Kijana (5 page)

The flat sold for a higher price than I'd paid, which was nice, and once the loan was paid back I had about $50,000 to further invest in Kijana – everything I owned.

Around the same time we informed Nicolette of her successful application. Within weeks she arrived, shuffling between Mum's house and my flat, which I was allowed to live in until
Kijana
departed.

Nicolette was everything we'd expected, and almost straightaway her presence began to pay dividends. Since we confirmed that Nicolette was on board we had heard from a large American publisher interested in discussing an advance on a possible book about the journey. If we could secure the deal it would give us more financial freedom and allow us to embark on some great adventures.

We had what seemed like a million things to organise as our departure date screamed towards us. Every aspect of the boat fit-out had to be decided on, then completed. And then there was stuff like medical training, undertaken by Mika, Beau and Josh at Melbourne's Alfred Hospital.

Kijana
was looking a treat. Over the previous month dozens of people had swarmed over her as she sat in a cradle out of the water. The crew and friends had helped sand back the anti-fouling before she was repainted with five coats of toxic paint to stunt the growth of barnacles. All this was conducted under the expert eye of Dad, who had assumed the role of boat manager, as he had with
Lionheart
. He organised tradespeople to oversee the electrics, the welding that would support the solar panels and wind generators, and an overhaul of the engine. The mast came out and the rigging wire was replaced, thanks to some friends who supplied wire cable. She even had new red sails that complemented her traditional design. And of course, she had a brand new name across her stern –
Kijana
.

On board was a full inventory of new equipment – dinghies, scuba diving gear, computers, cameras, a fold-out satellite phone, even a PlayStation 2 with heaps of games. The boat had been kept free of sponsor logos thanks to the hard work of our team and the understanding of sponsors.

Once she hit the water our intention was to learn to sail our new boat as a team, but the organising, sponsor meetings, media interviews and equipment installation left us with only a few weekends to head out on the bay and get familiar with our new home. However, I wasn't too worried. I'd only sailed
Lionheart
a couple of times before I embarked on my solo trip. I knew that once we got the trip underway we could take it slowly and learn as we went.

Getting to the starting line on time, however, was something I was less confident of.

We worked every waking hour to get ready for our launch. It had become such a big production that there was no way we could delay the start because of the level of media interest in the trip.

As the departure date loomed, the work increased and one day melted into the next. It was exciting, especially working on the boat, where a carnival-type atmosphere had developed among the crew and helpers. But with the excitement came stress, particularly for the office crew, who were juggling sponsors, the media, organising the launch event and keeping an eye on a crew of young novices.

On the business side of things, the sea crew looked to the office team for direction. They were older and experienced with business and public relations. For the boat preparations and logistics everyone looked to me. I assigned each crew member certain tasks and responsibilities. Beau decked out the galley, Mika wrote presentations and Josh took care of the production equipment. Nicolette had, unfortunately, arrived at the last minute and didn't have the experience to tackle any tasks on her own. To make matters worse, no one had the time to explain anything to her, so she was just expected to fit in and help out where she could.

The day before our departure we headed to the yacht club to pack our equipment and personal belongings into the tight spaces below decks. All the crew was there except Nicolette and no one knew where she was for the entire day.

Aboard
Kijana
I was relieved to find we had more room than I'd expected, but it still took well into the evening to get everything in place.

I returned home to my flat for the last time, still unsure where Nicolette was and mildly concerned that none of her stuff had been packed or that she wouldn't know where everything had been placed on board.

My concern turned to anger when she arrived at my flat later that night having spent the entire day shopping. With less than 12 hours until departure, I had neither the time nor the inclination to raise my concerns with her. She was, after all, the least experienced, so I was willing to forgive a one-off indiscretion. As it was, I didn't get much sleep that night as I wrestled with last-minute problems.

