Bass Strait is a notoriously rough stretch of water separating the Island state of Tasmania from the Australian mainland. Understood to be twice as wide and twice as rough as the English Channel, Bass Strait has claimed hundreds of ships over the centuries, some of which simply disappeared without a trace, leaving nothing but a mystery behind…

For Launceston man Dale Quinn, the motivation to cross Bass Strait on a jet ski was borne from a simple premise, “It’s there, so why not?” Quinn added, “With the appropriate planning and preparation it can be done, it can be done safely and it can be done for a good cause.”

The 600km round trip will see four jet skis leaving from Musselroe Bay in the state’s North East, island-hopping across Bass Strait past Cape Barren Island, Flinders Island and Deal Island until they reach Port Albert in Victoria. Although at least four others have completed the crossing on a jet ski before Mr Quinn, this will be the first time a return trip has been attempted.

Mr Quinn’s 2008 Yamaha FX HO has been modified to carry an additional 60L of fuel, a 60lt eski for food and water, tools and camping equipment to ensure they can make the distance. In addition, it has been kitted out with a range of high-tech Lowrance navigational equipment and a state-of-the-art VHF radio.

“We will be looking to make the crossing towards the end of March, but obviously this is totally dependent on the weather,” Mr Quinn said. “It’s a case of continuing our preparations as best we can while we wait for the weather in Bass Strait to settle down.”

Anyone who wishes to follow the journey or post a message of support can do so via https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bass-Strait-Jet-Ski-Challenge/21259188560… The boys will update the page as frequently as they can but, “There won’t be a lot of signal out there and we certainly won’t be stopping every 10 minutes. If the weather suddenly cracks up while we’re out there, we are taking camping equipment and provisions so that we can take refuge on one of the islands until we can return safely,” Quinn says.

To understand what the Bass Strait challenge means to someone living with MS we spoke to Anna, “…It means a lot, to have a mate ask how we are coping, what it’s like living with MS and to want to help and raise money and awareness…and just to care, it means the world. Dale [a good friend of my husbands] was going to do [this trip] anyway, but to see him get so passionate about helping us at the same time, it’s just awesome. He’s just a lovely, genuine guy.”

A big thank you to Maynes Marine, Lowrance, Anchor Wetsuits, Signtec, Sports Rider Motorcycles & Philip Kuruvita photography who have helped make this possible.

If you would like offer your support, you can make a donation by clicking on Kiss Goodbye to MS and click on the Bass Strait Jet Ski Challenge page.

Your help would be greatly appreciated.