After an amazing time in beautiful New Zealand I returned to Fathom at the end of February well rested and refreshed. The break from the boat was just what I had needed. Back in November, after eighteen months living aboard, and having sailed over half way round the world I was tired, a bit worn out and couldn’t shake some negative thoughts out of my mind with regards carrying on the voyage. At one stage I even contacted a local yacht broker about selling the boat but after some space and time away it became clear to me that I was too attached to Fathom to let her go. I had invested so much time and money in the boat and realised I didn’t want the adventure to be over yet.

Despite being slightly overwhelmed with how much I had to do I got stuck in with renewed vigour to the growing job list. The engine received it’s 500 hour professional service (at 700 hours!), the sails were overhauled by the local sail loft and Fathom received some nice new rigging. The old wires were nearly ten years old and after the forestay had broken in the South Pacific I decided, despite the cost, that it would be a good idea to get everything replaced. With the mast down it was a perfect opportunity to finish the strengthening of the mast step area which I had started from inside the cabin back in Raiatea. The existing mast step fitting which was badly deformed was removed and the fibreglass was peeled back to reveal several large voids. With the help of a local shipwright and his collection of tools the plinth area was rebuilt with fibreglass and a 12mm alloy plate and new step installed. A super strong setup and better than the day Fathom came out the yard I hope.

After returning to the boat I had noticed quite a strong smell of diesel in the cabin and it became apparent that there was a leak from the diesel tank. Having squeezed into the cockpit locker to access the back of the tank I could see drips from the connection between deck filler hose and the tank. The wrong type of plastic hose had been installed unbelievably, probably original, and as it was not resilient to diesel it had failed over time. Very uncomfortable job to replace due to lack of space but now thankfully no more leaks and no more bad smells. Other jobs I carried out included replacing the water and deck fillers, rebuilding the Aries self steering paddle, servicing the outboard, installing a new head pump, installing a higher spec bilge pump, polishing and waxing the topsides and cabin, painting the cockpit non slip, flushing and cleaning the water tanks and washing all the spare sails including storm jib which had a thick salt crust, a leftover from the wild arrival into Australia.

One of the most satisfying jobs was coming up with a solution to the gas bottle dilemma and saving a load of money. Australia is very strict on which gas bottles can be refilled and unfortunately no one will refill the blue European Campingaz bottles I have onboard. The vented gas locker on Fathom is built around the dimensions of two Camping Gaz bottles so larger bottles don’t fit in. I was put in touch with a marine gas ‘expert’ who came to the boat and was all doom and gloom and told me the only option was to pay him $450 to install a new large Aussie bottle on deck with new regulator and hose. Seemed extortionate to me so after a trip to the local BBQ factory I found one type of local bottle that would just squeeze in the locker if I turned the regulator upside down (it still works) and cut off half of the wheel which clamps it in place. Total cost $50 including bottle and no need to lash a bottle on deck. Gotta love a good bodge.

old deformed mast step

drilling holes to test the core.

voids in the layup

wood core in good shape

starting to lay glass

ready for fairing

new step and plate installed

new step and plate installed

fun job

washing the salty sails

new cockpit paint

gas bottle bodge

I can’t say I massively enjoyed my time in Pittwater. Despite it being a very picturesque place, great for leaving the boat for the season with good yachting services, I found it lacked soul and atmosphere and was basically a centre for east coast wealth, multi million dollar waterfront properties and bays full of yachts on moorings used one weekend a year. The yacht club appeared snooty to cruising sailors and the local pub was very clicky and filled with girls plastered with makeup teetering on high heels and gents wearing neatly pressed white trousers and suede shoes. I felt a bit out of place in my diesel stained shorts and holed t-shirts and longed to be back mixing with cruisers in low-key bars where barefeet are the norm! A trip down river would take me past five or six boats belonging, or previously belonging, to cruising friends from the South Pacific who had now finished with their trip, listed their boat for sale with the broker and returned to their land lives. It was quite strange and a little sad seeing these familiar boats now empty while remembering all the good times onboard last year.  I did however meet some local cruisers who have sailed up and down the east coast several times and their enthusiasm for the coast north of Bundaberg and inside the barrier reef has been infectious and I am really excited about what lies ahead. They have been a valuable source of local knowledge and recommendations and I am so grateful to Dave, Shane, Georgia and Ross for all their thoughts and encouragement.

morning sunbathers

just lacking sails

about ready

By the end of March I had been granted a Subclass 600 Australian Visa which allows me to stay in the country without having to leave every 3 months to activate another 3 month stay. That would have been a nightmare while trying to sail up the east coast and then across to Darwin. Most of the big jobs were out of the way and it was a case of waiting for a good weather forecast before heading down the coast to Sydney Harbour to sail past the Opera House and under the Harbour Bridge and get THAT photo! Time to get moving again.

