Melbourne dentist (and McCrae Yacht Club member) David Churcher makes big plans which his wife, Heather, sometimes hears about for the first time in conversation with others.

So it isn’t surprising that Heather Churcher listens carefully when David talks about his latest big plan that’s about to become reality.

For the last 16 years David has been planning a journey that will see the Churchers sail from Eden to Lord Howe Island and then on to New Caledonia, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands.

David will offer free dental treatment and education to villagers mainly in Vanuatu and the Solomons on this trip.

The Churchers plan to return to Australia before Christmas and the monsoon season.

This suits Heather who isn’t a natural sailor and has been heard to say, “these people who say it’s all about the journey haven’t been to sea.”

Unlike her husband - whose passion for sailing started with club sailing around Port Phillip Bay in Victoria when he was seven - Heather has learnt the hard way and is now able to sail the boat on her own if needed.

“We’ve put a lot of effort into setting it up so Heather can manage to sail the Courtesan by herself, without leaving the cockpit, just in case,” David said.

“I have sailed it by myself and was surprised by the power of the boat - you’re in charge of 11 tonnes of machinery,” Heather said.

The Courtesan is 13 metres long and four metres wide. Her latest addition is a cappuccino machine that the Churchers could only fit into their cabin, but makes waking up each morning very pleasant.

This isn’t their first major trip.

In 2006 and 2007 they spent 15 months sailing the Courtesan to New Zealand, Tonga, Samoa, the Wallis and Futuna Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands.

“We had nine flags all up to fly when we came into the various ports,” David said.

“We gave out 500 toothbrushes on that trip. Everywhere we went the kids were so friendly and interested, so we gave them a toothbrush and showed them how to use it,” David said.

The success of this first trip encouraged David and Heather to be more ambitious and more generous.

“I’m now set up with a mobile dentistry kit so we can offer a mobile dental clinic to the villagers. We know most of the village chiefs from our last trip and they are welcoming us back.”

The treatment side of the program that David is offering includes the use of GC Fuji 7 - a product developed by Australian researcher Dr Hien Ngo that provides the world’s first conventional auto-curing glass ionomer material that heals tooth decay with both antibacterial and protective properties.

“If I see something developing in a tooth, I can get most of the decay out and then use this ground-breaking Fuji 7 to heal and preserve the tooth,” David said.

“It means I don’t need to be as invasive when treating people.”

The Churchers have been assisted by Henry Schein Halas and Dentavision who have donated dental materials, and Oasis who have donated dental software.

Sport Phillip Marine services the boating, yachting & fishing needs of the Mornington Peninsula from Frankston, Daveys Bay, Mt. Eliza, Mornington, Mt. Martha, Safety Beach, Martha Cove, Dromana, Rosebud, Rye, Blairgowrie, Sorrento and Portsea on Port Phillip Bay to Yaringa, Warneet, Somers, Hastings, and Flinders on Westernport Bay.