Sailing Around Australia; The Common Thread

Mooloolaba, QLD

24/11/2015 The Common Thread.

What does a transport company supervisor have in common with a crime analyst or a phone app and web site designer? How do the web and app designers and a nurse relate to a signage sales manager?

Since the day we bought our sailing catamaran, Easy Tiger, there is one return on our investment that stands out above all other experiences that we have had. That is coming into contact with really great people that we normally wouldn’t have had the opportunity to meet.

Having a boat brought us into a whole new world of experiences and friendships starting with a trip to Quindalup with Wayne and April.

Somewhere we came across a saying that says people will come into our life for a reason, a season or lifetime. We have found this to be so true during our sailing adventures. While each port has revealed new faces, stories and experiences, some have lasted as long as we were in port, some have lasted as long as the passage to the next destination and a few have and will last many years.

If you said to me just 4 years ago that I would set off across the Great Australian bight on my own catamaran with just me and Leanne on board, I would have laughed it off. If you then said that I would be in company of a Crime Analyst and a Nurse on their boat and another couple who did phone app design on another boat and all had about the same sailing experience, I would of said that was a crazy proposition. But, we did it. Sharing that crazy adventure formed a real bond that will endure.

From the day we departed Mandurah WA in 2013, we met marine business operators in Esperance, farmers and council CEO’s in Bremer bay, an engineer and a lawyer taking a gap year at Robe. It seems each and every stop on our journey has brought us not only a variation in environment and scenery, but also someone with a different background and story to tell.

Our sailing “family” have had different experiences, challenges, excitement and entertainment since. One has had a major health scare and fortunately is now in recovery and the others had a 20month lay over, getting their adventure underway again last week.

Most people say that they can count true long term friendships in their life on one hand. Leanne and I were the same. Luckily, we have our close friendships with our “lifers”, Stacey and Ian, April and Wayne back home.

During our sailing adventure we found that our new bonds have been found in the simplest of ways.

Something as simple as putting our phone number on the side of our boat brought us a fireman and a dental hygienist in Adelaide. Our instant rapport has developed a friendship that we consider will be a lasting treasure.

At the Gipplsand Lakes we were introduced by others to a Police Sergeant and his partner, who are preparing to embark on their own sailing adventure.

Most recently, the simple common thread of having the same make and model of boat has revealed another valued friendship. We have spent nearly six months in company with the Bossa Nova crew, quite un-expectantly yet very enjoyably.

For the money we spent on our catamaran, we could have bought 1 or 2 investment properties, or tucked a very tidy sum away into superannuation. Financially we would have been far better off. Little did we know that the common thread of boating and sailing adventures would produce such an invaluable benefit in these new friendships.