Author: Scott
We awoke this morning after our big two hours of sleep on the Customs buoy (or so we thought). We scurried around getting the boat organized and ready to be inspected by the officials. They had warned us to be ready by 07:00 but they actually knocked on our boat closer to 08:00, giving us a little extra time to get the sleep out of our eyes, some coffee injected, and the boat in order.
When they came to the boat there were two gentlemen who came aboard, one was from Customs and the other from the Quarantine and Agriculture office. They took us through the same procedure we have come to expect from other countries and though they asked almost identical questions they each needed to directly ask us their questions personally. Overall the process was much less painful than we had been warned to expect. Australia has the reputation of being one of the strictest countries to clear into and our experience certainly did not live up to this reputation. Once we had answered every question twice, they were satisfied and prepared to board their inflatable boat. We then asked if we could stay on their buoy until we were met by Sailability at 10:30 and they said sure as we were not actually tied onto their buoy. Apparently in the darkness the Harbor Police deposited on to some random buoy accidentally. Well, no one had said anything so far so we just waited on our pirated buoy for Sailability to arrive.
Around 10:15 Sailability did show up in a small sailboat with three people onboard. Stephen Churm the Commodore of Sailability Rushcutters Bay introduced us to his crewmembers Carol and Bill. The preliminary plan was to take the boat over to Rushcutters Bay to meet the media before 13:00, this would give us plenty of time to slink in under tow, however, everything was about to change. As we were getting everything organized for our departure Stephen’s phone rang for the first of many times. Apparently he was called from Georgia who was on the dock representing Vision Australia and not only was the media streaming in but Channel 9 had a helicopter en route and they wanted to shoot footage of us sailing into Sydney Harbour. There would definitely be no slinking in before the media arrived and although we had no engine, we could sail, and sail we must. So, our revised plan was to sail off the mooring ball and sail out to the Sydney Heads and then sail down the harbor to Rushcutters Bay where the boat would be berthed and the media was waiting. The crew from Sailability would sail in their 26’ boat along side us and provide an escort. Our plan was reasonably sound except there was not sufficient wind in Watson’s Bay to make way. Once we released the mooring ball we drifted slowly towards the other moored boats. Although we were never dangerously close to a collision we were starting to get a little frantic, but just then an inflatable dinghy zoomed up and the single crew onboard said he could give us a push out into the harbor. There were a number of attempts with varying degrees of success, but our new friend eventually got us out into open water and we were able to generate enough momentum with a 7 knot breeze to slowly make way towards the Sydney Heads. As quickly as he appeared, our friend in the dinghy was gone. Who was that masked man?
The media said they were sending a helicopter and they certainly did. As we reached the Heads a helicopter came hovering overhead. Pam was seated up front on the bow seat and I stayed back in the cockpit steering the boat and making sail changes. The Sailability boat was buzzing around us and they probably looked like the excited hare urging the big lumbering tortoise on, but our sails were full and Starship looked good for the television cameras. When we reached the perfect position for the helicopter and they could frame a shot of us with the Sydney skyline on our beam, they hovered extra low and then roared off towards the city.
Once the helicopter departed we discussed our options with the Sailability folks and they suggested giving us a tow so we could get back to meet the media on the dock. The idea of getting towed in didn’t exactly thrill us, but we knew that we had to get to Rushcutters Bay, so we worked out a tow rope and the little Sailability boat pulled Starship with the determination of a mouse pulling an elephant on roller skates. Fortunately, shortly after getting under way our friends on the Police Boat showed up and took over from the overworked mouse boat, and before we knew it, we were rocketing to Rushcutters Bay at 7.5 knots.
Our arrival at Rushcutters Bay is a memory that will always stand out when I reflect on our voyage. As we came alongside the dock there was a lot, and I mean a lot of media people standing there with cameras and microphones in hand. I was on the bow as the Police Boat brought us along the dock and I asked if one of the media people could catch our line, and wouldn’t you know it, there was not a single volunteer in the crowd. I just stood there with rope in hand as we almost passed the dock completely, but just as I was thinking this would be the shorted interview of the century, one of the media people realized the same thing and grabbed for the line. We got tied up in a jiffy and pandemonium broke loose at Rushcutters Bay. There were cameras and microphones everywhere catching every line we tied and every word we uttered. Good thing I didn’t let loose a few of my more salty sailing terms. When I looked up there were members of the media all over the boat, they were everywhere. Once we had the boat tied fast an impromptu press conference took place and as Pam and I stood there with genuine deer in the headlights stares and sleep deprivation hangovers, and the press let fly with all kinds of questions. The next hour was an absolute blur. We answered questions, met the group from Vision Australia and Sailability and tried to keep up with the enormous amount of information overload coming our way. Everyone was wonderful, supportive, and enthusiastic and Pam and I were completely dazed. At some point the information was all gathered and the media disappeared to file their stories. Stephen Churm of Sailability helped us to maneuver the boat into her new temporary home and Pam and I had a moment together to shake off the cobwebs and catch our breath.
Ben Felten our original contact with Sailability came down to the dock and invited us for a drink at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia or CYCA and before we knew it we were seated at the CYCA with a cold drink and a steaming bowl of the most glorious chips (fries) in front of us. John who we also met at the dock (and gave Pam a beautiful bouquet of flowers) soon joined us. We all sat there chatting as though we had known each other for years. Ben’s brother eventually also joined us and stayed for a drink. When everyone finally had to take off, Pam and I ambled over to the CYCA restaurant for a delicious meal and we tried to reconstruct the pieces that made up our absolutely whirlwind day.
Now you are probably thinking that with a warm meal under our belts and hardly any sleep that we headed straight back to the boat to become blissfully unconscious, but no no not - not for these sailors. You see while we were still on the dock we were invited by Bill another member of Sailability to stop in at the RANSA (Royal Australian Naval Sailing Association) winter race party. Not wanting to be rude we decided we would stop in for just a minute. A minute turned into hours of delightful warm introductions and we were stunned by everyone’s kind wishes, enthusiasm and overall hospitality. There were people sharing useful information about the area, offers to use the RANSA club house for showers, and probably most memorably our first interaction with our soon to be friends David and Donna. I was standing in mid conversation and this woman walked up to me and said in a matter of fact tone with a big smile: “You and Pam will be having dinner at our place on Sunday” and this was my introduction to Donna Marshall. I later learned that Donna and Pam had already worked out the details but in the moment I just accepted Donna’s declaration with the rest of the conversations swirling around in my brain. We did finally find a time to rest our weary heads though the Sydney wheels were in motion and the wonderful wild ride was just beginning…
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