Oz Circumnavigation
Friday 24th April, 2009, Hobart, Tasmania
One week to go before pointing the bow NW from Hobart, with first stop being Adelaide, a trip over 5 days non stop.
Few things to finalise before we go but nothing of any seriousness i.e. watermaker repair, Sat phone to operate in docking station (phone works fine anyway, but not using the dedicated antenna from inside), new Ericcson amplifier with external antenna for much better internet service, new Trac stabiliser control panel to be replaced that will be easier to see with better back lighting.
These issues will be good to knock off but not essential for our first leg, just convenient and of course what I paid for in the first place.
I have James Cowle, a very experienced young Brit sailor, and good friends Dave & Phil Reid for the journey.
Dave and Phil are mad on fishing, and we will be going through a frenzied biting Blue Fin Tuna area just off Portland in Victoria. I have loaded up on more fishing gear, and two DVD on how to get them.
Phil is a cook to die for, and very handy to fix anything.
Young James is a qualified skipper, mechanical engineer, and has crossed the Atlantic. Will put his head into some manuals to find some unsolved mysteries.
Dave will have calming influence on us all with his placid nature, and just gets on with his job, smiling as usual.
Margaret comes down with "Elly the low slung dorg" for a week before we go, so this makes me "molto contento".
Everyone I talk to tells me we are going the wrong way around Oz, which is the usual convention, but I don't agree one bit after extensive research and study, and Jimmy Cornell the US author of the ultimate World cruising guides agrees.
We are probably one of the few power boats to ever do this, and we have an enormous advantage over sailing boats as we go to where we point, under stabilisation where we don't roll, air conditioning, gourmet meals prepared in a state of the art galley (kitchen), and relaxing in front of a 45" Plasma with sattelite reception, and 50 DVD's, in reclinable leather chairs with foot stools.
If it's tough out there weather wise, we delay, or diverge a few degrees to Port Fairy in Victoria for some respite, splitting the trip into two legs instead of one.
It will be sad leaving Tassie as it is fabulous for the cruising mariner, however I have itchy feet to see the Kimberley region which I rate number one to see, followed of course by Tasmania, then the Great Barrier Reef.
Being a new cruiser my learning curve has been steep to say the least, but I would guess hanging around the Kimberley with 10 m tides will surely equip me for anything the rest of the world can throw at me.
If anyone reading this site would like to do a leg on SKIE, and can bring some value to the boat and trip e.g. chef, mechanic, experienced watchkeeper, fisherman, local knowledge, electronic/electrical expert, etc, drop me a line. This will be from May 10th to Oct, 2009
Coastline of Victoria, Australia