The dream had been bobbing around in Torren Martyn and Aiyana Powell’s heads for a year or two. It seemed pretty simple: learn how to sail, buy a boat and head off on an adventure exploring waves in exotic locations.
But things don’t always go to plan. Only a few days after beginning the process of learning how to sail, an opportunity popped up. A boat in the South China Sea that needed to be delivered to eastern Indonesia - 'the job’s yours if you want it.' With thousands of remote islands and endless perfect surf between origin and destination, the decision seemed simple. 'Why wouldn’t we? Only one small problem - we don’t know how to sail yet…'
When Torren and Aiyana borrowed the 35ft sailing boat Calypte and departed from the east coast of Thailand in early 2022, they had a combined sailing experience of only a few days. The one requirement of their charter was to eventually deliver the boat to Eastern Indonesia. They could learn as they go, get a few friends with sailing experience to help through the tricky bits and pick up as much as possible from them along the way. With this plan, the pair embarked onto the South China Sea, headed up through the Strait of Malacca and around the tip of Sumatra; out into the Indian Ocean on a year-long surfing and sailing expedition in search of perfect waves. What seemed like an idyllic journey doesn’t come easy, sleepless nights, the endless rolling and tossing of the boat, the breakdowns, almost sinking, the relentless maintenance and the confined space. But adventures always seem sweeter if it feels like you had to work to get there.
‘Calypte – a sailing and surfing voyage’ is a story of taking risks and embarking on new challenges. It’s about two surfers learning to become a sailors and being shaped by the sea. The sort of experiences that can only be gained by throwing yourself in the deep end and taking a chance.
Produced by needessentials.
All proceeds from this event will be donated to Surfaid.org to help with their work to improve the health, wellbeing and resilience of remote communities in Indonesia.
Saturday 17 November Screening
4.30 pm - Venue Doors and Bar open
5.10 pm - Theatre doors open
5.30 pm - Screening 1 commences
7.15 pm - Screening 1 with Q&A ends
7.40 pm - Theatre doors reopen
8.00 pm - Screening 2 commences
10.00 pm - Screening 2 with Q&A ends
Sunday 26 November Screening
5.00 pm - Venue Doors and Bar open
69 Jonson St, Byron Bay
Monday, Wednesday and Friday
10:30am – 1:30pm
(02) 6685 6807
[email protected]
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