Newbie to circumnavigate Australia, looking for advice

[ChrisJHC]

Strongly recommend contacting your local club and seeing if they have an “Intro to Sailing” day. Alternatively, just talk to them about what you’re planning to do and see if they can help.

There are always skippers looking for crew, particularly at the start of the season (typically October in Aus).

Every club I’ve seen has a day pass scheme where you can sail for a number of times before you have to sign up as a member.
You can then join as a “Sailing Member” which means you’re able to sail on other people’s boats at that club.
Also gives you an Australian Sailing Number which means you can sail on other people’s boats at any club.

Re building your maintenance skills, once you’re on a boat, just let the skipper know that you’re keen to learn the maintenance side and they’ll have plenty of work for you!

If you do a Competent Crew course, ask the instructor if they can put you in touch with a local club that will suit your needs.

Then look at the RYA scheme to see what level you want to be at. You don’t need any of these but they do give you a good grounding and the courses are typically run very well.

Finally, the licences that a couple of people have mentioned are state boating licences. Not required for normal-sized yachts in Victoria but worth getting if you’re “doing a lap”.

[Winf]

Ill give it to you from my experience - which is limited.

Sailing Experience

How can I get experience in sailing before buying the boat?

I had literally none. My wife had some. We bought our 36' mono with that level of experience. Previous owner took us out for an hour or so to show us the ropes.

I watched as many youtube videos as possible and got "Sailing for Dummies" out from the library.

Everyone will tell you "never do this." We did. We screwed up a few times. We lived.

I tried to understand the basics - the fundamentals. We started easy and didn't stick our necks out.

First time we went out we didn't even put the sails up, just motored around on a perfect day, practiced anchoring had a swim and a fish. You don't need to be a hero.

- But what can I do to get more practical experience later on?


Go sailing.


- How can and where can I volunteer for the crew positions?

Yacht clubs if that's your thing. Not mine. You will find real sailors there but also a lot of armchair/dockside experts.

- Does it matter much if I'm going to be getting experience on a mono-hull boat, or it is better to get catamaran experience because mono would not be relevant?

Don't know. We bought a mono and that was what I learnt on.

- Any other advice here?

We didn't buy a boat to go sailing. We bought it to go places that not many other people can get to.

I have come to like the sailing part more though - the challenge of getting that extra ½ knot out of her, getting to know the little nuances of the boat.

One thing, that first time you hoist the sails on that perfect morning (wind just right speed and direction), shut off the engine, trim up and feel the boat moving under the power of the wind - magic. That keeps me going back.

Maintenance Experience:

From the reading and watching YouTubes, I understand how vital boat maintenance is and the ability to do repairs yourself. I am pretty good with doing car repairs myself, and I understand well how the engine, electronics, transmission, drivetrain works (on cars). On top of that, we both are very hands-on people. (We renovated our house by ourselves without hiring anyone). However:
- Is there a way to somehow get hands-on maintenance experience without owning a boat?
- Any other tips here?

Read this website. All of it.

https://marinehowto.com

Hands on - you will get plenty of experience once you get a boat, believe me. Do as much as possible on your own. Try to get to know every inch of your boat and try to understand every system as much as possible. Buy only quality tools. Don't buy elcheapo parts. Do the best work you possibly can.



The Pets:

We have 3 very small dogs. One will probably be too old to sail (he will be 15 y.o in 2025), but the other 2 will be 4 and 5 years old.
- Is it a good idea to take them with us?
- Any tips from people who sail with their doggos?

Haven't sailed with pets. I would like to have a cat but wife allergic.

The Internet:

This is a very important question for us. For work purposes, we will have to have internet everywhere while we are making the trip. Not only when we are anchored next to a town etc. We have driven from WA to NSW a few times and know that even on the land, Telstra reception doesn't exist in some part (Nullabor, for example). So, I guess the satellite is our only option? We would like to be able to send emails, remote connect to other computers and hold a few zoom meetings from the boat.
- Is that even possible?
- Can anyone point me in the right direction to do my research?
- Any other tips here?

