The Final Ocean Passage

15th- 21st October 2022

So here we were staring down the barrel of what would be the very last ocean crossing of our 16 year & 183 day circumnavigation.

On reflection it was hard to come to grips with the fact that we've been away for so long and even harder to imagine a life going forward without cruising. Salt water is most definitely in our veins.

Having topped up our two fuel tanks and seven jerry cans with  570 L of duty free fuel as well as a quick last minute shopping trip for the bare minimum of supplies to get us to Oz, (not much point having too much and then having Australian Border Force take it off us once we arrive in Bundaberg), we were ready to go.

Goodbye Noumea

Our last night in New Caledonia was spent anchored off the small island of ILE NGE also known as ILE Laregnere. This was the same place that we’d waved goodbye to our Kiwi friends from S/V Otama a couple of weeks earlier. Tomorrow it would be our turn but there would be no one waving.

We enjoyed our last anchorage in this island nation sitting up on the foredeck while mother nature put on a beautiful sunset complete with the fabled Green Flash.

Sunset at our last anchorage

At 0630 on October 16th our anchor chain rattled its way into the chain locker and the clunk of the anchor snugly settling onto the bow roller let us know that we were away.

Quietly we slipped out of the anchorage with our usual finale song playing, "Time To Say Goodbye".  Next stop Bundaberg Marina QLD, 760nm to the west.

With a full main hoisted and a light breeze of 8 kts from the SE we motored through the Dumbea Pass and out into the Coral Sea. Australia here we come.

Time to hit the road

From day one the wind gods had already made their decision about this final passage for us.

They deemed that there would be no gear breakages and also no viable winds for true sailing, Clearly they wanted both GWTW and her crew of two to get to our destination in one piece. So instead of the fast sailing we’re used to we had cold starry nights and beautiful sunsets with the icing on the cake being more green flashes. Oh and dare I forget the thump of one of our trusty Yanmar engines.

Every day and night was the same as the previous as we alternated between engines and mainsail or genoa. The daily mantra of “no fish were hurt today” was of great disappointment to Liam.

Our only voice contact with the outside world was checking in each morning and evening with Gulf Harbour Radio based in NZ on our HF (high frequency) radio net. We’d seen a couple of planes and two or three passing ships but no other yachts.

Then on the early hours of day three the breeze came up. We were100nm west of the Kelso Seamount which had to be avoided and at last the engine was turned off’, “ahh the sound of silence,”  it was music to our ears. Even the heavens must have been thankful as a shooting star was sent our way to celebrate the occasion as we glided along under the stars with a full mainsail and genoa.

By1030 that morning the wind was gusting 21 kts. It was time to put a reef in the mainsail and roll in half of the genoa. Boat speed read 9.8kts and climbing, with the sky starting to look overcast and stormy and the seas became increasingly lumpy. By later that evening the second reef was pulled in as the winds remained constant and the seas were now up to 2 meters and quite rough.

Day five saw the wind shift from the southeast to east which was dead behind and not a good angle of sail (aka known as shit),for any catamaran. Our distance to run was now just a piddly138nm to go…Put the bubbly in the fridge!

As we closed the gap between us and the coast the heavens opened and down came the rain. With the shipping lanes creeping ever closer we were glad we had radar on board to spot the rain squalls and approaching ships.

The wind once again shifted. This time to the north east nudging 20+ kts at times, but even so we hoisted our mainsail fully up with a half genoa up front.

It was sleigh ride time and we could smell and see the finish line.

GWTW stretched her legs for one last gallop. She was heading to the barn.

Tears flowed at O555 on the 21st of October as we crossed our outbound track from way back in 2006. Our anchor rattled its way down into the muddy waters of the Bundaberg River and we waited for instructions to berth on the quarantine dock at the marina

                                                           It was over, we’d done it.

                                                We have sailed around planet earth.

Tied up to the Quarantine Dock next to fellow Aussie cruisers Eye Candy

But our journey isn’t officially over until we sail back in through Sydney Heads so stay tuned.

Meanwhile here in Bundaberg the Down Under Rally welcome party would be starting in a few days time and that should be an absolute hoot.

Follow us on our tracker at :

https://aus-share.inreach.garmin.com/GoneWithTheWind

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