True story of an inexperienced yacht owner who is faced with the daunting prospect of getting his boat back home. Ahead lies dangerous coral reefs and unpredictable open seas.
An inexperienced new owner of an 8-tonne cruising sailboat is faced with the daunting prospect of getting home through the Great Barrier Reef off Queensland in Australia, across the fickle Gulf of Carpentaria and the open waters of the Arafura Sea in the tropics.
The story briefly describes events leading up to what brought this about, and the solving of problems in getting the boat into the water. The reader is then taken on board with an often humorous description of events on a day-to-day basis, including the places visited spiced with local history.
The novel is available on CD with 67 coloured captioned photographs and 10 chart illustrations. Ebook versions are available online, but do not contain photographs.
Excerpt
At 3:00 am Brian wakes me from a fitful doze with a gentle shake on the shoulder. It's my turn to stand watch and there's a welcome cup of tea ready as I climb out to look around. We've been making good progress and are passing through the Whitsunday Islands. When I'm properly awake, Brian gives me a handover briefing then heads off to his own bunk. Paul is also hovering around to make sure I know what to do but eventually goes to bed, although he's readily available in the quarter-berth just one step away inside the wheelhouse.
The scenery under the full moon is delightful. There's a slight haze but it does not obscure the lights ashore or the dark shapes of the islands as we glide by. The night is still enough that an occasional raucous shout by some merrymaker ashore can be heard faintly off in the distance, above the soft gurgling of the water sliding past the hull.
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