After 18 months living within the confines of a 28 foot boat and with a hangover from the stressful approach to Australia I was in need of a break from Fathom for a while. What better way than two months of land travel around beautiful New Zealand to recharge the batteries.

floating through the morning reflections of Doubtful Sound

the start of the Queen Charlotte track, Ship Cove

Damper Falls, North Island

Church of the Good Shepard, Tekapo

Lake Pukaki with Mt Cook in background

One of New Zealand’s oldest buildings

walking Hooker Valley track with Mum, Mt Cook background

Penguins at Curio Bay

The Nuggets, Catlins

Dorothy Falls, Hokitika

Lake Pukaki with Mt Cook in background

Franz Josef Glacier

sunset on Stewart Island

overnight cruise at Doubtful Sound

early morning Doubtful Sound

heading into Doubtful from Tasman Sea

Moody at Milford Sound

Moody at Milford Sound

Queenstown with the Remarkables in background

looking towards Southern Alps

paddle boarder at Hokitika

Hokitika Gorge

view from Roy’s Peak, Wanaka

Albatross

at Doubtful

Christmas with the Le Couteurs

with Aimée, Charlotte, Bronson and Brian at Queenstown

fun times at Queenstown

with Mum at Doubtful Sound

Following the passing of the front, the wind and waves increased throughout the afternoon of the 7^th December. I remained hove to through the rest of the day and night and by morning began sailing NW in 25 knots of wind. Felt very fatigued after no proper sleep in the last three days and couldn’t help but feel demoralised as the forecast was showing no improvement. Conditions were at their worst over the next couple of days and I spent the time mostly hove to. Winds peaked at 25-30 knots in the afternoons which wasn’t so much the problem more the seastate. Despite being outside the EAC the waves were very steep and confused and this made being onboard uncomfortable. Fathom handled everything superbly and I had no concerns about being unsafe yet without being able to make progress towards shore it was tough times indeed. I even resorted to having a couple of sips of rum one night in order to switch off enough to sleep for a few minutes! To try and perk myself up I wrote myself a mantra on the white board which I read everytime I felt properly pissed off. The Wind will moderate, The Seas will calm, The Sun will shine, Just give it some time.

By accident I come across an area of sea with a small eddy of north going current alongside the edge of the EAC. By heaving to on one tack for a few hours then the other for a few hours I realised I could hold position within a few miles which worked well and stopped Fathom being pushed too far NW. I contacted the weather forecaster on the afternoon of the 9^th who suggested a plan B, give up on trying to cross the EAC for now and head north on a 350 mile detour to Bundaburg. Initially this new idea gave me some encouragement before I realised that such a big detour could end up being a huge mistake if the currents changed so decided to wait it out for Brisbane. I received an email from the marina to ask where I was and after updating them they informed me their offer of a cold beer had now turned into a six pack! I contacted the border force again and asked if I could anchor inside Moreton Bay to get some rest before proceeding up the Brisbane river to check in at the marina. After checking with their bosses they agreed. By this point Alex and David had reached Coffs harbour but continued to send me supportive messages and weather information – legends!

The forecast still showed big waves and wind for the following 48 hours so I had to be patient and not try and head to shore too early. It was great to read morale boosting emails from friends – thanks everyone that messaged. Fathom was knocked down to about 80 degrees on a couple of occasions by breaking waves (see video at bottom). I can’t imagine what the conditions would have been like in the middle of the EAC. I must have been tired because I couldn’t stop myself thinking about selling Fathom and ending the voyage in Australia. It gave me a lot of comfort to think i’d nearly finished the trip. By the 12^th I felt that, at long last, conditions and the forecast were good enough to head to shore and I spent the day and following night sailing the 90 or so miles to Moreton Bay, slowing in the wee small hours so as not to arrive at the channel entrance until first light. Conditions were bad in the EAC but not as bad as I had faced already and improved massively once inside the 100m depth contour. As the sun rose I finally began to feel positive and encouraged again.

