There is a suggestion that, “It is the journey not the destination that counts.” The ongoing safari of two crew aboard a private yacht is testament to these wise words.
Having both worked in the Superyacht industry for nearly 10 years, Emma and Sean have extensive experience cruising the Mediterranean, Caribbean and Bahamas. The opportunity to join M/Y Happy Days in Thailand was an exciting decision ̶ new explorations both above and under the water.
After only being on board for 6 months, the idea of a five month Asian trip arose causing great excitement. Captain Sean and Head Stewardess Emma were thrilled. In preparation for the journey, and in order to cater for the owners’ love and, somewhat obsession with diving, Captain Sean and Dive Instructor Ramon worked closely to formulate the best 5-month itinerary around Palau and the Philippines. With months of planning, plotting and provisioning, M/Y Happy Days departed Phuket early Jan for this adventure.
To date, this would be the longest passage the 112 foot (35m) Ferretti yacht has ever made. Ensuring the safe running and passage of the vessel meant more planning and responsibility than usual. Despite the close monitoring of weather patterns, on a few occasions Mother Nature took charge in her grand, unpredictable way. One of these times occurred during the crossing from Cebu, Philippines to Palau, Indonesia when rough seas forced Happy Days to sit in Cebu. After a week waiting out bad weather, Captain Sean readied the crew to depart for the 2.5 day crossing to Palau.
Typically, the owner joined the yacht every 2 weeks for about 2-3 weeks at a time. In between trips the crew would move the vessel from one place to another, clean and detail, refuel, provision, and squeeze in a few days off. However, on this occasion, by the time the yacht pulled into Koror, Palau, the owner was already there. Needless to say, that day was quite hectic. The crew of five, busied themselves un-stowing the interior, washing and preparing decks, and stocking the yacht with fresh provisions which were delivered to the dock. This was all on top of being exhausted from a sleepless three days of rough seas.
As Emma says, “that’s not the first time nor will it be the last time that unpredicted weather rolls in. It’s the nature of the beast (the yachting industry that is)”. Attitude says a lot. They were safe and were excited to see what the hype about Palau was all about. “Palau has been on my hit list for years after a good friend recommended it for diving,” Emma says, then continues, “This area is scenically magical in every way, and actually exceeds my expectations.” Whether you’re viewing the amazing islands from above in a small plane or diving in the pristine ocean, the colours and abundance of life is breathtakingly outrageous.
Highlights for Emma (in no particular order):
- Snorkelling ‘Jellyfish Lake’ – a marine lake full of non-stinging jellyfish – that rather feel quite nice against your skin. Time is important to beat the ambush of tourists, so the guests and crew experience the entire lake to themselves.
- The Red Snapper Spawning at Full Moon. The guests left the day prior, and we were scheduled to depart early the following morning for the Philippines. We woke at 04.00 hours to witness this amazing event. The Red Snapper rise from the deep, changing colours from red to white during the spawning. This was most exhilarating dive to date, as currents were absolutely ripping, and we were literally crawling along the reef holding on. The huge aggregation of fish attracted a number of massive Bull sharks.
- The airplane ride over The Rock Islands, Palau gives a real bird’s eye view of the archipelago – over 200 limestone and volcanic islands. The contrast between the lush emerald forests to the brilliant turquoise water and reefs are incomparable to anywhere else I’ve been. Over the years, I have been fortunate to have seen some spectacular places.
Highlights for Captain Sean (in no particular order):
- The dive site: Peleliu Express & Wall – hundreds of Jack fish (or Trevally) and Dogtooth tuna as big as a grown man, schools of Bumphead Parrotfish, sharks.
- Considered off the beaten track, hence not many tourists, we ventured north to Kayangle, which is made up of 3 atolls. The anchorage is in the Lagoon accessible only by a very tight channel. Timing of the tides is essential as there was only one metre under the yacht at high tide (draw is 2.1m). Let’s just say everyone was relieved seeing Captain Sean breeze through without breaking into a sweat. A few high-fives and fist-pumps by the adventure-seeking guests occurred at the thought of soon being anchored, and diving in less explored waters. Due to the fact that less visitors came to this remote atoll, the marine life were not as familiar with divers compared to the southern dive sites of Palau. Sean and the guests were quick to find this out when a school of large and extremely inquisitive silver- tip sharks darted between the divers. Adrenaline was pumping.
- Peleliu WWII land tour. During WWII, Palau was the focal point of a fierce battlefield between the US and Japan. Seeing first-hand the remnants of battle tanks, planes and weapons scattered across the island left me thoughtful of battles fought and lives lost here. Dives to a few planes and shipwrecks were remarkable as historical relics.
- Bumphead Parrotfish spawning – this occurs at the new moon so up at first light and in the water to observe.
- Fishing – lots of double hook-ups. Trolling and hooking two Yellow-fin tunas simultaneously. Plenty of fresh sashimi.
Main Anchorages:
- Two Dogs: Favourite of crew and guests – anchored in 4 metres of pristine clear turquoise water; tied stern to attach to the rocks of a limestone karst cliff. Postcard perfect.
- Ulong Bay: First series of ‘Survivor’ was filmed here.
- German Channel: Mooring on the inside.
Favourite Dive Sites:
Ulong Channel, Blue Corner, Saes Corner, Pelilue Wall & Cut
Challenges:
Happy Days, more suited to one day or weekend trips, was not designed for longer trips. Limitations with freezer and fridge space, made weekly shore trips essential to top up on supplies. Meats and fresh produce, imported from USA, meant that timing to meet the arrival of the shipments was important, especially with 5-7 crew and up to 12 guests aboard.
Overall, everyone loved Palau – guests and crew alike. Palau is simply stunning both on land and underwater. Sean and Emma unanimously agree that, “the abundance and diversity of marine life, the impressive seascape and overall ‘wow factor’ compares to no other place that we have scuba-dived, and more significantly visited to date. The Owner with pride, commented, “I was so proud of Happy Days and my wonderful crew!”
Stayed tuned in the next edition of Lee Marine’s SEA EXPLORER for part two of this 5-month Asian journey. www.leemarine.com[/av_two_third] [av_one_third]
Captain Sean & Head Stewardess Emma
Continents away from their native Australia, Emma and Sean meet in Fort Lauderdale Florida in 2007. She, on a seasonal job for one stint in the Caribbean, so she thought, with the focus to make enough money to travel Europe with her sister. However, that wasn’t to be the case. Still at on board larger yachts after all these years, Emma states that the addictive nature of working and traveling the world simultaneously is simply an incredible way to explore new places. This was a good reason to give up her Perth, onshore office job.
Sean started as a Deckhand in 2006 and has invested in his career earning his Chief Mate 3000 ticket with the plan of completing his Master 3000 soon.
Their friendship blossomed into a romance a few years after meeting. Together, they have worked on three different, private and charter yachts ranging from 80 – 210 feet and continue to love every minute of their chosen lifestyle.