Malua

Malua Malua is a 42ft Adams Bluewater cruising Yacht. It was built in Cardif and completed in Canberra by Camrod Marine. Sailed in Med Atlantic USA Pacific Oz

Malua is currently for sale see www.adamsbluewatermalua.com.au Please contact me regarding the detail and a video walk around. Malua is currently in the Bermagui Harbour Marina.

The VDLC has come and gone. The complete waste of a summer will only be remembered that a day on the water is better tha...
31/08/2026

The VDLC has come and gone. The complete waste of a summer will only be remembered that a day on the water is better than a day in the office but 3 months of the south of uphill and waste of time Denny and I experienced just enforces that I made a fundamental mistake to believe the marketing hype of the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania. The Sydney to Hobart is not organised by them the S2H brings in all their own organisation and crew.
At the end of the “cruise in company” I was asked by a director to submit my comments, observations and recommendations. I did in my normal consulting mode based on my experiences associated with yacht rallies, safety protocols and sea lore and law. They have issues a new Notice of Cruise – the most important legal document of any race or cruise. This was the weakest of all the document required for the cruise. They made one change I could see – the year and date of the cruise. The rest appears to be the same words and layout.
Off the record many people on the cruise and having done a past cruise or considering this cruise concur with what I discuss with them.
At some point I will write up the three months on Malua in Tasmania but for the interim I will add time and maybe some perspective.
I have been sailing. Yes again on Eye Candy This time with Andrew and Clare – the five star chef that makes every meal a milestone – day and night.
I joined Eye Candy at short notice in Sydney to sail north to Queensland. We did a short detour to the Hawksbury- Pittwater for some shore-side hospitality at Clare’s daughter water side property. The off into the blue with the wind from the south. Andrew deceived to pull into Newcastle and pickup a mooring as the wind and waves passed in the night and we set off further north. A further detour into Port Stephens as the low further north off the coast produced swell/waves of more than 5m.
The wait in Port Stephens gave me an opportunity to look at some of the commercial fishing vessels and to chat to the Army sailing academy/boat on their way north.
When the weather window opened we set off a dawn for three days straight north along the coast towards the Gold Coast however we decided the conditions were so good – sailing all the time to keep going for another night to reach wide bay bar just south of Fraser Island. Here we waited for the right tide conditions to cross the bar and follow our previous tracks into the river systems.
A side track to Tin Can Bay to see the abandoned vessels and live aboards that are causing great concerns to the authorities as they try to move these people on. In some cases issuing move on notices to house boats.
We then moved further north ready to catch the high a Sheridan's Flat shallows and turning point to the north of Fraser Island.
Our timing was perfect as we follow Malua’s and Eye Candy’s previous tracks south with us now going north. The sand had not filled in nor had it moved much. Once through we headed North East through the numerous sand banks and channels and popped out on the northern shore of Fraser Island. Andrew and Clare went ashore ut stayed close to the RIB I went ashore later and walked along the shore not worrying about being attached by dingoes but more about my HA and phone getting wet as I swam out to sea chased by a howling back of would be hyenas.
Next stop Bundaberg but the wind did not plat ball and we had to turn the motor on and off as we moved slowly to the entrance of the port. We arrived as the sun set and we dropped anchor opposite the marina just out of the channel.
The next day with the tide rising and the water flowing up the river we upped anchor and went to the fuel dock and then stern in to the berth. As always on Eye Candy a well executed passage with no surprises or breakages. Clare again kept the crew will fed with an ever changing menu selection.
Thanks Andrew and Clare for inviting me to join you going north. I hope the rest of your journey goes as well.
My next passage was not as smooth but the interim outcome is a good decision which should have been made two years ago by those involved.

Let the Summer Cruise begin – Summer?After returning from the tropical north of Queensland in 2023, I contemplated a cru...
07/06/2026

Let the Summer Cruise begin – Summer?

After returning from the tropical north of Queensland in 2023, I contemplated a cruise to Tasmania. Malua had been there twice previously, and a round Van Diemen's Land cruise would just be the ticket for a late summer cruise in company, so I put the money down and booked a spot in what I thought was a few months' time, restricted to about 30 vessels.

