Sitting here in the galley of the Oceans of Hope sailing boat still feels unreal – until the waves make the ship move so much that anything that hasn’t been stowed away carefully, comes flying through the galley.

I was looking for an adventure (and honestly a treat, after having just finished my studies) among similar minded people – and an adventure is exactly what I got. Even the most basic everyday tasks can quickly turn into challenges in certain weather conditions: getting all those layers and the foul weather gear off just in time to make it to the bathroom (keyword seasickness – been there, done that....), cooking for nine people while the ship is moving (keyword hot pans and boiling water..), setting sails in the dark without stumbling over all those ropes, and of course sharing the little space below deck with everyone else.

We have arrived at the Gold Coast in Southport and have been welcomed by warmer weather and sunshine, so we can fuel up on Vitamin D and prepare for the next leg of our journey.

Report from Bosun Betram:
Arrival in Southport 10:30 this morning after two full days at sea. The first continuous sea voyage for our new crew - and despite big following seas rolling the boat from side to side over the last 24 hours of the trip, our crew handled it in a great way. 330 nautical miles covered in 48 hours puts us at an average just under 7 knots. For the next leg from here to Cairns we want to change our large genoa foresail to the smaller yankie jib - better for upwind sailing and easier to control. In Southport we will spend two or three days, taking out local people with MS sailing tomorrow and then decide if we prefer to spend some time here or save the days for the Great Barrier Reef.

Local time onboard is 17:30 and our current position 27,58.40S , 153,25.57E