About now my old man would be not spinning in his grave, but rather cursing his luck for being there and not getting to chew my EAR off about my honeymoon plans:
We’ve chartered a yacht for seven glorious days in the Whitsundays.
Dad would be three kinds of green to know that we have a 32″ Catalina with the following features:
“Whisper” 32 Catalina This yacht is very spacious with excellent sailing capabilities. Ideal for groups up to 4 with 2 double cabins, one bathroom, dodger & bimini. Well suited to extended charters with well appointed interior design & efficient refrigeration.
Were he alive, he would be “dropping by as I was in the area” with charts and GPS plot points. He would tell Rachel everything about sailing and look to trick her into doing a course (“The hiring people require it“) just as he tricked (read: insisted) Mum do a course in 1980-odd so we could hire a yacht in the Gippsland Lakes Mum’s still not ready to forgive Dad for sending her on this course, and he’s 8 years in the grave.
My Rachel has no sailing legs to speak of, so it may in fact turn out to be the worst honeymoon ever if she has sea sickness the whole time. I’m going to place a bet with “yes” Or at least “a lot of the time”. Not to worry, I’ll dose her up on sea sickness tablets, just like I’ll dose her up on valium to actually go through with the madness that is marrying me.
I’ll also be taking up some windsurfing kit and a whale harpoon set for fun and profit.
As an added bonus, we’ve invited my brother Stephen and his new-ish bride Sarah to join us for the last few days of the charter. It’ll be a great chance to catch up in a relaxing environment and then of course revive the spirit of my old man by going out in a stiff gale with every piece of rag possible up and sail close hauled, heeling over to all buggery, with women screaming at us to cut it out.
Ahh… good times.
Catalina 32 sailing yacht for bareboat charter in the Whitsundays