Did I get a surprise when I started in December to prepare and check the safety requirements and equipment needed. The cruise was not months away but years away. Yes, February 2026.

That was a disappointment, but it gave me time to prepare Malua for the cruise. However, in February 2025 I got a call from a very good sailing companion who I had never sailed on this boat with, but we had covered many miles from the Med, Atlantic, USA and finally the Pacific and home together. His request was simple: there is a short window of opportunity to cross Bass Strait, would I come with him on the passage? The answer was simple and I jumped at the opportunity.

You can read the account above (earlier post) "Was that a dream…"

2026 finally dawned and I started to again intensely study the weather. This time it was my turn to take a friend for the passage. I had stated I would leave Bermagui when the first high formed in the Tasman after the full moon of 3 January. He scheduled many activities both at home and in Tassie on my throwaway line.

The weather cooperated much sooner than I had expected, so there was a final rush from the coast back to Canberra to try to get everything done prior to the early weather window opening, which it did on the 6th of January 2026.

Duncan H drove us down to Bermagui along with his family, and we cast off the following day as we set off in a relatively calm sea with the wind aft of the beam. The sails filled abeam of Eden and we rolled in the genoa and switched on the iron genoa as we crossed the shipping lanes just as the sun set.

At noon on the second day we were at the halfway waypoint as the noise of the engine purred in the background. This continued for the full day and night on flat seas and little wind, but at midnight, just as I went off watch and fell asleep, the thunder clouds and lightning came barreling in from the west. Luckily they passed to our stern (north) and we were spared the rain and lightning. I was informed, at change of watch, that the light show was dramatic.

At dawn of the third day we were following the drop-off of the continental shelf and were abeam of Eddystone Light. A southerly change was forecast at noon and almost on time it arrived from the south at 18 knots. The next three hours were lumpy as we tried to get away from the up-welling of the southerly flowing current and the northerly direction wind. We finally broke free and set sail for the area of Wineglass Bay. I do not like this location, and two yachts, also on the crossing, chose the bay to anchor and regretted their decision for three days as they rode out adverse winds and rolly conditions.

We turned towards Prosser Bay at midnight and dropped the anchor in the NW corner seconds after 3:00, as Duncan—our meticulous navigator—had stated hours earlier. That gave me great confidence he would guide us through the Denison Canal during the neap tides and reducing water under the keel.

The next two days were spent at anchor in Prosser Bay as we rode out a westerly gale which saw the wind instruments touch more than 40 knots at times. The Lone Star anchor held in deep sand and flat water.

Malua has passed through more than a hundred canal locks in her time, some as high as seven levels above the deck and on occasions less than inches below the keel, but this canal has history with Malua and changing sandbanks and shallow water, so Duncan's navigating and planning almost down to the second and his expert helmsmanship got us through the tidal narrows and at the entrance to the canal exactly on time. Now we were dependent on the lockkeeper to keep his part of the planning and let us through at the appointed booked time. As the minutes ticked by and the tide started to drop, we waited as one after another vessel came through towards us.
Finally, with four vessels waiting, we were instructed to enter the shallowest part of our passage. There was, as planned, less than 200 cm under the keel. Not a big margin of error. We passed without a hitch through the narrow swing bridge concrete canal (this time with no lock keeper with fishing net to receive a gift of thanks) and out into the sea.

The next two days were spent shuffling away from one lee shore to the calm of the opposite shore, waiting for the right wind to blow us up the Derwent towards Hobart. We pulled the anchor up at 6:00 am on our way to the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, expecting after a letter of introduction from the Canberra Yacht Club to have the red carpet rolled out and a band waiting on the dock. We went astern into a large dock completely unnoticed alongside a number of Sydney to Hobart racing yachts and other large vessels.

So ended a very uneventful passage across Bass Strait with no gear breaking, the freezer slightly emptier and the help of a very accomplished navigator who I hope took away some tricks and tips from sailing on Malua. Thank you for the wonderful company, Duncan.

