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Blue WaterRally yachts reach Downunder
!
From Cairns to Darwin via the Torres
Strait
Arrival in Darwin and revised arrangements
for Indonesia
The Northern Territories and the passage to Bali
Blue Water Rally yachts reach Downunder.
The first rally yacht to reach Australia was Alan and Jan Haynes’ Warrior 40 ‘Nikita’ which entered port at Townsville around 20th July. This meant that they by-passed Vanuatu which for many other yachts on the rally proved to be one of the highlights of the rally so far. The first arrivals in to the Half Moon Bay Marina at Yorkeys Knob, just north of Cairns were made on 28th July. The entire fleet was gathered in the Cairns area within two days of this; the majority at Yorkeys Knob, a sprinkling at Marlin Marina in the very centre of Cairns and a few more at the Cairns Cruising Yacht Squadron where they were promptly lifted out for half-way maintenance. Yorkeys Knob Boating Club hosted the Rally magnificently for a week during which time they entertained the Rally to a Welcoming Party at which the Commodore, Don Cortis, and the Club Manager, Tony Hearne made presentations to the Rally. The small beach adjacent to the club ( Beware estuarine crocodiles inhabit these waters! ) was the venue for a ‘Troppo’ night. (Going ‘troppo’ means that you’ve probably had a touch of the sun and have become a little more carefree than normal). The wearing of bizarre apparel was fully encouraged and certainly the Aussies showed the way to chill out and dress down. With the ‘barbie’ in full swing, the bonfire glowing nicely and everyone madly waving sparklers the scene was set for some musical entertainment with Bill Carlow on guitar, John Boyd on bagpipes and a magnificent local didgeridoo player all of whom played on well into the night. After a much appreciated week’s recuperation and rest from the boisterous crossing from Vanuatu, ( both Windfall and Merlin blew out genoas in strong winds) the Rally fleet moved from Yorkeys Knob into Cairns where the Cairns Cruising Yacht Squadron pulled out all the stops and accommodated the rally on pontoon berths right in front of the club lawns.
Since then everyone has started to explore the magnificent tropical rainforests of Queensland and the scenic railway up to the picturesque village of Kuranda with a cable car ride back down over the rainforest canopy have proved to be firm favourites. There has been a mixture of weather: cloudless warm days intermixed with days with solid rain from dawn to dusk. Some ralliers were even seen to be wearing - pullovers in the evening!! Don’t worry everyone - Darwin’s just round the corner with temps in the region of 31/33C and after that Indonesia beckons with its even higher temperaturesl. For those not on walkabout, antifouling and a general half-way maintenance programme has been the order of the day. Those lifted out and spruced up have been: Tudor Rose, Lady Rosemary, Rain Again, Vagabond, Ocean Jaywalker and Tournel . Windsong is just about to be lifted. On a final note, Cairns marks the departure point for 5 Rally yachts taking their ‘year out’ option: Vagabond, Athena, Jaywalker, Samen II (best wishes Pauline ) and Windsong. As the rest of the fleet cruises northwards for the Cape York peninsula and the Torres Strait these 5 yachts intend going south towards Sydney and New Zealand before rejoining next year’s rally back in Cairns. It will be a poignant moment when good friends part and our very best wishes go with them all.
From Cairns to Darwin via the Torres Strait
The Blue Water Rally fleet has been conducting an informal HF radio net since leaving Cairns. They reported on 7 September that all was well, with most yachts approaching the north coast of Queensland between Lizard Island and the Torres Strait.
Tipolo has already arrived in Darwin for a liftout at Sadgrove's Quay, whilst at the back of the fleet remain Stratagem and Windfall, who remain in Cairns. Stratagem is having a new engine fitted and anticipates departing on 11 September. Magic Dragon and Merlin are crossing the Gulf of Carpentaria for an early arrival at Darwin for liftout and mid-circumnavigation antifouling and repairs.
Since the outbreak of a black striped mussel infestation at Darwin earlier this year, the Australian Fisheries Department has introduced inspections of yachts intending to enter Darwin marinas. The black striped mussel is a small, delicate mussel which reaches a maximum length of 2.5 cm. It has black and white shell markings. This mussel originated from the western Atlantic coast of Central America and has now spread across many Pacific, Asian and Indian Ocean ports, where it causes severe fouling of ropes, pylons and outlet pipes. In Darwin the black striped mussel and other marine pests pose a risk of severe damage to the Northern Territory's important aquaculture and fishing industries.
Skippers of Blue Water Rally yachts will be cooperating with the local authorities as they arrive. Yachts which have already been antifouled at Cairns will only be subject to a brief visit by Inspectors before being allowed to enter the Cullen Bay Marina, host to the Rally for its stopover at Darwin. Other yachts will be required to be lifted out for inspection under a pre-arranged plan between the Support Team and the Fisheries Department.
Luckily, few yachts will be affected, with many having already been antifouled at Cairns and others already intending to be lifted out for antifouling at the excellent facilities at Sadgrove's Quay.
Arrival in Darwin - handling the Timor crisis.
As crews left Cairns for Darwin news had broken of the black-striped mussel crisis and yachts were prepared for special liftout and Fisheries Department checks of hulls and seawater systems. En route news of the mounting crisis in East Timor and impending U.N. action reached the Blue Water crews and they were advised to expect some amendment to their cruising plans.
