It can be hard to get the imagination into gear when it comes to buying Christmas gifts. Suddenly it’s silly season and you’re planning a holiday and tying up end-of-year threads and the last thing on your mind is buying  thoughtful, perfectly-suited gifts for all the people in your life.

That’s where Starsand gift vouchers come in really handy. A bit of adventure, a bit of novelty, great for young and old, simple to organise and really easy to wrap!

The sparkling Perth Sunset Tour or a trip out to Carnac Island or Rottnest Island makes a great gift for people in Perth or visiting Perth between October and April. If you’re not game to just book a date for your recipient of choice, we can sort you out with a voucher that they can redeem when ready.

Buy a gift voucher today and make someones day!

That’s what the groom-to-be said when his best man popped the question…

“Want a bachelor party that’s out of the ordinary, a heap of fun, and won’t end with you being tethered naked to a traffic light?”

And so it was that 8 blokes came on board Starsand for a buck’s weekend with a difference.

We sailed out of sight, got a bit hands-on with the sailing, tied a few knots (for practice, you know) and took the dinghy out for a bit of a spin.

There was a fair amount of activity at the bar, but we anchored overnight at Rotto so no one had to drive. And there’s nothing like a swim in those turquoise bays to blow the cobwebs out the next morning. The lads took it easy on Sunday and when we landed back in Fremantle they were looking quite civilised. Refreshed, almost.

What a fine way to mark the beginning of the rest of your life.

 

 

 

You may recall we had a booking from a bunch of pen-pushers keen to do a bit of corporate team bonding. Well, let it never again be said that actuaries are boring.

This group of 10 from West Perth really had me on my toes as I showed them the ins and outs of sailing a yacht, the finer points of rope work and the art of navigating in nautical miles.

I fully expected them to retreat to the bar within an hour of being on board, possibly with a nice game of Monopoly. But they couldn’t get enough of the sailing: the physical workout, the technical precision, the sheer change of scenery. Of course they nailed the Treasure Hunt, and at the end of the day they resolved to enlist more of their work colleagues in another day sail before the summer is out – further, faster, longer!

I’m working on making those Treasure Hunt clues MUCH harder.

 

I know Rottnest and Carnac Islands, because I just took a sneaky reccy sail out towards Carnac, just to see what was going on.

A dozen sea lions, FIVE separate pods of dolphins and some big soaring sea birds – looking more welcoming than ever I thought, or maybe I was feeling sentimental. I love the way they seem to lead the way out towards the great Indian Ocean island wilderness, as if showing off their home turf. It’s really pretty special.

Anyway, it’s good to know the lie of the land (and sea) hasn’t changed, and we’re in for some good times on our tours out to Carnac Island this season. I’ve got the snorkelling gear ready. Book in now – we’re getting underway at the end of October!

“Put on a grass skirt!”

One person from a company has booked Starsand for their Christmas party, on the condition that everyone – skipper and crew included – dress in full-blown Hawaiian gear. We’ve always said it’s a very casual dress code on Starsand, so a few garish shirts and a few bright feathers won’t be out of place.

I’ll take this colourful crowd out to Carnac Island for a bit of a snorkel and some ski tube action after our gourmet lunch. I’m hopeful the outfits won’t scare off the sea lions. Especially mine – I’m really getting into the spirit of it and I’m having something very special made out of feathers. Maybe I’ll make it my regular outfit for the summer…

Meanwhile, it’s getting pretty crowded on the Christmas party booking sheet, so if you’ve been thinking about a Starsand Christmas bash, get in touch soon so you don’t miss out.

I do this occasionally, and not just because it nurtures my inner pirate. It’s for the Treasure Hunt I’ve got planned for a corporate team building outing on Starsand.

A bunch of pen pushers have chartered the yacht for a bit of team bonding and morale pumping. They’re going to spend some time on the ropes, learn their aft from their starboard and find their way from A to B at speed with help from a GPS.

If I can keep them away from the bar for long enough, I’ll test their powers of retention by giving them a bunch of nautical clues to see if they can dig up the glittering chest of gold (okay, it’s more likely to be a scratchy).

Pssst. It’s somewhere on the yacht. There’s no need to get wet here. Although we could always go for a quick spin in the dinghy.

 

Office. Christmas. Party.

Lots of people dread them, but mainly because it’s so hard to come up with a venue that’s fun and interesting for everyone, hasn’t been done before and doesn’t involve the humiliating use of paper hats.

Starsand knows your pain! Why not just charter the yacht, tell everyone to leave their stuffy threads and cynicism at home, and give me a clue about what kind of day you want. A bit of snorkelling? A spot of lunch? Bubbles at sundown? A well stocked bar? An island layover? All of the above?

Honestly, we can make the office Christmas party a joyful, relaxed, memorable thing. Just get in touch and we’ll organise it. We can cater for up to 24 people. We have the technology to make it fun.

 

Pretty easy. We spent much of it exploring the gorgeous reefs, waterfalls and rock art in the sun-drenched Kimberley. There were some fantastic people on our 10-day tours up the coast from Broome, not least the bunch of twitchers who managed to clock around 100 different species of birds as we sailed into quiet bays, explored mangroves and swam at waterholes. Those guys are super patient – and they got some spectacular photographs to prove it.

Envious? Get in touch and book a berth for next year!

The crew and I had a cracker of a trip back to Freo. We saw whales, dolphins, dugongs and sea snakes, and broke a few records in the stiff breezes, cracking nine knots most of the way. We made it back in seven and a half days – you might say we were champing at the bit to get back to Fremantle for the sailing season ahead.

So Starsand is now installed back in her Freo dock, ready to go again. Now’s a great time to charter the yacht for a party, a work do, a Christmas bash or just a nice day out. She’s about to get a spruce-up!