Malaysian Woman Sets Sail From Australia To Malaysia With Her Husband — And An Adorable Boat Cat
Hadhinah, her husband Austin, and their cat Gary are on a 5,900 nautical mile journey back to her home country.
- Malaysian writer Hadhinah and her American husband Austin are sailing 5,900 nautical miles from Australia to Malaysia on a tiny 26-foot sailboat.
- The couple deliberately chose the small, simple 1981 Folkboat Malua, believing it would be easier to handle, maintain and repair during the voyage.
- Their adorable cat Gary has become an unexpected social media star, cheerfully settling into life at sea as the boat's self-appointed captain.
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After leaving behind life in the United States, Hadhinah is embarking on a 5,900-nautical-mile sailing adventure from Australia back to her homeland aboard a 26-foot sailboat — with her American husband Austin and their feline first mate, Gary.
For many people, moving back to Malaysia means booking a flight home. For Hadhinah, it means sailing thousands of nautical miles across the ocean in a 45-year-old sailboat.
The Malaysian writer and traveller, better known online as @hahahadhinah, has begun an ambitious voyage from Pittwater, New South Wales, Australia, to Malaysia aboard SV Malua, a 26-foot Folkboat she and her husband Austin purchased in Australia in 2025.
According to Hadhinah, the journey will span approximately 5,900 nautical miles over three to four months, taking the couple along Australia’s east coast before crossing into Indonesia and eventually returning to Malaysian waters. Along the way, they also plan to explore remote islands before finally arriving home.
But the adventure isn’t just about two sailors chasing a dream. The voyage also has an unexpectedly adorable crew member — Gary, the couple’s cat (and true boat captain).
From the American Dream to life at sea
Hadhinah’s path to becoming a liveaboard sailor has been anything but ordinary.
Originally from Sandakan, Sabah, she moved to the United States in 2014, where she built a career and travelled to all 50 states. Despite achieving what many would consider “the American Dream”, she wrote that both she and Austin continued to feel drawn towards a simpler life centred around the sea.
Austin, who grew up in Las Vegas, began sailing as a teenager in San Diego before gaining years of experience as a skipper. Hadhinah, meanwhile, had only limited motorsailing experience in Indonesia.
Not long after they met, conversations about living aboard a sailboat evolved from a distant dream into a practical plan complete with budgets, timelines and sacrifices.
That dream took shape when Austin discovered Malua listed for sale in Australia.
The couple applied for visas, flew from Las Vegas to Sydney and purchased the boat just a week after arriving. They later handled insurance, mooring arrangements and ownership paperwork before relocating to Australia to prepare the vessel for its maiden voyage home.
Why choose a tiny 26-foot boat?
To many observers, perhaps the biggest surprise isn’t the distance, but the size of the boat.
Malua is a 1981 Australian-built Folkboat measuring just 26 feet long. It lacks many of the luxuries commonly associated with modern cruising yachts, including air conditioning, a watermaker, electric anchor windlass and sophisticated onboard electronics.
Yet Hadhinah says that was precisely the appeal.
Rather than viewing a larger yacht as inherently safer, the couple deliberately chose a smaller, simpler vessel that they believed would be easier for two people to handle, maintain and repair during an extended international voyage.
The boat also carries its own history.
Built by Dulmison in Australia, Malua previously raced successfully on Sydney waters before passing through several experienced owners. Hadhinah has described buying the boat as more than a simple transaction, saying it felt like becoming the next caretaker of a vessel that had already proven herself over four decades.
Preparing for the long voyage home
Before departure, the couple spent months living and working around Pittwater while preparing the boat for offshore sailing.
Weather delays, equipment upgrades and countless maintenance jobs meant the departure date shifted several times. Even after moving aboard permanently, they continued conducting “shake down” sails to test newly installed equipment before committing to the long passage north.
View on Threads
Their planned route begins along Australia’s east coast through New South Wales and Queensland before continuing to Darwin. From there, they intend to make their first major offshore crossing to Kupang in Indonesia before island-hopping through the Indonesian archipelago and eventually sailing into Malaysia.
For Hadhinah, that final leg represents far more than reaching another destination. It’s a return to the country where she was born.
Meet Gary, the boat cat
Every memorable sailing story seems to have its own mascot, and for Malua, that role belongs to Gary.
The domestic shorthair unexpectedly entered the couple’s lives after needing a new home. Originally named Simba, he was renamed Gary before being adopted by Hadhinah and Austin.
Although many people assume cats and boats are a difficult combination, Gary quickly proved otherwise.
View on Threads
Instead of hiding from the unfamiliar surroundings, he calmly explored every corner of Malua, picked his favourite sleeping spot and settled into life afloat almost immediately.
During his first four-hour sailing trip, Gary reportedly spent the first three hours peacefully asleep before curiously observing the open water from the deck.
Recent updates show Gary “inspecting” the engine and safety equipment before departure, earning him the tongue-in-cheek title of the boat’s “real captain”. Once his inspections are complete, however, Gary happily returns to what cats do best—sleeping until the boat stops.
Whether lounging below deck or supervising preparations from the cockpit, the feline crew member has become an endearing part of the adventure, charming thousands of followers eagerly tracking Malua’s progress online.
Chasing a life chosen on purpose
As Malua finally leaves Australian waters behind, Hadhinah describes the voyage not as an escape, but as the life she and Austin intentionally chose.
It is a journey fuelled by years of planning, countless hours preparing an ageing sailboat, and the belief that a meaningful life is not always measured by comfort or convention.
With Australia astern, Indonesia ahead and Malaysia waiting beyond the horizon, the couple (and Gary) are now sailing the long way home, one nautical mile at a time.
This article was sourced from Hadhina’s Threads account and official website https://sailingmalua.com/.
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