News / Articles

A presentation exploring the anchoring components with examples of the components Andrew has on his vessel.
Has some enlightening information on the impact of snubbers on your anchor loads.
Presentation has links to some great references.

A combined clubs, RYCT and GYC(Geelong Yacht Club) 800Nm cruise circumnavigating Tasmania with a fleet of 45 boats.

Captain Sarah Parry, Master and Managing Trustee for the Windward Bound Trust and Vice President of Project Harm youth program spoke about the construction of the Windward Bound and current restortion of Mistral II.
These are and have provided meaningful projects for some misguided youth.

Member and Past Commodore, Val Nichols shared her experiences and reflections of her solo cruise to and from Great Keppel Island, QLD. aboard her 32ft Bristol Channel Cutter, Aziza.

Club member, Jonathan Ross helped commission a new Privilege 510 catamaran in Les Sables d'Olonne. He presented his trials and tribulations of preparing a new boat for it's first ocean passage. This involved 3,500 Nm to Montenegro, crossing the Bay of Biscay with a green crew, dodging Orcas, stops in the Baleric Islands, Sardinia, Sicily and Croatia. On board were 3 Californian’s including the owner.

Meeting on site at TAS Maritime Radio, who provide a very unique service for Tasmanian waters. It monitors VHF and HF distress channels and frequencies between 0700 and 1900 daily and broadcasts skeds containing coastal weather and maritime safety information 7 days of the week, every day of the year. Hear from staff on their operation and listen in on the 17.33 sked.

Peter Hopkins from MAST gave a most informative talk highlighting the thorough research and background work his team have put in to develop the current Tasmanian Electronic Visual Distress Signals (EVDS) standards.
Can now be substituted for some of the pyrotechnic handheld flares, conditions apply!

Penny Haire the Managing Director of Tidetech gave a presentation on new scientific information about the tides and currents around Tasmania and Bass Strait, explaining where information comes from and most importantly how it can be accessed by the average sailor. Busting some myths. New technology and modelling techniques promise to reveal a wealth of data that can be used by racing sailors seeking a tactical advantage over competitors, by fishers in search of migrating tuna, or simply by any boaters who wish to know more about the waters in which we all sail.

Member, Chrissie Rowland spends her summer months crewing in Tasmania’s Southwest World Heritage Area with Onboard Expeditions. The presentation took us on a photo panaroma by air into Bathurst Harbour and then on-board Odalisque III, the expedition vessel that caters in luxury for up to 12 guests in seven cabins. Explaining the operations and significance for conservation of the water ways of Port Davey (no doubt familiar to many of our members), its bays, rivers, mountains, and beaches in the state’s UNESCO World Heritage-listed wilderness.

Member Len gave a great presentation of his insights from cruising with wife Libby out of Adelaide, South Australia. They are to the west and Len showed the spectacular, unspoiled coastline, numerous anchorages and small ports and the places to visit;
• Kangaroo Island
• Althorpe Island,
• Spencer Gulf,
• Islands off Port Lincoln,Coffin Bay
The rarely visited offshore islands along the Great Australian Bight to Ceduna;
• Pearson,
• Flinders , and
• Franklin islands.
Find out more including some of the hazardous and cruising guides check out the presentation in our Documents Library.

Member Graham Openshaw spoke about long-distance cruising onboard his Bristol 38.8, SV Leela with his partner Janaki. He explained various changes made to his coastal cruising monohull, Leela and the effectiveness for the passage from NE USA to Australia. The result is a remarkably fast boat for its size that constantly surprises others. Graham stated these are his opinions, there is no single solution to much of it. When you have a long way to go every improvement makes a difference.
The plan evolved from cruising the coast of Maine to the Caribbean, into a Pacific crossing and here he and Janaki are in Hobart! The presentation Covered:
1. Sailing.
2. Motoring
3. Navigation / Instrumentation
4. Safety
5. Communications
6. Domestics / Life onboard
Notes on their learnings in our the Documents Library in the "Cruising" folder.
BLOG http://www.sailingleela.com/