Whitsundays Sailing Adventures Blog » Derwent Hunter

Whitsundays Eco Tallship Sailing Adventures Wins 2009 Steve Irwin Eco Tourism Award

Jo — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:03:48 +0000

Whitsundays Sailing Adventures’ Eco Tallship Safaris was recently awarded the Whitsundays Tourism Steve Irwin Award for best Eco Tour in the Region.

Eco Tallship Adventures operates two and three day live aboard sailing safaris in the Whitsunday Islands Region of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. They are the only sailing charter operator in the Region that offers tours with a focus on reef, rainforest and wildlife eco interpretation by formally trained crew.

Eco Tallship Adventure Crew have received formal specialised training from Queensland Parks and Wildlife and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, qualifying them to lead these interpretive tours.

Warren & Jo Ladd are the owner operators of this multi award winning Adventure and Eco Tourism operation. A feature of these cruises is a high level of reef, rainforest and wildlife eco interpretation by formally trained crew. A commitment to sustainable practices and minimal impact on the pristine areas visited helps ensure that the spectacular beauty of the Whitsunday Islands and The Great Barrier Reef can be enjoyed by generations to come.

Captain Ladd has owned and operated charter vessels in the Whitsundays for the last 15 years.

The Hunter in Paradise

Jo — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:28:14 +0000

With sixty years working under sail behind her, the 90-foot, Walter Wilson-designed, gaff-rigged topsail schooner, Derwent Hunter, is claimed to be the last Australian vessel designed and built to work under sail. Her decades of adventuring cover everything from fishing and trading, oceanographic research, movie roles and even the odd spot of gun smuggling. And her story continues as she makes her mark as a charter vessel in the marine tourism industry.

Derwent Hunter under sail

Derwent Hunter is owned by Tall Ship Adventures, a charter company offering award-winning eco sailing adventures in the Whitsundays. The successful marine tourism operation uses Derwent Hunter and another traditional vessel, Alexander Stewart, to combine a love of the Whitsunday Islands with Australia’s traditional vessel maritime history. Founder and director, Warren Ladd, is an owner/operator with enthusiasm for his company’s concept. Guests combine discovery of the rich heritage of Australian seafaring with exploration of one of the world’s most magnificent island chains – the Whitsundays. Warren Ladd’s attitude is reflected in the crews, which not only sail the boats but maintain and even help restore them.

The above is an excerpt from “The ‘Hunter’ in Paradise” published in Australian Sea Heritage 90/2007. Click here to read the full article.

Derwent Hunter – a life of adventure

Jo — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:59:21 +0000

I’M STANDING ON THE SUN DRENCHED FOREDECK of one of Australia’s maritime treasures as she gently raises her bow to the swell. Beyond the massive bowsprit stretches a 3D postcard of azure sea studded with rich green islands … It’s a timeless panorama, one viewed by thousands of Australia’s earliest sailors and now being experienced by just as many modern day adventurers aboard The Derwent Hunter.

Derwent Hunter

With 60 years working under sail behind her, the 90ft Walter Wilson designed schooner was the last foreign going sailing vessel to operate out of Australian ports. Her decades of adventuring cover everything from fishing and trading, oceanographic research, movie roles and even the odd spot of gun smuggling with her many voyages just as varied. From the Sub Arctic, the notorious Bass Strait and the Tasman and Coral Seas, the Derwent Hunter has proved her pedigree countless times over. There are few vessels today that would have logged as many miles under the keel as this classic beauty. And today the legend continues as she makes her mark as one of the nations most lauded charter vessels in the marine tourism industry.

The above is an excerpt from “a life of adventure” by Jo Djubal. Click here to read the full article.