Sailing

Melissa Yeomans

Heading back to Amsterdam

I have finally had the chance to head overseas again, back to Amsterdam a City I love to visit. This trip was work with a day on either side to allow for jet lag, and flight delays (which I experienced) and to give myself a minute of rest as well to cope with such a big schedule.

Flying such a long way for just a week is brutal, no other way to put it, especially as this time I was going via Heathrow due to what we had to book. This made the total travel time approx 60hrs including getting to Airports etc. Just ouch.

The day before METSTRADE started I decided to do something a little different. Being my I think 7th trip? I have been to a few places already. This time the sun was shining, which had proven rare on previous days off in Amsterdam so I decided to stay outdoors and head to the Zoo. Living in Sydney near Taronga Zoo I have been there a few times as well as others in Australia. It was interesting to see some different animals and learn some new things.

METSTRADE, what can I say as always it was epic. 3 days full of meetings with Existing Suppliers and Potential. Around that trying to ensure I walk around the entire area seeing all that I could to check out what else was happening in the industry. A BIG mission especially after a few years away and lots to catch up on.

What a week in Amsterdam seeing familiar faces and meeting new ones. A huge week of work but also personally. Reminiscing with the main three we have worked with at LIROS, they have done so much already to support us in growing our business and continue to do so. Lots of hugs later with Suppliers we have worked with long term, and lots of homework to do now I am back in Aus.

It is always tricky to make this work at our busiest time of year but just one of those things we have to do. METS gives us the opportunity to see our suppliers from around the world in one location.

Melissa Yeomans

January, the time of year I spend out of the office

Today is the last day of January 2022, as always this month goes fast. Starting the month with a few days off thanks to Christmas and New Year is always a nice break from work. As a small business owner I tend not to switch off very often, social media is always on.

Then it was back into our busiest time, supporting events that we were Sponsoring. Starting off with the Aussie Skiffs at Belmont, one of my favourite places was a great way to start the year. Although it felt like we had gone straight into Summer and hiding from the sun was a priority. Thanks to the Eric’s Storage trailer for having shade near the car! As well as being easy to find should any of the fleet need any of the stock I had with me.

Once again I was on the water every day driving our RIB as one of the Media boats for the regatta. Never an easy job and as anyone who has joined me in the past will likely agree, it can be exhausting! Having said that though the thanks we get from the sailors when the Media Team get their shots means we know it is appreciated.

Next up was the Flying 11’s which once again Allen was the Title Sponsor for. Walking in the Gosford boat park the first day it almost felt like being back at Belmont. So many familiar faces although the boats were smaller and so were the sailors haha.

Those first couple of weeks were epic, the heat did not help! I don’t think I have ever taken so few photos on land. Shade and keeping a bottle of water on me at all times was key.

If you want to check out any of the photos and stories from the event check out our Facebook or website.

I am incredibly lucky that I love what I do and love spending time near and on the water. I honestly can not believe tomorrow is February already.

Melissa Yeomans

Back on the water and excited for Summer

With the weather warming up again it was great to hit the water and check out some sailing action on the weekend. It was such a nice reminder of how lucky I am to live so close to Sydney Harbour.

A couple of photos from the weekend.

Normally at this time of year whilst getting ready for all the regattas, I am also getting ready to get on a plane and head to Europe. This year I once again won’t be catching up with suppliers at METS or heading to a country where one of them is based.

With everything changing here in Sydney, NSW and around the Country this is the focus for now. I can not wait however to get on a plane and head to Europe some day soon to catch up with suppliers in person about their future plans.

There is plenty happening here with DeckHardware and our Suppliers working together on some sponsorship this Summer.

For now, I will have to settle with looking back at all the side trips around METS. I can not wait to hear all about it and find out all that is new from afar.

Germany in Winter
Melissa Yeomans

Aussie Skiffs competition is heating up

The Aussie Skiffs held there first round of NSW States over the weekend. So here is a quick run down of how I saw it focused on the 16’s due to those who work with us and long time DeckHardware Ambassadors competing.

The racing was awesome, I guess that is what happens when you have some serious skiff experience plus some big names dropping into the fleet.

The general recalls just added to the excitement along with the shipping movements… Clean air was king, especially off the line. With so many 16’s in a small waterway searching for a lane, that was a constant battle up the first work especially.

Tom Burton and Simon Hoffman with Warwick Rooklyn on River Wild certainly showed that they are quick in the light.

Nathan Wilmot back with his 470 crew Mal Page aboard Growthbuilt on Saturday showed even when your bow is on the centreboard you can still not swim. How they managed it with the fleet going around them I don’t know.

There are boats up the front that we all expected and some interesting movements in the fleet with some perhaps further back than expected. That is always going to happen when the top 10+ points are so tight.

Sail Racing is clearly quick with the new boat and a great skiff combo onboard. The battle at the front for the long race was awesome to watch. With Sail Racing, River Wild, Brydens Lawyers and Eric’s Storage battling it out at the end.

