New Frontier - 16. NF Chap 16

With a sizable bonus for the crew, we said farewell to our guests, and after they had gone, we got to work to start cleaning up the yacht, with me starting up the engines so the washing machine and dishwasher could be used. Jedd helped Jake with cleaning up the galley and dining area, while Neale helped me with the washing of the sheets and towels, and vacuuming the saloon, cabins and hallways, while Nathan washed down all of the outside decks and cleaned the windows.

This took us most of the afternoon to complete, and we collapsed with tiredness, once most of it was all done. I decided to treat the crew to a meal at a restaurant, so as to give Jake a night off from cooking, and once we were all showered and changed, we headed to the nearby Bluey’s Restaurant and Bar for dinner.

After ordering our drinks, I looked around the table at my crew. “I just want to ask everyone to congratulate Jake on becoming a permanent crew member for our company,” I announced, and everyone applauded, while Jake just blushed, “Thanks skipper, it is great working with a great group of guys, I look forward to our many adventures,” Jake said softly in response.

“What is next on the calendar for us skipper?” Nathan asked me. “Well, we were originally meant to be on a holiday, but that didn’t quite work out did it. My original idea was to sail from here to Lord Howe Island, which is a 26 hour sail, with nowhere to stop on the way.

If all the crew are agreeable with us making that trip, then we will take a few days to prepare for it, and with it being a non stop voyage, I will need to get into a routine of sleeping in the daytime, since I will be at the helm during the whole night,” I announced.

“That is fine by us bro, you’re the one driving,” Jedd said, “That is sailing you dumbass, not driving,” Neale responded, “Hey you boys, cut that out,” Nathan cut in to stop the arguing. “I am just happy to have a job and a place to sleep, so I am all for exploring new places,” Jake said.

“This isn’t our first time sailing in the area, we sailed with Nathan’s cousin – Simon, who is Anton’s best friend, going to New Zealand, and back to Australia,” Neale informed Jake. That was before I met the skipper, which was in Jurien Bay in Western Australia,” Nathan added.

“Good so we are all in agreement to go to Lord Howe in say three days time,” I asked, and everyone said yes. “Good, now that is decided, as you know I was handed an envelope with a bonus for the charter, which came to a total of $12,000, for the crew. Jake and Nathan will get $3,000 each, Neale, Jedd and myself will get $2,000 each, and boys your money will be put into your bank account for safe keeping for rainy days,” I announced.

“Thanks boss, I haven’t had that much cash ever, so I think I will bank mine too, for when I really need it for an emergency,” Jake said, “I’m going to bank mine too, as I want to get a present for my parents,” Nathan announced smiling happily.

“Jake, as we said before this was meant to be a holiday trip, so there is no wages at the moment, but your living costs are all paid for by the company, and if we go anywhere as a crew, it will be at the companies expense,” I said to our newest crew member. “That is fine by me skipper, I’m just glad to have a job and a bed. What about all the clothes and shoes that were bought for me?” Nathan replied.

“That is a gift from me, so you have suitable clothing for work and leisure,” I replied. “I badly need a haircut, can I get one while we are at this town?” Jake asked, “Let me get some shearer’s shears and I will do it boss,” Nathan suggested, “No way, you keep away from me, I will get it professionally done thanks,” Jake replied, and we all laughed.

The following morning, after everyone had a sleep in, we all gathered for brunch on the Fly Deck, overlooking the small marina, were we are berthed, enjoying the warm sunny morning. “What do we do today boss?” Nathan asked me, between bites of toast and scrambled egg.

We relax for the rest of the morning, and after lunch, we will finish all the cleaning up, with inside windows need washing, and cleaning the fly bridge, and we will do a stock take and see what we need in the way of food supplies for our next trip, maybe select some local wines to add to our cellar collection, I will leave that to our wine expert Jake for selecting those, but we will leave the actual shopping until the morning that we leave.

With it being a 26 hour sail, I think we will leave at 11 am at the latest, which will get us to our destination just after lunch the next day. I was thinking of going on to Norfolk Island, but I have decided against that for now,” I announced.

