In The Beginning

I have always been at my happiest when I am near the ocean.

From trips to the seaside and fish and chips with my family as a small boy growing up in Northern Ireland to joining the Australian Navy as a young man and spending time on ocean going Naval vessels.

I always wanted to learn how to sail and so in 2014, a few years after moving to Darwin, when I saw an advertisement for a Start Sailing Course at Darwin Yacht Club, I thought this is my chance. I enrolled in the six week course and learnt the basics of sailing on little boats. Although I must admit it was more the basics of falling out of the boat and capsizing that I mastered.

This initial taste of sailing inspired me to learn more and with the help of some friends I managed to have a few trips on Darwin Harbour. Then an opportunity came up to be crew on a friend’s boat for the Dinah Beach, Wet Season races. After the first race I was hooked and after a few more races, I knew that I had found a passion.

In January of 2014, I scraped together enough to buy an old Mottle 27 foot yacht and started to sail her every weekend. With each trip I came to love the freedom more and more. The feeling when you turn off the motor and the wind grabs the sails is still one that I revel in every time.

I studied all I could about sailing and slowly started to develop my sailing skills. I was very fortunate that Chester and Greg two sailing friends were always willing to offer advice and to teach me new things.