Episode 4 -Whether it be cruising on a sailing boat or a motor cruiser, it just doesn't matter, just do something you love. In this episode we speak with Kym from "Miss McKinlay", who is cruising the Queensland coast on a beautiful 48ft Clipper Cordova, who talks with us about life on board with husband Craig and Hudson, the dog. We chat about how they chose the breed of dog they did and why. Kym has also completed a few courses to assist her with driving the boat and radio skills, which we discuss. We have a tour of the fly deck and main living areas and discuss what features Kym loves about their boat . What camera gear do we use? Kristen uses her iPhone X, Olympus OM-d E-MkII Follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sailingbakali and Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/sailingbakali Feel free to drop us a line at: Sailing Bakali PO Box 734 Mooloolaba QLD 4557 Australia

Episode : 3 of "Sisters on the Sea" where I interview Erin from 39ft Catamaran, "Listless" is sailing up and down the Queensland Coast with her husband and two young children. We discuss how life is as a live aboard with young children, how their relationship holds up under these conditions, what she loves and hates about sailing on their catamaran. The link below is relating to applying for a mooring in the Brisbane River, adjacent to Botanical Gardens. https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/things-to-see-and-do/outdoor-activities/boating-canoeing-and-fishing/boat-moorings/gardens-point-boat-harbor copy and paste the link for more information. Don't forget to "Like" and "Subscribe" to receive more episodes of "Sisters on the Sea". What camera gear do we use? Kristen uses her iPhone X, Big one - Olympus OM-d E-MkII GoPro 3x Smove Stabiliser for use with iPhone X Follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sailingbakali http://www.facebook.com/sisters-on-the-sea and Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/sailingbakali Feel free to drop us a line at: Sailing Bakali PO Box 734 Mooloolaba QLD 4557 Australia

Today I speak with Edie from sailing 44ft Gaff Rig Ketch "Tellurian" who has been living aboard with her partner, Dennis, for 3 years. We talk about what she loves about the sailing lifestyle, the community, any safety concerns she may have and also about their 8mt bus that they travel with as well. This couple leap-frog their way up and down the Queensland coast and truly have the best of both worlds plus a house to come home to when they are tired of travelling on the road or sea, Links to sites mentioned by Edie include: http;//www.whollynatural.net http;//www.facebook.com/women-who-sail-australia What camera gear do we use? Kristen uses her iPhone X, Big one - Olympus OM-d E-MkII Follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sisters-on-the-sea http;//www.facebook.com/sailing-bakali and Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/sailingbakali Feel free to drop us a line at: Sailing Bakali PO Box 734 Mooloolaba QLD 4557 Australia

Having trouble getting your partner to come cruising with you? Well listen up guys and follow our videos as Kristen interviews women from all walks of life on all sorts of boats, who live on board. This episode features Jacinta from Catamaran Beach Bum, who has been living aboard with husband Brett for 3 years now. What camera gear do we use? Kristen uses her iPhone X, Big one - Olympus OM-d E-MkII GoPro 3x Smove Stabiliser for use with iPhone X Follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sailingbakali and Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/sailingbakali Feel free to drop us a line at: Sailing Bakali PO Box 734 Mooloolaba QLD 4557 Australia

It was time to leave Percy Island as there were strong south easterlies on the way, 25 to 30 knotts expected. We set off to Curlew Island, around 30 nautical miles away - very light winds and we had to motor sail most of the way taking about 6hrs. Lots of small rocky islands along the way as we passed the Beverly Group of islands and Curlew was part of the Guardfish Cluster. We anchored in Davidson Bay with one other vessel and rode out the bulk of the strong winds. Set sail the next day with an early start, for Scawfell Island. Strong winds made for an exciting day and we had a great sail, averaging around 6 knotts but peaking at 8. Scawfell Island was very protected in Recluse Bay and there were quite a few vessels nestled in here. Pretty beaches and bays but we didn't go ashore. Next day we headed off to Thomas Island, which appears in our next episode. What camera gear do we use? Kristen uses her iPhone X, Big one - Olympus OM-d E-MkII GoPro 3x Smove Stabiliser for use with iPhone X Follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sailingbakali and Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/sailingbakali Feel free to drop us a line at: Sailing Bakali PO Box 734 Mooloolaba QLD 4557 Australia

