We are anchored in one of the most remote navigable bodies of water in the world.  The only thing between us and Antarctica is 1,300 nautical miles of Southern Ocean. The prevailing winds are westerlies and the nearest source of pollution in that direction is 7,000 miles away in South America. The air is so pure researchers use it as a universal standard for purity. There are no roads. To get here you’ve either got to come by water, small plane or hike 60 miles. The journey is not for the faint of heart. 

The water is a cold 50 degrees. In our sheltered channel anchorage the water is opaque, the color of tea. It is tinted by freshwater tannins from the surrounding native button grass that dominates the hills and plains of the region. The wind rocks our home away from home gently. The stars put on a magnificent show far above with a tantalizing hint of the southern aurora dancing above the hill tops. Our accommodating skipper, 69-year-old Mark Stranger, is in a story-telling mood. We settle in for a meal of fresh seafood, local veggies and crisp local wine. The warm glow of candles paints the polished teak interior of our cabin with the promise of another great night at anchor and the prospect of even more adventures in the morning.

The thought crosses my mind—is this heaven? Then reality sets in. No, It’s Tasmania. 

We are in the safe keeping of the only skipper running a chartered sailboat in this wild and often mistakenly maligned sailing grounds of southwest Tasmania.

“I was working as a researcher at the University of Tasmania and I lost my funding. My wife and I had a bit of money saved up. Our kids were grown and gone. We decided to buy a sailboat and start a charter business,” Stranger said. I was born in Tasmania of good convict stock and started sailing on the River Derwent at an early age.

“My wife and I moved aboard the Dynamique 62 Helsal IV 14 years ago. She became our home and our business in the most beautiful cruising grounds in the world.”

Stranger’s plans for the future? “Just keep sailing.”

Over the years Mark and his wife Marsha have built the only yacht charter business in all of Tasmania. 

“There have been others but we are the only one still standing,” Stranger said. 

The couple offer daysails around the Hobart Harbour and up the River Derwent; three-day circumnavigations around Bruny Island; longer adventures on the east coast of Tasmania and the ultimate 7- to 10-day wilderness expedition to the isolated confines of Port Davey in the south west.

Their floating home, named Helsal IV, is a Dynamique 62, designed by Phillipe Briand and built in France to cruise the world in comfort, safety and style. She is berthed at King's Pier Marina, right on the Hobart docks, a stone's throw from Salamanca Place and all the best hotels in town. The luxury cutter is classified as a cruiser-racer, which offers the thrill of sailing to your destination on a big, fast ocean racing yacht and then retiring below deck to luxury comfort, fabulous food and drink.

Menus are developed in consultation with guests. Typically they entail a cooked breakfast of eggs and bacon with fresh fruit and cereal. If you are sailing at lunch time you’ll often have a homemade soup or stew with fresh baked bread straight out of the oven. In the evening it might be fresh caught fish with local vegetables and a homemade dessert such as Tasmanian apple pie with ice cream. There’s also morning and afternoon teas with fresh cooked scones or homemade cakes and biscuits or a Tasmanian cheese platter with a glass of wine

On the outside Helsal IV is a serious ocean racing yacht with several Sydney to Hobart races under her belt.  On the inside she’s a luxury cruiser, all leather and teak with spacious cabins and a large saloon and dining area with 7-foot headroom.

Helsal IV is licensed to carry up to 20 passengers on day trips and 6 overnight.  She has two large double bed cabins and a double bunk cabin for passengers, all with ample cupboard space. There are three heads (bathrooms), all of which can be accessed directly from the double bed cabins.

Strangers takes issue with the notion of cruising the coast of Tasmania as dangerous. 

“It’s a problem only if you don’t know the weather or know where to go for shelter. We have more than 4,000 miles of coastline, much of it in protected inlets surrounded by hills, mountains and cliffs that provide protection. We have to hang out and wait for a big blow to pass us by every now and then but it’s all exhilarating, fun really. We take safety very seriously. This is our home.”

There is no end to the variety of sailing adventures to be had onboard the Helsal IV.

