The week started well, with the painters making giant strides with the dodger…but life’s never easy when you haul out to do some maintenance, maybe that’s why it’s called “The Hard”?
Diesel leaks – don’t you just love jobs like these? Read Post »
Sombat was in Port Takola, a nearby marina, where he had been working on a boat there. When he turned on the engine, the boat blew up. Thankfully, no-one was killed, but Sombat was seriously hurt. They rushed Sombat to hospital where he is still in intensive care.
OUR WONDERFUL ELECTRICIAN IS CRITICALLY ILL IN HOSPITAL Read Post »
We went on a little shopping trip to Phuket just to demonstrate how easy it is to spend money on a boat with little to show for it. But stumbling across a bargain Fortress anchor was too difficult to resist.
We bought a new anchor Read Post »
Do you use Sikaflex or 3M 5200 adhesives for sealing fittings around your sailboat deck? Find out why Jamie believes butyl is best…
How to use butyl tape to seal deck fittings on a boat Read Post »
If you’re looking for a boat project and are not shy about boat maintenance, you will enjoy our tour. A “do-er upper”, for sure, which could be the perfect sailboat for someone looking to become a liveaboard cruiser.
Would you buy an old sailboat and do it up? Read Post »
Preparations for the passage east to Alaska continue in the yard. This blogging and video channel malarkey is a real two-way street… we took your advice to retro-fit that rain-catcher onto the dodger roof. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience with us, you are an amazing bunch of supporters!
Fitting a rain catcher and dodger – update Read Post »
A one-minute experiment in 4K – make sure you view in full 4K mode for all the glorious detail! We would love to hear from anyone with a 4K TV or projector. TBH we should have waited a couple of hours because we’ve just had the most stunning sunset, but it was too late and we were in the swimming pool by then… and the drone’s not waterproof!
4K MAVIC PRO FLY-BY IN THE MANGROVES AT KRABI BOAT LAGOON MARINA Read Post »
We want to celebrate FTB’s recent growth on YouTube here with you by extending the discount code for another month… Thanks so much for all your support. Without your encouragement we would not be producing regular blogs and videos or be able to continue to push and stretch our imaginations, both in terms of creativity and sailing to new destinations.
WE’VE EXTENDED THE SHOP DISCOUNT FOR ANOTHER MONTH! Read Post »
This week we hit 30,000 subscribers to our YouTube channel! We were so thrilled to reach such a milestone, and it’s all because of the fantastic support we receive from you guys here, as well as our Patreons, Facebookers and Instagrammers.
WE’RE GROWING ON YOUTUBE! Read Post »
Today we are talking about Marmite…two boats at the opposite end of the spectrum, and we’d like your opinion on them. We’ve already received feedback on one of the boats on our Facebook page, which ranges from ‘fugly’ to ‘carbuncle’. But what is it?
WOODEN CLASSIC OR ULTRA MODERN SUPERYACHT? WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE? Read Post »
Finally, the time has come for us to haul out. But man oh man, was it a hot day!
The hard-standing at Krabi Boat Lagoon is immaculate, comfortable and spacious. And ever mindful of his partner’s needs, Jamie was clever enough to find us a place not too far from the wash rooms…
HAULING OUT OUR SAILBOAT IN A THAI HEATWAVE! Read Post »
While waiting two months for a place in the boatyard, we began to question whether we were making the right decision to replace the wooden deck. No-one we met regretted getting rid of their teak, and the marinas were full of gleaming teak-less yachts. We watched owners make short work of scrubbing their decks without worrying about damaging the grain.
Sailboat Refit Part 2: Deck Read Post »
We have a whole lot of work to do before we head to Japan and the PNW. This week we answered some of your comments about the changes we’re making to SY Esper. We’ve received tons of suggestions, questions and advice! If you have a comment please don’t hesitate to write it here on Patreon, Facebook or YouTube.
PREPARING TO SAIL TO ALASKA VIA JAPAN – Q&A Read Post »
During the 12 years we’ve been liveaboards we’ve dodged pirates, survived gales and sustained injuries to boat and body. Neither of us had owned any kind of boat before we bought SY Esper, and it was a steep learning curve. The biggest lesson to date was when we tried crossing the equator in the Maldives. The gale that hit us wasn’t predicted, and we hadn’t prepared properly.
IT HASN’T ALL BEEN PLAIN SAILING Read Post »
This is the story of our eleventh hour escape from Thailand to KL, Malaysia… While the painters continued to make fast work of the hard dodger roof, Liz woke up remembering that it was about time to renew our visas in Thailand. For just 1900 THB we would extend our stay a further 30 days. Sweet.
EMERGENCY TRIP TO KL! Read Post »
