Spirit of Ulysses N76, Oceans of the world, Perth (2026)

06/08/2026

🦎 Lizard Island – Our Island... Our Longest Pit Stop! 🌴⚓

Well... this wasn't exactly the plan! 🤣

As you all know, Mother Nature has been gently (ok... violently 😅🌬️) encouraging us to get south. Our last update saw us finally make it to beautiful **Lizard Island**, and what was supposed to be a quick stop has somehow turned into **well over a week**... and honestly, we've packed so much into the time that it feels like we've been here for a month! 😂

Lizard Island has to be one of our favourite places on the entire Australian coastline. ❤️

Back in 1770, Captain James Cook climbed the island's highest peak in desperation after becoming trapped inside the Great Barrier Reef. From what is now known as **Cook's Look**, he finally spotted a passage through the reefs and charted his escape. Without making that climb, history might have looked very different.

His journal also mentioned the huge number of lizards roaming the island... and that's exactly how Lizard Island earned its name. 🦎 Last year they were everywhere! This year? It's been a little cooler, so they've obviously decided staying rugged up sounds like a better idea! 😆

One of the best things about Lizard is that it's one of the few places up here where you can actually enjoy a swim. 🏖️

Yes... there are crocodiles. 🐊

Before everyone panics, the reality is crocs are opportunistic hunters. If you're swimming in murky mainland creeks... that's probably a terrible life choice. 😬 Here, with crystal-clear water where you can see the bottom, the risk is dramatically lower, and the island keeps a close watch for any unwanted visitors.

So after dropping the anchor we had a decision...

⚓ Stay one night and make a run before the next blow...
**OR...**
🍹 Accept defeat, embrace island life and wait it out.

You can probably guess which option won. 😂

The only slight issue...

The last proper supermarket shop we did was back in JUNE!! 🤯

Yep... JUNE!! 🤣

The chocolate disappeared weeks ago. The chips have become a distant memory. Every cupboard now gets opened with the same question...

"What random combination of food can we invent today?"* 😂🍝🥫

Thankfully the island pub opens on Tuesdays and Fridays, which has become our version of civilisation! 🍔🍺🤣

Despite being weather-bound, we've hardly stopped moving.

📚 We've smashed out homeschooling...
..which has become far more entertaining lately because every now and then someone yells...

🐋 "WHALE!!"

…and suddenly maths, English and science are abandoned as everyone runs to the windows to watch humpbacks cruising past the boat! 😂

Not many classrooms can say whale watching is part of the daily curriculum! 🐋📖🤣

We've wandered out to the lagoon...

✈️ Walked along the island airstrip...

🏖️ Enjoyed plenty of beach swims...

🐠 Snorkelled over crystal-clear reefs...
..and every time we look over the side of the boat we're greeted by groupers the size of Mini Coopers!*😳🐟

Seriously... if one of these things asked for car registration you probably wouldn't argue! 🤣

As if that wasn't enough, we also met a fellow cruiser who invited the kids over to meet her pet python!🐍😳

Yep... a pet python living on a boat!

I've heard of boat dogs... even the odd boat cat... but a boat python is definitely a new one! 🤣

With that thing happily draped around the cabin roof rafters, I'd say security was pretty well sorted! 😂 No one was breaking into that boat in a hurry!

The kids absolutely loved it and thought it was one of the coolest things they'd seen all trip. 🐍❤️

To top it all off, Michael and Belinda stayed with us for the week and introduced us to a game called Finski.

Twelve numbered wooden pins...
One throwing stick...
Endless laughter...

What could possibly go wrong? 🤣

The rivalry between **Platinum** and **Spirit of Ulysses** escalated VERY quickly. 😂

I'm not saying sheep stations were on the line... but friendships, pride and innocent wooden pins definitely were! 🤣🎯

After several fiercely contested battles, **Nicky** officially claimed the title of...

🏆 **Lizard Island Finski Champion 2026!!** 🏆

No appeals accepted. 😜

Now it finally looks like the weather gods are smiling on us. 🌤️

The forecast says it's time to untie the lines, lift the anchor and continue heading south.

