - so we decided to anchor. While this isn't the best anchorage, we found an OK spot and tested the holding fully - so we should be OK (provided nobody anchors in front of us.] General Comments: [We arrived before the marina opened, and the town traffic and ferries to the nearby island are already busy shuttling around. We are in the 'big' city! We recognized a few boats on the moorings too. We'll take today to rest aboard, and then begin exploring tomorrow] At: 07:34(VUT) 21-Aug-2019, Outside Temp: 23.6C (74.48F), Humidity:56%, Water Temp: 28.5C (83.3F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 43º 31.782' S | 168º 21.132' E | Begonia | "Day 4 of New Zealand Passage
From:Onetahuti Beach, Tonga Roadstead, Tasman Bay To:Deepwater Basin, Milford Sound, South Island Progress: [So far we've made [381.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [78]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [97.6]nm (through water). We have moved [96.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [After some significant motoring - since 2pm yesterday we again have enough wind to sail (with MUCH more to come tonight, we're also expecting rain).] General Comments: [We are so very close, but will most likely hold off and hold off our entry into the sound until Wednesday morning. Yesterday we still saw no ships - but we did spot a lone large shark at the surface. The water temperature continues to dive (and the air overnight) but according to one thing I read, Milford Sound is well worth such discomfort (it also has over 180 days of rain a year).] At: 06:00(NZDT) 05-Feb-2019, Outside Temp: 16.7C (62.06F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 15.9C (60.62F)Course: 193(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.6kt, Wind:16Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1018hPa, Swell:2m (to:SW) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 41º 57.408' S | 168º 48.69' E | Begonia | Day 3 of New Zealand Passage From:Onetahuti Beach, Tonga Roadstead, Tasman Bay To:Deepwater Basin, Milford Sound, South Island
Progress: [So far we've made [284.3]nm (through water) on this passage and have [175]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [110.7]nm (through water). We have moved [98.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Things slowly calmed, and calmed, until just before midnight we started motoring. Forecast says wind due again sometime this afternoon.] General Comments: [There have been plenty of birds on this passage (including a host of different albatross types?). The wind indicator keeps teasing us. We have yet to see a single boat of any type since we left Tasman Bay.] At: 06:00(NZDT) 04-Feb-2019, Outside Temp: 15.5C (59.9F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 18.3C (64.94F)Course: 192(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.8kt, Wind:1Kt(from:NNW), Cloud Cover:80%, Pressure: 1025hPa, Swell:1m (to:NE) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 18º 37.8' S | 169º 2.748' E | Begonia |
At Anchor: Ponamias Bay, Erromango Island, Vanuatu (South Pacific). Our position: -18.6300, 169.0458 Sail From: Port Resolution, Tanna Island, Vanuatu To: Ponamias Bay, Erromango Island, Vanuatu We travelled [71.4]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [59.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Solid winds and 2m seas for this passage, it was great to be going downwind again! We sailed with the spinnaker much of the way to the east coast of Erromango, conditions were certainly borderline for the spinnaker, but Kyle was thoroughly enjoying himself. Once we started to explore possible anchorages we switched between motoring and using the jib.] General Comments: [We sampled a number of small bays (possible anchorages) on the east coast of Erromango (now known to us as the 'cave coast'), but we were not able to find anything we'd be comfortable anchoring in. This was a shame since we acquired a welcome party at one bay, and we had to abandon the anchoring and just leave. Ashore here from our anchorage at Ponamias Bay there is a river running down to the sea and a small (temporary/pig/fishing?) structure just behind the pebble beach. There are no signs of life so far, but I expect there might be people around if we venture inshore. We'll have a great sunset view for tonight (and no cell phone signal to tempt us to distractions)] At: 16:56(FJT) 17-Aug-2019, Outside Temp: 24.5C (76.1F), Humidity:65%, Water Temp: 27.5C (81.5F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 19º 31.632' S | 169º 29.76' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived at Port Resolution, Tanna Island, Vanuatu - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 5 of South Pacific Passage From:Denarau Marina Moorings, off Viti Levu Island, Fiji To:Port Resolution, Tanna Island, Vanuatu. Our position: -19.5271, 169.4959 Progress: [We've made [562.3]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [19.2]nm (through water). We have moved [17.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Anchored in 4m depth, 8 other boats already at anchor (no obvious rally boats).] General Comments: [Rough arrival, drizzly and overcast. We've been feeling the (relative) cold and figure we'll need our wetsuits (Thanks Carla) for any snorkelling in Vanuatu. We are hoping to get some sleep today, stay aboard, and officially clear in in on our original schedule (TBD).] At: 09:18(FJT) 13-Aug-2019, Outside Temp: 22C (71.6F), Humidity:95%, Water Temp: 27C (80.6F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 19º 41.958' S | 169º 45.162' E | Begonia |
Day 5 of South Pacific Passage From:Denarau Marina Moorings, off Viti Levu Island, Fiji To:Port Resolution, Tanna Island, Vanuatu. Our position: -19.6994, 169.7526 Progress: [We've made [543.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [18]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [125.2]nm (through water). We have moved [115.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Wind died for much of yesterday afternoon, and returned and shifted by late evening. We are now sailing downwind with jib alone (while brining the main down our lazy jacks broke - a chafe point gave we were unaware of)] General Comments: [Should arrive today, after the front passed last night we feel the cold/wind and have rain.] At: 06:00(FJT) 13-Aug-2019, Outside Temp: 22C (71.6F), Humidity:95%, Water Temp: 27C (80.6F), Course: 306(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.5kt, Wind:21Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1017hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:NW) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 40º 46.218' S | 170º 19.872' E | Begonia | Day 2 of New Zealand Passage From:Onetahuti Beach, Tonga Roadstead, Tasman Bay To:Deepwater Basin, Milford Sound, South Island
Progress: [So far we've made [173.6]nm (through water) on this passage and have [265]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [143.3]nm (through water). We have moved [125.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [The seas north of Farewell Spit turned into a mess, indeed most of the day we were close hauled and beating into choppy 3m waves (Yuk). No traffic of any kind spotted (even on AIS). We are currently headed SW paralleling the coastline.] General Comments: [The wind instrument decided to start working or 12 hours or more yesterday - then went back to dead. It was nice while it lasted. In its absence we have to go outside the cockpit with our little hand held and take readings and approximate direction (apparent). We had 2 reefs in and borderline conditions to reef again most of last night - but with the forecast 'promising' winds would decrease we held out and crossed our fingers for 4 hours until finally the wind decrease came at around 11pm.] At: 06:00(NZDT) 03-Feb-2019, Outside Temp: 15.8C (60.44F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 19.7C (67.46F)Course: 220(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.9kt, Wind:5Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:0%, Pressure: 1026hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:NE) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 46º 16.692' S | 170º 30.168' E | Begonia | Day 2 of New Zealand Passage From:Sydney Cove, Ulva Island (off Stewart Island) To:Otago YC, Dunedin, South Island
Progress: [So far we've made [116.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [48]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [116.8]nm (through water). We have moved [105.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Cold, Cold, Cold, Waves calming as we head north. So far we've been downwind/broad reach sailing] General Comments: [Kyle had a small pod of dolphins with the boat most of the night, and he reported they looked amazing with the bioluminescent trails as they swooped about. As a cruise ship passed us, they left us (presumably for the much faster boat?). Things look good for us to arrive today (maybe even a little earlier than forecast).] At: 06:00(NZDT) 02-Feb-2019, Outside Temp: 12C (53.6F), Humidity:83%, Water Temp: 8.3C (46.94F)Course: 50(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.6kt, Wind:13Kt(from:WSE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1032hPa, Swell:2m (to:NE) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 45º 52.302' S | 170º 31.608' E | Begonia | "Safely at Anchor at Otago YC, Dunedin, South Island Passage Complete.
Day 2 of New Zealand Passage From:Sydney Cove, Ulva Island (off Stewart Island) To:Otago YC, Dunedin, South Island Progress: [So far we've made [163.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [47.2]nm (through water). We have moved [24.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [The journey along the coast and up the harbour were splendid. The winds were good enough we could sail all the way to the entrance. There are two giant cruise ships also visiting (docked in Port Chalmers) - so there must be plenty for the tourists here] General Comments: [Sunshine and clear views as we approach the ocean entrance to Dunedin, and the tiny little Hector's dolphins came to say hi too. Now we've made it all the way up the river, we were greeted by Barry the caretaker, and handed a pile of parcels with a smile. Whew! Now we are here for at least a week to relax and explore (and shower, and do laundry, etc)] At: 13:56(NZDT) 02-Feb-2019, Outside Temp: 21C (69.8F), Humidity:55%, Water Temp: 13.9C (57.02F) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 20º 0.972' S | 171º 46.14' E | Begonia |
Day 4 of South Pacific Passage From:Denarau Marina Moorings, off Viti Levu Island, Fiji To:Port Resoultion, Tanna Island, Vanuatu. Our position: -20.0162, 171.7690 Progress: [We've made [417.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [132]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [151.4]nm (through water). We have moved [137.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Wind continued to back, and we're now on a close reach. We've had good winds/conditions and some fast speeds (considering). There is a reasonable chance we'll arrive on the 13th, a day early (but still not guaranteed). Winds are expected to reduce today.] General Comments: [Yesterday afternoon we passed close to a large whale (Possibly a pilot whale?), it seemed to ba alone and mostly just sat laying at the surface. We pulled out our Vanuatu flag (so colourful). Passage otherwise uneventful, no boat seen, very few birds so far either.] At: 06:00(FJT) 12-Aug-2019, Outside Temp: 24.7C (76.46F), Humidity:93%, Water Temp: 27.5C (81.5F), Course: 270(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.7kt, Wind:12Kt(from:NNE), Cloud Cover:35%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:2m (to:SSW) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 44º 41.922' S | 172º 21.81' E | Begonia | Day 2 of New Zealand Passage From:Otago YC, Dunedin, South Island To:Akaroa, French Bay, Banks Peninsula, South Island
Progress: [So far we've made [104.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [61]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [104.5]nm (through water). We have moved [104.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Departing Dunedin we had headwinds and by noon we had a very rough sea with strong winds from astern most of yesterday, and are now struggling to keep the boat moving (light winds from astern) - Ahhh sailing. It was Kyle's watch with the dramatic wind change - he had a long wall of cloud (a shelf cloud?) pass us and that changed the situation from strong headwinds to stern winds in around 1 minute - thankfully he saw it coming. ] General Comments: [We've decided to try and make it to Akaroa tonight (and save Lyttleon for some future date) - but this will only remain the case IF we can get to Akaroa before dark - we'll see. As usual for this area there were plenty of albatross following us all day. Happy Pi Day!] At: 06:00(NZDT) 14-Mar-2019, Outside Temp: 12.9C (55.22F), Humidity:80%, Water Temp: 10.5C (50.9F)Course: 28(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.9kt, Wind:9Kt(from:SSW), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1022hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:N) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 43º 36.312' S | 172º 42.882' E | Begonia | At Dock at Te Ana Marina (Lyttelton), South Island
From: Ripapa Island, Lyttelton Harbour, South Island To: Te Ana Marina (Lyttelton), South Island We travelled [2.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Tied up in the Catamaran Dock (A68)] General Comments: [A short relocate across the harbour from anchorage to Marina. They are not open on Sundays so I'm not sure if we can get out (or back in again) as of yet - we may have to wait until Monday.] At: 13:06(NZDT) 17-Mar-2019, Outside Temp: 17.3C (63.14F), Humidity:75%, Water Temp: 18.8C (65.84F) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 43º 37.29' S | 172º 45.102' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Ripapa Island, Lyttelton Harbour, South Island
From: Flea Bay, Banks Peninsula, South Island To: Ripapa Island, Lyttelton Harbour, South Island We travelled [35.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [18.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Island remains closed after earthquakes etc, but we are anchored in 3.5-5.5m of sandy bottom. In the morning we will proceed into Te Ana Marina (Lyttelton)] General Comments: [Wow - what a lovely day. Firstly we had winds and could sail (Kyle had been concerned it would be a windless day). Best of all however was hours of company from Hectors Dolphins - almost constantly playing in the bow waves - just magical!] At: 15:26(NZDT) 16-Mar-2019, Outside Temp: 18.8C (65.84F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 21.9C (71.42F) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 35º 13.188' S | 172º 59.712' E | Begonia | "Day 4 of New Zealand Passage From:Ship Cove, Queen Charlotte Sound, South Island To:Apihara Bay, Northland, North Island
Progress: [So far we've made [384.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [9.8]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [130.1]nm (through water). We have moved [123.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Spinnaker sailing for almost all the last of the 24 hours.] General Comments: [Almost there - weather report continues to look good for us to anchor at Apihara beach (this is most unusual), so we'll wait here for a good window to head over the North of the island.] At: 06:00(NZDT) 05-Apr-2019, Outside Temp: 17.6C (63.68F), Humidity:76%, Water Temp: 21.2C (70.16F)Course: 355(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.6kt, Wind:8Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:10%, Pressure: 1020hPa, Swell:1m (to:N) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 43º 52.23' S | 173º 0.318' E | Begonia | Safely at Anchor at Flea Bay, Banks Peninsula, South Island Passage Complete.
