Dirty little secret & the wisdom of elders

[BassDog357]

I'm knew to this site, a relative novice at cruising and I have a dirty secret.

I am also one who places great weight on the forgiveness and wisdom of my elders. But that is not the secret.

I was immediately infected with the love of canvas and the sea, when I first set foot on 'Gretel', whilst on a school trip as a 14 year old (cabin) boy. Since then, I have dreamed of circumnavigation. Not in some crazy way - just making it around safely with my beloved.

My brother and I have had a 40' Bavaria but currently have a Farr 40 Phase 4. We've mostly sailed up and down the east coast of Australia. Fun boat, that likes to sail fast. Its done two Hobarts so it's pretty seriously kitted. We are gearing up and training for a trip to Lord Howe Island. Mostly we just want to upgrade the Auto Helm and better sort dinghy storage for the big blue.

So besotted have I always been with the tradition and romance of sail, that I could only ever imagine myself on something like a Pan Oceanic 43. I even confess, I have at times been was one of those sailors who called motoryachts "stink boats" and such. Still, I have been out on plenty of big motorboats and enjoyed myself....

And so imagine my surprise to be now coveting one....!

In fact many, to be precise. I keep coming back to the flybridge cruisers at around 50 feet. In terms of space and liveaboard-ability, there is just no comparison.
And whilst I will ever love the canvas, I have also slept like a baby to the thrum of a marine diesel engine many times.

I find myself increasingly thinking there's a lot to be said for picking up the pick and pointing the ponies wherever you want to go, whenever you want to go in a dependable blue water passage maker My beloved, not being so much a fan is me of healing over, would love it.

I get my dream of liveaboard cruising. Bride gets it in whatever boat she wants sounds about fair to me.

I like the thought of something that is mostly reliable and affordable to run just cruising at maybe 10-12 knots. But I like the idea of moving quick if I have to and the quicker the better. Maybe 22-25 knots.

We really like two cabins and two heads in anything that floats with a massive aft cabin. I've always liked the idea of a pilothouse option for steering for both sail and motor and good access and space off the back. Currently, I covet a 1990 Vista 49' Flybridge...

I'd also love to know if anybody knew how we'd go living aboard in the Tweed River down near the mouth on either a mooring or on the pick.

That's enough to start a chat with someone surely.

Mark

[Rucksta]

Curious what the attraction is for Tweed River when there is an (almost) all weather entrance and large intra coastal waterway with multiple 7 day anchorages just to the north?

[Alan Mighty]

Originally Posted by Rucksta

Curious what the attraction is for Tweed River when there is an (almost) all weather entrance and large intra coastal waterway with multiple 7 day anchorages just to the north?

Exactly!

Methinks it's all to do with Johnny Oxley, sick with scurvy, goodness knows what else, and his delusions that every river he met emptied from a giant inland sea.

In 1823, after imaging some likeness to the river that runs more-or-less betwixt the land of the Scots and perfidious Albion, he also raved about an island covered with turtles.

After being disappointed by Curtis Island and doing a U-turn to head south, he had wild imaginings about the River he named after the governor of NSW (who wasn't sure that that river was up to his standard, so withheld approval from Oxley's brown nose dive until he saw the Maiwar for himself).

Oxley, sicker than ever, discovered he and crew had attained local extinction of those turtles on his way back to Port Macquarie and Port Jackson. Clearly ignorant of the life cycle of turtles.