Lizard... you've been absolutely incredible once again. ❤️

But after this much relaxing, eating whatever we can find in the cupboards, homeschooling with whales outside the classroom, dodging rain squalls, meeting boat pythons and living with fish bigger than small cars...
..it's probably time we pointed the bow south again. ⚓🌏

Next stop... wherever Mother Nature decides! 😎

🐋🛥️🐍🌴

02/08/2026

🎂⚓ Thursday Island to Birthday Adventures... and a Whole Lot More! 🌊🎉

Well... as most of you know, we said our farewells to Ryan and Carmen. ❤️ They genuinely braved some pretty ordinary weather with us, and just like that it was back to Team Ulysses!🚢💙

We'd spent an entire week weather-bound in Thursday Island waiting for a break in those relentless South-East trade winds 🌬️🌊. Honestly, we couldn't complain too much... we had a fantastic week exploring, but every weather forecast pointed to Tuesday being our chance to finally head south.

Perfect! 👌

That meant we could duck across to Albany Island_Cape York on Monday and catch up with Dave and the crew.

So I sent the message...

📱 "Hey Dave, it's Kris here. Heading back past the island, should see you about midday Monday!"

His reply...

📱 "Hey mate, sorry to say but we have a private function Monday and we're closed Tuesday."

NOOOOOOOO!! 😭😂

We were genuinely hanging out for that stop!

But that's boating... Mother Nature writes the schedule and you simply go along for the ride. 🌎⛵

So... Plan B.

Head to Albany Island Monday, stay the night (without visiting 😅) and make an early run south Tuesday.

Except...

Anyone who knows me already knows where this is going... 🤣

We reached Albany Island...

I looked at Amy...

"Well... we're here now... may as well keep going!"😂

And just like that, the throttles stayed forward. 💨⚓

Hour after hour we pushed through the swell, spray flying over the bow, everyone getting a healthy dose of salt water. 🌊💦

The original plan was to push all night to Margaret Bay...

By late afternoon even I admitted we'd had enough! 😅

We ducked into a tiny speck of sand called Bushby Island. Barely enough protection, but enough was all we needed. 🏝️

Sunrise...

Yeti full of tea ... ☕

Anchor up...

Then my famous words...

“Let's push today, babe." 😁

Margaret Bay before lunch?

Nah...

Let's just keep going!

Destination upgraded: Portland Roads by sunset!🚢☀️

It was fantastic arriving to find Michael and Belinda aboard Platinum already sitting comfortably at anchor waiting for us. Always nice seeing familiar faces after a big day on the water. 🍻⚓

The following morning...

🌅 Up before sunrise.
⚓ Anchors up.
🚢 Both boats heading south.

Destination... The Flinders Group!

But this wasn't just another passage...

❤️ Our little girl was turning 10 tomorrow, and we had one mission...

Make it a birthday she'll never forget! 🎂🎉🥳

We pushed hard all day...
..then kept going...
..right into the night. 🌙✨

It was almost 9:00pm before we finally dropped anchor.

Night arrivals always feel a little easier when you've been somewhere before. 😅

Then came Operation Birthday! 🎈🎁

Huge thanks to Amy Nossiter —your birthday decorations survived another birthday and once again transformed the boat into party central! 🎊❤️

By the time they were finished decorating, our eyes were absolutely hanging out of our heads...
..knowing full well we weren't sleeping in tomorrow.

Except...

Our birthday girl surprised everyone! 😂

Normally she'd be bouncing into our cabin at 5:00am, desperate to see presents.

Not this year...

She completely slept in! 😴😂

It was nearly 7:00am before she quietly wandered in.

Cue the singing... 🎶

Cue the presents... 🎁

Cue the biggest birthday smiles! 😍❤️

Now Hannah had been VERY clear about her birthday menu...

🥞 Breakfast:French toast (Dad definitely heard "fence toast" the first time 🤣)

🍟 Lunch: Chicken nuggets & chips

🍕 Dinner:Mum's famous homemade pizza

Simple...

Perfect...

Birthday approved! ✅🎂

Then the day got even better...

