Yacht Willow - Sailing and Yachting Adventures

The Crew

Captain and First Mate

Sail with us

Captain and First Mate

Bruce and Lindsey
Willow's Captain and First Mate

Bruce

Born in the Victorian countryside, Bruce hails from the Latrobe valley, Australia. He worked in the power industry as an electrician on large automated mechanical plant, and then as a training and development instructor, prior to operating his own electrical / refrigeration business in country Victoria and later in the Whitsunday Islands. These became more marine related as his pursuit of a sailing life developed; until he became a full-time sailor in 2001.

A qualified Australian Yachting Federation Offshore Yachtmaster Instructor and Royal Yachting Association/DOT Offshore Yachtmaster, Bruce has delivered many yachts around the coast of Australia, from Darwin to Melbourne and across the Great Australian Bight. He has worked as an offshore sailing Instructor for AYF schools in Brisbane and the Whitsunday Islands, and has operated yacht charters and sail-training holidays also in the Whitsunday's.
As a keen diver and registered Divemaster, Bruce has explored the Great Barrier Reef, as well as dive sites in New Guinea, Yap State in Micronesia the Philippines and Thailand.

Whilst based in Hong Kong, Bruce managed a Classic yacht resoration project, and delivered racing yachts and power boats around South East Asia. He also worked as Skipper on the 67 foot ex-Challenge Yacht ‘Spirit of Outward Bound’, for Outward Bound Hong Kong, and continues to act as 'Relief Skipper' as circumstances permit.

With over 15,000 Nautical Miles logged in International travel aboard Willow and previously in excess of 30,000 Nautical Miles logged on the East Coast of Australia, Bass Strait, The Great Australia Bight, the Coral Sea and the Arafura Sea; including a successful Greenpeace research trip to the Fly River Delta, Papua New Guinea as Skipper aboard "Whitsunday Passage".

Bruce has the knowledge, skills and experience to ensure safe, successful passages aboard Willow.

Lindsey

Lindsey grew up surrounded by the sea – on Walney Island, in the north-west English county of Cumbria.

Leaving Cumbria in 1987 for university and a degree in Textile & Color Chemistry, she then spent number of years in corporate life in northern textile towns, before seeking the warmth of an ex-pat lifestyle in Sri Lanka. Back to a life surrounded by the sea, yet it took another move to Hong Kong and a dinghy course one cold February before a real life on the water began.

The demands of senior corporate life continued in Hong Kong but were now balanced with a number of seasons crewing for local racing yacht owners, as well as developing her practical skills aboard her first boat Triton – a 31 foot Offshore Cheoy Lee sloop.

Lindsey met Bruce in the Whitsundays, and together they dreamt of adopting the cruising lifestyle full-time... living aboard the perfect boat, sailing to fantastic destinations, and inviting like-minded people to share the adventure with them – for a coastal cruise, a diving adventure or maybe just a relaxing holiday on the water.

That dream became a reality with the purchase of Willow.

'Willow', launched in 1991, was lovingly built in the classical style by Danish shipwright Kim Pilegaard Jensen as his own yacht; a blend of age old traditional techniques and modern composite technology.

After periods of cruising the Solomons and Micronesia, Kim and his family had settled on Hamilton Island, with Willow seemingly settled in her marina berth.

A chance remark during a social call on New Years Day 2004, lead to a change of ownership, and less than 8 weeks later Willow sailed from Australia to Hong Kong via New Guinea, Yap in the north Pacific and the Philippines.

During 2005 we travelled to China, Macau and explored the great cruising ground of Hong Kong.

2006 started with a 5 month trip from Hong Kong to Phuket, Thailand; via the Philippines, Sabah, Brunei, Sarawak, Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia. It was a fantastic trip for everyone who joined us aboard during that time. We called in at some dream destinations, as well as many breathtaking, remote places inaccessible to even the most intrepid independent traveller.

The wonderful islands of the Andaman Sea, scenic Phang Nga Bay, Thailand, and passages along the Thai and Malaysia coastlines have been keeping Willow busy ever since, and her crew plans to spend the 2007/08 season exploring this beautiful, and unique part of the world - both above and below the water.