http://www.followtheboat.com Tales (not just) from the high seas Fri, 30 Jul 2010 11:25:13 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 http://www.followtheboat.com/2010/02/20/fan-belts-and-braces/ http://www.followtheboat.com/2010/02/20/fan-belts-and-braces/#comments Sat, 20 Feb 2010 08:00:51 +0000 Jamie http://www.followtheboat.com/?p=19556 Rested and eager to move on, Liz and I fell into the trap of believing that the next bit of the journey would be fairly straightforward, despite the headwinds. How wrong could we have been? I'll give you a clue: very.]]> http://www.followtheboat.com/2010/02/20/fan-belts-and-braces/feed/ 4 http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/11/04/leaving-the-black-hole-of-marmaris/ http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/11/04/leaving-the-black-hole-of-marmaris/#comments Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:41:23 +0000 Jamie http://www.followtheboat.com/?p=18487 A week ago, when we were supposed to have left for Egypt but couldn't because of the weather, we were ready to leave. A week later we have a clear window, it's the night before our departure and I'm running around like a loon, cursing that I need more time. Why the hell didn't I do an engine check a week before, rather than at the 11th hour when the shops are closing and my electrician is halfway to Istanbul and therefore unable to replace my broken alternator smart charger?]]> http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/11/04/leaving-the-black-hole-of-marmaris/feed/ 3 http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/07/22/mr-bond-i-presume/ http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/07/22/mr-bond-i-presume/#comments Wed, 22 Jul 2009 08:00:16 +0000 Jamie http://www.followtheboat.com/?p=5313 My troubles started when I attempted to turn the engine off. I pressed the 'off' button and nothing happened, the engine continued to trundle away. “Relay switch”, I thought. I picked up instructions manuals, reference books, and anything else that might offer a solution. In the end I bottled it and called John on the VHF. ]]> http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/07/22/mr-bond-i-presume/feed/ 0 http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/07/12/a-day-in-the-life-on-the-hard/ http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/07/12/a-day-in-the-life-on-the-hard/#comments Sun, 12 Jul 2009 08:47:34 +0000 Jamie http://www.followtheboat.com/?p=5276 Anyway...this "Day in the Life" is based upon our time on the hard in the sweltering 30°+ heat of June at Marti Marina. For you non-yotties being on the hard means propping ones boat up on big sticks and climbing up and down a 10ft ladder in order to get on and off the boat.]]> http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/07/12/a-day-in-the-life-on-the-hard/feed/ 12 http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/06/15/tinker-traveller-cover/ http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/06/15/tinker-traveller-cover/#comments Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:21:38 +0000 Jamie http://www.followtheboat.com/?p=5199 For posterity and insurance purposes, and also to help over Tinker Traveller owners, we publish here a load of images of our new cover, made of Sunbrella.]]> http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/06/15/tinker-traveller-cover/feed/ 3 http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/05/09/sun-awning-design-for-a-boat/ http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/05/09/sun-awning-design-for-a-boat/#comments Sat, 09 May 2009 16:25:26 +0000 Jamie http://www.followtheboat.com/?p=5143 This article explains briefly how our Sunbrella sun awning works for our ketch rigged boat. Whilst it may not provide a complete solution for other boats we are publishing this article in the hope that it assists other boat owners in designing their own awning.]]> http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/05/09/sun-awning-design-for-a-boat/feed/ 2 http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/05/06/raving-about-our-rocna/ http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/05/06/raving-about-our-rocna/#comments Wed, 06 May 2009 10:48:55 +0000 Jamie http://www.followtheboat.com/?p=4844 In the next few articles we'll be featuring some photographs, video clips, maps and personal experiences of our current home Fethiye, offering something for all our friends and family to enjoy. This article, however, is very definitely for the serious liveaboard: visit any online sailing forum and there is one subject that will rouse more furious debate than any other subject known to man, beast or Poseidon: anchors. The simple anchor is the one thing on our boat we need to trust more than anything else (except perhaps our vessel's ability to keep water out) so it is little wonder grown men pull each others' hair out when arguing which anchor is best. We had a bit of cash to spend on an anchor last year and, after pulling some hair, we opted for a new generation Rocna. We promised its designer, Peter Smith, to return an unambiguous account of our experience with his design. He said explicitly "be honest". You know us, Peter, a spade's a spade...]]> http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/05/06/raving-about-our-rocna/feed/ 10 http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/04/20/scraping-the-propeller-of-barnacles-mans-work/ http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/04/20/scraping-the-propeller-of-barnacles-mans-work/#comments Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:43:32 +0000 Tim http://www.followtheboat.com/?p=4952 When I was thirteen, I held my breath for two minutes and fifty five seconds, sitting, very still, in my bedroom. Flapping around under a boat in cold water, stabbing a chisel at 4 months worth of crustaceans tends to tire you out a little and I think the best I managed was about 40 seconds. ]]> http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/04/20/scraping-the-propeller-of-barnacles-mans-work/feed/ 1 http://www.followtheboat.com/2008/06/30/thunderbirds-are-go/ http://www.followtheboat.com/2008/06/30/thunderbirds-are-go/#comments Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:43:44 +0000 Jamie http://www.followtheboat.com/?p=3689 Panic because I really didn't know what I was doing in the engine room. The engine won't start. Right, where do I begin? Haven't a clue. Get a book out on diesel engines. Can't find any of the problems identified in the troubleshooting section. Must be the carburettor. No wait, it doesn't have a carburetor.]]> http://www.followtheboat.com/2008/06/30/thunderbirds-are-go/feed/ 0 http://www.followtheboat.com/2007/12/31/partying-in-marmaris-yacht-marina/ http://www.followtheboat.com/2007/12/31/partying-in-marmaris-yacht-marina/#comments Mon, 31 Dec 2007 16:47:48 +0000 Liz http://www.followtheboat.com/?p=3393 Now I wouldn't want you to think that we've been up to nothing but do-gooding these past weeks... Those of you that know us will be relieved to hear that there has been the usual amount of getting-up-to-mischief and having fun too! Now, where to start?]]> http://www.followtheboat.com/2007/12/31/partying-in-marmaris-yacht-marina/feed/ 0