Boatpacking – like backpacking only with a boat!
The Crew
Kadoona's Crew
Laani and I met a long, long, time ago in a place far, far, away. Sounds like a fairy story? Ah you probably wouldn't believe the real one. Buy us enough drinks and we'll tell you :) After a spell in Ireland, West Oz and in a van we ended up in Sydney and its from here we plan to escape across the Pacific on the fantastic Kadoona. Laani is a florist who is slowly learning to sail, I am a sailor who is slowly learning that shouting at my girlfriend doesn't have the same effect as shouting at the people I've usually sailed with. This could get interesting.
The Boat
This is Kadoona, she is an Alan Pape designed Ebbtide 36. Built in Cornwall, UK, in 1988. Originally she was meant for a young Canadian guy that was allegedly studying in England but was in fact having Kadoona built. Once his father (who was financing him) got wind of this she was quickly put up for sale before she was even finished. He did however manage to get around to naming her hence the name Kadoona which, so we have been told, means 'little bird' in Inuit. We bought her from the couple that purchased her directly from the yard. They spent a year living onboard in the UK then struck off on an extended world cruise taking in the Med, West Africa, the Caribean and the Pacific only to finally end up in Australia where they ended up staying for seven years, we still have the original log book! Eventually they decided that their voyaging days were over and sold her on to us with the explicit instructions to let them know when their little bird was back on the high seas again. That day I signed the purchase papers was the first night in 20 years that they did not sleep onboard. We hope not to dissapoint them.
For those of you erring more on the practical side rather than the sentimental. Kadoona is a solid built, steel cutter. She may never take the podium but will get us there safely. The rigging is all over-specked and completely renewed in 2008/9. She is in good condition but like any 20 odd year old steel boat takes a lot of TLC and a lot of chipping and painting. She has been designed and built for short handed sailing with accommodation suited to a couple with the occasional visitors which we hope we will see along the way :)
For those of you erring more on the practical side rather than the sentimental. Kadoona is a solid built, steel cutter. She may never take the podium but will get us there safely. The rigging is all over-specked and completely renewed in 2008/9. She is in good condition but like any 20 odd year old steel boat takes a lot of TLC and a lot of chipping and painting. She has been designed and built for short handed sailing with accommodation suited to a couple with the occasional visitors which we hope we will see along the way :)