s/v Barefoot

Lavranos 43

30 May 2018 | Savusavu, Vanua Levu
27 May 2017 | Marsden Cove
23 November 2016 | New Caledonia
22 September 2016 | Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia
13 September 2016 | Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia
10 September 2016 | New Caledonia
25 August 2016 | Queensland, Australia
11 February 2016 | Tasmania, Australia
07 February 2016 | Bass Strait, Tasmania
24 December 2015 | South Stradbroke Island, Gold Coast, Queensland
06 October 2015 | Whitsunday Islands
25 September 2015 | Cape Gloucester, North Queensland
10 September 2015 | Cid Harbour, Whitsunday Islands
28 August 2015 | Mackay, North Queensland
16 August 2015 | Great Barrier Reef, Queensland
28 June 2015 | Jacob's Well, Main Channel, Gold Coast, Queensland
16 June 2015 | Cronulla, Port Hacking, NSW, Australia
13 June 2015 | Port Hacking, NSW, Australia
11 June 2015 | Huskisson, Jervis Bay, NSW, Australia
08 June 2015 | Jervis Bay, New South Wales, Au

Indian Ocean Pirate Rally

10 May 2013 | East Cape, NZ
David
Joining in a rally format to sail with a hundred to as many as five hundred other sailboats to safely cross the Atlantic Ocean and other tempestuous bodies of water is now popular. The rally concept appeals to ocean sailing novices as well sailors wishing to have customs and immigration formalities and departure and welcome ceremonies (including a courtesy bottle of champagne) arranged by others. Many sailors simply enjoy the social milieu of several hundred boats nearby with whom to exchange daily (or more if you like) chit-chat on the VHF radio and SSB radio. Not to be overlooked is the opportunity to have a washed-overboard dinghy or a fallen crew member plucked from the water by a following boat or to obtain a transfer of fuel, water, or beer when needed; possibly even a tow to the finish line. Rally organizers sort all the details, deftly smooth bureaucratic ripples, offer assurances of safety and security (complete briefings and checklists provided), and deliver rally flags and banners to all captains. Games and contests to win tee-shirts and bling include daily speed records, biggest fish caught and guess the date and time of arrival. Rally fees have climbed to four-figures and participation continues to increase each year. We on Barefoot do not feel drawn to the amenities of the rally format and until now have not seriously considered joining a rally. However, in light of the following we are reconsidering. The world-wide popularity of the rally format has not escaped the notice of those piratical Somalians in the northwest Indian Ocean who have completely interrupted the cruising sailors' traditional route from Thailand across the Indian Ocean through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean. A few cruising sailboats were plucked off by the pirates and cruising sailors turned their sterns to the route. While many cruising boats now avoid the dangerous Red Sea route by ducking below Africa, others load their boats on yacht transport ships for passage through to the Med from Singapore. Recently, in a dramatic change of tactics, the pirate group led by the infamous "johniebe good" has announced the first annual 2014 "Indian Ocean Pirate Rally". Rally participants will congregate in their boats at a to- be-designated "lat/lon" off the coast of India. From that point across the Indian Ocean, past Somalia to the Red Sea, each boat on the passage will enjoy the comfort and security offered by six large, heavily armed steel fishing trawlers, each supporting fifteen cleverly decorated small wooden motorized dories with canvas tarps concealing the small arms cache in the bow. The trawlers and dories will surround the rally fleet to protect it from pirates as it moves westward. "For security and safe passage guaranteed, nothing is better than being surrounded by pirates" says johniebe. Although the boats will handle their own formalities and ceremonies will be minimal, all participants (each boat must fly a pirate flag) will have the unique opportunity to meet the dory pirates and share food and beverages with them as well as transfer some to the trawlers. Participants will improvise contests and games such as the popular "talk-like-a-pirate-day" (bring your own eye patch), a saber sharpening contest, and (for the pirates only) shiniest AK-47 contest. Pirate Rally fees are expected to be in low five figures for each boat--perhaps not unreasonable compared to the cost of the yacht transport ship or the long sail around South Africa. Johniebe says this rally is absolutely the "must-do" event for all cruising sailboats crossing the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea.