By mid morning on the 13^th Fathom was about 10 miles into Moreton Bay motoring against current and short steep waves. I emailed the border force to let them know I was proceeding to the anchorage to rest as previously agreed. A short and firm email come straight back instructing me to proceed up the Brisbane river to the marina immediately and without delay. I was then met by a border force boat which came alongside and told me again to proceed to the marina, still about 20 miles and several hours away. They then spent the next five hours following Fathom a few boat lengths behind. What’s going on here I thought?

messy sea

hove to just main

squall and big ship

sunrise on the final morning at sea into Brisbane

Fathom enjoying a rest in Brisbane

Aussie sunrise

I reached the marina about 16.00 and waited for the customs to come aboard. Six armed officers approached and I was heavily questioned about why I had spent several days holding position at sea, why I diverted from Coff’s to Brisbane and why I asked to anchor in Moreton Bay before coming to the marina to check in. I realised that they suspected me of picking up something from another ship and trying to smuggle it into Australia. I was so tired it all felt surreal and a bit like a weird dream. They asked to see the chartplotter and Fathom’s track. The area I had ended up holding position in for several days was close to a seamount (underwater mountain) over which were confused seas and bad waves so I had put a waypoint over the seamount on the chartplotter to remind me it was there and stop me drifting too close. It just so happens I had chosen a skull and cross bones symbol for the waypoint so this needed explaining too…! Eventually they seemed satisfied that I was just a tired sailor in need of a cold beer and left. The quarantine officer then came aboard, didn’t find any creepy crawlies, took my fresh food, complimented me on coming so far and having a nice boat and left me alone. A very friendly Aussie couple on the next pontoon having watched all this play out invited me aboard for some food and wine and I could finally relax at last.

The next few days were spent recovering, sleeping and giving Fathom a good clean and tidy. The marina staff were very helpful and fulfilled their promise to give me a six pack of beer and also drove me to the local supermarket a couple of times so I could stock up on food. I decided to head towards the Gold Coast on the 17^th and was up early having a coffee in the cockpit that morning when a voice from behind me on the pontoon said “excuse me sir, could you please step off the boat”. I turned round to see eight armed border force officers and two dogs. They told me they were not satisfied and wanted to search the boat again. For the next two hours they interrogated me, went through every nook and cranny on Fathom, the dogs went aboard and sniffed round and they even took up the floor and pushed camera probes around. I had to give them my mobile phone which was then plugged into a machine and everything on it downloaded. Eventually they told me, I sensed with a hint of disappointment, that all was ok and I was free to leave. I couldn’t help saying that they had told me that the first time! The worst part was probably that Fathom’s nice clean cabin was now covered in dog hairs.

So, 18 months and 16,200 miles after leaving England, Fathom and I have made it to Australia! And for anyone wondering, after catching up on some sleep, i’m not quite ready to end the voyage quite yet :-).

I set off from Noumea, New Caledonia on the 1st November bound for Coff’s Harbour on the east coast of Australia, 950 nautical miles to the SW. After sailing in the tropics for so long I was aware that this leg of the voyage could potentially be tougher as there was the possibility of hitting some bad weather from the south at some point. But the weather forecast, backed up by a professional forecaster in New Zealand, showed moderate E to SE winds and I hoped to make landfall in eight days time. Due to a history of drugs and people trafficking the Australian border force are very strict and I made sure I had emailed off the mandatory notice of arrival to them before leaving to ensure I wasn’t welcomed to the country by a $2,500 fine.

storm jib set as the front approaches (left of photo)

The first couple of days was good sailing and Fathom romped along under cruising chute in the daylight hours. My friends Alex and David on Bonavalette departed Noumea a few hours later and overtook on the second day. By day three I decided to ask the weather forecaster for an update as I could see on the long term forecast something stiring in the lower Tasman Sea a few days ahead. Sure enough an update was emailed back showing a cold front associated with a low pressure system sweeping up the east coast of Australia in a few days time and bringing with it a prolonged period of very strong S to SE winds. It was touch and go whether I could arrive in Coff’s Harbour before it hit. At this point I wasn’t overly concerned and decided to wait another 24 hours before making a decision on whether to divert to another entry port.

