Adventures at sea for all
Setting sail for just $20
LEGENDARY author Mark Twain once wrote that “20 years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do, than those you did”.
“So throw off your bowlines, sail away from safe harbour,” he wrote.
“Catch the wind in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
If you head down to the Cairns Marina every Wednesday at 12pm, you will find the truth behind Twain’s words, with the chance to become a sailor for an afternoon.
The Cairns Yacht Club has been operating its Wednesday Afternoon Go Sailing (WAGS) activity for several decades, introducing people to the art of using the wind to go places.
WAGS is regarded as one of the best-value tourism experiences in Cairns, where for only a nominal fee of $20, you can spend half a day at sea sailing along Trinity inlet and bay.
Margie Robertson from the yacht club said the event usually attracted up to 20 people every week for WAGS, ranging from sailing virgins through to experienced sailors who wanted to join crew for the afternoon. “It doesn’t matter how experienced you are,” she said.
“On the day, it depends on how many skippers bring their boats along, and whether they have regular crew, and therefore can take inexperienced crew or just want people with a bit of knowledge.
“We just match people up on the day.”
She said it was a hands-on experience, where participants were given basic instructions on when to pull certain ropes and generally how to sail a vessel.
“Depending on the weather, there are three different courses we use, that are generally up and down the inlet and sometimes across the bay,” she said.
“It also depends on what other boating traffic is in the harbour at the time, whether they have to keep the channel clear for cruise ships or whatever.
“But it’s a good social race, where boats are given handicaps depending on their performance.
“It’s a staggered start, with slower boats starting first, and then it’s a race from start to finish.”
Boat crews celebrate after the race at the boat shed at the marina with a barbecue and drinks.
To participate in WAGS, sign up on the club’s website at cairnsyachtclub.com. Meet at the Cairns Yacht Club Boatshed at the Marlin Marina at 12pm. Cost is $20 for a day membership and wear comfortable, casual clothing that you won’t mind getting wet.