The last hurrah: A bit late in getting it on the blog but better than never
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Vanuatu to Brisbane via New Caledonia (with an aside) Drug scuttlebutt in Vanuatu The last bit of excitement in Port Vila was news of a huge drug haul. Customs in Australia flew officers to assist their Vanuatuan counterparts find a haul buried in the keel of a cruising boat that had been left in the boat yard at Port Vila. The cocaine was worth, we were told, 13 million dollars. It was the talk of the town and there was much speculation that in future all yachts would be subjected to stringent searches on arrival to Vanuatu.
The story as told to us by a local goes a bit like this: A yacht pulled into Port Vila some time ago and the captain and crew arrested. A tip-off had come from Australian officials who had been monitoring the yacht all the way from South America. The Vanuatu customs did a thorough search of the boat on arrival but found nothing, so they released the captain and crew who promptly disappeared. The boat sat in the boat yard for a year or so accumulating debts, so the boatyard owner applied to the court to have ownership of the yacht transferred to him so it could be sold and he recover some of his boatyard costs. This was duly granted and subsequently the boat went on the market. It sat and sat for many months – no takers. Then a prospective purchaser paid a deposit on the boat and was about to complete the transaction when Australian customs returned to Port Villa, impounded the boat again and embarked on another massive search. Eventually, Eureka! The keel which, to all purposes was a lead and concrete affair, was drilled into and below six inches of concrete was white powder – pure cocaine. The keel was jack-hammered out and the cocaine recovered. 13 million dollars of white powder; a record haul for both Vanuatu and Australian customs we were told. The unfortunate sequel to this was that the local authorities, now having mud on their face for missing the drugs in the first place, went hunting for a scapegoat and arrested the boat yard owner, freezing his assets and bank accounts (including the purchasers deposit) alleging he was somehow involved. As we left Port Vila this issue was unresolved and we really felt for the boat yard owner (an ex South African who had been in the country many years and had taken citizenship) as we had met him socially on several occasions and came to like him. Port Vila to New Caledonia – initial excitement We informed Australian customs we were on our way as per their requirements and had their confirmation of message by email. The tone of their emails was very positive and courteous, very different from the yachtie scuttlebutt that surrounded entry into Australia and caused many yachts not to include Oz in their travel plans. We set out from Port Vila Vanuatu in boisterous conditions, 20 to 25 knots from the SE. As we departed we heard a mayday on the VHF radio. It was a French yacht that had a broken engine and torn mainsail; the skipper was very agitated. We and another Australian yacht managed to calm the excitable sailor and persuaded him to continue tacking the 3 or 4 miles into the bay with his small jib which was undamaged. Other yachts stood by to assist him once he reached the anchoring area, and as we sailed off over the horizon we were glad to hear he had reached a safe haven without incident. We had a fast but bumpy trip for the first two days, with overcast conditions and occasional rain; we were glad to reach the pass at the South end of New Caledonia with a fair tide. It was too late to get to Noumea in daylight, so we tucked into a small bay for the night and picked up a mooring (laid by the New Caledonian government to protect the sea-bed) .
The following morning we set off for Noumea and had a lovely gentle sail under the big genoa. With clearing skies we anchored off the mooring field in the main harbour near the naval base. We had a very pleasant evening with our sundowners watching the afternoon racing; it was a sizeable local fleet.
The next morning, on the spur of the moment we changed our minds and decided not to officially clear into New Caledonia, but instead head for home. The supposedly lovely Isles of Pines could wait for another time; our home, family and friends lay almost within spitting distance it seemed. A bit like the horse which makes the home paddock and sniffs the stable and a nice bed of hay, then sets of at a gallop regardless of the rider’s intentions. The last hurrah and Neptune’s revenge Setting off on the 12 September for the final leg of our circumnavigation, we were given a challenge by Neptune who determined our testing was not yet over. The wind went from strong to fluky, then from every which way, forcing us south of our rhum line to the top of Moreton bay. Any current we experienced was foul. On the afternoon of the 16th we saw, and were contacted by, a large fishing boat called Straight Shooter. He was laying a “long line” and spotted us on his AIS. He called to warn us and sure enough we picked up the end marker buoy that night on the radar and sailed some distance north to avoid it. We did not want a steel line wrapped around our prop or rudder at this stage of the game! Still being forced south by a strong foul current and contrary winds we wondered if we would be forced to go to Coffs Harbour. But at 0200 on the 17th the wind shifted a touch and we were able to set a course for the top end of Moreton Bay. Yet there was more to come! The wind steadily increased to gale force and at one stage was blasting through at a steady 47 knots. With a triple reefed main and reefed staysail we continued to make way but conditions were less than comfortable as wanted to hold our course to windward. During the night a large motor yacht powered past and called us up to say hello; they were doing 8 knots compared to our 5, and heading for Brisbane. A lot of water was coursing over their decks but they were in a hurry! More of them later. 100 miles out we were still in a full gale, experiencing winds >35 knots and a series of ear-splitting thunderstorms. Not much fun. Large waves poured over the bow but our friend Hughie the Hydrovane did not miss a trick and we stayed snug and dry in the pilot house. Thankfully, by 0700 am the next day the system had passed and we had clear skies and a lovely morning as headed towards Caloundra and the main shipping channel.