In the meantime, Maya had decided to come home from her Canadian trip. She was scheduled to arrive in Melbourne the morning
Kijana
departed. I was over the moon when she told me, but came down to earth with a thud when she said she wasn't sure if she wanted to come to the marina to see me, for she feared she'd be too upset. Her flight was arriving early in the morning so I offered to meet her at the airport, as I wasn't due to leave until late morning. She said she'd prefer I did what I had to do and not worry about her. That was easier said than done.

Departure day, 10 March 2002, finally arrived. For months it had felt such a long way off, and now it was here. But there was no fanfare as the sun rose, just a bloody lot of hard work ahead of us.

I said a quick goodbye to my flat as Nicolette and I packed the last few boxes into Dad's car and drove to Sandringham Yacht Club where
Kijana
sat silently by the dock. I wondered if she knew what lay ahead.

Unfortunately, it wasn't a simple matter of jumping on the boat and leaving, as I had done on
Lionheart
, a little over three years before. This was a slicker affair, with freebies and music, and a crowd of thousands. There was a formal function for everyone who had helped us get out on the water and a video presentation highlighting what we hoped lay ahead. The Victorian Government even sent along the Deputy Premier to say a few words.

One by one, each of the crew, adorned in our uniform – T-shirts bearing the names of our biggest sponsors – was presented to the audience and asked to say a few words. There were plenty of tears and laughs, particularly from Josh, and then it was my turn. I'd given little thought to what I was going to say, but I knew that whatever I said I needed to thank those who had helped get us to that point.

I directed most of my appreciation to Mum, Dad and the office team who'd done so much for me and the crew to get us to this point. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I spied Maya. She had slipped in unnoticed and unannounced. Her face flushed red when our eyes met. I'd been thinking about her all morning and suddenly she was there. I hadn't seen her for nearly three months and suddenly, in a crowded room swimming with emotion and television cameras, she just appeared. My lips started to shake and my mind began to swim. I was about to break down in front of everyone. So I quickly finished with: ‘I just do what I want and I get all this help.'

Reading those words on a cold page makes it appear like the jabbering of a spoilt brat. But I honestly felt I was the luckiest person in the world – I was able to actually follow my dreams, and all these wonderful people were willing to help me. I felt as though I had everything in the world – everything.

I stepped off the stage and began to battle my way through the crush of well-wishers. It seemed to take forever, but I was finally able to touch Maya. I wished we were alone, not surrounded by hundreds of people. Holding her hand as if it were my lifeline, we slowly made our way down to the water.

The jetty was crammed with family, friends and everyone from the Kijana office, while thousands more lined the shore. Outside the marina lay dozens of spectator craft waiting to escort us down the bay. It was chaos.

Beau, Mika, Josh and Nicolette slowly made their way to the boat, wishing their loved ones goodbye. The media was clamouring to get their best shots and the TV crews staged a mini press conference with the crew on board. Josh had brought along his fake teeth and put them in for the photographs. We had a group photo of the land and sea crews together at the front of the boat, then Maya and I sat on the deck talking and smiling at each other.

Suddenly it was 11 a.m., the scheduled time of departure – an around-the-world odyssey had to start sometime. I said goodbye to Mum and Dad and started the engine. Maya was trying not to look at me as she wiped tears from her face. I told her she was beautiful but she said she thought she looked horrid.

I wasn't the only one being torn from a loved one – Mika was leaving her boyfriend of seven years.

People started to step off the boat until only the crew remained. Beau and Nicolette undid the lines tying us to the jetty and pushed the bow out. I gave it a bit of throttle and
Kijana
began to move.

We rounded the breakwater of the marina, where the water was covered in streaks of wakes as yachts, motorboats and windsurfers followed us towards the heads of Port Phillip Bay.

Gradually they dropped away as we sailed the four hours to the heads. By the time we got that far there were only three boats left – Dad on his small catamaran, the office crew on a power boat and Mum and Maya with our friends, Steve and Julie O'Sullivan. Eventually they could hang on no longer, lest they end up on their own around-the-world voyage, and were forced to turn back.