The winter project to build a strip planked kayak out of the Myrtle timber left over from the Malua fit-out is well unde...
04/06/2025

The winter project to build a strip planked kayak out of the Myrtle timber left over from the Malua fit-out is well under way.
I have completed the hull and deck with the addition of the final strip known as the whisky strip. Sanded and planed the hull and deck with long boards 80 and 120 grip sand paper and hopefully removed any trace of glue from the exposed timber.
Now is the time to part the hull from the deck so I can turn then upwards and add fiberglass cloth and Epoxy resin - West System 105 and 207
Here is a link to the blog https://maluakayak.blogspot.com/2025/06/final-strip-and-parting.html
The next post will be if the Canberra winter weather gives me enough warm daylight hours to complete each stage

Was that a dream or even maybe a short video I watched? BUT no, the trip from Eden to Tasmania across Bass Strait was re...
04/03/2025

Was that a dream or even maybe a short video I watched? BUT no, the trip from Eden to Tasmania across Bass Strait was real. Not on Malua but Eye Candy.

It was four days in duration with a good night's sleep as an interval to travel the 360 nm from Eden in NSW to Orford, Prosser Bay in Tasmania. There were just two people on board a 39 ft Bavaria production yacht.

You and I may well ask: why did it go so well? What factors came into play for us to cross the infamous Bass Strait with such apparent ease? How come it went so well? There are a number of factors, so stay with me.

The key factor is timing. Yes, not sailing to a schedule like the Sydney to Hobart Race. Andrew and I had been studying the weather patterns for more than a month. Originally for him and Claire to cross Bass Strait. We concluded that at the beginning of February there was not a good window for him to cross, so he sailed from Eden to Bermagui and put Eye Candy in the marina and returned home. He returned to the yacht and sailed with a northerly to Eden but had to wait ten days before a short window opened. Claire, who has sailed extensively in the Med, crossed the Atlantic, cruised the Caribbean and then the East coast of the USA including going through a Cyclone. Eye Candy passed through the Panama canal and spent a full year in the Pacific before a further year in the islands of New Caledonia, Fiji and Vanuatu before arriving in Australia. Well, as one gets older, your outlook and tolerance for cold and wet nights decreases, so she decided to take the big bird to Tassie.

Andrew called on me to join him as we had been watching the weather, and I knew the risks and how wide the window actually was. We talked through three options for the passage. Plan A, a straight line course from Eden to Triabunna. Plan B was developed the day before we left, which included a stop in the Furneaux Group to hide from a Southerly front that swept up from the south, but that strategy depended on the tide between the islands near Cape Barren Island. Lastly, we had Plan C, which also depended on our average speed crossing the Strait (we originally estimated our speed to be 6 knots). If we achieved that or better, we could hide from the southerly change around Eddystone light or Binalong Bay, north of St Helens. So we had a few plans we could fall back on as we progressed south.

The second factor is boat preparation. This is more than sitting at your desk with a to-do list and ticking off the various essential items in the marina. It is real live sailing on the vessel in all conditions. Now Malua has spent some time in the marina, so I can't at the moment say all systems are working; however, Eye Candy has been sailing for months on end since arriving in Australia. So I stepped aboard knowing that the autopilot worked, the rudder had been maintained, and all the normal systems worked. I also knew, just like I do on Malua, the sailing – yes, the sails, halyards, and sheets were in the right places, had marks on them where they should sit when you hoisted the spinnaker pole or other sail. And furthermore, Andrew could do all of these operations by himself. All I had to do was turn the handle and the main went up or pull in the brace on the pole. Now, there are a number of things on Eye Candy I would not do; for example, I don't like anything to be on the foredeck, especially when I raise the spinnaker pole either for the big bag, reacher, or more frequently attached to the genoa. Andrew likes it because he can sit on it to raise and take down the pole.
As I found out during and after the trip, everything worked, nothing broke, and more importantly, we did not have to rush to adjust or untangle a sheet or line (One issue with the new sail, but rather my lack of knowledge rather than an issue). So, as I always say, practice, practice, and men and boat rot while in harbour, so get out and sail.

A further factor which I rate high on my list is Food and Sleep. Let's take the latter first. It is not the ability to stay awake during a passage, although while on watch, that is essential, but the ability to fall asleep instantly when you come off watch. Like the above, I say practice. Yes, but I sleep every night... Yes, you do, but I bet you have a routine. Dinner, some TV, maybe a shower, and then into bed with a book for a few minutes, then the light goes out and you fall asleep. It is that routine that lets you sleep. Well, try going to sleep on a full stomach or maybe with the chainsaw running just outside your window. So practice, practice, and note which suits you best. Then on the boat, do the same. I have a routine which suits me, so after three deep breaths, I am asleep.

