Many of you who have completed courses with Southern Cross over the past 12 months will have had Matt Dickinson as your instructor. It is with some sadness that we farewell Matt as he leaves to continue his circumnavigation. Matt retired from the Royal Air Force a few years ago and he and his lovely partner Charlotte departed the UK some 3 years ago on board their Beneteau 46 Gallinago. Australia was the half way point of their trip and they are now on the homeward leg, but with an extra crew on board.
You see they not only stopped here to have a break, shelter from the cyclones and refit the boat, there was the other small matter of having a baby! Yes new bowperson ‘Ivy’ (now 3 months old) has shipped on board for the next stage of their adventure and should ensure that they are rarely bored for the rest of the trip. I am sure you will all join us here at Southern Cross in wishing them well and thanking Matt for all his hard work. However the Dickinson family connection continues as we welcome Matt’s sister Faye to the office staff here at Southern Cross Yachting. We feel like a real RYA school now with English accent answering the phones.
In many ways Matt was the ideal instructor as he is living the dream that so many of our students share – that of sailing their own yacht around the world. And this dream begins right here at Southern Cross. If the next step in your preparation is Coastal Skipper theory then you need to book a place on our next 5 day Intensive Coastal Skipper shorebased theory course Monday 25 to Friday 29 May 2015.
Before you know it you to will be heading off like Matt and Charlotte to sail around the world.
And just to be clear the having a baby on the way is not mandatory, nor is it covered in the course.
You will have to work that one out for yourselves!
That’s all for this edition, until next time fairs winds to Matt and all.
Cheers Mike Job