Author: duet

42:53:80S
147:20:06E

It was a passage of 7 days and 7 hours from the fuel dock in Opua to the marina berth in Hobart. Fast, but I admit it was not all under sail alone. We use the engine a fair amount when the wind drops to nothing. By keeping up the speed we were able to avoided the worst of a low pressure system that was bearing down on us from the Coral Sea and we also reached Tasman Island before the winds came up strongly from the south – i.e. on the nose. Other wise we had some exhilarating sailing with the wind abeam or aft of the beam and Duet flying at a great pace.

We had a wonderfully warm welcome from the customs officers. They didn’t arrive in time to take our lines but very soon afterwards. Passports were inspected first and then came the business of the control (cruising ) permit. They explained they could not issue Simon as master and owner of Duet with one as he had not been out of Australia for three years. At this point I said that actually this was my boat and that I was the master. Oh. We weren’t told to expect that. We will have to phone Canberra. The result was that they returned on Monday morning and said that they could now issue me with a cruising (control) permit but that Simon would have a red flag against his name! It is obviously very naughty to tease officials with complicated paperwork.

Hobart came as a complete surprise and a delight to us. We had not been prepared for such a pretty place. Around Sandy bay where the yacht club is, there are streets of beautiful old villas with curved tin roofs and delicate wrought iron work. Since we arrived it has been dull and raining so photographs will come later. We have been made to feel very welcome and apart from the weather we are about to have a wonderful time.

41:51:17S
151:51:40E
Friday, January 07, 2011

We have been at sea for a week and have 189 miles to go before we reach Tasman Island; a little under a if we keep up this speed. A cause for celebration you would suggest. But no, various emails from Customs and Immigration make it clear that we are not welcome at all UNLESS we pay an enormous sum of money OR move only between designated clearance ports. They are saying that they will not issue us with a cruising permit because we had one in 2008 when we left Sydney in the old boat. Apparently you have to be out of the country for 3 years before they will issue you with a new cruising permit and the three years won’t be up until May this year. What in heavens name is this all about? Do the Australians actually want tourists? Tourists in yachts tend to spend rather more money than backpackers. Then perhaps this is why they paid so much money to get Oprah over to publicize the country. I remember an add on TV a couple of years ago when some lithesome ‘Sheila’ said they’d got the crocs out of the swimming pool, sharks off the beaches and the prawns on the Barbie – so why not come over. Well I can tell you why. Forget the Tasmanian devils, crocks or sharks, there is a bloody-minded customs man going out of his way to make you feel unwelcome. Perhaps I will email Oprah after all.

On a brighter side we are having a fantastic sail, charging along at a constant 9 knots with a strong wind on the beam. Forecast shows a bit more wind from the north so we will be able to bear off. Straight into the welcoming arms of Australian Officialdom and ridiculas bureaucracy. Watch this space.

36:56:92S
165:59.18E
Monday, January 03, 2011

A happy New Year to all our friends!

May 2011 bring every one their dreams and desires, health and happiness.

We spent a happy Christmas in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand. Santa delivered perfect weather delicious food, wine and laughter. On Christmas Eve 5 of us went to Midnight mass in Russell. This was the first time I have had the opportunity to go to this service here. The tiny church was packed and the service was a mixture of traditional and modern with rousing and familiar carols. It was utterly beautiful rowing back to Duet at 0130 under a starry sky to the accompanying owl’s carol of ‘more pork, more pork.’

We have planned to sail to Tasmania for a couple of years and this looked like the year to do it. We cleared customs out of Opua on Friday 31st December knowing that we were going to be facing the unusual prospect of a perfectly sober New Year’s Eve. So whilst fireworks blazed from the Auckland Sky tower, London lit up the Thames and New York dropped the 6 ton ‘bomb’ we made do with firing off a couple of party poppers. We had to restrain ourselves from letting off our out of date flares at North Cape, we didn’t think the Coast guards would be too amused. Dolphins stayed with us all that night providing us with our own phosphorus fireworks and their squeaks and clicks were just pure magic to listen to. With very light winds and an messy sea we motored for sometime until the wind filled in and with a sigh of relief we turned off the engine. Duet flew along. Water trickling along the hull, the deck drains gurgled happily it was great to feel the deck moving beneath our feet.