Now food. Remember, falling asleep, not staying awake, is the mantra. So no coffee or tannin-based tea on the passage. I drink instant miso soup and Rooibos tea. It suits me well. Food is the next essential. Three or, as I have, four meals in 24 hours. Sunrise and sunset and noon and midnight. Any style of food is suitable, but not chilly, but something which is eaten in a soup bowl with a spoon. I prepare stews and boil rice or small potatoes and add a veg for the last few minutes.

Claire had prepared four meals in true five-star chef style, and all I had to do was open the vacuum bag and reheat in a wok. A delight and a variety of tastes I had not previously experienced. The photos is our arrival meal I prepared with chip additions from the local take-away.

Lastly, no chocolate or sugar-based muesli bars. You get a sugar hit and a high and come down with a bang. Either during your watch or on the high when you are trying to go to sleep.
The last factor is the on-passage knowledge. Yes, knowing where you are, when you reach a waypoint, and where the other hard objects are relative to your progress. Wind and waves are included. For the latter, to put in a reef before the 30-knot front hits. In my case, don't catnap when you are sailing towards the shore. The list goes on, but it does not depend on your phone or tablet for navigation. I am not talking of pilotage into a bay but open ocean navigation. I only use these devices as a backup and for pilotage. A good chart plotter or, in my case, two small Raspberry Pi computers running independently on 12-volt power, each with their own GPS, are the primary systems. One with an AIS and the other connected into the chartplotter backbone for wind and depth. My Vesper Marine AIS is also standalone and flashes and screams when the CPA is less than 2 miles.

Eye Candy has the standard Raymarine system, which is adequate, but they drain the battery, and the screen is cluttered, and even I find it difficult understanding the logic of the menu system. The MOB is hidden in a menu.

The final word on this dream is always a bit of luck. As a famous sportsman said, the more you practice, the luckier you get. I believe in that, and with Andrew's extensive sailing experience, not only cruising but in big fast boats, and mine added, the odds of a dream passage were high, and we did it.

Thanks, Andrew and Claire, for the experience.

PS The last factor which is a given, know the boat, its systems and how it handles the conditions and when to reef and take over steering. Also how to fix the small things like a loose fan belt or wire.

After the previous morning with raging tide and wind including lost anchor it was pleasing to wake to this calm surroun...
29/10/2023

After the previous morning with raging tide and wind including lost anchor it was pleasing to wake to this calm surrounding

Malua is up on the hard at Bundaberg for antifoul and polish Back in the water ready to sail south to Bermagui
27/10/2023

Malua is up on the hard at Bundaberg for antifoul and polish Back in the water ready to sail south to Bermagui

Malua up on hard for clean and antifoul It needed it Back in Bundaberg water Friday Then sailing south
24/10/2023

Malua up on hard for clean and antifoul It needed it Back in Bundaberg water Friday Then sailing south

Still very unsettled weather here in the Whitsunday Wind has abated but still swirling and now rain rain and no sun
01/10/2023

Still very unsettled weather here in the Whitsunday Wind has abated but still swirling and now rain rain and no sun

Both my Yamaha outboard engines have stopped working. The 8hp two stroke and the 2.5hp 4 stroke which I purchased in Spa...
21/09/2023

Both my Yamaha outboard engines have stopped working. The 8hp two stroke and the 2.5hp 4 stroke which I purchased in Spainin 2012 because the 8 stopped
So what have I done purchased another Yamaha - a new design 6hp fourscore AND a new RIB dinghy a Highfield 2.6 with aluminium base but the importer has never sent one to Airlie Beach It is on the road on the back of (I think) a horse drawn waggon It will arrive sometime in the future

Malua waiting out a 20 to 30 knotblow in Brampton Island
10/09/2023

Malua waiting out a 20 to 30 knotblow in Brampton Island

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Bermagui Harbour Marina
Bermagui, NSW
2546

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