Davey Jones' locker

Hi Ocean Racer Chasers

I recently had an email from someone who follows Willi’s sporadic adventures and has now decided to buy a Beneteau Oceanis and sail her from Europe to New Caledonia. What! Whilst I would say that without sailing experience this would not be an undertaking for the faint hearted, I would say that following your dream becomes even more important as you get older. Let’s face it, when you are old, immobile and dribbling down the front of your shirt all you will have left is your memories. I think it is therefore probably important to have some! Good luck Greg, and write a blog!

Greg sent the email because he hadn’t heard anything from Willi since November last year and thought he may have sunk, or been captured or some other fate worse than death. This is not so, but I thought I probably should finish the story.

Capt’n Willi started out as a email I sent to a dozen friends when Dreamagic was new to me and I was bringing her home from Pittwater in NSW to Cairns in North Queensland. I was accompanied on the delivery voyage by some good friends who didn’t get to read the daily adventures I sent for the very real fear that they would mutiny if they did. What I didn’t know then was that the daily emails were being forwarded to other people I knew, then out of my circle of friends to a wider audience. That revelation only came when I stopped writing and people I had never heard of wrote asking “What happened next?”

Fantastic! I created a blog, which I published at http://www.dreamagic.com.au/ and continued the updates to the fate of the boat and her crew through two trips to Papua Nui Guinea, an ill fated Brisbane to Gladstone, two Magnetic Island Races and a Airlie Beach Race Week. Crew came and went, and in one case, came and stayed. Of the East Coast of Queensland, Dreamagic has been up and down more times than a whores draws, (Nautical term for lots,). She braved Cyclone Anthony, we were far to close to comfort for Cyclone Yasi, and we came through the Brisbane floods of a year ago. (Then again, she is a boat, which is probably not a bad place to be in a flood). We have enjoyed racing WAGS in an extremely diverse fleet of boats and skippers at Cairns, and had a ball at the monthly races at Yorkeys Knob which was some of the most enjoyable racing I have ever done. (Don, Matt, they should be weekly!)

What now though? Since we have been back Dreamagic spends most of her time tied in her pen at RQYS. We sometimes race at WAGS in Brisbane and enjoy mid fleet results amongst some 50 similar boats. We take the boat out for occasional weekends on the bay, weather permitting and use her as our holiday cottage for weekend sleepovers at the club. Fun but a far cry from her days of glory when seeing her sails appear on the horizon set many a young (?) girls heart aflutter and other skippers resigned themselves to coming a poor second to the fun ship.

Now just like you, I’ve sailed my dreams

Like ships across the sea,

And some of them, they’ve come on rocks,

And some face mutiny,

When they are sunken one by one

I’ll join that company.

Old Admirals that feel the wind,

And never put to sea          (Al Stewart: Old Admirals)

So what is the next instalment? Well 2012 is earmarked as another year of adventure, but this time sailing the accountant seas. I have launched another website, which you can find http://www.inomad.com.au/ I want to get this up and running and so will be devoting all my time to that. (Wednesday afternoons excepted, naturally!) I would encourage you to visit the site, and if you enjoyed Willi’s adventures PLEASE join where I am assured his bro, Willi Crash will be writing soon. And if you know Willi personally or just enjoyed his rants, PLEASE click on every bloody “Tweet” or Facebook “Like” you can find on the site!

Thanks for your company on the voyage. It has been an honour to have you aboard.

Willi