| Launched | 8/1/1979 in Albany (date of contract: 29/6/78) |
| Owner | Phil & Caroline Michelides |
| Purchased | 2008 |
| Contact | michelides@iinet.net.au |
| Configuration | |
| Colour | |
| Berthed | Mindarie Marina |
| Sail Number | |
| Australian Registration | |
| State Registration | |
| Call Sign | |
| Builder | Swarbricks |
| Hull Number | 60 |
| Fit Out | |
| Previous Owners | Brian 0’Keefe (original owner, based in Albany)John & Melody Slatter (Cottesloe):14/5/80-24/7/91 Mark McCrea (South Perth): 24/7/91- ? Peter Robinson (Claremont): purchase date unknown Phil Tickle (Geographe Bay): 8/3/94-25/4/96 Wayne Fletcher & Kerry Skinner (Dampier):25/4/96-2008 |
| Previous Names | The Sting (launched as). Name changed to Miss Cath in May 1996 |
The Yacht’s Story
“Miss Cath” was built for Brain O’Keefe and transported to Albany. In 1980 she was sold to John and Melody Slatter of Cottesloe. At some stage (perhaps when owned by Peter
Robinson) she was berthed at FSC, then later on a mooring at Geographe Bay when owned by Phil Tickle. She was then purchased by Wayne and Kerry who were living in Dampier at the time. They renamed her “Miss Cath”. They moved her to Royal Freshwater Bay YC in 1998.
Wayne and Kerry Fletcher circumnavigated from 2000-2007. On return to Australia she was sold to Phil Michelides. Fletch helped Phil sail her back to Perth where she was penned at Claremont YC.
About the Owners
Miss Cath around the World 2000-2008:
In October 2000 Wayne Fletcher left Fremantle in Miss Cath to capture the world.
Miss Cath’s run northwest-ward to Europe involved stops at the Cocos Islands, Galle in Sri Lanka, Cochin – India, and Aden in Yemen. Wayne’s partner Kerry Skinner joined him for the sail to India and across the Arabian Sea. They went via Salalah in Oman on this leg. While the ‘Pilot’ warns of pirate activity, Wayne and Kerry were free from those troubles although they met other sailors with alarming stories – particularly for the seas off Somalia. They then traversed the Red Sea and ported for a while in Israel in 2001- 02.
By mid 2003 Wayne had made his way to Smir on the east coast of Morocco, before housing Miss Cath and returning to Western Australia for work, and to be a father to his new daughter. In 2004, Kerry reported that ‘Fletch’ returned to Miss Cath and had sailed to Gibraltar then onward to the Canary Islands. He met up with an American yachtsman in a 42 footer and they kept in company which allowed them to effectively keep watch in those busy sea lanes. Also there were other yachts in the general vicinity. 2005 saw Miss Cath being refurbished in Trinidad. She eventually sailed back across the Pacific to landfall in Bundaberg, Queensland in 2007, where Miss Cath had some “R&R” while Fletch returned to domestic bliss and no doubt with some regrets sold Miss Cath to Phil Michelides. Wayne and Phil sailed Miss Cath back to her home in Fremantle over Christmas 2008.
A small world. I bought the Fleming windvane off Wayne when Miss Cath was in Queensland. I fitted it to Morning Bird and subsequently did a lot of coastal cruising in NSW and three lord Howe trips.
I had Morning Bird moored in Pittwater until 2016 when I moved house and relocated her to Drummoyne, just off the sailing club. I sold Morning Bird in 2021 and she went to Melbourne.
I was sailing past Drummoyne Sailing Club on Friday and lo and behold, there is Miss Cath on a mooring about 100 meteres from where I had Morning Bird.