One of our favourite places so far has been West Bay on Middle Percy Island. Lovely beach, clean water, palm trees and a great place to socialise. In this video we explore the Percy Island Hilton, also known as the Percy Island Yacht Club and check out all of the interesting signs from other cruisers who have passed this way. We also put up our own sign ! We get to see a whale in shallow water, not great shots but he's there. I was very excited to see how close the whale came to our boat and how close into shore he went.. We have a lovely goat stew dinner with fellow cruisers on shore and enjoy a hot shower and sensational meal with our favorite fellow cruisers, Kim and Craig with their boat dog, Hudson, who we met in Hervey Bay many months ago now. Hope you enjoy the video, don't forget to "Like" and "Subscribe" Links below to additional information about Percy Island. http://percyisland.com.au/history https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/island-couple-fighting-to-keep-middle-percy-lifestyle/news-story/14a09db555c59dc084310b1348449651?sv=71a5174cdeb67bfcd0851be462ff2be6 What camera gear do we use? Kristen uses her iPhone X, Big one - Olympus OM-d E-MkII GoPro 3x Smove Stabiliser for use with iPhone X Follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sailingbakali and Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/sailingbakali Feel free to drop us a line at: Sailing Bakali PO Box 734 Mooloolaba QLD 4557 Australia

One of our favorite places to visit so far has been West Bay on MIddle Percy Island. So tranquil, beautiful beaches, palm trees, clear water, whales and goat stew! What camera gear do we use? Kristen uses her iPhone X, Big one - Olympus OM-d E-MkII GoPro 3x Smove Stabiliser for use with iPhone X Follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sailingbakali and Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/sailingbakali Feel free to drop us a line at: Sailing Bakali PO Box 734 Mooloolaba QLD 4557 Australia

There was so much to see and do on Marble Island that I couldn't fit it all into one video, so here's a follow up. We experienced some bad weather while there so had to duck around to Hunter Island where it was more sheltered. Had a lovely time exploring the rock pools at low tide and reaped the rewards from Sally's amazing garden. Thank you once again Craig and Sally for your wonderful hospitality. We hope to be back again soon! What camera gear do we use? Kristen uses her iPhone X, Big one - Olympus OM-d E-MkII GoPro 3x Smove Stabiliser for use with iPhone X Follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sailingbakali and Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/sailingbakali Feel free to drop us a line at: Sailing Bakali PO Box 734 Mooloolaba QLD 4557 Australia

If planning on sailing through the Capricorn Coast in Queensland you need to keep a regular eye out on the web site "Notice to Mariners" to find out where closures are for live ammunition training. These are carried out regularly through winter and it can mean sitting around in a marina or at anchorage for up to 2 weeks until training is completed or going an alternative route. Link below to web site for more information on closure dates and locations. https://publications.qld.gov.au/dataset/capricorn-coast-outside-pilotage-areas-notices-to-mariners What camera gear do we use? Kristen uses her iPhone X, Big one - Olympus OM-d E-MkII GoPro 3x Smove Stabiliser for use with iPhone X Follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sailingbakali and Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/sailingbakali Feel free to drop us a line at: Sailing Bakali PO Box 734 Mooloolaba QLD 4557 Australia

Here's a short video on how we did our grocery shopping in Rosslyn Bay. What camera gear do we use? Kristen uses her iPhone X, Big one - Olympus OM-d E-MkII GoPro 3x Smove Stabiliser for use with iPhone X Follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sailingbakali and Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/sailingbakali Feel free to drop us a line at: Sailing Bakali PO Box 734 Mooloolaba QLD 4557 Australia

The weather was still chilly at Great Keppel Island so we only stayed a day before setting off further north in pursuit of sunshine and warmer weather. Due to the military exclusion zone in place right where we planned on spending quite a bit of time, Shoalwater Bay, Island Head Creek, Pearl Bay and Port Clinton, we had to sail for around 14 to 16 hours without a stop. We decided it was best to do this at night and it was a great opportunity for us to complete our first overnight sail. The winds were perfect and we were going between high 7's and 8 knots consistently with top speeds in low 9 knots. We were in fact making such good ground that at around 9pm we decided to slow the boat down, as we were going to arrive at Marble Island too early! The night was pitch black without even the moon to shine on us but there were plenty of stars around to light the way. More information can be found on the web site links below about "Notice to Mariners" and Military Exclusion Zones in this area. The live ammunition training is carried out over winter to reduce the damage to nesting birds and perhaps turtles. https://publications.qld.gov.au/dataset/capricorn-coast-outside-pilotage-areas-notices-to-mariners

