-
The Little Boat
Chris builds a 1/8 scale of the Northeast Dory to understand how we build the real boat.
-
Boat Build – Day 7
I picked Chris up from home and we headed down along the coast filled with optimism and joi de vie. The sun was out, the skies blue and the sea was calm with a steady easterly pushing offshore. Quick stop for coffee and onto the site to confirm if our blue tarpaulin had done the […]
-
Boat Build – Day 6
The last days of winter threw water at us from the sky. A melancholy wet greyness that made you look for a warm fire and a hot brew to warm the cockles of your heart. Practically though, it meant rain through the side of the container and into our nascent workshop. A well watered workshop […]
-
Boat Build – Day 5
It was significantly colder today. Both of us wore long pants and I had the hoodie on to ward off the cool weather. Undeterred by the entirely expected drizzling rain and north-easterly winds, Chris and I move our attention to the bulkheads. We used the floor of the 20’ container to layout the wooden pieces […]
-
Boat Build – Day 4
The sun shone on us as winter drew to a close. After gluing the side plank puzzle pieces with epoxy resin yesterday it was with some trepidation that we arrived at the shed. Had we successfully joined the wood together or was it a travesty of resin failure? We didn’t have to wait long…. I’ve […]
-
Boat Build – Day 3
Age has an insidious way of sneaking up on you thought Reece has he left the doghouse and drove down to Freo, still worse for wear after a wine dinner two nights ago. Fortunately, the sun shone, the children were relatively happy and at school and it’ll probably only take two weeks or so to […]
-
Boat Build – Day 2
With a blue winter sky calling us forward we arrived at the workshop keen for some action. Today we intended to take the first physical steps towards building the boat. Coffees in hand (skinny flat white for me and long mach 3/4 topped up for Chris) we perused the site and then got down to […]
Its not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves
Sir Edmund Hillary, June 1953
Follow Reece and Chris as they build their small wooden boat, without any prior experience, then prepare for and race from Port Townsend, Washington State USA to Ketchikan, Alaska USA – a voyage of 750 nautical miles (~1,390km) along the west coast of Canada. In doing so our boys will challenge themselves and confront their own personal demons.
Why?
To raise general awareness for mental health while addressing their own set of mental health challenges accrued through many years in the military and police.
Can you help?
Absolutely!! Share the blog, talk to a friend about this, ask a mate if they are ok or specifically support this adventure through tax deductible donations or purchasing equipment for the expedition.
Who are these crazy cats?
Chris and Reece have known each other for a long time. Although not recorded on any manuscript the boys recall meeting for the first time at their local primary school in Perth in 1989 aged 12 and 11. The boys then proceeded to surf, fish, scuba dive, trek, sail, kayak and narrowly avoid disaster and police warrants throughout their teen years.
CHRIS
Chris completed school, went to university as a science student before doing a stint at a local hospital. Shortly afterwards Chris joined the Royal Australian Air Force as an Avionics Technician doing six years on both the east and west coast of Australia. Chris then switched uniforms and joined the Western Australian Police Force for a further 10 years of service, seeing and experiencing the best and worst of humanity. Chris spent nine months in Colombia as an aid volunteer and is a continually improving Spanish linguist. Chris currently works as a federal investigator with APHRA. Chris is an accomplished Ironman and ocean swimmer with a keen eye for detail and a very practical mindset.
REECE
Reece finished school and joined the Army on a whim in 1996 as a 17 year old, posting to the 8th / 9th Royal Australian Regiment after graduating from Duntroon. Reece deployed eight times to a variety of places including Bougainville, Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, East Timor and the Solomon Islands. He was diagnosed with Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in 2020 after a breakdown at work and was subsequently medically discharged in April 2021. Reece has four young children occasionally consults to governments on strategy and ethics. Reece is an experienced yachtsman and has skippered in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race three times.
Mental wellbeing is an issue for both boys after their military and policing services and they want to show that your mental wellbeing can be supported through woodwork, sailing and adventuring.
The Build
Over the next twelve months Chris and Reece intend to build a 17 foot wooden dory by hand in North Fremantle – facilitated by ConnectedBy – and then proceed to prepare the large dinghy (or really small yacht) for an anticipated three week race from Port Townsend, Washington USA to Ketchikan, Alaska USA in June 2024.
The race is called, in the spirit of all things unimaginative but filled with dashed dreams – The Race to Alaska (or R2AK). The race is full of nutters, all who have to complete the 750 nautical mile journey across water in unpowered craft.
Yep, that’s no engines. You are allowed oars, sails and wishful thinking. No outside assistance and you sleep with the otters, beavers, bears, salmon and killer whales.
Bear* in mind that Reece and Chris will have to transport their wooden craft from one side of the world to the polar opposite just to start the race.
*Fauna pun intended
Current thinking is that the boat will go by container to the US mainland and taken to Port Townsend where it’ll be met and rebuilt by the intrepid adventurers.
The Boat
dubl duck, named by Chris after a ye oldy time razor company to signify how sharp we are – Reece just thinks its because if the boat tips over off the Canadian coast then we’re double ducked!
dubl duck is a 17′ North East Dory, built from a kit supplied by Denman Marine under licence from Chesapeake Light Craft. This fine craft has been built at ConnectedBy in North Fremantle Western Australia. ConnectedBy is facilitating this project as part of its mission to provide a trigger free rehabilitation centre.
