Rob & Wendy's Home Port - Airlie Beach, Queensland, Australia

This was the tranquil setting that Rob & Wendy decided to leave behind as they planned their 'round the world cruise. Before departing though, there was a lot of work to do in order to make Sea Fever ready for the trip. Sea Fever came out of the water and got a fresh coat of undercover, and so did Rob!

Some folks might think that Wendy is just along for the ride, but she is a certified coxswain and radio operator. She can drive that boat night and day, rain or shine!

By June, Everything was ready and Rob and Wendy left Airlie Beach for Darwin, sailing north toward Port Douglas where they had to stop and make repairs to the boat. There had been little wind, and they were using the engine a lot and it had some problems. Wendy sent two postcards while they were waiting for parts to arrive.

  Later I received this picture of the yacht in a Port Douglas slip. After repairs, they continued North around Cape York, which is Australia's northern most point. Here is a picture of Wendy at the cape, (you can see the sign marking the tip) and another picture of Rob & Wendy walking above the huge beach near the Cape.

Wendy sent a postcard Cape York and said that it was one of the most pristine areas of Australia that she had yet visited. Because it is so remote, its mostly visited by folks who pass by on their yachts, or by tourists who fly in and out on the same day - just to say that they had been there!

From Cape York, it was a fairly uneventful trip to Darwin. Rob & Wendy had to get to Darwin in time to lead a trip back in Queensland, so Sea Fever ran 24 hours a day. Wendy was on the watch when they arrived Darwin Harbor at dawn, and the moment was shared via a cell-phone call to us in America!

After securing Sea Fever at Darwin, Rob & Wendy went back to Queensland by Air, and returned to Darwin two weeks later to make plans for the next leg of the journey - The Darwin to Ambon Yacht Race!