Wanderlust 3 Sailing AdventureTheSailingChannel.TV brings you Wanderlust 3's year-long circumnavigation with skipper Mike Harker. Mike is sailing aboard a brand new Hunter 49 tricked out with the full range of modern electronics and cruising gear. Mike departed in March 2007 from the Miami Sailboat Show. Sail with Mike on an adventure of a lifetime by subscribing to Wanderlust3's photo blog and video podcasts here on TSCtv. Monday, July 2, 2007South Pacific: Sailing to Sydney, Ausralia
 I have left American Samoa heading for Sydney, Australia. I will stop one day in Portr Vila Vanuatu to pick up a friend who will be my crew for the next leg to Sydney. Mike Harker. 
posted by Wanderlust @ 7/02/2007 07:13:00 PM
4 Comments
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4 Comments:
Mike,
Re weather, I am doing some research for you. I think you will have a good run across the Coral Sea to Australia.
Kit is a great guy; a big strapping young lad who paddles ocean kayaks and owns a Hunter 38 here in Sydney. He will be good company.
I have another possible crew for you who will let me know mid next week.
Matt
After leaving Samoa - if you can lay Tanna which is the 2nd most sth
island in Vanuatu it would be good. You go to Port Resolution Bay and they drive you around the other side of the island to clear in. It's one of the nicest places in the Pacific, and has an extremely active volvcano and lots of boiling hot springs around the bay.
From Tanna, you can clear in at Lifou or go straight thru to New Cal. New Cal is nice - you clear in at bay de Moiselle.
From New Cal to Lord Howe is about 680 nmiles. You can actually get
permission to leave from Isle De Pines. If you are concerned about the next leg, I would contact Bob McDavitt in new Zealand who is the weather guru and ask him when is the best time to leave.
If you arrive at Lord Howe at long tide, go to the southern anchorage
and then if your draft is no more than 7 and a 1/2 feet - you can get
into the inner lagoon, middle anchorage behind Rabbit island.
The north entrance is easy to come in but when the tide changes, the current puts you side on the the swell which makes it uncomfortable. The moorings are
very very secure. You clear in at Lord Howe for the mainland.
After Lord Howe, try to lay Sydney but you can stop at Port stephens,
Newcastle, etc.
Have a good trip and let me know if there is any other info you need.
Regards,
Kel
Matt,
The route that you friend Kel suggests was about my original plan. You convinced me to stay north of New Caledonia and come into the Australian current off of Brisbane heading sout to clear in at Coffs Harbor.
Looking at the weather, I only have grib files, it shows a lot of difficult weather over the last weeks near Lord Howe and south of New Caledonia.
I think I will still plan to arrive at Port Vila as my first stop. It is a straight downwind then broad reach from here. I can always head south from there and stay south of new Caledonia or stay north of NC and head south after passing new Caledonia but before the reefs.
How is it coming down the coast from about Brisbane south? It looks different every time I look a the grib files. I guess I will just have to make a decision when the time comes.
First stop, Port Vila, then we'll have a look at what weather is predicted.
Mike
Mike,
Excellent plan and I know what you mean with the weather.
If you happened to be off the NSW Coast in the last couple of weeks
especially the patch of ocean between Lord Howe and Sydney, you would not be comfortable in 40 knots plus of wind. But that is unusual weather. Plus you can avoid it by staying north if an East Coast low forms hence avoiding Lord Howe. I feel we are now heading for a stable weather pattern which is normal this time of year with big stable highs
with trades in northern latitudes and land breezes further south. You
will get some west wind which is handy to use when heading south. If you have south wind then head west. You probably know all this.
Sorry to confuse you about the Lord Howe entry point which I think is a good plan but bearing in mind the possible bad weather you may choose to get as west as possible if the wind is south, get in to the Southerly bound East Australian Coast Current and possible north westerly winds
and make for Coffs Harbour which is still 300 miles north of Sydney.
I will get on to my man at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology and seek his advice closer to the time. I will ask him to do some weather routing for you. His name is Ken Batt and he does the Sydney to Hobart weather briefing and a good sailor. As you say closer to the time you can decide
based on forecasts.
My good mate Tim Straatmans owner of a new Hunter 45CC is also keen and will let me know mid to late next week if he will be joining you along with Kit in Port Vila.
Matt
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