Comments
Vessel Name: Barefoot
Vessel Make/Model: Lavranos 43
Hailing Port: Friday Harbor, Washington
Crew: David and Roslyn
About: Barefoot is a 13 meter Angelo Lavranos design built in aluminum by Dearden Marine in Gibsons, British Columbia, Canada. David is from Seattle, Washington, USA and Roslyn is from Darwin, Australia.
Barefoot's Photos - Main
Barefoot's passage from New Zealand to Fiji included 3 days of calms in the centre of a large High Pressure system. We'd never seen the middle of the Pacific Ocean like this before; it was quite magical. At night, the starry sky reflected on the surface.
5 Photos
Created 29 September 2018
Winter in Tasmania has been a different experience for the Barefoot crew.
3 Photos
Created 12 September 2014
Port Davey and Bathurst Harbour are in a World Heritage Wilderness area at the remote SW corner of Tasmania. We were fortunate to have a week of sunny winter weather there.
29 Photos
Created 16 June 2014
Recherche Bay is surrounded by National Park forest near the SE corner of Tasmania. This isolated bay is a shelter for local crayfishing boats and where yachts wait for weather to sail around to the south and west coasts of Tasmania.
7 Photos
Created 26 May 2014
We explored the east coast north of Freycinet Peninsula by road. There are few good anchorages in the area and we were ready for a road trip. This area is known for its fine white beaches and granite rocks coloured orange from lichen growing above the high tide line.
9 Photos
Created 26 May 2014
Port Macquarie and the town of Strahan is about mid-way on the west coast of Tasmania. We intend to sail there, but not in winter. Ready to leave the boat at a dock in Hobart for a few days, we drove across Tasmania to Port Macquarie.
11 Photos
Created 26 May 2014
Barefoot arrived in Tassie at the Freycinet Peninsula on the east coast. We spent a couple of weeks exploring the beautiful anchorages, beaches and walks in the area.
15 Photos
Created 14 May 2014
The port of Eden in Twofold Bay is the most southerly port in NSW. It was a beautiful spot to spend a couple of days, waiting for our weather window to sail to Tasmania.
5 Photos
Created 14 May 2014
The couple of weeks we spent anchored in Sydney Harbor in February was big city excitement. Anchoring in the heart of a city was reminiscent of San Francisco.
6 Photos
Created 13 May 2014
In our month in New Cal we managed to see Noumea and some of the south and SW of the main island, and Amedee Is.
8 Photos
Created 14 January 2014
Our land trip across NSW to Adelaide, South Australia, and back along the south Coast of SA, Victoria and SE NSW.
25 Photos
Created 9 January 2014
After a rather uncomfortable passage, Barefoot broke her voyage from New Zealand to Wallis Island, by revisiting Tonga. First port was Nuku'alofa, the capital of Tonga; then on to Vava'u.
29 Photos
Created 14 October 2013
Wallis is a small French island, part of the country of Wallis & Futuna, north of Fiji. The Barefoot crew enjoyed 3 weeks exploring this beautiful Island.
29 Photos
Created 14 October 2013
Barefoot and crew thoroughly enjoyed a month at Funafuti, Tuvalu (formerly Ellis Is) - 8degS
66 Photos
Created 14 October 2013
With a wild weather forecast, we gave up 'weather watching' to sail north, and instead drove south to soak in the hot water of the thermal region of Rotorua. We returned via Tauranga and Mt Maunganui.