The following day it was clear that if I was to arrive in Coff’s Harbour I would have to meet the weather front at sea and then make landfall in the proceeding strong conditions. Despite Coff’s being an all weather entry I began to make enquiries about diverting to Brisbane, 200 miles to the north, but the more I read up on the approach and entry the more concerned I became. To clear in to Brisbane it is necessary to enter Moreton Bay through one of two narrow channels surrounded by shoal areas and rough seas, proceed more than 30 miles upwind across the bay to the entrance of the Brisbane river and then past the commercial ship docks six miles upstream to the Rivergate Marina. This would be simple in good weather and settled conditions but in strong winds and waves and when fatigued and sailing alone it would not be easy. After much tooing and froing I decided that despite the difficult entry the most sensible decision was to make landfall before the worst of the weather hit so peeled off from the Coff’s route and headed to Brisbane. I called the marina on the sat phone to let them know my intentions and they kindly said a cold beer would be waiting for me on arrival and wished me well. I notified Customs of my intended change of destination which they acknowledged. Alex and David already 150 miles ahead of me decided to press on to Coff’s.

It was the calm before the storm over the next couple days. The wind died and the engine was required to make progress westward but it was slow as Fathom encountered a head current. I started to become more and more tired and sleep was harder to come by as various scenarios kept playing round in my head. Every time I downloaded an updated weather forecast it showed higher winds and waves which would last for longer and arrive earlier. It was hard to find any positives. I realised that there was now no chance I could make landfall before the front hit. To make matters worse I still had to cross the EAC. This is band of south setting current which runs along the Australian coast at up to 4 knots and when up against 25 to 30 knots of southerly wind creates very steep messy seas and occasionally breaking waves. I suddenly felt extremely helpless as there was not one obvious solution to the situation I was in. I was caught in no mans land, hundreds of miles of open ocean astern and the dangerous sea conditions between me and the Australian coast. How on earth had I got myself in this situation when only a few days before there looked like a perfect weather window! The only seamanlike decision I could think of was to find an area outside of the strong southerly current to meet the weather front and bide my time by hoving to before conditions improved and I could cross the EAC safely without taking a big risk. On the evening of the 6th, 200 miles from the coast, I spotted a fishing trawler on the AIS and called them up for a chat, hoping they could give me some useful info on entering Brisbane in bad conditions. “I wouldn’t want to be in your position”, they replied, “friends of ours died when a fishing boat sank in similar conditions a couple of months ago at Bundaburg. Brisbane is not an easy entry when its blowing from the south, good luck, I don’t know what else to tell ya”. Certainly not the reassuring conversation I was looking for and I felt a whole lot worse afterwards.

leaving New Cal

calm before the storm

interesting clouds ahead of the front

watching the carefree birds

rainbow as the seas begin to build

I started making preparations for the weather front to hit during the early hours of the 7th December. The staysail was replaced with the storm jib, the first time I had hoisted this sail since leaving England and three reefs put in the mainsail. Lightning filled the sky to the south as the low pressure system spun up from the Tasman Sea and added to the feeling of apprehension. I tried to nap while waiting for the wind to back to the north as the front approached but couldn’t sleep so decided to list in the logbook what I thought would be the significant mile stones over the next days.

1. Windishift to the north (25 -30 knots)
2. Front hits – heavy rain & wind backs to S and builds. Waves build
3. Successful crossing of the EAC and big seas
4. Arrival and passage through Moreton Bay
5. Approach along Brisbane River and arrival at Rvergate Marina

It was fascinating watching the cloud formations during the morning as the front approached. At 2.30 in the afternoon a band of low lying cloud stretching from horizon to horizon consumed the sky and the front hit. I had already hove to and Fathom comfortably saw out the next hours as I stayed down below reading and trying to sleep while the wind howled in the rigging. Many birds filled the sky during the late afternoon and I stood in the companionway and watched them for some time, amused that they didn’t have a care in the world. At least I could now tick off the first two items from the list but knew that this was only the start and the worst was yet to come.

