Number 33
We arrived in Aneityum, the most southerly island in Vanuatu, after an 8 day passage from New Zealand. Instantly the layers of stress and worry that so acutely mark the preparation stage for leaving a country were shed as quickly as the layers of…
Yum yum yum
When your family onboard includes a Londoner with a rare and supreme talent in the kitchen, another Londoner with a great appreciation of good food and a Californian who likes to experiment with new flavours you know that the average mealtime is not…
Expect the unexpected
The first lesson of parenting is really to expect the unexpected. Funnily enough, the exact same can be said of liveaboard sailing. One of the great challenges of sailing out from a country like New Zealand and on to remote islands like those of…
Portrait of a cruiser
Our community of boat folk has certain 'go-to' resources for sailing knowledge and advice. One of these is the website called Noonsite, the 'global site for cruising sailors'. It's a [...]
Cabin fever
I know that one of the things it’s hard to get your head around if you don’t live on a boat is how a couple or even a family could be comfortable in so little space. The living area equates to far less than a tiny studio flat and yet we all seem to…
Change is in the air
Autumn is here. For three years in the tropics we missed the changing colours that the turn of season brings. It wasn't until our camping trip all around New Zealand that we were able to re-familiarise ourselves with that shift of light, and time…
The uninvited guest
“Stop scratching!” I’m pleading with my 3 year-old daughter who has a cluster of red welts on both her calves. Yes, the cruising life is an extraordinary one, packed with fulfilling encounters and adventures. However, today [...]
Pescadora mia
There are some important milestones for a boat girl to go through. At 3 and a half our little Rocket has had a BIG moment... She just caught her first fish! She has an ongoing joke that "Dada is rubbish at fishing!" and [...]
We’re taking over!
Our good friends over at gDiapers have kindly invited us aboard their Instagram page for a couple of days. Why? Because they're keen to share the real stories from the gMums and gDads who use their products. So, on the 27th and 28th of this month…
New Year, new look
Things looking a little different round here? Yep, after more than five years at sea we figured it was time for a bit of an overhaul of the website. It's purpose has changed quite a lot over that time, going from a simple way of giving our families…
A river runs through it
In our years at sea we’ve sometimes had a break from the ocean swell or bouncy anchorages and chosen to sail on a river. Yes, it is unlikely that you will get an easy sail but even motoring upriver is a lovely adventure in itself. Plus, you’re…
Back to reality
I wake to find that we are the only boat at anchor in this spot. Our yacht hangs in a mere 3 metres of clear turquoise water, nicely enclosed by an island to either side of us. There’s sand, pebble and shell, which appear [...]
I can see clearly now
“Did we actually just miss the Pacific altogether?” I ask James in disbelief. The reason for the question is that we’ve made a little change on board with a big result. We’ve changed the acrylic on some [...]
Hard tack and ship’s biscuits
This weekend has been all about feasting on good food with great colours. Super fresh and gorgeous, and all without a weevil in sight! Perhaps not what [...]
All things winches
As an important part of our general maintenance we've been servicing our winches. With two little helpers of course [...]
In between jobs
Occasionally we get a proper weekend, free from boat jobs. This last one was all about making. Making food, making dens, making pictures [...]
Water babies again
James teaching Rocket how to balance and hold the paddle. Indigo clinging on to the bow on a [...]
Our littlest crew…
...Has finally had his first passage. We made the trip up from Whangarei to Opua over a few days via Urquharts Bay, Tutukaka Harbour and Urupukapuka Bay in the Bay of Islands. The kiddos are adjusting to [...]
Busy boat life
Some days are all about staying in and playing Duplo [...]
Extra extra, read all about it
We are gracing another magazine cover this month. The July issue of Australia's "Cruising Helmsman" magazine has a 6 page spread of my article on "The coconut milk run" about crossing the Pacific ocean and a photo of our boat taken from the top of…