We have a high gain antenna that plugs into our wireless internet box - much better range than without it but we do sail out of all contact. We didn't miss it when it was gone and didn't "need" to have it. What I will do next time we go on extended cruise is download content from favourite websites (mostly maintenance stuff). Satellite too costly for us.


Misc questions:

- Perhaps it's a good idea for both of us to do some sort of first aid course?

Something everyone should do in my opinion, regardless of sailing. The standard first aid courses these days have been dumbed down quite a bit though.


- What licenses do we need to hold to be able to pull this cruise off?


In WA its just a recreational skippers ticket. Try not to give the bureaucrats any other ideas!


- What insurances are good to have?

Boat insurance, public liability insurance, medical.


- Any other thing I might be missing to be better prepared?


Make sure your anchoring gear is first rate. Other than that, you are missing lots! You won't ever know it all. You will never go if think you need to know it all.



Silly questions:

Its probably very simple, but I'm very curious about how these things work. Let's say we have sailed to the Newcastle NSW area (or any other small-ish town for the sake of the exercise), and we want to spend the night here (but sleep on the boat), get some supplies and fuel.

- How does anchoring work? Do we just anchor anywhere? Do we need to pay for it?

Charts and guides will give you a good starting point for anchorages but you will get to know (and appreciate) the makings of a good anchorage. No cost for where we sail - mostly remote WA, NT and QLD.

- We take the dinghy to the shore and then plan to go to the shops. What do we do with the dinghy? How to make sure it will not get stolen or something?

Always a bit of a worry when we are in "civilised" areas. Engine is padlocked to dinghy. We have padlocked the dinghy to the dock.


- While we are away shopping or having dinner, is it safe to just leave the boat anchored somewhere? Does it often happen when something gets stolen from the boat like that?

It hasn't happened to us thank goodness but can happen. I am more worried about an anchor problem than a theft problem when away from the boat.


- Is it a good idea to have a safe in the boat to keep laptops, documents in it or is it just better to take those with you onshore?

We leave that stuff on the boat. Safe is not a bad idea I suppose but we don't have one. Again, this is part of the reason why we like "uncivilised" areas.

For what its worth.

Winf

[joelhemington]

Originally Posted by MichSn

Hello guys,

My first post on this forum with a lot of questions. I did my research but would like to get a bit more advice from all of you, experienced sailors.

A bit of info about myself:

My name is Michael, and I am 36 years old. I currently live in Sydney with the plan to moving to Melbourne around October 2021 for a year or two. I have always been very interested in sailing (read books about sailing, watched many movies) but never really got to it and have no knowledge of how to sail and no experience either.

The Plan:

After long and hard thinking about everything, me and my wife, we have decided to abandon city life in the future and go live and sail around the world, maybe occasionally returning to Australia or maybe not. The reason why we made this decision is that we both like to travel, like being outside in the bush, like diving, snorkelling, kite surfing and don't really like the city rush. We don't have kids or anything else that make us stay put. Over the last few years, we lived in Western Australia, NSW and now going to spend a few years in Melbourne.
So, the plan is to buy a 5-7 years old, 12-14meters catamaran in mid or end of 2024 and start sailing around Australia in mid-2025. Most likely starting from Sydney, going anti-clockwise for about a year. Them perhaps sail to French Polynesia for a few years, or maybe sail around Philipines.

Questions:

We want to be prepared as much as possible for the journey, and because we both lack experience with boating and sailing, I would like to get as much advice as possible.

Sailing Experience

How can I get experience in sailing before buying the boat? At the moment, I have booked 5 days of liveaboard training to get a day skipper license. It seems like a good start to get an idea about sailing, wind, boat etc.
- But what can I do to get more practical experience later on?
- How can and where can I volunteer for the crew positions?
- Does it matter much if I'm going to be getting experience on a mono-hull boat, or it is better to get catamaran experience because mono would not be relevant?
- Any other advice here?

