Well our long awaited trip aboard the MV Esperance Star has now come and gone, it seemed to take so long for the departure date to arrive, but once we were onboard, time seemed to wiz by so fast.

After landing in Brisbane, I met up with a number of the other people that were coming on this trip. There were still a couple to arrive from Melbourne. A quick call to Capt Trev, and we had transport organised to take us to the Newport Marina in Scarborough, which is where the Esperance Star is berthed when not at sea. This trip took 40 minutes, and if you are catching a cab, make sure they know where they are going, because all of the cabbies we used had no idea where we wanted to go.

The Boat:
MV Esperance Star.
The MV Esperance Star is a solid looking boat, built nearly 29 years ago and has been fitted just for dive trips. It has a crew of 5 and sleeps up to 12 PAX in quite comfortable conditions. She has stabilizing arms that are extended once out of port. I had heard she was a bit of a rolly boat, but I found that could not be further from the truth. Even in some rough weather we experienced, she was quite stable. 

On the bow deck, there is more than enough room for 8 or so people to gear up at the same time. There are also plenty of storage lockers on the bow deck, where you can store your gear like wet suits, booties, torches, fins and mask and other “non-bcâ€� attached items. After a dive, just drop your 1^st stage off the cylinder and the crew will fill it for the next dive and re-attach the 1^st stage for you. If you don’t want to leave your wet suit in a locker, because it does start to smell after a few days in there, you can hang it up on the top deck where it is mostly out of the sun, but gets a good breeze through it. 

Exiting the boat for a dive is a giant stride or whatever manoeuvre you wish to do that involves falling with style from the boats deck, to the water below, the drop is only 2-3 feet. If a current is running, then there is usually a mermaid line from the anchor that floats past where you go in. 

Inside, you have the galley behind Capt Trevs domain, and then inside further you have the dining area and lounge areas. There was around 20+ videos to choose from to watch when you are not diving, plus, you can usually pick up the local TV channels as well. There is more than enough room in these 2 areas for everyone to relax and not fall over each other etc. 

At the stern, you have a huge dive landing and ladder; this extends a good couple of feet under the water, and makes it very easy to get back onboard after a dive. Usually hanging under this, is a shot line that reaches to around 8-10 mtrs and is a good place to do safety stops. 

Below decks, you have the passenger accommodation; there are 4 2/3 berth cabins that consist of a double bunk with a single bunk above that. There are the 2 cabins at the rear, that are slightly wider than the others, but the beds are the same size. One thing must be said for the bed lengths, they are more than adequate for a lanky frame, and even a person of 6’ 3â€� would not have to curl up to fit into these beds. Each of these cabins has a porthole, which cannot be opened, but a second porthole cover can be closed to shut out the light even more. To ensure even more comfort, they also have air conditioners, which you can run all night long. 

Through a hatchway leading further forward, you have 2 showers and a toilet, and then you have the 4-berth forecastle. 2 single bunks, one above the other on either side, with a huge air hatch in the roof. 

On the top deck, you have the crew’s accommodation, sun deck, compressor and an area to hang wetsuits to dry and air. 

The Crew:

	Capt Trev. Owned and skippered by Trevor Jackson, a retired commercial diver, Trev has been diving and exploring the waters off Brisbane and further afield for the last 4 years. He spends a lot of time doing exploratory dives, and has a passion for wrecks. According to Bear, he thinks that Capt Trev and the US Magician, the Amazing Jonathan, are one and the same.
	Tammi. Tammi was both DM and Master Chef; she kept us well fed with 3 amazing meals a day for the entire trip, not to mention the snacks she whipped up in between mains. Those who have had the pleasure of sampling her cuisine, speak about her talents in the galley in hushed and reverend tones. Not only is she a damn fine cook, but a great dive site guide as well.
	Melissa. Mel was our main DM for this trip. She was always there taking down your tank pressures and checking to make sure your tank was turned on before the dive. Of course, when you popped your head out of the water after your dive you heard, Bottom time, Max depth, Tank pressure, did you do a safety stop? She had a great sense of humour and was a pleasure to have onboard.
	Shane. Shane is one of the 2 general deckhands, always willing to help you out with a problem etc. When he is not maintaining the boat, he is usually filling cylinders between dives or ready with a story about anything and everything. Shane has one of those unique “falling with style� water entries that we can only aspire to perfect!
	Carl. Karl is a permanent crewmember, whereas the other crew are all “floaters� and cycle between other DM’s and deck hands etc. Karl tends to look after the mechanical side of the boats maintenance.

  The entire crew made our trip an event free and memorable one, I look forward to getting together with them all again asap! Thanks guys!