Checking into Australia We sailed gently across Moreton Bay to the mouth of the Brisbane river at 1700 on 18th September. Here we were forced to tack back and forth until a pantek freighter (the largest commercial ship able to pass through the Panama Canal) had cleared the channel. As he went past the(Australian) captain called us (and the Brisbane Port Office)and said how wonderful it was to have an Australian sailing ship called True Blue returning home after 10 years, sailing into Brisbane; it brought tears to his eyes. He was so complimentary, nationalistic and effusive, it was a bit embarrassing.
By now it was getting dark and we still had a way to go to Rivergate Marina in Brisbane city centre to check in to Australia. As we motored up-stream we were contacted by customs on VHF 16 who said they would meet us on the dock (they obviously had picked up our AIS signal). It was 1930 by the time we got to where the Marina was supposed to be, but we could not see the quarantine dock as it was pitch black and there many confusing lights all along the bank. Customs were there however, and waved us in with their torches. There has been so much adverse publicity out in the yachting community about arrival procedures in Australia we wondered what to expect. But the attitude and behaviour of the two customs officials who came aboard was exemplary; welcoming , courteous and very friendly. They finished their paperwork and inspection within an hour and we sat and chatted for several hours after about their work, the Vanuatu drug haul and our circumnavigation. One of the custom officer’s first comments on coming aboard was “your boat is dry down below how come?” Somewhat non-plussed, the skipper replied “Yes, True Blue 1 is dry – we don’t do wet, why do you ask?”. It then transpired that the motorboat that passed us in the gale at 8 knots had come in earlier that day and had a foot of water through her; leaks in various places and an unsecured port made for a watery and expensive disaster. Only one hurdle left to go and then we are officially back in Oz; AQIS! Suzie had had many contacts with the Australian Quarantine Service prior to our arrival so we had a good idea about what to expect. We had cleaned every locker in Vanuatu and sprayed them several times to ensure no bugs or signs thereof. We emptied most lockers into bags and placed them on deck early in the morning so the officials might inspect easily; even so we were surprised when at 06 30 am there was knock on the hull and the officials arrived. It all went like clockwork. Two inspectors came aboard, familiar with True Blue because of Suzie’s discussions earlier last year and her email correspondence. They too were welcoming, courteous, thorough and a delight to have aboard. They found nothing untoward excepting one dead ant which lay in a state of rigor mortis on a port scupper; with glee the officials placed it ceremonially in a specimen bottle. As with the customs folk, we chatted a great deal, paid less in fees than in Fiji or Vanuatu, and had a good yarn over a cup of coffee. What a wonderful reception to Australia! The homecoming at Russell Island On the 21st September we set sail for Russell Island, anchoring quietly at Canaipa Point for the night to time our arrival at our mooring with the midday rising tide.
As we furled the genoa and turned the last corner, our throats were choked .....friends had decked our home with flags and bunting, a ‘welcome home’ banner was posted and flowers were blooming in our garden. Our dear friend Lennie fetched us in his dinghy from our mooring; no need to launch ours; we stepped ashore into our garden and saw our dining room table was dressed for a party and laden with food. Throughout the afternoon folk arrived in numbers bearing vitals and we partied well into the night.
It was wonderful to be home. True Blue had returned after 10 years and 6 months, with 30,000 miles under her belt. Remembering Nancy’s words some year ago when True Blue 1 and Blackwattle set off together for distant horizons, we have discovered for ourselves that the world really is ‘round’. What now? It’s now time for new and different adventures. True Blue I is looking pristine, she has been repainted, re rigged, and surveyed (everything is tip top) and she is waiting in Manly for a new owner to love her and take her once again on a voyage of discovery. As Robin approaches the next decade ending with an 0, (not 60, not 80) we feel ocean passages must be a thing of the past; we have survived the tsunami in Thailand, pirates in the Indian Ocean, several gales, and come out with barely a scrape. We have been so incredibly lucky in our adventures. To all the folk we have met on our travels, to all the people in far flung places who have offered us friendship and hospitality, we thank you sincerely for making the voyage the great adventure it has been. Please keep in touch. But most of all we thank the good ship True Blue 1 for taking us safely around the world in fair and sometimes very foul conditions – she has proven to be a wonderful ‘floating cloud’ across the oceans of the world. Post Script As this final chapter goes to our blog, we say good bye to True Blue 1. She has been sold and her new owners are taking her to Southport, her original port of registry. Although we are sad to see her go, we are happy she has gone to folk who are excited about the prospect of enjoying new adventures with her on the high seas.
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