Gem 550(2012) - Zin
Above: Coochiemudlo Island. Moreton Bay.
Zin has been sold and now continues its adventure with another skipper.
Zin - onboard items
Magnetic Island - July 2019
Cruising on an 18ft trailer-sailer
Townsville to Palm Island and back.
Short trip.
Townsville marina two nights. Sailed to Maggie. Sailed north to Palm Island (South East Bay?).
Back to Maggie.
Back to T’ville marina.
A Tender for Zin
Inflatable or a hard dinghy.
What can I do for a tender? Option 1.
The soft option.
A blow up kayak can carry two. Packs smallish, can remain on deck, inflates quick enough.
But....
I still have to blow it up.
Have to carry a manual pump, electric pump, paddle.
What can I do for a tender? Option 2.
The hard option.
Always ready to go.
But....
It is tiny, 5-foot. May not even float.
And it doesn’t fit on the boat!
Back to option 1. (It is good to have options.)
Moreton Bay - December 2018
Cruising in an 18ft trailer-sailer
Cruising on the Gem 550
Most of the time I will be by myself. I have not made any modifications that are worth bragging about.
I now carry an inflatable canoe as a tender.
I carry....
toilet, gas cooker, cooking and eating equipment, sleeping gear and all the other basic camping requirements.
Photo: Near Cairns, North Queensland. The crocs see me, I can't see them. But we are aware of each other. Croc safe!
Equipment
I have added....
a 20 watt solar panel and batteries (80 Ah and 30 Ah), tarp as an awning, insect screens for hatch and main hatch.
I use....
an iPhone and iPad for trip planning and navigation.
I try to...
keep my gear to a minimum, store what I can outside of the cabin, and have a place for everything and everything in its place. Things do go bad at a speed in reverse proportion to the size of the boat. In other words, shit happens faster in a small boat.
Photo: Near Cairns, North Queensland. As above.
Moreton Bay
Moreton bay is part of Brisbane, Queensland. It is formed by some long islands that effectively block Moreton Bay from the pacific waves. Surfing can be done north and south of Brisbane.
Photo: Moreton Bay, SE Queensland
Day One
Launched around midday on Sunday at Victoria point. . Motored to Coochiemudlo Island. Toastie and coffee at the only shop. Motored around the back of Coochie to a quieter anchorage.
Day Two
Sailed to Peel Island. Great place for a day-trip. Tide drops on the shallows to give fifty metres of shallows of a depth from 0-30 centimetres.
Day Three
Sailed Peel to Stradbroke, stopping at Dunwich, then back to Peel then Coochie. Wind picked up. Back to the same anchorage.
Day Four
Coochie to Southport. The most incredibly interesting sail. From quiet anchorages to this in the photo.
Day Five
Southport to Coochie. Bad weather to come over the next three days. Got picked up. End of trip.
Whitsundays
And a few other ring-ins.
Random Photos
Details - Brochure
Previous owner.
