The Good Ship "Elsie Brown" - this rough magic

For six years, from 2005-9, I sailed much of the UAE coast in my gaff rigged trailer-sailer, “Elsie Brown”. In 2009, I shipped her home to Australia where she was berthed at the Yaringa Boat Harbour on Westerport Bay, sixty kilometres south-east of Melbourne, Australia.

Ashore on a small sand island five kilometres west of Abu Dhabi (2007). The traditional owners, who have a date-palm plantation on the island, kindly let me camp on the beach for a few nights while I explored the neighbouring islands.

Named after my maternal grandmother, she is a stripped-planked Evening Swan designed by Paul Fisher built in Melbourne by Chris van der Cratts. Elsie has a shallow bilge/shoal keel ideal for the shallow waters of the Arabian Gulf and Westerport Bay. She is easily beached and sits upright on the sand until the tide returns. She has twin berths (convertable to a double), a porta-potty and a small galley.

Sailing of the coast of Kalba just north of the Omani border on the Indian Ocean side of the UAE (2006). Shorty after this photo was taken the winds gusted over thirty knots and I lost the chain bobstay holding down the bobsprit at the bow. My companion boat lost her forstay but we returned safely home.

A few years ago the current owner of Elsie contacted me from Nepal where he worked for a NPO. He was arranging to ship Elsie from Victoria to his home state, Tasmania. I hope to meet up with them while I am in Tasmania.