FLYING FISH

M.Y. Flying Fish — 32m — Tropical North Queensland Based in Cairns, Flying Fish works the waters most yachts only read about: the Whitsundays, the Ribbon Reefs, the outer edges of the Coral Sea. This is a yacht built around a specific cruising ground, and it shows in the way she is used — long days at anchor off remote sandy cays, mornings on dive sites, afternoons pushing up mangrove-lined estuaries where the barramundi and the crocodiles are. Her 32 metres carry an interior of rich mahogany and fine joinery, the kind of finish that ages well rather than dates. A refit completed in 2021 keeps her presentation current. Accommodation is arranged across four cabins for eight guests: the owner's cabin, two cabins with a double bed, and one cabin with twin beds. Each has its own private bathroom, and the owner's ensuite includes a spa bath. Detailed bed configuration on request. Living space runs across all three decks, with several alfresco dining and lounge areas — enough choice that guests naturally spread out, following the shade in the middle of the day and regrouping on deck at dusk. Few charter yachts in this region offer that much horizontal room to move. *Flying Cutlass*, the 8.4m tender jet boat, is the key to the itinerary rather than an accessory: shallow-draft access to the reef flats, the fishing grounds and the estuaries that the mothership cannot reach. A helipad extends the range further, whether for arrivals or scenic transfers. The crew is experienced and long-familiar with these waters — the difference between a good reef itinerary and a generic one usually comes down to local knowledge, and that is what they bring to the table. A serious platform for the Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea, run by people who know exactly where to take her.