Clearance formalities completed, Fathom departed Vuda marina, Fiji, on 20th October bound for New Caledonia, 850 nautical miles to the WSW. Conditions were lively as the reef pass was transited just before dark, 25 knots of wind and a lumpy sea making it difficult to settle into the rhythm of sailing again. The next day wasn’t much better I felt lethargic and not in great spirits but progress was good with a daily run of 130nm. The conditions moderated over the next couple of days until the 24th when ahead of a weak trough the wind died completely and I was forced to use the engine for 30 hours straight. Morning of the 25th I headed into the cockpit at first light to see a large bird sat on the starboard cockpit seat, clearly in need of a rest. I offered it a sumptuous breakfast of soy milk or water, biscuit crumbs or bread crumbs (yes I gave it a choice) but it wasn’t interested in any and instead reacted to my generosity by taking another crap. It had also chosen to sit on two of the reefing lines for the mainsail so after giving it another three hours grace, with the wind building, I persuaded it to fly home so I could shorten sail.

heading out through the pass in Fiji

Entry into the pass at the south of New Caledonia at first light on the 26th presented no problems and a nice day was spent sailing the 30 or so miles through the channels in flat water to the marina at the large town of Noumea. Already arrived were my friends Alex and David from Bonavallete and Julius from yacht Trinidad plus there were lots of familiar faces. The following few days were spent becoming reacquainted with excellent french cuisine, the odd pint or two, and working through a boat job list in preparation for a potentially tough sail to Australia.

rig check in New Caledonia

For the first time since leaving the U.K I chose to get some professional weather advice for the next leg and was informed that anytime from the 1st to the 3rd of November was good to depart on the 950 mile trip to Coff’s harbour on the East Coast of Australia and would ensure me a good window to arrive.  It was a shame to leave so soon and not see more of New Cal but cyclone season was fast approaching and I was keen to keep moving. So on the morning of 1st November, with clearance formalities completed, Fathom and Bonavalette headed out of the pass into open ocean once more. Little did I know it wasn’t going to be smooth sailing, in fact, far from it.

The sail from Tonga to Fiji ended up taking 5 days because I slowed intentionally during the penultimate day in order to arrive in the light.  Conditions were ideal for the first 24 hours with 15 knots of breeze on the beam allowing Fathom to romp along at full speed with her freshly painted bottom. Julius on yacht Trinidad departed just after me and despite his boat being 39 foot I managed to stay within VHF range for nearly 48 hours. The first evening out I had gone for a 30 minute nap but was woken early by the words “wakey wakey” blaring out of the VHF speaker on Channel 16. It turned out there had been a huge wind shift and the self steering had adjusted Fathom’s course as the wind turned and we were almost pointing back at Tonga! Julius had seen Fathom change direction from his AIS display and called to wake me up. The wind was quite shifty over the next couple days with intermittent squalls passing through before it died altogether. Approach to the main island of Viti Levi coincided with an acceleration of the wind to 25 knots and a fairly rough sea making entry into the pass as a container ship came out rather exciting.

Fathom at anchor alone, Naviti Island

After anchoring close to Vuda Point marina on the first night entry formalities were completed the following day with four other yachts also checking into Fiji at the same time. We were all welcomed to the country by the marina staff singing and playing guitar to us on the clearance pontoon, a unique and very nice moment I have not witnessed in any other country. I was hoping to take Fathom across to Malolo Island, home of the famous Musket Cove resort in time for the annual regatta there but the cruising permit was too slow to come through so instead of missing the fun decided to catch a ferry.  I got there in time for the round the island race which I sailed with friends on yacht Spill the Wine and attended the final night party. The next week and a half was spent back at Vuda point and it turned out to be very social with lots of friends and familiar boats around either on the water or on the hard. Every night someone seemed to be hosting dinner or pot luck and the marina bar was a great spot to sip a ‘Fiji Gold’ while watching the sunset.

