Crew wanted sailing from Sydney to Hamilton Island departing mid May 2026
Here are the details about one of the greatest coastal voyages in Australia (and possibly the whole world) !
We plan to depart Sydney around mid May and be at Hamilton Island about 3 weeks later. We will stop at major ports of call along the way that could include Coffs Harbour, Southport, Fraser Island, Bundaberg, Lady Musgrave Island, Great Kepple Island, Rosslyn Bay, Percy Island & the best of the Whitsunday Islands. There is not enough time to visit all of these ports so the decision to break the journey will be made en route depending on prevailing weather & the time available in our schedule.
You can read about the fun by reading an article that was written by a previous participant. If you email me I will send you the article.
This is not a paid job and there are expenses we all share equally. Full details are in an email that I can send you if you advise your email address and contact details
There will be about 7 in the crew, so we will have 3 watches (2 persons) of 3 hours duration allowing for a decent period of relaxation when not on deck.
Inclusion in the crew, will allow participants to gain valuable “sea time” which will not only be recognised by the Australian Yachting Federation but also count towards the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) experience required for commercial marine qualifications.
John Boyce
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Experienced and supportive skipper on a safe and comfortable ketch
I joined the Sundancer for the transfer from Hamilton to Sydney in October ‘25. Skipper John was very warm and welcoming, ensuring everyone was comfortable, safe and accommodated. His decades of experience with diverse crew showed with great communication and clear expectations. Everyone got the opportunity to learn and contribute to both the sailing and logistics. The Sundancer is a beautiful and well designed vessel that the skipper knows inside out. I thought we may have spent more of the journey under sail, but that is the reality of making a passage in a fixed time window with variable weather. Being a slightly older vessel afforded me the opportunity to tinker with a few of the systems under way to keep things running smoothly. Backups on backups meant we were never without anything critical. For anyone looking for a few weeks of coastal sailing experience and life aboard a vessel, you could hardly go past the Sundancer.
3rd Mar 2026