The rest of the day was relaxed with a slow pace of cleaning and preparing for the journey to Lord Howe Island in a couple of days, and once again I treated to crew to dinner onshore, to give Jake some time off from cooking. When we had finished our meals, I smiled and said to the crew.

“Well ship mates are we ready to return to the ship?” in a pirate voice, “Arr Capt’n we are,” Nathan responded, which had us all laughing, and I stopped laughing when I spotted a couple heading in our direction and I groaned. “What is it boss?” Nathan asked me.

“Excuse me, are you by any chance the crew of that wonderful looking catamaran down on the jetty, and do you charter?’ the woman asked us, and this time Nathan groaned by very softly, so as not to be overheard. “We are and we do usually, but we are on a crew only holiday from here on, as we are heading to Lord Howe Island,” I responded.

“Oh wonderful, a island trip, is that in the Great Barrier Reef, where you are going?’ the man asked, “No sir, it is out in the Pacific, with no stops on the way and rough seas, it is half way to New Zealand’s North Island, so it is not a good charter destination,” I replied.

“But you are all so young, surely it is too much for yourselves too?” the woman asked, “No Ma’am, we are very experienced open ocean sailors, especially our skipper here,” Nathan said patting me on the shoulder, and I just smiled broadly. “Are you sure you wouldn’t want to take on a charter?” the woman asked, “No, I am sorry Ma’am, this is for the crew only this trip, and my decision is final,” I replied as I stood up and the rest of the crew did the same.

After paying our dinner bill, we left the restaurant, with the couple watching us, with both having frowns on the faces, “bloody pushy people” I commented once we were out of hearing range of the couple, as we headed back to the yacht.

When we arrived, I stopped to turn and face the crew, “I think very early tomorrow, we might head north a little way to Forster, it is only about 50 nautical miles away and has a smaller marina there,” I announced. “That’s fine by us skipper,” Nathan replied, as we boarded and headed indoors, locking the doors, into the saloon.

By the way Jake, with us going out into open waters, I don’t want you to be out in that crew cabin, so we will do a bit of swapping around of cabins tomorrow once we are in Forster. Nathan, you take one of the guest cabins and Jake you will take the Bosun’s cabin on the port side,” I said to the crew.

Well before dawn the next morning, Nathan and I were up and we quietly released the mooring ropes and with a bit a clever manoeuvring we sailed out of the marina, not needing to use the motors at all, and Nathan steered the yacht straight out to sea, for half an hour before changing course for due north.

Shortly before we changed direction, the rest of the crew made an appearance, and after saying good morning, Jake headed to the galley to start making breakfast, while my brothers just sat on the deck and let the sea air blow in their hair, and they smiled, which inturn made me smile, glad to see the boys were happy.

When we arrived in Forster, we moored at the main jetty in the small marina, and we relaxed on the Fly Bridge for the rest of the morning. After an enjoyable early lunch, we decided to do our main shopping today, and that we would set off tomorrow morning at about 9 am.

I now had all the crew cabins sorted, so no one needed to be outside while we are travelling in the Pacific, and with the shopping to be done, we motored out of the marina, and crossed over to a jetty at the fisherman’s co-op, on the north side of the river, where we just under two blocks away from the nearest supermarket.

Nathan, Jake and Jedd went to do all of the shopping, while Neale and I did a final check of everything, so we knew we were prepared for any kind of weather, while out in the open ocean. With the others still out shopping, Neale and I locked up the yacht and headed to the nearest hardware store, to get a few items as backup, in case any shackles decided to give way in heavy seas.

When we arrived back at the yacht, the others were there waiting for us, “Have you been waiting long,” I asked as I boarded the yacht, disabled the alarm and unlocked the main door into the main saloon. “Yes, bloody too long,” Jedd replied, and I looked back and frowned at my youngest brother.

“He is just kidding boss, only about two minutes at the most,” Jake relied. “Err boss, don’t look now, but is that the same couple back at Nelson Bay who tried to convince us to charter the yacht to them,” Nathan said to me.

I walked over to the other side of the yacht, so I was facing the marina on the other side, but I looked like I was watching the lads unloading the shopping trolley.

