MARINE BUSINESS NEWS
NEWS UPDATE
11 April 2023
Publishers note
Solo rower Michelle Lee arrived safely in Port Douglas and stepped off her boat ‘Australian Maid’ at 9.49am AEST last Wednesday 5th April to the cheers of family, friends and a crowd of onlookers.
Her GP, Dr Adrian Cohen, was the first to greet Michelle after her 237-day journey rowing 14,000km to become the first woman to row solo and unassisted across the Pacific Ocean.
As was most of her voyage, the last three days at sea were challenging with weather guru and Michelle’s confidant Roger ‘Clouds’ Badham handing over directing duties to those on hand in Far North Queensland to identify Michelle’s safe passage to port.
Roger always said that he could get Michelle to the Reef, but local knowledge and people on the ground at the time would have to guide her through the local conditions. Wind and fast-moving water were the biggest considerations with Michelle’s ability to steer Australian Maid way more difficult that most vessels.
On the ground were her very dedicated and loyal crew who had been shadowing Michelle from the minute she left Mexico back in August last year. With Michelle around 180 km from land they commenced their planning with Pixie Reef identified as her last anchorage before her final days row.
The target was always somewhere on the East coast of Australia, but exactly where would likely be in the hands of nature. With a Sydney arrival being set aside for Cairns in the name of safety, Pixie Reef was the closest and safest rest stop before the last big push. That said, local conditions also showed that a row against the current would be hard and Port Douglas was identified as the likely port of arrival.
And it was, Michelle arrived safety and in her usual style almost forgot she arrived and after getting all the mandatory customs and border control clearances, remained on board to start sharing stories with the media who had gathered to record her historic arrival.
There are many hero’s in this story beyond Michelle. Her passionate supporters and friends played an integral part in this success.
A full account of her journey, with the story of those that stepped up beyond the norm will be published soon in Marine Business News.
We invite you to look at the many more stories on our website not seen in this newsletter, as well as links to resources, photo libraries, reviews, our international events calendar, our jobs board, and now an eNews log of our past Friday newsletters.
Our newsroom is open, and if your business has news to share, please let us know. Feel free to contact me or our team in the newsroom at newsroom@marinebusinessnews.com.au
Stay safe on the water,
Domenic Genua - Publisher
OKEAN – the embodiment of Brazil
J.R. NAUTICAL IMPORTS is the Australian distributor for OKEAN Yachts, manufactured in Brazil and blending the best of Italian design, German engineering and pioneering concepts to create a larger-than-life on-water experience.
Honda Marine Dealer Awards 2022
Honda Australia has announced the 2022 Honda Marine Dealer Excellence Awards which recognises excellence in dealership management and customer service. Over a 12-month period, a rigorous performance review is undertaken on all Honda Marine Dealerships around Australia, to ensure customers always receive the highest levels of service..
Popular attractions return for 2023 Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show
The Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show’s most popular attractions are again set to be a highlight of this year’s 2023 show, being held at the Auckland Showgrounds in Greenlane on May 18-21, 2023.
WA Fitzroy River low level crossing to open
Work on the first temporary Fitzroy River low-level crossing, a five metre-wide 200 metre-long, single-lane rock causeway, has been completed and will open to four-wheel-drive vehicles from Monday April 3 at 10am.
Ahoy, CAPTN – Next-gen transport hits the water
The CAPTN (Clean Autonomous Public Transport Network), a public-private research consortium in the German port city of Kiel, is trying to solve this big question. The project has reached a milestone recently with the christening of the research vessel MV “Wavelab”.
Pimp My Jetty Heads To The East Coast
Shellfish reefs are essential for healthy aquatic ecosystems and have a key role to play in filtering pollutants and nutrients from the water, improving the overall health of a waterway.
Latisha Davenport: A Sailing Inspiration
Passionate sailor Latisha Davenport has been sailing consistently since sixth grade, smashing goals and expectations as she races competitively despite having been blind since birth.
Oyster Yachts – celebrating 50 years of success
With over 20 million sea miles and 100 circumnavigations of the world, Oyster Yachts has come a long way from the company’s beginnings in 1973 in a boatyard in Norfolk.
Exhibitors lining up for 2023 Sydney International Boat Show
Australia’s premier recreational boating lifestyle event is set to run from the 3 to 6 August 2023 at the ICC Sydney and Cockle Bay at Darling Harbour, attracting many of the most recognised and respected boating manufacturers, suppliers and retailers.
Northstar of the show
Sirocco Marine will exhibit the latest Northstar Orion 8 – the luxury sportscar of the RIB world – at this year’s Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show, 25 to 28 May.
Far East Boats launches ePropulsion-powered electric catamaran
Far East Boats, one of the biggest sailboat builders in China, and ePropulsion, a global leader and market challenger in marine electric propulsion systems and services, announced the launch of a brand-new electric catamaran.
Marine Rescue volunteers take part in NSW NPWS whale disentanglement training exercise
Marine Rescue volunteers on board Botany Port Hacking rescue vessels BH 30 and BH 32 have taken part in an important training exercise with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service at Port Hacking.
New lease of life for Collective Spirit – the yacht thats a living archive
Collective Spirit, the sailing yacht that was built using over 1,200 donations of wooden items to celebrate the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad, has been acquired by Universal Yachting.
Ice Yachts announce their next high-tech performance yacht, the ICE 53 Sport Tourer
ICE YACHTS and the Felci Yacht Design team have joined forces once again to produce one of the most exciting and innovative new models for 2023.
