- Location: Cairns, Australia
- Date: March 15, 1987
- Subject: The Plans for our Sailing Adventure!
Dear Diary,
Hi, Welcome to my life. My name is Leah and I am 12 years old. I live on a sailboat with my mother and Capt-short for Captain. The sailboat also has a name, “Sacha-B”. Mom told me yesterday that we (me, you, Mom, Capt, and “Sacha-B” ) will finally be going on the long sailing trip soon. We have been talking and planning for this trip for so long, I never really thought it was going to happen. Mom said I need to have you, my diary, so I can write in you at least 2 times a week! WHY? you ask, because I will not be going to regular school, but be home schooled. Part of the home school thing is write and keep track of what we are doing. Sounds OK to me!
Mom and I went to the paper store and she gave me a budget and said I could pick out any art supplies that I wanted for the trip. It was more fun than Christmas because I got presents, but exactly the presents I wanted! So, as you know, I got you-My Diary, 2 large sketch pads, a packet of 36 color pencils-such beautiful colors, 18 watercolor set with many brushes, India ink and pen set-like people used 100 years ago, ruler, protractor, erasers shaped like fish (cuz Mom said we will see all kinds of tropical fish when we snorkel on the coral reefs), a set on ocean ink stamps and an ink pad, a set of markers, origami paper, a pack of 1,000 stickers, glue sticks and best of all a big black briefcase to put all this stuff in. Strict orders from Mom that I must keep all of my belongings neat and tidy and in their place, because there is not a lot of room on the boat, and I can not leave my stuff all over the place.
What’s the plan you ask? We will be leaving here, the lovely port of Cairns (Northern Queensland, Australia) and sail across the China Sea to the port of Samarai in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea. I should mention that “Sacha-B” is 40 feet long and our home. I will write more about “Sacha-B” later. The crossing should take four days and three nights of non-stop sailing. It might take longer if the winds are not in our favor. I have never actually been on a sailing trip that lasted more than one day and night, so I am a bit nervous. Capt says it is OK to be nervous because it keeps you aware, but I will probably not even know the difference because I don’t have to keep watch at night like the grownups. Then again, Capt said it wouldn’t be a bad idea if I sat some night watches with him or Mom. I could learn a bunch. I get to decide that later.
After we get to the port of Samarai, we will island hop through the Eastern islands of Papua New Guinea, and slowly make our way up to the cities of Rabaul and Kavieng. From there we will leave the Port of Kavieng and sail across the Equator to the island of Truk in the Federated States of Micronesia. From there??? Maybe to the Philippines or back home to Cairns. “We shall see where the winds take us,” says Capt. We think the entire trip will be over a year long.
One thing I do know is we will be going places that are very different from the world that I know. I will be meeting native people who live on islands and eat food that they grow eat and stuff they gather from the sea. Mom says that although they don’t have a lot of stuff in their lives, they have what they need to live healthy and happy lives. I can’t wait to meet them!
Mom says “All good plans start with a list.” so tonight when we were hanging out in the cockpit, enjoying our nightly family ritual of “happy hour” Mom and I started making a list of all the things we needed to make a list of, like food, staples, supplies, preserves, frozen food and dried foods. Capt made his own list of all the things he needs to do to get “Sacha-B” ready for her big adventure. The lists seem to go on and on.
