About 900 metres from the shore at Woolooware Bay, is a 33-foot yacht, bobbing up and down on the glistening ripples of water.
Below deck, a 12-year old Russian Blue rescue peeps up into the blue sky above. Meet Tattoo, a cat that lives on the boat with her owner, Rachel Alexandra.
For the past eight years, the pair have called the vessel home. Surrounded by a Sutherland Shire marine life and glorious sunrise and sunsets, they live the simple life - all by choice.
Inspired by daily adventures, Rachel has written her first children's book titled Tattoo's Tale - All In A Day in Woolooware Bay - Diary Of A Ship's Cat, which is being released in the UK on April 26.
It's a condensed version of actual happenings in the bay, as "seen through the eyes" of Tattoo the cat. Rachel describes the book as a time record of her life and her "romance with the sea."
"I was born into a very strict Jehovah's Witness family, and at age 16 I walked away with a nap sack to try to find my way in the world. At 42 I left a 20 year marriage, taking only my savings," Rachel said. "I bought my yacht and with Tattoo, we have adapted to a way of life that has brought complete joy."
The author is by no means a hermit of the high seas. By day, she works at Sutherland Hospital as a pharmacy technician, and each morning and afternoon, she takes her dinghy to and from dry land. "I'm not out there to be isolated - I never want to lose touch with humanity," she said. "It's because I love it. It's a living experience - I don't sail."
Rachel owns the yacht - it's her second vessel (she used to own a cruiser), and estimates a weekly spend of only about $300 plus yearly mooring fees. "It's very economical," she said. "I'll never have a giant house but I've got fulfilment and it's special."
The book she wrote delves into Tattoo's adventures with the sea. "Woolooware is a wonderland of water. There's a tiny bit of fiction in the book," Rachel said. "There's Goliath, a hulking pirate ship, 'Mirana' - a ferry, and a visit from a pod of baby dolphins." Other marine life Tattoo observes perched up high, include a bull shark, sea turtle and seal - characters penned for future books.
Rachel dedicated her book to her former partner Murray Thorn, who died suddenly of a heart attack almost three years ago. The yacht, 'Every Rose' was also named in his honour.
She hopes children will be delighted by Tattoo's fun and fearsome adventures. "She's the brave one," Rachel said. "Ship cats are almost legendary - they were used on barges to keep water rats away. They are the best animals to have on a boat because they are independent."
While the idea of chasing mice and or rolling in the grass may seem a distant memory for Tattoo, the four-legged furry feline seems content being the star of the soon-to-be-launched paperback.
"She is no longer a land cat. She is very smart. She's the queen of Woolooware Bay, and has adapted like no other cat," Rachel said. "She perks up at a dolphin splash and likes to watch the jellyfish."
