CARPE DIEM State: TAS Bass Strait is a notoriously rough stretch of water separating the Island state of Tasmania from the Australian mainland. Understood to be twice as wide and twice as rough as the English Channel, Bass Strait has claimed hundreds of ships over the centuries, some of which simply disappeared without a trace, leaving nothing but a mystery behind... For Launceston man Dale Quinn, the motivation to cross Bass Strait on a jet ski was borne from a simple premise, “It’s there, so why not?” Quinn added, “With the appropriate planning and preparation it can be done, it can be done safely and it can be done for a good cause.” The 600km round trip will see four jet skis leaving from Musselroe Bay in the state’s North East, island-hopping across Bass Strait past Cape Barren Island, Flinders Island and Deal Island until they reach Port Albert in Victoria. Although at least four others have completed the crossing on a jet ski before Mr Quinn, this will be the first time a return trip has been attempted. Mr Quinns 2008 Yamaha FX HO has been modified to carry an additional 60L of fuel, a 60lt eski for food and water, tools and camping equipment to ensure they can make the distance. In addition, it has been kitted out with a range of high-tech Lowrance navigational equipment and a state-of-the-art VHF radio. We will be looking to make the crossing towards the end of March, but obviously this is totally dependent on the weather, Mr Quinn said. Its a case of continuing our preparations as best we can while we wait for the weather in Bass Strait to settle down.” Anyone who wishes to follow the journey or post a message of support can do so via https://facebook/bassstraitjetskichallenge The boys will update the page as frequently as they can but, “There won’t be a lot of signal out there and we certainly won’t be stopping every 10 minutes. If the weather suddenly cracks up while were out there, we are taking camping equipment and provisions so that we can take refuge on one of the islands until we can return safely,” Quinn says. To understand what the Bass Strait challenge means to someone living with MS we spoke to Anna, “...It means a lot, to have a mate ask how we are coping, what it’s like living with MS and to want to help and raise money and awareness...and just to care, it means the world. Dale [a good friend of my husbands] was going to do [this trip] anyway, but to see him get so passionate about helping us at the same time, it’s just awesome. He’s just a lovely, genuine guy.” If you would like offer your support, you can make a donation by clicking on support challenge via this page or spread the word. Your help would be greatly appreciated. A big thank you to Maynes Marine, Lowrance, Anchor Wetsuits, Signtec, Sports Rider Motorcycles & Philip Kuruvita photography who have helped make this possible. RAISED:$2,105.00GOAL:$5,000.00SUPPORT CHALLENGE SHARE Email this page RAISED:$3,380.00GOAL:$7,000.00SUPPORT TEAM CHALLENGE - BASS STRAIT JET SKIS SUPPORTERS MAR 16 -Andrew Gibson donated $20.00 MAR 15 -Pete Jones donated $100.00 MAR 15 -Moira MacPhail donated $50.00 MAR 15 -Adam Burt donated $50.00 MAR 15 -Janice Robson donated $35.00 MAR 14 -Alison Van Der Vlist donated $50.00 MAR 14 -Lauren Bennett donated $50.00 MAR 14 -Tara Robson donated $20.00 MAR 14 -paul johnson donated $20.00 MAR 14 -Victoria Earl donated $20.00 MAR 14 -Nadia Ostberg donated $100.00 MAR 12 -Daina Brown donated $50.00 MAR 12 -Candice Whiting donated $50.00 MAR 12 -Eva Moran donated $50.00 ‹‹ ›› TEAM MEMBERS CHALLENGE - BASS STRAIT JET SKI BRENDEN BLAKEMAN
Posted on: Mon, 31 Mar 2014 02:04:09 +0000