Once in Noosa Bay we found that the Goose Neck had partially cracked. This is a piece of metal that attaches the mast to the boom. Had it completely snapped out to sea in the storm, we would have been well and truly in the 'fire'. Two days later, the three of us happily jumped ship. That is one extreme of the whole sailing 'gig'.
Sailing is really a great way to get about and even a better way to see world.
So check the skipper out, have a drink with him and go on your gut feeling, you always have the option to say 'no' and you can always jump ship if things aren't quite plain sailing. If you want more information about this area you can email the author or check out our Pacific Insiders page .