Crossing the Coral Sea to Australia

Eltjo and Ewout adjust the sails as we leave Vanuatu.

Having left behind Vanuatu we set course for Australia. This meant we had to pass across the top of New Caledonia, a French colony known for its nickel deposits and natural beauty. We would have loved to visit it, but decided not to. Earlier on in our trip we learned we that we have more fun if we spend more time in fewer locations. Moreover, the seasons were about to change and who wants to run into Hurricane season?

All that remained between us and Australia was a 1000 nautical miles (1600 miles, 1850 km) stretch across the Coral Sea. At the far Western end is the well known Great Barrier Reef. We were aiming for the Southern end of it. Little did we know that the Coral sea is aptly named for scattered across it are endless coral reefs which rarely are visited by humans. One can either sail a big detour to avoid most of the atolls, or snake one's way through this mess. On a yacht with GPS navigation systems this is quite feasible as long as one doesn't fall asleep and literally miss a turn!

The Coral Sea actually has an important place in history: On May 7 and 8th 1942 Japanese and US forces fought the Battle of the Coral Sea. It was the first naval battle in history in which aircraft carriers engaged each other and neither side's ships sighted or fired directly upon the other. Although a tactical victory for the Japanese in terms of ships sunk, the battle would prove to be a strategic victory for the Allies: Japanese expansion towards Australia and into the South Pacific, seemingly unstoppable till then, had been turned back.

Japanese Expansion into the Pacific was halted with the Battle of the Coral Sea.

Luckily Bravado had a more peaceful ride! Winds were boisterous (30-35 knots) and from just ahead of the beam (i.e. slightly against us) which made it rough but fast trip. As usual Bravado held up well and 6 and a half days after leaving Port Villa we tied up at the customs dock on the Brisbane river. This marked the end of our crossing of the Pacific.