We headed up the coast in some lovely trade wind conditions to the Keppel Islands and the Capricorn Coast. We started sailing ‘ Torea VI’ in and around the Gold Coast and in July 2018 we decided to stretch her legs and went North. We still had work commitments on the Gold Coast so we got ourselves a two bedroom duplex near the beach and lived part time between the unit and the yacht. A 51ft Dufour Gibsea, ‘Torea VI’, became our new home. In July 2017 we happened upon that boat right on our own doorstep here on the Gold Coast. We were now on the hunt for a yacht we could live on and sail to far-off places. We sadly said goodbye to ‘Wakalina’ - the first people to look at her bought her, she went to a good home. From there the six of us moved into an old-school two bedroom unit, with some seriously cool ocean views and a point break for a front yard. We had been subscribed to minimalist thinking for a while, so we gave away a whole lot of stuff, sold some of it and for the most part, binned the rest. We just had itchy feet and were keen to mix things up and perhaps challenge a few social norms at the same time. In 2017 we sold the family home, to some I’m sure it looked like ‘sell home, buy yacht’. We had heaps of fun spending long weekends sailing all over Redland Bay and up to Manly and Moreton Bay but there was something urging us on… Maybe it’s because the kids were growing so fast and its was getting tight sleeping onboard or maybe it’s because we dreamed of sailing further and for longer …whatever the case we were somewhat destined for a larger boat. This time we had luxuries like a furling head sail, a chart plotter and a metho stove. She was lovely! So well maintained and everything worked well. Then came a little upgrade but with all the mod-cons. With only the very basics it was like camping, but on the water. Head first into ‘learning the ropes’ with four small kids onboard for all of it. It was a great way to cut our teeth in the sailing game. Pippi was just three weeks old when we brought our first yacht aptly named ‘Love Handles’, a 23ft Hunter. However, in 2014 we broadened our horizons to sailing. Our favourite would be our 4m tinnie that would get us all over the Gold Coast waterways as well as offshore for the odd spear. We have owned various boats over the years. We have always loved adventuring and have sought out opportunities over the years with different holidays, (road trips, ski/snowboarding, camping, motorhome missions in NZ) but sailing didn’t really come on our radar until later on. Kris and I were high school sweet hearts, we were married young at 20 & 21 and started a family in 2009. We have hopes of heading to Costa Rica and Panama over the next few months and then deciding if we visit the Caribbean or the Pacific and possibly further around the globe so come aboard for the ride! We are currently exploring the Sea of Cortez, Mexico onboard our 2012 Leopard 46 ‘Happy Days’. We have been blessed to be able to pursue some of our dreams like having children, living by the seaside and owning a yacht (or 4), but the dreams keep coming and we continue to pursue them… That is when we are most happy (or at times nervous, frustrated or just plain exhausted). We love to adventure together as a family. Kris (Dad) and Shona (Mum) and our children, Bella, Finn, Archie and Pippi… and we seldom sit still… We are the Fothergill family from Gold Coast Australia.
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