Log Entry 8th March 2008

Lara is the sixth and newest member of our family (yet another girl!) whom we officially “adopted” on the 21st of February 2008. Although twenty-four years old she presents extremely well having undergone an extensive refinish in 2006. Having sailed a Sabot well into my teens I have always enjoyed sailing and reading sailing adventures, particularly small boat global circumnavigations of which there have been many over the years. More recently but still some years ago, Yolande and I had the pleasure of overnighting at Moreton Island on a friend’s Star 22, a comfortable aluminium trailer sailer, as well, I was lucky enough to crew in a two-day social trailer sailer race on another friend’s Red Jacket. Yolande has always dreamed of owning a boat and since we are not getting any younger, we decided this would be an opportune time to take the plunge, particularly as our other girls are growing up fast and this would enable us to enjoy a pastime as a family.

At just over twenty-three feet (or seven metres) and 1.8 tonnes, I’m not sure Lara qualifies as a trailer sailer, although she is certainly trailerable. She sleeps four (or two adults and three kids) and with all the conveniences of home (sink, stove, icebox, dinette etc) she will be a comfortable and cosy overnighter. We are fortunate that she is also a Hood 23SD (shoal draft), which I think is more convenient for the shallows of Moreton Bay than the keel version. Lara is currently dry berthed at the Wynnum-Manly boat harbour, which means she sits fully rigged and can be launched and retrieved by the marina’s boatlift at very short notice.