Extended cruising in The Whitsundays

[Grith]

Hi All My partner and I are in our 8th week living/cruising onboard our Imexus 28 extensively cruising modified trailer sailer.
We towed our yacht several thousand miles up the the deserts in the middle of Australia from our new very cheap retirement home on the water on The Murray River in South Australia to launch at Airlie Beach in North Queensland.
We have been out here exploring and living as the relative minnow amongst the generally much much larger yachts, powerboats and super yachts here amongst the islands and reefs.
While a maxi and very expensive in trailer sailer terms we are the poverty pack in the anchorages and marinas here.
Most of the time we are anchored alone however accessing place unavailable to regular craft as they are too shallow as we cross the fringing reefs at high tide and then dry out on the sand beaches at times.
🙂
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[Norm L.]

That is quite the rig, both boat and caravan. Does the latter have a diesel?  And the Coober-Pedy pic is great.
That is quite the trek. I've done most of that the easy way taking the day train from Melbourne to Sydney for a few days then the day train Sydney towards Brisbane. Because of the territories having different rail gauges you have to get to Brisbane on the final leg by bus. On that day a lorry went off an overpass onto the rails so we had to do 2/3rds of that day via bus. It was long but I did get to see a few of the Gold Coast beach towns along the way.

I like that you can sit on the beach at low tide. I understand when you are at anchor you are aligned with wind or tide as you go aground. What is the situation when the tide comes in and you start to lift with possible strong winds or surf coming at you from a different direction.
From the photo I can't tell if you have a bow and stern anchor out. 

[Grith]

Hi Norm
The truck is a car licensed Isuzu NLS AWD light truck and the camper is a Beyond slide on unit with remote controlled powered legs allowing it to easily be detached to act as a base camp or just to free the then two ton truck type tray back Ute for other uses.
The engine is a 3 litre turbo diesel based on the Isuzu DMax engine but in truck tune with truck gearing meaning first is a real crawler gear and top speed about 120kph.
Yes I use a rear anchor when appropriate to align the yacht when drying out for possible small waves upon tide return.
I am pretty careful however with wind and swell predictions and chosen situation to not face a real swell or surf upon tide return.
Generally I dry out inside a fringing reef or in an estuary situation safe from this threat. 🙂
For a trailerable yacht The Imexus is pretty big inside making a comfortable living space for two with standing headroom at the galley and enclosed shower/toilet compartment. We have even hosted friends on multiple night cruises.
I call our entire package our zombie apocalypse escape pod!😂
We have adequate solar and lithium in both units to provide a complete offgrid 240v combined with 12v self generating power system. With huge water storage and water saving systems and live off the land/sea by catch and collect capabilities, fuel is our main civilisation requirement and the yacht with it's electric auxiliary outboard and sails can exist without that as well. You cannot view this attachment.You cannot view this attachment. 

[Captain Kidd]

Sounds like you're having a great time of it!

[Norm L.]

The entire set up is pretty amazing. The RV rig is an idea I would like. Compact but with bi level space and the " auto-back-off" camper letting you use the ute end is genius. Useful things like that are rarely available here unless you make one yourself. Which a few here have.

What is available are Holden SS utes. A company in Reno or Las Vegas Nevada imports used one and switches them left hand drive and makes them U.S. legal. I guess it is a bit easier since they are GM under the skin.

Will you head back south now that spring is here or continue up to Sunshine Coast (where Ged sails his TS16)

[Grith]

The entire set up is pretty amazing. The RV rig is an idea I would like. Compact but with bi level space and the " auto-back-off" camper letting you use the ute end is genius. Useful things like that are rarely available here unless you make one yourself. Which a few here have.

What is available are Holden SS utes. A company in Reno or Las Vegas Nevada imports used one and switches them left hand drive and makes them U.S. legal. I guess it is a bit easier since they are GM under the skin.

