Ketch-U-L8tr in Queensland Australia

[shelleyof]

Or Ketch -us-if U Can, or Ketch-up are just some of the dorky names my husband and I are contemplating for our ficticious club we envisage for a cruising rally up the east coast of Queensland. We will be heading up to FNQ in June and would love to hear from anyone who may be headed in the same direction. One day we plan to sail to New Caledonia and possibly some island off PNG. Ideally (or idyllically) I would love to follow the cruise of the Janet Nichol as sailed by Robert Louis Stevenson and his wife Fanny, but in reverse??? LOL!

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by shelleyof

I would love to follow the cruise of the Janet Nichol as sailed by Robert Louis Stevenson and his wife Fanny, but in reverse??? LOL!

Treasure Islands: Sailing the South Seas in the Wake of Fanny and Robert Louis Stevenson. by Pamela Stevenson.

Not a bad read, but you will learn a lot of things NOT to do!! LOL

As for the rally with ketch names: why restrict a rally to just ketches? It will be pretty lonely rally!
We are heading up there now and will be in Darwin late June. Currently in the Whitsundays

[shelleyof]

Hi Mark, of course we would not restrict any rally to purely ketches...as I said it would be a ficticious club...we just seem to notice just how few ketches there are and therefore we can get a little excited when we do see other two masted vessels around. In this ficticious club we would win many races against other ketches. IT is all imaginary. And while the Pamela Stevenson book is a good read, the story ofthe Janet Nichol (can't remember name of author) taken mainly from the diary of Fanny is way more interesting. Unfortunately due to work commitments we can't leave Brisbane until late June and will have to be back by about October or so.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by shelleyof

. In this ficticious club we would win many races against other ketches.

Oh OK! Sorry, I'm a bit slow on the uptake before a coffee!


Mark

[TigreMike]

How about "Ketch as ketch can"?

I am working at trying to but a ketch right now in Sydney. Should hear this week what the go is. Probably not ready to cruise until the end of the year though.

Cheers -
Mike.

[shelleyof]

Hey Mike....From what I understand cruising at the end of the year, you are best to keep to the Sydney area and not venture North (and going south you may encounter conditions experienced by some of the Sydney - Hobart racers!!!) I am definitely not ever going down there! If you ever make it up here (and we do will do the usual - leave after Easter and get back by/before November in order to avoid the cyclone season) we will love to Ketch-Up with you! LOL! I had a look at MarkJ's website and some truly magnificent photos...but they did have to ride out cyclone Hamish being up there now!

[TigreMike]

Yeah, if we get out in summer, we'll start by heading south. We have good cruising friends of the family who live in Tassie so we are more or less obligated to visit them anyway. I had a great time cruising with them down there in teh summer of '88 so I am looking forward to getting down there and letting them show us the ropes.

Just got the word that our offer on the boat is good - survey scheduled for Monday next week!

Cheers -
Mike.

[shelleyof]

Fanbtastic...congratulations..what sort of ketch will it be???

[TigreMike]

A particularly nice Martzcraft 35.

Cheers -
Mike.

[drinky]

Mike, welcome to the world of martzcraft. I just love mine.

[shelleyof]

well done...should be lovely once passed survey
cheers

[TigreMike]

Thanks - I am really looking forward to it. Deposit already down for a berth as well. Happy time

Cheers -
Mike.

[shelleyof]

OOOh to be able to afford one's own berth...terrific...we rent a private pontoon from some fantastic people - former boat owners who aren't likely to get another vessel for some time. They are great, and we have lovely clean water, less chance of electrolysis than in the marina we used to keep the boat and cheap rent!

Cheers,

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Shell,
Welcome aboard! Good to have you here. I once sailed an old wood ketch. She was a beauty with all that wood and varnish but oh so hard to care for.
Does your imaginary club consist of imaginary boats or just a good bar?
Kind regards,
JohnL

[shelleyof]

Hi John,
Our boat has teak decks and some teak slats in the cockpit (which we are thinking of removing), but most of the woodwork is below deck thanks goodness. She is a fibreglass construction which is easier...I too love the nostalgia of wooden boats, but the work..forget it! Our imaginary club is one where we notice other ketches occassionally in achorages and we imagine racing or cruising with them . Ours does have a well stocked bar, which may explain all the imagination and less action!