The first boat I ever sailed in was my ex husband’s 1975 Roberts Adventure 7metre “Beth II”. Dave purchased her when she was only a couple of years old and she must have been about 4 or 5 when I first sailed with him. Bright yellow hull with black stripe made her quite distinctive, and Beth was well known around Moreton Bay especially amongst the Skiff Club members who also sailed those waters. (photos will follow). We enjoyed most of Dave’s shore time (usually about 3 months) for several weeks at a time on the Bay in this lovely, safe, comfortable little boat for many many years until she was sold when we purchased the ketch.

Ross’s Farr 6000 “Bree” gave me some lively experiences in the Whitsundays for 7 weeks in the early 1980’s and not unlike sailing in a 16 foot skiff – I managed to participate in a ‘Lady Sitters’ Race once – and we capsized!

The Nicholson 39 is a masthead ketch GRP vessel built in 1979 in Southampton UK. Dave and I had searched and inspected many vessels over two or three years, and the moment I saw her listed I had a strong affinity to her. An inspection at Scarborough Marina got me really excited and once the survey was done I knew she was the one! The classic lines of Camper and Nicholson vessels are beautiful sing to my soul! We bought her as “Whiskey Galore” in 2006, renamed her shortly after, cruised the Coral Coast in 2009 and Moreton Bay and will be looking to sell her later this year.

The boat formerly known as “Papillon” is a 1994 South African built masthead sloop said to have been modelled on the Nicholson 39 (not sure where I read that though). This vessel was purchased in Portugal by the previous owner, who sailed from Europe to the Caribbean, through the Panama Canal and across to New Zealand before bringing her to Australia in 2009. More can be found about this boat on my partner’s blog here

As Geoff’s story will tell, this vessel has had various ‘jury-rigged’ adaptions that have payed havoc with our plans to cruise the Coral Coast. However, in a bid to thwart any gremlins or curses, we payed homage to the sea-gods including Tangaroa before renaming her “Vaega tolu” (Samoan words to mean Part 3).

More pictures will be uploaded once I return home to scan the images of “Beth II” and “Bree”.