Editor: Alistair Rowe, Sailing Captain
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Introduction

Welcome to our first online newsletter: with many of our boats still away cruising and or racing over the winter we have some excellent cruising articles providing an update of their experiences. Thanks to all of our wonderful sailors for your stories about life on the water.

Many of the boats in the club have interesting histories, Hayden Skelton’s International 5.5m “Crest” was winner of the Winter Afternoon “Jelly Beans” series; an article on Crest is included with the next newsletter there will be an article on Tharwa, John Bell’s timber boat project.

Racing Update

Wednesday Twilight and Sunday summer series sailing is underway, information (start times, results) on each series is available on the RMYC PH web site as follows;

  • Summer Twilights - Sponsored by Macquart Marine
  • Short Haul Series - Sponsored by Ian Short Sails and Foreshore Painting
  • Short Ocean Series - Sponsored by ASX2

We had a successful trip on marri nuwi exploring Southern Queensland waters; strong westerlies in July made for a fast (5day) delivery up to the Gold Coast, with the return trip in mid-September completed in only 3 days/ nights prior to a strong southerly which was forecasted.

Upcoming events

  • Shell Cove Weekend- Saturday 9th & Sunday 10th November – contact Jarrod – (0479152235) for details.
  • Cruising South Queensland talk- Alistair Rowe & Alison Parkes – Tuesday 12th November, 7pm.
  • Audley Cruise- 14th & 15th December – contact Peter Corbett (0402330330) for details.
  • Twilights - Christmas party – 18th December- contact Tim Dodds (041864855) for details.

The long road to, and from, Hamilton Island Race Week

David Newton-YKnot
I once said that the journey to Hamilton Island for the annual Hamilton Island Race Week competition, in late August, was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Well, now we’ve done it five times, I have to say it’s always an adventure that’s both dynamic, challenging and hugely rewarding.

With two owners of YKNOT Graeme and I are lucky to be able to share the delivery and return responsibilities and have a great crew list to draw upon for help but I can safely say that while we have a solid plan, to get us there and back, things NEVER go to plan. Weather, repairs, tangled fishing nets, illness, bad luck, sand bars, tides and of course time are all major factors in a journey of approximately 1,080 nautical miles (2,000km) each way from Port Hacking to Hamilton Island but each and every challenge is worth the price of this epic journey that even the most inexperienced sailors can enjoy safely with a little planning.

This year’s journey started with Graeme heading north mid July ‘24 after a few days delay due to rough weather. Once you set out there is no turning back so you might as well make sure you get a good start. The track north along the NSW coast is beautiful albeit a little devoid of marinas or protected anchorages for that matter for a boat that is 14.4m long and more importantly 2.25m deep in the water. This draft, while not as deep as some yachts, is a factor that does restrict your anchorage options and in particular what time you enter a safe harbour or cross a coastal bar. The job of calculating a passage based on suitable tides is a very necessary process that needs to be updated enroute should there be any delays.

Luckily there are a few great software apps, along with the obligatory excel spreadsheet, that make the passage planning process a whole lot easier and quicker.

Essential to this sort of trip are:<

  1. Garmin/Navionics Boating App (approx $80pa)
  2. Tides App (Free)
  3. PredictWind App (Free or pro subscription)
  4. Marine Traffic (Free or pro subscription)

We generally try to cover 60 to 110nm per day but as mentioned this is subject availability of safe anchorage. Our average cruising speed is 7 knots per hour but we will get up to 10 knots at times Our scheduled stops headed north are (with distance between)

    1. Port Stephens (105nm)
    2. Port Macquarrie (89nm, very tide dependant)
    3. Coffs Harbour (66nm)
    4. Yamba (57nm, very tide dependant bar crossing)
    5. Gold Coast (100nm)
    6. Mooloolaba (87nm)
    7. Double Island Point, Wide Bar Crossing (58nm)
    8. Kingfisher Resort, Fraser Island (45nm, very tidal and all very shallow)

  1. Bundaberg (54nm)
  2. The Princess Leg (427nm)

The Princess Leg, as we call it, from Bundaberg to Hamilton Island is really the jewel of the crown of the trip with various routes, islands, coral quays, bays, marinas and resorts (both running and abandoned) to explore along the way.

