Author name: Jamie Furlong

Been a liveaboard since 2005, spending first few years living in Turkey. Started sailing a few years before when I joined my father on his retirement present we got for him: a sailing course across the North Sea! Been writing about every single trip, both on sea and on land, since that day. Take photography seriously but miss my decks.

Weather Hampers Our Start Of Vasco Da Gama Rally

• Log

Ourselves and ‘Roam II’ were due to leave Turkey today with the aim of hitting Rhodes to fuel and provision, meet up with ‘Storm Dodger’ and ‘Rhumb Do’ and then head off SE on Friday to meet the Vasco Da Gama rally in Port Said, Egypt. Hmmmm. Have you seen the weather lately? I’ve animated a grib file (weather information) for your perusal to prove my point. In an unexpected turnaround of weather for this time of year the south of the Aegean is being hit with some vicious northerlies. Normally these die out by the time they hit the same latitude as Cyprus but these winds are whipping right across the eastern Med and across Port Said. I wonder how many leaving drinks we can get away with…

Weather Hampers Our Start Of Vasco Da Gama Rally Read Post »

A Circumnavigating Family

• Podcasts

This, our first official followtheboat podcast, is an interview with a young south African family half way through a sailing circumnavigation. They’ve visited a staggering 30 counties in 3 years but their trip has been put on hold as they attend to a dismasting hiccup! As if that’s not enough, Ronnelle has returned to their home in America for three months, leaving dad Neil to look after Emille, 7, and Pete, 5. There’ll be hell to pay if that mast isn’t up when she returns in the new year!

A Circumnavigating Family Read Post »

Long Range Wi-Fi On A Boat: EnGenius 2610

• Boat Maintenance & Skills

The EnGenius 2610 is a magic box that provides a wired internet connection for the ship’s computer. The basic principle is that it is mounted at the top of the mast, or as high as possible, and it sees available wifi networks for your onboard computer to connect to… and if you’re not a yottie or interested in setting up a long-range wifi connection then you’ve probably fallen asleep already! The article for the yottie-geeks only…

Long Range Wi-Fi On A Boat: EnGenius 2610 Read Post »

Constable Country

• Log

Constable had good reason to dedicate his life to the striking cloudy skyscapes of Suffolk. Two hundred years later and I’m re-discovering one of England’s finest seaside counties; not with oils this time but with my trusty Canon. The irony of the moody skies I captured, however, was that I had returned to England under my own dark cloud. There was but a whisper of a silver lining and the foreboding weather on the day we visited Woodbridge was about as symbolic as it could get.

This log entry is quite a departure from the usual followtheboat blog: it’s a pictorial account of my time away from Esper, not on it. The shots of the boats on the River Deben maintain some kind of nautical theme, and since we’ve just uploaded our ten thousandth image to the website it’s a good excuse to show off some wonderful photographs. This is England’s fair countryside at its best, captured in my favourite season.

Constable Country Read Post »

The Fertile and Picturesque Island of Samos

• Log

I have just had the sail of my life: I covered 73 miles in 13 hours in 25 knots of wind, passing eight Greek islands along the way. In all that time I passed just four other sailing boats in the glorious late summer sun. Sadly this was the end of my personal Greek odyssey. I am now back in Marmaris Yacht Marina (yuck) preparing to return to the UK. Permit me, then, to conclude my Greek log with my stay in Samos, which is mainly a bunch of photographs for your viewing pleasure (they’re so much easier to digest than words). The last of our summer log entries will culminate in Matt’s account of his visit with Candice, boasting some cracking photographs, but more on that next week. In the meantime I’ve adopted (nicked) Matt’s black border technique for a new-look image presentation. Enjoy.

The Fertile and Picturesque Island of Samos Read Post »

The Square On The Hypotenuse

• Log

As we left the island of Arki we were seen off by a pod of dolphins, some so big I thought perhaps they were pilot whales. They weren’t but they looked very big and very old too (two with lots of battle scars). It was quite fitting to be seen off by them, as if they were rewarding us with these favourable winds after the last week of motoring everywhere.

