Overview

Crossings in Realitas, is a 16-year tale of family cruising. The story is, like the Mitchell's boats, a no-nonsense and honest look at life. Four years cruising around the world during the 1970s (Two in a Top Hat) and the addition to the family of two young sons, took more energy - emotional and physical than either had expected. Buying a house in Sydney, finding jobs and bringing up a small family took its toll on both parents, but they never lost sight of their ultimate goal, buying the next cruising boat. A visit to the builder of Phantom Yachts in 1984 allowed Ian and Jan to satisfy themselves that this was no fly-by-night operation. The Phantom 32 is a well-built cruising yacht with a deservedly good reputation. With a safe cruising yacht, their first long trip was to Tasmania and then the Bass Strait islands. Each year, there were new destinations and it was not too long before the Tasman beckoned with that long ago attempted trip to Lord Howe finally being realised. Meeting up with friends from their Coastal Cruising Club provided an additional highlight of that trip. Many other cruises followed, including two more visits to Lord Howe Island, the latter being extended to the mid-ocean reefs on The Lord Howe Ridge. This book has shown how ordinary people, despite major financial and health setbacks, can enjoy the freedom of life at sea. Now with another boat, they are still enjoying the cruising life, but that is the topic of Jan Mitchell's next book, Hear the Ocean Sing.

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9780648497622

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Reviews

I loved Two in a Top Hat. I was mainly unfamiliar with the voyage until I read it. An amazing adventure by anyone's standard. Re Crossings in Realitas, congratulations are in order. Another excellent sailing publication. Andrew Cortis, sailor. I couldn't put it down. Read the whole book in two sittings. Bruce Walker, sailor. Crossings in Realitas is an interesting read about a series of well-conducted voyages that were made with little fuss. It is also a good a reminder of what can be done in a modest boat without many of the trinkets that are now often regarded as essential. If that sort of read appeals, I commend it to you. John Pennefather (sailor). My wife and I holidayed at Dunk Island a few years ago and loved it as much as you did. I got ""Confessions of a Beachcomber"" out of our local library on return because we had seen Banfield's gravestone on the island with Thoreau's famous lines which Banfield was supposed to have lived by ""... if a man does not keep pace with his companions it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears"". I reckon that must just about sum up the way you two look at life as well. Good on you both.

"I loved Two in a Top Hat. I was mainly unfamiliar with the voyage until I read it. An amazing adventure by anyone's standard. Re Crossings in Realitas, congratulations are in order. Another excellent sailing publication. Andrew Cortis, sailor. I couldn't put it down. Read the whole book in two sittings. Bruce Walker, sailor. Crossings in Realitas is an interesting read about a series of well-conducted voyages that were made with little fuss. It is also a good a reminder of what can be done in a modest boat without many of the trinkets that are now often regarded as essential. If that sort of read appeals, I commend it to you. John Pennefather (sailor). My wife and I holidayed at Dunk Island a few years ago and loved it as much as you did. I got ""Confessions of a Beachcomber"" out of our local library on return because we had seen Banfield's gravestone on the island with Thoreau's famous lines which Banfield was supposed to have lived by ""... if a man does not keep pace with his companions it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears"". I reckon that must just about sum up the way you two look at life as well. Good on you both."

I loved Two in a Top Hat. I was mainly unfamiliar with the voyage until I read it. An amazing adventure by anyone's standard. Re Crossings in Realitas, congratulations are in order. Another excellent sailing publication. Andrew Cortis, sailor. I couldn't put it down. Read the whole book in two sittings. Bruce Walker, sailor. Crossings in Realitas is an interesting read about a series of well-conducted voyages that were made with little fuss. It is also a good a reminder of what can be done in a modest boat without many of the trinkets that are now often regarded as essential. If that sort of read appeals, I commend it to you. John Pennefather (sailor). My wife and I holidayed at Dunk Island a few years ago and loved it as much as you did. I got Confessions of a Beachcomber out of our local library on return because we had seen Banfield's gravestone on the island with Thoreau's famous lines which Banfield was supposed to have lived by ... if a man does not keep pace with his companions it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears . I reckon that must just about sum up the way you two look at life as well. Good on you both.

Author Information

Jan Mitchell moved from New Zealand to live in Australia in 1970. Since her twenties, Jan has written magazine stories about her sailing adventures, having been published in Personality (South Africa), Cruising World (USA), Australian Sea Spray, Cruising Helmsman, Australian Sailing and Woman's Day. Her other non-fiction books are tinker tailor, soldier, sailor...the life of Colin Kerby OAM, Two in a Top Hat and Hear the Ocean Sing. The latter two books are the first and third volumes of a three part sailing memoir of ocean voyages made by Jan, her husband, Ian, and their two sons.

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