Birthday, Bouncy Ride & a Baby

The major highlight of this year for me was on the 27^th  October with the arrival of Brodie Malcolm McKendrick - my first Grandchild. The joy of seeing your own daughter and her husband become parents and see the love in their eyes that only you as a parent feel and cannot describe is just pure delight.

Our plan was to sail to Newport NSW for his birth; however, we had to delay our departure from Fiji, due to the importation of Trim to Australia via New Zealand! This thankfully gave me a great opportunity to pop back to New Zealand for Luke's birthday and we had a lovely weekend together in Wellington. Due to the dispersal of our family across the globe its not often I get to hug one of them on their birthday, so this was a real treat to be together. It also gave me an insight into his own work as he was very close to finishing his new animated video. ( no AI all hand drawn and produced).

Trim got his first-class trip to New Zealand via Fiji Airways on the 21^{st of} October, and we set off straight away as Emma's first born due on the 9^{th of} November! Having not waited for an ideal weather window, we just hunkered down and Joline tackled the uncomfortable ride.

Theoretically this could have been a wonderful downwind passage, but it wasn’t, and with a nasty looking front approaching with large  seas forecast it was the first time ever John and I had a serious conversation about turning around and heading in totally the opposite direction.

The decision to carry on was made an hour later as we got a text saying Emma had gone into labour two weeks early, no question now,  onward….. we bashed through the front, broke only a reefing cringle with the weather turning out to be much better than forecast and reached Australia five days later.

After a very efficient and professional check into Australia at Newcastle we had a very pleasant sail into Pittwater and headed straight to see young Brodie. Yes, I adore been with Brodie and his parents – seeing them all gel together and exude that love, which you cannot describe until you have your own kids. Eight weeks later its Christmas and we have enjoyed every minute of being anchored 15 min away from where they live.

Trim also arrived back on Joline after spending 10 days in five star quarantine in New Zealand followed by another first class flight to Sydney. He seemed unphased by his travels but has become incredibly loving since his return and certainly purring a lot.

Pittwater hosts an incredibly large sailing community and there are a lot of folk our age who are very welcoming and we have made a few  good friends along with visits from older friends which has been a lot of fun. John has been able to help a few folks with some technical problems (batteries and generators), including a new water-maker for Joline, which has kept him happily busy while I sneak in more Bonus Brodie time!

We have also been welcomed into the Avalon church, which is a vibrant, inspiring, and growing local community church facilitating an uplifting and inspiring weekly Sunday experience. In the wake of the horrible Bondi events, it was so relevant to feel an ethos of filling our hearts with love and care for others, prevailing. Even the Kings speech reiterated reconciliation and right triumphing over wrong and building a kinder future – it has been so brilliant to see the solidarity outwardly displayed in and Around Sydney after the horrible Bondi event.

With Christopher in Columbia – trekking around South America with the lovely Becca for four months, Luke in New Zealand and the rest of the family battling the cold and wet in the UK it was a relatively quiet Christmas hear in Australia with Brodie keeping us all entertained. Christmas eve was a splendid day hosted at the beautiful Treehouse (Emma and Brents place), with bubbles in 30-degree c pool followed by Christmas Turkey and all the trimmings. Brodie hosted present opening, and Emma challenged us list “name the romances in Love Actually,” which inevitable lead to a Christmas day viewing, to which I guessed four and counted nine!!!! – loved it.

Reflecting on 2025, aboard Joline we have a huge amount to be thankful for, as it has been another  great year – Tasmania, New Zealand, Fiji, Australia. Some great sailing and even better experiences involving family, friends and communities. Joline has kept us safe and thank you to all those who have made it a fabulous year.