Do you have that moment in life, when you purchase something and immediately have that feeling of .. did I get enough bling for my buck?  When we purchased our share in Inspiration, a Jeanneau 36 Sun Odyssey, we had that stomach clenching moment, have we done the right thing? Walking through the doors of the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron, past the yachting elite memorabilia, through the dining area across the lawns and down the pontoon, we are met by Yachtshare's owner, Anton.  We are immediately put to ease as our yacht Inspiration glides into her pen, with Mark at the ..read more

  T-w-a-n-g and my moment of being bendy was over.  I recognized straight away what I had done but I would not accept it had just happened!  My whole, let's do it; I'll race you; I'll join your team, active life, and not a single injury.   Now, here I was sitting on the deck of our yacht in the cool still morning, watching the sun slowly rise over the horizon, gripping my now weakened leg.  It all happened so quickly!    3 months ago after years of starting, stopping, and re-starting I was back into yoga. I tried starting as if I had not had 3 year ..read more

There are many benefits to sharing a boat, the obvious being it is easier financially!   All boat owners can agree, there is a lot of responsibility and financial commitment to owning a boat.  A boat sharing agreement can be handy for people who want the luxury of owning a boat without having to manage all the financial commitment.  Why have a large sum of your money tied up to the marina?  It is also a happy medium for friends and family members to mutually benefit from owning a boat. However, before you strike an agreement to buy a boat with shared ownership, make s ..read more

There were jetskiers, trailer sailors, steel boats, wooden boats, production boats, small, big, power, luxury boats and us, all anchored in and around the tip of Russell Island in expectations of the weekend ahead. We were there with our beautiful yacht, Jubilation, a 2019 Beneteau 41.1 Oceanis anchored just off the shores of Russell Island at the Canaipa Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron.  The RQYS Canaipa is an extension to their main club, the RQYS Manly and all members can visit and enjoy the wonderful facilities, including the BBQ area, the shower/toilet amenities, the camp kitchen and th ..read more

There were jetskiers, trailer sailors, steel boats, wooden boats, production boats, small, big, power, big luxury and not so big boats, all anchored in and around the tip of Russell Island in expectations of the weekend ahead. We were there with our beautiful yacht, Jubilation, a 2019 Beneteau 41.1 Oceanis anchored just off the shores of Russell Island at the Canaipa Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron.  The RQYS Canaipa is an extension to their main club, the RQYS Manly and all members can visit and enjoy the wonderful facilities, including the BBQ area, the shower/toilet amenities, the camp ki ..read more

It was fast, it was crowded and I was caught!I went on to spend the next 3 months locked away in the South China Sea and no-one knew.... There are moments in your life, when you think back and clutch at those seconds of time and think, what if... what if I had done this, what if this had not have happened, where would I be now.  Who would I be now! For me, there are probably 3 defining moments, where life takes a distinctive turn.  Where one minute you are cruising along in life and then everything changes.  For me, these moments are, the decision to leave home, the decision to sell my wate ..read more

The weather...it is beautiful in the summer and superb in the winter.  It's all year round sailing conditions here! So, what if you don't live in Queensland, how can you take advantage of this beautiful sailing coastline, with it's wonderful islands and reefs atolls. Have you ever considered commuting to your yacht? Does this sound something only the Rich and Famous would do?  What if you had your own yacht available for 6 months a year in the Whitsundays and 6 months a year in Moreton Bay and all you had to worry about was where to sail next!I am not talking about chartering, this is som ..read more

Sailing the Queensland Coast is a unique and memorable experience.   Not every person who sets out to sail this beautiful and intriguing coast succeeds.For those who persist and accomplish their dream of sailing the coast, they are well rewarded with experiences and adventures that will last them a lifetime. Why is the Queensland Coast so unique and so memorable.   One reason is the many numbers of islands and inlets for anchoring before sundowners start, an important factor as a yachtie.   Where you can leave one beautiful anchorage with your coffee in hand and head to the next a ..read more

Is sailing still stuck in the 1950s? Invariably, when a yacht approaches a marina berth with a couple on board it will be the man at the helm and the woman holding the lines. Why is that? asks Elaine Bunting In 1950s movies, when a man and woman were going somewhere together, it was invariably the man who drove the car. Driving was a male role, like carving the Sunday roast or deciding how to vote. Even among my parents’ generation, the next along, I knew of a woman who was not allowed to drive her husband’s car, as if operating it safely were somehow beyond her mortal powers.Today such ..read more

27 things a first time cruiser should know12 FEBRUARY 2019 .  Never been quite sure whether you want to leave shore on a cruise? As part of our ongoing ‘Everything you need to know about cruising’ series we’ve got 27 things a first time cruiser should know.Everyone knows a cruise person, right? The only holiday they’ll ever go on, bagging a new voyage each year, more than happy to share hours of open-ocean tales and endless snaps, even when you’re doing your best to not show interest.For all of you on the other side, the cruise virgins, have you ever been a shade curious about what the attrac ..read more