Photo courtesy of the Fiji Times

The fine yacht, Jacana of Melbourne, has now circumnavigated the world.
On the 9th of September 2011, at 2300 hours, as we passed the working Pango light at the entrance to Port Vila in Vanuatu, we crossed our outward track.

We threw off the lines at Hobson Bay Yacht Club on 17th April, 2003.
Since then we have visited 27 countries and travelled 34,395 nautical miles.

We have had a bonza time.
We have also toughed out a few episodes we would not be keen to repeat; The tsunami in Thailand, being physically threatened by bullying fishermen in Sri Lankan waters; a freak storm in Durban harbor, and a robbery at knifepoint (Crocodile Dundee size) in Brazil. Twice, as innocent bystanders, we ducked for cover as the bullets flew in armed robberies- one a carjacking in Durban, and the other a jewel heist in Cartagena.

However, our glass is always more than half full.
We are constantly amazed at the generosity and determination of the impoverished people of the world that we have met.
We purposefully decided, in our slow passage, to take time in fewer locations in order to immerse ourselves in the people and their cultures, and of course their markets and food.

This overall strategy meant our cruise was weighted towards the cities - where the bulk of populations now reside.
We have become more cynical towards the powerful and the rich. Round the world their greed and corruption is evident. So often this is done in the name of democracy. There is a greater disparity between the rich and the poor than ever before and the gulf is widening alarmingly.

Jacana Of Melbourne
Jacana , the first Northshore 46 built, has been a wonderful home and an efficient and comfortable passage maker.
We plan to continue to Bundaberg, leave Jacana on the hard, and fly back to Melbourne.
When the southern winter becomes brass monkey weather we will head north to bring her back to Hobson's Bay Yacht Club, Williamstown.