Plan B

We set off from Kangaroo Island to sail to Adelaide. With a stopover because we didn't want to arrive at the port at night. Some repairs were needed and the underwater hull needed to be cleaned. So the Kithara came to the dry dock.

Over the next few days, the algae layer was rubbed off with a sponge, cm by cm. Unfortunately, the already tense atmosphere on board continued to deteriorate. Various circumstances that were incompatible with an offshore passage and, not least, the behavior of the ship owner towards fellow sailors and me caused me to leave the ship on February 18, 2024.

Not a hasty reaction, but a well-considered one. This is my year. I will never have the opportunity to take a year off again. Even if my cancellation means that my dream of spending this year sailing has failed. But I need to feel safe and comfortable. Neither was given.

I rented a bed in a hostel for the time being to clear my head. Plan B, which didn't exist, had to be put together.

Renting a camper was out of the question for cost reasons. 6 weeks for 7000AUD. Alternatively, I looked at cars for sale. A lot of time on the internet led me to a suitable candidate. Since the owners were still in Adelaide, I was able to look at it the next day. Actually, I just looked at the owners to see if I felt like I could trust them. Because I know absolutely nothing about cars.

They then drove on to Melbourne and I arrived on Thursday February 22nd. followed by the night bus. Short handover in a supermarket parking lot, formalities in a cafe. That's it.

Since the car was registered in New South Wales but we were in Melbourne/Victoria, I had to drive across the border into NSW to carry out the simplified re-registration. After about 3.5 hours I was in Albury/NSW.

I stayed in a public park for 2 nights, not entirely legal but tolerated. The change of registration was done quickly. Simply fill out a form at a service center, present your passport and driver's license, and you're done.

So now I'm on the road. I still have to get used to life. Plan ahead, look for parking spaces, organize the car so that I'm not constantly looking for something.

It is exhausting. Not least because I'm still mourning my dream. But it's easy to give up, and so I try to adapt to the unexpected situation.

I get a lot of feedback about how great it is, a road trip in Australia. Many people say my plan for sailing was all well and good, but now they envy me.

But I never planned to go on a road trip and I would always prefer sailing. I feel good there, that's my element. But who knows, maybe I'll discover even more beyond my personal horizon.