I own a Seawind 1160 catamaran named “Lalapanzi” and my wife Barbara and I have sailed her for the last nine years. We have been members of RQYS since 2013 but, most importantly, been active members of the SCG for the last 10 years. Being a part of this Group enabled us to meet likeminded people, to share stories, to gain experience in cruising and it also provided a forum in which we could learn and ask questions about cruising. We have now sailed over 10,000 nm in Lalapanzi up and down the Queensland coast, and also undertook an epic trip down south as we circumnavigated Tasmania in 2022. These cruises were predominantly done ‘in company’ with other Squadron SCG yachts. Having already rounded the ‘small island’ it is now time to be more adventurous and undertake the circumnavigation of the ‘big island’ — so how do you go about preparing for your dream adventure? Clearly, planning and logistics play a large part and then I need to find crew to participate in what turns out to be a 16-leg journey spanning some 500 days, or two years (as the boat will be left for six months in Darwin during the cyclone season). Knowing your boat — especially her capabilities — is key, as this dictates what weather conditions are suitable and when you need to hide. Understanding her performance is also critical as this plays a large part in the planning for such a lengthy trip. Lalapanzi now has a new mainsail, and a new screecher to assist in light wind sailing, plus new outboard engines to improve reliability. Being close to 10 years old, she will have her rigging changed before we depart. There are some remote areas (especially in the Top End, the northern WA coast and of course the Bight) where reliability, fuel efficiency and having sails for all conditions is of paramount importance. “I grew up sailing dinghies, but advanced to big boats only in 2009,” recalls the former Co-Chair of the RQYS Sail Cruising Group (SCG), adding that “now that I have retired, sailing is my passion and it has always been a dream of mine to sail around Australia. Well, in 2025 that dream will become a reality.” In the footsteps of Flinders … Just how do you go about planning a circumnavigation of Australia? Quentin Granger shares his 2025 plans . Mainsheet 2024 Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron Yearbook 64 Anti-clockwise around AUS! Darwin • 5 Broome • 6 Fremantle • 7 Busselton • 8 9 • Esperance
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