Day 2 of New Zealand Passage From:Otago YC, Dunedin, South Island To:Flea Bay, Banks Peninsula, South Island Progress: [So far we've made [160.4]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [55.9]nm (through water). We have moved [56.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Most of the day we had light downwind sailing and frustratingly slow progress, eventually the wind switched to headwinds and our speed doubled - whew. At anchor in Flea Cove in 7.5-9m of sandy bottom] General Comments: [We finally decided (based on weather and timing) to anchor at Flea Bay. This is a marine reserve and has a small farm, in the valley and in the water there were plenty of Little (blue) Penguins to greet us. Expecting a drizzly day tomorrow, but if it holds off we hope to launch the kayak for a look around.] At: 17:52(NZDT) 14-Mar-2019, Outside Temp: 15.5C (59.9F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 15.4C (59.72F) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 40º 28.332' S | 173º 2.868' E | Begonia | Day 1 of New Zealand Passage
From:Onetahuti Beach, Tonga Roadstead, Tasman Bay To:Deepwater Basin, Milford Sound, South Island Progress: [So far we've made [30.3]nm (through water) on this passage and have [362]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [30.28]nm (through water). We have moved [24.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Kyle says it sucks! The crossing of Golden Bay was rough with short, steep seas and plenty of gusts and sail changes. Quite the work out for his first watch. Things have calmed down for now - now that we've rounded Bush End Point and are heading more west.] General Comments: [My watch starts with a lovely sunrise and a cup of coffee made and ready for me.] At: 06:00(NZDT) 02-Feb-2019, Outside Temp: 16.5C (61.7F), Humidity:79%, Water Temp: 18.8C (65.84F)Course: 300(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.9kt, Wind:13Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:55%, Pressure: 1018hPa, Swell:2m (to:W) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 40º 53.1' S | 173º 3.072' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Onetahuti Beach, Tonga Roadstead, Tasman Bay
From: Waikawa Bay, Tasman Bay To: Onetahuti Beach, Tonga Roadstead, Tasman Bay We travelled [38.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [34.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [A fair passage with pretty calm seas and some good winds for sailing (with patches of motoring). Anchorage is alongside a beautiful long sandy beach and with plenty of foot traffic along the Abel Tasman Coastal Track. Anchorage within Tonga Island Marine Reserve. Anchored in 6-9m of sand with a handful of other boats.] General Comments: [Another early start so we could be sure to do the passage in the day. We arrived ahead of schedule, to glorious sunshine and a beautiful beach.] At: 14:10(NZDT) 30-Jan-2019, Outside Temp: 25.3C (77.54F), Humidity:65%, Water Temp: 22.2C (71.96F) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 35º 10.302' S | 173º 7.668' E | Begonia | Safely at Anchor at Apihara Bay, Northland, North Island Passage Complete.
Day 4 of New Zealand Passage From:Ship Cove, Queen Charlotte Sound, South Island To:Apihara Bay, Northland, North Island Progress: [So far we've made [397.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [12.6]nm (through water). We have moved [7.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Motored to anchorage, anchored in 8m of good sandy holding. Expecting South winds and therefore protected for our stay here.] General Comments: [Arrived to a beautiful bay, calm waters and splendid backdrop of hills in crystal clear skies. No surfers in sight today (good news for us!). Welcomed and reassured we're in a good/safe location by local fishermen.] At: 09:58(NZDT) 05-Apr-2019, Outside Temp: 21C (69.8F), Humidity:66%, Water Temp: 21.2C (70.16F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 34º 28.962' S | 173º 10.578' E | Begonia | Day 2 of New Zealand Passage From:Apihara Bay, Northland, North Island To:Apihara Bay, Northland, North Island
Progress: [So far we've made [111.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [24]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [111.9]nm (through water). We have moved [41.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Until the most recent turn to head south again, we've been downwind sailing (with a bit of wing-on-wing even) - now we have some headwinds. We had a few sprinkles of rain, but only ever for a few short minutes. No dolphin sightings.] General Comments: [There were plenty of fishing boats (no fishing lights) hanging about/drifting on the North coast of North Island for Kyle to dodge overnight. North Cape light did not appear to be working (thankfully we have a chartplotter to guide our path)] At: 06:00(NZST) 08-Apr-2019, Outside Temp: 17.3C (63.14F), Humidity:66%, Water Temp: 21.7C (71.06F)Course: 129(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.7kt, Wind:15Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:15%, Pressure: 1019hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:N) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 34º 49.752' S | 173º 25.482' E | Begonia | Safely at Anchor at Maitai Bay, Northland, North Island Passage Complete.
Day 2 of New Zealand Passage From:Apihara Bay, Northland, North Island To:Maitai Bay, Northland, North Island Progress: [We've made [138.4]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [26.5]nm (through water). We have moved [24.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Anchorage picturesque, but took a few tries to set, lots of mini-rocky-islands for the birds. Anchored in 4-6m of patchy sand.] General Comments: [Good News: We were joined by a pod of dolphins as we approached. Bad News: I lost my fav. 'wooly' hat as I started to prepare to anchor, and then we discovered we lost a boat hook somewhere on this passage :-( - We'll rest up here for a couple of nights and enjoy this pretty bay.] At: 11:26(NZST) 08-Apr-2019, Outside Temp: 23.1C (73.58F), Humidity:50%, Water Temp: 22.2C (71.96F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 42º 57.312' S | 173º 28.578' E | Begonia | Day 2 of New Zealand Passage From:Te Ana Marina (Lyttelton), South Island To:Port Underwood, Marlborough, South Island
Progress: [So far we've made [108.7]nm (through water) on this passage and have [116]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [108.7]nm (through water). We have moved [51.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Strong headwinds all the time so far - as expected, but not really appreciated. Lots of distance sailed for not so much gained towards our goal.] General Comments: [Weather was clear most of yesterday. Too choppy to really enjoy. Expecting more of the same] At: 06:00(NZDT) 22-Mar-2019, Outside Temp: 16C (60.8F), Humidity:85%, Water Temp: 15.9C (60.62F)Course: 111(degT), Speed Over Ground:6kt, Wind:11Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:95%, Pressure: 1028hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:SW) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 37º 14.562' S | 173º 30.492' E | Begonia | Day 3 of New Zealand Passage From:Ship Cove, Queen Charlotte Sound, South Island To:Apihara Bay, Northland, North Island
Progress: [So far we've made [254.4]nm (through water) on this passage and have [134]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [107.5]nm (through water). We have moved [102.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [There was more 'crazy' winds and seas yesterday morning, but for most of the last 24 hours we've had very little winds (frustrating). Seas have calmed at least] General Comments: [Despite being so far offshore, we've been joined by a host of house and other flies (Yuk!). The light winds we have don't match the forecast, but we're hoping we find the wind again soon. No boat traffic this side of NZ it seems (since we passed the Gas Rigs). Water temperature has been steadily increasing, this makes us happy.] At: 06:00(NZDT) 04-Apr-2019, Outside Temp: 18.2C (64.76F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 21.7C (71.06F)Course: 357(degT), Speed Over Ground:1.6kt, Wind:1Kt(from:SSW), Cloud Cover:95%, Pressure: 1022hPa, Swell:1m (to:NW) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 38º 57.228' S | 173º 32.838' E | Begonia | Day 2 of New Zealand Passage From:Ship Cove, Queen Charlotte Sound, South Island To:Apihara Bay, Northland, North Island
Progress: [So far we've made [146.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [236]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [146.9]nm (through water). We have moved [132.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [We started with such light winds I considered using the Spinnaker (thankfully Kyle talked me out of it). Last night was miserable, with strong winds and very choppy, high, seas. (for a few hours we had an apparent wind in the 30s constantly, and 3m seas with a very short period). In the last half hour things are calming down to 'normal'.] General Comments: [Overnight I felt the boat was simply a cork in the drainage system after a flash flood, the only positive being that we were being taken the direction we wanted to go. Huge thank you to the autopilot that never let us down. Neither of us managed much restful sleep. Thankfully today's forecast should have things getting easier and easier.] At: 06:00(NZDT) 03-Apr-2019, Outside Temp: 15.2C (59.36F), Humidity:67%, Water Temp: 19.3C (66.74F)Course: 0(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.5kt, Wind:19Kt(from:SSE), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1023hPa, Swell:3m (to:NW) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 35º 0.522' S | 173º 43.842' E | Begonia | Destination: Opua
At Anchor at Rere Bay, Pekapeka Bay, Northland, North Island From: Maitai Bay, Northland, North Island To: Rere Bay, Pekapeka Bay, Northland, North Island We travelled [23.4]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [18.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 5-7m of good sticky mud.] General Comments: [An easy motor south with some great coastline to see. Tried fishing but we just caught/tangled with some seaweed. Arrived in Whagaroa Harbour (western arm) to stunning hills lit by great sunshine - this place is a Disneyland of geological formations - Spectacular. Hope to get out and explore soon. Chance of rain forecast for tomorrow (hopefully nothing to deter us).] At: 11:54(NZST) 10-Apr-2019, Outside Temp: 26.6C (79.88F), Humidity:48%, Water Temp: 22.2C (71.96F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 35º 2.43' S | 173º 44.052' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Oakura Bay (Whangaroa), Northland, North Island
From: Rere Bay, Pekapeka Bay, Northland, North Island To: Oakura Bay (Whangaroa), Northland, North Island We travelled [3.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored outside other boats (a bit crowded and full of moorings) - in 4-6m of mud - just a across from local Marina and town.] General Comments: [A short motor through more of the stunning local scenery. An early start so we can enjoy a full day here.] At: 08:52(NZST) 12-Apr-2019, Outside Temp: 17.6C (63.68F), Humidity:80%, Water Temp: 20.7C (69.26F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 35º 1.17' S | 173º 44.742' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Waihi Bay (Whangaroa), Northland, North Island (New Zealand)
From: Oakura Bay (Whangaroa), Northland, North Island To: Waihi Bay (Whangaroa), Northland, North Island We travelled [1.7]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Another location with stunning scenery - anchored in 10.5m] General Comments: [Motored the short distance to our next anchorage. Will get out the Kayak and explore while water is so very calm!] At: 11:26(NZST) 14-Apr-2019, Outside Temp: 24.1C (75.38F), Humidity:49%, Water Temp: 20.7C (69.26F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 40º 57.63' S | 173º 48.552' E | Begonia | Destination: Dunedin
At Anchor at Waikawa Bay, Tasman Bay From: Waihinau Bay, Pelorus Sound, Marlborough Sound To: Waikawa Bay, Tasman Bay We travelled [29.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [7.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [We had planned to anchor just east of French pass, and pass through tomorrow - but when we arrived the anchorage was filled with moorings and the pass was 'just right' so we went through. We've anchored on the Able Tasman side, and found a small bay - anchored between a mussel farm and the rocky coast in about 8m.] General Comments: [A glorious sunny day had all the sights looking spectacular. Aside from a few hobby-fisherman we had the place to ourselves again. The water in our anchorage is much warmer than before so, given the heat, I'm anticipating some swimming will be enjoyed.] At: 15:44(NZDT) 28-Jan-2019, Outside Temp: 29.3C (84.74F), Humidity:55%, Water Temp: 22C (71.6F) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 34º 59.772' S | 173º 48.972' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Whangaihe Bay, Northland, North Island (New Zealand)
From: Waihi Bay (Whangaroa), Northland, North Island To: Whangaihe Bay, Northland, North Island We travelled [4.7]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [3.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in bay with beach and rocky arms (4-6m)] General Comments: [We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Whangaroa with plenty of exploring activities and a good dose of eating out. Today we made a short hop down the coast as we continue to head south. We are anchored with a view of a picturesque chain of rocky islands extend from this bay which we plan to explore by Kayak shortly. The sun continues to shine and a swallow is sat on the lifelines - oh boy - now there are 5 of them... we may have a cleaning project ahead of us. ] At: 09:08(NZST) 16-Apr-2019, Outside Temp: 19.4C (66.92F), Humidity:66%, Water Temp: 21.2C (70.16F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 35º 0.462' S | 173º 55.938' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Waiiti Bay, Motukawanui Island, Cavalli Islands, Northland, New Zealand (New Zealand)
From: Whangaihe Bay, Northland, North Island To: Waiiti Bay, Motukawanui Island, Cavalli Islands, Northland, New Zealand We travelled [13.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [5.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 5-7m with a sandy beach and arm of rocky parawanui reef just behind us (at a safe distance).] General Comments: [A refreshing upwind sail south to the Cavalli Island group. Yes, actual sailing at last (it seems like forever ago we did anything but motor). This required a fair bit of tacking, but was actual fun. We are starting to see sailboats departing New Zealand and heading North to the tropics, reminding us that our time in New Zealand is close to an end, but since we are still visiting new-to-us locations we feel we have plenty more to enjoy here.] At: 11:48(NZST) 18-Apr-2019, Outside Temp: 20.3C (68.54F), Humidity:60%, Water Temp: 21.2C (70.16F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 40º 56.268' S | 173º 57.96' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Waihinau Bay, Pelorus Sound, Marlborough Sound
From: Chaffers Marina, Wellington, NZ To: Waihinau Bay, Pelorus Sound, Marlborough Sound We travelled [67.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [42.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting]Location Comments: [A rather blustery and bouncy start - with strong winds and 3m+ seas. Once we left Wellington Harbour we were able to be downwind for the worst of it, and conditions gradually calmed through the day. ] General Comments: [We made it - we're in South Island, and the huge cruising ground of Marlborough Sounds. Here the bays drop to deep water close to shore, so anchoring is a challenge and we had several unsuccessful attempts. After a long, long day (early start) we plan 2 nights here so we can have a fun day between passages.] At: 17:30(NZDT) 24-Jan-2019, Outside Temp: 21.3C (70.34F), Humidity:45%, Water Temp: 18.3C (64.94F) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 41º 13.182' S | 173º 59.982' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Lochmara Bay, Queen Charlotte Sound, Marlborough, South Island
