The 550 nautical mile trip north to Hamilton Island from the Gold Coast wasn’t about getting there as quickly as possible. It was about showing what a Maritimo luxury motor yacht is truly built for.
Ahead of another successful Hamilton Island Muster, members of the Maritimo sales team set off from Sanctuary Cove aboard a Maritimo M50 offshore flybridge motor yacht, turning what could have been a straightforward delivery into a six-day coastal and reef adventure. With a cameraman on board, the goal of the extended trip was to document the voyage, capturing remarkable destinations and unforgettable moments along the way.
The result is a three-part series showcasing not only the journey itself, but the capability that defines Maritimo. Watch now here
“There’s a boring way to do the trip – the straight line, and then there’s an exciting way,” said Brent Ferguson from the Maritimo Sales Team. “We decided to make it an adventure.” Rather than racing north in just three days, the team deliberately slowed the journey down, breaking it into comfortable daily legs of around 100-120 nautical miles. Running mostly between 18 and 21 knots in open water, the M50 cruised effortlessly at a relaxed, efficient pace – easy on the boat, and easy on the crew.
“By doing it this way, you get in early afternoon, enjoy the destination, have a bit of fun and then do it all again the next day,” Brent explained. “That’s how owners actually use these boats – not like a delivery crew. It was important for the Maritimo team to document the experience in the same way.”
The route took them inside through Moreton Bay, overnighting at Mooloolaba before heading north through the Wide Bay Bar, Great Sandy Straits across the Sheridan Flats and on to Hervey Bay. Each stop was chosen not just for practicality, but for experience – daylight arrivals, good food, calm anchorages, and time to enjoy being on the water.
Out to the Reef
One of the highlights came with a detour east, away from the coast, to Fitzroy Reef – a place many pass by, and one that few take the time to experience.
With perfect weather and crystal-clear water, the M50 slipped into Fitzroy Lagoon, anchoring in six to eight metres over sand, surrounded by reef and turquoise water. The afternoon was spent fishing the southern edge, bringing aboard tuskfish and other reef species – just enough for a dinner of splendid fresh seafood.
“We weren’t expecting to catch much inside the lagoon,” Brent said, “but it just went off. We had fresh sashimi, fish on the barbecue, sharks cruising past the boat, and not a cloud in the sky. It truly was a pinch-yourself moment.”
Dinner was enjoyed under the stars, the boat perfectly at home in conditions that showcased exactly why Maritimo long-range motor yachts exist. To take owners to places that a fortunate few are privileged to experience.
A coastline of hidden treasures and perfect anchorages
From the reef, the journey continued north past Yeppoon and the Keppels, and into Pearl Bay – a pristine anchorage of white sand, clear water and dramatic rocky headlands.
“For me, it was my first time there,” said Brent. “Staying in absolute luxury on the M50, with this untouched coastline around you – it’s hard to believe places like this exist and are so quiet.”
The following leg took them past the Percy Group to Scawfell Island, about a 100nm run, where the M50 pulled into a glorious horseshoe shaped bay. Here they joined another Maritimo, a M55, the owner already en-route to the same Maritimo event. Great minds think alike… A spontaneous afternoon catch-up turned into a shared evening on the water – exactly the kind of camaraderie the Maritimo community is known for.
“That’s why we were taking the boat north,” Brent said. “To connect with owners and to show what’s possible along the way. It was great to document this very thing with the three videos.”
Liveability at its best
With four people living aboard for six days, the Maritimo M50 proved itself as a genuinely comfortable liveaboard platform. The two-cabin layout delivered generous spaces, proper bathrooms and multiple sleeping options, including the saloon and enclosed flybridge. “We all had our own space,” Brent explained. “It never felt cramped. You could spread out during the day, come together in the evenings, and still have privacy at night.”
The boat’s layout, combined with stable cruising manners and excellent range, made each day feel relaxed and unhurried – even when planning fuel, and factoring the elements of tides and weather.
A Perfect Prelude
After six days, countless memories and some exceptional conditions, the M50 arrived at Hamilton Island around lunchtime – a full week ahead of the Muster.
The journey itself had become the real story.
“This trip came about because so many of our clients do this run every year,” Brent said. “There are incredible places along the way that people don’t even realise they’re passing. These boats are built to get out there and experience it.”
As a precursor to the Hamilton Island Muster – and part of Maritimo’s growing series of short-format Muster events – the voyage perfectly captured what owning a Maritimo is all about: freedom, capability, comfort and unforgettable experiences on the water.
Sometimes, the best part of the destination is everything you discover along the way there.
