Coffs Harbour – Australia – November 2023

With the threat of an early tropical cyclone heading our way, we made a hasty exit from Vanuatu late on the evening of 4th November, with 1100nm ahead of us to reach our next destination, Australia. Our final week at sea in the Pacific was thankfully drama-free. Two days out from Tanna, we passed through the Canal De La Havannah, a channel which snakes through the reefs surrounding the islands of New Caledonia. We would have loved to have stopped to explore but we needed to make distance between us and the brewing cyclone.

As we made Southwards, we had to dig out our wooly hats, trousers and duvets which had been in storage since leaving Europe, 2.5 years previously. On our 7th morning at sea, land was sighted on the horizon and later that day, with a favourable 3 knot current and the wind gusting over 30 knots we surfed into Coff’s Harbour in New South Wales.

So tired, but euphoric to have sailed our little boat 20,000-ish nautical miles all the way from the UK, across the Atlantic Ocean, through the Caribbean, to South America, through the Panama Canal and finally, across the Pacific Ocean all the way to Australia! Against the odds, no one had died and we were all still talking to one another! High on the promise of hot showers, good coffee, supermarkets and sleep, we anchored for the night outside the harbour, too late in the day to clear customs and be allowed ashore. The following morning, we were boarded by super friendly customs/ immigration and biosecurity officials. They had a quick rummage in our bilges, thankfully found no bugs, stowaways or contraband goods and we were free to explore Australia, our 4th continent!

In Coff’s we spotted our first kangaroos, hiked in the Dorrigo National Park, got high on flat whites, feasted on fresh fruit and veg, indulged in Hollywood showers, competed in our first Parkrun in over 2 years, joined the local library (mega) and commenced our love affair with all things Aussie.

The following week we sailed into gorgeous Pittwater, in the northern suburbs of Sydney. Highlights here included the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Avalon sea water pool, Barrenjoey lighthouse, and Angus enjoyed a trip to the ‘Home and Away’ beach – possibly the pinnacle of his travel experiences to date!

Vanuatu, November 2023

From Fiji it was a 465nm / 4 day, fast and often unpleasant sail to Vanuatu, our final destination in the Pacific Ocean. On the evening of our first day at sea, we took a freak wave into the cockpit, down the companion way, filling the galley and dowsing us all. The boys’ life jackets, which inflate automatically when submerged in water, were deployed, triggering our MOB (Man Overboard) AIS alarm. It was all a bit sh!t, and not for the first time, we wished that we could just stop and return to our comfortable, safe life on terra firma.

However, our time in Vanuatu more than compensated for our brief spell of misery at sea.

The Melanesian island nation of Vanuatu consists of a chain of about 80 islands spread over 1300km. We made landfall in Tanna, one of the most southerly islands in the archipelago. We anchored Mowzer amongst 5 other visiting yachts in Port Resolution, named by Captain Cook in 1774 when he visited aboard HMS Resolution.

Evidence of Tanna’s powerful geothermal activity was much in evidence with steam leaching through vents in the cliffs and magma heated rock pools smouldering on the shoreline. Ashore we tread carefully around boiling sand and the boys even boiled eggs in the simmering pools.

That evening, friends on SV Patricia set up a projector and screen on the beach and invited the local community to watch the movie, Trolls. In return, the villagers built an immense bonfire and sang us local songs. It was a joyous and unforgettable evening.

Vanuatu is ranked as the world’s most vulnerable to natural disasters. The previous year, within a few days of each other, the islands were hit by two category 4 cyclones and a 6.5 magnitude earthquake. High winds and flooding brought about significant damage to infrastructure and houses and the majority of crops were lost. For a population that depends entirely on subsistence agriculture the impact was profound, and yet the Vanuatan population have proven to be extraordinarily resilient. Despite their recent hardships, we were treated with immense kindness and generosity throughout our stay in Vanuatu.

Between the visiting boats, we shared any spare resources with the village – food, ropes, painkillers, shoes and clothing were much in demand. Our medical supplies and training proved useful when Donovan, a local farmer, arrived on the beach with a very nasty machete wound.

