Extreme Ways is an extreme adventurer

Marina YE is at present enjoying the company of the 46 ft multi-hull Extreme Ways. Perhaps another name for this much-travelled vessel would be “extreme locations”.

Owned by Melbourne couple Mick and Sheryl de Jong, Extreme Ways arrived at Marina YE after 12 months cruising mainly in the Kimberley Coast region.

Mick and Sheryl purchased Extreme Ways in Darwin and sailed west to the Kimberley Coast to explore everything that area has to offer the cruising yachtie, before heading home to Melbourne.

They invited many of their Victorian friends to join them on a series of two week cruises out of Wyndham during their stay in this area. They undertook six of these cruises in total. Peter, a guest on one of their cruises told of his astonishment at the colour of the water when they sailed out of Wyndham, “not unlike wet cement” was his description, but the water soon turned to the perfect clear blue colour that all on board expected to see.

After talking with Mick and the crew I came away with the feeling that the scenery, fishing, abseiling from the cliff tops and the sailing Extreme Ways enjoyed in this area will live with all on board forever.

The remoteness of this area makes cruising an interesting task involving reversing into cliff faced water falls to shower, wash their clothes and fill water tanks. As well, the abundance of fish, in particular barramundi, made seafood an important part of the diet for all on board.

The stories of the barramundi caught seem too good to be true. However, their encounters with crocodiles and the size of some of them gave another perspective to their adventures.

Extreme Ways encountered a number of those illegal fishing vessels we hear so much about in our northern waters but they left them to the authorities to deal with. On the return journey from Wyndham to Darwin a low flying aircraft passed over them and soon after, a radio call came through asking them to identify themselves and all on board. They appreciated the call and were gratified that their taxes were at work. Mick explained the difficulty identifying local vessels when boats in the Northern Territory do not have to be registered nor do skippers have to be licensed to operate the boat.

After a short rest in Darwin, Extreme Ways started the long journey home to Melbourne which involved a two-month stopover in Gove. While in Gove, Mick met the skipper of Highway Star, another multi-hull spending time in Gove and to his amazement learnt that Highway Star was also on route to Melbourne and Marina YE.

The journey back to Melbourne, although with a little less scenery, was pleasant and uneventful. When I asked Mick his favorite spot during the journey he quickly replied that it was Forbes Island, which is on the eastern side of Cape York. The abundance of crayfish and beautiful beaches from where he was able to catch coral trout made this place truly paradise.

Mick and Sheryl and their friends plan to return to Darwin and the Kimberley Coast in 2012 but until then they are looking forward to enjoying what Victoria has to offer Extreme Ways.