Family memoir - final in trilogy
Hear the Ocean Sing
Hear the Ocean Sing covers the years from 2000 to 2012 when Ian and I were sailing alone again. Our two sons, Jamie and David, were grown up - David finishing his university degree in mechanical engineering all the while buying and selling boats for a profit, and Jamie away in Possibilities, still sailing around the world.
At first, we thought we could fulfil our dream of sailing to South America. I wanted to see the fiords of southern Chile and Ian wanted to round the Horn. To that end, we bought the forty foot steel Libelle, an Alan Payne P400. We soon realised she and her gear were too heavy for us to manage without more muscled crew. In despair, we sold her to Tim Lamble and, becoming friends with Tim, crewed for him to Darwin.
We set our hearts on a Brolga 33 and searched Australia for one. They were built by Geoff Baker in Sydney during the late sixties and early seventies, the same as the mark one Top Hat. We had almost given up when I saw one advertised in Scarborough, Queensland. We bought Osprey-A in April 2004.
Our love of sailing to wild places was reignited. We let our home and moved aboard.
Hear the Ocean Sing was written between 2016-2018 and published by The Lakehouse Publications in 2019. It is printed on demand in Melbourne by Ingram Spark which has global distribution (ingramspark.com).
Abridged Review:
Hear the Ocean Sing is the final volume in Jan Mitchell’s trilogy detailing the sailing years of Jan and her husband, Ian.
The story begins in 2000 with the purchase of the steel Libelle and its replacement in 2004 with Osprey A. Despite the various handicaps of age and health, Ian and Jan were looking towards some more trans-ocean voyages, seeking new adventures.
Jan shows what can be achieved by ordinary people who have the determination and persistence to follow their dreams. Along with more familiar Australian coastal locations, their journey takes us to remote places most people will never visit, including Bathurst Harbour in Tasmania and Stewart Island south of New Zealand as well as the far northern bays of New Caledonia.
Jan writes in a straightforward easy-to-read manner, yet the imagery she creates with her words transports you into her world. Closing your eyes, you can even feel the motion as Osprey A moves with the wind and waves. I found Jan and Ian’s sailing chronicle immensely interesting and like all the best books, hard to put down.
Bruce Walker, former reviewer for Cruising Helmsman
“This is the third book from author Jan Mitchell documenting her and husband Ian’s sailing life (A Cruising Memoir). It is, in my opinion her best. While there is an element of sadness as it shares the story of the end of her ocean sailing experience, this book is filled with joy and optimism as she adapts to life on the land …
This book, always brutally honest, does not shy away from the reality of storm and breakages, but also shows the joy and beauty they experienced visiting wild places where few others venture. Their approach is a ‘bare bones’ style where they can be totally self-sufficient…”
John Tylor, former reviewer for Cruising Helmsman
At first, we thought we could fulfil our dream of sailing to South America. I wanted to see the fiords of southern Chile and Ian wanted to round the Horn. To that end, we bought the forty foot steel Libelle, an Alan Payne P400. We soon realised she and her gear were too heavy for us to manage without more muscled crew. In despair, we sold her to Tim Lamble and, becoming friends with Tim, crewed for him to Darwin.
We set our hearts on a Brolga 33 and searched Australia for one. They were built by Geoff Baker in Sydney during the late sixties and early seventies, the same as the mark one Top Hat. We had almost given up when I saw one advertised in Scarborough, Queensland. We bought Osprey-A in April 2004.
Our love of sailing to wild places was reignited. We let our home and moved aboard.
Hear the Ocean Sing was written between 2016-2018 and published by The Lakehouse Publications in 2019. It is printed on demand in Melbourne by Ingram Spark which has global distribution (ingramspark.com).
Abridged Review:
Hear the Ocean Sing is the final volume in Jan Mitchell’s trilogy detailing the sailing years of Jan and her husband, Ian.
The story begins in 2000 with the purchase of the steel Libelle and its replacement in 2004 with Osprey A. Despite the various handicaps of age and health, Ian and Jan were looking towards some more trans-ocean voyages, seeking new adventures.
Jan shows what can be achieved by ordinary people who have the determination and persistence to follow their dreams. Along with more familiar Australian coastal locations, their journey takes us to remote places most people will never visit, including Bathurst Harbour in Tasmania and Stewart Island south of New Zealand as well as the far northern bays of New Caledonia.
Jan writes in a straightforward easy-to-read manner, yet the imagery she creates with her words transports you into her world. Closing your eyes, you can even feel the motion as Osprey A moves with the wind and waves. I found Jan and Ian’s sailing chronicle immensely interesting and like all the best books, hard to put down.
Bruce Walker, former reviewer for Cruising Helmsman
“This is the third book from author Jan Mitchell documenting her and husband Ian’s sailing life (A Cruising Memoir). It is, in my opinion her best. While there is an element of sadness as it shares the story of the end of her ocean sailing experience, this book is filled with joy and optimism as she adapts to life on the land …
This book, always brutally honest, does not shy away from the reality of storm and breakages, but also shows the joy and beauty they experienced visiting wild places where few others venture. Their approach is a ‘bare bones’ style where they can be totally self-sufficient…”
John Tylor, former reviewer for Cruising Helmsman