Maintenance Experience:

From the reading and watching YouTubes, I understand how vital boat maintenance is and the ability to do repairs yourself. I am pretty good with doing car repairs myself, and I understand well how the engine, electronics, transmission, drivetrain works (on cars). On top of that, we both are very hands-on people. (We renovated our house by ourselves without hiring anyone). However:
- Is there a way to somehow get hands-on maintenance experience without owning a boat?
- Any other tips here?

The Pets:

We have 3 very small dogs. One will probably be too old to sail (he will be 15 y.o in 2025), but the other 2 will be 4 and 5 years old.
- Is it a good idea to take them with us?
- Any tips from people who sail with their doggos?

The Internet:

This is a very important question for us. For work purposes, we will have to have internet everywhere while we are making the trip. Not only when we are anchored next to a town etc. We have driven from WA to NSW a few times and know that even on the land, Telstra reception doesn't exist in some part (Nullabor, for example). So, I guess the satellite is our only option? We would like to be able to send emails, remote connect to other computers and hold a few zoom meetings from the boat.
- Is that even possible?
- Can anyone point me in the right direction to do my research?
- Any other tips here?

Misc questions:

- Perhaps it's a good idea for both of us to do some sort of first aid course?
- What licenses do we need to hold to be able to pull this cruise off?
- What insurances are good to have?
- Any other thing I might be missing to be better prepared?

Silly questions:

Its probably very simple, but I'm very curious about how these things work. Let's say we have sailed to the Newcastle NSW area (or any other small-ish town for the sake of the exercise), and we want to spend the night here (but sleep on the boat), get some supplies and fuel.

- How does anchoring work? Do we just anchor anywhere? Do we need to pay for it?
- We take the dinghy to the shore and then plan to go to the shops. What do we do with the dinghy? How to make sure it will not get stolen or something?
- While we are away shopping or having dinner, is it safe to just leave the boat anchored somewhere? Does it often happen when something gets stolen from the boat like that?
- Is it a good idea to have a safe in the boat to keep laptops, documents in it or is it just better to take those with you onshore?

I think this is it for now. I hope you had enough stamina to read the whole thing till the end, and cant wait to see your replies.

A lot of questions there so it's good you're starting early with your planning. A couple of things that stand out to me is one; the dogs can only go around OZ, Tasmania and N.Z. - once you take them anywhere else it'll be hell getting them home. As for your direction, I've always heard the East Coast is easier heading in a counterclockwise direction (south to north) Not sure about the rest of the trip once you get past Cairns.

[nepal]

How to Sail with Dogs: 100 Tips for a Pet-Friendly Voyage
by Michelle Segrest, Maik Ulmschneider
ASIN: B07V1DZ8G8

I met the authors and their dogs in Suriname. He was was running his business from his boat.Saw him a few times very nervous.

[Apollo19.5]

Couple of point to be aware of:


Had a mate with zero sailing experience do exactly what you are doing. WQe spent about 3 months teaching them to sail and transit ports on their 13.2m cat. They have been sucessfully cruising for years now. It can be done.


They had a dog and their cruising was based around having a beach to take the dog for a walk each day. National parks were out and so were overnights at the GBR. Dog has now passed and they did tell me their cruising opportunites are now much greater.


Be mindful that most insurance companies have a northern limit (Think it is Bundaberg on the east coast) where you need to be south of during cyclone season to insure full coverage at the lower rates.


Try to do learn to sail course initially as you will get solid basics in place. Then have no fear of getting an experience person (even if a paid one) to help with the buying and initial sailing processes. You can take your time with smaller day trips in the harbour or bay (if you are in Vic by then), then progress upwards over time as experience and confidence builds for you both. I personally am not a fan of relying on sailboat racing to develop your sailing skills in your situation. I have raced for decades and see all to often that newbies get used predomonately as mobile weight on gunnels. Not a great way to gain experience.


Good luck.

