The Voyages of Magpie Ambon and Back

Ambon in Indonesia is the finishing point for the annual Darwin to Ambon International Yacht Race. Magpie was nominated for two consecutive years to participate in the handicap cruising class. The second time Magpie raced to Ambon, it was decided that the return journey would not be back to Darwin but rather down the east coast of Australia to Adelaide, South Australia. This was an adventure that took seven months to complete and included hitting reefs, visiting many of the islands of the Great Barrier Reef, close encounters with wildlife, and many other exciting events. During a stopover at Black Head, the bottom of New South Wales, we heard the mayday call for the yacht Gypsy Moth V, aground on the rocks at Gabo Island. Crossing the notorious Bass Strait turned out to be a not as fearsome as expected as the seas were calm, and we were able to see quite clearly the many offshore oil rigs.

Explanations of observed phenomena is explained in detail to give the reader as much information as possible.