Bangkok--17 Nov--Sail-World Cruising North
One of the most inspiring efforts that is taking place on a global level is the commitment of governments and private individuals to restore and protect bodies of water and entire ecosystems from environmental degradation. Take, for example, the 65 million dollar (AUS) plan that the Victorian government is taking to restore and protect Australia's Port Phillip Bay. According to the newly announced 'Better Bay Plan', commercial netting will be eliminated in both Port Phillip Bay and Corio Bay, and some $16.7 million dollars (AUS) will be invested to protect Port Phillip Bay from erosion, litter and marine pests.
For us cruisers, there's no question that clean, restored and protected waters are far more likely to earn our itinerary attention and time, which of course is good for businesses ashore. 'Port Phillip Bay is one of the many assets that makes Melbourne the world's most livable city and makes Victoria the best state in Australia,' said Premier Denis Napthine. 'Our Better Bay Plan is the only integrated strategy to keep the Bay beautiful and enhance its amenity for more people to enjoy.'
Get the full story on the Better Bay Plan, inside this issue, and stay tuned to this space for more news on marine-habitat restoration and protection, as it becomes known.
Meanwhile, in nearby New Zealand, word has hit the docks that nine cruising yachts will be taking place in the inaugural ARC New Zealand cruising rally, which is set to come together in Port Moselle Marina in the heart of Noumea, New Caledonia. From there, the fleet will sail 900 nautical miles to the south, eventually passing North Cape, New Zealand en route to the Bay of Islands and the Opua Marina. More, inside.
Also New Zealand-related, be sure to check out Stefano and Helen's account of the final stage of their 3,422 mile, 89-day cruise through the South Pacific, which recently ended in Auckland. 'This was an awesome trip,' reported the couple in their post-cruise debriefing, inside this issue. 'The scenery was spectacular, the boat was perfect for the job, weather was more difficult than we anticipated and having a timetable, albeit loose, to pick up and put down crew forced us to make some movement decisions that we would have preferred not to have made. Having said that, there wasn't a single person I would not take again and would recommend this trip to others.'
'We saw only a few other boats, only one other yacht came from Auckland that we are aware of, one from Australia, one from England, three from Dunedin and one from Nelson,' continued Stefano and Helen. 'Because there are so few visiting boats, you're a bit of a novelty to the locals and they tell you all the 'gossip' about other boats. We went to places that you can only get to by boat and you are in really remote spots where you are really on your own. So be well-prepared.'
Speaking of long cruises, Jackie Parry has written a great piece on her top 20 realities of the cruising life that are rarely discussed, ranging from 'cravings' to 'spiders' to 'meteorites'. 'The dark nights are abundant with 'shooting stars', but watch for the big ones,' wrote Parry about this later subject. 'Out of nowhere, a spot light will beam down on you while you sit quietly in the cockpit minding your own business. A huge, bright meteorite will give you occasion to create a few more grey hairs.'
And in the Atlantic Ocean, the first arrivals in the World ARC are now reaching Richard's Bay, South Africa, after departing La Reunion last week. 'A boisterous sailing night with good winds of 20-25 knots and four-to-five meter waves gave us a rough ride but good progress,' reported the crew of 'Nexus' upon reaching the dock.
Get the full report from the World ARC, inside, and be sure to also check in with the ARC+ fleet, as they start to find their sea legs en route from Las Palmas to Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia (either directly, or via the Cape Verde islands), as well as the Caribbean 1500 fleet, which is slowly making their way from Portsmouth, Virginia (USA) to Nanny Cay in the beautiful British Virgin Islands.
Also inside, find out why Malaysia is becoming a preferred yachting destination for cruisers from Singapore, learn about the changes that the Indonesian government is making to encourage boating, and get the latest news from the Oceans of Hope yacht, which just recently arrived in New York City on its around-the-world mission to change the global perception of multiple sclerosis.
May the four winds blow you safely home,
David Schmidt, Sail-World Cruising Editor