No fish out here in the Tasman Sea; well ones at any rate that a willing to commit suicide on my line. To my surprise the sea is a deep blue and the water temperature is warmer than I had expected at 19.5 C. the waters off the north coast of New Zealand were several degrees colder. Today we were accompanied for a short time by a juvenile wandering Albatross – a tropic bird and various shearwaters. The wind has been up and down as we skate across the top of a high and when it falls light we motor to keep the speed up. We have 904 miles to go, about 1/3rd of the way.

Gulf Harbour marina
New Zealand
Position 36:37:42S 174:47:28E

At the end of the cruising season the last job is to take the RCC Burgee down from the masthead.

That’s it for now until next season.

Gulf Harbour Marina
New Zealand
Position: 36:37:42S 174:47:28E

This was really our first long cruise on Duet ll and what a joy it has been. It has taken us two years to make alterations and adjustments. We have also done away with the hideous green upholstery and canvas that we inherited with her and are very happy with the new look. The new Rocna anchor is fantastic although it can put a strain on the windlass as it digs in so well that times you are lifting the entire seabed.

New Caledonia is noted for it’s fantastic flora and fauna – here are a couple of examples.

Apart from the pretty ones this is one of those delightful flesh eating plants

We had a terrific sail back from Noumea with some excellent fast sailing but we didn’t quite make the magic 200 nm day’s run. We cleared in Opua and stayed for a few days whilst the weather improved. The swell after 5 days of strong southerlies was impressive.

We decided to spend the night a the half way point, a tiny harbour called Tutakaka. Then entrance is narrow and deep with sharp toothed rocks either side. There was no wind but the swell was still high making it a rather dramatic entrance……..

We had an uncomfortable night but by dawn there was not a trace of swell to be found. So now after 3556 nm we are home again in Gulf Harbour.

It is good to be back in WiFi reach initially we had some issues with our signal. One of our good cruising friends suggested that we tried to find something metal that would reflect the signal from our antenna….

Which it did! And it’s a lot less expensive than buying a bigger and more sensitive arial. That’s it for now and so happy sailing and cruising to every one. We will be back in the New Year and will keep you all posted.

DUET around the southern lagoon.
22:16:06S
166:26:40E

We haven’t moved very far from Noumea although we have explored the southern lagoon pretty thoroughly. The winds have been either very light or there is a sudden change to howling gales and pouring rain. We have had friends coming and going every couple of weeks or so returning to the big city of Noumea every so often to top up with essentials such as French Cheese and pates has become something of a routine.

The Osprey, or sea eagle, are as common as pigeons in New Caledonia. Almost every dead branch has one on look out duty. They are fiercely territorial and are frequently seen chasing another bird out of their patch. This one was happy to pose for us.

New Caledonia is rich in minerals and produces 60,000 tonnes of nickel and cobalt per year. The soil varies in colour from deepest alizarin crimson through to various shades of rich iron red. The landscape is scarred and bloodied by mining and erosion.

New Caledonia has an incredible variety of flora and fauna many of which are endemic. It’s a botanist heaven. Whilst wandering along the beach or snorkelling on the reef you will almost certainly come across one of these handsome snakes.

This is the three banded Krait locally known as le tricot rai. Their venom is extremely poisonous but as their mouths are tiny you run little risk of being bitten. Under water they appear to be more blue and white.

In 1998 the Tjibaou Cultural centre was opened. The architect is the well known Italian Renzo Piano designer of the Pompidou centre amongst other famous buildings.

