There’s also lots of ‘snappy-things’ up north, so replacing the rubber duck with an aluminium tinny has also been prudent — you don’t want to be sitting in a croc’s teething-ring! Having made all these changes, it was time to set out on a ‘shakedown’ cruise which we undertook in September. We took Lalapanzi away for four weeks up through the Great Sandy Straits, to Hervey Bay and as far north as Lady Elliot and Lady Musgrave Islands. The humpback whales were all starting to migrate south and there were some awesome whale encounters, especially at Rooney Point (top end of K’gari / Fraser Island) where the whale highway was no more than 100m away and the whalesong which was reverberating through the hull was amazing! Sunsets, walks on tropical islands, photographing wildlife and the sailing itself — let’s not forget! — were all part of that cruising life. But the main reason for this shakedown cruise was to test the new sails, check the fuel efficiency of the new outboards, determine water and gas usage amounts, test the water-maker and undertake many other chores to make sure that the boat was cruise-worthy. All this information feeds into the logistics and planning for the circumnavigation and helps answer these and many other vitally important questions: 1. What boat speed can be achieved in certain wind and tide conditions? This naturally helps determine how far you can travel in a day and the crucial corollary: is there a suitable anchorage within striking distance or will I have to sail overnight? 2. If I have to motor sail (or even motor if there’s no wind), what fuel supplies am I going to need? The remoteness of the Top End, coupled with some significant tidal variances, makes fuel management critical. I am going to need some 15 extra jerrycans of fuel to get from Darwin to Broome, for example — where do you put them, what weight does this add to your boat and effects on trim, etc? 3. Provisioning (again in remote areas) also requires thought and planning. Where can I provision, how many days do we need to cater for and for how many crew? Through experience we’ve found we can manage for four weeks without reprovisioning — and if I was catching fish we have pushed it to six weeks, but you can’t always rely on your fishing skills! Finally, there is crew. Barbara won’t be with me the whole way and I need to find some like-minded sailors prepared to share my dream. Their safety is a massive consideration, so ensuring all the safety equipment is up to date is one thing, but understanding how to use it is another. Pre-departure safety briefings, onboard procedures, drills and exercises are all part of keeping everyone safe. My dream is about to become reality, but I could never have contemplated doing this without the guidance and experience of SCG members. I can’t encourage new cruisers enough to join this Group and increase your skills, so that you too can venture further afield. n Competent crew are still being sought for the WA & SA coastal segments in Q3/Q4 2026. If you are interested, please contact Quentin by email to: svlalapanzi@gmail.com PICS: Supplied: Quentin Granger 65 Mainsheet 2024 Anti-clockwise around AUS! 1 • Hamilton Island 15 • Port Stephens RQYS 14 • Sydney Thursday Island • 4 Adelaide • 10 11 • Melbourne 12 • Hobart 13 • Lakes Entrance 2 • Townsville 3 • Cooktown
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