Spirit of Freedom

Boat

Spirit of Freedom is a 37 meter long, 7 meter wide steel liveaboard yatch. Custom built in 1992 for long range cruising and to optimise the sea conditions of the Coral Sea region.

The indoor lounge is a great place for chilling out and relaxing, equipped with comfortable couch seating and beanbags. Here you will find a coffee machine, tea selection and hot water, library - including marine reference books, DVD library, Flat Screen TV & DVD. For photographers, there is also a camera work station with power-boards and converters for 110 Volt.

The dining saloon in the centre of the vessel serves as a meals area, briefing area, theatre room and general meeting place. All guests can be comfortably seated in this room. The 42 inch wide screen TV is often the focus of attention for briefings, movies or documentaries, or the trip slide show. This is also an area that many people use to work on their laptops, and with wireless internet available (when in range), this is a great place to send emails home about your day's diving adventures.

The bar contains a good range of quality Australian & New Zealand wines, plus beer, UDL spirits and soft drinks, all at very reasonable prices. Our crew are happy to serve you, or if they are performing other duties, you are most welcome to serve yourself. We use an honour system for all your purchases during the cruise, so there is no need to worry about payment until the last night of your trip. On our scheduled dive trips, the house wine and soft drinks are included during your evening meal.

The top deck is a great place to relax between dives, with undercover and open areas containing timber tables, chairs, comfortable lounge seating and sun-lounges. Here you can relax with a book, take a quick snooze, catch some sun rays, or share stories of the marine life you encountered on the last dive. It is also a great place in the evening, where you can enjoy a quiet drink or get together with fellow divers. During your trip we always plan at least one alfresco BBQ dinner on the top deck.

The dive deck contains individual stations for 26 guests with dry storage above and a storage box under for every 2 divers. Air and Nitrox whips allow tanks to remain in their rack, supplying air and Nitrox at 32%. For photographers there is a camera wash tub, small camera table and air gun. Fresh water showers are located aft of the dive deck, and deck towels are provided after each dive.

Cabin

Spirit of Freedom contains 11 guest cabins, it can accomendates max. 24 guests：

All cabins are air-conditioned and with private bathroom, equipped with wardrobe and under-bed storage, while some may have additional shelving.

1 Ocean View Deluxe Cabin：
Located on the top deck with internal stairwell access to the main deck, as well as external access to the top deck and dive deck. It is a spacious 8.5 square metres in area (not including the bathroom, an additional 2 sq mtrs) and contains a double bed, bed side tables, writing desk, wardrobe, and 26" flat screen TV & DVD player.

1 Ocean View Standard Cabin：
Located on the top deck with internal stairwell access to the main deck, as well as external access to the top deck and dive deck. It is 5.2 square metres in area (not including bathroom, an additional 2 sq mtrs) and contains a double bed, a wardrobe, and 26” flat screen TV & DVD player.

1 Stateroom Cabin：
Located in a private area on the lower deck, close to the dive deck and dining saloon. It is a spacious 9.2 square metres in area (not including bathroom, an additional 2.8 sq mtrs) and contains a queen size bed, extra shelving, wardrobe, bed side tables and 26" flat screen TV & DVD player.

6 Standard Double/Twin Cabins：
Located on the lower deck, with easy access to the main deck. They are an average 7.2 square metres in area, (not including bathroom, an additional 1.8 sq mtrs).
Five of these cabins contain a double bed with a single bed over the top, bunk style.
One cabin contains just a double bed.

2 Quad Share Cabins：
Located mid ships on the lower deck, with easy access to the main deck. They are each 7.2 square metres in area, (not including bathroom, an additional 1.8 sq mtrs). Each containing four single beds, bunk style.

Diving

• 3 - 4 dives per day, depends on the itinerary.
• Only 2 dives will be provided on the last diving day.
• 1 - 2 dive(s) will be provided on the day of embarkation.
• No dive will be provided on the day of disembarkation.
• All divings are self-guided with buddy teams.
• Safety guides are assigned to those divers who are at risk or to assist.
• Nautilus LifeLine Marine GPS will be provided to divers.

