Due to unforseen circumstances i find myself without a job. I read that at 55 it takes 58weeks to get another one so im going cruising for a year while i wait. ( statistics dont lie). Ok im after your collective advise on what to take with me and what to leave behind. Coastal from sydney to maybe cairns.
32ft manitou ( i heard that groan) inflatable or hard dinghy.
I lived onboard for a year before but had to work so its totally diferent, i will be single handed for the trip.i have basics, solar panels,fridge etc plus safety gear. I want to know the stuff i will not think of and need from the more experienced. Thanks.
Select to expand quoteMorningBird said..
Credit card and mobile phone 
sunnies
wind vane maybe and plenty of water and extra diesel
sailing to cairns or little ship big trip
read this book
Sailing from Sydney to Cairns
Fishing rod, selection of lures, Portable BBQ plate, lots of matches, a good eye for dry firewood/driftwood…make sure you've got a couple of good anchors already set.
Select to expand quoteoldboyracer said..
Due to unforseen circumstances i find myself without a job. I read that at 55 it takes 58weeks to get another one so im going cruising for a year while i wait. ( statistics dont lie). Ok im after your collective advise on what to take with me and what to leave behind. Coastal from sydney to maybe cairns.
32ft manitou ( i heard that groan) inflatable or hard dinghy.
I lived onboard for a year before but had to work so its totally diferent, i will be single handed for the trip.i have basics, solar panels,fridge etc plus safety gear. I want to know the stuff i will not think of and need from the more experienced. Thanks.
Perhaps there's a job or two along the way one door shuts another opens
Good winds to you old boy
Hi OldBoy
Congrats on making that decision, I'm sure you won't regret it. That part of the coast is a dream. For Solo sailing its also really good, there are anchorages about every 70miles or less and some good bolt holes for bad weather. There are plenty of places for fuel, water and provisions. I would take a couple of crab traps along as its a god source of free food until about Island Head point. I see many people with 40ft+ boats and then a tiny inflatable with a 2hp outboard. This I don't understand. A decent RIB with a 15hp is the best way to go in my opinion. There are some many rivers, lagoons etc to explore if you have a good "car" to get around in.
There were only two places in-between Brisbane and Bowen that my charts were wrong. In all cases, believe the physical markers over the electronic or print charts.
In many "larger" anchorages there is a "local" or two. Its worth a few beers to head over and make yourself known, these guys know every trick, every buried log, the good walking tracks, waterfalls and weather patterns.
A spare anchor for sure, navionics on your phone and or iPad as a back up to the chart plotter.
From about June to October the wind is "generally" in your favour heading north. Careful around the whitsundays and some other islands, wind can change 180 in a second.
The first year I sailed Brisbane - Whitsundays - Brisbane over a 6 months period. It was my first boat(S&S36) and I had no sailing experience. There was a steep learning curve but nothing crazy. Sort of easier than I was expecting. Here's a blog I did about that first season: learningbydoing.exposure.co
2016 I did the same route but very differently, more longer 2-3 days legs then longer stops at the places I knew were good. Plus I left the boat in Bowen. Here you can see some videos about this season:
You didn't mention you had an autopilot on your equipment, but if you're solo, that will be essential. For long passages a windvane is a nice-to-have too, but IMO an autopilot is considerably more flexible in coastal waters with frequent waypoint changes. Properly installed and maintained, and autopilot is incredibly reliable too. The only downside is that, unlike a windvane, it can draw several amps, so make sure you have enough solar power.
For comms (again for coastal sailing, not offshore) consider installing a marine antenna so you can extend the range of your phone, e.g., www.laser-antenna.com/product.php?product_id=314
Re fishing, take lots of different lures in all shapes and sizes, a good rod for game fish and lots of hand reels, esp. the ones with the wind-up handles.
Your videos are great Vernon and the work you did on her is awesome. See we get a bit attached to our girls dont we? I can see why you wanna take her to NZ rather than sell and re buy. Id rather keep my boat than by again also.
You should have some guides - Beacon to Beacon by Qld Maritime safety and if you are planning on a leisurely trip, Noel Patricks Cruising the Curtis Coast and Colebrook's 100 Magic Miles.
It makes sense to get on the forum when you get to places like Moreton Bay and the Sandy Straits for local knowledge because conditions can change more rapidly than the charts can cope. Anybody who hasn't run aground in Moreton Bay hasn't spent much time there.
If you don't have an autopilot you need one. I cant speak highly enough about the CPT wheel pilot. Enough guts to cope with quartering seas, built like the proverbial brick ****house and draws very little current. They have taken 50 footers around the world and have been known to go on steering the boat when immersed in a cockpit full of water. They don't interface with anything but that suits me just fine, coastal cruising I would sooner be in charge of my course than a wind vane anytime.
Perhaps also advertise on here for crew to join you for some of the legs. Another crew member is the best safety device you can get. You will still need an autopilot though.
