At times we were barely making 1kt. With no bolt holes along the coast of Malaysia, and a hostile shore along Sumatra, it wasn’t safe to drop the anchor to wait out the weather.
THE LONGEST NIGHT SAIL OF OUR LIVES! Read Post »
Monsoons, typhoons, pirates, currents and fog are all going to conspire to make this a difficult passage, so it’s up to us to work out the best way to get from Malaysia to the PNW via Japan!
HOW TO PASSAGE PLAN THROUGH PIRATES & TYPHOONS! Read Post »
This is our 100th episode on YouTube since the first vlog after our refit, published on 9 May 2015. Back then Jamie was tackling the usual boat chores, Liz wasn’t catching any fish, Millie was thinner and the weather was still hot…
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS IN SINGAPORE’S SHIPPING LANES! Read Post »
The dodger will be made from stainless steel plate overlaid with honeycomb and fiberglass. We will use hard strataglass in the front and as a frame around the softer vinyl side windows. Both sides will roll right up, and the front will have a central zipped window flap.
OUR NEW DODGER GETS UNDERWAY! Read Post »
While we lingered in the tranquil peace of Tioman the storms clouds gathered. And continued to grow as we made our way to the safe haven of Johor. In this episode we show you what it’s like sailing through squalls and anchoring in lightning storms. Hey ho, that’s the end of the beautiful weather then for a while!
RUNNING AWAY FROM SQUALLS! Read Post »
Eagles circled over anchorages while beneath us the clearest water imaginable revealed tropical, cartoon colours. We were overwhelmed by the hospitality the local people offered us each time we set foot in a community.
WHEN TROPICAL INFECTIONS BECOME DANGEROUS! Read Post »
Thinking of buying a boat, or becoming a liveaboard cruiser? Here we take you through the 5 reasons why you SHOULD buy a boat. There are lots of videos telling us how wonderful and liberating the liveaboard cruising life is. AND IT IS! But we also know that it has its downsides…
5 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD BUY A BOAT! Read Post »
We learned how best to tackle reef and bommie-strewn shallow waters in the Red Sea, then again in the Maldives and more recently in SE Asia. Charts just won’t hack it in this kind of scenario, you need all your wits about you and senses on full alert to avoid a disaster…
HOW WE NAVIGATE THROUGH REEFS AND THE APPS WE USE Read Post »
Wow, can’t believe that last December our friends and supporters began to suggest Pacific Northwest via Japan as a destination, and now we’re going there. We looked into it, did some research and a bit more research, and realised it could be quite an adventure… So it’s goodbye to shorts, t-shirts and flip-flops, and hello to foul weather gear, jumpers and boots!
WE’RE GOING TO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST VIA JAPAN! Read Post »
Reefs, rocks, shelves, shallows! Anambas doesn’t make it easy…and we wonder if we can get through this crazy area!
Apart from new hats, we’ve got classic followtheboat t-shirts, smug mugs and gorgeous prints! And the best thing of all? If you are a subscriber to our mailing list, we will send a secret DISCOUNT CODE to you on Sunday 25th February. The discount will last till end March, so you will have plenty of time to decide what tickles your fancy.
SHOP DISCOUNT CODE FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY! Read Post »
We share our adventures every week on YouTube: the good, the bad and the downright ugly. Sometimes we sail to idyllic tropical islands no-one has ever heard of like the Anambas. Sometimes we get stuck in a marina waiting for a new engine. Once we stayed in a boatyard in Thailand for over a year rebuilding our sailboat.
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SAILING WITH FOLLOWTHEBOAT! Read Post »
Jamie gets almost to the top of the Temburan waterfall and shoots some drone’s-eye view of the whole thing, while Liz slips around in the shadows beneath. Then he goes looking for bats and gets quite a shock in a little islet just off Siantan, the main island of the Anambas. And Millie falls in love…with Jamie’s shorts.
DON’T GO CHASING WATERFALLS! Read Post »
Sometimes boat life is not what it’s cracked up to be. We have met many sailors who liked the idea of the dream, but were brought down to earth by the reality of living aboard 24/7. Even if it’s only a weekend boat, or for spending a few months a year on, boats will gnaw away at your patience.
5 REASONS NOT TO BUY A BOAT! Read Post »
The kids had never seen a sailboat before and were overjoyed to show us their home. They taught us about the crops they grow, and what a clove tree plantation looks like.
We are the first sailboat this village has ever seen! Read Post »