Will you head back south now that spring is here or continue up to Sunshine Coast (where Ged sails his TS16)

Lots of slide on truck campers available in the US and Canada. Whilst my Beyond unit is Australian made many Palimino campers are imported here from the US with similar capabilities. Both the scissor action fold out stairs and the remote control powered legs on my unit are US made whilst windows, cooking appliances, fridge and hotwater service are European. Tragically we don't make much manufactured stuff in Australia anymore.
After we pull out of the water here in the Whitsundays this week we are trailering down to The Hawkesbury just north of Sydney to sail there with my 20yo daughter joining us there for a week during her last holidays before she graduates from her specialist animation college in Sydney and likely heads off into the world backpacking.
Annabel was with Clare and I for Clare's very first step foot on a boat which was a 7 day charter up here in The Whitsundays 3 years ago. Clare posted it was her best holiday ever despite having done some amazing adventurous wilderness backpacking and travelling trips herself previously. 
It was our second holiday together the first being a 5 day kayaking with tents adventure into a remote and beautiful river gorge in Kangaroo Valley where I then lived and worked which we sneaked off and did during the pandemic lockdowns. Annabel also accompanied us on that trip.
Clare had previously never paddled a kayak and I had taught her to over the previous couple of weekends. (I was at one time a whitewater kayaking instructor) We paddled nearly 50miles on that trip camping in backpacking tents and as usual there was an ongoing water fight between dad and daughter as a feature!
Annabel and I had done a lot of similar stuff together and are intensely competitive with one another!
I have been thrilled to now partner up with Clare who is such a spectacularly capable and adaptable if unusual lady who has also assisted me to regain some of my prior health and fitness.
I have now dropped about 100lbs in weight and feel back to my pre business ownership/divorced/unstressed/childless and adventurous self though without the six pack anymore!😂
Clare complains she has gained some weight and lost some fitness with me not doing so many of the extreme wilderness backpacking trips as previous, drinking a lot more wine and eating some of my occasionally prepared delicious but much higher calorie meals!
The photo below is our parking lot otherwise known as our spare waterfront block beside our house which was purchased in case we liked the thought of living long term in this new retirement somewhere/nowhere spot (as Clare calls it) as our travel base and want to build a new environmentally sensitive active/passive solar home there together. You can see the slide on camper separated from the small flat bed truck as well as the pair of Imexus yachts the inboard version about to go up for sale.
It was my first attempt at building the ultimate trailerable cruising/ exploration yacht but I found the huge diesel 180hp inboard with hydraulic twin counter rotating stainless steel props too technically complex for me to service and maintain in remote locations whilst being serious fun with Annabel and friends being capable of over 25 knots towing a skier!
The current outboard Imexus is just much easier to maintain and also to sail and use so now many of my extensive cruising modifications/additions have now been transferred from the older Inboard Imexus to the newer Outboard version. Note both yachts were purchased secondhand at huge discounts to their original price both with very little use by owners who had waited too late in life for this type of purchase! A lesson in life I felt I learnt much earlier. Don't delay your dreams until after conventional retirement! Do them the first moment you can!
The luxury of both early retirement and very significant downsizing with us selling two mid range NSW homes and moving to very cheap and a little remote South Australia on The Murray have made the renovation and sale of the previous Imexus less of a priority than getting the new rig ready and getting out there using both the Imexus and camper separately and now together. 🙂
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All three loves together with Annabel and Clare on Nexus the Imexus on our pontoon jetty out the front of our new retirement travel base cheap timber kit home. The yacht has been heavily further cruising modified since this photo was taken. 
Not the most glamorous shot of any of them!😂

[Norm L.]

Very impressive.
Having been around boat motors for over 60 years I applaud you have an outboard on this boat. As long as it is long shaft and fitted with the correct propellor it is the way to go.