Thanks Steve for the nice words. FYI, I'm not sailing to NZ, just getting Nautilus a NZ national rego so I can sail to Vanuatu in June.
Have a look at my blog, covers two trips up to Bowen. Has comments on all the ups and downs and places to go 
www.sailblogs.com/member/seaka
You will have to go back to May 2011 to find the start.
Enjoy
I think you may find that losing your job will be the best thing that has happened to you in years.
Post pics of your trip and make us all jealous. Make sure you come up the Clarence.
Fair winds. Enjoy.
Towing dinghy is popular in QLD, but, 2 m inflatable Mercury will fit pretty well on the "granny flat roof" of your boat and 2.3hp air cooled Honda (no f/w flush needed) makes perfect match. Stop in Gladstone, marina is only $42 daily. Bon Voyage.
Don't forget the Alan Lucas books, Cruising the NSW Coast and Cruising the Coral Coast.
Thanks for all the replies and suggestions. Im off to the boat tomorow to make the dreaded list of things to do. I know they wont all be done by the time i leave, but i might get close. I watched your videos vernon now im more excited. Time to buy some books and start reading up.
Lucas book at least Qld is a must.
Guess we guide you as you progress, in most places water, fuel , shopping
can be done without paying marinas, also highlight all places you don't wont a miss.
Be ready my backyard is Keppel Islands
Alan Lucas just got himself named as "Cruiser of the Year".
Without denigrating his unquestioned achievements over the years, I suggest the most authoritive cruising guide between Bundaberg and Mackay is Noel Patrick's "Cruising the Curtis Coast".
However, if one is armed with up to date charts, coastal navigation skills as required as part of a USL marine qualification such as Coxswain or Master V, a quality steering compass with deviation table, a quality hand bearing compass, a Captain Fields pattern set of parallel rules, a quality set of drawing instruments with dividers and compass, HB pencils, pencil sharpener and an accurate time piece, navigating the Queensland coast is pretty much a breeze. The cruising guides are only most useful for their cautionary tales of who is a ripoff and who isn't.
If you add in a Garmin 72H GPS unit you have pretty much got the game licked.
For most of the Queensland coast, what you can see is what you can hit with two notable exceptions being Wolf Rock and Surprise Rock.
I'm a fan of the Garmin 72H GPS but if I was to plonk my money down these days it would be on one of these.
www.standardhorizon.com/indexVS.cfm?cmd=DisplayProducts&DivisionID=3&ProdCatID=85&ProdID=1791
Toilet paper, can opener and one suit and shoes, in case you need to go somewhere that a suit is required. 
Select to expand quotecisco said..
Alan Lucas just got himself named as "Cruiser of the Year".
Without denigrating his unquestioned achievements over the years, I suggest the most authoritive cruising guide between Bundaberg and Mackay is Noel Patrick's "Cruising the Curtis Coast".
However, if one is armed with up to date charts, coastal navigation skills as required as part of a USL marine qualification such as Coxswain or Master V, a quality steering compass with deviation table, a quality hand bearing compass, a Captain Fields pattern set of parallel rules, a quality set of drawing instruments with dividers and compass, HB pencils, pencil sharpener and an accurate time piece, navigating the Queensland coast is pretty much a breeze. The cruising guides are only most useful for their cautionary tales of who is a ripoff and who isn't.
If you add in a Garmin 72H GPS unit you have pretty much got the game licked.
For most of the Queensland coast, what you can see is what you can hit with two notable exceptions being Wolf Rock and Surprise Rock.
Alan Lucas's books were classics, but sadly there are big bits of the Qld coast that need more recent updates than Lucas. Moreton Bay, Sandy Straits, Yellow Patch, Wide Bay Bar, Moolobar entrance and all the entrances north of Cairns are constantly shifting. Beacon to Beacon and Noel Patrick will get you to the Mackay and VMR tin Can Bay for the latest on Wide Bar and Seabreeze people for local knowledge is the way to go. Wolf rock and the rocks off Bustard Head are best avoided at night but OK with a good plotter.
Harness and lanyard. I always use mine when solo sailing no matter what the conditions.
Not like old mate up at the Percy's who had previously fallen over board on another occasion, but was fortunate enough to be found. Not this time though 
One good item to take is "Common Sense"
One item you should never take is "Risks"
Select to expand quoteBruski068 said..
Toilet paper, can opener and one suit and shoes, in case you need to go somewhere that a suit is required.
Leave the suit !! Buy a couple of extra shorts instead, its all you will need.
Select to expand quotenswsailor said..Bruski068 said..
Toilet paper, can opener and one suit and shoes, in case you need to go somewhere that a suit is required.
Leave the suit !! Buy a couple of extra shorts instead, its all you will need.
Noooo... take the suit!
One of my must have's is a light to wear on my head with red light so not to ruin night vision