When I originally asked someone how long does this section take they told me “As long as you’ve got” but we tend to allow 2 weeks for sailing and enjoying this spectacular section of The Great Barrier Reef with the highlights being Lady Musgrave Island, The Percy “Hilton” on Middle Percy Island and Happy Bay, Long Island.
This region has literally filled books on what to see and do so take your time if you can.

Our journey home this year has had some setbacks and delays too so currently YKNOT is taking a break in Mooloolaba before we complete the run down the coast in mid-November. Let us know if you’re up for an adventure?

David

Our New Cruising Adventure - Achtung Baby

Lisa Jude

 

“Since leaving Port Hacking (PH) on 22 July, Andy, myself and our two dogs Gracie and Red have travelled 2,322 miles, anchored in 56 anchorages and stayed in one marina berth (for my birthday).

Getting to know our beautiful sailboat Achtung Baby, learning to live in close quarters with 2 dogs and having only 26 days to get to Hamilton Island for race week with Y-Knot meant a hectic start. It involved many overnight passages with just the two of us onboard, our longest over 200 miles from Kingfisher Resort in the Great Sandy Straight to Great Keppel Island.

We met up with other PH boats - Alistair and Alison from marri nuwi in Raby Bay; we had Greg from BrandX spurring us onwards from Coffs Harbour to Keppel Island; and finally meeting Richard from Etre Jeune and Dave from Y-knot in Happy Bay in the Whitsundays two days before race start was a welcome relief accompanied by a great BBQ reunion aboard Etre Jeune.

Dave and Graham then got us ready for race week with spinnaker practice on Y-knot before an idyllic week of racing with our lovely hilarious crew mates at Hamilton Island. Andy was on the bow with Richard and Dave, and I was in the pit with Gary, Mark, Richard and Shane. We had good results, earning Dave and Graham a podium in one race. Then a rush up to Magnetic Island for another successful race week resulting in equal first points (but second overall on countback) for the series.

Our return leg has been much cruiser then the outbound journey, but Magnetic Island was definitely one of our favourite places to visit and is the furthest north we ventured.

A few shark sightings aside, the island is dog friendly, has great beaches, transport, pubs and restaurants and best of all the island has lots of walking trails. On one walk we saw historic WW2 sites and four koalas including a joey.
Other amazing stopovers were Goldsmith Island, Newry Islands, Hunter Island, Port Clinton and Lady Musgrave Island. We are currently 600 miles from Port Hacking and expect to be home in about a month… maybe! Happy sailing
Lisa and Andrew

‘Port Douglas and back’– Etre Jeune

Richard Stock

After competing at Sail Port Stephen’s regatta, I began solo sailing northward, on around 26th April”. Some of the highlights of the trip were cruising, race crewing at Hamilton Island & Magnetic Island race weeks on Knot and meeting up with my partner at Hamo in June and later on, in September in Cairn’s. 

My most northerly destination was Cape Tribulation, with the boat moored at Port Douglas”

The trip has been mainly a solo sailing adventure primarily, but my brother Bernard joined in from Brisbane to Gladstone via Lady Musgrave Island. On the return from Cairn’s my middle Son, Damon has joined me and is loving the trip past Hinchinbrook, Orpheus and will get off at Magnetic Isle for a flight ex Townsville.

I really enjoyed the camaraderie and fun sailing Yknot at Hamo and Magnetic Island race weeks, great to also sail with Lisa and Andrew; Maggie event held a special affection with a commendable result for David and Graeme.

The best anchorages were the most difficult places to get to, but hold a special memory, Lady Musgrave Island and recently Zoe Bay on Hinchinbrook are memorable,my return to Port Hacking will likely be early December, I'll get skinned from my dearest if I don’t get some Xmas prep done! Currently expecting to be in Brisbane early November, and may get a haul out at either Bundaberg or Boatworks!
More to come as the trip unfolds, Richard

North Queensland cruising- Amazing Grace


Bruce Munro
Amazing Grace left Port Hacking in mid-May with good crew coast hopping for about 3 weeks to Roslyn Bay. From Roslyn Bay I sailed solo through to the Whitsundays. Our plan was to spend about 5 weeks around the islands then head north to Cairns.

