Keeping It Real I Cried on This Sail: 4m Standing Waves & Our Worst Conditions Yet Episode 140

You can become part of our crew over at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/sailingastridthewombat/posts Hi and welcome aboard @SailingAstridTheWombat We are Gav and Shezz and two and a half years ago we bought our Beneteau Oceanis 430 sailboat with absolutely no sailing experience and jumped straight into the deep end of liveaboard sailing. Our very first passage was just over 700 nautical miles, launching us headfirst into the world of bluewater cruising, learning to sail, and real life at sea. Since that moment, we’ve been fully immersed in boat life, documenting the journey of turning a production cruising sailboat into a capable, self-sufficient home for full-time liveaboard life. From major sailboat upgrades and off-grid power systems to everyday maintenance and skills building, we have been learning what it truly takes to own, sail, and live on a boat while preparing to sail around the world. We have now left the dock and our adventure has begun so hit subscribe to come along on the journey of a lifetime. If you’re into sailing adventures, beginner sailing, sailboat ownership, cruising lifestyle, and traveling the world by sailboat, our journey is all about real-time learning, ocean freedom, and realising our dream of world cruising under sail...Let's go! This was, without a doubt, one of the hardest days we have experienced since setting off on our liveaboard sailing adventure — and the sail that brought Shezz to tears. Leaving Mackay Marina in Queensland, Australia, we knew the conditions were going to be challenging, but nothing quite prepared us for what was waiting offshore. As we headed north, the sea state quickly deteriorated and we found ourselves battling 3.5 to 4 metre standing waves, strong winds and incredibly rough conditions. This was some of the most intense sailing we have experienced so far on our journey around Australia. For anyone following our liveaboard sailing journey around the world, this episode gives a very real look at what life at sea can actually be like. Sailing isn't always turquoise water, perfect sunsets and gentle trade winds. Sometimes it is exhausting, uncomfortable, emotional and downright frightening — especially when you're living aboard a sailboat and the ocean decides to turn it on. With conditions becoming too difficult to continue safely, we made the decision to seek shelter overnight at Brampton Island. After a rough and emotional day at sea, getting safely anchored and having the boat protected from the worst of the conditions was an enormous relief. The following day brought a completely different side of Queensland sailing. We continued north through the spectacular Smith Islands, surrounded by the beautiful scenery of the Great Barrier Reef, before making our way to Shaw Island, where we finally dropped anchor for the night. This episode is a reminder that cruising and sailing around Australia comes with incredible highs and some very difficult lows. From rough seas and standing waves to stunning tropical islands and remote anchorages, this is the reality of our journey as we continue sailing north and working our way towards the Torres Strait and, eventually, Indonesia and beyond. If you're interested in liveaboard sailing, sailing around the world, cruising Australia, Queensland sailing, Great Barrier Reef sailing, sailboat life, ocean passages, sailing adventures, rough seas, boat life, beginner sailing, sailboat cruising or travelling the world by sailboat, we hope you'll come along for the journey. Subscribe and join us as we continue our liveaboard sailing journey around the world, one passage, one anchorage and one unexpected boat problem at a time! Boat: Beneteau Oceanis 430 Mission: Sailing Around the World Lifestyle: Full-Time Liveaboard Sailing Route: Mackay to Brampton and Shaw Island Whitsundays Queensland Australia You can also become part of our crew over at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/sailingastridthewombat/posts Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:19 Sail Plan 03:30 Brampton Island 05:11 Sundowners 05:32 Sunset 05:58 Leaving Brampton Island 08:01 The Smith Islands 14:27 Shaw Island 15:00 The Whitsundays Please leave a comment, like and subscribe to follow our journey. Join us now as we head off up the coast of Queensland to explore the world by sailboat. We promise you will have a laugh! Welcome aboard Astrid The Wombat Gav and Shezz You can also find us on Instagram and Facebook: Sailing Astrid the Wombat #sailing #liveaboard #sailingaustralia #sailingadventures #sailboat