Late that afternoon Platinum arrived!

Not only did they join us for birthday dinner and cake... 🎂
..they somehow also produced a birthday present! 🎁👏

Prepared sailors are next-level organised! 😂

The weather kept us pinned down for a couple more days, but honestly... we didn't mind one bit.

🎣 Fishing.
🚤 Exploring the island by tender.
🌴 Swimming.
☀️ Just soaking up another incredible corner of Australia.

Eventually though...

It was decision time.

Cape Melville.

Anyone who has travelled this coastline knows exactly what that means.

It's where those South-East trade winds really start to flex their muscles. 💪🌊

Steep swell.

Wind chop.

A very healthy dose of respect.

I even laughed to myself because if you scroll back far enough you'll find one of my old posts saying...

“Geez... glad I'm not the idiot travelling THAT way!"🤣🤣

Well...

Guess who the idiot was this time? 🙋‍♂️😂

Butterflies? 🦋

Absolutely.

We lifted anchor...

Pointed the bow south...

And hoped for the best.

Then something amazing happened...

It just...

Worked.

The sea behaved.

The swell lined up.

The boat found her rhythm.

Sure, waves were crashing over the bow 🌊

Sure, the windscreen wipers barely got a break. 🌧️

But it was all manageable.

Somewhere during that run it hit me...

Maybe leaving Darwin didn't break us...

Maybe...

It made us. 💪⚓

We're becoming proper salty dogs now. 🐶🌊😂

And after a day like that...

Nothing...

Absolutely nothing..
..beats seeing Lizard Island appear on the horizon. 🏝️❤️

One of our favourite stops from last year.

Crystal clear water.

White sand.

And finally...

🏊 WE CAN SWIM AGAIN!! 😍🐠☀️

The adventure isn't slowing down...

If anything...

It's only just getting started! 😎🍻⚓

Stay tuned... because the next chapter is going to be an absolute beauty!** 🤩🌴🚢

🌊⚓❤️

22/07/2026

Ryan and Carmen – time to say goodbye 👋🌊💙

We recently had Ryan and Carmen join us aboard Spirit of Ulysses for the journey from Darwin to Thursday Island… and these two definitely deserve a special mention! 🛥️⚓️

We’re very used to having guests onboard SoU. Some have joined us for short passages, some for long ones… and some have joined us only for the boat to never actually leave the marina 😂

In fact, that was exactly what happened on Ryan and Carmen’s last visit when we were in Nelson Bay, NSW. Plenty of boat time… just not much actual boating! 🤣

This time, however, we made up for it.

Nearly 1,000 nautical miles later — roughly the same distance as travelling from Dublin to Rome — they had officially earned their sea legs, their salt crust and probably several years’ worth of chiropractic appointments 😬🌍🌊

They joined us in Darwin expecting an adventure… and Mother Nature clearly heard them and said:

“Adventure? Hold my beer.” 🍺😂

The weather leaving Darwin was rough, uncomfortable and relentless. We battled our way across the Top End, through the Hole in the Wall and onward to Gove, before taking on the Gulf of Carpentaria — the rollercoaster none of us ordered and definitely couldn’t get off 🎢🌊

You’ve all already read that doozy.

Short, steep seas, strong winds and a boat moving like a front-loading washing machine strapped to the back of a side tipper in a demolition derby 🤢😂

Yet through every uncomfortable hour, every crashing wave and every moment when their cabin felt more like The Giant Drop at Dreamworld… Ryan and Carmen smiled.

They never complained.

They helped around the boat, shared the watches, joined in with everything and somehow continued pretending they were enjoying themselves 😂👏

When sleeping in their cabin became an extreme sport, the couch became prime waterfront accommodation. Five stars for location… questionable marks for stability 🛋️🌊🤣

But the funny thing is, when you look back on the trip, it really was awesome.

It wasn’t the perfectly filtered version of boating you sometimes see online. There were no champagne glasses sitting calmly on a table while we glided across a mirror-flat ocean.

This was real cruising.

