Thirteen hundred miles hand-steered and no foresail, just two of the challenges we faced when completing our fifteen hundred mile trip from the Maldives to Malaysia. A complete account with observations, events, our turtle rescue and some great HD video clips including the one of Liz helming in a Force 6. Not to be missed!
Hand-steering 1350 miles from Maldives To Malaysia Read Post »
Tomorrow we leave on an epic journey, and if the winds are in our favour we may get further than the horrific Equator trip of last week! We hope to be updating our progress via satphone, which will log our position on a map. Check out our progress over the next few weeks as we sail the 1,400 mile trip from the Maldives to Malaysia.
Fair Winds, Jumpa Lagi! Read Post »
I’ve jumped out of aeroplanes, mountain-biked the world’s most dangerous roads, surfed following seas at 15 knots, and hit storms off Africa that had crew throwing up, but nothing could have prepared me for the four days of hell Liz and I just endured. You see it wasn’t the weather itself that terrified us, it was the situation we found ourselves in after the first squall hit. We entered the Twilight Zone, and for four days got trapped in an increasingly desperate situation.
Worse Things Happen At Sea Read Post »
Finally, after two months of shaking down Esper post her three year snooze in India, Liz and I had an opportunity to kick back and relax and enjoy the Maldives for what it is. Mum and Dad Furlong were out
Prop(er) Problems In Vellasaru Read Post »
Boating can be an expensive lifestyle, but yachties are notorious for taking advantage of anything with the price tag of ‘cheap’ and ‘free’. In this little piece I estimate we saved ourselves over $700 today. One hundred and fifty dollars just to visit an island, I ask you!
Dining On The Cheap Read Post »
Saying goodbye to friends is hard enough. Saying goodbye to friends we’ll probably never see again had me choked. It caught me by surprise but as I hugged Gladwin, my Indian brother, I was lost for words and my eyes welled up. The pontoon at Kochi marina was a hotch-potch of our close friends, our Indian ‘family’ and the marina staff. They all waved us off as Esper slipped her lines and it was at that moment it struck me exactly how much I would miss India. Surely a passage to the Maldives was just the tonic we needed. If only!
From India To The Maldives Read Post »
Everything you ever wanted to know about living aboard in south India, including visas, checking in and our, Kochi Marina and resources around Cochin town. Includes a Google map for reference.
The Complete Guide For Liveaboards In South India Read Post »
It was a real treat to go out and sail a carbon-fibre racing boat, even if there was no wind! For me, having not sailed for almost 2 years, it was refreshing to get back out on the water. Here’s a little video clip of that day, when we still managed to hit 9 knots with bugger-all wind! John is your skipper, Neil is the fisherman and Gladwin checks exactly how salty the water is.
9 Knots In No Wind – Video Clip Read Post »
Jamie makes it as ‘technical advisor’ in April’s edition of Sailing Today, which sees his initial review of the famous American folding dinghy in print. In the article Jamie looks at the simplicity with which the boat is commissioned, and takes it for a row. The review will be followed up in six months time when he puts the outboard on the back, takes it into rougher weather and attempts to stow it on deck.
You can see the full review by subscribing to Sailing Today online; better still, head down your newsagent and buy a copy!
Jamie’s Review of The Porta-Bote Published in Sailing Today Read Post »
A number of boats have turned up recently, heading west. Never before have I met such a miserable bunch of sailors. I thought it was just me but this morning a friend of ours who was cleaning her boat asked “What is it about these people?” They simply cannot bring themselves to say ‘hello’.” She is a cheery lady who could make even Scrooge smile. What do you think? Let us know.
The Sooner These Miserable Sods Leave, The Better Read Post »
After over a year of podcasts documenting the Vasco Da Gama rally this is the final one that sees Emma, Katy, Liz and Jamie safely arrive at their final destination. Not without the odd storm, however.
This podcast is not to be listened to whilst eating. You’ve no doubt heard that travelling in India can be plagued by cases of Delhi Belly and this week neither Katy nor Jamie escaped its wrath. This is a step-by-step account of a rather hilarious day that was only funny for the observers.
I Think I’m Goan Be Sick Read Post »
There’s nothing I like better than sailing with a bunch of girls in bikinis – what man wouldn’t, eh? In this weeks episode we’re joined by Liz’s old friends, Emma and Katy. They very nearly didn’t make it though…
Bikinis and Raybans Read Post »
Boating is about pleasure but if there is one thing that gets me down it’s having to repair yet another puncture in my dinghy. The coral beaches of Eritrea gave our Tinker a real thrashing and quite frankly I got fed up with lugging this huge weight on and off Esper every time we wanted to go ashore. Liz and I decided, therefore, to treat ourselves to an unsinkable, indestructible, lightweight, folding Portabote. It stows like a surfboard, commissions in minutes and is fast! Check out the first of two reviews of this boat, including a video clip of the assembly. Worth every penny? Quite possibly. Strangest looking thing on our boat? Very definitely…
Folding PortaBote – Our New Indestructible Tender On Video Read Post »
In our penultimate Arabian Sea crossing podcast Jamie decides to erect something very big that scares Liz. Meanwhile back at Wynbury Delves Primary School the kids send the Esper gang a message. It feels great to know that we’ve done something good, especially after a day of no wind, sunburn and cursing.
Spinnaker Sensation Read Post »
