Paros, Greece

Anna Alvsdotter

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G’day Cruisers

What a great meeting we had in June with a zoom call to Gavin on Viking III moored in the Cocos Keeling Islands and then a really interesting presentation from Phil Lilic of Sydney Diesel Marine. I’ve added a little bit of a write up on both of these with some photos below.

I did video Phil’s presentation and will get it and the presentation from David Traynor onto the website so they can be viewed by those who couldn’t make it on the night. I have had a couple of requests from people for those so apologies it has taken a while to edit them and get them posted.

Jenni and I were away overseas over the June long weekend so we couldn’t attend the King’s Birthday Cruise but Shane Foley on Boudicca was not to be deterred and with a few friends on board he headed north. He has written an article on the weekend and included some photos of the trip.

Cam Wayland has also contributed an article on a solar blanket he has installed on Hunky Dory to keep the batteries charged while they’re on anchor for extended periods. He’s included photos also which I’ve added below. Much appreciated Cam.

The July meeting we have a few people away so I’ve not arranged a presenter but I’m intending to have the normal BBQ and then to discuss our event calendar for next year. Also to add to the calendar of presenters/speakers we have arranged for our meetings into 2027. So please come along, add your ideas and have a say on when we run our next tapas-tie-up etc.

Mike McEvoy has received a few entries for the photo of the month, with a good one from Dallas O’Brien this month.  Keep them coming.

You’ll notice I’ve not hassled Phil Darling for a Cruising Quiz this month. Don’t worry, I’ll ask again for one from him in July, but I thought it was only fair he got a break as he contributes every month.

Look forward to seeing everyone at the July meeting at the club, if not before on the water.

Cheers   

Gerald Nicholls, Serenite 

Boudicca's King's Birthday Coastal Cruise to Newcastle and Nelson Bay

For the King's Birthday long weekend, Boudicca decided to have a crack at sailing to Newcastle and Nelson Bay.

At 6:00 am on 6 June, we arrived aboard Boudicca at Middle Harbour Yacht Club, where she was berthed in the marina. The crew for the trip consisted of myself (Shane), Greg, Mike, and Renee.

Our first task was a thorough safety briefing before departure. At approximately 7:30 am, we cast off and headed out through Sydney Heads. With a fresh south-westerly breeze of around 10 knots, we set course for Newcastle.

The sailing was smooth and enjoyable. We flew the cruising gennaker and maintained a fairly straight course north. As dusk approached, Newcastle came into view, with the industrial coal loaders silhouetted against the setting sun. We found our berth at Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club and headed ashore for dinner.

Early the next morning, we commenced the next leg of the journey to Nelson Bay, a passage of about four hours. Once again, the south-westerly breeze provided excellent sailing conditions, allowing us to fly both the asymmetric spinnaker and the Code 0.

We arrived at Nelson Bay just after midday and continued up the channel to Soldiers Point, an area none of us had previously sailed into. Later that day, we secured a berth at D’Albora Marina and, naturally, went out for dinner.

The following morning, we embarked on the long trip home to Sydney. Departing at 6:00 am, we arrived back at approximately 9:00 pm. We enjoyed favourable winds for most of the passage, although the final four hours, from Barrenjoey to Sydney, required us to motor as the breeze faded.

One of the highlights of the trip was a pod of dolphins that joined us for around 30 minutes, riding our bow wave as we sailed south.

Greg continues to tell the story of the fish that got away, while one of my more memorable observations came when we were about 30 miles offshore: "Gee, there's a lot of water out here."

Throughout the voyage, we maintained a proper logbook, recording our position every two hours.

As my first coastal passage to destinations that neither Boudicca nor I had previously visited as skipper, the experience greatly boosted our confidence. The trip provided excellent sailing, reasonable winds, and valuable experience. It was a terrific long weekend, and we're all very glad we decided to bite the bullet and go.

Shane Foley, Boudicca

June Cruising Meeting (Part 1)

At our meeting on 15th June, after the normal BBQ get together, Dallas and Evan had organised a zoom call with Gavin Randall who was, at the time, moored in the Cocos Keeling Islands on Viking III.

Evan put the picture on to the big screen so we could see Gavin and while he couldn't see us he could hear us. 

A great advertisement for Starlink with a flawless connection while Gavin explained some of what he's been doing since leaving Sydney earlier in the year.

Viking II has now left the islands and is headed across the Indian Ocean.

June Cruising Meeting (Part 2)

After our quick chat with Gavin we had a presentation from Phil Lilic who owns and operates Sydney Diesel Marine who are Yanmar Specialists but of course work on all marine diesel engines.

Sydney Diesel Marine are Yanmar specialists but of course also work on Volvo and other marine diesel engines.

Phil started the business back in 2011 and with a workshop in Cremorne he’s able to cover Middle Harbour, the main harbour and Pittwater. He explained that they have a workboat so are happy to work on boats on swing moorings or in marinas.