The following day, some boys from the local Iwea village; Eric, Tom and Sam, met us as we dinghied ashore and invited Barnaby and Zennor and their friend Dexter to go on an adventure inland. Barefoot and each armed with a machete, the new friends spent the day exploring together, making bows and arrows, winding their own twine, swinging on vines and harvesting their own lunch. It is these spontaneous adventures and encounters with alternative traditions that we will remember most fondly when this journey ends. The opportunity to immerse ourselves in differing languages, cultures, geography, traditions, history, and wildlife, will I hope instill us all with a greater appreciation and understanding of alternative cultures and to remind us how much we all have in common.

Vanuatu – Mount Yasur – 4th November 2023

Last time we attempted to get up close to an erupting volcano was in La Palma in 2021, when we ended up in the back of a police car, severely chastened for endangering our children whilst accidentally crossing the ‘no-go zone’. Two years later, we failed to heed the warnings of the Spanish police and had another go…

Vanuatu lies directly on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where shifting tectonic plates cause frequent earth tremors and feed nine active volcanos. Mount Yasur, on the island of Tanna, has been erupting pretty much continuously since at least 1774, when its exploding orange firework display attracted Captain Cook to visit the island.

From our anchorage in Port Resolution it was a bone-shaking, 45 minute journey in a 4WD via the island’s only ‘road’ which had been severely damaged by flooding. We were dropped in a desolate, ash covered plain, to climb the steep slopes of the volcano to reach the crater rim, 400m in diameter. Sulphurous gases wafted throughout the air, whilst thick smoke was spewed hundreds of meters into the air. Orange magma bubbled violently within the crater, whilst the ground beneath us shook. Every few minutes, car-sized rocks were expelled in deafening explosions, hurtling past us, into the air. As night fell, the light show intensified as bright orange molten lava erupted skywards. In equal measure the spectacle of Mount Yasur was breathtakingly awesome, humbling and terrifying. How lucky are we to have experienced such a magnificent display of Mother Nature’s extraordinary power and beauty? And this time we made it home in the back of a 4WD, not a police car!

Unfortunately, a cyclone warning meant that despite not having had long in Vanuatu, we had to make a run for it that night. Next stop Australia!

Yasawa Island Group & Viti Levu Fiji, October 2023

From Musket Cove, we travelled northwards to explore the Yasawa Island Group, in the company of kid boats Miles Away, Cinnamon and Wild Thing. Highlights here were the uninhabited island of Navadra, Lo’s tea shop and doughnuts on Nanuya Island, dancing in Somosomo and mocktails in Octopus resort, Waya Island.

With our time in Fiji running out and cyclone season approaching, we had a quick detour to Namotu Island for some epic snorkelling and then back to the main island of Viti Levu. We checked into Vuda marina to refuel/ re-water, to prep for our onward travels and to formally check out of Fiji.

Fiji marked the end of our Pacific kid boat flotilla with some families selling-up for new adventures ashore, others heading to New Zealand, some heading for Asia and a few of us with plans to spend cyclone season in Australia. There were therefore many sad goodbyes after an epic year, sailing, diving, foiling, snorkelling, hiking and fixing things together. We had shared moments of indescribable joy, and other periods with shite weather, dragging anchors, catastrophic gear failure, running aground, illness, relationship struggles, and the horrors of boat school!!!

Already feeling a bit emotional about the end of this magnificent era, we were undone by the Isa Lei goodbye, sung beautifully by the marina team as we untied from the dock for our final sail in Fijian waters.

Mamanuca Island Group & Viti Levu Island, September – October 2023

Unfortunately, engine dramas forced a premature departure from Fulaga (did we mention that we spend most of our time fixing things?!).

It was an easy 3 days sail NW to arrive in Musket Cove on Malolo Island just in time to celebrate Zoe’s 50th

Musket Cove is a kid boat magnet, and here we got to hang out with many of our favourites – Cinnamon, Miles Away, Wild Thing, Yebo and Voodoo. The boys were in their element, exploring, hanging out in the pool playing tag, drinking mocktails and extorting free pizza out of the resort staff. They also launched business empire ‘Nauti Knots’ making and selling Dyneema soft shackles to the Pacific sailing fleet.