[Grith]

Whilst an abomination to some old salts the monster outboard combined with extremely low draft and water ballast opens up a huge range of destinations out of reach of many more conventional craft.
From crossing breaking wave mouth river mouths to running over very significant tidal, river flows or just eating distances in either becalmed or extreme weather to quickly get back to a sheltered overnight anchorage.
It's also comforting to know that sudden unanticipated weather changes can be outrun in what is still a relatively light and small yacht.
The electric outboard acts a quiet additional thrust when sailing upwind in light conditions improving an otherwise limited performance in this area. It also fills in the gaps when river sailing creates constant wind direction changes.
It has a remote throttle control on the steering binnacle and steers via the rudders. It also demounts becoming our dingy outboard with its conventional tiller which detaches.
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[Riley Smith]

Nice rig! I luv the truck/camper combo.

[Grith]

Just back from our over 8 weeks out cruising in The Whitsundays my daughter flew down from Sydney and her and I went down to The Coorong across the huge Lake Alexandrina for a five night cruise.
Today on the way back we had a long 3 hour motor directly into the north easterly wind most of which was at around 2.5knots via my torqeedo electric outboard auxiliary whilst the big main outboard did a short stint at 6 knots out in Lake Alexandrina across to Narrung and the entrance to Lake Albert.
The lake is so large that when out in the middle you cannot see land in most directions. The mornings light north easterlies were unfortunately right on the nose whilst in the river channel from Clayton Bay to the lake. We waited at the Narrung Ferry on the adjoining public jetty briefly for the predicted south easterly change, had lunch then sailed over 5 hours back home. The first 2.5 hours under our huge asymmetrical spinnaker at 5-7.5knots in 10-12 knots of wind then as the wind filled in further the same speed under main and Genoa and finally as we negotiated the maze of stranded logs and snags around where The Murray empties into Lake Alexandrina just under main still at similar speeds as the wind but then was gusting well over 20knots.
With the constantly building short steep waves the entire sled ride home was a bit of a wild one!
The last leg on the river itself was a little more sheltered so out came the roller furled Genia again and we covered the last few nautical miles at around 5 knots wing on wing for most as the wind funnelled up the river. You cannot view this attachment.You cannot view this attachment.[attach
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[Norm L.]

Nice tale and colorful photo.

How deep is the lake. Lake Pontchartrain here is large enough that in the middle you can't see land in any direction. It is over 38n meters across and even longer. The scary part is that the deepest part is 6 meters but much is 3 meters. When the wind kicks up to 15 and more the seas are only .5 to 1 meter but they are at 2-3 second intervals and confused. It makes for an uncomfortable ride and little chance to recover between waves if you do something stupid.

Buy you have plenty of freeboard so your travel should be a bit more comfortable and drier.

[Grith]

Nice tale and colorful photo.

How deep is the lake. Lake Pontchartrain here is large enough that in the middle you can't see land in any direction. It is over 38n meters across and even longer. The scary part is that the deepest part is 6 meters but much is 3 meters. When the wind kicks up to 15 and more the seas are only .5 to 1 meter but they are at 2-3 second intervals and confused. It makes for an uncomfortable ride and little chance to recover between waves if you do something stupid.

Buy you have plenty of freeboard so your travel should be a bit more comfortable and drier.

Lake Alexandrina has an average depth of just over 2 metres and is about 30 nautical miles across. Same issue with steep waves and confused seas with the wind blowing straight up from the Antarctic or at least it feels like that. It has a dreadful reputation for swamping boats but as you observed our actually almost excessive freeboard on a 28 foot yacht means no issue for me with that unless I left the front hatch wide open.
It's that huge freeboard that both makes the only 28 foot yacht very suitable for extended cruising but also constrains upwind performance along with its flat planing stern and relatively shallow swing keel. 
During our recent 8.5 weeks stint inshore/offshore in The Whitsusays and Great Barrier Reef cruising we were usually the smallest yacht in the various anchorages and also the one anchored closest to shore and most sheltered. 🙂

[Norm L.]

Ah, yes. When there is a boater's death on Lake Pontchartrain it is almost always due to a small boat with fishers being swamped and 10 C winter water temperatures.