Realitas, the fibreglass yacht shown above, is a Phantom 33, built in an outer Sydney suburb  in 1979. Ian and Jan Mitchell bought Realitas in 1983. It became their family holdiay home for the next eighteen years. With their young sons, Jamie and David, the family sailed to Tasmania in 1984/5, to Jervis Bay 1985/6, to New Zealand in 1988/9, to Lord Howe Island 1989/90 and again in 1992/93. The picture above was taken in 1993, when the family visited World Heritage Middleton Reef, before heading home for the start of the new school year.
In 1995, the boys were starting their own cruising adventures, Jamie in a sister ship to Caprice, a Top Hat called Possibilities. David started with a Hobie 16, which he improved and sold at a profit. He followed this success with several more vessels, all sold at a profit. His aim was to save enough to buy a cruising catamaran.
Sailing as a couple again, Jan and Ian went to Gabo Island in 1999 and to Far North Queensland and the Outer Barrier Reef in 2000.
The purchase of a 40' steel yacht in 2001 proved a mistake and she was quickly sold to a much stronger man, for whom they crewed to Darwin during the first leg of his world voyage in 2003. The trip back to Sydney in a Toyota 4WD hi-top camper was via the west coast.
They found Osprey A, a Brolga 33 (Joubert design) in Queensland in 2004. Osprey has taken them around Tasmania, to New Caledonia and for a six month cruise of the east coast of all three main islands of New Zealand.
Jan went on her final off-shore cruise to Lord Howe Island for New Year 2012. Once again, it was a family cruise, but this time the family was aboard The Wild Goose, a 1969 Morgan 45, owned by Jamie and his wife Lisa, with David and his wife Heather as part of the crew. Jan has retired from off shore cruising for health reasons.


 

home nd Jiisis zaan Mitchell, writer of biographies, sailing and travel journalist, is based in Rathmines, NSW, Australia.  Her latest biography  "tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor...the life of Colin Kerby, OAM"  launched 19 November 2011.

Jan Mitchell, Jan, Mitchell, Author, Writer, Biography, Biographer, Sailing, Article, Articles, Journalist, Journalism, Writers, Rathmines, Australia, Books, Book, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor, Colin, Kerby, OAM, Colin Kerby, Sailing articles, Publish, Published, Publication, Publications, Australian, Magazine, Sea, Researcher, Documenting, Life, Circumnavigation, Cruising, Cruising Helmsman, Cruising World, Sea Spray, Travel, Top Hat, Around the World

Writingsfromjanmitchell.com Writingsfromjanmitchell.com Writingsfromjanmitchell.com Writingsfromjanmitchell.com Writingsfromjanmitchell.com Writingsfromjanmitchell.com Writingsfromjanmitchell.com Writingsfromjanmitchell.com Writingsfromjanmitchell.com Writingsfromjanmitchell.com Writingsfromjanmitchell.com Writingsfromjanmitchell.com Writingsfromjanmitchell.com Writingsfromjanmitchell.com Writingsfromjanmitchell.com

Writer author jan mitchell Writer author jan mitchell Writer author jan mitchell Writer author jan mitchell Writer author jan mitchell Writer author jan mitchell Writer author jan mitchell Writer author jan mitchell Writer author jan mitchell Writer author jan mitchell Writer author jan mitchell Writer author jan mitchell Writer author jan mitchell Writer author jan mitchell Writer author jan mitchell Writer author jan mitchell Writer author jan mitchell Writer author jan mitchell Writer author jan mitchell