A NOT New Boat

 Swallowing the anchor seemed like a good idea in 2023 when we sold our beloved TAIPAN to Robert Balch from Florida. Robert fell in love with Taipan online after sailing with John Kretchmer on Quetzal, Taipans sister ship. Having followed our progress for several years he pounced when we were unceremoniously returned to OZ from French Polynesia, when David had a stroke there in March 2021. He was keen to purchase her

Two years later after much deliberation we agreed to sell and in Feb '23, Roberts dream became a reality. He flew in from Florida with his daughter and bought Taipan. We were sad to see her go but thought the time was right. Robert and Max sailed her away to the east coast across the bight and on to Tassie and New Zealand. They are now happily sailing Tongan waters and we keep in touch. Happy in the knowledge that she's in good hands, respected and looked after.

One boatless year on, we were not so sure about this land life. Deciding that maybe a more sedate form of "sailing" would suffice, we started looking at Stinkboats!! The very darkside! Our first trip to Queensland included viewing 2 boats which we decided didn't quite fulfil our requirements. Too many engines! So now with  clearer idea of what we wanted, we watched and waited until a Defever Sundeck 36 turned up. There was also another potential vessel nearby. David and Leanne "Perigee" happened to be in Southport and kindly agreed to take a preliminary look for us, so having seen a lot more photos and taking on board their comments, we flew to Brisbane again to inspect the two boats.

Our offer was accepted, subject to all the usual inspections, so we decided to take a camping trip back to Queensland to be on the scene for the survey, mechanical inspections and sea trial.

 Thus ensued a ten day, 5000km journey in the trustry Triton 2 door tray back ute,(read fairly rough)  towing the Mitchel Pioneer camper across the mighty Nullarbor. To fortify ourselves after 2500km, we forced ourselves eat oysters in South Australia for a couple of days before heading on to Southport for the remaining 2500km.

Long story short we bought another boat! A fat little motor boat. Her name is Recovery but we'll be changing that in due course.

With the purchase price renegotiated and armed with a list of work required on the engine, and under the supervision of our good mate and experienced superyacht skipper Peter Mitchel, we took the new boat around to Boatworks to have TransMarine deal with the whole salt water system. TransMarine were super efficient and after only 2 weeks in a pen, they had it done.

Upon completion of works we plucked up the courage to fly solo, and took her out into the Broadwater and north through the convoluted and sometime very shallow, waterway between Southport and Brisbane. This boat only draws 1.2m so its a little less daunting than the 2.2m Taipan drew the last time we passed this way.

Our first and only anchorage was at Peel Island, Horseshoe Bay, at the southern end of Morton Bay, and an anchorage we visited on a number of occasions in years gone by with Taipan. The next morning at dawn, in nil wind, we crept into Morton Bay Trailer Boat Club where we had been fortunate to secure a pen for 6 months, and where 'Recovery" is now mored for several months while we deal with business in WA. 

Having collected the camper from friends up near Caloundra, we then headed west once again, taking just 8 days to get back to Albany. A stop in Streaky Bay SA, mid journey, enabled us to fill the freezer with oysters and eat a few along the way. 

Early in the trip we caught up with good cruising friends, Pam and John, "Tweed" at Moree on the way over, and at St George, on the way home. They had done the trip east to west return during the same period. Always great to see them and they have offered to be the new boat minders in our absence which is very much appreciated.

We've booked to return to Brisbane and the boat in early January to complete underwater work and antifoul before a little cruising on the East Coast.