It was salty, rough, tiring, unpredictable and occasionally ridiculous… but it was also adventurous, memorable and filled with the kind of moments you’ll laugh about for years to come ⚓️🌅💙

We shared every meal together, spent countless hours chatting, laughing, reading books, watching the ocean and simply enjoying each other’s company.

There is something pretty special about being at sea with good friends. No rushing off, no work schedules, no appointments… just the boat, the ocean and plenty of time to talk about absolutely everything and absolutely nothing.

Then came Thursday Island — and what a perfect way to finish their adventure! 🏝️🍻

After the Gulf had tried its best to shake everyone loose, Thursday Island welcomed us with friendly locals, island time, cold drinks, tours, fishing, mud crabbing and plenty of laughs.

Ryan and Carmen managed to secure flights home from Thursday Island via Cairns, which turned out to be the sensible decision. We couldn’t guarantee how long our next leg down the Queensland coast would take, what the weather would do or where the next convenient airport might be.

We honestly couldn’t believe they had already been onboard for nearly three weeks.

The time had absolutely flown by.

For us, the adventure continues as we work our way down the coast.

For Ryan and Carmen, it was back to Perth, back to normal life and probably back to sleeping in a bed that doesn’t suddenly launch them toward the ceiling at 2am 😂🛏️

Thank you both so much for coming along.

Thank you for embracing every part of the journey — the good, the rough and the downright ridiculous.

We loved sharing this adventure with you and we’re pretty sure you’ve now officially graduated from marina visitors to genuine offshore sailors! 🌊⚓️👏

Until the next adventure, guys… although next time we might promise something slightly calmer.

No guarantees though 😂💙

19/07/2026

🌴⚓ I FOUND MY PEOPLE... ON THURSDAY ISLAND! ❤️🏝️

Thursday Island... if you've never been, put it on your bucket list! 🇦🇺🙌

Last October we only stopped here for about two hours. We had a quick wander, looked around, then pushed on. This time, thanks to the weather (and Ryan & Carmen flying home ✈️), we ended up staying for a while...

And wow... am I glad we did. ❤️

People often ask, "What's there to do on Thursday Island?"

Honestly... heaps! 😎

🏰 Explore the historic fort.
🦞 Visit the crayfish factory.
🍺 Have a cold one at the Torres Pub, Australia's northernmost pub.
🎳 Roll a few bowls.
🏊 Cool off in the massive swimming pool (and when I say cool off... I mean FREEZING! 🥶🤣).
🛥️ Pop across to Horn Island.
🦀 Chase mud crabs.
🎣 Wet a line.
🌅 Or simply slow down and embrace island time.

But the biggest attraction isn't any of those...

It's the PEOPLE. ❤️

When I say I found my people... I genuinely mean it.

Everyone we met was relaxed, welcoming, happy to have a chat and willing to help without expecting anything in return. It honestly felt like stepping back to how Australia used to be. 🥹🇦🇺

Our tour with the legendary Mr Mutti was fantastic! 👏 He took us through the crayfish factory before casually saying, "Let's duck into my front yard."

Now, most people's front yards have a Hills Hoist...

Muti's has part of a Japanese fighter plane fuselage complete with bullet holes! 😳✈️💥

Even better, scratched into the aluminium is his own name and the year "1976" from when he stumbled across it as a kid. Years later he went back as an adult and recovered it. Now *that's* a backyard conversation starter! 😂

The fort itself was fascinating, reminding us how important this little island was during WWII. Horn Island was heavily bombed because of its airstrip, and over on Prince of Wales Island they even discovered a Japanese observation post hidden in an old ant hill, complete with a tripod and binocular optics used to direct bombing raids. Standing there really brings history to life. 🇦🇺

Then there was Mr Grubby... the local taxi legend. 🚕😂

Need a lift?

"Just call Grubby."

Five minutes later... there he is.

Need him to wait?

"Nah mate... I'll squeeze in two more fares while you're shopping. Ring me when you're done!" 🤣

Absolute classic.

