This week we have a chat with Jim Woods about his plans for a trip in 2027 from Hobart to the Louisiades in his beautiful Cray Boat, the MARGARET PEARL. Jim talks about preparing a Bass Strait boat for the tropics, how to manage the fuel supply issues, what keeps him awake at night and why he’s undertaking this great adventure.

The boats also floated, to some extent, the economy of the village. They bought material for maintenance, supplies for fishing trips, groceries and the like for their families when they were in port and fuel for the diesel engines which powered the cray boats. The townsfolk all knew each other and were linked socially as well as through the fishing fleet or the little enterprises which supported it.

When Jim saw the article we published last week in SWS entitled “A Final Stitch Through the Nose” he wrote to us asking to remind the readers, that here in Melbourne we have a beautiful historic vessel that is ready and waiting, in survey, and most importantly very experienced in handling the most important and emotional moments of your family’s journey.

But the takeaway for me as one of the current custodians, is that I didn't realise how much these old wooden boats still meant to the people who had been involved with them.

Any musical genre will be considered. Jim’s especially looking to find a jazz/blues piano player to take on melodica duties but he’s also hoping to see bagpipes, bush ballads, bosa nova, bebop and blues - perhaps not all at the same time!