Drew sailing solo, X-Wing, Facebook FarOtherSide May – June 2024

I have enjoyed watching the blogs from the Canadian sailor Drew, who visited Norfolk Island on his yacht X-Wing at the beginning of June 2024. The Facebook post, FarOtherSide is a great record of his voyage from Australia, across to Lord Howe where he briefly stopped and then his journey to Norfolk Island. Drew also used his motor on this leg of this trip to Norfolk Island as he was aware of weather in the Tasman Ocean, and he knew he need to arrive in Norfolk Island to shelter from the winds and swells.

When X-Wing arrived in Norfolk Island, Drew anchored at Anson Bay on Sunday 2 June. On Monday he moved his yacht to Sydney Bay where he planned to clear Norfolk Island Customs, Australia Border Force. As the wind and weather swirled around Norfolk Island, on 4 June he took shelter at Ball Bay, then moved to Cascade Bay and was able to complete is border clearance and came ashore and appreciated the hospitality of a friendly Norfolk Islander named “Bear”. He enjoyed gathering fresh fruit and food. Bear showed him the tourist sights and Bounty Museum, he even met a few of the cows, who ate his bananas he left on the back of a truck.

Drew was impressed with the beauty of Norfolk Island, the clear water with views of the coral below, the friendly locals and our Norfolk pine trees, and fresh avocados and bananas.

FarOtherSide is in Norfolk Island.

June 2024 Drew and his yacht X-Wing

hey nerds - I’ve been on Norfolk Island for about five days now, and despite getting chased around from anchorage to anchorage by constantly shifting weather, it’s been pretty lovely. the weather did settle down enough for me to go@to shore (two days in a row!), so here’s some video about that.

Drew departed Norfolk Island for his journey to Fiji, which he expected would take about 9 -14 days. Drew explained is yacht X-Wing is able to sail about 100 nautical miles a day, and he recorded being becalmed on 12 June, and waiting the next winds to arrive to take him across the South Pacific to Fiji. I just checked the lasted video and Drew arrived at Fiji today 21 June 2024, after a 12 day voyage to Nandi, Fiji. Today he planed to clear Fijian border control and customs.

If you have a chance watch a few of Drew videos he shared, it was lovely to see the planning and daily challenges of yachting the oceans, and interesting to learn about the life of a solo

sailor, sleeping 30 minutes and then up to check no ships are in the area. Here is a photo I took at Kingston with my Mobile phone and a few screen shots from the Facebook blogs. Safe sailing Drew and enjoy your adventures, on X-Wing.

Drew sailing solo, X-Wing, Facebook FarOtherSide (May – June 2024)

25 May South of Lord Howe

26 May Lord Howe 2x days

27 May Lord Howe

29 May half way to Norfolk Island

1 June Norfolk Island

2 June Norfolk Island Anson Bay

3 June Norfolk Island Sydney Bay Kingston

4 June Norfolk Island Ball Bay

6 June Norfolk Island Cascade Bay

7 June Norfolk Island

11 June sailing to Fiji, estimate 9 -14 days Sailing

12 June 150 NW Norfolk Island becalmed