Morris Nautical is on the cusp of an exciting new era. For the first time, all three of its superyachts will be calling Cairns home; and another vessel is about to join the fleet.
From Cannes to Cairns. M.Y. Northern Escape has arrived in Australian waters for the first time after three successful seasons in the Mediterranean.
The 41-metre Benetti superyacht is the jewel in the Morris Nautical crown, offering a truly one-of-a-kind experience for private groups to experience the region’s unsurpassed beauty.
Morris Group Founder and Executive Chairman Chris Morris said welcoming Northern Escape to Australia was a proud moment.
“Northern Escape is the latest design by Benetti and is rated the best 40-metre boat available,” he said.
“For two years in a row it was ranked in the top five charter boats on the Mediterranean. It will be the best charter boat available in Australia.”
Its exciting arrival marks the beginning of big shift for the whole Morris Nautical business.
When M.Y. Northern Escape arrives at the Cairns Marina, M.Y. Flying Fish and M.Y. Beluga will be there to meet her. It’ll be the first time the Morris Nautical fleet has been berthed at the same location, offering guests the opportunity to cruise the waters of tropical North Queensland to the South Pacific.
Mr Morris says this change is a big deal for people who are looking for a different experience to what they’re used to elsewhere in the world.
M.Y. Northern Escape on its arrival in Australian waters
“We have one of the world’s most pristine and diverse marine environments, and with our fleet, we’re offering a way to explore it in ultimate luxury,” he said.
“Our fleet really offers the best in every category of boat. We have Flying Fish which is a 32-metre Warren that’s been totally renovated and is perfect for small groups and day charters.
“We have Beluga, the 35-metre Moonan which is the best explorer boat and great for diving. Then there’s Northern Escape, the best 40-metre superyacht in the world.”
And then, there’s the next piece in the puzzle: Gambler.
Currently being built in the Gold Coast and due to join the fleet in the coming months, Gambler is a 61ft Assegai. Custom-built for game fishing adventures, it’s touted as the best in its class in Australia.It’s addition to the fleet means an unrivalled experience for fishing enthusiasts and luxury travellers alike.
A life at sea
If there’s anyone who loves boats more than Chris Morris, it might be Morris Nautical CEO Sam Aldred. He’s quite literally spent a lifetime on the sea.
So, there’s perhaps no one better suited to steering Morris Nautical towards its new horizons.
Growing up in Cairns, Sam says he was drawn to the ocean at an early age.
“As a kid I basically was working my weekends and school holidays on a local dive boat,” he said.
“Both of my parents were skippers back in their day. My mum was one of the first female skippers on the east coast of Australia on the trawlers. My dad was on trawlers as well and he went on to drive tenders and tugboats. My family is full of mad sailors.
“So, I left school at 16 and started a cadetship which put me through my first captain’s ticket, and I flew over to Genoa in Italy to join my first white boat. And that’s where my superyacht career started.
“From there I worked my way up, getting sea time and learning the ropes and just kept climbing the ladder until I got my Masters.”
Sam’s co-Captain in work and life, and Morris Nautical’s Chief Operations Officer Emily Aldred’s journey to a life at sea was not quite as inevitable.
Morris Nautical Chief Operations Officer, Emily Aldred and Chief Executive Officer, Sam Aldred
A fellow Cairns local, Emily originally started out pursuing a career in banking. But it wasn’t long before her own adventurous spirit (and a little bit of arm-twisting from Sam) saw her getting on board for a career on superyachts.
“Sam and I actually met when we were 14. We went to high school together and then Sam left to live overseas. I always knew he worked on boats but didn’t quite understand what superyachts were like or anything,” she said.
“I got into banking after school. I loved working there, but I just knew it was going to be one of those jobs where I was going to be there for the rest of my life.
“Sam came back to Cairns, and we got together when we were 21. He was about to head back overseas and was like ‘Do you want to come overseas with me and try working on the yachts? I’m going to go back on my own, or we can go back together.’
“I’d never worked in hospitality before – always just customer service. But I gave it a go and we ended up working for that owner for nearly 10 years.”
In 2020, Sam and Emily moved back to North Queensland with the intention of leaving their superyacht days behind them.
But when an ad looking for managers to run a luxury lodge west of Cairns caught their eye, little did they know that the ocean would soon be calling them back.
“We moved home and basically thought, oh well, we’ll finish up yachting,” Sam said.“Somehow, we saw an ad in the paper for the roles at Mt Mulligan Lodge, so we sent an email and within 10 minutes of sending it, we got a phone call. We thought it was maybe recruitment calling, but it was Chris Morris.
“We ended up at Mt Mulligan for a season, and once that was done, we actually left. But Chris told us about his boat, and it was just too good.
“I think that nine months we spent at Mt Mulligan was the longest we’d been on land. We were like ‘We need to get back out to sea. We need to get back on the water.’
“So, we went over to Europe to finish off the build of Northern Escape, and here we are four years later!”
While the pair admits the life of a superyacht crew may not be for everyone, there’s just something about it that works for them.
“I like the team, and the camaraderie that you get with the team,” Emily said.
“I had that a little bit in the corporate world, but being on a boat is completely different. You’re working and living with your team, so you’ve really got to get on with each other.
“We’ve been really lucky. We’ve held the same crew for quite a number of years.”
“The travel is definitely a big part of it,” Sam said.
“Whether you’re somewhere in Australia, or around Italy or France or wherever, it’s a pretty amazing way to see the world.
“But it’s also just the people that you meet. We’ve had some clients who’ve become quite close friends.
“So, I suppose that’s what it is for us. It’s about going to new places and meeting new people.”