With the boats disappearing from view, the only thing left to do was what we had all dreamt of doing for so long. We raised the sails and hit the big blue ocean. The Kijana adventure had begun.

CHAPTER THREE
FINDING OUR SEA LEGS

THE MILE-WIDE OPENING INTO PORT PHILLIP
Bay from Bass Strait may be one of the most treacherous port entrances in the world, but it is a special place for me. Each time I've passed through it I've felt something new, as if being reborn by Mother Nature. Today was no different. The sunlight splashed across the coastline and a stiff wind sent spray flying over the cockpit, giving us our first taste of what was to come as we turned east. We were finally on our way.

Aboard
Lionheart
I had felt like a small dot in the middle of the ocean. Now, on
Kijana
, I felt like the captain of a real ship. While not exactly the size of Captain Cook's
Endeavour
,
Kijana
was much bigger than
Lionheart
, and was also much more sturdy and took on the waves like an experienced traveller. The conditions
Kijana
faced as we entered Bass Strait were far from dangerous but still uncomfortable enough for us to realise we were on an adventure, not a pleasure cruise.

I stood in the cockpit holding the wheel, every shudder of the wooden hull being relayed to my fingers. The crew was positioned across the deck, up the side ladders and on the bowsprit. I had an overwhelming feeling that my crew would prove just as sturdy as the wooden planks we were standing on. It was this feeling of adventure that I loved. With the salty spray hitting my face, the realisation of something that was once only a dream was satisfying beyond words. I wondered if the rest of the trip would continue in the same vein.

Dusk fell, revealing a starry sky that marked our first night together. The excitement of the day had finally passed through our system as we took time out to gather our thoughts and explore our new surroundings. The rocking sensation as we headed into the waves had finally quelled the enthusiasm of Mika and Nicolette, and they were officially feeling seasick. They had both taken the seasickness drug dramamine to quell their impulses to throw up, which, in turn, spaced them out, making the stars even more pretty.

Beau and Josh were in better shape. Their experience in sailing
Kijana
from Brisbane to Melbourne had given their bodies a taste for the movement.

As the sun disappeared, Beau swung into action to prepare our first meal. He immediately discovered that the bike pump required to pressurise the kerosene tank for the stove was missing, forcing him to prepare a cold meal of dry biscuits and guacamole with tinned oysters mixed into it.

He handed the girls their meal (you can imagine being served that while feeling seasick – they were less than impressed), then hit the sack at 8 p.m. after drawing the fourth watch in the early hours of the morning.

I wanted to make sure we got far enough away from land before I also went to bed, so Josh stayed on deck to keep me company. We sat at the rear of the boat, the glow of the compass lighting the cockpit as we talked about the day.

At one stage we were looking out into the darkness at the black water when Josh broke the silence by thanking me for asking him to come on the trip. I was taken aback, but I didn't think it was the right time to thank him for accepting my invitation. I knew he appreciated being aboard. I saw it in the way he did things. While Beau was the muscles of the crew, doing the hard jobs and committing his all to any task at hand, I considered Josh to be the apprentice captain. Even before we hit the water he was eager to learn everything about sailing, including all the theory, as if he thought I was going to fall overboard one day.

Josh may have thought I was doing him a favour, but, as I saw it, he was repaying me tenfold with his enthusiasm. We sat and talked about what he should do with the sails if the wind changed or a gust came through unexpectedly. His questioning gave me a sense of support that was invaluable. I knew
Kijana
was in good hands.

When I woke the next morning we were well on our way to Wilsons Promontory, the southernmost tip of mainland Australia. The conditions were overcast and the wind had died down a little. I was glad to hear that Mika and Nicolette had completed their watches. Each crew member had completed a four-hour watch overnight. Josh and Mika had kept watch after I went to bed, then Beau took over Josh's role, then three hours later, Nicolette took over Mika's role. I shared the last watch with Nicolette.