Ever since I bought Reykja, I’ve had a photo of Mount Rugby hanging above my bed. Over five years this was my dream: to make it this far, from Fehmarn in the Baltic Sea. Now I’m about to master the most remote part of the circumnavigation of Tasmania. On my way to Bathurst Channel and Port Davey, I’m battling with swells, strong winds and wet feet. Discover the magnificent nature of Higgs Pyramid and Nye Bay, the pioneering history and magic of south-west Tasmania.
Video
Sailing solo through the Jungle and the Roaring Forties. Around Tasmania
Tasmania is bigger than many people think – by far larger than any Mediterranean island – and a challenge for sailors. Situated in the Roaring Forties, with large swells on the west coast, caution is advised. I start in Launceston, sail along the north coast, encounter penguins and flocks of birds near Stanley. Then I head west in search of jungle and traces of the first settlers at Macquarie Harbour. An expedition that also involves dodging storms and crossing the jungle.
Go South! 1700 miles sailing alone, from tropical Queensland to Tasmania’s Roaring Forties
1700 miles south, 3000 kilometres. Just one stop, Bundaberg. The trick is to catch the right wind. In the Coral Sea it blows from the front for 10 months as a trade wind. But now, in November, it’s not regular. In the Tasman Sea, from Bundaberg onwards, it can blow from bow or stern. Sometimes it changes directions within hours. And it’s almost always strong.
Winter Gales
Lord Howe Island, 700 kilometres from Sydney, in the Pacific. UNESCO World Heritage Site. These 700 kilometres are tough. Lots of wind, waves, broken equipment and seasickness. It’s winter, time for storms. Winter storms.
Your natural state. From Tasmania to Sydney.
I have sailed more than half around the world to Launceston, Tasmania. This video is about marvelling around in my destination. Off course I go sailing afterwards. I’m aiming for a long passage to Tonga but end up in Sydney. Not quite by choice.
Finally my dream comes true: Tonga to Tasmania
I started 2020 from Fehmarn, Baltic Sea. My vision: to cross the Atlantic and the Pacific, then up the Tamar River to Launceston, Tasmania. Like Joshua Slocum, the first solo sailor around the world, 124 years ago. But then came Covid and restrictions everywhere. I wasn’t able to cross the Atlantic and had to move to the Mediterranean.
But now I’ve almost made it. I’m in Tonga. It’s 3000 nautical miles, 6000 kilometers, to Launceston. This video is about the last leg of a long crossing: three years, two oceans, one destination.