“Yep, that is them, lets hurray up and get everything loaded onto the yacht, and we will set off right away,” I replied, as I assisted with the shopping. Leaving the two trolleys along side the co-op building, we all boarded the yacht, with me heading up to the fly deck.

Meanwhile Jake and Nathan dealt with the mooring ropes, and we were quickly motored away from the small jetty, following a natural passage, formed by a shallow sand bar, until we reached the breakwaters, and that is when I gave the orders for the mainsail and the spinnaker to be raised.

Once we were about a nautical mile out, Nathan came up to the Fly Bridge, “Go and get some sleep boss, I can handle her for a few hours,” he said to me and I nodded my head and handed over control of the helm to Nathan. After a quick shower and a bite to eat, I headed to my cabin and I was soon fast asleep, only to be woken by the sound of my mobile ringing.

When the caller ID showed that it was Edwin calling, I rejected the call so it would go to voice mail, and I shut off my mobile and went back to sleep. I woke when I heard a light knock on my cabin door, and it took me a moment to realise where I was.

“Enter,” I called out and the door opened with Jake at the door, “Good evening boss, the bosun asked me to wake you, so you can have some dinner, then change shifts with him. It is 2130 hours, and we are 112 nautical miles East north east of Forster, at 13 knots,” Jake said to me, “Thanks Jake, I will be up in a few moments,” I replied, and Jake closed the cabin door.

After having a quick wash to wake me up properly, I dressed and headed over to the galley, where Jake placed some dinner on the table for me. I had slept for nearly 8 ½ hours, not including the mobile interrupting me at one point, and I remembered that call, and fished out my mobile out of my pocket and started it up, before playing the message.

“Anton, this is Edwin Crawford speaking, what the hell are you doing? I send business your way, and you go and reject their offer for a charter and when my friends find you moored at Forster and as soon as you see them, you go rushing out to sea, not giving them a chance to speak to you to try and get you to accept their charter.

You have made things very difficult for me, giving me a bad name for the way you have behaved. Give me a call when you arrive in Lord Howe Island,” Edwin said in the message, and I was not at all impressed on hearing this. Turning my phone off again, I left my phone on the table and I ate my dinner, before heading up to the fly bridge.

“Hey skipper, did you get enough sleep?” Nathan asked me when I arrived, “Yes thanks Nathan, I had plenty, but it was interrupted by a phone call, which I let go through to voice mail, apparently that other couple where also a recommendation from Lord Edwin, and since he knows that we are heading for Lord Howe Island, I think we will change our plans.

Can you please check with Jake to see if he has a passport with him please, as we may divert to New Zealand instead,” I said to my Bosun, “Yes skipper I will go and do that now,” Nathan said as he handed over the helm to me and headed downstairs, returning a few moments later with a cup of tea for me. “No such luck on the passport boss, so where too now?” Nathan asked, as he handed over the cup.

“Back home I think is best, that way we will have been gone for two weeks by the time we arrive, and no doubt there will be the need for the extra crew for charters,” I replied, as I changed the direction from South east for Auckland, to a new direction of South south-west for Tasmania.

I decided that I would make only one stop during the next four days of our journey, and that would be the town of St Helens, Tasmania, where we would do a restock of supplies and spend a day resting, before making the final day of our journey to our home base on Partridge Island.

For the three day trip heading south in the Pacific Ocean, we copped a lot of heavy seas and strong winds, and anyone that was outside had to be attached to the safety line at all times, and it was at the start of my night shift at the helm at 2100 hours, while we were battling squalling winds, when I heard a crack sound.

“Shit, Nathan pull down the mainsail, we will have to go on engine power until daylight, when we can inspect the damage, once you have done that, check to see where there is a safe harbour or bay, where we can drop anchor,” I called out to Nathan, and he quickly got to work to pull down the mainsail, before heading down to the main deck and inside, while I started up the motor.

Looking at my navigation display, I was that we are 6.4 nautical miles due east of Musselroe Bay, 14 nautical miles from Anson’s Bay and about 27 nautical miles north of Georges Bay that leads into the town of St Helens, Tasmania.