By Helen Hopcroft for Powerboat World
Greg Alward has what many people would consider to be the ideal job. The long time Hamilton Island resident is the Maritimo contact person for the island, responsible for ‘anything and everything to do with Maritimo.’ This year he led a convoy of Maritimos up the coast from Hope Harbour Marina, near the Gold Coast Broadwater, to Hamilton Island ‘stopping all stations.’ Dubbed the Maritimo Muster 2007 it was the perfect opportunity for owners and their families to enjoy the fun and security of cruising in company.
The five boat convoy included a number of owners who had never ‘boated any further north than Mooloolaba’ so Alward selected a route with as little outside passage making as possible and stopped at many peaceful anchorages along the way. The conditions proved to be ideal for the trip.
‘We had the best weather you can ever imagine. I think the worst day we had was about ten knots of southeaster following us up the coast. It was tough…’ Alward said with a droll smile.
On their first day at sea they passed Stradbroke and Moreton Islands and then cruised through into the Great Sandy Straits. The first night was passed in the popular Gary’s Anchorage then they spent the next day traversing the Straits and arrived in Gladstone that evening.
The high tide of the following morning saw them powering out through The Narrows via Curtis Island National Park. Alward led them on a ‘scenic tour’ of the beautiful Keppel Islands and later that day they arrived at Roslyn Bay where they were treated to a bus trip around the southern and northern beaches.
Another relaxing evening was spent in Roslyn Bay Marina and the next morning the convoy steamed off towards Port Clinton where they ‘had a magnificent evening at anchor, right at the south end of the arm.’
The next day was spent in transit between Port Clinton and the famous Percy Islands, long regarded as a boaties ideal getaway, and everyone was treated to a guided tour of the islands and the Middle Percy Island homestead. The group delighted in the famous collection of marine artefacts left by visiting sailors in the A frame structure at Middle Percy Island: a museum couldn’t buy a collection like this.
That afternoon they travelled up to Mackay and the following morning made the final passage to Hamilton Island.
Alward reports that the owners and their families and friends greatly enjoyed the experience, relishing the combination of marina and anchorage stops and the beautiful locations they experienced en route.
‘They are more than happy owners: they are absolutely delighted.’
The boat Alward was driving for the Maritimo Muster was a magnificent Maritimo 60 called Key Largo which was displayed at this year’s Sydney International Boat Show.
‘It’s a magnificently appointed 60ft boat with three stories. It’s a beautiful three bedroom apartment on the water.’
And Key Largo is certainly well appointed; she was being used as a press boat for this year’s Audi Hamilton Island Race Week so I had a chance to have a close look at the vessel.
The first thing that really struck me about Key Largo was the opulence of the interior. There have been very few times in my life that I have been in a house this luxurious; there were rich cream carpets, plush upholstery, gleaming timber panelling and expensive looking stainless steel railing. An internal staircase, not a ladder, allowed you to ascend from the deck level to the upper deck. A pair of double glass doors then led onto what can only be described as a balcony.
Downstairs there was an owner’s cabin with its own en-suite and a head blessed with immaculate white fittings and a loo big enough to accommodate a fleet of Japanese carp. All the doors closed with a click and the fittings felt weighty and substantial.
Alward commented that photographers always love it when Maritimos are chosen as press boats because of the great view from the upper balcony and they are such a stable platform to shoot from.
He was on the helm for my day onboard Key Largo and every so often he would fire up the boat’s twin Caterpillar C18 1000 MHP engines and we would fly off at speeds up to 26 knots. The boat had the speed to take us between the different racing divisions in a matter of minutes, so we were able to cover a number of races almost simultaneously.
I’ve always far preferred sail to power, but looking at the massive rooster tail that shot from the stern when she was underway was something of a revelation. There’s a great quote from the Top Gear motoring journalist Jeremy Clarkson when he clutches the wheel of his latest speed machine, assumes a mock drool, hits the accelerator and grunts ‘power…power….’ I took photographs of the Maritimo’s wake with Clarkson’s mantra echoing in my mind.
From the way he brought the boat into the jetty it was clear that Alward had spent a lot of time on the water. He smoothly guided the 60 footer into the dock, nudged us closer with a delicate pulse on the bow thruster, and we were tied up within a couple of seconds. It was a nice novelty not to spend the next 30 minutes or so coiling lines and flaking sails.