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Sailing from Bundaberg, Australia to Port Vila, Vanuatu (Story 1)

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Sailing at Full Moon Rise in the Coral Sea

(Sailing Day 1 and 2) It’s 4 AM in the Coral Sea. I hear the waves and John’s snoring – a much better symphony than the angry, gusty seas we battled just an hour ago. That earlier sea state was way beyond my comfort level, forcing us to compromise by sailing a little downwind rather than upwind. The good news? The weather forecast predicts motoring for the next few days, so we can easily correct our course then.

Despite taking motion sickness pills, I felt utterly hopeless on the boat earlier.

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Shakedown Sail: Bundaberg Port Marina to K’gari Island

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Sunrise at Woralie Creek Anchorage, K’gari Island, Queensland, Australia

A new engine had just been installed on our boat, so we decided to do a shakedown sail to K’gari Island (pronounced “Gur-rie”), also known by its former name Fraser Island. The island boasts endless powdery white sand beaches, and its creeks and streams flow with blackish fresh water into the sea.

There are many camping areas on the beaches, and after campers leave and before new groups arrive, dingoes emerge to check for any food scraps. We walked on the beach carrying a safety stick, just in case they showed interest in us.

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Many public holidays occur in Australia during April.

Posted on by by Posted in Australia, Boat Projects

Bad Bunny’s New Bottom Paint, John also used leftover blue paint from other boat to SCARE the sharks under water!!!

Last week, most businesses were closed for four days due to Good Friday and the Easter Monday holiday. This coming Friday is ANZAC Day, which stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. It’s a day of remembrance similar to Veterans Day in other countries. As a result, this week is a three-day work week. Our mechanics and boatyard employees will be available from Tuesday to Thursday.

Our engine project is nearing completion. We are scheduled to lift the boat out of the boatyard and return it to the water on Thursday.

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How to be happy today?

Posted on by by Posted in Australia, Boat Projects

Finding happiness during our engine replacement delay has been a challenge. This morning, I asked Google Assistant for advice, and it suggested the above. (Source: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/self-help/tips-and-support/how-to-be-happier/)

I’ve discovered a peaceful escape by taking the local bus to Bundaberg. The 30-minute ride passes through beautiful farmlands, with vibrant fields and expansive blue skies. The daily bus pass is incredibly cheap, around $1 AUD. On the early morning school run, I enjoy watching the energetic children. The midday bus is a social hub for retirees, who greet each other warmly.

We’re looking forward to exploring Australia properly once the engine is fixed.

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Happy New Year 2025!

Posted on by by Posted in Australia, Greetings, South Pacific

Sugarcane Fields in Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia

The New Year has started! While most cruisers returned home, we chose to stay quiet and enjoy a peaceful holiday season in the Bundaberg Marina.

On New Year’s Day, we had the pleasure of meeting two sailors from Japan. They had sailed directly from Japan and cleared the Australian Border Force (Immigration and Customs) in Bundaberg, Australia. Their nonstop journey covered a 3,300 nautical miles and took them 29 days.

Tomorrow, they plan to sail from Bundaberg to Melbourne, covering another 1,200 nautical miles—a journey that might take around 10 days.

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Sugarcane, Macadamia Nuts, and Melon Farms in Bundaberg, Australia

Posted on by by Posted in Australia, Boat Projects, Pacific Islands

A Joey (Baby Kangaroo) in a Pouch of Mom at Cania Gorge Big4 Holiday Park, Queensland, Australia

Bundaberg resembles an inland farming town in Florida. It is summer here, with very hot and humid weather. The sun is intense, but frequent winds provide some cooling relief. We try to avoid being outdoors during the peak sunny hours.

The sugarcane fields stretch endlessly across the horizon. Cane trains run through the town, transporting the harvest from farms to sugar factories and ports. The soil here is fertile, supporting extensive macadamia nut farms, potato fields, and melon farms, which we’ve seen so far.

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Sailing from New Zealand to Australia (Part 3 – Arrived)

Posted on by by Posted in Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, Sailings, South Pacific

Tracking Map from Whangarei, New Zealand to Bundaberg, Australia (November 7 to 20, 2024)

(November 13 to 20, 2024). We arrived in Bundaberg, Australia, after sailing 1,600 nautical miles, 13 days. The last part of the journey was a bit stressful, mainly due to the wind direction coming directly from behind us. Despite this challenge, this trip was the best among our long passages.

We hardly slept during the final days but worked diligently on arrival requirements, focusing on cleaning and organizing the boat and managing food restrictions. I prepared the restricted items as follows:

–Raw rice → Cooked rice

–Ham → John ate it for breakfast,

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Sailing from New Zealand to Australia – Autopilot Problem and Engine Issue

Posted on by by Posted in Australia, Boat Projects, Boating Tips from Bad Bunny John, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, Sailings, South Pacific

Tracking Map on GPS: Green (Autopilot Driving), Red (Hand Steering while Troubleshooting), Yellow (More Hand Steering during Diagnosis), Blue (Hove-To = Boat In Park)

(Written by John) Famous last words ” I have an idea, let me try this”

During my normal watch period of 8 until 2 I decided to try and manual steer the boat for an experiment to see if we could get more downwind performance. I turned the autopilot off and tried to manually steer us downwind while easing off the Genoa sheet and letting it billow out in front of the boat.

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Sailing from New Zealand to Australia (Part 2)

Posted on by by Posted in Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, Sailings, South Pacific

My Best Friend “Auto Pilot” Navigating in the Coral Sea

(November 9 to 13, 2024) “The Coral Sea is the body of water east of the Great Barrier Reef, bounded by Papua New Guinea to the north, the Tasman Front to the south, and the west Pacific island chains of the Solomons, Vanuatu and New Caledonia to the east.” (Source: https://eatlas.org.au)

We’ve been sailing in the Coral Sea, currently about 300 miles south of New Caledonia.”

Our total sailing distance over the past six days is about 750 nautical miles (nms),

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