Last Day of 2009 Sydney International Boat Show

by Bob Wonders on 3 Aug 2009 Unless you reside beneath a very large rock, you’ll be well aware that last Thursday organisers the Boating Industry Association of NSW threw open the doors to the 2009 Sydney International Boat Show, marking its 21st appearance at the harbour city’s favourite venue, Darling Harbour.

The weather has been great and the weekend crowds have been great. enjoying the multitude of attractions and new releases scheduled to make the show an absolute must on your agenda, and today is the last chance to go.

Amongst the most interesting things we saw at this years show beyond great boats and lots of good gear was the exciting line-up of guest speakers on stage in the Better Boating Lounge.

The guest line-up includes one Pete Goss, a man who may never have heard of, but a man with an incredibly interesting story to tell.

Pete is from Cornwall, in the UK, and being proud of his ancestry and being an enthusiastic woodworker as well, Pete set about building a boat.

It wasn’t just any boat; he actually built this vessel, an open Mounts Bay lugger, to follow in the wake of seven Cornishmen who made the daunting voyage to Australia 154-years ago!

It seems these adventurous souls were imbibing in the local hostelry in Newlyn, Cornwall; all were related by either blood or marriage and were shareholders in a vessel called ‘Mystery’.

Their plan was to sell the boat in order to obtain funds for a trip to Australia where they could try their luck on the gold fields.

However, one of their group, Captain Richard Nicholls, reportedly with 'a couple under his belt' offered to take the group to Australia board the ‘Mystery’.

Ever since Pete Goss heard about that voyage he wanted to re-create it and finally did so when he built the ‘Spirit of Mystery’ and undertook the gruelling 11,800 nautical mile voyage accompanied by his son, Eliot, Andy Goss and Mark Maidment.

They finally arrived in Australia in March and Pete kindly left the boat here for its display at the show.

He also agreed to fly back to Sydney so he could share the story of this amazing journey with show visitors.

Pete will appear on stage in the Better Boating Lounge today at 3.30pm.

Making a welcome return visit to the show, specifically to launch their book and video, are Justin Jones and James Castrission, the two 'totally insane' young men who journeyed to New Zealand from the NSW Central Coast by kayak!

It took 62 days for the by then sunburnt, bearded, exhausted, underweight and mentally wasted pair to arrive in Plymouth, NZ.

'Our journey was frightening at time, sharks tearing at our hull, monster waves crashing over us and the very real possibility that the stern of our kayak might be ripped away,' James said.

Don’t miss hearing the story from the lads themselves and you’ll also have the opportunity to inspect the kayak they called home for two-months.

Justin and James will be on stage today at 3pm.

Although Don McIntyre and wife Margie hail originally from Hobart, Tasmania, they’re pretty well-known to Sydneysiders.

They ‘won’ the title ‘the Antarctic couple’ in 1995 when they spent a year in total isolation in the Antarctica, not only isolated, but existing in a box secured by chains to rocks at Cape Dennison, site of the huts occupied by the legendary Douglas Mawson and known as ‘the windiest place on earth.’

If you think Don McIntyre likes living hard, you’re probably right; next year, on April 28, marking the 221st anniversary of the famous Mutiny on the Bounty, Don and three other idiots (sorry, crew members) will attempt to re-create the voyage of Captain Bligh.

Bligh and 18 men who remained loyal to him, were cast adrift by Fletcher Christian in an open boat a mere 23’ long; in seven weeks Bligh and his mean sailed 3700 nautical miles with no charts and minimal food and water.

Don McIntyre is now going to undertake the identical voyage, no charts, little food or water in an 18th century, traditional open whale boat.

He says he is not new to adventuring, but admits this challenge is one out of the box.

Catch up with Don and Margie today in the Better Boating Lounge at 1.30pm.

Jessica Watson, young (turned 16-years-old in May) and pretty, but obviously made of stern stuff, is determined to join the select group who have circumnavigated the world.

She reportedly boasts sailing ability and experience way beyond her years and skippers who have sailed with her speak highly of her skill.

In mid-September Jessica will set sail from Brisbane aboard her 10.4-metre sloop ‘Youngestround.com’ on an eight month, 23,000 nautical mile voyage around the notorious Cape Horn, across the feared Southern Ocean, over the equator to the Northern Pacific down around the Cape of Good Hope and across the Indian Ocean to home.

She estimates she will be at sea for 230 days!

Hear the story from Jessica herself; she’ll be on stage at the Better Boating Lounge today at 2pm.

All five halls of the Darling Harbour Exhibition Centre are packed with millions of dollars worth of boats and associated marine equipment, while on the adjoining Cockle Bay Marina more than 180 vessels will be there to tempt buyers.

The halls will remain open each day until 8pm, but operations will cease on the marina at 6pm.

Save money by purchasing tickets on-line – simply go to www.sydneyboatshow.com.au

Don’t miss this one – today is your last chance for 2009!!