One of our highlights was spending a couple of nights at the Thursday Island Bowls Club. 🎳🍻

Michael & Belinda joined us, making it one of those evenings where your cheeks hurt from laughing so much. 😂❤️

Manager Tony deserves a special mention. What an absolute champion! 🙌

Not only is he one of the best hosts you'll ever meet, but his curries... WOW! 🌶️🔥

After our first visit he promised us a crocodile curry if we came back...

Challenge accepted. 🐊🍛

And it absolutely delivered! 😍

The kids loved the bowls... although I'm pretty sure I left with a pulled hip trying to prove I still had sporting ability. Pretty sure the bowls won. 🤦‍♂️🤣

We also tackled the local swimming pool (seriously... Antarctic temperatures! 🥶😂), went mud crabbing, successfully caught one crab... and somehow managed to donate TWO crab pots to the Torres Strait. You're welcome, Neptune. 🤣🦀⚓

But what will stay with me isn't the sightseeing...

It's the people.

This community genuinely looks after each other.

Kids are everyone's responsibility.

Neighbours know each other.

People wave.

People smile.

People stop to help.

We didn't see drunken idiots wandering the streets.

We didn't hear stories of crime.

Instead we found pride, respect, kindness and one of the friendliest communities we've ever had the pleasure of visiting.

Thursday Island... thank you. ❤️

You surprised us in all the best ways, and you've left a mark on our family that won't be forgotten anytime soon.

We'll definitely be back... and next time, save me another bowl of crocodile curry! 🐊🍛🍻

Until next time TI... thanks for reminding us what community really looks like. ❤️⚓🌴

🌴⚓🦀

18/07/2026

🌊⚓ Gove ➡️ Thursday Island – The Rollercoaster We Definitely Didn't Order! 🤢🌪️

There is only ONE way to start this story… with a text message from our mates Michael & Belinda on Day 2 of 3. 😅

Now, these two aren't rookies... they've completed multiple round the world races! 🌍⛵

"I’m sitting here thinking what have I done to deserve this 🤔

I feel like someone has shoved me in a front-loading washing machine, strapped it to the back of a side tipper, tilted it, then entered it into a demolition derby to see how long I can last. 🙄

I wasn’t that impressed with the Gulf of Carpentaria when we visited 12 years ago in a 4WD... now I’m positive this place deserves a miss on ANY sort of travel. I wouldn’t even fly over the god damn place!" 🤣

😂😂 We couldn't have described it any better ourselves!

The Gulf of Carpentaria has a legendary reputation in the boating world... and not in a good way. 😳

Last year, heading west to Darwin, she treated us like royalty. 👑

This year, heading east...

💥 She collected every cent of interest we owed her.

"Short, sharp and steep."

"Confused seas."

"Punishing."

They're all phrases you hear from experienced mariners...

After this crossing, though, I only had one thought running through my head...

🙏 Thank God I bought a Nordhavn.

Honestly...

This boat outperformed my courage.

It outperformed my comfort zone.

Wave after wave... hour after hour... she simply kept doing what she was built to do.

Holding her course.

Keeping her composure.

Protecting the people who mean absolutely everything to me. ❤️

(Well... everyone except Gabby... the lucky bu**er stayed on land! 😂)

⏰ 0400... we slipped the lines from Gove.

The sea looked... acceptable.

Not great...

Not terrible...

Just enough to make you wonder if the forecast had forgotten a few pages.

It didn't.

🌬️ Night One... rough.

🌊 Day Two... worse.

The wind refused to drop below 24 knots, regularly sat in the 30s, and gusted 32–34 knots.

The Gulf was living up to every horror story we'd ever heard.

But there was only one direction...

➡️ East.

Then...

✨ Like someone flicked a switch...

The wind collapsed from around 25 knots... to just 5.

The ocean turned into glass.

The boat stopped throwing us around.

Silence.

After 36 hours of surviving on nothing more than three crumpets 🤢 (my stomach wanted absolutely NOTHING to do with food), suddenly the galley exploded into life.

🌯 Wraps.

🍫 Snacks.

🍪 Anything anyone could find.

The crew was smiling again.

Life was good...

For about five minutes.

Because Mother Nature looked over, laughed, and said...

