Category Archives: South Pacific Logs

The Louis Vuitton Pacific Series

Just another Saturday on Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour.  We had finished race three of the annual Classic Yacht Regatta on the Stewart 34 Princess and were heading back to Westhaven from the finish line out in the Motukorea Channel.  We passed the Rangitoto … Continue reading

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Auckland Anniversary Day

If you were lucky enough to be in  Auckland on this year’s Anniversary Day, you would have been treated to fine weather, beautiful sailing conditions and beautiful array of classic yachts taking part in the annual Anniversary Day Regatta. My … Continue reading

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Rum racing in Auckland

Formula One. After five months and five thousand miles of sailing last cruising season, what exactly do I do in the “off season.” For many cruisers, it’s time for visits back home to the see family and friends, yacht maintenance … Continue reading

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Australia: Cruising “Over the Top”

      George next to a “rather small” ant hill at Port Essington. After two months of sailing mostly in a northwesterly direction up the Queensland coast, we had reached “the Tip” or Cape York, the northernmost point … Continue reading

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Queensland, Australia: The Whitsundays to Cape York

      Merima with cockatoo, Hamilton Island I realize that I haven’t tapped out a “Sailor’s Log” for quite some time now, about six months to be exact, but for good reason. I’ve enjoyed the Queensland coast of … Continue reading

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The “Hams and Hogs” Regattas: Spring Break for Adults

      New kite. The travel brochures describe the weather in Queensland as “beautiful one day, perfect the next.” The thing is, it’s really true. In the three months I’ve been here, I can count the less-than-perfect days … Continue reading

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Queensland: Brisbane to the Whitsunday Islands

Arriving in Australia from Noumea, Scarborough Marina (just north of Brisbane) was a convenient place to check in. In an otherwise nice marina, we ended up parked next to the very ripe-smelling local fishing boats that attracted flocks of … Continue reading

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Brisbane to the Whitsunday Islands

Arriving in Australia from Noumea, Scarborough Marina, just north of Brisbane was a very convenient place to check in. In an otherwise nice marina, we ended up parked next to the very ripe smelling local fishing boats that attracted flocks … Continue reading

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Passage Logs: Noumea to Brisbane

June 30 My sailing mates Ellen McArthur and Neil Spencer flew up from Auckland to Noumea Sunday to join me on the 800-mile trip across the Coral Sea to Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. A nasty tropical disturbance delayed the start … Continue reading

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My Worst Blunder

While I’ve made a number of blunders in my cruising life, without question the worst would be running aground on Arutua Atoll in the Tuamotus Island group of French Polynesia in April of 1998. I still remember the incident as … Continue reading

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