Sadly, Nanna passed away, so we parked Gracie at Port of Airlie and headed home.

After a couple of weeks, we were back on the boat, catching up with several crews sailing in Hamilton Is Race Week.

Can't beat pies on the dock

Yknot, Brand X, and Richard on Etre Jeune, Richard and I spent a few days exploring and enjoying meals together. The best anchorages on this trip have been, Thomas Islands, Butterfly Bay,and I enjoyed the Newry’s as I headed home. Sailing solo from Airlie to Mooloolaba!

It was soon time to head south, but the weather is not great!

The weather had been poor and, on the nose, so I am home but Amazing Grace is still in Coffs Harbour!

Best Regards,
Bruce

Wildflowers October 2024 – A slice of Heaven

by Peter Corbett
Port Hacking Cruising October event
I’ve often found that life’s ‘little surprises’ tend to be unexpected and mostly unpleasant.
How refreshing then to be suddenly struck in awe with the beauty of something that you never knew was there and even more surprisingly, it had been at your doorstep all this time.
I’d been assigned the illustrious task of organising this event, albeit with most of the help coming from you know who.
Suitably attired with tenders, lovingly packed picnic hampers stowed with a selective range of various delicious beverages at hand and we were off! Leading people to a place I’d never been before, betraying a suitable manner of calm disposition, I became a frenzied iPhone camera button pushing tourist.
The expansive bay we anchored in, curls into a shoreline bordered with an abundance of bright green mangroves. Moments later, we are idling up into shallow calm waters of purest crystal. The westerly winds pulsed to a slow respiratory rhythmic wave of a sleeping giant.
Enclosed from all sides by the National Park, instantly you’re away from the world, a palpable calm serenity envelops you.
Mysterious and meandering, the waters shimmer to a warm copper glow.
This hidden oasis is bordered with curiously constructed precipitous perpendicular cliffs, unbroken vertical ledges of stone towering aloft. The opposing river bank is a canopy of olive green and grey
eucalypts erupting through the undulating elevations. Gentle sloped clearings appear to invite you to their sandy shore meeting patches of what appears to be finely manicured lawn. The wading shallows are peppered with shoal smooth stone..
It’s a revelation! In short, this is one of the best ‘wholesome’ things I’ve done in ages. So guess what…I’m going to it again next year!! I hope you can too!

RMYC-Port Hacking Sailing Members’ Boats

Crest Barrenjoey 5.5 - Haydn Skelton
Crest was designed by AE (Bill) Luders, from Stamford Connecticut. Other Luders boats of note were Australia's first yachting Olympic gold, and American Eagle a 12-metre yacht which Ted Turner won the Hobart race.
Crest was built by Lars Halvorsen sons in Sydney and launched in January 1967.
The boat was raced immediately by Carl Halvorsen with great success, winning the Australian championship in that year on Botany Bay. Carl campaigned the boat in '68, '69 in Australia and Europe, competing in the 1969 world championships in Sandham, Sweden on the Baltic Sea, and then returned to Sydney.
The boat was then chartered by HRH Crown Prince Harald of Norway for the 1970 world championship in Palm Beach Sydney and sailed by HRH extensively until 1973 on his visits here, when the boat was sold to make way for Carl's 2nd 5.5 Skagerak. (Design:Luders, Build:Halvorsen) Crest was acquired by the Skelton Family in 1984 and brought to Port Hacking from the Harbour.
Crest and Skagerak are still actively racing up and down the Sydney coast from Broken Bay to Port Hacking and Port Jackson.
HRH the Crown Prince is the current King of Norway. The Skelton family has in its possession significant items of provenance including original newspaper articles, photographs  and trophies gifted to them by the late Carl Halvorsen who remained a family friend till his passing in 2014. Contact Hayden if you would like further information.