🍺 "Hold my beer."

🌪️ By sunset...

The wind was back.

30+ knots sustained.

💨 Gusts over 40 knots.

🌊 Massive breaking seas charging at us.

This bucking bronco had absolutely no intention of letting us off gently.

Water exploded over the bow...

Spray cleared the 11-metre-high flybridge...
..and still managed to soak the entire aft deck! 🤯💦

Amy battled on like an absolute champion ❤️, but by around 10pm I could see enough was enough.

Sleep was impossible anyway.

I climbed back into the pilothouse and settled in for another long night.

Hour after hour...

Wave after wave...

Punch after punch...

Eventually Ryan stepped up around 2am to relieve me.

Normally I'd happily stay at the helm for many more hours...

But this crossing was different.

It wasn't just tiring...

It was mentally exhausting.

Within minutes of my head hitting the pilothouse lounge...

💤 I was gone.

Apparently snoring loud enough to compete with the wind. 😂

Almost as if the ocean decided we'd earned a tiny reward, the weather finally eased as we tucked in behind the Cape York headlands.

Ryan held the fort while I grabbed some desperately needed sleep before one final challenge...

🌅 Navigating Torres Strait at sunrise.

With daylight finally revealing reefs, islands and shipping lanes, we carefully threaded our way through one of Australia's most iconic waterways.

Six hours later...

⚓ Spirit of Ulysses was safely anchored at Thursday Island.

As always...

The further away you get from something like this...

The more unbelievable it feels.

The fear slowly fades...

The memories grow...
..and another adventure is added to the logbook. 📖⚓

So that's another one ticked off. ✅

We're all safe.

We're all a little saltier.

A little wiser.

A little more weathered.

And once again...

❤️ A massive thank you to Nordhavn for building an extraordinary boat that looked after our family when the Gulf decided to remind us who's really in charge.

Until the next adventure... 🍻🌏⚓

🌊⚓🤙

16/07/2026

🌴⚓ GOVE… BOY WERE WE GLAD TO SEE YOU!⚓🌴

After one of the most memorable passages we've ever done... overnight watches 🌙, relentless swell 🌊, threading our way through the legendary **Hole in the Wall** 🪨, and plenty of moments that kept us on our toes 😅... lunchtime finally arrived, and with it, the beautiful calm waters of Gove.

⚓ Anchor down!

The crew was absolutely buzzing to get ashore. I hadn't even lowered the tender when my phone buzzed...

📲 Photo of Spirit of Ulysses sitting peacefully at anchor.

Message:
"Where's your passports?"😂

Hang on... what?!

Turns out my good mate from work, Brad Filbey, had somehow beaten us there! 🚐

Brad, his wife Em, and their two kids were on an Aussie lap in the caravan and had rolled into Gove just before we arrived.

Now here's where it gets crazy... 🤯

I'd seen one of Brad's Facebook posts from Darwin's Cracker Night and realised we'd missed each other by a whisker. I figured that chance had come and gone...

Apparently not! 😅

Think about it...

They'd towed a caravan nearly 800 kilometres over dirt roads to reach one of Australia's most remote towns... 🚐💨

We'd sailed thousands upon thousands of nautical miles, crossing countries and seas to get there... 🌏⛵

Yet somehow... on the exact same days... in one tiny corner of Australia...

There we both were.❤️

One phone call later and it was reunion time! 🍻

The stories started flowing almost as fast as the beers! 🍺😂

The kids became instant mates.

❤️ Hannah absolutely adored little Zaliyah, who was just about to celebrate her first birthday.

🎣 JT and Braxton wasted no time becoming fishing buddies, rods in hand and adventures already underway.

For a few precious days... it honestly didn't feel like we were just travelling anymore.

It felt like we were on holiday. ☀️

We explored Gove... 🚙

We fired up the BBQ onboard. 🔥🥩

The kids fished for hours. 🎣

Crab pots went over the side. 🦀

The sunsets kept reminding us just how lucky we are. 🌅

Sometimes it's not the destination...

It's the completely unexpected people you find waiting there. ❤️

But...

