Raising three young daughters on a yacht wasn’t in the plan, but single mum Chanel Lazarus refuses to let her brother’s dream sink.
For Chanel, the 45-foot yacht Phoenix 5 is more than fibreglass and steel.
It’s her brother’s dream – a vessel of grief and resilience, and a powerful reminder that love does not end with loss.
Her older brother Dallas ‘Lazo’ Lazarus died at just 46 after a battle with cancer. A seasoned sailor, adventurer and free spirit, Dallas had lived aboard Phoenix 5, his third and most-loved yacht, until his final days.
From fishing in crocodile-infested Far North Queensland rivers to learning how to sail and fix things creatively, Dallas taught her to live fully. When doctors told him his time was short, he left the boat to his “little and only sister”, affectionately known as ‘Smelly Nelly’.
“At first, I was completely overwhelmed,” Chanel says.
“I thought, ‘What am I going to do with a 45-foot yacht?’
“But very quickly, it made perfect sense. Dallas didn’t just leave me a boat: he left me a continuation of our shared life.”
Chanel’s grief was already profound.
Six years earlier, she lost her two-year-old son Alfred to sudden infant death syndrome.
“No parent ever gets over losing a child. I know I haven’t and I never will,” Chanel says. “After losing Alfred and then Dallas, I developed this deep understanding that life can be heartbreakingly short.”
In December 2022, Chanel sold everything and moved aboard Phoenix 5 with her three daughters.
“Living on Phoenix 5 was emotional, challenging and incredibly healing,” she says. “My girls adapted to life on board far quicker than I ever imagined. They became resilient and capable.”
Financial pressures forced her to sell the yacht in May 2023: a decision that broke her heart. Three years later, in January 2026, Chanel received a photo of Phoenix 5 partially sunk in Mooloolaba Harbour.
“I burst into tears,” she says.
“This wasn’t just a boat sinking. It felt like my brother’s life and dream were going under water.”
With volunteers and Coast Guard Mooloolaba, she pumped water for five hours overnight.
Chanel has regained ownership but now faces major repairs – and a Maritime Safety unseaworthy vessel notice, with a $33,380 fine looming if the work isn’t completed by March 10.
“I will explore every avenue. Giving up isn’t really in my vocabulary,” she says.
“If some sponsors or supporters can help us rebuild, we will proudly acknowledge them through our YouTube channel Rise of the Phoenix 5 – Lazo’s Legacy.”
Visit gofund.me/846c45c15