Tim, an old friend from home then flew out for a couple of weeks holiday and we planned to cruise up the Yasawa group islands. On his first evening at the marina bar, after flying nearly 17,000km from Switzerland to Fiji, Tim was heard to say “I haven’t flown half way round the world to drink a litre of beer at an Octoberfest event served by a Fijian in lederhosen!”. I assured him this was a one off and he would see authentic Fiji soon. Our first stop after leaving Vuda was the anchorage at Saweni bay where some friends were anchored so I invited everyone over to Fathom for drinks. Then a day sail north to the island of Waya and anchorage off the Octopus resort where we played volleyball and watched a magnificent sunset with new friends from yacht Boisterous. The next stop was the anchorage at Blue Lagoon where we waited for a couple of days for some strong winds to blow through. The highlight was walking a path across the island and seemingly through several peoples gardens to reach a small shack on the beach known as ‘Lou’s tea house’ where we enjoyed fresh doughnuts and lemon tea served by a very nice Fijian lady.

Navigation here in Fiji is far more challenging than anywhere else i’ve sailed because the charts are so inaccurate. The Navionics electronic charts I use onboard do not show the majority of reefs so cannot be relied on. Instead the best method is to download satellite images through an app such as Ovital Map which then overlays the boats position and track. I know several boats that have kissed a reef in the last few weeks because they were relying too much on Navionics. It does make the sailing interesting round here.

with friends on Spill the Wine

swimming with Manta Rays

Manta Ray

Manta selfie

satellite image navigation

local kids on Somosomo

crystal water

crystal water

keel grab

Fathom at anchor

drinks onboard

being creative with a GoPro

Fathom at sunset

on Spill the Wine

Fathom at sunset

cruising chute

come back..

gatecrashing the Oyster World Rally

trapped at Vuda

These satellite images were really useful on the sail back south from Blue Lagoon to the island of Naviti as we weaved our way through the reefs. After anchoring off the small village of Somosomo Tim and I dinghied ashore with an offering of sevusevu (cava plant) for the village chief as a sign of respect. We were led to the chiefs house by a small boy and were met by a lady who told us to sit cross legged on the floor. A very elderly lady, aged 97, entered the room and was introduced to us as the chief. She accepted our gift of cava by clapping her hands several times and then granted us freedom to walk round the village and snorkal in the surrounding water. We then went and played a form of netball with the local kids who referred to us as Tom and Jerry. The following day we moved Fathom to the next bay and walked over the island where we swam round an old world war 2 plane that had crashed in shallow water.

Next stop was an anchorage close to Manta Bay pass, so named because if you are lucky Manta rays will be feeding and you can swim alongside them. The first day we arrived too late as the tide was slacking and only saw one Manta quite deep and swimming quickly. The next day our luck was in and we spent over an hour swimming alongside these magnificent creatures as they fed. The biggest was at least 9 foot across. Spill the Wine arrived next to us in the anchorage and Chris and Nancy, not for the first time, hosted dinner and a very enjoyable dinner onboard that evening.

Our final stop before heading back to Vuda point was Musket Cove and I managed to get a spot for Fathom right in the middle of the resort. Our arrival coincided with a get together of the Oyster World Rally and I couldn’t resist hoisting an ‘Oyster ‘ banner on Fathom. The smallest Oyster yacht is 45 foot and the largest 80 foot so the sight of my 28 footer flying the banner looked quite funny. Someone commented Fathom was the ‘pearl in a fleet of Oysters’ which was most kind. Before leaving Tim and I took a Hobie Cat out for a spin but the thing was so shot I was surprised we returned with the mast still up and the tiller attached. Exit from Musket didn’t go entirely to plan because as we let go of the stern lines to pick the bow anchor up the 25 knot stern wind pushed us onto the mud bank despite the best efforts of a man in a dinghy to pull the bow round (I had asked him to help just in case). Fathom bounced along the bottom but Tim got the anchor up just in time and I manged to motor us off before we got well and truly stuck. They say there are only two types of sailors who have never run aground. One never left port and the other was an atrocious liar.

Once Tim had headed back home I worked through some jobs in preparation for leaving Fiji. My intention had been to head south to New Zealand but after talking with several salty ol’ seadogs who had completed circumnavigations I decided that in view of continuing into SE.Asia/Indian Ocean next year it made sense to go straight to Australia. This would avoid the need to bash down south and back up again in a few months. I’ve sailed to New Zealand before and travelled round that beautiful country so i’m not missing out. I’ve really enjoyed my time in Fiji the people here are the friendliest i’ve met anywhere in the world. I would like to have visited the Lau Group but there is never enough time to see everything. The plan is to check out of Fiji tomorrow and head west to New Caledonia where I will make a quick stop before heading to the land down under.