[picklesandjesse]

Read Desperate Voyage by John Caldwell. If you like I'll post you my copy if you return it. It's a great true story of a man trying to sail to Australia from Panama with zero experience. PM me and I'll post it today if you want. Gives you an honest idea of life at sea, he has 2 cats with him, at least for awhile!!! And a rat.
PS. I've sailed round Australia, wife was 3 months pregnant going round Cape Leeuwin too.

[Lucky Luke 1]

Have you checked out Free Range Sailing on U tube?
Aussie couple circumnavigating aussie on a very modest budget on a 30fter.

Im also in the early stages of learning how to sail and i wish you well.
We have found the local yacht club to be awesome and a free way to get a tatse of sailing and my wife did a She Sails event yesterday. 4 hours of sailing (with dolphins) for $5 including afternoon tea. So maybe check out there FB page and ask at your local club. Its important in case of an emergency that your wife is able to sail the boat.

[Djarraluda]

Living in Waterloo, you have access to the clubs either Kogarah bay or on the harbour. Try the Cruising Yacht Club at Rushcutters Bay, they do a lot of racing on Saturday in summer, Sunday in winter, just show-up at the club and ask around "anyone want crew today?" You will pick up a spot either in the short offshore boats that venture out of the harbour, or on those that just race in the harbour.
There is no license necessary here, for a sailing boat anyway, only a motor boat/PWC etc, but it is always a good idea to get some lessons as an absolute minimum. Try Eastsail at D'albora Marina next door to the CYC at Rushcutters bay, or check elsewhere. Eastsail offer comprehensive training and chartering and often race against themselves - There are many other companies doing this as well, from locations all around the place.
Key issue is get some simple early training and then get some experience crewing, then get some day/overnight chartering.
AND - Dogs/Cats not welcome in national parks throughout Aus so be warned they will limit your choices of location.
Roger

Roger

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by picklesandjesse

Read Desperate Voyage by John Caldwell. If you like I'll post you my copy if you return it. It's a great true story of a man trying to sail to Australia from Panama with zero experience. PM me and I'll post it today if you want. Gives you an honest idea of life at sea, he has 2 cats with him, at least for awhile!!! And a rat.
PS. I've sailed round Australia, wife was 3 months pregnant going round Cape Leeuwin too.

P&J, that book is a hoot... a very good read! But to call it a "true story" is a bit of a stretch, at least with respect to the somewhat amusing details. I always had my doubts, especially with respect to his consuming engine oil, and then some years after reading I came across an interview with John, in which he was quizzed about such things. He then admitted that lots of the stuff was made up, because, he said, the publisher thought the story needed some beefing up if it was to sell well.

But even with that caveat, the basic story of the voyage was apparently valid, and it shows what naivety, courage and blind luck can accomplish in our watery world!

Hope all is well on the Clarence and with your feathered friends.

Jim

[Ranger2727]

Be aware of where Sir Francis Chichester's boat was lost on the western shore of Australia. Chichester had died and the boat was to make a second round the world cruise and a navigation error ended this famous boat's life.

[Mr B]

I bought my 34 foot Cat in Fiji with Zero sailing experience,
I do have 50 years of motor boat experience, So not a boat novice,
I also have been rebuilding motors all my life, Bike, Car, Truck, Tractor, Boat.

I learnt on the boat, After a day and a half instruction from the PO,
6 weeks later, I upped the anchor and single handed it back to OZ,
Wrecked it on the way home in a violent storm that chucked me up on the beach at anchor,
I have since rebuilt my Cat with two new beefed up hulls in it, And all new systems.
My first shake down cruise in Bass Strait, Had me unexpectedly in a Gale,
It proved how capable my boat was, It was a very wild night,

I left Melbourne on a circumnavigation of OZ a month ago, Anti lockwise,
So far I have been hit with 5 gales between Yaringa in Westernport Bay and Eden,
Spent 4 days hiding from a Gale behind Gabo island,
Had a Gale rip thru here at Eden for the last two days, Im tied up to the wharfe, We still got badly battered,

