Livin' the Dream By Merilyn Mackenzie So just what is it that leads hundreds of seemingly well-adjusted Australians to leave their comfortable homes and good jobs for a life of deprivation, hunting and foraging on the high seas every year? Okay maybe not high seas ... but in my instance cruising the Coral Coast from the Gold Coast to the Whitsundays. For me it was the fun and adventure of joining this annual extremely popular pilgrimage. It was the trip that I had been talking about for more than 1... Read More >>
Gayundah - Flagship of Queensland's Navy By David Jones - Queensland Maritime Museum Gayundah was a little ship, just 36.5m long, but she carried two very big guns and packed a powerful punch. A 12 tonne, 20cm gun pointed for’ard and a four tonne, 15cm gun swept a wide arc from her stern. Such heavy and prominent weapons and a name that meant ‘lightning’ announced her pugnacious intent. Along with her identical twin Paluma, Gayundah was born out of one of a series of ‘Russian scares&... Read More >>
Benefits and Selection of a Good Mainsail Handling System By Norman Longworth CP Eng After a good headsail furler and a reliable engine the most important asset for the cruising or racing/cruising yachtsman is a good mainsail handling system. The main has to go up easily and come down quick and safely. It also has to reef easily and shake out reefs with minimum effort, this is also important for a serious racer with today’s big mainsails. Most cruisers will opt for lazy jacks and a zip up cradle cover. This gear will save fuel ... Read More >>
Tin Can tranquility By Jo Djubal The magnificent Great Sandy Strait on Queensland’s Fraser Coast ... little villages like Tuan, Poona, Boonooroo and Tinnanbar line the mainland to River Heads but if there was to be a fishing village capital within this Heritage Listed waterway, it would have to be the laid back township of Tin Can Bay. The town may be quiet but its growing wealth of amenities, services and events belies its sleepy persona making it the ideal stopover when entering o... Read More >>
What not to do - a story of stuff ups! By Jo Djubal “Let’s just go ...” Sitting on the mooring on our new boat finally got the better of us. We’d been fine tuning for months and finally had enough. We still had a suspect port motor with a curious lack of power but the starboard engine was like new and we wanted to scrub the bottom at a nearby bay. We also needed to remind ourselves we were still on a moveable creation! “Okay. Let’s do it.” Which is al... Read More >>
Dangerous Marine Critters By Rosemary Jilders - catamaran Sokari Queensland waters are cruised by a large number of boats every year as they migrate up and down the coast during the season. The owners of many of these vessels are from southern climes so they may be unfamiliar with some of the creatures that inhabit our waterways and unaware that there are a lot that can really hurt us. All boaties who cruise these waters should learn which ones you can touch, which ones you can’t and what first aid... Read More >>
The Trailer... in Trailerboats - Galvanized By Barry Tyler It is fair to suggest most trailerboat owners lack true knowledge and appreciation of the complexity, the rich tapestry of the coating on their trailer, which is known broadly/generically as galvanizing. And quite frankly why should they, for to most it is seemingly an integral part of the modern-day boat trailer and as such, should last the life of that trailer. Wrong, very wrong, for this rudimentary coating is merely a protective coating which very much needs ... Read More >>
Corky - a pint-sized sailer By David M Swartwout You needn’t worry when Junior decides to play Robinson Crusoe in this sailboat. It can’t sink ... Here is a non-sinkable sailboat for the youngsters that can be made easily in one or two evenings in the workshop. Mother can help on this one too; have her sew up the sail while you are making the hull parts. Most any of the standard sized innertubes will fit the frame for the sides of the boat. A 600 x 16 size was used on this ... Read More >>
Weathering the financial storm By Andrew (Aussie) Bray The severity of the world economic crisis is obvious even to those who personally expect to weather it unscathed. But as with the stock market, a downturn also provides opportunities, and in our private lives as much as in business, tougher times can also be a catalyst for positive, creative change. This article explores some possibilities from a boat owning perspective. Cashed upThere is no doubt for those who have the cash or access to finance,... Read More >>
Five Short Blasts - Part Four By Terry Buddell Shackled and chained to the dock, Ballard-Brown gulped helplessly as the Judge raised his cold eyes and smiled wickedly, licking his lips. Donning his black cap he glared furiously at Ballard-Brown who had by now, sunk to his knees in terror. Through a small corner of fear he saw the fat smile of the prosecutor, Captain Bridgeforth, wring his hands with pleasure. Suddenly, gloomy clouds covered the sun and the Judge stood up black cloths a flowing, gavel in ... Read More >>
Building, refitting or upgrading a boat - Part 5 Marine RefrigerationBy Martin Burling from Keogh's Marine Electrics Refrigeration is generally the single biggest power user on most vessels and thus getting it right and maximising your fridge’s efficiency will reduce your power consumption. In this article I will address: The different types of refrigeration, DC, AC or engine driven Eutectic and their advantages and their disadvantages;What to look for in a marine fridge/freezer; How to build your own refrigerator/freeze... Read More >>
Getting into the game By Gordon Macdonald The interest and participation in game fishing has increased dramatically over the last decade as anglers have realised they don’t need big boats and burgeoning bank balances to participate. Once considered a sport only for the wealthy, game fishing is now available to the average boating angler. The ability to get offshore in a quest for mackerel, tuna, mahi mahi, wahoo, marlin, sailfish and other pelagic species is easily within reach of anglers in tra... Read More >>