12 Photos
Created 20 June 2013
Barefoot set sail from Marsden Cove on 14 Feb '13, harbour hopping north to the Bay of Islands, and Whangaroa, then a 6-day passage around North Cape and Cape Reinga, down the west coast to the South Island. Destination: Nelson and the Marlborough Sounds
17 Photos
Created 12 June 2013
The last leg of our NZ circumnavigation took us from Cook Strait, north up the east coast of the Nth Is, around East Cape to Great Barrier Island, then back to Marsden Cove. East Cape lived up to its name and gave us a rather rough time; Great Barrier Island was beautiful and we enjoyed glorious calm, blue weather for the last 3 days of the trip.
13 Photos
Created 12 June 2013
From Dunedin Barefoot continued north up the east coast of the Sth Is, direct to Queen Charlotte Sound, via Cook Strait and the Tory Channel. We moored in Cockle Cove, a peaceful and picturesque little bay in Queen Charlotte Sound for a few days R&R before hitting the heights of Picton.
18 Photos
Created 12 June 2013
From Doubtful Sound we had a rather rough, very fast sail down to Breaksea Sound, with wind and swell behind us. Breaksea Sound and Broughton Arm off it, were spectacular. We were then able to pass through Acheron Passage from Breaksea Sound to Dusky Sound.
14 Photos
Created 5 June 2013
Captain Cook visited Dusky Sound in the Resolution in 1773. We anchored in Pickersgill Harbour where he anchored the Resolution for a month, at the same time of year.
20 Photos
Created 5 June 2013
Sailing south in Fjordland from George Sound, Barefoot next visited Thompson Sound, which led us into Doubtful Sound. Doubtful Sound was named by Capt Cook when he didn't enter it, doubting that it was actually a sound. Looking at the winding entry from the sea, this is understandable.
12 Photos
Created 2 June 2013
Crossing Cook Strait was magical, glassy calm, despite it's fearsome reputation. Nelson was our first stop on the South Island. It was here the local sailors convinced us to continue sailing south, to Fjordland.
8 Photos
Created 1 June 2013
From Stewart Is Barefoot sailed north to Otago Harbour and the university city of Dunedin.
18 Photos
Created 5 May 2013
This album covers our cruise from Puysegur Pt on the SW corner of the Sth Island, past the Solander islands, around the south coast of Stewart Island and into Pt Pegasus; then north up the east coast of the island to Oban.
30 Photos
Created 5 May 2013
Sailing south from Milford Sound, we next visited George Sound.
15 Photos
Created 5 May 2013
Milford Sound is the most well known and the most northerly sound in Fjordland on the SW of the South Island of NZ. This is the only Sound with easy road access and therefore popular with tourists. The famous Milford Track is a testing 5-day 'tramp' into the Sound. It was our first stop, 5 days after sailing out of Nelson.
29 Photos
Created 5 May 2013
Barefoot spent a month cruising to some of the many islands in the Vava'u Group. The highlight of our Tongan experience would have to be swimming with a Humpback whale and her calf.
24 Photos
Created 17 December 2012
From Samoa we first visited Niuataputapu Island in Tonga's northern island group, the Niuas. Unfortunately, the impact of a tsunami 3 years prior was still very evident.
20 Photos
Created 17 December 2012
Arriving in New Zealand. End of the 14 month, 12,000Nm voyage from Seattle.
10 Photos
Created 17 December 2012
Robert Louis Stevenson's home in Samoa, Villa Vailima, and his last resting place.
7 Photos
Created 31 October 2012
We hope these photos convey something of a wonderful visit to this remote atoll in the Northern Cook Islands.
19 Photos
Created 29 October 2012
Coco has a worried look
6 Photos
Created 3 September 2012
Barefoot's 'vacation' at Bora Bora; renown as one of the most beautiful islands in the South Pacific. Society islands, French Polynesia. August 2012
12 Photos
Created 29 August 2012
Barefoot's cruise around Tahaa island, which lies immediately north of, and within the same barrier reef as Raiatea. Society Islands, French Polynesia. August 2012
13 Photos
Created 29 August 2012
Barefoot's visit to Raiatea in the Society Islands, French Polynesia. August 2012
4 Photos
Created 29 August 2012