With three clubs represented in the Top 10 it certainly is shaping up to be a great season for the 16’s.

From a spectator perspective Port Hunter is amazing. Being able to watch the racing from shore there were plenty of sailors enjoying the racing. This is part of why when I would normally be at the Marine Equipment Trade Show in Amsterdam I decided to have a weekend away watching some great sailing up close instead.


Melissa Yeomans

Showcasing Allen to kickstart the new decade

Once again we finished the year on the Start Boat Boxing Day. It is always nice to spend such an intense day on the Harbour with a great team who make it feel smooth.


January 2020, you have kickstarted the new decade in style. With Allen sponsoring a heat at the Aussie Skiffs followed by being Title sponsor of the Flying 11 Nationals with LIROS Ropes also supporting both events.

This meant I am only just back in the office, I started with spending over a week at Soldiers Point. Massive thanks to my amazing host Cherylle who not only helped with somewhere to stay and taking care of me.

Big thanks to Jamie and the crew of Eric’s Storage who helped get the RIB out on the water, ensuring as much coverage as possible for the Skiffs. Whilst also trying to be there as a sponsor. It is a bit of a balance but I think we are getting there. After all content for them is good for us as a sponsor right!

Congratulations also to the crew of Eric’s Storage on the race win!

Aussie Skiff onshore action

Check out a bunch of content on our Facebook Page.

I think we are starting to settle into having the RIB and working out the best layout and way to do things. It is a work in progress but I certainly am happy with how it is going. Massive thanks to those who came out on the boat at the Skiffs to enable me to get some content of our own and to help with the media aspect especially Maddie, Kate and Jamie. There certainly were times and conditions when it helped to have skiff sailors aboard as second sets of eyes whilst driving.

Special mention also to Team Boatec who checked out the issues I was having with the backseat and check out how we should do the longer road trips. It was also awesome to see so many Allen shirts on back at the club for the Allen Race Sponsorship. Thanks to Eric’s Storage, Adco 16ft Skiff, Taylor and all who put them on. It means a lot.

Next up was to head to RQYS for the F11’s representing Allen which was extremely exciting to be going as the main sponsor. I had actually competed in a F11 Nationals at RQYS so it brought back a lot of memories.  Once again I had a former Adams 10m sailor who I had raced against offer to drive the RIB so I could focus on being a sponsor. I can not say thank you enough to Adam Rowlison.

You can check out all the images on our DeckHardware Facebook page. To see our flags flying at the F11’s is something special as was walking into the club house one day and seeing one of my old F11 friends who I had not seen in years! She was there to watch some family racing and we had a long overdue catch up.

Before heading back to the warehouse I had one more very important part of the trip to complete. A visit north to see my 2-handed crew / bow chick Kate who now lives a LONG way north. Not only was it amazing to catch up and spend some time together, it was also pretty special meeting for the first time her Son. Who is super cute and in need of a lifejacket before my next visit! Kate you have been told hahahaha. Luckily it was raining so we didn’t get around to taking him out on the water. I know Kate is itching to get out there and looking at where she is living I can see some attempts at kitesurfing in her future.

What’s next? I have no idea as so much of the last few months has been building up to all this. Bring on the rest of the year though.

Melissa Yeomans

Talking Rope and Fittings – It’s what I do

Two years ago I attended the Women Who Sail Gathering, spending the weekend with a fantastic group of Women who wanted to share the knowledge they had learnt from time on the water.  I did a short talk and hosted the evening’s panel which was a lot of fun!

This time around with everything going on I was only able to escape for a few hours for a talk on “Knowing your DeckHardware“. A fast pace crash course… Luckily I had fantastic support from Nathan Edwards and Jamie Bulman. Days like these remind me how much of a difference it can make to a business owner when they have the support of those around them.

Nathan and I can talk for hours on this so the bigger issue is keeping us on topic and making sense of what we are saying. It was a great opportunity to share the knowledge we have with those wanting to understand how to look after their boats better and how to know what to look for when purchasing for their boats.

Nathan wrapped up the session with some splicing tips which were shown on the big screen thanks to a camera in front of his hands. With Jamie making sure everyone had what they needed in order to follow what was on screen as well as making sure the Antal Clutches, Allen Blocks and LIROS Rope whips were passed around all the rows. Giving everyone a chance to have a good look rather than just up on the big screen.

It was great to be asked questions and entertaining when Nathan attempted to do a splice in minutes rather than half an hour. Just as a quick example of how to understand the rope construction better.

The journey we are on certainly is incredible when I take a moment to think about it.

Nathan Edwards showing some LIROS Dyneema
Nathan showing some LIROS Dyneema on the big screen

Melissa Yeomans

A new Brand, a Holiday and Summer

It is incredible to think about how much has happened over the last few months. Sometimes things happen that you least expect to change things rapidly.

At METS I mentioned having drinks with suppliers, this often meant being introduced to some of their other Distributors and Friends in the Industry. One of these people I then bumped into at a later stage and they introduced me to someone else…. You get the idea and all the while having great chats about what we all do.  A few weeks later and the unexpected happens. We find ourselves with a new brand!