From: Kumototo Bay, Queen Charlotte Sound, Marlborough, South Island To: Lochmara Bay, Queen Charlotte Sound, Marlborough, South Island We travelled [5.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [2.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Motored in patch gusts to this picturesque anchorage (full of mooring balls) but managed to anchor in the middle in 7-7.5m.] General Comments: [We're expecting a rainy afternoon and rain all day tomorrow - so we've found ourselves a nice patch of protection (hopefully) and a good cell phone signal so we can catch up with admin odds. For now the sun is shining.] At: 12:20(NZDT) 26-Mar-2019, Outside Temp: 22.1C (71.78F), Humidity:61%, Water Temp: 16.8C (62.24F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 41º 12.48' S | 174º 3.678' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Kumototo Bay, Queen Charlotte Sound, Marlborough, South Island
From: Tawa Bay, Onepua Bay, Marlborough Sounds, South Island To: Kumototo Bay, Queen Charlotte Sound, Marlborough, South Island We travelled [9.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [7.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [We motored a little more west and into the sounds (Queen Charlotte), picked up a mooring ball.] General Comments: [Arrived in this little cove to find a host of bird calls from all directions, and the sun shining despite showers earlier. There appears to be a trail but it seems all up-hill for about 1.5km - we're both contemplating and procrastinating over it.] At: 11:40(NZDT) 25-Mar-2019, Outside Temp: 22.9C (73.22F), Humidity:65%, Water Temp: 18.3C (64.94F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 35º 10.92' S | 174º 4.818' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Te Pahi Islands (Bay of Islands, Northland), North Island (New Zealand)
From: Waiiti Bay, Motukawanui Island, Cavalli Islands, Northland, New Zealand To: Te Pahi Islands (Bay of Islands, Northland), North Island We travelled [22.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [12.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 4-7m of good sand - plenty of mini islands and rocky reefs around - makes for stunning scenery.] General Comments: [We're finally back in the Bay of Islands (but still yet to cross our path and officially complete a circumnavigation). Easter is turning out to be overcast and drizzly which may have kept some of the boaters away, but there are still plenty out and about - we are back in the land of sailors for sure. AND we were able to sail (upwind) most of the way here today - so a fine sailing day.] At: 13:52(NZST) 20-Apr-2019, Outside Temp: 23.7C (74.66F), Humidity:61%, Water Temp: 20.7C (69.26F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 35º 12.282' S | 174º 4.968' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Moturoa Island (Bay of Islands, Northland), North Island (New Zealand)
From: Te Pahi Islands (Bay of Islands, Northland), North Island To: Moturoa Island (Bay of Islands, Northland), North Island We travelled [1.7]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 9.7-11.6m - moorings closer to shore - private island (No shore access)] General Comments: [We relocated a little ahead of schedule since Monday is forecast to be rain all day - just motored a very short distance for a change of scenery!] At: 15:44(NZST) 21-Apr-2019, Outside Temp: 23.3C (73.94F), Humidity:54%, Water Temp: 20.7C (69.26F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 35º 17.178' S | 174º 6.12' E | Begonia | At Mooring at Motuarahi Island (Paihai, Bay of Islands), Northland, North Island (New Zealand)
From: Moturoa Island (Bay of Islands, Northland), North Island To: Motuarahi Island (Paihai, Bay of Islands), Northland, North Island We travelled [6.7]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [5.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Picked up mooring ball belonging to ENOLA whom we met in Marlborough Sounds. Tide range 1.6m-3.3m - so hopefully not too much wake here.] General Comments: [Another sunny day and an opportunity to sail (despite the short distance). From here we hope to go ashore tomorrow and visit the Waitangi Treaty Grounds and grab some fresh provisioning before heading back out to see more of the Bay of Islands] At: 12:51(NZST) 24-Apr-2019, Outside Temp: 23.8C (74.84F), Humidity:54%, Water Temp: 20.7C (69.26F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 35º 19.05' S | 174º 7.158' E | Begonia | At Dock in Bay of Islands Marina, Opua, Northland, North Island (New Zealand)
Sail From: Orokawa Bay (off Manawaora Bay, Bay of Islands), Northland, North Island To: Bay of Islands Marina, Opua, Northland, North Island We travelled [13.5]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [5.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Gusty and windy passage, but Kyle smoothly maneuvered into the dock] General Comments: [We're back in Opau - last chance to provision and prepare for our NZ departure - and last chance to eat out as it is a lot of on-board cooking once we set off!] At: 13:18(NZST) 30-Apr-2019, Outside Temp: 21.8C (71.24F), Humidity:46%, Water Temp: 19.3C (66.74F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 35º 18.84' S | 174º 7.362' E | Begonia | Day 8 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:South Minerva Reef To:Opua Harbour, New Zealand
ARRIVED! Progress: [So far we've made [817.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [54.9]nm (through water). We have moved [53.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Despite us having positioned ourselves quite far east to catch the wind and sail in - we still had to motor in patches. We deliberately dawdled and enjoyed the scenery once we entered the bay - as we didn't want to arrive too early at the Quarantine dock (we can overnight here, sleep well, and do all the officialdom in the morning, and only start paying for the marina dock tomorrow!).] General Comments: [A beautiful sail with just enough sunshine to give us the great views of the islands on the way in. We were welcomed on the radio by Lalamanzi, and had Red Max follow us in all the way to the Quarantine dock. All is well.] At: 18:02(NZDT) 12-Nov-2018, Outside Temp: 21.8C (71.24F), Humidity:60%, Water Temp: 27.7C (81.86F) | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 35º 16.398' S | 174º 7.53' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Matauwi Bay, Bay of Islands (near Russell)
From: Matauwi Bay, Bay of Islands (off Russell) To: Matauwi Bay, Bay of Islands (near Russell) We travelled [2.4]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [2.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Motored from the marina to this nearby anchorage, the next bay around from Russell. The place is littered with moorings, but thankfully good shallow mud for some ways beyond] General Comments: [We escaped the marina in hopes of having some tourist time in the islands. We're starting with Russell - the historic little town once considered for the place as capital of New Zealand. It remains a tiny town and top tourist attraction so it is time to explore!] At: 13:20(NZDT) 17-Nov-2018, Outside Temp: 26.2C (79.16F), Humidity:40%, Water Temp: 27.7C (81.86F) | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 41º 17.682' S | 174º 11.07' E | Begonia | Safely at Anchor at Hakana Bay, Port Underwood, Marlborough, South Island Passage Complete.
Day 3 of New Zealand Passage From:Te Ana Marina (Lyttelton), South Island To:Hakana Bay, Port Underwood, Marlborough, South Island Progress: [So far we've made [256.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [34.8]nm (through water). We have moved [35.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [A calm day with fog descending and clearing. Motoring. The bay we are anchored in is peaceful and wonderfully protected (just in case any wind decides to arrive) - anchored in about 10m of water.] General Comments: [The fog clearing and returning made for an interesting ride and we were glad to make use of our radar just in case! We had several more dolphin visits - both from Hectors dolphins and common dolphins) and the coastal scenery was wonderful whenever the fog lifted. We are now anchored in glorious sunshine - go figure!] At: 13:30(NZDT) 23-Mar-2019, Outside Temp: 23C (73.4F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 18.3C (64.94F) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 35º 15.33' S | 174º 11.85' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Orokawa Bay (off Manawaora Bay, Bay of Islands), Northland, North Island (New Zealand)
From: Motuarahi Island (Paihai, Bay of Islands), Northland, North Island To: Orokawa Bay (off Manawaora Bay, Bay of Islands), Northland, North Island We travelled [10.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [5.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored with a handful of other boats in 7-8m of mud.] General Comments: [Kyle thoroughly enjoyed himself departing our mooring ball under sail (although our nearest neighbour rushed out to check we didn't drift into him, everything was in very slow motion so we were able to have quite the chat with him as we drifted/sailed by!). We sailed and tacked our way into Manawaora Bay and had some sail-car problems when we wanted to bring down the sail (sigh). Something else to fix before we depart NZ!] At: 14:18(NZST) 27-Apr-2019, Outside Temp: 22C (71.6F), Humidity:62%, Water Temp: 20.7C (69.26F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 41º 15.768' S | 174º 12.258' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Tawa Bay, Onepua Bay, Marlborough Sounds, South Island
From: Hakana Bay, Port Underwood, Marlborough, South Island To: Tawa Bay, Onepua Bay, Marlborough Sounds, South Island We travelled [45.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [2.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [A mixed sailing day with plenty of wild gusts to contend with (especially in the Cook Strait). We slipped through the narrow and busy Tory Channel Entrance between traffic, and once we reached the bay picked up a mooring ball for the night] General Comments: [An early start and a borderline KP forecast had us crossing our fingers at possibly a last chance to see the southern lights - no luck, not least because of a beautiful bright full moon (Kyle says technically it was gibbous moon). A sunny day made for a picturesque passage through the sounds. Our first sighting of North Island in a while. You will notice we've only moved the boat a couple of miles from last night - but it took us 9.5 hours to do that I guess we could have walked it, but dragging the boat over those hills might well have taken longer - so we took the long way round and made it easy on ourselves!] At: 15:22(NZDT) 24-Mar-2019, Outside Temp: 25.2C (77.36F), Humidity:54%, Water Temp: 17.8C (64.04F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 19º 58.068' S | 174º 12.87' E | Begonia |
Day 3 of South Pacific Passage From:Denarau Marina Moorings, off Viti Levu Island, Fiji To:Port Resoultion, Tanna Island, Vanuatu. Our position: -19.9678, 174.2144 Progress: [We've made [266.6]nm (through water) on this passage and have [275]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [148.8]nm (through water). We have moved [145.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [The wind did indeed continue to back (and lighten), from early afternoon yesterday we've been flying the spinnaker. Seas also have been easier - we are having a rather gentle passage.] General Comments: [More clear skies (and star-gazing) overnight. No boats sighted. We have settled into our watches (feeling well rested) and all is well.] At: 06:00(FJT) 11-Aug-2019, Outside Temp: 24.2C (75.56F), Humidity:88%, Water Temp: 27C (80.6F), Course: 230(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.1kt, Wind:9Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:0%, Pressure: 1015hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:WSE) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 41º 53.238' S | 174º 13.602' E | Begonia | Day 3 of New Zealand Passage From:Te Ana Marina (Lyttelton), South Island To:Port Underwood, Marlborough, South Island
Progress: [So far we've made [222.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [43]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [113.3]nm (through water). We have moved [72.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [By 11pm yesterday the wind had died completely and we've been motoring since (a bit of a NZ theme!).] General Comments: [We had several dolphin visits yesterday - most likely from groups of Dusky dolphins. On Kyle's watch he had them leaping from the water (no photos). On mine it was nighttime but with a full moon so another impressive display. This more than made up for the motoring! It was an odd day with patches of dense fog (with wind), and some rather dramatic low clouds on the coastal mountains in some otherwise crisp light - spectacular.]] At: 06:00(NZDT) 23-Mar-2019, Outside Temp: 14.9C (58.82F), Humidity:91%, Water Temp: 15.4C (59.72F)Course: 24(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.7kt, Wind:1Kt(from:W), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1025hPa, Swell:1m (to:W) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 41º 5.358' S | 174º 14.382' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Ship Cove, Queen Charlotte Sound, South Island
From: Burney's Beach, East Bay, Queen Charlotte Sound, South Island To: Ship Cove, Queen Charlotte Sound, South Island We travelled [6.5]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [5.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Motored over to a bay with North Wind protection. Again we find the chart depths are wildly different (shallower) from depths found (much deeper) - so finding a good anchor spot was problematic.] General Comments: [This is (yet another) bay where Cook and the Endevour spent some time. Today is glorious and sunny and we hope to go ashore for a short hike (up hill) and stretch our legs.] At: 12:56(NZDT) 30-Mar-2019, Outside Temp: 26.2C (79.16F), Humidity:55%, Water Temp: 17.3C (63.14F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 35º 13.638' S | 174º 15.372' E | Begonia | "At Anchor at Oruruhoe Bay (by Tawiriwiri Island)
From: Matauwi Bay, Bay of Islands (near Russell) To: Oruruhoe Bay (by Tawiriwiri Island) We travelled [8.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [7.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Sailed against the slight current with just the jib (we were in no rush) to this very picturesque anchorage.] General Comments: [After a lovely sunny day exploring Russell yesterday, today we have moved the boat towards the Bay of Islands exit, positioning ourselves for a the journey to the South in the morning. Today is drizzly and overcast. We are surrounded by tiny islands covered in oysters at low tide, and topped with lots of green - quite the Maine (USA) vibe here.] At: 11:50(NZDT) 19-Nov-2018, Outside Temp: 20C (68F), Humidity:60%, Water Temp: 27.2C (80.96F) | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 41º 10.578' S | 174º 17.31' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Burney's Beach, East Bay, Queen Charlotte Sound, South Island
From: Lochmara Bay, Queen Charlotte Sound, Marlborough, South Island To: Burney's Beach, East Bay, Queen Charlotte Sound, South Island We travelled [17.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [13.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Motored and tried for several bays - each time we gave up since the only places to anchor were where yacht club mooring balls were placed, leaving us to anchor in water so deep that the scope we'd need would conflict with the moorings anyways Ugh We sure wish there was an easy way to pay/join for short term visitors (especially since we are in the off season and all these mooring balls are sitting empty).] General Comments: [We had a very windy and rainy day at Lochmara (indeed the whole of the South Island of NZ suffered terribly from major flooding damage). We had lots of gusts in the mid-30's and a few in the mid-40s (kt). Glad that is over! The plan for today is to consider jumping in the water and cleaning the hull a little of the slime that is accumulating - if we pull out the wetsuits, we may as well go for a snorkel I guess! We also need to do some fixes to our jib sun cover before our next passage - which means we'll have to remove the sail and get out our sewing machine. Thankfully the sun is shining!] At: 10:16(NZDT) 28-Mar-2019, Outside Temp: 17.6C (63.68F), Humidity:67%, Water Temp: 16.3C (61.34F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 35º 15.06' S | 174º 17.772' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Whangamumu Harbour