From Musket Cove, it was a short day sail over to the main island of Viti Levu where we wrangled with the Yanmar dealer, reprovisioned in the most incredible markets, and ate mega curries.

We were back in Musket in time for Angus’ 50th , some (mostly incompetent) wing foiling, a few cool hikes, Strava segment hunting and the onset of mango season.

Fulaga – Lau Group – Fiji – September 2023

In our two + years of exploring many of the most spectacular corners of the globe, we have been privileged to witness much spectacular beauty and to meet some inspiring individuals and communities. However, our next stop in Fulaga was to surpass anywhere we had visited previously. Very much off the beaten track, with no airport and visited just once a month by a supply ship, Fulaga, in Fiji’s Lau island group has been our most remote and our most captivating destination.

After an especially torturous, vomit-inducing, two day, 250nm up-wind sail from Savusavu, we arrived inside the jungle-topped reef, into a lagoon of staggering beauty and tranquillity. Crystal clear waters are dotted with multiple palm-topped, mushroom shaped islets carved from towering limestone pillars. Once anchored, we dinghied ashore and walked along a jungly 1km long track, festooned with banana palms and enormous butterflies, to the village of Muanaicake. As is customary when visiting Fijian villages, we had brought with us a gift of kava root to present to the village chief. Once inside his home, Chief Simon formally welcomed us to the village and introduced us to Bill and his parents, Lucy and Niko. Muanaicake village families take turns to host visiting sailors allowing an authentic insight into community life.

Throughout our stay in Fulaga, Bill, Lucy and Niko proved to be incredibly generous and thoughtful hosts. We were invited into their home where Lucy prepared tea and coconut pancakes for us over an open fire. Decorated with gorgeous traditional Fijian fabric and woven mats, their home is very simple, just two rooms with no running water and minimal furniture. Their one solar panel was broken and they’d run out of bottled gas. Outside, they grow orchids and pandanus leaves which Lucy uses to weave floor mats which are sold in Suva. Over the coming days we were fortunate to spend time getting to know our family, to learn about their traditions, beliefs and about the challenges and joys of living in Fulaga. We were invited to join the villagers at church on Sunday which was followed by an enormous, feast, all cooked in a lomo (an under-ground pit, lined with hot coals).

Bill took us exploring all over the island, the highlight of which was a visit to a remote cave full of human remains, purportedly belonging to invading Tongans who were summarily dispatched and cannibalised by the local villagers.

Anchored with us in the lagoon were kid boats from Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the USA. When not visiting the village, the kids gathered on the beach to build fires, climb trees, practice their machete skills and to weave palms. Not a lot of formal boat schooling went on in Fulaga! The villagers hosted a birthday party in their community hall for Felix, who turned seven years old, whilst in Lau. Everyone from the village was invited for food and birthday cake. The evening ended with a heavy kava session, the communal coconut shell doing many rounds…

Life in Fulaga is very simple and people have very little, and yet we were treated with such genuine kindness and generosity. We are so thankful to Bill, Niko and Lucy and to the wider community for our time in Fulaga.

‘Sota tale’ (see you again).

Fiji – Vanua Levu – August 2023

Forgive us our lengthy radio silence on social media. We’ve been busy fixing things, climbing volcanos, hiking, kite foiling, running, schooling and fixing more things. We have a few days at sea now, so I will endeavour to bring you up to date with the most recent exploits of the Mowzer Crew.

Bula Bula! August 2023

Following our incredible whale encounters in Tonga, we took the next decent weather window to continue our travels westwards. . It was a mostly gentle, down-wind sail, over 400nm/ 3 days to the clearance port of Savusavu on the island of Vanua Levu in Fiji. We arrived at dawn and tied up on the quarantine dock at Nawi Marina. We were greeted by super friendly, sulu wearing immigration, customs, and biosecurity officials and were soon cleared into the country.

