Project Freewheel

Leg 4/4: Achievement Unlocked

The day after we landed in Geraldton, it was time to celebrate. We hit the Old Man & the Sea rooftop bar, sinking a few cocktails, followed by a cracking bottle of wine and pizza at —highly recommend, by the way. With the weather about to take a turn, we hunkered down at the marina, bracing for a blow to roll through. But we weren’t exactly idle—hired a car, dashed up to Carnarvon, and leapfrogged the van south. No rest for the wicked.

By Friday, the storm had blown over, leaving us with what looked like a pearler of a 2-day window to tear down to Rockingham. Feeling rested and ready, we motored out through the channel, back onto the big, blue watery road. No wind at first, but the seas were calm, a welcome change. We whipped up a breakfast sandwich, settling into the rhythm of our hand-steering shifts. Even under motor, we were making solid headway, averaging 5 to 6 knots, and feeling good about it.

This leg was fairly uneventful, aside from the bilge situation. The dripless seal had been leaking since we bought the boat, but now it was a full-on problem. We had to empty the bilge every 90 minutes as we closed in on Perth, setting an alarm to keep us on track. Not ideal, but it wasn’t slowing us down.

About 8 hours in, we finally got the sails up. With 12-15 knots on the beam, we were flying again—just like the second half of our Geraldton trip, hitting 7.5 knots at times. Grins all round. There were a few fishing boats and cray pots to dodge, and—of course—more whales making an appearance, as if on cue.

After a few legs under our belt, this final stretch felt like a breeze. As Rottnest Island came into view, Jobbo and I shared a bit of an anticlimax. They say it’s about the journey, not the destination—and it’s true. We took a moment to reflect on all the hard graft, sacrifice, and sheer luck it took to get here. This trip had been months in the making, a huge milestone, but as we neared Rockingham, the seas glassed out and the excitement shifted to quiet satisfaction.

Just as darkness fell, we heard the splash of dolphins, one appearing right next to us, guiding us all the way to our final stop.

Can’t believe we actually made it. Now it's back to work, to pay off the boat loan and start saving for the next big adventure north—about 18 months from now.

Thanks for following our trip!