ONE of the biggest complaints from Australians shopping online is the exorbitant cost of transporting their international goods to their mailbox from across the ocean.
But Syd Watson isn't one of those people; in fact, he plans to cut out the middleman and handle the postage and shipping of his latest American purchase himself.
The Russell Island man intends to sail his new home, a 38-foot Catalina yacht, from its mooring in Los Angeles back across the Pacific Ocean to Moreton Bay.
Sailing across the world's largest ocean or, as Mr Watson likes to call it, "the pond" in anything smaller than a cruise liner would be terrifying for some, but it's a project that's been floating through the 57-year-old's mind since he first saw adventurer Sir Francis Chichester on television when he was nine.
"From that time I've wanted to not necessarily sail around the world, but I thought if I could make my way across the Pacific, I'd be really happy," he said.
"I'd go to Tahiti, Vanuatu, even getting out to Hawaii or to the west coast of the US."
As it turns out, the voyage will be happening in reverse. Leaving from a marina at the Port of Los Angeles, Mr Watson will venture down the Mexican coast before heading west across the ocean via the Marquesas Islands and Tahiti.
He won't be alone; for most of the trip, Mr Watson will be part of an annual yachting pilgrimage known as the "Puddle Jump", during which amateur mariners sail from the American west coast to French Polynesia.
The trip was delayed after ex-Tropical Cycline Oswald in January 2013 when his old yacht, with most of his possessions, sank off Russell Island.
Mr Watson has set up a Kickstarter campaign to raise money for the trip, and has offered donors exclusive access to video updates detailing the adventure.
He expects the trip to take three or four months, depending on weather, detours and extended stays in some places.
"February through May is optimal time for Puddle Jump," he said.
"If I have to hole up in Vanuatu, so be it. I'll provision up along the way."
Find the donation campaign by visiting www.kickstarter.com and searching for "Syd Watson".
The kickstarter closes on Wednesday, February 4.