Nawi marina had opened 6 weeks previously and offers luxury resort-like facilities at a bargain rate of £9/ night. We’re generally not marina dwellers, our last night alongside being in Panama 6 months previously, but with some dodgy weather expected, we took a berth for a week and exploited the access to power, water, laundry facilities and luxury, open air showers which even the boys were enthusiastic about.

Notable among the fleet of boats in the marina, was the 73m superyacht Dragonfly owned by Google co-founder, Sergey Brin. Purportedly the world’s fastest superyacht and worth $80 million, Dragonfly has 16 crew, one of whom happened to be ex-boat kid. The boys and their chums managed to ingratiate themselves with her crew by carrying their bin bags ashore, and by selling the crew homemade cookies (boat kids are ruthless and inventive entrepreneurs!), bagging themselves a tour of Dragonfly (disappointingly, parents were not invited aboard).

From the marina, we explored ashore, along with our good friends on fellow kid boats, Miles Away and Cinnamon.

Favourite days out on Vanua Levu included a day trip on a very rickety local bus, to the town of Labasa on the north of the island. Labasa has a population largely descended from indentured labourers brought to Fiji from India by British colonial rulers over 100 years ago. Here we explored the market, toured the Sangam Hindu Temple and had an awesome thali.

We also had a memorable day out at the Vuadomo Waterfall. We hiked along a dusty track in lush vegetation to reach the nearby village where we were granted permission to visit the falls. Post-swim, we were invited back to the village where our mob of boat kids joined the local kids playing football and long jump, whilst the adults were invited to partake in a kava ceremony. Kava, banned in most European countries, is the traditional national drink of Fiji. It is made from the crushed roots of the yaqona plant and once processed resembles muddy water. It tastes ‘unusual’ and has a mild numbing effect on the mouth. It is served in a large communal bowl from where it is dished out to each of us in turn in a half coconut shell. After a few rounds, we were serenaded by the community, culminating in the mournful, ‘nisa lei’, or goodbye song. Like many of our subsequent encounters in Fiji, we were humbled and moved by the generosity and warmth of our new Fijian friends.

Tonga August 2023

In stark contrast to our big passage from the Galapagos to French Polynesia, our crossing from Bora Bora to Tonga was anything but smooth sailing. We departed in what looked to be a reasonable weather window, with the aim of visiting Suwarrow in the Cook Islands. Unfortunately, the sea state was especially gnarly, with confused, 2-3m swell, and wind gusting in the low 30s for several days, making for a miserable crew. Five days in, a weather window opened for Tonga, so we diverted towards the Vava’u Island group, only for the wind to die completely. All in, it ended up being a 12-day, challenging passage, devoid of any fun sailing.


Thankfully though, Tonga more than compensated. With over 170 islands to choose from, tropical beaches, rainforests, cool caves, an incredible choir and lots of whale action, Tonga was definitely worth the slog.

Southern Humpback Whales travel from their feeding grounds in Antarctica to the tropical waters of Tonga to mate and give birth during the months June to October. We were absurdly lucky to have the opportunity to swim with these majestic creatures. Undoubtably one of our most incredible experiences ever- very moving, awe inspiring and humbling. Watch the video here

Raiatea and Bora Bora, French Polynesia, July 2023

With our French Polynesia visa now expired, we managed to squeeze in a few cheeky days in both Raiatea and Bora Bora.

In Raiatea we tackled Mount Temehani, a sweaty 22km hike with mega views, stunning flowers and elusive paths. We also drift snorkelled the Coral Gardens, a crystal-clear water channel separating two motus, and teaming with schools of butterfly fish, brightly coloured parrotfish, clownfish nestled in vast anemones, multicoloured giant clams and a lone, inquisitive octopus.

In Bora Bora, we summited Mount Ohue, an arduous partially roped, near vertical climb through the jungle. We also all nailed tow foiling (and sustained a few gnarly injuries!)

Our time in French Polynesia nearing an end after 4 months, 14 islands, and 15,000nm under the keel. It’s been epic and not nearly long enough. Until the next boat…