Sitting quietly in the back of my mind was one thought...

😳 THE GULF OF CARPENTARIA.

If you've spent time at sea, you'll know its reputation.

It's one of those stretches of water that demands respect.

Every weather forecast became an obsession. 📱🌦️

Every update... every wind shift... every model.

One possible weather window appeared...

Saturday morning.

Miss that?

Nothing promising for at least another two weeks.😬

Ryan and Carmen were still onboard and desperately wanted to see Thursday Island... maybe even beyond.

And if I'm honest...

I was pretty happy to have two extra sets of hands for the overnight watches too! 😅🌙

So after one final meal at the Yacht Club... 🍽️🍻

One last round of hugs.

One last...

*"See you back in WA!"* ❤️

The alarms were set.

⏰ 4:00am departure.

And before climbing into bed...

I had one final thought...

Dear Gulf of Carpentaria...

We're about to cross your vast, lonely waters...

Please... be kind. 🙏🌊⛵

Stay tuned... because the next chapter gets WILD... 😅🔥

🌏⛵🍻

13/07/2026

🌴 DARWIN… the place friends just keep coming! 🍻⚓
Just when we thought everyone who was crazy enough to fly to the Top End had already visited us... hold my beer! 🍺😂

This time Ryan and Carmen arrived... but unlike everyone else, they weren't just here for a holiday. They'd volunteered to help us move Spirit of Ulysses across the top of Australia. 🤝⛵
Little did they know what Mother Nature had planned for them... 🌊😳

But first... Darwin! 🍹🌅

As always, we had to show them around. Sunset drinks, the Dinah Beach Yacht Club, a bit of sightseeing... and then they made the rookie mistake of arriving for Territory Day! 🎆💥

Now... those who know me know there's one thing guaranteed to get me excited... EXPLOSIVES! 🤣
Fireworks... sold legally... over the counter... to anyone old enough... 💸💸💸

Take. My. Money. 💥😂

And Darwin absolutely delivered!
Over 240 TONNES of fireworks lit up the sky! 🤯🎇

To put that into perspective...�🎆 Sydney New Year's Eve uses around 6-8 tonnes...�🤠 Darwin locals? They casually let off over 240 tonnes!
Only in the NT! 😂🔥

The night was full of laughs, a few drinks, great company and enough explosions to make my inner pyro ridiculously happy. 🍻🎇

The next morning reality kicked in...

Out of the Duck Pond we came, through the lock and around to Fannie Bay where we dropped the pick for one last peaceful sunset. 🌅🍹

Margaritas on the bow, smiles all round...
Because at 4am the real adventure would begin.

And what an adventure it turned into...
Mother Nature wasn't interested in making it easy. 🌬️🌊

For days she threw everything she had at us.

🌊 Swells from 2 to 4.5 metres (6-15 feet)�🌊 Only 5 seconds apart, creating that horrible washing-machine motion that never seemed to stop.�💨 Winds regularly over 30 knots, with gusts peaking around 43 knots.
Every cupboard rattled...�Every meal became a balancing act...�Sleep became a luxury...�And walking in a straight line? Forget it! 😂🤢
Even seasoned sailors admitted it was some of the most uncomfortable weather they'd experienced in years.

But that's boating...

One minute you're enjoying margaritas watching the sunset... 🍹🌅

The next you're hanging onto the handrails wondering if your coffee is about to become airborne! ☕😂

Despite the punishment, we kept pushing east.
Cape Don...�Croker Island...�North Goulburn...�and through the infamous Hole in the Wall...�
Then an early morning run with barely another boat in sight except the container ship Territorian disappearing over the horizon. 🚢🌌

Sunrise finally greeted us as we approached Gove after nearly a week at sea. 🌅⚓
Dirty...�Tired...�A little sore...�But grinning from ear to ear.

Adventure isn't always comfortable...
Sometimes it's rough seas, tired eyes, incredible friends, plenty of laughs and memories you'll be talking about for years.

And this was only the first chapter... 😎🍻🌊

🌏⚓🔥

Spirit of Ulysses N76

06/08/2026

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