Where I’ve Been
We in the global west have an odd relationship with change. We tend to assume that what is, will always be, be it good or bad or somewhere in between; however, what I’ve come to realise, slowly and sometimes painfully, is more in line with eastern traditions and that is, that the only constant in… Read More Decisions: Endings, Beginnings, and Everything In-between
As anyone who reads this blog is more than aware, our sailing plans have not gone to plan for some time – but that has finally changed! See, as I write this I am serenaded by the gentle lapping of water against Avalon’s hull and the call of the migrating sea birds that call Pancake… Read More The First Two Weeks: Sailing from Mooloolaba to Pancake Creek
I could title this post something click-bait-y like “10 reasons not to buy a boat” or “I hate sailing” and likely get more reads, but that just would not be me. Instead, this will be my usual SEO-failing fare from the heart, a heart currently full of disappointment and doubt; because, in the past 48… Read More Doubt, Disappointment, and Delays
It has officially been four months since I posted and five months since we bought our beautiful boat, Avalon. What have we been up to during our radio silence? Well, I am here to tell you that boat ownership is most definitely not all sunsets, cocktails, and white sand…alas our current experience is a bit… Read More Boat Work Galore
Avalon Spirit finally splashed (was put back in the water) exactly a week ago, on Tuesday September 6th. We had really, really hoped that it would be much, much sooner than this, but, as I’ve already said, that was not to be. Instead, we had a month of the purchase process and weeks on the… Read More Avalon Spirit’s First Passage
Ten months later, I can almost say we have officially bought a boat! Though when I say almost, well, that’s a bit of a longer story. See, in October 2021, after almost four years of saving money, we quit our jobs in Geraldton to buy a sailboat. We sold or got rid of almost everything… Read More Buying a Catamaran: A Tale of Delays
A rooster’s sharp caw breaks through my dreams and soon I am awake, mulling over how best to murder said rooster. I grumble as I squint my eyes in the early morning light, the sun hasn’t even risen yet. The rooster keeps at it. This rooster must be faulty, or sadistic, I decide as I… Read More Racing the Rain with Hari’s Horses on Ometepe Island, Nicaragua
The Cinque Terre is on a lot of people’s must see travel lists and it shows. This place is very much found, but once you get here, you start to realise why so many international and domestic tourists alike flock to this mountainous national park on the Ligurian Sea – it is simply the perfect… Read More The Cinque Terre: Where Mountains and Sea Collide
There is just something about Tuscany that will always feel a little – okay a lot – magical. The rolling hills of wheat, the lush vineyards, the Medieval and Renaissance era walled cities…this central-northern state in Italy has had a pull on romantics worldwide for decades that is showing no signs of stopping. I fell… Read More Ten Tips for Traveling Tuscany
When the Meltemi blows a bone dry wind whips through what was a previously placid anchorage, making even the most secure of Mediterranean (Med) moorings uncomfortable at best, untenable at worst. Sand and dirt from arid hills fills the air and coats once white yachts – cleaning this is a mistake, once you start, you… Read More Meltemis and Mooring Madness: Crewing in the Greek Islands