Do we need a faster boat?
Esper takes the first security night watch and Liz explains a little bit about what we’re expected to look out for.
Do we need a faster boat? Read Post »
Esper takes the first security night watch and Liz explains a little bit about what we’re expected to look out for.
Do we need a faster boat? Read Post »
For most of the last two months we have been offline, only able to grab internet here and there via our mobile phones. But now we’re back in Internetland, looking forward to sharing all our adventures.
The rally’s over and we’re back in business! Read Post »
So far, Malaysia has been kind to us in allowing sailboats and crew to stay here without visas. The latest RMCO (Recovery Movement Control Order) finishes 31st December and we are hoping the government will extend the same courtesy until it finishes.
Med mooring with the birds and bees… Read Post »
We get lucky with the wind, Liz gets lucky with the fishing and Jamie tries to get lucky at a sexy beach party.
Sabah Rally Day 1 Read Post »
Will we see pygmy elephants? Orangutans? Nesting turtles? Hammerhead sharks? And are the pirates watching us…
The only sailing rally in the world begins! Read Post »
The problem is that the waters of eastern Sabah are some of the most notorious in the world for kidnappings and piracy. So the only chance we’ll ever get to see this part of the world is to…
Why are we sailing through pirate waters (again)? Read Post »
Fishing boats, commercial ships, cruising yachts and tourists have been kidnapped and killed for years by Abu Sayyaf, a terrorist group operating out of Sulu province, Philippines. The group has stretched its tentacles as far as east Sabah on the island of Borneo which has become known as a no-go area for many sailors.
Our plans to sail through a no-go pirate area Read Post »
On an overcast and mildly blustery New Year’s morning there were tears on the pontoon as Antony and Davina of s/y ‘Divanty’ left for the Maldives. Not including Lo of ‘Mistral’, who leads another Vasco Da Gama rally back up the Red Sea, this now leaves just Roam II and Esper from the original gang of adventurers who left Turkey in November 2009.
It is a strange feeling and a little sad too, what with spending the last few months having a giggle with the Divanty crew, but we’re happy that they’ve slipped their lines with some favourable winds and are heading somewhere new and exciting.
Good luck, Ants and Div.
Divanty Has Left The Building Read Post »
In this week’s podcast we return to the Vasco Da Gama rally where we finally leave the coast of Oman and head into the Arabian Sea. Next stop: Mumbai!
You can hear the sense of relief as we leave the convoy, but Dan on Still Dreaming, our ever hard-working net controller, spots something mysterious in the sky, and reports on further piracy attacks.
Into The Arabian Sea Read Post »
Just before we left India Liz and I were interviewed by MarineBiz TV, a global television channel which has been putting together a series of programmes called ‘Sailor’s Diary’. In it each member of the Vasco Da Gama Rally was interviewed and asked about their backgrounds, experience and life at sea. We’ve managed to get hold of a copy and reproduce it here. Do please let us know if television really does put on 10lbs because I’m sure I look slimmer than I feel 😉
Hollywood Beckons: Our TV Interview Read Post »
On the 24th March this year we published on followtheboat.com a transcript of the communication between a NATO warship and a vessel that was being boarded by pirates. It makes for harrowing reading. In this podcast we capture the warship relaying the unfortunate news to a neighbouring Omani warship. We also catch the Net, which is the rally’s daily VHF forum, and listen to the implications of this attack.
A Vessel Is Pirated Read Post »
The next part of our Pirate Alley excursion is quite unbelievable as we encounter three major problems within the same night! We’ve split the podcasts up and in the next couple of episodes we have a collision, more fishing net problems and you’ll also hear how one boat starts taking in water. Today’s episode, however, deals with the minor issue of a boat breaking down in the middle of nowhere!
Pirate Alley: Towing The Line Read Post »
It’s Jamie’s 40th birthday. No partying for him though as we move into our second day in Pirate Alley where two boats have to tend to dysfunctional alternators. One of the boats is Esper.
To make matters worse the inevitable happens: two fishing dows are spotted on the horizon, suspiciously following the rally. Could they be pirates? And if so, what chance do we have of reinforcing our safety in numbers strategy if Esper’s group is all over the place?
Pirate Alley: Birthday Close Encounters Read Post »
The hilarious departure from Port Aden raises our spirits as we begin our journey into Pirate Alley. Within two hours disaster strikes as one of the boats runs into a fishing net. In the dark.
This collective of boats isn’t called a rally for nothing. Listen to the boats rallying together to get us through the first of many hurdles lying ahead
Pirate Alley: Night Diving Read Post »
The day before we left Aden we were invited to another leaving do put on by Colonel Mohammed the Coast guard-cum-port police-cum-general bigwig. We also got to chat to a Yemeni woman, covered head to foot in black with just her eyes visible. Her English is excellent and makes for a great little interview.
Dancing Our Way Out Of Yemen Read Post »