Brian Kerslake wrote:

Hi Bertrand, great to see Grand Pha appearing in this Google image search:

https://www.google.fr/search?q=images+wingsails&client=safari&hl=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=atxJVePwHsLfaIadgeAO&ved=0CC0Q7Ak&biw=704&bih=704

Lots of other vessels too, all sorts of wingsails

including the new Beneteau one, as well as Tystie as was.

Thank you for the link, perhaps I looked too quickly, but I saw only pictures of my previous Tiki30 PHA.

Today we are in Broome Australia.

Bertrand

Yes, since last Christmas we are on a mooring in Geelong near Melbourne to meet our  family with grand children who live near Melbourne.

Last February during 3 weeks we've visited the Tasmania aboard a camp van. It is a very beautiful country and we want to come back aboard Grand Pha to visit a few of the multitude of anchorages.

Last month I built a new tender, it's a nesting tender of 11 feet able to row and sail very well. It will be a good tool to discover the anchorages and to test new sails.

Since 8 days we are living aboard one another camp van to drive from Melbourne to Adelaide, Perth, Darwin,Alice Spring and return to Melbourne during 7 weeks.

This evening we have a good web connexion in the little town Kalbarri, in the Kalbarri national park at about 500km north of Perth with beautiful sceneries.

I'm sorry to don't be more active with the JRA since our departure. I'll have to write some articles about our voyage and about our rig.....

At the end of this big drive, from the 22 June to the 21September we'll fly back in France  and next November we'll sail toward the New Zealand.

I've updated my Wharrambuilders blog  Sailing with Grand Pha  until Panama. 

Have good sailings during this Summer.

Bertrand and Marie-Helene 

Hi Gary, I'm sooty we have missed you.

Yesterday evening we've arrived in the Port Phillip bay.

From Bundaberg we have motor sailed to the south of Fraser island, after under sail only until Mooloolaba and to the Gold Coast seaway and to Pittwater. From Pittwater we have motor sailed to Sydney and after under sail only until passing abeam Gabo island and after motor sailing and sailing until the Wilsons Promontory where we have a stop in the Refuge cove to wait the passage of a little storm. After we have to motor sail at 20-30° of apparent wind along the coast with a stop under the south of Phillip island due to strong wing up to 36 kts in the nose. At last we motor sailed at 30°-40° of the wind until the Cape Schanck and from there sailing  under the starboard sail only to enter the Port Phillip bay against the current because the day before one another wishbone has been broken on the port sail. 

Today we are anchored in front of St Leonard and next Monday we'll take a mooring in Geelong.

Globally I'm very satisfied with this rig which is very easy to handle. As I've a lot of windage I can't get a lot of speed when sailing at 40° of the apparent wind but with the help of one of the 2 engines I can motor sail at low RPM until 30-25° of the apparent wind under 20 kts of apparent wind and at 30-40° above 20kts.

The wishbones don't like to sail or motor sail under light winds with waves. The wishbones have too much lateral liberty and knock sometimes strongly again the mast. It's the third time I break a wishbone and each time it is broken just after where a beam has been welded. The welding weaken the wishbone.

I don't yet take the decision if I'll build new wishbones with articulations to get more power in light winds. This ones are strong and efficient. 

As we'll have a long stop (except a sailing in Tasmania next February) I think to replace the plastic tubes on the wishbones near the mast by pieces of carpet and to add ropes at each wishbones on each side of the mast to limit the lateral movement and to spread the effort on a larger surface.

You can have more details on our tracking blog with photos (when we have a god internet connection).

 I hope you'll join your new mooring area safely and have a good Christmas and New Year.

Bertrand

David Tyler wrote:Hello Bertrand,

I'm  glad to hear that you had no difficulties in entering Australia. Maybe the authorities have realised that they were placing too many obstacles in the way of bona fide visitors, and have decided to present a more friendly face. Perhaps I needn't be concerned about possible termite inspections, either, if I sail back down to Australia.

It's good to hear that you've been meeting up with other JRA members. The JRA network is working!

Here in Sydney at anchorage in Blackwattle bay we met again a Canadian boat we have seen in Fatu Hiva, Apataki and Tahiti and we were very surprised to find she here.

They landed the Australia from the Fidji in Coffs Harbour and as us they have had no problems to get their cruising permit. So don't worry if you want to sail to the Australia.

Tomorrow we'll sail more to the south toward Melbourne

Best wishes for the new year 2015.

Bertrand

Hello

These last time I was very surprised and happy to meet 3 other junk rig sailor :

Last September when berthed in the Noumea marina "port Mozelle" to proceed to the arrival clearance procedure, a visitor on the pontoon said me he lives aboard his junk rigged Badger "ZEBEDEE" at anchor near the marina. Later in looking at the boat of the month, I understood he was Alan Martienssen. Unhappily our meeting has been very short and as after we sailed to Lifou, Ouvea and were at anchor in Ouano (100km NW of Noumea we don't meet us again.

When we were in New Caledonia, Graham Cox on this blog told me he was in Bundaberg  Australia and he planed to sail slowly to Sydney aboard his junk rigged steel Tom Thumb 24 'ARION". In fact in sailing south to join Melbourne, we met him in the marina of Scarborough the last 3rd December. We've had a short meeting aboard his boat and our boat.

And last Friday 7th December after to have sailing all the day from Scarborough to the Gold Coast seaway among a lot of beautiful little islands, just before the sunset we anchored behind a catamaran. When I fwas checking my anchor was OK, the owner of the  43 Hitchiker cat "CRUSADER" visited us with his dinghy. He was Michael Willett and we talked on board and I've been very surprised to discovered his cat was rigged with a Split junk rig or Sleeve rig!!!

It's very astonishing to have such meetings despite  the number of junk rigged boat is very low, especially the catamarans!!!

Bertrand