Long distance Motor Cruising

by Helen Hopcroft on 3 Aug 2007 Every year thousands of Australians reward themselves for years spent raising families, working or running a business. They purchase a caravan, hook it up to a 4WD and head off on a round Australia safari. Months, sometimes years, are spent fishing, lazing in the sun or simply curling up with a cup of a tea and a good book. The stresses of the past melt away and people generally feel more relaxed and peaceful than they have for years.

Increasingly this demographic are buying motor boats and using them to cruise the Australian coastline, interior rivers and lakes. Some intrepid souls are heading off on circumnavigations or long offshore cruises. Often they are fulfilling a life long ambition to travel and see Australia’s magnificent coastline from the sea.

One such gentleman is seventy nine year old Ian Reynolds who recently purchased a brand new Riviera 56 Enclosed Flybridge and plans to complete an Australian circumnavigation, a journey of approximately 9000 nm. He will be travelling in a clockwise direction and intends to stop at remote coastal areas including Monkey Mia in Western Australia and at Horn Island on the tip of Cape York.

Riviera’s Stephen Milne, Director Brand and Communications, described Reynolds upcoming voyage as inspiring.

‘He loves life, loves boats and I think he would probably describe himself as a fairly average kind of guy: but he’s going to take on this kind of adventure…’

In two weeks time Ian and his crew will take a ‘shake down’ cruise to Lord Howe Island, 300nm east of Taree, to check that all the boat’s system are working perfectly before he sets off on the adventure of a lifetime. After the initial voyage the boat will return to the Riviera Gold Coast facility for a thorough inspection, and will then head south in November.

'We will use that voyage to test all the systems and, particularly, to log fuel consumption in a variety of conditions,' said Ian.

The boat is able to carry more fuel than usual (7500 litres). Ian has chosen the forward galley option of the Riviera 56 Open Flybridge, which is offered as an option on the Enclosed Flybridge 56. In all other respects it is a standard production vessel.

'The longest leg of our voyage is from Ceduna in western South Australia to Esperance in Western Australia,' Ian said. 'That’s a distance of 620 nautical miles and I wanted to be sure we carried enough fuel to make the distance with some to spare. Safety is my absolute priority. After all, I will be 80 at the time!'

'We expect the entire voyage to take about a year. We are not trying to break any records but to enjoy the experience, and to see some wonderful places along the way.'

Another couple, Peter and Liz Kirkham, are taking a long distance offshore cruise in a Riviera 56 Enclosed Flybridge called ‘Biddy’. They are currently off the coast of Broome and are heading south to Fremantle.

‘They’ve just spent 3 months cruising the top end taking it easy’ reported Milne.

‘It’s actually a delivery trip for their boat to take it back to Perth. But rather than putting it on a ship, which is how we’d normally send a boat like that to Perth, they decided to drive it themselves.’

Riviera has recognised that their owners are increasingly using their boats for long distance cruising. They are keen to ensure that their owners are safety conscious, have an appreciation of the demands of long distance passage making and get the most out of their boats.

Milne said that the safety information that Riviera offered to its owners was mainly commonsense, but nevertheless vitally important.

‘Be prepared for the unexpected, because it will happen. Be equipped for the unexpected, because it will also happen. That means being prepared and understanding how to fix things if something goes wrong. And being equipped means making sure that you have the right things to be able to fix it.’

It includes practicalities like making sure that the boat is carrying reserve fuel, communicating with the correct coastal authorities and friends ashore so they always know where you are, and thoroughly checking the weather before you head out.

When the boat is handed over to its new owner the Riviera dealer will offer an informal briefing on safety and handling of the boat. There is always the option of returning to the dealer at a later date to ask further questions or to clarify key points.

‘Our dealers are continuously offering on the spot training and assistance for owners to make sure they understand the systems on their boats. They’re very complicated systems and you can’t possibly expect to understand everything in one handover session.’

Milne commented that the increase in people using power boats for long distance cruising was being driven by a number of factors. Firstly there was the increase in marine facilities on Australia’s East Coast. Recent years have seen the construction of a number of new marinas and boating safe havens.

‘You can hop up the east coast in daylight hours and stay in a marina every night if that’s what you want to do. We’re incredibly fortunate really that we have these great boating facilities.’

Cheap domestic airfares are another factor that is changing how people spend their leisure time.

‘With places like Hamilton Island, you can leave your boat there, jump on a plane, fly home, come back 6 weeks later or 6 months later, and go boating again.’

Then there is the comfort factor: people are buying Rivieras for cruising because of their luxurious interiors and modern appliances. Rivieras have all the fittings and appliances that you would expect to find in top end real estate. There are coffee makers, trash compacters, fridges and freezers, icemakers, dishwashers and convection microwaves.

‘Our galleys, kitchens if you like, have everything that you have at home’ explained Milne.

He pointed out that appliances like trash compacters make sense in the cruising context, especially when you are exploring waters in National Parks. The inclusion of water makers on the boats is designed to keep the weight of a cruising boat down, which pays dividends in terms of increased fuel efficiency and performance.

A service that Riviera offers to support its cruising owners is a 24/7 phone service called 1800 Riviera.

‘You can ring that number 24/7 and get technical help when you’re on board your boat. It’s an industry first. So if you need a tow, if you’ve run out of fuel, if you want to book a marina berth and you’re going up the coast, you can ring this number and it’s a concierge service for those sorts of things.’

‘It’s just another way of ensuring our owners get the best out of their leisure time. Because there’s 5 days for work, and 2 days for leisure, and you really want to make sure that when you turn up at your boat on a Friday night, you turn the key and you can go.’

It’s a philosophy that those of us who are still working thoroughly appreciate. And for those people that are currently cruising Australia’s beautiful coastline, it’s still a statement that rings true. As Milne says:

‘That’s Riviera’s role: to help deliver that dream to them and make their cruising dreams a reality.’

Stephen Milne is delivering a presentation titled ‘the world of Motorboat Cruising’ at 12.10 every day at the Sydney International Boat Show, 2-7 August. The talks will be held on the Boating Stage in Hall One and Milne will discuss the full range of services and support that Riviera offers to their owners.

Contact details:

50 Waterway Drive,
Coomera
Queensland
4209 Australia

Telephone: +61 (07) 5502 5555
Fax: +61 (07) 5502 5599

sales@riviera.com.au

http://www.riviera.com.au