Im resting here till my back heals, A huge wave came over the back of the boat and over the Bimini filling the cockpit with water, Slamming me across the cockpit and into the seat backwards, If it wasnt for the enclosed cockpit taking the brunt of the wave, I would have gone over the side in 6 metre waves, This was the night before I anchored behind Gabo Island,


A very good anchor is imperative to your survival, One that holds in all conditions,


If the boat has a motor, It needs a recreational licence to drive it in Victoria,
Thats all I have, Boat Licence,

I tried racing J boats at Sandringham Yacht club, Vic, Its a totally different experience to cruising on a Cat, I learnt Zip, Unfortunately,
In my case, Totally useless, Im a cruiser,

Utube videos of Cats sailing in bad weather, Will give you an idea on what to expect off shore,
6 miles off shore isnt far, But the wave height can be very impressive, 6 metres high can scare most people,
Its a lot different to sailing in a Millpond in an enclosed bay,

I have a Telstra Dongle for my Internet, Its a pocket sized square block that plugs into my PC at home and my RV and my Boat and gives me internet up to 12 miles offshore, Or when in reach of the towers,
I bought it for coverage in the Kimberlys, Nothing else works up there,
No phone, Internet or VHF behind Gabo Island,
No Optus at Eden, But Telstra full coverage,

I just met a bloke and his wife on a lagoon Cat at Lakes Entrance, They have a very big dog that cant swim,
They came from a house boat in the Kimberlys, Bought their lagoon in Geelong, Vic, and are sailing the Cat back to the Kimberlys,
Their boat has a fence all around to stop the dog falling off it,
Its very underpowered, It has two 9.9 outboards driving it, In a head wind, It goes backwards, One of his motors was also pulled down for repairs,
They are now in and up the Tasman Sea some where,

I also beach my Cat to do running repairs and hull cleaning,

Wish you well in your future endeavors,
We all had to start some where,

Cheers, Brian,

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by MichSn

Hello guys,

My first post on this forum with a lot of questions. I did my research but would like to get a bit more advice from all of you, experienced sailors.

A bit of info about myself:

My name is Michael, and I am 36 years old. I currently live in Sydney with the plan to moving to Melbourne around October 2021 for a year or two. I have always been very interested in sailing (read books about sailing, watched many movies) but never really got to it and have no knowledge of how to sail and no experience either.

The Plan:

After long and hard thinking about everything, me and my wife, we have decided to abandon city life in the future and go live and sail around the world, maybe occasionally returning to Australia or maybe not. The reason why we made this decision is that we both like to travel, like being outside in the bush, like diving, snorkelling, kite surfing and don't really like the city rush. We don't have kids or anything else that make us stay put. Over the last few years, we lived in Western Australia, NSW and now going to spend a few years in Melbourne.
So, the plan is to buy a 5-7 years old, 12-14meters catamaran in mid or end of 2024 and start sailing around Australia in mid-2025. Most likely starting from Sydney, going anti-clockwise for about a year. Them perhaps sail to French Polynesia for a few years, or maybe sail around Philipines.

HI, your cart is a long way in front of your horse, in part because you don't yet know if you and your good lady LIKE sailing. Basically, it is doable, in a modified form. We have some acquaintances who circumnavigated Oz in a Herreshoff 28 (a monohull ketch) with two large dogs aboard.

Don't dismiss so quickly the thoughts about a trailer sailer. In Moreton BAy (Brissie), there is the Moreton Bay Trailer Boat Club, and there is room there for members to store their trailer boats. They may not be the only such facility in Oz. A trailer sailer is the least expensive way to get into sailing, and there will be marina, insurance, and maintenance costs. All you need is an empty lot with a fence around it.

Questions:

We want to be prepared as much as possible for the journey, and because we both lack experience with boating and sailing, I would like to get as much advice as possible.

Sailing Experience

How can I get experience in sailing before buying the boat? At the moment, I have booked 5 days of liveaboard training to get a day skipper license. It seems like a good start to get an idea about sailing, wind, boat etc.

