Home for a Rest

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Home for a Rest

The year in Australia left me wanting to do more sailing - I set out with a goal of learning to sail, and now that has evolved to sailing my own boat one day. Racing is a great fast paced way to learn and sharpen your skills. However I felt living aboard, and doing some extended coastal and ocean passages was my next step.

Moving back to Cape Breton to work and spend time with family was the next step. In 2005 I returned home after 8 years away - most of the people I knew had left, but starting fresh in an area was nothing new.

The time was spent planning my next adventure, and preparing myself for life at sea - learning navigation, weather, and any other sailing related topic I thought may be useful.

 Sydney, NS, March 19, 2006

“ My latest undertaking is an experience that describes my love of sailing and health care background in a very unique way. I have been accepted as crew on a 125-foot schooner, the Alvei. This July, we will be embarking on a 3 month sail in Vanuatu, South Pacific, to provide medical assistance and education to their remote island communities. The goal of the project is to teach local health care workers how to best deal with common medical conditions they encounter in the village. I’m hoping my physiotherapy skills will be useful, but any form of participation will likely be rewarding”

This was all organized via the internet while home in Sydney, but thankfully it was all for real. I didn’t fully believe it until the crew members met me at the airport, and too me to my new floating home.

 Dobson Yacht Club, May, 2006

Although I was leaving for Vanuatu in July, I wanted to get back on the water for the first half of racing season - my first time sailing on home turf since I was 11 years old!

On a Saturday morning, I went down to the Dobson quite early, figuring anyone who was keen on racing would be getting the boat ready to put in the water. Sure enough, the first people I saw were Dan and Sandy, who I’ve raced with since that day. Luck of the Irish I guess!

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