OWNER/SKIPPER

Jamie was born in Australia, raised by a single mother, on a single mothers pension. He attended public schools, and had no real plan for the future, except that he wanted to be a musician.

After completion of high school he began working in a local factory. Jamie happened to be invited for a joy flight by a friend who owned his own Cessna. This began his passion for flight. And soon enough he began paying for his own flying lessons.

Six years later, he first became employed as a pilot flying light aircraft in outback Australia. His career spans 30 years culminating in commanding both Boeing and Airbus aircraft on international routes.

Jamie’s sailing passion began at around age 14 in high school, when he was crewing on weekends in local races on trailer sailers, around Melbourne. This wet Jamie's appetite, and he has since always had a boat of his own of some description.

Jamie got serious with his first big boat, a 40 foot plywood keel boat on the northern coast of Queensland in Townville, Australia.

Before purchasing it he employed a boat surveyor who is supposed to be an expert in assessing the condition of the boat. The surveyors report said that it was shipshape and ready to sail around the world. Only four months later, Jamie had to haul the boat out on the hard, because it was full of rot, which the surveyor did not pick up!

From that point on Jamie vowed to learn everything about everything to do with fixing and maintaining boats. From now on, he would DIY.

“There’s no point paying someone else to $uck it up. I ‘mose well $uck it up myself!”

Jamie repaired that boat over the next 4 years in his backyard, and then sold it for a profit.

The second keelboat to come along, was a Ferro cement. That's right, made of concrete!

Although more luxurious than his plywood boat. It was certainly a tired vessel. It needed new sails and new engine, but Jamie did some miles up and down the Queensland coast, building his experience in keeping it running.

At about that time in his career as an airline pilot, an overseas opportunity came up, and Jamie had to sell up and move.

The airline career took him to Southeast Asia to the country of Brunei, where he would remain for seven years.

Finally, becoming a heavy jet international airline captain, Jamie’s passion for the sea was still burning. Around that time, Jamie stumbled across a Wharram, Tiki 38, his first ever catamaran.

Although not the type of boat that he wanted, It was right there sitting on his doorstep for sale at a very cheap price. Three or four years later after sailing it to Singapore for his new job, Jamie sold that boat for a great profit after having done many repairs and renovations to make it a good cruising boat.

With a little more salary coming in. Jamie now focused on his dreamboat spending several years searching the second hand market.

It seems 95% of the catamarans available were charter designs, which although, comfortable, and would make a fantastic apartment on the water were certainly not good “blue water” designs.

Some friends who had already cruised the world on their catamaran mentioned to Jamie, a design which he'd never heard of.

A design by Australian Tim Mumby.

Jamie Googled furiously trying to find information about this boat. However, very little was available online. He did find someone running charter with this design, so he contacted him to ask for the designers contact details.

This began the journey and the adventure of building the Jupiter².

ADMIRAL AND OVERALL BOSS

Princess was born in Manila, Philippines, and is the eldest of three siblings.

At a fairly young age her parents discovered that she had a voice, and entered her in numerous singing competitions around Manila, of which she mostly won.

By her early teens, she was helping support the family with her prize winnings. “I got the trophy, and my family got the money!”

Tragedy struck at age 17 when her father passed away, and suddenly she was the breadwinner for the whole family with two younger siblings with dreams of going to college.

In her mid 20’s, adventurous Princess went to China for the better salary to sing in hotel lounges. She would send the money home to her mother so that her siblings could go to college. After six years in China, working six nights a week she yearned for a change and longed to travel.

Jamie and Princess met in the Crowne Plaza Hotel at Guangzhou airport, China. Jamie was starting his new job with China Southern Airlines, and like the bulk of the foreign pilots decided to live in the comfortable Crowne Plaza Hotel.

Princess was the singer in the hotel lounge, and Jamie still remembers seeing her for the first time.

“Wow”

They became friends because Jamie was spending time in the Philippines, where his boat was being built. Jamie had always loved the personalities of Filipinas. Not to mention, Princess’s stunning beauty and talent. However, both Princess and Jamie had partners of their own, at that time.

So it was three years later. The timing was right. Both Princess and Jamie were single, and finally these friends became more.

At that time, Jamie was planning on quitting his job to sail around the world, and he asked Princess to join him.

This was a breath of fresh air for her and the timing was good. Her siblings had completed college, were making their own money now, and could also support their mother.

Princess had never been on a boat before, except maybe a city ferry.

Jamie invited her to come aboard Jupiter2, to see if she liked it. So she took two weeks off work and enjoyed sailing around Phuket, Thailand with him.

After a total of 14 days on board she had decided to quit her job and join Jamie on this adventure around the world…

“Quit job go sailing!”

She had only 3 weeks sailing onboard before they set sail across the Indian Ocean. The roughest of all our passages so far!

Yes, Princess still gets seasick when underway. But it is tolerable if she stays outside with the fresh air and the horizon.

But 95% of the time we are in a calm anchorage somewhere beautiful, living comfortably in the great outdoors.