From: Oruruhoe Bay (by Tawiriwiri Island) To: Whangamumu Harbour We travelled [10.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [2.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Sailed with just the jib around Cape Brett to the outer coastline. Mild seas, easy sail. No other boats (at least not yet) we are anchored in 4-6m.] General Comments: [We exited the main bay and headed seaward, In a long loop that took us just 2.5 miles from where we started (as the crow flies). We are now anchored in Whangamumu Harbour which is very protected, has no roads (just a hiking trail out to cape Brett) and is the site of an old whaling station. Rain is forecast but we had an early start and hope to get ashore to explore.] At: 09:36(NZDT) 20-Nov-2018, Outside Temp: 19.7C (67.46F), Humidity:49%, Water Temp: 24.8C (76.64F) | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 35º 43.488' S | 174º 19.638' E | Begonia | Destination: Puerto Montt
From: Whangarei (Norsand Boat Yard) To: Whangarei Marina (Town Basin) We travelled [2.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [After leaving Norsand, we took a short break when we realized the stbd engine exhaust had stopped splashing out water - the test OK we did on launch must have been residual water - Kyle fixed that, then we had the town bridge open to let us into the town basin and Whangarei Marina. The flowers are blooming, the sun is out.. Lovely. We are at a dock (so we can easily provision for Chile)] General Comments: [We are neighbours of Jadean (a boat we first met in the Marquesas) and they met us to help tie lines. The sun is shining, we are so looking forward to tourist mode.] At: 15:00(NZDT) 08-Dec-2017, Outside Temp: 25C (77F), Humidity:46%, Water Temp: 33C (91.4F) | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 35º 43.5' S | 174º 19.65' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Whangarei Town Basin Marina
From: Norsand Boat Yard (Launched into slipway) To: Whangarei Town Basin Marina We travelled [1.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Easy motor in light winds, whangarei bridge open on demand - tied to the catamaran dock] General Comments: [Yes - we are free of the yard (hopefully for at least a year, Kyle hints at years) - now the fun can begin.] At: 09:16(NZDT) 07-Dec-2018, Outside Temp: 19.2C (66.56F), Humidity:64%, Water Temp: 28.7C (83.66F) | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 35º 43.512' S | 174º 19.662' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Whangarei Town Basin Marina
From: Outside Norsand Boatyard, Whangarei To: Whangarei Town Basin Marina We travelled [1.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [A short hop up river to the marina (on the dock)] General Comments: [We made it to the marina and were instantly welcomed by a host of boats we've met on our travels. Forecast is for a rainy weekend - but since everything is so easy to get to, we are not so worried. A time for a break before the chaos of the haul out.] At: 10:00(NZDT) 24-Nov-2018, Outside Temp: 21C (69.8F), Humidity:83%, Water Temp: 28.7C (83.66F) | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 35º 44.382' S | 174º 20.838' E | Begonia | From: Whangarei (New Zealand)
To: Whangarei (Norsand Boat Yard) We travelled [0.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [8.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [On the hard in Norsand Boat Yard for some anti-foul painting and general odds] General Comments: [Haul out at high tide, they drive a trailer into the water for us to drive into, with line handlers to assist.. Once sefely in the the trailer, it's lifted to take the weight and then we are picked up and moved to shore in a little row boat. Next the boat is hauled up the ramp with the tractor and its moved dexterously around the yard to our new home on the hard!] At: 18:00(NZDT) 14-Nov-2017, Outside Temp: 24.8C (76.64F), Humidity:45% | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 35º 44.418' S | 174º 20.958' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Outside Norsand Boatyard, Whangarei
From: Pacific Bay (Tutukaka Habour) To: Outside Norsand Boatyard, Whangarei We travelled [29.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [11.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [A mixed day of slow sailing and a bit of motoring once we hit the skinny channel (at least for parts of it). Currently anchored in 2.5-5m of good mud (with several others) - just outside Norsand Boat Yard] General Comments: [We had a beautiful sunny day, and blue skies to round Bream Head and enter the Whangarei basin. We're all set to go through the bridge and into the Marina in the morning for a weekend of fun before we hit the yard!] At: 17:08(NZDT) 23-Nov-2018, Outside Temp: 22.8C (73.04F), Humidity:55%, Water Temp: 28.2C (82.76F) | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 35º 23.232' S | 174º 20.958' E | Begonia | Destination: Whangarei
At Anchor at Oakura Bay (off Whangaruru Harbour), Northland, New Zealand From: Whangamumu Harbour To: Oakura Bay (off Whangaruru Harbour), Northland, New Zealand We travelled [11.9]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [8.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Sailed south, and anchored in 4-7m of good sand.] General Comments: [Kyle declared another early start today in an attempt to beat the rain (I'm not a fan of anchoring in the rain). We're nestled near the sandy cove with a line of very different homes just up from the shore (holiday homes?), a backdrop of rolling hills and with little rocky islands all around us. Yesterday at anchor we even had a hailstorm (thankfully after our explore ashore) - we are certainly being reminded that we are no longer in the tropics. The cockpit enclosure and cabin heating are appreciated aboard and hats, scarfs and socks are out!] At: 09:44(NZDT) 21-Nov-2018, Outside Temp: 16.1C (60.98F), Humidity:67%, Water Temp: 24.3C (75.74F) | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 35º 44.07' S | 174º 21.018' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Outside Norsand Boatyard, Whangarei
From: Whangarei Town Basin Marina To: Outside Norsand Boatyard, Whangarei We travelled [0.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [A short hop back to Norsand in preparation for our haul out tomorrow. Anchored in 2-4m of good mud] General Comments: [Another opening and passage through the destinctive Whangarei bridge. We've moved now and can start preparing for the haul out - fun very shortly about to end (for a short while) - yard work never fun - but we already know a bunch of other boaters that will be there and have beers arranged :-)] At: 11:28(NZDT) 26-Nov-2018, Outside Temp: 23.3C (73.94F), Humidity:56%, Water Temp: 29.7C (85.46F) | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 35º 44.688' S | 174º 21.018' E | Begonia | From: Whangarei Marina (Town Basin)
To: Hatea River (by green marker K29) We travelled [2.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.5m - good mud holding] General Comments: [Taking a day out, some last minute sewing and catch up projects, and internet time (waiting out the rain) before heading south for Kyle's birthday celebrations and clearance] At: 06:44(NZDT) 14-Dec-2017, Outside Temp: 17.7C (63.86F), Humidity:74%, Water Temp: 31.6C (88.88F) | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 34º 52.35' S | 174º 27.138' E | Begonia | Day 7 of Pacific Ocean Passage from N Minerva Reef Pass to Whangarei (New Zealand)
Progress: [So far we've made [782.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [65]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [159.0]nm (through water). We have moved [165.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [We've been racing south to try and beat a messy weather system - we made it and are now south of the NZ north capes (although still have strong winds and big seas). We should arrive at Whangarei later this evening and we are hoping that customs will let us sleep but we're not yet sure of the procedure.] General Comments: [VHF traffic is now regular (mostly weather reports), and other boats are visible on AIS (but still not in sight). It's been a miserable night, windy, big seas and heavy rain, but all seems fine now that arrival is near.] At: 06:00(NZDT) 08-Nov-2017, Outside Temp: 19.2C (66.56F), Humidity:89%, Water Temp: 23.4C (74.12F) Course: 170(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.7kt, Wind:21Kt(from:NNW), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1008hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:S) | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 35º 50.298' S | 174º 28.122' E | Begonia | From: Hatea River (by green marker K29)
To: Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) We travelled [8.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [8.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Back at Marsden Cove Marina for one night] General Comments: [Moved for final departure items, and will celebrate Kyle's 50th here (he wants pizza!). Departure for Chile tomorrow after officialdom completed.] At: 12:19(NZDT) 15-Dec-2017, Outside Temp: 24.5C (76.1F), Humidity:45%, Water Temp: 31C (87.8F) | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 35º 50.208' S | 174º 28.128' E | Begonia | Destination: Whangarei | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 35º 50.208' S | 174º 28.128' E | Begonia | Destination: Barcelona | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 35º 50.208' S | 174º 28.128' E | Begonia | Day 7 of Pacific Ocean Passage from N Minerva Reef Pass to Whangarei (New Zealand)
ARRIVED! Progress: [So far we've made [874.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [91.8]nm (through water). We have moved [57.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Arrived at secure customs dock.. We arrived just before midnight and (as far as we can tell) customs will be here at 8am? Hopefully we can get some sleep between now and then.] General Comments: [It is COLD! 14C (57F) here - time for the heating - yes, I know it is midnight but we are SO not used to this kind of temperature. We are so glad to finally be in NZ - the sail along the coast was beautiful with the mountains silhouetted in the sunset.] At: 23:46(NZDT) 08-Nov-2017, Outside Temp: 14.1C (57.38F), Humidity:65%, Water Temp: 22.4C (72.32F) | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 32º 7.368' S | 174º 30.162' E | Begonia | Day 6 of Pacific Ocean Passage from N Minerva Reef Pass to Whangarei (New Zealand)
Progress: [So far we've made [623.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [285]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [108.4]nm (through water). We have moved [102.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions: [We spent a long time yesterday doing no more than 1 or 2 kts (and even then not in the right direction) - but finally the wind filled in and we are moving again. ] General Comments: [The temperatures (air and water) continue to drop and we are feeling the cold (my UK training is all lost). As we add clothes we are both fully aware (and without care) that we are not adding style - the 'airport pants' and hoodies are out and in use.] At: 06:00(NZDT) 07-Nov-2017, Outside Temp: 18.1C (64.58F), Humidity:75%, Water Temp: 25.3C (77.54F) Course: 208(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.4kt, Wind:13Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:95%, Pressure: 1015hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:NW) | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 35º 50.688' S | 174º 31.908' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Urquhart Bay (Whangarei Harbour)
From: Whangarei Town Basin Marina To: Urquhart Bay (Whangarei Harbour) We travelled [9.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [12.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 11m just outside mooring field. Gusty sail with lots of headwind, we sailed with just a reefed jib (since we have our Christmas lights up, and we didn't want to take the all down to sail)] General Comments: [Strong/gusty wind - hoping for calms so we can go ashore tomorrow - a beautiful little bay that we've never visited by boat before. ] At: 13:58(NZDT) 10-Dec-2018, Outside Temp: 20.6C (69.08F), Humidity:66%, Water Temp: 28.7C (83.66F) | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 35º 36.972' S | 174º 32.1' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Pacific Bay (Tutukaka Habour)
From: Oakura Bay (off Whangaruru Harbour), Northland, New Zealand To: Pacific Bay (Tutukaka Habour) We travelled [18.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [16.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [We had a nice fast sail south, and are now anchored on the edge of the mooring field] General Comments: [The sail south was a mix of bright blue skies and overcast grey. We had several instances of the sea bursting into a boil with a mess of fish - who knows what was going on down there. Kyle insists it is Thanksgiving Day today (this side of the date line) and as such Potato Soup is on the menu (otherwise I'd have been fishing for sure!).] At: 11:34(NZDT) 22-Nov-2018, Outside Temp: 21.5C (70.7F), Humidity:58%, Water Temp: 24.8C (76.64F) | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 35º 53.532' S | 174º 44.508' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Hen and Chicken Islands (Boulder Bay: between Lady Alice and Whatupuke Islands)
From: Urquhart Bay (Whangarei Harbour) To: Hen and Chicken Islands (Boulder Bay: between Lady Alice and Whatupuke Islands) We travelled [12.4]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [10.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Very light winds meant a day motoring across to these Scenic Reserve Islands. We saw so few boats it is crazy! Anchored on a rather rocky bottom in 5-7m)] General Comments: [We had a fantastic time at Urquhart, exploring ashore (seeing various beautiful flowers, trees, and birds, and getting some altitude exercise!). We were anchored alongside the resident Roger Henry (of Alvah Simon's - North to the Night - fame)] At: 14:34(NZDT) 12-Dec-2018, Outside Temp: 22.8C (73.04F), Humidity:66%, Water Temp: 20.2C (68.36F) | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 36º 38.562' S | 174º 45.162' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Arles Bay (Whangaparaoa Peninsula)
From: Okoromai Bay (Whangaparaoa Peninsula) To: Arles Bay (Whangaparaoa Peninsula) We travelled [2.5]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [3.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [At anchor in 4-8m, only one other boat here, expecting winds to be more northerly during our stay.] General Comments: [At Okoromai Bay we had a day of sunshine and managed to explore Shakespear Park (yes, Shakespear without the last 'e'), and a day of heavy rain hunkered down and catching up with photos, blog, Christmas, etc. Kyle is 90% recovered regarding his back. Already the Auckland Marinas are full which is messing with our NYE plans (oh well). We suddenly seem busy again and appreciated the rain time to catch up.] At: 12:50(NZDT) 21-Dec-2018, Outside Temp: 21C (69.8F), Humidity:66%, Water Temp: 22.7C (72.86F) | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 36º 50.568' S | 174º 45.642' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Viaduct Basin Marina (Central Auckland)
From: Takutairaroa Bay (Motuihe Island) To: Viaduct Basin Marina (Central Auckland) We travelled [10.4]nm (GPS) on this trip. We have moved [9.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [A choppy motor sail south into Auckland. Marina is in a great location (no facilities) and requires lifting of a pedestrian bridge to enter/exit. Pretty cool!] General Comments: [We're here for New Years Eve and very excited. Kyle is still struggling with his back, but this marina makes getting about easy.] At: 11:34(NZDT) 28-Dec-2018, Outside Temp: 24.6C (76.28F), Humidity:50%, Water Temp: 21.7C (71.06F) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 41º 17.328' S | 174º 46.998' E | Begonia | Safely at Doc at Chaffers Marina, Wellington, NZ Passage Complete.
