The yacht is so large that a police escort, which costs $173 per hour,  is required for the more than 300 kilometre journey. 

Owner Doug Jackson said it was a mixture of pride and stress as specialist removalists and a crane skilfully hoisted Wandering 

Jack out of its garage and on to a truck. The removalists had to negotiate a one metre gap on either side of the boat to coax it out of the garage and on to the truck.

Mr Jackson, an Arding resident for 43 years,  said he first began working on the boat 22 years ago.

While the project was first meant as a means to an end, it soon turned into a regular backyard project. 

“I started it after we sold our other boat and wanted to upgrade,” Mr Jackson said.

“I thought it would only take six years and here we are more than 20 years later.”

A builder himself, Mr Jackson did most of the work himself.

He said he had “lost count” of how much the boat had cost him over the years.

“I would work on the boat every weekend and a couple of hours before work during the week,” he said. 

“I’ve had friends or family come help out for a couple of weeks at a time over the years.

“I might do a few weeks of extra work here and there. ” Mr Jackson was able to put his experience in the building industry to the test, completing the majority of the interior and exterior work himself. 

“The only major work I wasn’t able to do myself was the fibreglass, I got someone in to do that,” he said. 

Mr Jackson said he hoped to eventually live on the boat during the winter months with his wife.

A keen sailer, Mr Jackson said he planned to sail the yacht north for some island-hopping. 

“We like to sail the 

islands in Queensland and Guinea,” he said.  

The boat has three cabins, a shower, bathroom and sleeps nine.