Sisters Sail: January 2025 Weekend Recap

Our First Group Trip

In January 2025, a group of adventurous women came together for a weekend on the water — the inaugural Sisters Sail event.

Catherine McDonald (founder), Rona Myrtle, Kylie Jones, Bonnie Grima, Janelle Roberts, Kate Bickley & Starsand - Port Geographe Marina. January 2025

We sailed aboard Starsand, now owned by Adventure Sailing WA, for an overnight trip designed to introduce us to the basics of sailing a large yacht. The weather was stunning, the water was pristine, and learning alongside like-minded women made it all the more fun. The connections were genuine, and by the end, we were all wishing we had a full week together — at least!

We met at Port Geographe Marina in Busselton, a relaxed and peaceful harbour where Starsand was by far the biggest yacht on the dock. We had invited a group of day sailors to join us, and after a safety briefing, everyone found their place — whether lounging at the stern or jumping into sailing responsibilities.

Pups ready to catch the mooring

Our instructor, Pups, was phenomenal. She was the first female instructor I’ve sailed with — and easily the best I’ve encountered. Her explanations were clear, simple, and made everyone feel capable and confident.

We sailed, swam, shared stories, and even scouted a nearby shipwreck to freedive on next time — when we don’t have to return our passengers to port! Our meals were a feast of fresh, local produce. We gathered around the table (or wherever we happened to be), chatting over coffee, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Whether we were prepping food together or relaxing on deck in the sunshine, everything flowed with ease.

New friendships were formed. Some of us discovered we were from the same towns, while others made plans to meet again on future trips. There were moments of laughter, spontaneous adventure accounts, interesting life stories, and that lovely quiet comfort of just being on the water together.

Bonnie at the helm

“I didn’t know anyone when I arrived, but I left with sisters.”“I felt so calm learning with women, and can't wait to use my skills back home with the family.”

After being skippered before this trip, I knew I wanted to take the next step — to become a skipper myself and chart my own course. I completed the next layer of training to earn my ticket to hire a vessel. But as any sailor knows, to venture out, you need a crew. And to make it memorable — you need good company.

Not everyone has a group of old friends ready to sail off into the horizon, so Sisters Sail was born: a space for women from all over the world to come together and create extraordinary shared experiences.

This weekend proved to me exactly why I started Sisters Sail — the power of women coming together, away from everyday life, to reconnect with themselves, each other, and the natural world.

If you missed this one, don’t worry — there’s more coming. We’re heading out for 24 days in Indonesia — exploring remote islands, sailing, and diving coral reefs. Beyond that, Sisters Sail is expanding into diving adventures in Indonesia, surfing retreats in Sri Lanka, horse riding in Mongolia, and hiking in Mallorca.

Sisters Sail is building a global community of women who want more than just a holiday — for those who want connection, challenge, freedom, and joy.

This weekend was a demonstration of how easy it can be to connect when you're learning something together in a relaxed environment.

Thanks to everyone who joined — it was exactly what I needed.