After months of building, testing and training, the waiting is nearly over for Pete Goss and his crew as they prepare to set sail for Australia.

The 37ft Mounts Bay lugger, Spirit of Mystery, is currently at the Falmouth Oyster Festival and will be sailed to Newlyn (from where the original Mystery set sail 154 years ago) this Sunday (19 October).

As soon as the wind swings round from the North, the crew of four will set sail on their epic 11,000-mile voyage, following in the wake of the Cornishmen who sought out a new life in the Australian gold rush.

Leaving Newlyn on Saturday 18 November 1854, the Mystery travelled about 11,800 nautical miles in 116 days before arriving in Melbourne on 14 March 1855. Like the crew of the original Mystery, who were all related by blood or marriage. This latest trip is also a family affair, comprising Pete Goss, his younger brother Andy, Pete’s youngest son Eliot (14) and Pete’s brother-in-law Mark Maidment.

Spirit of Mystery is fitted with a satellite tracking device so that its progress can be monitored via Pete’s website – www.petegoss.com .

Although technology will allow us to see their position accurately, the crew will have no such luxury, having to navigate by the stars.