We are the People that are FREE!

 Passage people are those that have been met at anchorages or marinas or beaches or whatever along the way. They are featured perhaps because they are unique and special or because they are not, rather because they are just typical examples but of an extraordinary group. By being cruising boaties, all of these people have stepped off the well trod path and done something exceptional with their lives.

 Home

 Passage People by edition

 Passage People by boat names

 From The Coastal Passage, issue # 13

 "Helmsman"

Jan and Arnie of “Helmsman.” The “Helmsman” crew are well known and respected on the coast. Forty six feet of beautiful classic timber and sweet lines, “Helmsman” was designed for speed and elegance and Jan & Arnie know how to make her go well. A good thing as a boat like “Helmsman” should almost be heritage listed. Something like 15 years ago, They bought a 35' Martz Craft from their friend Peter Hansen before he opened his own shop. “Magic Flute” seemed to fit their needs and dimensions for a long time. 'toot toot' can still get a response from them on the radio. When it came time to grow up to a bigger boat they came to Peter again, now he had his own shop. They were looking at about five boats. When Peter got a look in he pointed to “Helmsman” and said “that's your boat.” Arnie and Jan were correct in trusting their old friend and the deal was done within the hour!

 "Blue Tang"

What is it that fascinates people about this boat? Melbourne natives originally, Gloria and Wesley Worley were in the restaurant business on the central Queensland coast. They got out of the restaurant business and into oysters and prospered but sold up when the boat bug bit. They had picked up some ones unfinished project, a small steel “Junk” rigged schooner. It got them going but obviously wasn't enough boat for them. Most would have sold the thing and moved on but not the Worley's. They cut the thing in half, set the bits on sections of railroad track to keep things in line and proceeded to fill in the middle till they had 50 feet on deck! This about doubled her length. The Bow and stern are the somewhat altered ends of their old boat tilted up. Nothing to it, right!?

OH.. the name?? No, not Chinese, it's a kind of fish!

 "Jinga"

Rod and Evonne Cunningham have a very good looking 52 foot Cat berthed at the Mackay Marina and have been fun to chat up when the opportunity would present itself. When I got around to serious questions with note pad in hand I found I couldn't scribble fast enough. These are serious movers and shakers but you can't tell, they're just sailing bums with a clue. Rod and Evonne's first boat was a 14 foot Hobie that got the young family up and sailing, like many others. After that a little Red Witch racer named “Viking” was the entrant in many races with a good winning record. “I put the sails up and god takes them down,” Rod says. The current boat is a fast cruiser, fifty two foot Dufore with twin helm and enough sail area to go well but with all that luxury inside and less competitive drive than years ago, Rod admits he won't win a race with the likes of Julian and Sandy Way on “Cat’chus.”

 "Seawitch"

Kyle and Michael were visiting Eddie and the rest of the Croker family of the immaculate stink boat “Seawitch” at the Mackay Marina. Bad weather kept them in but the fishing off the jetty was so good it kept the lot entertained. So.. what kind of bait and tackle did the lads use?? None at all. The fish are so thick there at times, they just dipped in with a wee little bait net and scooped them out. Just because it was too easy didn’t make it less fun though!