World Cruising Club, Palauan archipelago, Tonga—World Cruising news
by David Schmidt, Sail-World Cruising Editor on 28 Aug 2014
Seventy Islands, Palau - One of several Rock Islands chains in Palau Cohen's Lab
For many cruisers, there’s a comfort to traveling the high seas with other fellow sailors who are sailing aboard their own sturdy vessels. Safety in numbers has long been a credo of human exploration and adventure, and there’s little doubt that this time-tested and wise philosophy has helped organizations such as the World Cruising Club-organizer of the famous ARC rallies for cruisers-to become popular ways to enjoy cruising.
Inside this issue, there are two reports of cruisers enjoying fine times with the World Cruising Club trips, the first in Europe with the ARC Baltic 2014, the second in Australia, where the frontrunners of the World ARC fleet have now reached Darwin.
According to reports, the ARC Baltic 2014 fleet has completed their adventure, having sailed close to 1,800 miles since July 6. The fleet started in Kiel, Germany and visited Denmark, Sweden, Estonia, Russia and Finland during their voyage, allowing skippers and crews to spend time exploring the capitol cities of Tallinn, St Petersburg, Helsinki, Stockholm and Copenhagen.
The ARC Baltic 2014 cruise ended their adventures on the small island of M?n, Denmark, which proved to be a challenging destination given the storm-tossed weather and the electrically charged atmosphere that was kicking off lightning and heavy rain during their last passage of the rally. Fortunately, there were no calamities, and the group enjoyed a final wind-blown BBQ together, before a bus tour of Copenhagen signaled their last group adventure.
Meanwhile, DownUnder, reports have emerged that the first two boats of the World ARC fleet-'Festina Lente' and 'Civetta II'-have both arrived in Darwin, Australia, with the rest of the fleet in hot pursuit of dry land and fresh food. This arrival in Darwin marks the end of a free cruising period, where World ARC sailors were able to enjoy the bounties of Australia’s east coast, including it’s fabled Great Barrier Reef, before coming together again as a group in Darwin.
Once in Darwin, the vessels are required by Australian Aquatic Biosecurity rules to undergo a Seawater Systems Treatment, which prevents the unwanted spread of alien marine species. For many sailors, this allowed for a nice meal ashore, before retiring to their moorings (monohulls at Tipperary Waters Marina, Catamarans at The Francis Bay Mooring Basin). The fleet now gets to enjoy a few days of rest and preparation in Darwin before proceeding to Bali on September 2.
Get the full reports from both the ARC Baltic 2014 and the World ARC fleets, inside this issue.
Speaking of coral reefs and the Great Barrier Reef, don’t miss the great report-inside this issue-on the amazing reef ecosystems that await cruisers in the Palauan archipelago, which is located in the Republic of Palau and is comprised of more than 250 islands. Inside, don’t miss the report on the health of these ecosystems from Hanny Rivera of Cohen’s Lab’s expedition to Palau, which is trying to understand why some of these corals are able to thrive in waters with low pH levels. According to Rivera, the expedition will cruise the archipelago aboard the 'M/V Alucia' for the next three weeks, stopping at 15 research sites.
Get the full report, inside, and be sure to also check out Rivera’s field report from Helen Reef, which is located some 70 kilometers east of Tobi Island (also in the Republic of Palau).
Also related to the South Pacific, be sure to check in with Canadian cruisers Larry and Sandy MacDonald, who have written a fine report from their charter travels to Tonga.
'Tonga’s remoteness, about 1,300 nautical miles northeast of New Zealand, may be partly responsible for the islands retaining their unspoiled beauty and timeless character,' wrote Larry McDonald. 'But for North American charter sailors, it’s a long way off: 17 hours flying time from Vancouver on three different airlines for instance. We know, we’ve been there–and would return in a heartbeat.' More, inside.
Lastly, get the latest reports on the unusual racing-related circumnavigation of Rob Date’s Reichel/Pugh-designed, 52-foot raceboat 'Scarlet Runner', check-in with the Galley Guys as they sample their way through the culinary delights of France’s Alsace region, and learn about the latest 'barnacle busting' tools and techniques from world cruisers Neil and Ley Langford.
May the four winds blow you safely home,
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