The Square On The Hypotenuse Read Post »

A-OK in Arki

• Log

Our harmonious tranquil was interrupted by a very apologetic local who had rowed over to politely ask me to move. “Why?” I asked. “Because the water boat is coming to fill up our tanks. I have no water on my island”. In case you were wondering how all these little islands manage for water, there’s your answer. “So why do I have to move, where’s he going to dock?”. “Right there” said my new friend, pointing to the world’s smallest concrete jetty just a few metres away.

A-OK in Arki Read Post »

Monastery Schmonastery

• Log

Not quite the polar opposite of Lipsi, but a busy island all the same. Welcome to Patmos, a pretty looking island with some of the best views in the Aegean. The anchorage was sheltered, with a couple of tavernas ashore offering some tender octopus salad and tsatsiki that makes you feel like the whole of Greece is partying in your mouth!

Monastery Schmonastery Read Post »

Flaming Lipsi

• Log, video clips

Lipsi. A quintessentially Greek island untouched by the hoards of package holiday tourists that populate the bigger Dodecanese islands. I’d say the people here are a mix of holidaying Greeks, a few backpackers and a bunch of yotties, not forgetting the gentle locals, which makes for a very peaceful atmosphere indeed. These next few log entries, including a special post by Millie The Cat, cover the rest of the Dodecanese islands and start with Lipsi, which is littered with some of my fave photographs of the Dodecanese islands. Let me know what you think of them by leaving a comment at the end of the page!

Flaming Lipsi Read Post »

One Giant Bleat For Mankind

• Log

Emborios is a tiny hamlet with just a couple of restaurants who provide mooring buoys for yotties. Yep, you guessed it, another task as yet not undertaken single-handed. I think I performed it admirably, even if I say so myself, especially after tying up and watching a another boat make a real pig’s ear of it all: lost boat hooks, screaming skipper, trembling wife, usual story.

One Giant Bleat For Mankind Read Post »

Solo Anchoring Into A Harbour

• Log

Pserimos is a little island in between Kos and Kalimnos and is clearly a weekend hangout for the young Greeks from the neighbouring islands. The tiny bay in which I anchored was littered with RIBS, jet skis, speedboats and day-trippers. We enjoyed a sundowner at Sunset cafe, where the waiter graciously reduced our beers from €3 to €2.50, stating “I don’t want my restaurant to get a reputation as being expensive”. Even so, €2.50 for a large beer? Clearly I was going to have to do some adjusting, now that I am back in Europe.

Solo Anchoring Into A Harbour Read Post »

Take Me To A Gay Bar

• Log

“What are you doing in Kos?” my cousin asked over the phone. “It’s full of gay bars.” You’d know I suppose, Jay, I’m just here to use the internet. Easier said than done, mind. When we anchored off Kardemena, a sprawling town for chavs, the northerlies were hitting 30 knots. At least anchoring was easy but I was amazed at how much fetch could build in such a short space of sea. Rowing over to Odin for a beer was ludicrously difficult…

Take Me To A Gay Bar Read Post »

My Big Fat Greek Tragedy

• Log, video clips

Liz has left me. She has gone and now it is just me, the cat and Esper. To pull myself out of my misery I attempted some single handed sailing, proving to myself and the world that I can stand alone, man against the elements, a conqueror, a hero. Impressive was the fact that I have never sailed solo before; even more impressive was that I managed to log two continents. Well, this all sounds good on paper, but the reality was that my first week was a complete screaming disaster. Dragging anchors, smashed solar panels, dysfunctional engines and rolling harbours all contributed to me desperately wanting my Queenie back on board. All this is set against a background of consistent 25-30knot winds that have been plaguing the Greek Islands all month. The usual self-deprecation is illustrated with loads of pics (look out for ‘Moon Goat’) and a couple of video clips too.

My Big Fat Greek Tragedy Read Post »

Scroll to Top