Phil spoke to us about the importance of maintenance of our engines, starting with Batteries and then changing impellers in raw water pumps with examples of both on the table. He then moved onto the common sources of water getting into the fuel system and the importance of fuel/water separators like the Racor again with an example to pass around. He also talked about the importance of changing the fuel and oil filters and how they are basically cheap insurance that your engine starts and runs whenever needed.

We had about 20 people along on the night with lots of questions asked along the way. There were lots of tips during the presentation particularly on choosing the right oil for our engines. It was a really informative talk which we captured on video and will upload together with Phil's slides to the cruising website during July.

So, if you're looking for a good diesel mechanic or for parts if you're DIY, can recommend Sydney Diesel Marine or you can call on 0420 363 077. 

Free Power at Anchor — Adding a Portable Solar Blanket to Hunky Dory by Cam Wayland — SV Hunky Dory, Hanse 400e

One of the quiet frustrations of extended time on a mooring or at anchor is the eternal “start engine to charge the batteries” routine. We have two 100Ah lithium house batteries on Hunky Dory, and running both fridges through a summer weekend was just enough to have me reaching for the start key far too often. So, this season I set about fixing that properly without adding permanent hardware to the boat.

What we already had

We fitted a new 150W itechWorld flexible solar panel permanently to the bimini last year as the old cheaper one had gone milky and was only operating at 40% at best. This is connected through a Victron SmartSolar MPPT 75/15 charge controller. It's been a great performer, especially compared to the old panel, and on a clear Sydney day it keeps up comfortably with our base load. But add the second fridge which we run when we have either guests aboard or doing a few nights away and the 150W panel output numbers stopped working by mid to late afternoon, depending on the season.

The solution: a 200W itechWorld Solar Blanket

The solar blanket is essentially a foldable four-panel monocrystalline array built into a tough nylon housing with their proprietary Raptor Skin cell lamination. Fully opened its 2170mm long and 590mm wide or about the size of a large beach towel and puts out up to 200W at 18.8V. It folds down to a surprisingly compact 590 x 550 x 38mm package and weighs 7.8kg, so it stows easily below when not in use.

The key attraction for us is flexibility literally. Because it's not fixed to the boat, we can lay it flat on the foredeck or angle it toward the sun and move it as the light changes through the day or the boat swings with the changing breeze. On a recent weekend at Refuge Bay, I had it running along the port side deck in the morning and shifted it to the foredeck in the afternoon, something a fixed panel can never do.

How it connects

Rather than use the basic PWM controller included in the kit I connected the blanket into an additional Victron SmartSolar MPPT 75/15 via an Anderson plug that was supplied and then via the Victron battery management shunt to the house batteries.

The idea of the additional Victron MPPT controller rather than the PWM supplied controller was twofold. MPPT tracking makes a real difference, particularly on partly cloudy days where the light is constantly shifting or you get shadows from the rig. Secondly, we get the benefit of monitoring the portable panel and everything else through the Victron app on a phone. The bimini panel, the portable panel and of course the overall battery house and start battery state.

On a recent clear morning with the blanket well-positioned, the Victron app showed 114W coming in from the blanket at 19.65V / 5.8A into the house bank at 13.59V drawing 8.2A in bulk charge from both panels combined. Between the bimini panel and the blanket, we were comfortably above our total load enough to run both fridges, the stereo, and charge devices without the batteries dropping through the day. On a sunny summer’s day we can fully re-charge the house batteries over a day from the overnight low capacity point of around 65-70% SOC.

What it costs you in practice

Setup takes about five minutes: unfold, position, connect the Anderson plug. As we have the separate “portable” Victron controller I leave the cable attached to the controller on the inside boat end and just run the cable out an opening portlight to connect to the blanket. Stowing is just the reverse. The blanket goes back into the cabin when we are heading out for a sail, no risk of UV degradation, theft, or a rogue sheet wrapping itself around it. On a passage or at the marina, it simply lives below.

The itechWorld 200W blanket kit retails around $400–450 and includes the blanket, a basic PWM solar controller, a 5m extension lead, and battery clamps everything you need for a standalone setup. I would however highly recommend adding a separate MPPT controller. The product quality on both the flexible panel and the portable blanket has been solid.

Would I recommend it?

Absolutely, particularly for anyone cruising where keeping state of charge high matters. The combination of a permanent bimini panel for base load and a portable blanket for top-up or heavy-load days has eliminated the "run the engine to charge" problem almost entirely for us, unless we want hot water for a shower. It's low cost, easy to fit, and completely reversible no drilling, no new wiring runs, nothing permanent on the boat other than the additional controller.

If anyone wants to see the setup or talk through the wiring, happy to chat but we will be away for the July meeting so email me at cwayland@optusnet.com.au.

Fair winds, Cam Wayland Hunky Dory — Hanse 400e

Lifelong friendships forged through sailing

Dallas O'Brien 

Send your photos to Mike McEvoy to enter into the 2026 Cruising Division Competition. Each Month the best photo received will be published and, in the running, to win a new Mystery Prize at the end of 2026. 

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Good Shooting …!! Mike.