Back to Trogir, Croatia for season four

As any of you would be aware, the Summer Amy is for Sale. To put that in perspective, it has been advertised on a yacht sales web site at very little cost to place the ad. The site was recommended last season by a couple who used the same web site mid season and sold their boat to the first comer at the asking price... Now that's a result!


Sale through a broker means 10% to the broker... a bit rich me thinks but when we really really want to sell, we may take that option. So for now, I am happy to say I am back on board on the hard getting her ready for another adventure.

Thankfully they had moved her from the center of attention to somewhere a little more discreet. I still have a panoramic view of the marina life but I am less visible. She was filthy on the outside but much as I left her on the inside. 

Early this morning I got the bike down and went for a little sticky beak and to my great surprise discovered a short cut to the Trogir town centre. Everything in or near the marina is priced to hurt so this was no mean discovery and it put grocery shopping and lunch firmly on the agenda.

The markets were in full swing and the tourist season is already in top gear. After shopping I searched for a nice restaurant away from the water front for what I would have thought were obvious reasons but was swiftly reminded of the bland Croatian attitude to service at three separate stops. I won't go into detail but they may has well simply have told me to piss off it was that bad. Then to totally confound I did end up on the waterfront with all the tourists and the welcome, the food the service and the price will have me back there a few more times. Go figure?

One thing that was different from when we sailed in here and managed to jag a birth on the waterfront when Greg and Wendy Fraser were with us last year was that we would have been laughed at today. The big boats not only filled the entire length of the quay, they were rafted up three and four deep.

Now before we get into the season ahead I'd selfishly like to reflect on what we have been up to while the Summer Amy endured a European winter at Baotic Marina, Trogir, Croatia.

Our annual trip to Big White was cold. It averaged 20 degrees below the whole time, but the snow was brilliant from an Australian's point of view and having purchased new boots after a good 12 years in the old one and for the first time had them professionally fitted. I then test drove three recommended sets of skis before making that purchase, I have to say I have never enjoyed my skiing quite as much. Who knew?

We then flew to Maui to join, Greg and Wendy Fraser for 10 days of Hawaiian hospitality. Laid back as all get out, it was like dropping into the 60's underlined by a night at Fleetwoods. 
This is a pub owned by Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac fame who just happened to have his band performing and Sal being Sal managed to get tickets for this intimate banger of a night!



Not exactly a typical Hawaiian shot but the helicopter ride was a highlight as you can tell! You can see Hawaai reflected in the sunnies right?

We were home for Christmas for the first time forever and spent some time at our place on South Stradbroke Island before attending the Blues Fest at Byron Bay. 

Then its all about our kids... 

Carrey-Leigh lives the life of a working mum rasing two beautiful boys and, she turned 40 today... Not sure how she's feeling about that, its a big one to contemplate, and not just for her! .....I have a daughter who is 40....

Sorry Carrey, it's all about me remember. 

In case you're wondering, this is Zane and Aiden

Jarrad is earning an international reputation for the quality of his tattoo art and is currently on a European tour, he was a guests artist in Barcelona, Spain then headed to Italy, then Denmark where he worked for a year, Berlin and home.

Jack has now become a lynch pin at Reckon running the team primarily dealing with the sales of our online and cloud products against fearsome competition with bottomless pockets yet somehow making amazing headway.

Mark is plugging away at Uni but sounds like its all going to plan. 

His sky diving exploits have blown us away having won the rooky team national championships he has just been invited to join the Australian Big Way sequential skydiving record doing a '32 way' making three points (formations)... whatever the hell that means? Just sounds like awesone fun with lots of like minded individuals.

That's Mark with the purple shute bag, the person above them is one of two cameramen. This is one of three formations they have to perform as many times as possible in 35 seconds. The most difficult bit is staying at the same height as eachother. The slightest mistake in aerodynamics and they find themselves either above or below and therefore out of the group.

William is the soccer kid. He was selected in the 'super six indoor futsal team' to represent his school. They won the inter schools cup, his outdoor team looking really good too. Quite the swimmer too with a 2nd in freestyle, 3rd in breatsstroke and the relay team clocked a 4th.

For his birthday Mark bought him a session in the wind tunnel so I guess that means we'll have two of them keeping us awake at night!









Summer won the school and the inter schools cross country.

She then took 1st in the school freestyle, breaststroke and the relay. That got her a spot in the interschools team at ASISSA where the relay tean made the regionals.

They are both doing great at school although Summer enjoys academics a little more than her soccer crazy, gaming obsessed brother.

A fantastic life is all we ask them to aim for... So far, so good.

Now, back to the boat...

At the end of the last sailing season we agreed that it was no longer for the kids. Way too difficult keeping them interested and frankly it was all becoming a little same old, same old for Sal and I. 

We have half heartedly put the boat on the market but one thing is clear, she must be moved out of Croatia. It is very expensive to leave a boat here and so I the plan is to get her to Sicily.

We could just sail south through waters I have already sailed in order to check out at Cavtat, the southern most port of Croatia, and then pop over to Sicily, but given I have some mates joining me, we may as well make it interesting. 

So. The plan is to head north and having had another look at what there is to see, we would need six months to do it any justice at all but that would be pushing the brownie points into negative and irretrievable territory. 

I am booked to fly home on the 11th August which I'm sure you'll agree is a massive effort on Sal's part but by then the boat will need to be comfortably ensconced on the hard at Seragusa Marina and that ensconcing takes a few days.

I am still on the hard in Trogir, she doesn't go into the water until the 29th June as I need to go to London for some exciting Reckon stuff in between. We sail on the 30th. That gives us a maximum of five weeks to cover the rest of Croatia, Slovenia, Venice and then the 500 nautical mile schlepp south to Sicily. Ordinarily that will have taken four to five months for the Wilkinsons!

You may also appreciate that getting back to the boat this time has not been easy. I don't mean physically, but emotionally. At this point I am normally getting the boat ready for the arrival of my family but they are not coming. The boat is choc full of amazing memory triggers like bicycles, soccer balls, nurf guns, fluffy toys, Motenegran wine, coffee pods, coconut milk and stuff to make yummy Asian dishes I have no idea how to use? 

Today I had to make a list of provisions required. That has never been my job. So as much as it's great to get away, I do miss them all terribly and the adventure we are about to embark upon can never really be shared, something I know I will always regret.

And so I'll finish by thanking Sal for taking on the dual task of the house and kids whilst, (in your eyes) I gallivant around the Adriatic with my mates. Well it won't be that easy without my soul mate and my little ones, that is becoming clear.