MR FIX IT STEVE MARX

BLENDING ISLAND LIFE WITH SAILING ADVENTURES! Steve Marx is well known around the islands as TV’s Mr Fixit. What is not known is that Steve is a sailor of some experience, covering most Australian waters in his 38 ft Rodger Simpson yacht, appropriately named Marxy 2! And he has recently completed his latest sailing venture which took him north as far as Lizard Island and south to Sydney. He left Russell Island last July, arriving ‘home’ just a month ago! Steve has lived on Russell Island for the past 17 years, doing odd jobs and installing TV antennas to many island homes. He started out as a qualified fitter and turner, so it is no surprise he can turn his skills to just about any job around the islands. TV, IT and satellite work came ‘naturally’ to him, and he has a specialised ‘cabling’ license and has been a Foxtel technician for 12 years. In the process he has also managed to build two homes on Russell Island. It is also no surprise that Steve Marx happens to love cooking, gardening, fishing and sailing. with an emphasis on sailing. So much so that 11 years ago he purchased his Cloud 11, modified to Cloud 12, foam sandwich construction yacht. Sailing came naturally to Steve and he has taken on some major sailing adventures almost every year since he has owned the vessel. “I have to say it has been a fantastic experience sailing the waters of Australia. “Our coast is so diverse (and so dangerous in places) that learning to sail really well has been a life-changing experience.” The ability to live an island life and just hang up your shingle for a few weeks or months for the next sailing adventure, has been life-changing for Steve Marx. “It is the perfect life balance. “And the experiences have been wonderful. Some of the people I have met sailing has been quite remarkable.” Some of the people Steve has met are literally a who’s who. They include Australian adventurer Ben Cropp and his wife Victoria on the Barrier Reef, as well as Simon from the TV adventure show All 4 Adventure, whilst recently on Lizard Island. Some highlights on his recent trip have been surfing into the Camden Haven bar on a massive swell and sailing into Sydney Harbour on Australia Day and anchoring at Farm Cove next to the Sydney Opera House! Brilliant stuff, and Steve says nearly every sailing trip he has done has given him similar life-changing experiences.