Your wife should get at least equal training.
- But what can I do to get more practical experience later on? The easiest thing is to sail as crew on low level race boats where the skippers want to train you to work all positions. This may include being rail meat, but should also include time sail handling, trimming, working foredeck and helming. Such skippers are usually not screamers, a bonus.
- How can and where can I volunteer for the crew positions? You and your wife hang out in clubs after the races and be friendly to the guys who race.
- Does it matter much if I'm going to be getting experience on a mono-hull boat, or it is better to get catamaran experience because mono would not be relevant? If you're dead set on a catamaran, there will be less opportunities through the route I suggested. Maybe join a cat owner's club if available???
- Any other advice here?

Maintenance Experience:

From the reading and watching YouTubes, I understand how vital boat maintenance is and the ability to do repairs yourself. I am pretty good with doing car repairs myself, and I understand well how the engine, electronics, transmission, drivetrain works (on cars). On top of that, we both are very hands-on people. (We renovated our house by ourselves without hiring anyone). However:
- Is there a way to somehow get hands-on maintenance experience without owning a boat? Sure, volunteer to help an older skipper by being a gofer for him or her. Learn by osmosis. Offer to help at haulout times.
- Any other tips here?

The Pets:

We have 3 very small dogs. One will probably be too old to sail (he will be 15 y.o in 2025), but the other 2 will be 4 and 5 years old.
- Is it a good idea to take them with us? If you get caught out -- as in a thunderstorm -- and one or both go overboard, and you cannot get back to them, how would you feel? That is why we have never had pets aboard, but others' mileages varies.
- Any tips from people who sail with their doggos?

The Internet:

This is a very important question for us. For work purposes, we will have to have internet everywhere while we are making the trip. Not only when we are anchored next to a town etc. We have driven from WA to NSW a few times and know that even on the land, Telstra reception doesn't exist in some part (Nullabor, for example). So, I guess the satellite is our only option? We would like to be able to send emails, remote connect to other computers and hold a few zoom meetings from the boat.
- Is that even possible? Everywhere? Probably not.
It will be particularly difficult across the Kimberley, and some places on the West Coast and FNQ as well. It's okay by cities, less so by small villages, and high gain antennas help only so much.
- Can anyone point me in the right direction to do my research?
- Any other tips here? Imo, getting on the water is the most important thing at this stage. You HAVE to find out if you both like it.(Jim and I sailed a 30 ft. mono from SF to Hawaii and return, to see if we liked ocean passages. It is a conservative approach that can stand you in good stead.

Misc questions:

- Perhaps it's a good idea for both of us to do some sort of first aid course?Yes. You might take a look at the NZ regulations for skipper training, for a guideline as to what competencies they insist on.
- What licenses do we need to hold to be able to pull this cruise off?
- What insurances are good to have? Until such time as the boat is completely paid for, the lender will insist on hull coverage.
Otherwise, marinas require third party cover for haulouts and berths.
- Any other thing I might be missing to be better prepared?Time on the water. You can self-teach. My Jim did, on a couple of different trailer sailers.

Silly questions:

Its probably very simple, but I'm very curious about how these things work. Let's say we have sailed to the Newcastle NSW area (or any other small-ish town for the sake of the exercise), and we want to spend the night here (but sleep on the boat), get some supplies and fuel.

- How does anchoring work? Do we just anchor anywhere? Do we need to pay for it?This depends on where you are, really, but for southerly wind situations, there is a place you can anchor, dinghy ashore, and walk/bus into town, taxi back with provisions, or stay with public transport.
It varies with where you go.
- We take the dinghy to the shore and then plan to go to the shops. What do we do with the dinghy? In cities, we usually chain the dinghy to something; we also have two painters, and one is quite long, we often tie to trees. How to make sure it will not get stolen or something? You can't. You be as careful as is reasonable, and hope for the best. In a marina we had someone come aboard and try to steal our outboard motor, one time; we have had the whole RIB stolen and set afire.
- While we are away shopping or having dinner, is it safe to just leave the boat anchored somewhere? Depends on the anchorage. Does it often happen when something gets stolen from the boat like that? Not often, but it can happen, of course.
- Is it a good idea to have a safe in the boat to keep laptops, documents in it or is it just better to take those with you onshore?
There is always risk in life. You would have to have a large safe, and they are very heavy and take up a lot of room. A catamaran, in particular would not like it. Sailboats are about as lockable as tissue boxes, unless one puts a lot of thought into it, and then, metal boats are more lockable than others. The only safe I've ever seen on a boat was quite small as safes go, on an aluminium monohull, and well concealed.

