When we tell people we’re sailing around the world, the first question is almost always the same: ‘What about storms?’ I’m hesitant to reinforce a Hollywood dramatised view of life at sea so keep a practised response to hand: ‘We plan ahead and use lots of forecasting tools to avoid bad weather, so see it rarely.’
But my answer to where we have experienced the most challenging weather – so far – may surprise you: Australia.
I should caveat this with an observation: everyone sails their own course. Having met many cruisers in over two years as a liveaboard, I’ve realised that no experience is universal. Sailing contains so many variables that every passage is different. I should stress that Australia was one of our favourite overall cruising destinations. Did it push us to our limit? Absolutely. Would I encourage you to go? I would say that it cannot be missed.
THE COASTAL NATION
Firstly, Australia is massive. The Australian coastline is over 16,000 miles. You want to sail all of it? It would take years. More than 85% of Australians live on the coast; it’s integral to their way of life. Australia is also a nation of sailors. There are modern marinas in nearly every town and every boat service you can imagine is easily accessible. For us, this was a key draw; it was an important stop off on our round the world trip to conduct some much-needed maintenance and repairs.
After almost a year sailing our Lagoon 46 in the South Pacific, I’d be lying if
