Home!
Chaotic Harmony is home! We made it!
Our official entry into Australia was done at anchor in Trinity Inlet. Quarantine and Customs visited the boat to go through the formalities. It was a smooth, efficient and friendly experience. We have to fly our Cat, Tusca, the Sydney in a few days for Quarantine for a month so we will remain anchored until that is completed. When Tusca goes on his first excusion ashore in three years we will move Chaotic Harmony into the Marlin Marina in Cairns.
Our ocean crossing was a dream run. Slow due to lack of wind but calm and time to talk, to slow the pace of life.
Many thanks to those who have emailed us with news. We have loved opening our emails every day.
A special thanks to Catherine's father, Arthur Reed, in Fiji. He has been our radio land contact when we have sailed offshore for the past three years. When we raced Cyclone Xavier he was there. When we drifted aimlessly about in no wind he was there. Our twice daily skeds were what we planned our day around, always a smile when we heard 'Navini Base' come up on 8, 12 or 16 meg's. Thanks Arthur.
docgav on 11.14.08 @ 08:53 AM EST [link]
Ode to Chaotic Harmony
For the past five years Chaotic Harmony has been our home, our transport, our adventure. During the past three years we have explored the South West Pacific and our wonderful catamaran has been all, and more, than we could have dreamed. Safe, strong, dependable, fast when we have needed to go fast, comfortable in the deep deep blue. We have travelled 12,340 nautical miles together and arrived safely home in Cairns, Queensland, Australia with soul renewed, our lives expanded by the gift of experiencing different cultures, exploring unique countries and sharing the passion with our many cruising friends old and new. At times we were scared when the wind howled and the seas thrashed. At no time did we feel threatened. We are now anchored in Trinity Inlet, Cairns, and the hidden gem anchorages of the Pacific are but images on our laptop and memories seared into our being. We will be back again, doing it again somewhere. For now the LeSueur's will be based in Cairns for a few years. School, work, family and friends all need attention that we have missed - but the salt runs in our veins still.
docgav on 11.14.08 @ 08:30 AM EST [link]
Wind glorious wind
Our last sunrise at sea on three year tour of Melanesia - Louisiades, Solomons, Vanuatua, Fiji, Futuna, Fiji, Vanuatua, New Caledonia. In the east the sun awakens the sky, the early morning watch - in this case Estelle - slowly starts to nod at the helm. The flag is flying as Chaotic Harmony closes on the Australian Coast. Sixty nautical miles to go and we will be in Cairns. We are doing ten knots and will be there by lunchtime. The excitement is palpable aboard.
docgav on 11.14.08 @ 08:06 AM EST [link]
Cabin Fever
Our crossing continues to go at a leisurely pace. Baden reads to Fletcher, Gavin chews through novels, Estelle does schoolwork, Catherine keeps us healthy and manages to get out her cross-stitch. We play cards, drafts and chess. We talk. We plan. We dream. Cairns is four days away at our current pace but a gale warning has been issued for Queensland waters. Some of it will get us. Now for some adventurous sailing.
docgav on 11.14.08 @ 08:02 AM EST [link]
We know Australia is over there somewhere
Each evening at sunset we watched the horizon, knowing land will appear at some stage. The forecast was consistent - no wind, flat seas. We continue to crawl across the ocean but enjoy the solitude and the time before the flurry of life on land - cars, phones, crowds. In a way we are looking forward to the next challenge and another slightly anxious about what awaits us in that other world.
docgav on 11.14.08 @ 07:58 AM EST [link]
Message in a bottle
Mid ocean we each sent a message to the world. If you are wandering a deserted beach somewhere and find our message then we hope to hear from you! Estelle told some of our story of the past three years travel and sealed her bottle with a kiss.
docgav on 11.14.08 @ 07:55 AM EST [link]
halfway across
More wind please! Chaotic Harmony is in 2500m deep water, hundreds of miles from land and the crew decide to swim into Australian waters. Any means of travel other than wind would be faster. We have just managed 120 miles a day in drifting conditions, spinnaker up, meandering downwind. There is something very disconcerting about jumping into the mid ocean and knowing the floor is a long long way away.
docgav on 11.14.08 @ 07:50 AM EST [link]
heading home
Farewell to New Caledonia, another chapter in the adventure in life draws to a close as we depart this lovely French Pacific Nation on our 1300 nautical mile crossing to Cairns, Australia. Our first few days at sea were calm - very light trade winds. Fletcher serenade's the sunset watch on the foredeck. The tatoo is a stick-on but he cuts the image of a son of a son of a sailor.
docgav on 11.14.08 @ 07:47 AM EST [link]
I have been searching the world over. There are plenty of race boats on the market, many are major projects and some are simply dying slowly in a backwater unloved. To find the right boat in a location that I can realistically get to Cairns to refit and prepare for the around Australia Race in 2011 is a challenge. I have looked at possibilities in the US Virgin Islands, Denmark, England and Asia. Some long term multihull readers may recognise this boat. She might be the one. In 1988 Catherine and I raced 'John West', a Crowther 40 offshore racing cat around Australia. There was a big sister to John West which never made it to the start line. Maybe this time.