I think this is it for now. I hope you had enough stamina to read the whole thing till the end, and cant wait to see your replies.

Well, now, that answer took some stamina, too.

Get out on the water, guys, the rest will (or won't) follow.

Ann

[picklesandjesse]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

P&J, that book is a hoot... a very good read! But to call it a "true story" is a bit of a stretch, at least with respect to the somewhat amusing details. I always had my doubts, especially with respect to his consuming engine oil, and then some years after reading I came across an interview with John, in which he was quizzed about such things. He then admitted that lots of the stuff was made up, because, he said, the publisher thought the story needed some beefing up if it was to sell well.

But even with that caveat, the basic story of the voyage was apparently valid, and it shows what naivety, courage and blind luck can accomplish in our watery world!

Hope all is well on the Clarence and with your feathered friends.

Jim

HI Jim, yes the shark in the cockpit was fun too. But he did do it. A very determined being..... much like you guys. Clarence has had enough rain now, thank you very much.

[RaymondR]

Originally Posted by Ranger2727

Be aware of where Sir Francis Chichester's boat was lost on the western shore of Australia. Chichester had died and the boat was to make a second round the world cruise and a navigation error ended this famous boat's life.

If that was "Gypsy Moth II" I believe it was sailed onto Gabo Island by the wind vane self steering gear. Gabo Island is off the north coast of Victoria or maybe southern New South Wales on the east coast of Aistralia.

However Western Australia has it's fair share of ship wrecks.

[David B]

Originally Posted by MichSn

Hello guys,

My first post on this forum with a lot of questions. I did my research but would like to get a bit more advice from all of you, experienced sailors.

A bit of info about myself:

My name is Michael, and I am 36 years old. I currently live in Sydney with the plan to moving to Melbourne around October 2021 for a year or two. I have always been very interested in sailing (read books about sailing, watched many movies) but never really got to it and have no knowledge of how to sail and no experience either.

The Plan:

After long and hard thinking about everything, me and my wife, we have decided to abandon city life in the future and go live and sail around the world, maybe occasionally returning to Australia or maybe not. The reason why we made this decision is that we both like to travel, like being outside in the bush, like diving, snorkelling, kite surfing and don't really like the city rush. We don't have kids or anything else that make us stay put. Over the last few years, we lived in Western Australia, NSW and now going to spend a few years in Melbourne.
So, the plan is to buy a 5-7 years old, 12-14meters catamaran in mid or end of 2024 and start sailing around Australia in mid-2025. Most likely starting from Sydney, going anti-clockwise for about a year. Them perhaps sail to French Polynesia for a few years, or maybe sail around Philipines.

You have some good answers here, and good on you both for looking at taking the plunge in your younger years (many of us leave it until we are financially secure, and then wish we had started earlier .....).

The lack of experience can be addressed both by courses, but also by offering to crew in weekend racing - racing will certainly sharpen/develop your skills quickly (and while multis are certainly different to sail than a mono, the principles of sailing, rules etc remain the same). Your local yacht club is the place to start, and some are bases for training also.

Understanding you are thinking of starting in Australia, and working your way north, then on from there, give consideration also, to starting in the Med. Running a boat over there is often cheaper than Australia (sometimes by a lot), and buying a boat over there can give you a lot more boat for your Dollars. Just a thought to consider.

Happy to chat further about this on the phone if you wish.

Good luck, and good planning, whatever you decide.

David