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- Nov 27
Camelot - Its Only a Model
S 34° 21'
E 150° 54'
Visit to the Seawind Factory - The Journey Begins
July 21, 2008
I finally made it to Seawind Factory on the Monday 21st July to see Seawind 1160 Hull #61 on the factory floor – four stations away from completion. Each Seawind spends 2 weeks at each station, before being moved onto the next. So not long now.
Aside from actually having a look at what I’d bought, I also had to choose colours for saloon cushions, sail covers, and carpet as well as a spinnaker design.
After visiting the factory, I also poked my nose in and had a look at Birkenhead Point where we will take delivery of Camelot on 3rd October.
So how did this all come about? As a kid, I grew up sailing Pelicans, VJ’s and surfcats at Koombana Bay Yacht Club and Eaton Sea Scouts in Bunbury, WA. Our family owned a 14 foot power boat which we used for skiing and fishing around Dunsborough and Bunbury. Traded it in for a surfcat, which I ended up keeping – even took it to Shark Bay one Easter with Anthony and Anita. In my mid-twenties, I dragged Michelle up to Bougainville, where we ended up as a part owner of a 23 foot cutter rigged trailer sailor in Bougainville for a while. No wind and a dodgy outboard lead me to conclude that we were better off going diving on friends boats – did close to 300 dives over the 2 and a half years that we were there. Came back to Perth and got wrapped up in family and work and nothing much happened until last year, with the exception of a bit of twilighting and corporate sailing days on Foundation 36’ers. ASG was going well and felt I needed a new challenge outside of work. Started going around looking at Beneteaus with Geoff (who I started ASG with) who was trying to talk his Dad into going halves in a 50 fot mono (so he could use his pen). At about the same time, Rob H. came up with the idea of getting a world cruiser and diving our way round the world in 2012 (with a stop over for the Olympics). Liked the concept but always had the idea of getting a catamaran since I was a kid. Had fun doing a lot of research which led me to the Seawind 1160. In the meantime have joined Royal Perth Yacht Club and completed their Keel boat course. Spent summer out on the river racing on a Mumm 30 called Red Fever (giant dingy) starting to learn the ropes. Worked out I preferred cruising to racing. Was competent enough to do a week bareboating with my brother in the Whitsundays on "Champagne on Ice", another Seawind 1160. Hit some bad weather and spend most of the time with two reefs in the main, but had great fun. Did some more sailing with Patrick on his 1160 (including an overnighter from Busselton to Mandurah) and have just finished a VHF course with Fremqantle Sea Rescue. Next stop Sydney.
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