Why am I so excited about this? As a kid I was taught to service winches by the legend Pat Carroll. I can’t remember exactly how old I was but I used to love doing it on his Adams 10m and spending time with him learning how to look after your boat. Pat was also the first person to let me steer the boat into the old marina without a motor and I had to stand up on the side so I could see where I was going I was so little.

Years later when I owned Animus I was doing just that and had someone advise me that it was not the job of a young female. It is a story I often tell as I am proud of the fact that I shook it off and responded that I hoped it was the job of a boat owner. I loved that time working on the boat, listening to music and spending the day chilling out on the boat. It wasn’t all about the one design racing and twilights.

So taking on a brand like Antal not only makes sense for DeckHardware but I am looking forward to what that also means for me and the type of products I get to play with aka work with.

A few weeks after this all happened we were sponsoring the 13 and 16 foot Skiff Nationals. So it was decided after a little encouragement from Nathan, that I head to QLD with the sailors for a bit of a Holiday.

It was awesome to be able to clear my mind, recharge a bit and have some fun on the water. It meant I was able to get photos to use for the coming year in my marketing as well as having fun with the Eric’s Storage and Sheerline crews back where we were staying. No doubt many of you saw the Instagram action…

Whilst in QLD I was able to visit the first boat I ever sailed on when I was apparently just days old. She looks so beautiful but a bit smaller to me now. I am so very happy to see her looking so amazing. My Grandpa would be so very very very happy, I am. Animus was named after Defiance and why I had blue shirts and spinnaker.

Eric’s Storage over the weekend managed a 2nd place in the Summer Bright Lager Australian 16ft Skiff Sprint Championships! It has been fantastic working with the team on their fitout and working closely with Allen on what 16ft skiff uses and how we can develop on this.

Summer has been awesome and whilst I am busier than ever I am excited about the direction everything is heading in.

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Melissa Yeomans

Where has this year gone

How did we get to December? I think I skipped Spring! I last mentioned my Winter Jobs list, well that is still a work in progress…

I have already been to METS which also included a visit to the LIROS Ropes factory. It was fantastic to visit having not been to their new factory. The comparison was amazing and this time I managed to get to see the region with blue sky and no snow. Thank you so much to the Team at LIROS for once again making me feel so welcome and for spending time showing me the new setup. There is always more to learn and new lines of LIROS Rope being announced some of which will be perfect for the 13ft and 16ft Skiff Nationals which we are sponsoring over Summer.

Whilst in Europe I managed a little escape to Nuremburg. What a place, I absolutely loved being a tourist for the weekend. I forgot to have a little rest having gone straight to LIROS when I arrived in Germany. Who needs rest right? Just fight through the jetlag and keep moving.

METS in Amsterdam was EPIC as always with so many of our Suppliers coming out with new products and catalogues. I had a fantastic time personally as well, it is so nice to call so many of our suppliers friends and to catch up on not only work but also how they are going over a drink or two at the end of the day.

As always it was tricky to catch up with everyone and there was so much to see. There were plenty of other Aussies that I knew were over there that I did not even see.

So much of what happens at METS I can often not talk about straight away and I know some of my friends are wondering what is to come. Me too! In the meantime enjoy the photos from the weekend in Nuremburg.

What next? there are new products to add to the website, catalogues to review and a Summer of action to come.

Melissa Yeomans

How can you tell a busy Summer?

I didn’t do a single blog post! Well, that is not like me at all…

So what has been happening, Boxing Day was once again spent on the second line start boat with a great group of people who knew when to have fun and when to switch to work mode. It was pretty funny in the 10 minutes to go when I filmed us on Instagram in silence.

Up next was the 16 and 13 ft Skiff Nationals which we were supporting as DeckHardware. I spent each day at MH16’s with the van setup. On one of the days our DeckHardware Ambassadors, Harry and Nathan went above and beyond assisting Dante with his boat setup.

Almost 5 hours later and we were hearing that Nathan wasn’t done yet! It was great to see that the knowledge and experience they have from sailing in a larger fleet at MH was being shared with the Guys from Illawarra.

Next up was the Flying 11 Nationals at Manly where we setup up on a few of the days and were there if needed on others.

As always I tend to spend a bit of my time at the Lake and this year was no different with a visit with the 18′ Skiffs and not long after the 16’s had their sprint series up there.

I caught up with my old boat when it visited MHYC for the Adams 10m Nationals! 

Then once again was out of the office for the JJ Giltinan Championships for the 18′ Skiffs. Supporting our Ambassadors and those who use our products. What an incredible event from big breeze to the Kiwi’s coming 1st and 2nd. It is worth checking out all their social media to watch some of the racing and check out the great action photos.

What is next? Who knows! There is plenty on and lots to do in the office.

I might leave it up to our DeckHardware Ambassadors to decide where I go next hahaha.

Some photos from the last few months.