The day for repairing the forestay and the winch We explored and attempted some more underwater shots. Less than a metre from shore and this is what you can find. Sunset

The monthly supply ship arrived. With the water depth too shallow and the danger of running upon coral, the ship anchors within the channel just inside the opening. The barge is towed by the blue boat just to the right and berthed alongside, whereby the supplies are unloaded.

Winds are up to 20 knots this morning, blowing the cloud cover and rains away. We are waiting – Bob impatiently so – for the winds to lighten so as we can motor over to the jetty to carry out repairs. He headed up the mast to make modifications in order for the twins to […]

More cruisers had arrived during the past few days. After meeting a couple and their crew on an expensive new European luxury Beneteau yacht, Bob felt better about the breakdowns. They had a myriad of failures which included stainless fittings coming off the mast head, broken winches, failed electrics and even hull delamination after a […]

Bob had a try at spear fishing with no success.

07:40 Cocos Keeling was sighted. A burst of excitement and expectation surged through us. Two hours later, having meandered through the reefs of coral, we were at last anchored only metres from shore in the most idyllic of places as five harmless two foot long Black Tipped Reef Sharks and the largest pelagic fish we […]

How different could two days be!!! It was an awakening to 8 knots of breeze and 77nm miles remaining: dead seabirds laying upon the sea’s surface avid reminders of yesterday’s tempest. So near, yet so far, Good old Murphy was at it again. No wind saw Gratis wallowing as she loped through the glassy oil […]

What a night!!! Pummelled by squalls racing in from left right and centre, bringing with them gusts of up to 36 knots. Neptune attempted to throw his best at us as his seas continued to build, and belongings crashed and rattled, whilst cracks as loud as Thor’s almighty roar reverberated throughout the yacht. Little sleep […]

0800, 305.5nm remaining of the journey: a Tuesday morning arrival was imminent at this stage. Seas were still 1½ – 2 metres, with minute amounts of white foam atop in places. In order to make the ride smoother, Bob altered the course to a heading of SW across the southerly swells, thereby placing the SE […]

A week since our departure from Carnarvon: how the time had flown. A cold front that passed by down south caused the winds to freshen and become southerly. This increase in wind speed, enabled the sails to fully fill, thereby providing us with not only a faster sail but a much smoother ride inside Gratis. […]

Awaking for my 3am shift, Bob informed me the bowed starboard whisker pole (the one bent on the first night out) had become a boomerang. Almost disbelieving, I turned on the floodlights and peered out. It surely was!!!!! As a result of the colossal pressure now being exerted upon it, we furled the Gennie, unhitched […]

The wind died by 5 knots: seemingly not a lot, but enough to cause yet another sail change! Grrrrrrr………!!! I received a bit of a shock on peering out the starboard pilot house window this particular morning. Roughly a mile from us, in between the swells was a 200 metre long oil tanker quietly sliding […]

Barometer 1017, temperature 25 degrees, we were officially over the 20 degree line. 778 nm covered, 450 remaining!! An uneventful day’s sail.

08:40 and we were now parallel with North West Cape, Australia. As a rain squall passed across the bow some distance ahead, Bob steered a course to the west in order to avoid confrontation. The sea temperature had risen to 25.5 degrees: what a difference to the 17 degrees in Carnarvon. With the warmer air, […]

Farewell sun! Grey overcast skies greeted us this particular morning. Clouds drifted lazily across the heavens, seemingly only metres off the waters. This was a day of watching for squalls and waiting for the predicted wind shift, whilst the Cuvier Basin was traversed. Another day of drama, although not to do with Gratis. The first […]

122nm covered, morning now upon us, down came the twins and into the bag they were stowed. With only one good 6.5m pole we could no longer fly them. It was time to reorganise the sail set up. Although slightly bent, Bob decided the starboard twin’s pole would still be fine for holding the smaller […]

05:20, we arose to tranquil waters, a 15 knot breeze and the chill air of winter brushing our rosy warm cheeks. After long months of final preparation, that long awaited day had arrived: Cocos, here we come!!!!! Last minute chores completed, many of our Carnarvon friends visited for a last minute natter: there was no […]