Half-day journeys around Hobart Harbour are worth considering. You can make a three-day circumnavigation of nearby Bruny Island, watch the New Year’s Eve fireworks, or sail with the front runners of the Sydney to Hobart fleet as they approach Constitution dock.

A favorite cruising ground of Helsal’s crew is the southwest corner of Tasmania, home to the Southwest National Park encompassing 2,300 square miles of wild, challenging country full of a rich and diverse selection of flora and fauna, much of it unique to Tasmania. Bathurst Harbour, inland from Port Davey, was formed by a drowned river system three times the size of Sydney Harbour. It makes a fine sheltered anchorage for boats traversing the wild south coast of Tasmania and gives respite to many of the intrepid sailors and tough fishermen who range the coastline in search of fish, abalone and lobster.

At the mouth of the vast waterway sits the aptly named Breaksea Islands. Once around the Breakseas you’re safe from the fury of the Southern Ocean.

 

The company’s east coast adventure can be tailored to your time and tastes. Sail past 1,000-foot-high sea cliffs and spectacular rock formations, Australian fur seal colonies, secluded beaches where dense eucalypt forests grow down to the shore, and overnight in iconic locations like Port Arthur, Wineglass Bay and Maria Island. 

A three-day charter will focus on the Tasman Peninsular, typically overnighting in historic Port Arthur and the fabulous Fortescue Bay. Stranger is boundless in his enthusiasm for some of his itineraries. 

“We sail past giant cliffs that plunge straight into the sea before passing Tasman Island, with its boisterous and inquisitive Australian fur seal colony.  A five-day trip will also include time at Maria Island National Park, with its fantastic scenic walks, historic buildings and abundant native wildlife. A seven-day charter can also take in Freycinet Peninsular National Park, sailing past the beautiful Hazards Range and into iconic Wineglass Bay. 

“Our guests can indulge in activities like swimming, snorkelling, kayaking, hiking or walking along the white sands of deserted beaches. You won't believe the absolutely jaw-dropping scenery and wildlife, such as whales, dolphins, orca and seals. You can catch a big game fish, dive amongst the giant kelp forests and try your hand at catching abalone and crayfish to cook on our sun deck,” Stranger said. “Some of our guests take the helm, work the winches and learn about navigation while others sit back, relax and enjoy the peace and tranquillity of one of the most beautiful coastal regions in the world.”

The company also offers hike and sail options. There are loads of great walks to do on the coast, from short strolls to multiday treks, and they can provide you with the best guides in the business.  Imagine, for example, meeting at Triabunna, sailing to Fortescue Bay for the night, then heading off for a couple of days guided walk along the Three Capes track. Meet up at Port Arthur for a hot shower, some fine food and wine and a comfortable bed before an exhilarating sail back to Hobart the next day.  

For the experience of a lifetime book a charter to Port Davey on Tasmania’s rugged west coast. Port Davey is a Marine Reserve and part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area and the Southwest National Park.

“This journey will change your life,” he said.

The Port Davey trip is usually a seven-day expedition, but like all the company’s journeys, it can be customized to suit your requirements. Typically, the trip begins in Hobart, stopping over in Recherche Bay the first night before making way around the Southern tip of Tasmania, sailing past the Maatsuyker Island group back in time to the vast pristine waterways of Port Davey and Bathurst Harbour.

Stranger said it is impossible to describe just how unique and exciting this vast and spectacular wilderness destination is. 

“Bushwalking in the World Heritage National Park, where the most isolated surf breaks, endless sheltered bays and inlets to explore by kayak, dive beneath the tea colored freshwater surface to a marine environment normally only found at unreachable ocean depths, and a coastline as awe-inspiring as any you can imagine; the Port Davey region abounds with seafood for divers and fishermen outside the park. There are no cars, no roads and no shopping.”

The company offers a number of innovative ways to start and end your Port Davey trip including flying in and or out and walking. Because of the destination’s remoteness many guests call a Port Davey expedition life changing. 

“Pristine waters and the cleanest air in the world in uncrowded locations, and it is common for us to be the only yacht at an anchorage,” Stranger said. “With the magnificent coastal scenery and hundreds of sheltered bays to suit any weather conditions, the possibilities are endless.”

Visit hobartyachts.com.au to read more.