The first time we left Kate on the hard I remember reaching across the back seat of the taxi as we pulled away, searching for Steve’s reassuring hand. My eyes welled with tears and I heaved a heavy sigh as he told me over and over that the boat would be ok without us. 30…
Tag: sailing
Before the Tide Turns, a Boatyard Update
“Cruising is just making boat repairs in exotic locations.” This is a popular saying in the sailing community, but one which we have never adhered to. (And, don’t even get me started on my dislike of the term “cruising.”) Yes, travelling and living on a boat dictates that maintenance and repairs will have to be…
All the Single (hander) Ladies; An Interview with Nike Steiger in Cruising World
A few months after we set sail back in 2009 Steve got a job offer. It wasn’t in the plans to leave me alone afloat but after A LOT of consideration and debate we accepted. I was (mostly) comfortable being by myself, the boat was secure and we had some great neighbours that I could…
Plastic Free July On a Boat
Long before movements like ‘Plastic Free July‘ and ‘Zero Waste‘ hit their stride we were been mindful of how much waste we produce on board. Perhaps this is because we live a little closer to our garbage than most people. There is no opportunity to leave trash out on the curb for the garbage man…
Top 10 After 10
Our ten-year anniversary has, understandably, sparked a little nostalgia and reflection. The other evening while sitting along the fence in the boatyard, looking at Kate still up on the hard and enjoying our ritual sundowner beers, we got to chatting about the gear and equipment that we’ve come to rely on and all the “stuff”…
Land Yachts: A Guest Post by Cameron
Last fall, when I was home in Canada, I had the opportunity to help my oldest nephew out with a school project. As a grade nine student Cameron was looking for someone to job shadow for a day. Usually this means going to work with a parent, but as he had already spent time with…
Landsickness; The Sailors Stigma
Not a lot of people talk about it, in fact I think most sailors who suffer from it are a bit embarrassed. But, I think talking about issues like this is important, and I hope that by sharing my story I can help other sailors out there who is suffering in silence. What I am…
Gigantes Sur in a Nutshell, OK Seashell
Last week we stopped at a little island called Gigantes Sur. Still in the Western Visayas province of the Philippines it is a small island off the east coast of Panay; a dot among several others in the area. There isn’t too much in the way of Cruising Guides for the Philippines, or at least…
Pressure Cookers; A Galley Essential?
Almost everyone will tell you that a pressure cooker is a ‘must have’ in your galley, but is it really? Sure they are economical, a great way to save time and very trendy right now but like any cooking technique pressure cooking does have it’s limitations. This month in my Blue Water Sailing column I…
First Impressions; Philippines
We’ve been in the Philippines for almost three weeks now, which for me is just enough time to start to get comfortable in a place. After a few weeks I’ve finally stop comparing our current destination to the one we just left. After a few weeks I have gotten past the shock and awe factor…