The Final Countdown

Location: Nearing the Gold Coast, Australia

The finish line is finally within sight! After a long journey, we expect to be in Southport around 1300 on Saturday. It’s a huge relief to know we're on the final leg and will soon be in Australia.

The weather has decided to go back to being a bit grey and overcast, but we're not complaining. The wind is light and from the east, so the motion is smooth and the miles are still getting chewed up at a good pace. It's a comfortable ride, and that's all that matters at this point.

The fuel transfer from the bladder in the cockpit to the main tank went off without a hitch. The best part? We had a fantastic BBQ on the back deck with all the new space. It felt great to have the cockpit back to ourselves. We've got another BBQ planned for later today to make sure we work our way through the remaining supplies. No point in letting Australian biosecurity have a field day with all our food!

All the final preparations are in place. The marina berth is booked at Southport Yacht Club, and all the arrival paperwork has been submitted. It's all just a matter of waiting for the miles to count down and navigating the Southport Seaway.

Soon enough, it'll be time to look for flights home and get ready for the next trip. Believe it or not, it's an exact repeat of this one, so I'll be doing it all again very soon. For now, we're just enjoying the final hours on the water.

Arrival in Sydney: Delivery Complete!

This morning, the Excess 14 slid gracefully into her new berth at Middle Harbour Marina, marking the successful completion of her delivery from the Gold Coast. The final approach into Sydney Harbour is always a great sight, a fitting end to a coastal voyage. This passage was a comprehensive real-world test of the boat's capabilities. She proved to be a joy in light airs, demonstrated strength and stability in heavy weather, and showed impressive maneuverability during a tricky docking. It’s clear that the Excess 14 is a versatile and robust catamaran, perfectly suited for everything the Australian coast can throw at it. The final tasks onboard are ones of quiet satisfaction: coiling the lines perfectly, writing up the final log entry, and giving the boat a last clean and polish. For Yacht Delivery Solutions, it's a pleasure and a privilege to deliver a vessel of this quality. Handing her over to the brokers at Flagstaff Marine clean, secure, and ready for her new owners is t...

Done and Dusted in Brisbane!

We are done! The boat's tied up safe and sound in the marina, the crew has packed their bags and headed off, and I'm here doing the final clean-up before I leave at 6 am tomorrow morning. I have to admit, I was pretty anxious for the last 24 hours. I was on the edge of my seat, hoping those saildrives would hold out for the final stretch. I even changed the oil in both of them around 3 am, because we were going to make landfall around 5 am and its quite a way up the river, and the tide was going to be dropping as we went up, meaning they'd have a bit more work to do. And the final approach was definitely… engaging. There was a fair bit of tide coming out of the river, which dropped our boat speed down to around 4 knots. We also had the added obstacle of river traffic to contend with, and the channel margins were tight – about half a meter on either side. It was one of those situations where you're constantly running through scenarios in your head. I was thinking things ...

About Yacht Delivery Solutions: Professionalism on the Water

A successful yacht delivery is more than just moving a boat from Point A to Point B. It’s about professionalism, trust, and a deep respect for the vessel and the owner’s investment. At Yacht Delivery Solutions, these principles form the core of every passage we undertake. Our Expertise We specialize in the delivery of new and brokerage yachts, both sail and power, monohulls and catamarans. Our operational area spans the vast waters of Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific, and Southeast Asia. Our skippers are not just sailors; they are qualified and highly experienced professionals with thousands of offshore miles and an intimate knowledge of the regions we service. Our Services Yacht Delivery: Safe, efficient, and professional delivery of your vessel to any destination in our region. New Yacht Commissioning: We manage the comprehensive process of preparing a brand-new yacht for sea, testing every system to ensure it is ready for its owner. Owner-Assisted Passages: We prov...

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