When crocs, those extraordinary-looking mini-mouse like sandals first appeared on the scene I thought they were the ugliest form of foot wear I’d ever clapped eyes. Even if they were highly praised by reliable and good friends to be the most comfortable and the most practical form of boating footwear, I said not on your life, and declared Duet a Croc free zone. Nevertheless one is allowed to change ones mind. Like all newly converted I am now their greatest fan. I still consider them to be ugly but they do come in terrific colours and are more adaptable than I’d ever given them credit for. A friend came to stay and couldn’t squeeze his feet into our fins. But he had his own pair of crocs……..nothing daunted Simon, the Master fixit adapted the crocs to the fins – and we snorkelled happily ever after.

Waiting for that weather window.
Noumea, New Caledonia
22:16:61S
166:26:40E

We have almost circumnavigated New Caledonia, anchored in nearly 40 different locations and have seen about a dozen other yachts. This area is remote and beautiful; the Northern lagoon in particular is the perfect get-away-from-it-all cruising area. Unlike the rest of the Pacific Islands the Local people, the Kanaks do not paddle out to trade for T-shirts. There are local markets in the villages but the pickings are lean, nothing much more than a few bananas, plantains and manioc. Occasionally you may find the odd squash or if you are lucky a bag of green beans. But what you can be sure of is that the local market ladies will be playing Bingo! We found the people to be very friendly and welcoming once you have made contact. Speaking a bit of French is essential. We only visited one of the Loyalty Islands and wished we could have spent more time in the Northern Lagoon but we were down to the last two bottles of wine.

Inspite of everyone telling us that the fishing was great, we had little luck. Either we caught something so big it broke the line or we caught only something called Tazard, a sort of bonito/mackerel looking fish with flesh coarser and darker than horse meat. Some of the locals eat it and others tell us that it is full of la gratte or ciguatera to us.

Shelling and beach combing in general was fantastic. There is one beach where the nautilus shells almost out number the plastic bottles! Snorkelling was good in parts but the water is quite cold at this time of year. We are waiting in Noumea for the right weather window to get back to New Zealand. When we return I will post up a selection of our best photographs. At the moment we are using the phone so here is a photo of our best shells.

19:59:17S
163:55:77E

This position was the most northerly point we reach of Grand Terre. Sadly we don’t have the time to continue up to the Belep islands. The northern lagoon is by far the most beautiful part of New Caledonia. If a deep blue lagoon dotted with emerald green islands slashed with white beaches is your idea of paradise then this is it. There is not another yacht to be seen only the occasional local aluminium fizz boat. We spoke to a couple of local lads wandering on the reef with a sack. They were fishing for beche de mer – sea cucumbers, considered a delicacy in Japan and Korea. I have it from a reliable source that marinated and thinly sliced it tastes exactly like a tractor tyre. The local markets are also a disappointment. They grow plenty of vegetables but they are all sent down to Noumea. On Saturday in Poum, a reasonable sized small town we expected to buy some fresh veg and fruit. The pickings were lean: two packets of green beans, a squash and a papaya. It was raining heavily which made it an even more depressing sight. Most of the local ladies had given up and were playing Bingo.
We are heading back down the East coast and enjoying the light trade winds for some glorious sailing hard on the wind in the flat sea of the reef protected waters.

20:17:32S
164:29:30E

Captain James Cook on this sand spit a mile from the shore on 5th September 1774 to observe the eclipse of the sun and named it Observation Island. Bruni d’Entrecasteaux sailed his expedition ship here in 1793. They based themselves on the mainland where Huon was taken ill and died. They had observed that the soil was barren and the local people were half starved and very poor. On this sand bank, aka Observation Island is a headstone as this was where he was buried. Why was he not buried on the main land? He didn’t want his body to be eaten by the locals.

This was where we met up with friends, Vicky and Tom on Sunstone. Vicky’s middle name is D’Entrecastaux. She was on a mission to visit as many of the places that the famous surveyor and explorer bear his name as possible.

20:37:85S
166:32:57E

Fayaoue is described as the most perfect of all the Loyalty islands: 25 miles of pure white sand says it all. We hire bicycles to visit the chief where we have ask permission to visit some of other outlying atolls. A small gift is expected from us.