No Plastic Waste Voyage update

Honorary OCC Member Jon Sanders is renowned for avoiding publicity. He has received many awards including the Ocean Cruising Club Lifetime Cruising Award. He is the recipient of an OCC Challenge Grant © Paul Beutel

While in Sydney Jon applied for a quarantine exemption to enter WA based on a projected 21 days solo at sea. Jon was subsequently granted a G2G Pass. Jon arrived in Albany on 9th January. The voyage across Bass Strait was rough, to say the least, but necessary at that time to catch the favourable wind stream that carried Jon across the Great Australian Bight. In fact, the hull speed on Perie Banou II is 8 knots and the Jon was sailing at speeds up to 10 knots. Not surprisingly Jon arrived earlier than expected. Jon waited four days in isolation on Perie Banou II before receiving a direction from WA Police to have a COVID-19 test.

This morning Jon received notice that his COVID-19 test has delivered a negative result. He has served 23 days in isolation on his yacht. Operation TIDE, Border and Quarantine Operations of the WA Police Force subsequently issued Jon a quarantine exemption. Within the hour Jon was under sail once again, heading out of Princess Royal Harbour with a 22kt easterly breeze.

The 243nm (450km) voyage to Quindalup will take approximately two days. Jon will remain in Quindalup until 30 January when he will continue north to Fremantle arriving early afternoon on Sunday 31st January.

A reception for Jon will be held on 31st January 2021 when Jon crosses the finish line completing his 11th circumnavigation of the globe and the water sample collection process to establish a baseline for the presence of microplastics in the oceans of the Southern Hemisphere. After crossing the finish line Jon will sail a lap of honour around Fremantle Harbour before docking at Fremantle Sailing Club. You are invited to join us in welcoming Jon home. I will forward details of the event as they are finalised.

Jon has been collecting water samples from his yacht Perie Banou II for microplastics analysis by Curtin University. His historic voyage, interrupted by the Covis-19 pandemic, was intended to raise awareness of the extent of plastic pollution of the oceans. Jon, an Honorary OCC member, was the recipient of the OCC Challenge Grant to help support his journey. #NoPlasticWaste