Other Informations

• Nitrox：Available with additional cost
• 15L Tanks：Available with additional cost
• REBREATHER Dive：Not available at the moment
• Technical Dive：Not available at the moment yet
• Dive Equipment Rental：Available, rate on request
• Dive insurance：Divers must have valid dive insurance
• Wi-Fi Internet ：Complimentary for all guests
• Laundry Service：Not available at the moment
• Massage Service：Not available at the moment
• Payment on board：Cash (AUD only), credit cards (VISA, Mastercard)
• Crew Number：12, include 1 - 2 dive guides

3 Night Cod Hole & Ribbon Reef

Departs：Cairns > 12:00 noon
Returns：Cairns > 12:00 noon
Includes：11 (including one night dive) in Great Barrier Reef
Description：
Dive the world famous Cod Hole and turquoise waters of the Ribbon Reefs, an ecosystem of unsurpassed marine diversity and exquisite natural beauty. You will encounter a family of giant potato cod, clouds of colourful tropical fish, anemones, turtles, olive sea snakes, and pristine coral gardens. End your dive tour with a one hour flight from Lizard Island to Cairns. In June/July, this liveaboard dive trip regularly encounters Dwarf Minke Whales.

4 Night Coral Sea & Ribbon Reef

Departs：Cairns > 8:30 am
Returns：Cairns > 8:00 am
Includes： 15 dives (including one night dive) in Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea
Description：
Take a reef flight to Lizard Island to begin your diving at the very top of the Ribbon Reefs at sites such as the ‘Cod Hole’ and ‘Dynamite Pass‘. Appealing to the experienced diver, this tour travels 200km offshore to the oceanic wilderness of Australia’s Coral Sea, where volcanic atolls plummet to thousands of metres below. A thrilling shark dive, schools of big fish, manta rays and more await you at Osprey Reef.

7 Night Cod Hole + Coral Sea

Departs：Cairns > 12:00 noon
Returns：Cairns > 8:00 am
Includes： 26 dives (including 2 night dives) in Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea
Description：
For the diver who wants to see it all, our 7-night dive liveaboard trip begins every Thursday from Cairns and combines the 3 Night Cod Hole/Ribbon Reef and 4 Night Coral Sea trips into one of the world’s most epic liveaboard dive boat adventures.

Experience the amazing diversity of the Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea. Dive the ‘Ribbon Reefs’, 120km of picturesque coral reef teaming with marine biodiversity, before heading out to Osprey Reef where 1000 metre walls emerge from the ocean depths. Here you will experience astoundingly clear water, massive red and yellow soft corals, reef sharks, whalers, hammerheads, mantas, and big fish action. In June/July this trip offers the chance to swim with Minke Whales as they congregate in the Ribbon Reefs.

3 Night Minke Whale and Ribbon Reef Trip (June/July)

Departs：Cairns > 11:30 noon
Returns：Cairns > 12:00 noon
Includes：
Up to 11 dives, with focus on in-water swim time with Minke Whales when located.
Description：
During the months of June and July, divers and snorkellers may have the opportunity to interact with dwarf minke whales in the warm waters of the Great Barrier Reef. This is a unique and remarkable encounter. Our Swimming with Minke Whale trip is a modified version of our 3 Night Cod Hole Liveaboard Dive Trip. We spend plenty of time exploring the amazing dive sites of the remote Ribbon Reef, with an underlying focus at all times to maximise potential in-water encounters with the whales.

When operating, these tours begin on a Thursday, departing from Cairns and heading north to the rarely visited Ribbon Reefs. Over two and half days you will have the opportunity for up to 11 dives. The number of dives is dependent on how much in-water swim time swimming with Minke Whales as the whales allow. Your last night is spent on board the Spirit of Freedom in the bay at Lizard Island. Enjoy time ashore at Lizard Island the next morning, before boarding your return flight to Cairns. The one-hour flight back will bring you back to Cairns around 12:00pm on Sunday.

These tours are strictly seasonal, to coincide with the whales’ migration. Swimming with Minke Whales is a strictly controlled activity. Guests must follow crew instructions at all times.

Dive Seasons

May - August : May through August is mostly sunny and clear of rain, although the south-easterly trade winds can be a bit stronger at this time. Air temperatures range from 15°C/ 60°F to around 26°C/ 79°F. The water will be at its coolest, dropping to around 24°C/ 75°F, but generally offers great visibility. In the months of June and July, you can encounter and swim with dwarf minke whales on the Ribbon Reefs, after they migrate from the Antarctic seas to the warmer waters of the Great Barrier Reef.

September - December : September through to December sees the water warm up, with generally clear sunny days and light winds. Many coral reef species breed at this time, with the coral spawning en-masse in October and/or November. Manta rays are commonly spotted in the Coral Sea from April to October. The air temperature at this time ranges from 20-32°C (68-90°F) and the water temperature usually averages 27°C/80°F.

January - April : January through April is a wetter season, with tropical monsoon weather bringing amazing feeding and marine action, plus a great opportunity to see juvenile fish following the breeding season. Manta rays are also commonly spotted on the Great Barrier Reef at this time. The air temperature ranges from 23-32°C (74-90°F) and the water temperature averages 29°c/84°F.