Day 3 of New Zealand Passage From:Napier (Hawke's Bay), North Island To:Chaffers Marina, Wellington, NZ Progress: [So far we've made [260.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [124.6]nm (through water). We have moved [77.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [We motor sailed all yesterday (with occasional attempts to just sail) - but there are Gale and Storm force winds arriving - and we needed to keep moving. We made it - safely at the marina.] General Comments: [Arrived early - just after daylight to a busy Wellington harbour (tug boats, cruise ship, and ferries - not surprising no other sailboats out there!) - we can now rest and prepare for exploring. The dock was a little complex - missing a cleat and a bit narrow in the wind - but Kyle made it look easy and I was able to jump down to the dock first time to secure lines. No witnesses... LOL.] At: 06:22(NZDT) 19-Jan-2019, Outside Temp: 18.1C (64.58F), Humidity:87%, Water Temp: 18.3C (64.94F) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 36º 37.08' S | 174º 48.468' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Okoromai Bay (Whangaparaoa Peninsula)
From: Tiritiri Matangi Island (Hobbs Beach) To: Okoromai Bay (Whangaparaoa Peninsula) We travelled [4.3]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [3.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 3.5-5.5m Of mud/sand, tucked in behind high cliffs and expensive looking houses - but with a sneak view of Sky Tower in the far distance.] General Comments: [We had a fantastic sunny day ashore at Tiritiri Magangi Island. Blue sky, lots of birds, and stunning displays of the coastline dotted with the the New Zealand Christmas Tree (the Pohutukawa tree which has a stunning red floral display this time of year). We'd have liked to have spent longer, but moved on since there are unfavorable winds forecast.] At: 17:12(NZDT) 18-Dec-2018, Outside Temp: 25.6C (78.08F), Humidity:53%, Water Temp: 24.6C (76.28F) | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 36º 26.46' S | 174º 50.382' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Kawau Island (Bon Accord Harbour)
From: Hen and Chicken Islands (Boulder Bay: between Lady Alice and Whatupuke Islands) To: Kawau Island (Bon Accord Harbour) We travelled [30.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [33.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 5-7m of good sand, close to Smelting Cove and Kawau Island Boating Club)] General Comments: [A nice sail with the ""new"" spinnaker. Dolphins passed all around us at one point (with no care to stop). No rain so plenty of time to enjoy the views. Unfortunately Kyle's back has gone out in a big way - so he's suddenly an invalid (normally takes 3 days to pass), so I'm not sure how much of this stop we'll get to enjo.] At: 18:26(NZDT) 13-Dec-2018, Outside Temp: 20.5C (68.9F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 22.2C (71.96F) | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 35º 2.772' S | 174º 51.27' E | Begonia | Day 2 of South Pacific Passage From:Opua, New Zealand To:Neiafu, Vava'u, Tonga
Progress: [So far we've made [68.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [1159]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [68.2]nm (through water). We have moved [39.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [A mostly slow, mostly upwind sail so far - no chance of any records being broken.] General Comments: [We departed the Bay of Islands with a farewell from the local dolphins. We had Cape Brett in view for some time as we (slowly) sailed away - Farewell New Zealand. Little boat traffic, but we were passed by MUSE, which is also headed for Tonga. The last sliver of a moon overnight, along with clear skies made for a dramatic display of the stars, and the ribbon of the milky way - a beautiful night for star gazing.] At: 06:00(NZST) 04-May-2019, Outside Temp: 17.5C (63.5F), Humidity:72%, Water Temp: 20.7C (69.26F)Course: 139(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.1kt, Wind:5Kt(from:ENE), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1027hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:W) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 36º 36.18' S | 174º 53.07' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Tiritiri Matangi Island (Hobbs Beach)
From: Kawau Island (Bon Accord Harbour) To: Tiritiri Matangi Island (Hobbs Beach) We travelled [12.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [10.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [At anchor in nice sandy cove (3.5-5.5m) Just off Hobbs Beach. Thanks to a nice clear day, we have a distant view (maybe 16nm away) of the Auckland Skyline and Sky Tower (tallest building in Southern Hemisphere)] General Comments: [Our last anchorage (on Kawau Island) was mostly spent with Kyle recovering from a bad back while celebrating his birthday. Thankfully we were rescued from going completely cabin crazy with a visit from our good boating friends Lyndon and Dave - who also brought us fresh Scallops for today's lunch. With the expectation that Kyle will be mobile enough to go ashore tomorrow, we've moved on to Tiritiri and hope for some walking and bird spotting ashore. The island name (Tiritiri Matangi) means 'tossed by the wind' and we are hoping this doesn't apply during our time here.] At: 16:38(NZDT) 17-Dec-2018, Outside Temp: 23.7C (74.66F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 22.7C (72.86F) | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 34º 42.912' S | 174º 55.98' E | Begonia | Day 8 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:South Minerva Reef To:Opua Harbour, New Zealand
Progress: [So far we've made [762.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [56]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [111.9]nm (through water). We have moved [114.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Finally a whole 24 hours of sailing AND moving (not motoring). Seas are fiine, but overcast all day.] General Comments: [It looks obvious we'll be there today (possibly even before Sunset). Yesterday, around 4pm, we passed quite the milestone - 8766 hours of being underway aboard Begonia - that is over a year of sailing since we purchased her in June 2012. On the VHF Radio we've been receiving (weak) weather notices from the NZ stations. While the colder weather is an unpleasant shock, the longer days are already being appreciated.] At: 06:00(NZDT) 12-Nov-2018, Outside Temp: 16.9C (62.42F), Humidity:75%, Water Temp: 25.3C (77.54F)Course: 236(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.3kt, Wind:13Kt(from:SSE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1024hPa, Swell:1m (to:N) | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 36º 48.282' S | 174º 56.802' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Takutairaroa Bay (Motuihe Island)
From: Huruhi Bay (Waiheke Island) To: Takutairaroa Bay (Motuihe Island) We travelled [5.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [3.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [A very windy motor to a much more protected anchorage (from the SW winds) after a bouncy Christmas night. On departing today we lifed a very tangled lump of chain (the bight between boat and bridle). Anchored in 6m of sand/mud. ] General Comments: [Kyle continues to suffer and very slowly make progress with his back, so Christmas day (yesterday) was a stress free couch day.] At: 13:50(NZDT) 26-Dec-2018, Outside Temp: 20.5C (68.9F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 20.7C (69.26F) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 36º 47.94' S | 175º 1.272' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Huruhi Bay (Waiheke Island)
From: Arles Bay (Whangaparaoa Peninsula) To: Huruhi Bay (Waiheke Island) We travelled [29.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [16.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Upwind sailing and against a current much of the way, doused in drizzle with rain forecast until after Christmas. Anchored in 3m (avoiding power cable)] General Comments: [A rather miserable day for sightseeing as we tacked across to Waiheke in near constant rain. We'll hunker down here out of the hussle until after Christmas. Kyle's back is worse so the rest time will be good.] At: 13:16(NZDT) 23-Dec-2018, Outside Temp: 20C (68F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 21.2C (70.16F) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 36º 47.322' S | 175º 9.468' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Man o' War Bay (Waiheke Island)
From: Viaduct Harbour Marina (Central Auckland) To: Man o' War Bay (Waiheke Island) We travelled [22.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [19.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in a busy new year crowd of boats - in 6m. A fair, light-wind sail ] General Comments: [We had a lovely few days in Auckland (Viaduct Harbour Marina), and our dock had a prime view of both the fireworks atop Sky Tower and the light show on the Auckland Harbour Bridge - perfect for New Year's eve] At: 13:02(NZDT) 01-Jan-2018, Outside Temp: 25.1C (77.18F), Humidity:95%, Water Temp: 21.7C (71.06F) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 36º 14.958' S | 175º 23.562' E | Begonia | At Anchor at Graveyard Bay, Whangaparapara (Great Barrier Island)
From: Man o' War Bay (Waiheke Island) To: Graveyard Bay, Whangaparapara (Great Barrier Island) We travelled [33.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [34.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [A wonderful sail across. Anchorage is the only one nearby protected from the forecast winds, and is a bit small/busy but we made it. Anchored in 14m.] General Comments: [We had a lovely sail over (after a very early start). We arrived only just ahead of Dave on Parera so we have good company for our stay!] At: 13:54(NZDT) 03-Jan-2019, Outside Temp: 24.8C (76.64F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 23.1C (73.58F) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 30º 49.332' S | 175º 48.63' E | Begonia | Day 5 of Pacific Ocean Passage from N Minerva Reef Pass to Whangarei (New Zealand)
Progress: [So far we've made [515.6]nm (through water) on this passage and have [386]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [71.9]nm (through water). We have moved [75.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [The forecast light winds have arrived which has really slowed our progress.] General Comments: [Oh, a 282' tanker just appeared on our AIS (but over the horizon, so out of view) - our first sign of life outside Begonia] At: 06:00(NZDT) 06-Nov-2017, Outside Temp: 20.2C (68.36F), Humidity:87%, Water Temp: 24.8C (76.64F) Course: 212(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.9kt, Wind:6Kt(from:NNW), Cloud Cover:98%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:1m (to:SW) | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 35º 14.55' S | 175º 52.38' E | Begonia | Day 2 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [79.6]nm (through water) on this passage and have [5407]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [79.6]nm (through water). We have moved [77.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Seas are very calm, and we're sailing downwind. Aiming to climb NE to avoid some rather strong winds forecast later.] General Comments: [After an early call, we were able to clear out of NZ ahead of our initial appointment time (and actually got the time we originally wanted). We left Marsden and NZ on a beautiful sunny day. Kyle continued to celebrate his 50th Birthday at sea (more chocolate cake), it will certainly be a memorable one.] At: 06:00(AKST) 16-Dec-2017, Outside Temp: 19.9C (67.82F), Humidity:80%, Water Temp: 27.7C (81.86F) Course: 54(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.5kt, Wind:12Kt(from:SW), Cloud Cover:15%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:W) | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 35º 17.94' S | 175º 59.778' E | Begonia | Day 3 of South Pacific Passage From:Opua, New Zealand To:Neiafu, Vava'u, Tonga
Progress: [So far we've made [181.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [1139]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [112.8]nm (through water). We have moved [58.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [All the last 24 hours have been spent tacking east - with very slow easterly progress and even slower progress to our destination. We are finally done with getting East and heading Northerly again - so progress to our goal should actually begin to show from now.] General Comments: [Sunny weather, and wind increased too (great for the batteries). No moon last night so more great star gazing (Kyle especially enjoying the Magellenic clouds which Kyle warns will hit us in 2 billion years - watch out!] At: 06:00(NZST) 05-May-2019, Outside Temp: 18C (64.4F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 21.2C (70.16F), Course: 350(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.7kt, Wind:7Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:80%, Pressure: 1026hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:SW) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 18º 31.14' S | 176º 16.338' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of South Pacific Passage From:Denarau Marina Moorings, off Viti Levu Island, Fiji To:Port Resoultion, Tanna Island, Vanuatu. Our position: -18.5190, 176.2724 Progress: [We've made [117.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [389]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [117.8]nm (through water). We have moved [77.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Leaving the Reef of Viti Levu we had light headwinds and flat seas. We needed to tack quite a bit before we finally reached the pass. Since then we've been on the same tack as the wind slowly starts to back (we're currently at 85 degrees apparent). We expect the wind to continue to back throughout the remaining passage.] General Comments: [In the most recent moving about the marina we finally reached 10,000 hours of sailing with Begonia. That works out to 416 days (and change) of constant sailing, of course we didn't sail all that time - but our travels with Begonia began on 11-June-2012 (2612 days ago)- so that averages to about 3 hours and 49 minutes a day since we've owned the boat... I think we're getting our monies worth from this boat ownership. Back to this passage: We've had mostly clear skies overnight (great for star gazing), and as the clouds start to extend we had a nice sunrise this morning. There were a few Chinese fishing boats around overnight, but otherwise we've had nothing to concern us since we left the pass. Based on Radio chatter, we know of at least 3 other sailboats that left Fiji yesterday bound for Vanuatu although they are all ahead of us.] At: 06:00(FJT) 10-Aug-2019, Outside Temp: 25C (77F), Humidity:85%, Water Temp: 29C (84.2F), Course: 235(degT), Speed Over Ground:8.3kt, Wind:12Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:35%, Pressure: 1017hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:NW) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 40º 53.61' S | 176º 25.11' E | Begonia | Day 2 of New Zealand Passage From:Napier (Hawke's Bay), North Island To:Chaffers Marina, Wellington, NZ
