Friday 13th July

“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” - Andre Gide

I just found this quote on the internet while I was waiting (patiently..) for people to ring back/email back/make some sort of signal that they are alive and paying attention to my plaintive attempts to set dates for hearings.

Very true, this quote, literally and figuratively. 

Most people, when they ask me about my 2XS adventure, assume that I am an established, experienced sailor, especially as I am – a Harmsen, and Harmsens, well my siblings, (Pete and Chris), at least, are fantastic and fabulous sailors.  Both of them have sailed triumphantly into Hobart on winning Sydney-Hobart boats, Pete wielding a camera, to add to Degree Of Difficulty.  And Chris has been on winning boats maybe four, maybe five times – on Tasmania and Wild Oats.

But me…well no… When I was eleven Dad took me out on the Derwent with a friend of his, another teacher from Taroona High.  All I can remember about him is that he was a kindly man and had what seemed to me a very big chin.  I enjoyed it immensely, Dad not so much.  It was all peachy and sunny and calm but a squall blew up and we had to ride big waves in the tiny boat to get back in to shore.  I don’t think Dad has willingly or happily set foot on a small yacht since. 

My second sailing experience was to go out on an old wooden sloop, Sandra, with a friend who was hoping to restore this boat to former glory.  We slowly crawled out to the middle of the Derwent and…stopped.  Becalmed!  We sat there quite happily for a few hours then limped back in to Marieville Esplanade.

My third sailing trip was on Freelance, with Chris and Angela Wood, sailing in Norfolk Bay over the March long weekend about five years ago.  Weehee I loved it!  We had two nights on board and cruised from Lewisham to Slopen Main and thereabouts.  All very pleasant.  And…all very close to land…

So until Pete and I got to Sydney on 2XS last year and turned right, towards Lord Howe Island, I had never been out of sight of land on a yacht.  It is quite a different sensation, having a watery horizon all around.  Quite wonderful, really.  I loved it and didn’t feel as intimidated as I thought I might by the fact that there would be no possibility of swimming in to shore if one of us fell overboard.  Our aim at all times was NOT to fall overboard!  Pete is always very stern about this, when he gives visitors to 2XS The Safety Talk.  He basically says, If you fall off the boat in the dark, you are a goner!  So don’t fall off!

(This reminds me of a story a friend told me once, about flying in China.  She noticed there were no seatbelts on the regional planes and said, “So what happens, if we crash?”  The flight attendant looked at her expressionlessly and said, “We crash, you die.”)