it’s a wrap

Wow, it has been a big few days.  We are all packed up, with The Bossa now sitting on the red dirt of the banks of the Mary River, Maryborough.

We did squeeze in a restful afternoon and a final dinner with Waterfront at the Kingfisher Resort on K’gari, but we then received an unexpected but welcomed  ‘we’ll haul out tomorrow, be here at high tide’. So with yet another early start to make the early high tide, we motored up the Mary River the next day. With both Waterfront and The Bossa needing to be hauled out on consecutive days with high tides critical, our timing was important.

Waterfront … taken at one of those stupid o’clock times!

The plan … The Bossa was to be hauled out first. With some assistance from ashore we were manoeuvred in to position at the ramp where we would then wait for the low tide in the afternoon. We would be sitting on our mini keels, then the haul-out trailer would be reversed down the ramp by tractor, slide under our bridge deck and we’d be then hauled up the ramp by the tractor, with The Bossa sitting snug on the purpose built Fusion haul-out trailer. Sounds like a plan albeit a tad scary!

The Bossa was the first Fusion to utilise the ramp’s extended flatter length, which was a bonus as we were sitting quite flat on our mini keels as the tide receded, rather than at the ramp’s angle. However, this new angle created a problem.  The haul-out trailer did not fit. We were too low. Not enough angle.

The Bossa sitting very nicely on the ramp extension, the flatter section.

Nup … it does not fit, even with deflated tyres and the tape measure working overtime.

So take two, we moved up the angled ramp with the tide overnight, which, as the tide flowed in, wasn’t that comfortable. Fortunately we have north-south beds, but even reversing our sleeping position so we were ‘downhill’, I twice had to drag myself back up to my pillow during the night! However this plan worked, as we were then successfully hauled out at, you guessed it, at stupid o’clock once again, 5.30 am the next morning. 

Waterfront followed later in the day. Phew!

The packup begins!

It was a big few days!

It has been a brilliant season. We ventured further north than past seasons exploring more of the northern reefs, which I love. Flynn Reef was a standout.  The fish life was amazing at Flynn making my underwater photography adventures very exciting. We didn’t make it to Lizard Island but we’re happy to keep this one in the kitty for next time.

Sharing our sailing destinations and adventures is always special.  We had a wonderful 10 days in the Whitsundays with family aboard, even squeezing in an outer reef visit to Bait Reef.  Sharing Beaver and Taylor Reefs with our friends Leanne and Steve (ex-Fusion owners) was lots of fun too. Fish were caught, games were played and there were endless snorkels. We have lots of great shared memories with these friends.

Cruising with other boats is always great fun. Our time with Adagio, introducing them to the outer reefs of John Brewer and Keeper, and then visiting Hinchinbrook’s Zoe Bay together, was special, particularly given our cruising history.  Then spending the last few weeks with Waterfront, cruising from Great Keppel Island to Maryborough, really completed our season. When there’s two boats and they’re both Fusions, say no more! We are so glad we snuck in Yellow Patch too.

Oh, I must mention my Nudibranch tally for the season … four Nudis plus a Flatworm. Best ever for me! And I finally got the nerve to fly my drone at a ridiculous height and in what better place than Yellow Patch.

Here’s a few of my favourites from our season …

A big thank you too to all my readers … 2025 … it’s a wrap!