Progress: [So far we've made [135.4]nm (through water) on this passage and have [109]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [124.2]nm (through water). We have moved [85.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Once out of the main bay we had head winds and big, choppy seas to bash into. By early evening we had mirror calm seas and have been motoring (motor-sailing) on and off ever since. This is not ideal 'sailing' conditions but our only weather window to head south.] General Comments: [We continue to find it amazing how few other sail boats we see (aside from within the marinas) now we've left the Auckland area. We see 2-3 cargo ships a day, and no sailboats daily. We installed the enclosure on the boat before departing Napier and this has been appreciated and kept us dryer and warmer than we would have been without it.. Summer doesn't seem to have quite reached this area and we have further south to go (probably why there are not so many boats around). We might try fishing again today!] At: 06:00(NZDT) 18-Jan-2019, Outside Temp: 17.1C (62.78F), Humidity:86%, Water Temp: 18.8C (65.84F)Course: 212(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.2kt, Wind:3Kt(from:NNW), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1009hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:SW) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 29º 46.32' S | 176º 36.048' E | Begonia | Day 4 of Pacific Ocean Passage from N Minerva Reef Pass to Whangarei (New Zealand)
Progress: [So far we've made [443.7]nm (through water) on this passage and have [462]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [135.8]nm (through water). We have moved [126.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [We've the spinnaker up since yesterday afternoon, our pace as slowed but the wind remains decent. Forecasts suggest this wind will soon (probably this afternoon) drop and turn against us, but we'll keep on as best we can. Temperatures continue to drop and we now wear layers and make use of the quilt/comforter at night.] General Comments: [We continue to see no signs of anyone else on this passage. No ships, boats or planes, no trash, nothing. We know other traffic MUST be out here, but it is not crossing our path. The occasional bird and flying fish is all we see.] At: 06:00(NZDT) 05-Nov-2017, Outside Temp: 26.8C (80.24F), Humidity:82%, Water Temp: 26.8C (80.24F) Course: 212(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.5kt, Wind:9Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:10%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:2m (to:SW) | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 33º 34.872' S | 176º 47.022' E | Begonia | Day 7 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:South Minerva Reef To:Opua Harbour, New Zealand
Progress: [So far we've made [651.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [171]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [83.3]nm (through water). We have moved [92.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Another day of light winds, and a mixture of slow sailing and later motoring. I'm not sure if Kyle is glad to have missed a rough passage (which is more the norm) or so very frustrated that there is not more wind. Either way his favourite phrase is 'stupid wind'.] General Comments: [Kyle spotted two whales in the distance yesterday (behind us), but otherwise we were quite uneventful. Our wind meter remains turned off and when not motoring we continue to have power issues interfering with our Chartplotter and autopilot - it keeps us alert!] At: 06:00(NZDT) 11-Nov-2018, Outside Temp: 18C (64.4F), Humidity:83%, Water Temp: 27C (80.6F)Course: 191(degT), Speed Over Ground:0.7kt, Wind:3Kt(from:NW), Cloud Cover:20%, Pressure: 1022hPa, Swell:1m (to:N) | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 39º 29.01' S | 176º 53.46' E | Begonia | Destination: Wellington
Safely at Anchor at Napier Sailing Club Passage Complete. Day 2 of New Zealand Passage From:Hicks Bay, Gisborne District To:Napier Sailing Club Progress: [So far we've made [195.4]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [56.1]nm (through water). We have moved [51.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Mixed wind for most of the day - we've had spinnaker and various sail combinations on the go. Finally motored for the last 2 hours to be sure we arrive in daylight and have time to explore] General Comments: [The day started with an actual fish caught (and secured, and eaten). Another Albacore Tuna. We had Ceviche for lunch and tuna steaks with salad for dinner. Timmy was delicious! We've made it to Napier (famous for its Art Deco) and plan to spend a few days to explore the town and local area.] At: 18:44(NZDT) 10-Jan-2019, Outside Temp: 27.6C (81.68F), Humidity:55%, Water Temp: 27C (80.6F) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 17º 27.54' S | 177º 2.718' E | Begonia |
At Vanua Levu/Navadra Islands, Sacred Islands, Fiji (South Pacific). Our position: -17.4590, 177.0454 Sail From: Nalauwaki Bay, Waya Island, Yasawa Group, Fiji To: Vanua Levu/Navadra Islands, Sacred Islands, Fiji We travelled [16.5]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [11.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Motored on another calm day, anchored in indent in reef (alongside Sea Angel)] General Comments: [We left Waya in drizzle and gray skies and slowly the weather changed to bright sunshine. As we continued down the island chain there were more dramatic peaks to sail by. We've arrived at the 'Sacred Islands' which are uninhabited and we'll explore - but it is HOT and humid - thankfully the water is close by.] At: 13:16(FJT) 31-Jul-2019, Outside Temp: 32.3C (90.14F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 30.9C (87.62F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 32º 3.72' S | 177º 3.078' E | Begonia | Day 6 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:South Minerva Reef To:Opua Harbour, New Zealand
Progress: [So far we've made [567.8]nm (through water) on this passage and have [246]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [107.7]nm (through water). We have moved [112.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Light winds and motoring for much of yesterday evening (poor Kyle), currently sailing with the Spinnaker, gentle seas again] General Comments: [The NZ airforce plane ORION was in radio distance yesterday - we didn't see it but we heard it call several boats (but could not hear their replies). Our HAM radio is working on the informal Net, but very weak - this time in NZ we really need to get it fixed!] At: 06:00(NZDT) 10-Nov-2018, Outside Temp: 18.7C (65.66F), Humidity:83%, Water Temp: 27.7C (81.86F)Course: 181(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.8kt, Wind:5Kt(from:NW), Cloud Cover:50%, Pressure: 1019hPa, Swell:1m (to:S) | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 33º 33.438' S | 177º 3.27' E | Begonia | Day 3 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [209.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [5326]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [129.9]nm (through water). We have moved [116.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Yesterdays winds pushed us more North than we were planning, and the forecast has us changing the route yet more which for now adds miles to the expected route (the further north we go the longer the journey due to the shape of the Earth/ball). We are at least heading roughly East for now.] General Comments: [Seas remained calm, but winds clocked in all directions yesterday so that kept us busy. Sky was mostly overcast so the solar panels are not being put to work and wind a little too light most of the time for the wind generator. We had an albatross visit for over an hour swooping around the boat and skimming the water. Kyle's taking the brunt of the night watch currently, but he's enjoying the star gazing. (As we head further East, and we keep the same boat time, that will change).] At: 06:00(AKST) 17-Dec-2017, Outside Temp: 18.1C (64.58F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 26.8C (80.24F) Course: 64(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.5kt, Wind:7Kt(from:SSE), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:W) | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 33º 29.79' S | 177º 4.62' E | Begonia | Day 4 of South Pacific Passage From:Opua, New Zealand To:Neiafu, Vava'u, Tonga
Progress: [So far we've made [308.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [1020]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [127.9]nm (through water). We have moved [120.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [The ocean is definitely rougher in this last 24 hours. We sail with a couple of reefs, and occasionally the wind lulls to 5-8kt for 20 minutes or more, only to shoot back up to 20+kt for no obvious reason - so our passage has seen some variable speeds especially overnight, and we delay any unreefing more than normal.] General Comments: [Neither of us feel quite used to our watches. It is chilly out here also - so getting out of a warm bed when still sleepy is a struggle. Kyle was hoping to see some of the 'Eta Aquarids' Meteor Shower last night - but it was too cloudy (maybe tonight?).] At: 06:00(NZST) 06-May-2019, Outside Temp: 18.5C (65.3F), Humidity:81%, Water Temp: 21.2C (70.16F), Course: 41(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.5kt, Wind:11Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:85%, Pressure: 1025hPa, Swell:2m (to:W) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 39º 33.582' S | 177º 4.62' E | Begonia | Day 1 of New Zealand Passage From:Chaffers Marina, Wellington, NZ To:Chaffers Marina, Wellington, NZ
Progress: [So far we've made [11.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [199]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [11.23]nm (through water). We have moved [9.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Sailing SE to get past Cape Kidnappers. Seas are a bit mixed and washing machine like, but we're on our way.] General Comments: [A very early start (just before 4am) to be sure (hope) we arrive in Wellington before the strong winds arrive later on Saturday. In Napier we installed a new autopilot sensor and our autopilot is working well again.. We pick spares for the wind instrument in Wellington once we arrive.] At: 06:00(NZDT) 17-Jan-2019, Outside Temp: 17.9C (64.22F), Humidity:89%, Water Temp: 20.2C (68.36F)Course: 134(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.3kt, Wind:10Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:80%, Pressure: 1008hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:NW) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 17º 40.788' S | 177º 6.738' E | Begonia |
At Mana Island, Mamanuca Group, Fiji (South Pacific). Our position: -17.6798, 177.1123 Sail From: Vanua Levu/Navadra Islands, Sacred Islands, Fiji To: Mana Island, Mamanuca Group, Fiji We travelled [41.5]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [13.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Rough and windy seas to start (ugh) but we managed to sail/tack until the pass into the lagoon. Anchored in 11m, with reef close by (very close)] General Comments: [Despite the conditions, it seems most boats are headed towards the main ports for departing Fiji (as are we, slowly). On this passage we passed close to Monuriki Island (where Cast Away was filmed) and knowing this, we'd deliberately watched the movie last night so we'd be familiar with it (we didn't stop, but we did see quite a crowd of tourists had been dropped off at the beach). There was an obvious bush fire on Malolo Island on route. (roughly where we are headed next). Good news is the the phone data signal is the best we've seen yet in Fiji (LTE). I'd planned the rest of the day for housework and accounting, but we were just called by a fellow boater who is soon to arrive in our same anchorage - plans, as always, must be flexible. ] At: 14:38(FJT) 02-Aug-2019, Outside Temp: 27.4C (81.32F), Humidity:75%, Water Temp: 29.9C (85.82F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 17º 16.428' S | 177º 7.02' E | Begonia |
At Nalauwaki Bay, Waya Island, Yasawa Group, Fiji (South Pacific). Our position: -17.2739, 177.1170 Sail From: Somosomo Bay, Naviti Island, Yasawa Group, Fiji To: Nalauwaki Bay, Waya Island, Yasawa Group, Fiji We travelled [23.6]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [14.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Calm conditions, arrived and anchored in 8m of good sand] General Comments: [We knew we'd cross paths on this passage with our good friends on Lalamanzi - once we actually crossed, all plans changed and we anchored together and are planning dinner tonight with a wahoo that they just caught. We are so happy to meet up again] At: 12:04(FJT) 30-Jul-2019, Outside Temp: 28.4C (83.12F), Humidity:82%, Water Temp: 30.9C (87.62F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 30º 11.772' S | 177º 7.152' E | Begonia | Day 5 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:South Minerva Reef To:Opua Harbour, New Zealand
