But what makes BELLA GIOLA so desirable is not just her pedigree, but that hundreds of thousands of dollars have been invested in her upkeep, refits and sails since the current owner's acquisition in 2005. She is likely to be the best example of the design in the southern hemisphere (if not globally)

However for me the interest in the story is the roll on of business that the Australian Wooden Boat Festival creates when all the boats have returned to their home ports. After considering doing a great deal of the work myself , I came across the stand of the Wooden Boat Centre in Franklin , in particular Cody whom relayed his passion and plans to create as much new work for his apprentice shipwrights .

“…above all, keep simplicity in mind when looking over a boat. The push-button temptations of our age are fine, but strength and craftsmanship are a far better investment for most sailors…”
— Rod Stephens

So we returned to Australia to pack up our lives. The house needed to be rented, a new home had to be found for our beloved dog, immediate family had to be persuaded that what we were doing was not completely crazy, and friends had to be farewelled and encouraged to come and visit.