Dive Advice Travel - Your Liveaboard Specialists - World's Finest Diving - Spirit of Freedom | Australia dive liveaboard

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Spirit of Freedom Liveaboard

The 37-meter (122-foot) Spirit of Freedom was custom built for long range cruising & for maximum passenger comfort. She accommodates 18 guests in 11 staterooms.

A word from Dom : Spirit of Freedom, a top-notch liveaboard with years of experience in Australia's waters, offers comfort, quality & service which have remained absolutely consistent since the first cruise I booked on her. Divers praise her year after year & she receives my heartiest recommendation for a liveaboard experience with that little extra touch of class in the Land of Oz"..... Dominick Macan

ON BOARD SPIRIT OF FREEDOM

CABINS

1 upper deck deluxe DOUBLE ... double bed, TV & picture windows
1 upper deck DOUBLE ... double bed, TV & picture windows
1 large lower deck DOUBLE ... queen bed & port window
6 lower deck DOUBLE / TWIN ... 5 with double bed + upper twin bed
1 with double bed ONLY ... port window
2 lower deck QUADS ... 2 sets of twin bunks in each cabin ... port window

All cabins have air conditioning, private bathroom & ample storage
DIVING

up to 4 dives per day mostly from the main vessel
12 liter alu tanks (DIN & INT valves)
a limited number of 10.5L & 15L tanks (by advance request)
scuba gear rental (by advance request)
nitrox
use of Nautilus lifelines
water temperature: 75 - 86F, 24 - 30C ... 3mm - 5mm wetsuit recommended
WHAT'S INCLUDED

accommodation & diving
meals, snacks, tea, coffee & water
compressed air, tanks, weights & weight belts
1 complimentary house wine, beer or soft drink with dinner
transfers to & from all Cairns hotels
use of Nautilus Lifelines
WHAT'S EXTRA

international & domestic airfare
alcoholic beverages
scuba rental gear (by advance request)
nitrox
internet access (when available)
marine park fees

CLASSIC YACHT, ABSOLUTELY TOP-NOTCH OPERATION

Don't be fooled by her classic elegance. Spirit of Freedom is far more than just a pretty face. She has updated marine engines and equipment to ensure safety, reliability, low vibration and sound.

The upper deck (bridge deck) features a large & comfortably appointed exterior lounge & alfresco dining area. Just in front of that, midship, there's a small area where you can catch some rays ... but be careful of the Austrailian sun! Two lovely cabins with ocean views are also located on this level. On the main deck, you'll find the stylish indoor dining area which also features a 42-inch TV and functions as briefing area & theatre. You'll find wireless internet available here (when in range). Additional comfortable seating is located in the very classy lounge area where you find a bar plus tea & coffee and a library. The remaining 9 cabins are located on the lower deck.

The large, well-designed dive deck is at the aft end of the main deck and photographers will find a camera work station with power-boards and converters for 110 volt.

The ship's bar contains quality Australian & New Zealand wines, plus beer, spirits and soft drinks and you'll have four plentiful meals each day. If you have special dietary requirements, please let us know in advance.

LAYOUT & SPECS

Deck & cabin layout, yacht specifications, equipment & safety features .... open

DECK PLAN

Spirit of Freedom layout opt

SPECIFICATIONS

Year built: 1992
Steel hull with aluminum superstructure
Length: 37 metres / 122 feet
Beam: 7.1 metres / 24 feet
Draft: 2.2 metres / 7.26 feet
Speed: 11 knots
Displacement: 250 tonnes
Fresh Water: 20,000 litres plus desalinators
Fully Air-conditioned throughout
Crew: 10
Passengers: Maximum 26
Passenger Cabins: 11

MACHINERY

Engines: 2 x Yanmar 500hp 368 kw diesel
Generators: 2 x Cummings 6BTs, 90 KVA each
Electronic Stabilizers
2 x Bauer 21 CFM Compressors
DNAx Nitrox Membrane System
2 x 4.8m Naiad Tender boats

NAVIGATION

RC 72 mile radar
Transas Plotter
Tsunami GPS System

COMMUNICATIONS

Ship’s phone
satellite phone and email
Icom HF Radio
Icom VHF radio
Wireless internet access (when in range)

ITINERARIES

Spirit of Freedom offers cruises to the best dive sites of the Coral Sea, the Ribbon Reefs & Cod Hole. She also offers trips to swim with Minke Whales and Special Expeditions venturing well off the beaten track.

Highlights of these trips and itinerary map....... open

The final itinerary is, of course, always dependant upon weather, sea conditions and where the best animal sightings are at any particular time of year

Spirit of Freedom does 3, 4 and 7 night trips - plus custom charters & special expeditions. Her itineraries cover all the best of Auatralia's diving: Coral Sea, Ribbon Reefs & Cod Hole - with mid-year offerings to view the magical Minke whales.

A rare opportunity to dive the remote Far Northern Great Barrier Reef is offered annually by the beautiful Spirit of Freedom, typically in the month of November. These superb expeditions traverse the coastline from Cairns to Horn Island. One of the last totally pristine areas of the Great Barrier Reef, this area is seldom visited by liveaboards and many of the hundreds of reefs in the region are yet to be explored.

Ribbon Reefs: The Ribbon Reefs run from just north of Cairns to the east of Lizard Island. The chain of reefs lies in turquoise water and they’re a startling vision from above. They are visited by only a handful of liveaboards and offer divers walls, channels, caves & canyons. They host a range of marine life from the giant clam, with it’s violet fluorescent interior, to the elusive leafy scorpion fish. You’ll find huge plate corals, lovely pinnacles crowned in delicate corals and anemones and shallow coral gardens & good critters ….. Last, but not lease, is the always-popoular Cod Hole, where you’ll encounter the large, docile family of resident Potato Cod (Grouper). They’ll pose with you for a selfie at the drop of a hat!

Coral Sea: Lying west of Cairns and just south of the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea, Australia’s Coral Sea covers over 1 million square kilometres. The topography is fabulous - coral reefs built upon ancient mountains, rising thousands of metres from the ocean floor. Given the relatively minor impact of the human imprint here, there are pelagic fish populations which abound, including grey whalers and white tip reef sharks, hammerheads, tuna, barracuda, big eye trevally, mackerel and manta rays. Rare sea creatures such as the Nautilus and Lacey Scorpionfish inhabit these waters, alongside an incredibly diverse range of corals, including massive soft corals and gorgonian fans. All of this in great viz !

Australia liveaboard uw 1 opt

READ ABOUT AUSTRALIA DIVING

TRAVEL & CRUISE LOGISTICS

Most of the trips begin in Cairns (CNS) and we would advise arriving for your cruise the day before to avoid any potential problems such as delayed flights or lost luggage. Spirit of Freedon offers free transfers from all local hotels on the day of arrival & departure.

If your trip begins on a Monday, boarding is from 11:15am Monday for a 12 noon departure. The vessel is located at Trinity Wharf at the end of Lake Street. Taxis and coaches can drive up onto the wharf to locate the vessel, which is usually berthed under the clock tower.

If you are on one of the trips which begin at Lizard Island, please check in at Hinterland Aviation by 8am, for an 8.30am departure flight. YOu will meet the Spirit of Freedom at Lizard Island. Hinterland Aviation is located on Tom MacDonald Drive, on the General Aviation side of the Cairns Airport, just off Captain Cook Highway.

AUSTRALIA KNOW-BEFORE-YOU-GO