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South from the Gold Coast On The Excess 14

Underway with Whales for Company

With our final pre-delivery inspections completed with no surprises, we slipped the lines this morning and pointed the bow of the Excess 14 south. The forecast looks good for the first few days of the trip, giving us a nice runway before some more blustery conditions are expected closer to Sydney.

As the Gold Coast skyline faded, we settled into our watch system. For these coastal trips, we generally run a comfortable three-hours-on, three-hours-off routine at night, which allows for plenty of rest. During a watch, you’re not just watching the chart plotter; you're doing a full 360-degree scan of the horizon every ten minutes, monitoring the radar, and keeping a listening watch on the VHF. It’s a peaceful rhythm. The day was made even better by some company—a few humpback whales passing by, their spouts hanging in the calm air.
It’s a sight that never gets old and a true highlight of cruising the Australian coast.


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Location: Gold Coast QLD, Australia

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