So we returned to Australia to pack up our lives. The house needed to be rented, a new home had to be found for our beloved dog, immediate family had to be persuaded that what we were doing was not completely crazy, and friends had to be farewelled and encouraged to come and visit.

Whether it’s a weekend on the Gippsland Lakes, or a circuit of Proper Bay from Port Lincoln, or washing through the Great Sandy Strait in Queensland, an adventure on a shallow draft wooden sailing boat can bring as much pleasure as crossing any ocean.