Cruisers' Profile - Chatti

by Cruising Editor on 18 Sep 2006 Peter and Chris had no idea what was in store for them when Peter casually one evening thought that he might 'build a boat'!

Every year, there are hundreds of yachts that make their way across the Atlantic Ocean, and this year, Chatti is one of them. Some of those making the journey are on their first major ocean crossing, but many are pretty hardy veterans, having already travelled the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea, and spent time in the Mediterranean, before starting on across the Atlantic. Chatti is among the latter.


CREW: Chris and Peter Reuter, from Adelaide. Home club before departure was the Cruising Yacht Club of South Australia

NATIONALITY: Australian.

BOAT: Chatti, a modified Roberts design in steel, built by Peter in the back yard, 26 years ago. It is the only boat the Reuters have ever sailed.

WHEN DID YOU DEPART FROM HOME?

PETER: We left on April Fools’ Day in 1999, (no we do not consider the date to have any significance). At the time, we were only looking for warmer climes – we had no intention of sailing around the world. We did many overnights along the Australian coast, heading for the Whitsundays – Port Pirie, Refuge Cove, Eden, Bermagui Ulladulla etc.

SO WHEN DID YOU DECIDE TO SAIL AWAY FROM AUSTRALIA:

CHRIS: Well, we didn’t really, we left the boat in Queensland for two winters, and thought we might sail into the Pacific, but people told us ‘You’re going the wrong way if you do that.’ The second year we sailed from Lizard Island back to Gladstone, against the wind, and it was a very difficult thing to do.

Then we entered the ‘Over the Top’ Rally from Gove to Darwin, and one day one of us said 'I wouldn’t mind going around the world', and so, just like that, we decided to just keep going. Actually, we’re still sailing for the Pacific, just going round the world to get there!

WHAT IS YOUR SAILING BACKGROUND:

PETER: None, really – I have always like working with my hands, yet my work history, especially later in my career, did not include such work. So away from my career, I occupied myself by renovating two houses, and then one Christmas dinner party, a friend asked me what was my next project – ‘O,’ I said out of the blue, ‘Maybe I could build a boat.’ I don’t even know what made me say it. But it wasn’t until a young man who wanted to sell us his boat took us sailing a short time later that we both fell in love with it instantly.
CHRIS: Yes it was a beautiful day, sun on the water, light breeze, a perfect sailing day.

PETER: From then on, the goal of building and sailing the boat had a new purpose. And once the boat was built, we learned to sail on this boat, with the help of friends.

CHRIS: And of course, we read. We read a lot - about sailing and boats, so we had the technical knowledge.

WHAT WERE YOUR CAREERS BEFORE LEAVING HOME?

PETER: I was an electrical and electronics engineer, a sometime professional guitarist, and later, needing more and more money to fund the outfitting of the boat (the hull was only 10%-20% of the total cost) I found it would take more money than even an excellent salary could support. So as a direct result of the need for more 'boat funds', I started a business inventing and selling electronic instruments for industry – I now have numerous patents, and invented the UNIMETER, which is used on Anzac Frigates, and also the Collins class submarines.

Chris was originally an accountant, but she spent the second half of her career as a physiotherapist. ('For a change of pace,' smiles Chris).

WHAT HAS BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR JOURNEY SO FAR?

PETER: Without a doubt, the greatest experience we have ever had was travelling up the Kumar River in Indonesia from Kalimantan and visiting among the urangatangs. We anchored our boats, and one of the local rangers took us by fast speedboat to see the half wild animals that they were introducing to the wild again. It was the most amazing experience making eye contact with these animals, and watching them being fed.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE WORST PART OF THE TRIP?

CHRIS: Probably the uncertainty and unpredictability of the journey. The fear of not being able to get parts in remote areas if we have a problem – in the Red Sea for instance. We didn’t have any serious problems, but there were boats along the way that were stuck with terrible and unsolvable problems. We know one boat that had to be towed by friends up much of the Red Sea because of engine problems.

DID YOU HAVE ANY SCARY OR FRIGHTENING MOMENTS:

PETER: There was a time along the coast of Sudan, in a beautiful inlet called Khor Narawhat when a Sudanese army vessel – an 8 metre aluminium vessel , with 7 Sudanese militia – boarded our boat – all seven of them. They had a big old gattling gun with them, which they also brought on board. They were checking for Americans, as the leader of the party just hated Americans.

Now, there were several American boats in the inlet with us, but they were all showing New Zealand or Australian or Canadian flags. It was really just as well they boarded us, as we could honestly say we were Australians. However, they double-checked that we were not Americans, and asked about the other boats.

In an effort to divert the conversation away from Americans, we told them that we both had a German heritage. This pleased the leader mightily.

'Germans are good, good Germans!' he said.
'Oh yes? You know some good Germans?'
'Yes yes,' he said, 'Adolf Hitler!'

We gave them cigarettes, and Coke and chocolates, and after a while they settled down and the leader even invited us to his home in Suakin when we came through. But it was a bit scary for a while. They told us we couldn’t stay there – we must leave first thing in the morning – we must turn on no lights, and have no music, no radio, and leave in the morning.

Naturally, we complied.

HAS THE JOURNEY CHANGED YOU? AND IF SO, HOW?

PETER: Well, it’s been very interesting learning about people. Most cruising people are magnificent, but there are a few… you wouldn’t credit how low they can go. It’s been educational.

CHRIS: I think that when we go home, we find it more difficult to fit into a ‘normal’ life – our priorities have changed, where those of many of our friends are still the same as when we left. When I arrive home each time, I am struck by the self-indulgence of the normal Australian lifestyle – the luxury.

PETER: yes, we have learned by living on the boat, how little you need to live happily and well. The supermarkets are choked with so many products – do we need them all? All those cleaning products for instance – rows and rows of them, and for what? – It’s just clever merchandising. Yes, we feel we have changed – more like citizens of the world in that we feel comfortable with a wide range of people.

However, I must say that we have also realised that Australia really is the promised land – the individual has more rights and more freedoms than almost anywhere else in the world. This has been brought home to us time and time again in the places that we have visited.

YOU MENTION GOING HOME. WHAT FAMILY DO YOU HAVE AT HOME?

PETER: We have a son, Peter Junior, 35 years old and a computer scientist – he graduated in that with first class honours.

Then there is Stephanie, 27 years – and she is now doing her Phd at Adelaide University in Pharmacology.

Yes we usually go home for 3-4 months every winter – summer and Christmas in Australia. They also come to visit often on the boat.

AFTER SEVEN YEARS, WHY ARE YOU CROSSING THE ATLANTIC NOW?

PETER: Well, we feel it’s time to go home – we figure that when we get home we will spend six months on the boat in Queensland and maybe six months at home in Adelaide. We should be home by October 2007.

DO YOU HAVE ANY OVERALL COMMENTS ON YOUR JOURNEY?

PETER: There ha