a family sailing blog
Kuringai Chase National Park This is our home turf, so we know it well. It's only 45 mins from Sydney CBD, but it feels like another world. Lush, dense bush hangs off the surrounding hills and cascades down to the water, ocassionally punctuated by rock escarpments, waterfalls and pristine sandy beaches. I think the best... Continue Reading →
We left Lady Musgrave at 9am, dodging rain squalls. It was grey and wet and I think we all secretly wanted to stay down below where it was warm, rather than be on deck getting cold as we motored through the wind and rain towards the lagoon channel. But we needed all hands on deck... Continue Reading →
We were stuck in Bundaberg for a week as the trade winds hammered the coast of south east Queensland. Bundaberg isn't a bad place to pass a few days - we looked around the Hinkler Museum, the Botanic Gardens and visited local markets etc as well as antifouling and polishing Vega. The Hinkler museum is... Continue Reading →
European countries are big on protecting their seagrass eco systems. Sailing all through the Mediterranean i had never taken the time to understand why we shouldn't anchor areas of seagrass or in anyway damage seagrass. On our recent cruise north to Queensland then penny finally dropped, and i learnt why its so important to preserve... Continue Reading →
The Great Sandy Straits are an epic body of water separating the world heritage site of Fraser island with the Queensland coast. The area is a complex landscape of mangroves, sandbanks, mud islands, salt marshes and ecologically important seagrass beds. The whole area is packed full of wildlife including prolific birdlife, fish galore, sharks, crocs, whales and... Continue Reading →
Leaving the kids with Heather's folks gave us chance to have a few days alone on Vega. We love the kids, but a few days alone is always welcome! Heather had never done a multi night passage and in preparation for up coming longer trips, was keen to give it a go. So we planned... Continue Reading →
As always on a 6 week trip we had a timeframe to try and stick to, and on a boat this is always a bad thing! It would have been wonderful to have hopped up the coast stopping at every port, but that’s not what this trip is about. It’s about having a look at... Continue Reading →
Lying only 9NM north east of Port Stephens Broughton Island and its neighbours have a prehistoric look about them; untouched, wild and verdant green they look like your classic pacific island, rising up out of the deep blue. They are a place of rugged natural beauty and can only be visited by boat, which makes... Continue Reading →
Port Stephens is a perfect natural harbour and the only all weather refuge between Newcastle and Coffs Harbour. Even then, with a strong onshore wind and an outgoing tide you can have a tricky entrance riding breakers into the calm water behind the heads. Once inside there are a number of excellent anchorages for yachts... Continue Reading →
Some friends of ours had run aground near the Royal Motor yacht club earlier in the day, and after a stressful afternoon, they called us just after dark saying they were heading past our mooring. Within 5 min’s they were rafted up for a hot chocolate and baileys to calm their nerves, while we laughed... Continue Reading →
a yacht more to life 