Are we still alive?

It is hard to write about a crew until you actually begin to know them and share time. Here we are day one and starting to sail North. We have a crew of four Reid , My dear friend from Dunsborough and Ralph our friend from the Sailing club and our new young pup Olivier our French kite surfer.

We started the day fairly uneventful got away about seven am and here I was standing on the bow with the boat under sail ringing my friends and saying goodbye. The sun was high in the sky already and we had a fresh wind in our sail. It was beautiful out there, having the usual breakfast of weekbix and fruit and pretending to be so well prepared.

The crew were doing the usual chit chat finding our feet with each other and working out the pecking order. Olivier being french was the general source of amusement as he would make up words for things he couldn't explain.

All looked rosy in the garden of Eden until the day started to turn to shit. It wasn't long and we were reefing sails in strong winds, fighting big seas in five metre swells,there was no where to go but out to sea and hopefully keep the boat upright without too much water coming over the stern. Of the years that I have been sailing never has the boat been so trashed. We couldn't get downstairs for finding floor space and cupboard doors that were once attached were no longer holding together. Even the bathroom cupboard no longer has doors. The sea was like a washing machine and we were getting thrown from one side to another. I don't often throw up but here I was with my head in a bowl and peeing at the same time. Just a fantastic look I must say. We were now in the Leuwin current and struggling to go anywhere it was getting dark and we had to make decisions. We reefed, we battened down and we held on. The cockpit was under water and waves were breaking around us.. not bad for our first sail together.

We sent out a pan pan and thankfully no one heard us but when we finally made contact with a boat called Jezebel they told us the weather was fine where they were and having a beautiful sail.. Lets head there... it took us hours to get back to some form of pleasant water , now we are motoring and trying to hold course and praying there are no cray pots in our way. We arrived in lancelin about midnight, anchored up and assessed the damage.

It was here we had our first beer as a team and I realized I had a crew. They each had worked together, talked about the problems shared information, made decisions and set plans. There were times we each looked grim but there were times we laughed together and teased one another to keep the momentum of calm. We learnt a lot from this adventure and our sailing skills increased two fold for all of us. I guess you have to make some mistakes to learn and you push yourself to the limit every time you take your boat out in situations like these and sometimes these situations just come from nowhere and when you at least expect them.

For a moment I thought what on earth am I doing here and I think its time to sell the boat,time to change my way of life and think of new adventures. t has taken me all day to overcome these thoughts.

We have lazed around today, fixed cupboards watched our young pup kite surf had a beer in the local pub and played on the beach. Reid continually tries to keep me wet in the dinghy, with no help from the waves when we land.

Tomorrow we head to Jurien and stay there for the night I have decided to go back to hopping up the coast and keeping my crew safe. Cruising is not meant to be about the rush. It is time we had a good sail and remembered why we are here.

Funnily enough though our crew are bonding, teasing each other taking the time to share moments tell stories and most importantly share space.

To our families that are reading this blog, we are all well and happy, the boys are presently asleep in their bunks with full bellies and peace in their souls..a little sun bleached but looking happy.