Island Cruising & Down Under Rally

Since this article was written, Island Cruising have purchased Down Under Rally. This opinion piece has been updated and based on our experience with Island Cruising and Down Under Rally when owned by John Hembrow. Together with John's wife Leanne, their extensive experience (not only as sailors), but knowledge in this part of the south Pacific, was amazing.

I have since got to know Viki Moore (owner of Island Cruising) through this sailing season (2024). Viki's hands-on assistance to all rally members is mind-blowing. What stuns me is Viki's knowledge-base. She knows so many people in the Pacific and will always give you an answer. If she doesn't know the answer, she will find out for you.

Viki really is passionate about the cruising industry as a whole and carries weight in decision-making policy, in particular in New Zealand. This cumulative information knowledge base will suit any seasoned cruising professional, or novice trying to venture into this wonderful life, called cruising.

The cruising fraternity respect Viki's input hugely and the sole reason we are doing more rallies with them. Not only that, we get Rally member benefits, some 5-20% off what non-members pay for business services on the yacht.

Being a member is a no-brainer, read on to find out why...

For those who want to save a few bucks by not paying a rally fee, go for it - wish you well.
For the rest of us, come over for a cup-of-tea or coffee while we wait for someone else to do that for us.

Rally Membership - it's a no-brainer

In the ramblings of our 3-year plan with our Lagoon (see Boatyard in the website Menu), we have parted with 1/5 of the yachts value (in dollar terms) in upgrades and improvements. We have tried to use as many of Member businesses as possible and our savings from this membership alone, exceeds AUD $4000. This alone is two rally entry fees paid in our eyes.

Last year (2023), our member renewal was around AUD $100. We bought one new sail, have done two theory courses, about to do the 'marine first aid' and 'sea survival practical' and saved upwards of AUD $480 by using rally partners. That's our membership fees back, plus the next three years paid.

This year (2024), we are about to embark on another revamp on our Leopard 45, around 1/10th of the yachts value (in dollar terms) in upgrades and improvements. We will be taking advantage of the benefits to members and that will be membership fees back for many years to come.

It really is a no brainer.

Rally Fees - Bureaucratic headaches...some taken care of.
In a past life, customs, immigration and police dealings were daily affair. The rally entry fees help navigate all the bureaucratic red-tape.

For those who want to save a few bucks by not paying a rally fee, go for it - wish you well. For the rest of us, come over for a cup-of-tea or coffee while we wait for someone else to do that for us.

If you are one of those 'fees-are-to-expensive-brigade', rally organisers get paid a pittance once all the publishing, organising, customs and immigration, border force dealings, import & export fees, foreign language issues etc are taken out. I have this information first hand.

The advantage of sailing company

While sailing in tandem is not to everyones taste, it does have its definite advantages. The obvious one being friendships and safety.

We have completed seven organised rallies and the positives far outweigh any negatives we had heard, particularly when sailing offshore.

While the onus of planning belongs to the captain, the organisers certainly put a huge amount of work into preparation. This starts months out with guides on yacht preparation down to passage information pre departure and even during the rally. We have found this a great tool.

You depart and sail at a speed you choose (a misconception we had heard is that you had to stay together at the same speed, or...it's a race!). We sailed for 24-hours seeing no one for that 24 period, that was our choice. Some prefer to sail closer together.

We have been witness to and assisted others in their time of need, broken steering, disabled yacht (totally disabled in every way including steering from a massive thunderstorm 200nm offshore that was not forecast), loss of radios, damaged sails and the list goes on.

Rule of the sea states that vessels hearing another in distress, are required to assist the vessel in distress. So while the fleet may be scattered and way out of sight (with faster yachts long gone), someone will come to assist.

One thing that stands out is the assurance that someone is not far away.

Additional security is provided by rally organisers, who have uncanny ways of inquiring of those who may be doing something unusual.

We were called up one evening on day one of a 2-day passage. We had chosen a southern route, different than the rest of the fleet. This was so we could meet a more favourable tidal flow predicted later that evening.

This took us close to a reef (that we were actually trolling off at the time). We had had no visuals on any of the fleet vessel for the last 5-hours. We had no idea how organisers knew where we were - Dead Reckoning or AIS...who knows.

Another good reason to ensure you have an AIS that is serviceable AND ON. Whatever their system, it's comforting that someone was around if we had an issue.

Finally, once you arrive at the destination, the rally is then finished after a party...or three. Everyone then goes there own merry way until the next rally leg starts.

We have come to know and become very good friends with other rally yachts, who are like-minded in the sailing, some we buddy-boat with on smaller passages to this day.

Disadvantage of sailing company

A rally is only as good as the least prepared yacht.

Those who go to the trouble of putting time and money into the experience, will add value to the yacht and reap the positive reward of this new experience. Also having a blast doing it and learning along the way.

To those who try and get by with minimal preparedness, you will end up struggling and finding excuses for your yacht problems. This has a selfish flow-on effect, impacting other rally participants who have tried hard to be well prepared, now going out of their way to come to your aid.

If it's old and has one-sailing-season left, don't. You will be the least prepared yacht.

Thankfully, organisers go out of their way to guide you in correctly preparing a vessel. They have thousands of sea-miles under their belt and have a strong grasp on what is required (at a minimum) to head offshore.

Caveat - I am a Island Cruising Member. I am not being paid for this opinion, just telling it as it is...
James (dated September 2024)

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