Cruising Australia and the Pacific

I have sailed north and south along the New South Wales coast in Alibi and on Malua.  Our home port is Batemans Bay which is a great place at the mouth of the Clyde River.  Just south is Malua Bay where we have a coast house.  Down load this file and load it into Google Earth to see pictures of Malua Bay where the vessel is moored.

Australian Cruises

• Bass Strait  The crossing of Bass Strait was the first major cruise Malua undertook.  We were still completing some of the minor items while waiting at Eden.  Nothing broke and the trip was a success for the boat.
• Tasmania The real cruising took place here.  We joined the boating community in Tasmania and met some great people.  The sea dominates this Island which has some of the most beautiful anchorages any where in the world.  The seafood is great as is the walking on the beaches and tracks.  A destination for any one sailing in Australian waters.
• Tasmania Land While in Tasmania there are some wonderful treks and drives one can undertake.  The wilderness is unspoilt, rugged and wild.  Some of the mountain climbs are not for the faint hearted.  The weather can change within hours so like sailing one has to be prepared.
• Port Davey The most isolated destination on the west coast of Tassie.  You have to choose your weather window both going and sailing home so leave some time.  There are no facilities, fuel or food except the great crayfish, oysters, fish and mussels.
• Batemans Bay - Jarvis Bay Denny and I set off on Good Friday to sail north to the beautiful Jarvis Bay.  The weather forecast was moderate southerly winds.  By the time we reached the entrance to the bay the wind was gusting well over 35 knots. We had two reefs in the main and a polled out handkerchief of a foresail.  It was extreme sailing right on the limit.

Pacific Cruise

In 2004 we undertook a Pacific Cruise across the Tasman Sea to New Zealand, Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu and home to Bundaberg.

Return to Tasmania 2017

The first cruise Malua undertook after the launch was to Tasmania.  The vessel was not finished and many systems needed to to completed.   Just to not fall into the same trap I spent many weeks during 2016 getting Malua ready.  Here is a short run down....
On this occasion I had already sailed 47,000 nm and knew Malua front to end and could handle any weather the Gods chose to put in our path which they did 50 nm west of Flinders Island in Bass Strait.

Here is the story.