After our overnight sail from Great Keppel Island to Marble Island we rowed ashore to the bay next to the airstrip and headed up to the island managers homestead. Long time friends of Don's, Craig and Sally, have been the onsite managers on Marble Island for the past 5 years and we were thrilled to catch up with them after not seeing them for nearly 10 years! Marble Island is a privately owned island and part of the Duke group of Islands 20km off the Capricornia Coast and is approximately 110km south of Mackay and 100km north of Rockhampton. We relished the chance to go ashore and have a hot shower and a BBQ of venison, along with many of the fresh fruit and vegetables available from the converted tennis court garden. We were surprised to see how diverse the island was with many pristine, sandy beaches, rolling hills and valleys, a wide variety of trees and plants. We were also surprised to learn that there were no other animals on the island apart from the cattle and deer that were introduced there. In this video we go on a tour traversing the rocky tracks in search of the deer and explore some of the unique beaches. We also grab some refreshments and drive up to the "top pub" to watch the sunset. I learn about how and why deer shed their antler and the difference between antler and horns. Links below for more info along with a link to the Marble Island web site where you can find more information if you may be interested in staying here. You will need to copy and paste the links into your browser for them to work. How Antler are Shed https://youtu.be/oG_iZibx43o Double Antler Shed https://youtu.be/L4dTmL963n8 Marble Island Info and Bookings http://www.marbleisland.com.au

Well it was time to say goodbye to Lady Musgrave - we had such a good time there. Snorkelling was great, variety of coral awesome (mostly hard corals) and variety of reef fish amazing! We had a great sail across to Llewellyn Reef and I really enjoyed the fact that there was no island there to anchor off, just reef. Was a bit daunting for Don though and he had a rather sleepless night worrying that we might drag anchor and end up on top of the reef. Also a great spot for snorkelling. Water clarity good, variety of coral good, again mainly hard corals, not as many fish as I would have liked but then again I didn't get to spend as long in the water as I would have likded. Don couldn't get out of there quick enough! Maybe next time we'll stay longer. It was hard to find a sandy patch to anchor though. Enjoy us on our travels with Sailing Bakali

On we press with our sail through the Bunker Group of Islands, well reefs actually. Today we sail from Llewellyn REef to Fitzroy Reef, which has a similar shape to Lady Musgrave, in that there is a channel you pass through and anchor in lagoon area. It was a bit narly approaching and entering channel but we were lucky enough to arrive as a small fishing boat went through, which helped us establish exactly where the channel markers were. We battled the outward tide as we entered and had to crank up the motor just to make some headway. I went for a snorkel off the SUP. Coral and fish not amazing and visibility not great but still worth a look. I would go back again and try snorkeling from a different bommie. Enjoy us on our travels with Sailing Bakali

What? Another reef? Yes, Don gets even more nervous as we approach yet another reef for me to indulge my snorkeling self on. Don sets new wet suit trend in this clip and is left rather exposed! Wistari Reef is located adjacent to Heron Island, a beautiful spot indeed. Unfortunately, as Heron Island is a private island we are unable to go ashore there and explore although we would have loved to. Sailing boats and non paying visitors are not welcome here. We managed to pick up the only public moring there, which was a huge relief to The Don. We had 2 nights there and the coral and fish were great! I really enjoyed snorkeling in the shallow waters, where the coral was still colourful and it was like an underwater garden of sorts. Fish were good but a little sparse, water clarity was good. Didn't see any turtles but did see a reef shark, but didn't capture on film unfortunately. Enjoy us on our travels with Sailing Bakali

At last! We are finally sailing after spending 8 years restoring this boat, which we purchased after the 2011 Brisbane floods. This video is of our first day of our first season cruising up the Queensland coast. We sail from Mooloolaba and anchor for the night at Double Island Point. Yes, the boat was an absolute mess when we bought it and had to be completely gutted, new deck, new rigging, new electrics, new motor. I'll be uploading a video down the track, which is mostly just photos, with the "before" shots and a some videos later in the restoration project.

We had a great time sailing through the Sandy Straights now we head from Hervey Bay to Bundaberg. Weather not ideal but we made good time motor sailing.

Sailing to Lady Musgrave Island had been on the "bucket list" for quite some time. Weather was still cold and windy though. After an exciting crossing from Bundaberg, we caught a fish on the way over! First catch of the season on our new handline. It was everything I expected and more on and around Lady Musgrave. We finally got some good weather and enjoyed a few days snorkelling, even swam with a turtle! The island itself was great to visit too with an abundance of bird life, coral beaches and dense green trees throughout the island.