The arrival of the first yachts on 18 September went smoothly and liftouts at Sadgrove’s Quay for hull inspection has gone like clockwork. For the majority of yachts, which had already been antifouled at Cairns, there was only minimal delay as Fisheries’ officers treated yacht seawater systems before they entered the Cullen Bay Marina lock. Cooperation between crews, the Fisheries Department and Customs/Immigration officers has been excellent. For some, a liftout was already planned as a prelude to antifouling and other work in the excellent facilities at Sadgrove’s Quay - Anthem, Caro, Magic Dragon, Merlin, Nikita, Rhythm all being worked on at some stage. Indeed, Merlin’s pink bottom is now the talk of the town!
By 23 September crews have turned their thoughts towards tourism and onward cruising and a meeting was held at Cullen Bay. Darwin has been the scene of a heavy buildup of military forces and an invasion by the world’s media. It was, therefore, no surprise for Ralliers to learn that their port of entry into Indonesia at Kupang in West Timor was untenable in the light of the current political and security situation. The Rally Director at Darwin, Peter Seymour, was able to pass on the latest UK and Australian Government advice and to propose a new cruise plan. It was unanimously agreed that yachts will leave Darwin on 2/3 October (as planned), sailing direct to Bali - a 1000 nm crossing expected to take about 7 days. Arrangements put in hand by the Rally organisers will aim to berth Blue Water yachts at the Bali International Marina in order that crews can enjoy the well-known sights and delights of that beautiful island. The effect of the new plan is to put Bali first on their itinerary. Based on current advice, crews will still be able to cruise the fabled Spice Islands and to visit Komodo with its famous ‘dragons’, before cruising north to Singapore.
"Despite this reorganisation, overall timescales will be little changed and there should be a minimum adverse impact upon Blue Water cruisers’ plans - something we are anxious to avoid. This cruising area should be one of the highlights of any world voyage. However, we are keeping closely in touch with political and security developments and we shall review our plans with crews should it ever become necessary," says Peter Seymour.
In the meantime crews are settling into a ‘work and play’ routine. Cullen Bay Marina, with its on-site restaurants and bars, has become a real home-from-home, whilst the excellent facilities of Darwin lie only a 2-dollar taxi ride away. 4-wheel drive vehicles have been hired and visits to Kakadu, Litchfield, and even Alice Springs, start today.
Slow Boat to Bali
Saturday and Sunday 2nd and 3rd October saw the departure of Blue Water Rally yachts from Darwin. It was also the end of a magnificent Rally visit to Australia. The previous 2-3 weeks at Darwin had proved to be yet another highly enjoyable stopover "downunder"; this time with all the interest in trips to the outback and the fabulous national parks of Litchfield and Kakadu. When not travelling, participants enjoyed the delights of the bars and restaurants at the Cullen Bay Marina and completed refits and anti-fouling of their yachts at Sadgrove’s Quay.Despite the problems of "health checks" on yachts because of the black, striped mussel infestation, entry to Darwin proved to be a stress-free process, despite the need for some yachts to be lifted out for inspection. Fisheries Department officials could not have been more helpful or cooperative and were usually standing at the dock when each yacht arrived and a straightforward hour of cleansing of salt-water systems was all that was required prior to yachts entering the Cullen Bay Marina. With close cooperation between the Customs and Immigration Departments and the Support Team, outward clearances proved equally stress-free. Customs Officers provided an on-site service for clearances out of Australia at the Cullen Bay Marina and the Marina staff simplified their locking-out to speed yachts on their way. By 4th October only "Lady Rosemary" (needing a new engine!), "Windfall" (still catching up after having a new engine fitted in Cairns!) and "Tipolo" (with engine problems!) remained at Cullen Bay.
For most yachts the journey to Bali of around 1000 miles was broken by a call at Ashmore Reef, an Australian maritime nature reserve approximately halfway along the route. Permission had been obtained by Blue Water Rally organisers for stopovers there and participants took full advantage of the opportunity - visiting an almost unknown reef area with its unspoilt ecology. Crews were amazed to be able to swim amongst dugongs (the original mermaids), turtles, rays and an incredible variety of sealife. The break was also welcome on a trip which saw many motor-sailing for much of the way to Bali - a frustrating voyage after so many legs of the Rally in favourable winds.
The final frustration faced by Rally yachts was the exceptionally strong counter-current in the Lombok Strait off Bali, several yachts reporting themselves going backwards for some time, with Bali in sight! However, a warm welcome at the Bali International Marina, with its smiling and helpful staff, soon made up for these difficulties. Manager, Dick McCune, and Director, Haryo Sugito, had been liaising closely with the Support Team to ensure a stress-free arrival, despite the expected bureaucratic difficulties. Paperwork was minimal and clearances were undertaken by the Marina staff instead of the usual hike around various offices. Indonesian Cruising Permits awaited the yachts and the bar and restaurant were open from 0730 hours each day. With full breakfasts at under £2 and beer at 80p, morale was soon back to its normal high levels.
By 15th October only "Tipolo", "Lady Rosemary" and "Windfall" were still awaited, but safely en route. Participants have reported the start of their local tourism, with a visit to Bali’s active volcano and mountain-biking back to base. Bargaining for souvenirs and even teak furniture has begun.
At the present time advice remains that yachts should continue cruising along pre-briefed routes to Lombok, Sumbawa and Komodo, where crews will meet the famous Komodo Dragons. The majority of the fleet is planning to depart in small groups such as TRING (the Tudor Rose Indonesia Group!!) around 10 November, heading for Nongsa Point Marina in the Riau Islands off Singapore, where they will be met again by the Support Team, this time in the form of Tony Diment. Some earlier departures will involve the group of yachts heading north to take part in the Raja Muda Cup, starting at Port Klang in Malaysia in early November. They are likely to arrive at Nongsa Point from 9th November onwards and need to set off from there around 16th November. These include Matata, Rain Again, Scipio, Stratagem, Windfall and Merlin.