Our Sail Training Holiday

Eureka II is one of the Whitsundays newest and fastest racing maxi's. Beautifully appointed below, and with far more comfortable accommodation than most speed sailing machines, Eureka II offers an exhilerating ride and comfortable nights.

Experience invigorating high performance sailing on a state of the art 18.2m Sydney 60. Having completed in several Sydney to Hobart yacht races as well as many other national events, Eureka II holds an enviable sailing record. A modern fit out with all the comforts of a cruising yacht such as huge interiors and share or private cabins, Eureka II is a complete sailing yacht for only 16 passengers. We also offer Yachting Australia sail training courses which can be competed while you cruise the Whitsunday islands.

Eureka II also offers a massive cockipit area and modern, state of the art sailing equipment. Attaining sailing speeds that most sailors only dream of under the expert hands of her experienced skipper, she offers experienced sailors and novices alike the chance to experience a true Sydney to Hobart Ocean Racer sailed to her best advantage in the shelter of the Whitsunday Islands or sailing the east coast of Australia of one the many coastal passages offered.

The yacht has the latest navigation equipment, leather upholstery, huge sail wardrobe, CD Player, TV and DVD, Hot water and a clean open plan living area. Eureka II also offers Yachting Australia Sail Training Courses which can be completed while you cruise the Whitsunday Islands or, periodically, join the crew on a coastal passage under the guidance of our qualified sailing instructors.

If you are interested in learning more about Eureka II and sail training courses you can obtain further details by visiting the Whitsunday Marine Academy website.

Pre-requisite:
AYF Competent Crew and 20 logged days at sea

Duration:
6 days / 5 nights

Syllabus:
Nautical terms, ropework, anchorwork, safety, international regulations for the prevention of collision at sea, basic sailing, towing, stability, navigational charts & publications, navigational drawing instruments, compasses, chartwork, position fixing, tides and tidal streams, pilotage, visual aids to navigation, passage planning, navigational & restricted visability, meterology.

Qualification Obtained:
International In-Shore Skipper

On a typical warm sunny Sydney day we arrived at The Cruising Yacht Club marina in Rushcutters Bay at 9.00am, where we joined the rest of the crew aboard Eureka II. After a safety briefing and boat preparation we were on our way for our very first sailing adventure out in the big pond.

Day One - 16.01.05

As we motored out of the marina and toward Sydney Heads, Mal (The Skipper) put on his wet weather gear. We all thought this was a little strange, and didn't heed the warning. The weather soon deteriorated and we all scrambled for our gear too as the weather closed in.

We rounded Sydney Heads and steered a northerly course and with a strong south-easterly behind us, we hoisted the sails. Due to the large swell and strong winds it wasn't long before we were forced to reef the main and change the headsail. Half the crew, may I add were sea-sick by this stage.

As part of our sail training, those that were able, took turns at the helm during the day.

By early evening most of us were able to overcome the sea-sickness and participate in the experience of sailing in big seas and strong winds. The crew were divided in two for "night-watches"- 3 hours on and 3 hours off starting at 6.00pm.

The storm built up gradually through the night, with winds of around 35-45 knots. Shannon took the helm for each of our watches as the conditions were too severe. All other crew members were on lookout as we were sailing in the shipping lanes.

Our watch crew woke up to howling winds, pouring rain, and monstrous seas. We reluctantly put on our wet-weather gear and headed for the deck. Of course Murray, Lesley and I headed for the stern for smoko. Unfortunately we didn't have a dry lighter between us, or a dry cigarette. Alan was a bit slow to take up his watch position, and had to stay below and have a sleep because there wasn't enough room on deck. (so he says)

With the boat surfing down the waves at 19 - 22 knots and the storm still building up, Mal called for everyone to head for the stern to keep the bow up. With our mandatory PFD's on and Life Line's securely attached to the boat, Lesley, Murray and I sat at the back of the boat for 5 hours with wind gusts of up to 55knots, and waves crashing over us from all directions. Alan said the noise was horrendous down in his cabin.

It was time for a vote. A unanimous decision was made to anchor at Tool Bay, (about 2 hours south of Coffs Harbour) have something to eat, and a bit of a rest. This rest stop also gave us a chance to check the tides at Coffs Harbour as Eureka has a draught of 4 metres. We anticipated that it would be late evening by the time we approached Coffs. The harbour has a narrow channel and just enough depth to enable Eureka to enter safely at high tide.

The storm appeared to have subsided a little, so we left Tool Bay and headed for Coffs Harbour, arriving late evening as planned. We had a shower, quick snack for dinner, and had a good nights sleep."The Cook" (Shannon) and is apprentice, "The Pancake Maker" (Chris) were unbelievable. How they managed to prepare and cook meals for 14 people during this ordeal was nothing short of amazing.

The weather had improved slightly, we spent the morning at Coffs Marina, drying out our gear, doing some washing, stocking up on food supplies, doing the "Walk of dreams", walked up to the headland, and sipped cappucino's. How tough was that!.

As part of the Inshore Skippers certificate we had to be competent in navigation and chartwork. We learnt the basics of navigation including; three-bearing-fix, running-fix, transits, vertical sextant angles etc. A little bit of practical, a little bit of theory - what more could we want - Dinner and drinks at the Coffs Harbour Yacht Club perhaps!!

After much mirth and frivolity at the club and noting that it was well after midnight, we decided we should all return to the boat and rest up ready to tackle the day ahead.

The storm was now ahead of us, the wind and swell had settled down somewhat and we were all rested up and ready to continue onto Mooloolaba.

We all gathered around the table for a quick theory lesson on boat preparation, navigation, trip planning, weather forecasts etc., and then on our way. The calmer weather and seas will give us the opportunity we needed to put our navigation and sailing theory into practice.