Progress: [So far we've made [460.1]nm (through water) on this passage and have [344]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [162.4]nm (through water). We have moved [152.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Another day of good wind, with the swell feeling much less choppy now.] General Comments: [Air and sea temperature continue to drop daily as we head south - I guess that should be expected, but it still remains a shock. We have been listening in to the informal SSB Net daily (with fellow cruisers heading to NZ from Tonga and Minerva) - we can hear most people, but our radio isn't so good and people can rarely hear us. We are also having a host of power issues. When the fridge kicks on - the autopilot goes a little crazy - Kyle is convinced it isn't a battery issue, but it is definitely something we'll have to get fixed sooner rather than later. We ate up the last of the salad yesterday (I forgot to mention salad in our last post), and are doing well on the food front I think with that fine balance of having plenty, without having too much of anything that might be confiscated on arrival in NZ.] At: 06:00(NZDT) 09-Nov-2018, Outside Temp: 18C (64.4F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 28.2C (82.76F)Course: 165(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.7kt, Wind:8Kt(from:ENE), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1019hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:W) | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 17º 46.278' S | 177º 11.142' E | Begonia |
At Musket Cove, Malolo Lailai Island, Mamanuca Group, Fiji (South Pacific). Our position: -17.7713, 177.1857 Sail From: Mana Island, Mamanuca Group, Fiji To: Musket Cove, Malolo Lailai Island, Mamanuca Group, Fiji We travelled [9.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [6.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [A short hop in sunshine south to Musket Cove, all moorings taken so we anchored outside the pack (along with many others) in 15m depth] General Comments: [Arrived and find ourselves right next to Muse again - and they are already notifying us that freshly-baked, warm bread is ready to collect (they are so awesome!). Here we hope to actually eat out and relax a bit, while also starting to plan our departure from Fiji next week.] At: 11:10(FJT) 03-Aug-2019, Outside Temp: 28.2C (82.76F), Humidity:77%, Water Temp: 29.9C (85.82F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 17º 5.07' S | 177º 16.638' E | Begonia |
At Somosomo Bay, Naviti Island, Yasawa Group, Fiji (South Pacific). Our position: -17.0845, 177.2774 Sail From: Off Nunya Island Resort (Nunya Lailai Island), Yasawa Group, Fiji To: Somosomo Bay, Naviti Island, Yasawa Group, Fiji We travelled [12.8]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [10.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Choppy seas and a headwinds - so we motored for this short hop south. Anchored in 6m of good sandy holding] General Comments: [Long sandy beaches, and turtles to look forward to here] At: 11:56(FJT) 27-Jul-2019, Outside Temp: 25.2C (77.36F), Humidity:84%, Water Temp: 29.9C (85.82F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 16º 56.55' S | 177º 22.05' E | Begonia |
At Off Nunya Island Resort (Nunya Lailai Island), Yasawa Group, Fiji (South Pacific). Our position: -16.9425, 177.3675 Sail From: Sawa-i-Lau Island, Yasawa Group, Fiji To: Off Nunya Island Resort (Nunya Lailai Island), Yasawa Group, Fiji We travelled [12.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [8.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 15m depth, between other boats and resort traffic.] General Comments: [A short hop south along the Yasawa group, yet we still manage to sail between anchorages. We are looking forward to seeing the resort side of Fiji after all the remoteness (we already have 3G signals on our phones!)] At: 11:48(FJT) 24-Jul-2019, Outside Temp: 27.6C (81.68F), Humidity:57%, Water Temp: 30.4C (86.72F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 17º 46.2' S | 177º 22.878' E | Begonia |
At Denarau Marina Moorings, off Viti Levu Island, Fiji (South Pacific). Our position: -17.7700, 177.3813 Sail From: Denarau Marina docks, off Viti Levu Island, Fiji To: Denarau Marina Moorings, off Viti Levu Island, Fiji We travelled [0.2]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [0.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [So lucky - we managed to get a mooring ball at the marina - trick is to keep asking at the office until they are aware of one of the privately owned mooring balls being vacant - they you kind-a pay cash outside the system] General Comments: [We are so happy to have a mooring ball as the anchorage is a very long way out from the dinghy dock - this way we can pop ashore several times a day without care!] At: 11:24(FJT) 06-Aug-2019, Outside Temp: C (F), Humidity:%, Water Temp: C (F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 17º 46.362' S | 177º 22.992' E | Begonia |
At Danarau Marina docks, off Viti Levu Island, Fiji (South Pacific). Our position: -17.7726, 177.3832 Sail From: Musket Cove, Malolo Lailai Island, Mamanuca Group, Fiji To: Danarau Marina docks, off Viti Levu Island, Fiji We travelled [18.5]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [11.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Marina Docks (among the Mega-Yachts)] General Comments: [Sail and motor to marina - the only space was among the mega yachts for one night after a cancellation - time to do laundry, scrub the decks, and a trip to the store for the heavy groceries (beer!).] At: 14:40(FJT) 05-Aug-2019, Outside Temp: 27.8C (82.04F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 30.4C (86.72F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 16º 50.538' S | 177º 27.858' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived at Sawa-i-Lau Island, Yasawa Group, Fiji - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 3 of South Pacific Passage From:Ship's Cove, Bay of Islands, Vanua Balavu Island, Lau, Fiji To:Sawa-i-Lau Island, Yasawa Group, Fiji. Our position: -16.8423, 177.4644 Progress: [We've made [236.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [14.1]nm (through water). We have moved [12.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [When we arrived, the winds were 20kt from the SSW and 3 other boats were already in the anchorage (all pulling hard on their tackle) - we attempted to squeeze in, but with the depth, the scope required, and the reefs - we struggled, and the anchor refused to set twice. Eventually we moved closer to the village (more exposed) but we managed to get the anchor to set. Water very churned up - no idea what the bottom looks like.] General Comments: [The closer we got the stronger the wind and bigger the waves, the anchorage is quite bouncy right now (forecast for wind to swing again to 'normal' overnight). We found our friends on Muse anchored and receied a nice welcome (smiles and waves). Being Sunday and after watch keeping, we'll take it easy today and hope to start exploring in the moning.] At: 10:28(FJT) 21-Jul-2019, Outside Temp: 26.4C (79.52F), Humidity:85%, Water Temp: 29.9C (85.82F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 16º 58.818' S | 177º 37.542' E | Begonia |
Day 3 of South Pacific Passage From:Ship's Cove, Bay of Islands, Vanua Balavu Island, Lau, Fiji To:Sawa-i-Lau Island, Yasawa Group, Fiji. Our position: -16.9803, 177.6257 Progress: [We've made [222.4]nm (through water) on this passage and have [13]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [94.4]nm (through water). We have moved [81.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Ugh - a day of light winds (and too light) - with more motoring that we care for. Overnight though (on Kyle's watch) there was really heavy rain, and wind swirled around from all directions (frustrating!). Right now we are waiting for daylight to make our way through a particularly hazardous patch of reef] General Comments: [A beautiful day yesterday - sunshine, calm seas and several sightings of pilot whales. At one point we were sailing in light winds when two other boats joined us (motoring), once they passed us they too (feeling the shame?) put up their sails too. We are currently sailing through 'Bligh water' of captain Bligh fame.. after being set adrift from the Bounty Bligh made his way to Fiji, but didn't dare stop given the multitude of cannibals here at the time. Thankfully we don't have that worry.] At: 06:00(FJT) 21-Jul-2019, Outside Temp: 24.1C (75.38F), Humidity:90%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F), Course: 285(degT), Speed Over Ground:1.7kt, Wind:6Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1010hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:N) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 27º 42.09' S | 177º 39.45' E | Begonia | Day 4 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:South Minerva Reef To:Opua Harbour, New Zealand
Progress: [So far we've made [297.7]nm (through water) on this passage and have [489]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [165.8]nm (through water). We have moved [137.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Finally - yesterday morning the wind arrived and we could both sail and move at a fair speed again. Last 24 hour average is 6.9kt - much better. Seas are bouncy, and we reefed - but it feels good to be moving properly again] General Comments: [Each day I sort through a different food tub/locker looking for foods that need to be inspected on arrival, and making sure nothing has escaped my notice/memory. Yesterday we used up the last of the bell peppers, and the last of the bananas. We only have carrots and onion remaining as fresh veggies, and we'll have no trouble eating them during this trip.] At: 06:00(NZDT) 08-Nov-2018, Outside Temp: 19C (66.2F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 29.7C (85.46F)Course: 198(degT), Speed Over Ground:8.9kt, Wind:14Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1018hPa, Swell:2m (to:NW) | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 27º 59.478' S | 177º 53.58' E | Begonia | Day 3 of Pacific Ocean Passage from N Minerva Reef Pass to Whangarei (New Zealand)
** Correction to yesterday - I should have reported the Greenwich Meridian as the 0 degree longitude (not 9 degree - accidental finger fumble) ** Progress: [So far we've made [307.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [588]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [170.8]nm (through water). We have moved [176.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [For Begonia we're making what must be record breaking progress. The seas have become smoother and all is well aboard.] General Comments: [We continue to try and eat our way through any of the supplies that are likely to be confiscated and destroyed once we reach NZ (beans, popcorn, honey, etc). No sightings of ships, dolphins, nor anything but water. Beautiful sunrise today though to help start/end our respective watches. The temperatures continue to dip (water and air) and we're feeling quite shocked by it all - brrrrr] At: 06:00(NZDT) 04-Nov-2017, Outside Temp: 20.4C (68.72F), Humidity:82%, Water Temp: 27.9C (82.22F) Course: 211(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.3kt, Wind:16Kt(from:ENE), Cloud Cover:85%, Pressure: 1015hPa, Swell:2.5m (to:W) | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 37º 28.578' S | 177º 58.65' E | Begonia | Day 2 of New Zealand Passage From:Graveyard Bay, Whangaparapara (Great Barrier Island) To:Hicks Bay, Gisborne District
Progress: [So far we've made [163.3]nm (through water) on this passage and have [21]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [163.3]nm (through water). We have moved [144.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Wow, after a frustrating start, the wind built, and built, and built (reports from nearby White Island in the mid-40s). Thankfully Kyle had pushed us more west than we originally planned, so we could be more downwind for the worst of it (we had one hour at avg. 9.48kt and peaks (with surfing) of 16. Wind calmer now, but still a bit bouncy. Whakaari (or White Island) is an active/smoking volcano - but we saw nothing of it as we passed by at night on a new moon.] General Comments: [Since leaving Great Barrier, we've only spotted a couple of sailboats, but quite a bit of cargo traffic. No dolphins or whales which we were looking out for, but maybe they'd be easier to see in calmer conditions.] At: 06:00(NZDT) 07-Jan-2019, Outside Temp: 20.6C (69.08F), Humidity:83%, Water Temp: 21.9C (71.42F)Course: 105(degT), Speed Over Ground:6.3kt, Wind:16Kt(from:SW), Cloud Cover:50%, Pressure: 1015hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:NE) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 39º 17.658' S | 177º 58.782' E | Begonia | Day 2 of New Zealand Passage From:Hicks Bay, Gisborne District To:Napier
Progress: [So far we've made [139.4]nm (through water) on this passage and have [54]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [135.7]nm (through water). We have moved [104.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Lots of downwind sailing in the last 24 hours with strong winds and a fair chop to the sea. We currently have calm winds and a much smaller sea (and our boat speed has dropped).] General Comments: [We sailed passed Penguin Rock in the dark (shame) we had another dolphin visit yesterday and a bit of drizzle. But the highlight? We caught a fish (A 2' long Albacore Tuna) - Catching any fish is such a rare event for us and I was so excited. I landed it on our back step and went to check the catch regulations - and it hopped off the hooks and returned to the sea (Doh!). Kyle did manage to snap a picture so we have evidence of our very rare semi-success. It turns out there are no limits for this species and oh, it would have made for some lovely food! I guess we just keep trying... At this rate I'll tell you about the next one that got away in about 6 months time.] At: 06:00(NZDT) 10-Jan-2019, Outside Temp: 19.8C (67.64F), Humidity:85%, Water Temp: 21.2C (70.16F)Course: 212(degT), Speed Over Ground:3.6kt, Wind:8Kt(from:N), Cloud Cover:40%, Pressure: 1017hPa, Swell:1m (to:SW) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 37º 35.412' S | 178º 18.528' E | Begonia | Safely at anchor after overnight passage...
