So this lunchtime I did something quite terrifying – I finally let go. I took a year’s worth of agonising, second guessing, swearing and maniacal cackling, stuffed it in an envelope and threw it in a post box. My regular (and infinitely patient) readers will know exactly what I am talking about, but for those of you just poking your…
I will write a proper blog about our Tasman Bay trip soon, but there is a mystery to be solved first. While we were anchored up in Queen Charlotte Sounds we found ourselves surrounded by thousands of critters that looked like this: I was so fascinated I even made a short film: http://youtu.be/PE2xTdgX5SI By day two there were so many…
There’s nothing like spending the day with barnacles down your bra to remind you how glamorous sailing can be. Paddy and I have spent the past week getting Wildflower ready to leave the marina for the first time in more than a year. It’s just a short hop – cruising down south round Nelson way – but, since we both…
Okay this one is completely off topic, but I figured it deserved a bit more than a Facebook update (boaties I will not be offended if you choose to sit this one out). I am in a bit of a conundrum with the Hobbit. Morally I should not want to have anything to do with it, but here I am…
We hurtled headlong past a milestone last week and I didn’t even notice – I was too busy being busy. Paddy was the one who worked out we had been back in civilisation for a year. Fittingly it was a text message from our celphone provider that tipped him off – thanking us for a year of our custom. A year. A year…
For those of you wondering why I haven’t blogged for about a million years, it’s because I am working on Which Way is Starboard Again? the book – based on this blog and the journal I kept while sailing. For those of you wondering where the book is – that’s why I’m writing this blog. I figured this whole book thing…
The last few weeks have felt like stepping into a time warp, as we watch our neighbours scramble to get ready to head across the Pacific. I recognise and empathise with all of it – the race against the clock to get the boat ready to go before the weather decides to play silly buggers, the boat maintenance by tourchlight,…
There were times when we were bouncing around in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, miles away from anywhere, when the most calming sound in the world was my Dad’s voice. Before we left New Zealand, Paddy donated his old radio to Dad so he could keep in touch with us (it of course had nothing to do with the…
The boaties among you will be wondering what on earth punk cabaret has to do with sailing, and those of you reading this because I posted it up on a punk cabaret forum will be wondering the exact opposite – but bear with me, the twain shall meet, honest! So after spending the best part of last year sailing around…
Since its silly season and we are being inundated with news stories about baby names I figured it would be a pretty good time for me to finally write my boat name blog. When I was a junior reporter I got all the good jobs – and one of them was the dreaded Baby Name Story. Back then this hardy annual…