12/02/2025
What a wonderful story of sailing camaraderie from some fellow yacht owners and Shannon owners. Happy to hear the Shannon 50 'Queen Jane' is out on the water spreading kindness along their sailing journey.
A cruising life story.
A few days ago we sailed in to anchor at Pelican bay, near the southern entrance to Queensland's Great Sandy Straits. Strong southerly winds were forecast for the next day. Soon several other yachts, obviously bound south, joined us to wait for fair winds to cross Wide Bay Bar and head south towards Brisbane. Next morning I got out my computer to work on my a writing project at the saloon table and David set up his easel next to the chart table and got out his very large collection of pastels.
A few pleasant hours later we heard voices and saw the crew of three from Queen Jane, a Shannon 50 from Seattle, coming alongside in their inflatable. I recognised one of them as Kate Nigel, a lady I'd chatted with briefly at a marina laundry several hundred miles to the north. At that time we'd both been rushing to set sail for other destinations.
David immediately called out, "come on board, it's time for tea." I jokingly added, "especially if one of you is a nurse "
"Will a doctor do?" The other woman in the dinghy asked.
The almost instant connection that often happens when cruisers meet meant the next few hours flowed as we learned that Kate and Jordan Nigel had been cruising for 25 years, raising their son on board for 17 of those years. Kate's sister, Andrea Reiche, had just retired from her work as an obstratian joined them to celebrate with this cruise on Queen Jane.
"Have you met so and so? What's been your favorite cruising ground? What's changed since you started out?" All the questions cruisers start with meant wonderful easy conversation. And yes, Andrea's medical skills solved my only problem as she deftly removed the last stitches from a minor surgical procedure that had been done in Townsville, a few weeks previously on David's cheek to remove some sun damage. I had been afraid to use a scalpel. But Andreas steady, knowledgeable hands made short work of the procedure.
Today, as we sail over smooth seas with a light wind in the beam, i took a look at what she wrote in our guest book - "I would be happy to provide house call services to your boat any time."