Day 2 of New Zealand Passage From:Graveyard Bay, Whangaparapara (Great Barrier Island) To:Hicks Bay, Gisborne District Progress: [So far we've made [185.3]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [21.9]nm (through water). We have moved [17.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [From our last post - a short hop (sail) around Matakaoa Point and into the protection of Hicks Bay.] General Comments: [We made it - with dolphins leading the way (Yay!), and with a reasonable cell phone/data signal once we arrived (double Yay). The sun is shining but the water temperature has significantly dropped (yikes).] At: 10:04(NZDT) 07-Jan-2019, Outside Temp: 25.2C (77.36F), Humidity:62%, Water Temp: 18.8C (65.84F) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 37º 34.848' S | 178º 24.012' E | Begonia | Day 1 of New Zealand Passage From:Hicks Bay, Gisborne District To:Napier
Progress: [So far we've made [3.6]nm (through water) on this passage and have [173]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [3.6]nm (through water). We have moved [4.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Departed just before 4am (still dark). Very light winds currently, expecting NE winds slowly increasing over the day.] General Comments: [Beautiful misty mountain views on a very calm sea - quite spectacular. Land and sea breezes fighting among themselves! Dolphins currently headed our way.] At: 06:00(NZDT) 09-Jan-2019, Outside Temp: 20.2C (68.36F), Humidity:86%, Water Temp: 21.7C (71.06F)Course: 82(degT), Speed Over Ground:1.4kt, Wind:2Kt(from:S), Cloud Cover:90%, Pressure: 1021hPa, Swell:0.5m (to:S) | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 33º 23.592' S | 178º 32.43' E | Begonia | Day 4 of Pacific Ocean Passage from Marsden Cove Marina (New Zealand) to Puerto Montt (Chile)
Progress: [So far we've made [269.5]nm (through water) on this passage and have [5253]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [60.1]nm (through water). We have moved [75.0]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [A day full of light and variable winds had us pushing ahead very slowly, the swells just enough to constantly empty the sail of any wind it caught. Forecasts are proving a mixed bag it may now be that we've pushed too far north(!). We have wind again, but this wind will (if the forecast is correct) build and build, and build and this easy, gentle sea we've had for the first few days of the passage will transform somewhat over the next few days. ] General Comments: [Since the first day at sea, we've seen no sign of any ships, just a few birds, and yesterday we had some dolphins pass some distance astern of us, and not the least bit curious of us.] At: 06:00(AKST) 18-Dec-2017, Outside Temp: 19.3C (66.74F), Humidity:69%, Water Temp: 26.8C (80.24F) Course: 88(degT), Speed Over Ground:4.9kt, Wind:10Kt(from:NW), Cloud Cover:70%, Pressure: 1011hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:NW) | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 31º 48.63' S | 178º 39.582' E | Begonia | Day 5 of South Pacific Passage From:Opua, New Zealand To:Neiafu, Vava'u, Tonga
Progress: [So far we've made [443.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [890]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [134.2]nm (through water). We have moved [128.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Consistent winds (but still sailing upwind) - forecast expects the same for the next 24 hours] General Comments: [We are still wearing jackets and hats overnight and in the mornings. Kyle manages a t-shirt by afternoon. Overnight there is generally a lot of cloud so we've had two spectacular sun-rises in a row. Before we departed we fixed a troublesome sail-car - at least we thought we'd fixed it - it came off the track yesterday with the sail up and reefed - so now it looks as if the track is worn in one patch (ugh!). For now Kyle has removed it and all seems fine (for this passage at least!).] At: 06:00(NZST) 07-May-2019, Outside Temp: 18.6C (65.48F), Humidity:76%, Water Temp: 22.2C (71.96F), Course: 39(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.9kt, Wind:12Kt(from:ESE), Cloud Cover:10%, Pressure: 1025hPa, Swell:2m (to:W) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 25º 37.362' S | 178º 43.89' E | Begonia | Day 3 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:South Minerva Reef To:Opua Harbour, New Zealand
Progress: [So far we've made [131.9]nm (through water) on this passage and have [629]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [62.9]nm (through water). We have moved [74.6]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Light winds occasionally stopped. We spent just 2 hours motoring yesterday and another 2.5 overnight (mostly to stop us going backwards). Finally the wind has arrived and we are sailing with a reliable speed (but into a swell - so quite bouncy)] General Comments: [With the calm conditions of yesterday life aboard was easy - I made some yogurt and cooked up a fish chowder (fish kinly donated by Pogeyan). We had some really appreciated help from Ludger (Green Duck) with instructions to help diagnose the fault with our Wind Meter (Kyle will look at that on his daytime watch), but for now are still sailing without it.] At: 06:00(NZDT) 07-Nov-2018, Outside Temp: 20.4C (68.72F), Humidity:73%, Water Temp: 31.1C (87.98F)Course: 190(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.8kt, Wind:12Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:95%, Pressure: 1017hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:NW) | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 17º 23.418' S | 178º 59.25' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of Fiji Passage From:Ship's Cove, Bay of Islands, Vanua Balavu Island, Lau To:Sawa-i-Lau Island, Yasawa Group. Our position: -17.3904, 178.9875 Progress: [We've made [128.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [100]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [128.0]nm (through water). We have moved [115.1]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Downwind sailing with the Spinnaker alone - with 3 hours of motoring when the wind completely dropped out in the early hours of this morning. If forecast holds out light winds remain] General Comments: [We departed The Bay of Islands at 6:36am yesterday, and had a great day of sailing. We once again crossed the longitude that switches us from W to E so we have to pay special attention when we record our position. Overnight poor Kyle had both rain and a loss of wind, but we are back sailing now. We have fresh papayas for breakfast. The narrow and convoluted passage between the main two islands is just ahead of us (we'll have good light and we've downloaded the latest satellite pictures).] At: 06:00(FJT) 20-Jul-2019, Outside Temp: 25.6C (78.08F), Humidity:89%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F), Course: 279(degT), Speed Over Ground:5kt, Wind:8Kt(from:NE), Cloud Cover:98%, Pressure: 1012hPa, Swell:1m (to:W) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 17º 8.118' S | 179º 5.37' E | Begonia |
At Namena Reef (by South Pass) (South Pacific). Our position: -17.1353,179.0895 Sail From: Namena Island (North side of Western tip) To: Namena Reef (by South Pass) We travelled [0.0]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [1.4]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in patch of corral rubble/sand] General Comments: [Swam around inside and outside of patch of reef wall - lovely/OK - snorkelling back in through the pass was the best.] At: 11:10(FJT) 24-Jun-2019, Outside Temp: 27.9C (82.22F), Humidity:71%, Water Temp: 29.9C (85.82F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 17º 6.762' S | 179º 5.55' E | Begonia |
At Namena Island (North side of Western tip) (South Pacific). Our position: -17.1126,179.0924 Sail From: Off Lesaieccva Point (near Cousteau's Resort) on Vanua Levu Island, Fiji To: Namena Island (North side of Western tip) We travelled [23.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [20.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [The island's sole mooring ball was free so we picked it up (& gave it a good test). From here we can go ashore and find the marine wardens to pay our marine reserve fees.] General Comments: [A lovely fast sail across, and an easy pass to enter (North save-a-tack pass). Bright sunshine and plenty of time left in the day to explore the island, tropic birds flying overhead as we arrive another slice of heaven!] At: 13:32(FJT) 21-Jun-2019, Outside Temp: 28.5C (83.3F), Humidity:70%, Water Temp: 29.9C (85.82F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 16º 48.972' S | 179º 16.83' E | Begonia |
At Off Lesaieccva Point (near Cousteau's Resort) on Vanua Levu Island, Fiji (South Pacific). Our position: -16.8162,179.2804 Sail From: Savusavu, Vanua Levu Island, Fiji To: Off Lesaieccva Point (near Cousteau's Resort) on Vanua Levu Island, Fiji We travelled [4.1]nm (through water) on this trip. We have moved [3.8]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Location Comments: [Anchored in 2.8-3.9m of sand, plenty of wind but protected from waves.] General Comments: [We enjoyed our time in Savusavu. We topped up with fresh provisions, new outfits, and Kava for the villages to follow (Kava at $120 FJD - about $47US - per Kg was a bit of a shock!). The Kava does come quite uniquely wrapped with newspaper and ribbons (like a maypole). We filled diesel and water (water with help from the lovely folks aboard Muse who helped us rig a filter system as we didn't entirely trust the water). There are some nice places to eat in the very small town, and everything is easy. The staff at the Copra shed were all wonderful. On our last day we took a trip to the nearby Flora Tropica Botanical Gardens (small but filled with lots of beautiful corners) - $20pp for a self guided tour well worth it, and the trails are all wooden walkways so no worries about mud.] At: 13:58(FJT) 20-Jun-2019, Outside Temp: 28.5C (83.3F), Humidity:76%, Water Temp: 30.9C (87.62F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 16º 46.638' S | 179º 20.022' E | Begonia |
Safely arrived at Savusavu, Vanua Levu Island, Fiji - PASSAGE COMPLETE. Day 4 of South Pacific Passage From:Neiafu, Vava'u, Tonga To:Savusavu, Vanua Levu Island, Fiji. Our position: -16.7774,179.3336 Progress: [We've made [428.6]nm (through water) on this passage and have [0]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [12.6]nm (through water). We have moved [7.2]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Arrived - at Copra Shed Marina Mooring ball #11. Awaiting officialdom.] General Comments: [We had a welcome from Muse with a drive by from their dinghy as we passed Cousteau Resort, and an email welcome from Resolution III who must have been following us on CruiserSat.net's Fiji Net (Yay - it works!). After officialdom, then time for some sleep (maybe not , far too excited!). Thankfully the rain had stopped in time for us to pick up our mooring.] At: 09:24(FJT) 17-Jun-2019, Outside Temp: 25.6C (78.08F), Humidity:87%, Water Temp: 30C (86F) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 16º 53.652' S | 179º 21.672' E | Begonia |
Day 4 of South Pacific Passage From:Neiafu, Vava'u, Tonga To:Savusavu, Vanua Levu Island, Fiji. Our position: -16.8942,179.3612 Progress: [We've made [416.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [14]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [143.2]nm (through water). We have moved [133.3]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Mostly downwind over the last 24 hours, but seas OK so reasonably comfortable. Light rain much of the night, just turned to heavy rain and a very overcast sky suggests more.] General Comments: [Almost there! We are still uncertain if we'll need to anchor (in 20m) or get lucky and find a free mooring ball in town. It seems the officialdom begins quite quickly once we arrive so we'll have to prep the boat and ourselves for that. We see on AIS we have old boating friends in town to catch up with too.] At: 06:00(FJT) 17-Jun-2019, Outside Temp: 24.3C (75.74F), Humidity:89%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F), Course: 300(degT), Speed Over Ground:5.1kt, Wind:17Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:100%, Pressure: 1014hPa, Swell:1m (to:NW) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 17º 46.53' S | 179º 31.14' E | Begonia |
Day 2 of South Pacific Passage From:Namena Island (off Vanua Levu) Fiji To:Vulaga Island, Southen Lau Group, Fiji. Our position: -17.7755,179.5190 Progress: [We've made [74.4]nm (through water) on this passage and have [140]nm (along route) to go. Since last posting we have made [74.4]nm (through water). We have moved [46.7]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Tacking to get up wind, waves slowly building but so far no too bad. We departed Namena by sailing off the mooring ball and through the pass (making Kyle very happy)] General Comments: [We are eating bananas and papaya as much as we can (breakfast, lunch, snacks and smoothies) and still have plenty to go.] At: 06:00(FJT) 25-Jun-2019, Outside Temp: 26C (78.8F), Humidity:87%, Water Temp: 29.5C (85.1F), Course: 165(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.1kt, Wind:12Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:98%, Pressure: 1016hPa, Swell:1.5m (to:W) | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 24º 43.008' S | 179º 40.362' E | Begonia | Day 2 of Pacific Ocean Passage From:South Minerva Reef To:Opua Harbour, New Zealand
Progress: [So far we've made [69.0]nm (through water) on this passage and have [699]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [69.0]nm (through water). We have moved [80.9]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [Light winds and a gentle swell, make the close hauled sailing slow but straightforward.] General Comments: [With our wind speed indicator broken means we can't set the autopilot to sail to the wind, but constantly have to tweak the direction we are sailing to avoid luffing the sails and stalling the boat. With calm seas and light winds at least make using the hand held wind meter easy. It certainly feels cooler and even with the enclosure we need a jumper/sweater or a jacket at night. No need to try fishing as a fellow cruiser, Pogeyan, gave us a very large helping of Trevalli (a white fish) to enjoy.] At: 06:00(NZDT) 06-Nov-2018, Outside Temp: 20C (68F), Humidity:63%, Water Temp: 31.6C (88.88F)Course: 175(degT), Speed Over Ground:2.7kt, Wind:6Kt(from:SE), Cloud Cover:5%, Pressure: 1018hPa, Swell:2m (to:N) | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 25º 31.242' S | 179º 40.572' E | Begonia | Destination: Whangarei
Day 2 of Pacific Ocean Passage from N Minerva Reef Pass to Whangarei (New Zealand) Progress: [So far we've made [137.2]nm (through water) on this passage and have [765]nm (along route) to go. Since last position report we have made [137.2]nm (through water). We have moved [136.5]nm point-to-point from prior posting] Sailing Conditions [We departed N Minerva in 25kt winds and rough seas, not pleasant, but necessary if we are to make this window to NZ. We made great time this first day despite the 3m waves and rough seas) - overnight things have smoothed out a little, but we continue to make good time. Given the updated forecast we also changed our route to a direct route to Northern NZ (rather than the original float plan route) and this chops a little of the distance overall and hopefully means we can make it to NZ before the wind turns against us.] General Comments: [The weather conditions for departure and passage are really not ideal, but there was no obvious 'ideal' window in sight - so we're making this work. The enclosure is setup and this makes the cockpit very pleasant and protects us from the occasional wave that washes over the boat. Last night we crossed the 180 degree line so flipped from reporting our position as West to East again; this makes me think of the 9 degree line that passes through Greenwich in London.] At: 06:00(NZDT) 03-Nov-2017, Outside Temp: 22C (71.6F), Humidity:82%, Water Temp: 29.7C (85.46F) Course: 211(degT), Speed Over Ground:7.7kt, Wind:17Kt(from:E), Cloud Cover:30%, Pressure: 1013hPa, Swell:2m (to:W) | about 7 years ago | Show |
