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/2009/11/27/passing-over-to-the-other-side/ http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/11/27/passing-over-to-the-other-side/#comments Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:15:42 +0000 Jamie http://www.followtheboat.com/?p=18742 Riding waves between three to four metres high, passing under the boat from right to left, watching them roll on down hill as the next wave erupts before you, with the wind blowing loud enough that we have to shout to each other, whilst watching an approaching cargo ship appear on Esper's beam, is one of the most exhilarating experiences either of us have ever experienced.]]> http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/11/27/passing-over-to-the-other-side/feed/ 1 http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/11/07/ride-it-like-a-bronco-baby/ http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/11/07/ride-it-like-a-bronco-baby/#comments Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:07:04 +0000 Jamie http://www.followtheboat.com/?p=18499 It was 0600 and I was lying in bed, vaguely aware that my body was rising, dropping, sliding and twisting like a corkscrew. Clearly there was some weather going on outside. I slid into my salopettes and stuck my head up through the companionway. There, at the helm, was Liz wearing the same grin I'd left her with the night before.]]> http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/11/07/ride-it-like-a-bronco-baby/feed/ 0 http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/10/27/weather-hampers-our-start-of-vasco-da-gama-rally/ http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/10/27/weather-hampers-our-start-of-vasco-da-gama-rally/#comments Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:48:54 +0000 Jamie http://www.followtheboat.com/?p=18459 Ourselves and 'Roam II' were due to leave Turkey today with the aim of hitting Rhodes to fuel and provision, meet up with 'Storm Dodger' and 'Rhumb Do' and then head off SE on Friday to meet the Vasco Da Gama rally in Port Said, Egypt. Hmmmm. Have you seen the weather lately? I've animated a grib file (weather information) for your perusal to prove my point. In an unexpected turnaround of weather for this time of year the south of the Aegean is being hit with some vicious northerlies. Normally these die out by the time they hit the same latitude as Cyprus but these winds are whipping right across the eastern Med and across Port Said. I wonder how many leaving drinks we can get away with...]]> http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/10/27/weather-hampers-our-start-of-vasco-da-gama-rally/feed/ 10 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/2003/12/01/running-a-dead-ship/ http://www.followtheboat.com/2003/12/01/running-a-dead-ship/#comments Mon, 01 Dec 2003 13:11:22 +0000 Jamie http://www.followtheboat.com/?p=1617 Another miserable day on the weather front (the second in a row with no sun), giving us a grim backdrop for the bad news: the batteries had stopped charging and neither the skipper nor the first mate had any idea why this was so. Ocean Indies is, after all, a new boat. This situation meant we now had to run what is called a ‘dead ship’, i.e. no electricity.]]> http://www.followtheboat.com/2003/12/01/running-a-dead-ship/feed/ 0 http://www.followtheboat.com/2003/11/30/shampoo-set/ http://www.followtheboat.com/2003/11/30/shampoo-set/#comments Sun, 30 Nov 2003 13:05:17 +0000 Jamie http://www.followtheboat.com/?p=1607 Never let it be said Sunday is the day of rest. After getting stitched up on the watch system (due to the clocks going back and a watch system change) I decided to go for a lie down. After a couple of minutes there was an almighty clang, followed by the skipper shouting “all hands on deck”.]]> http://www.followtheboat.com/2003/11/30/shampoo-set/feed/ 0 http://www.followtheboat.com/2003/10/30/another-force-8-and-some-big-waves/ http://www.followtheboat.com/2003/10/30/another-force-8-and-some-big-waves/#comments Thu, 30 Oct 2003 14:34:54 +0000 Jamie http://www.followtheboat.com/?p=1344 The next 24 hours became a blue of slamming, spray, 5 metre waves and queasiness. Most of the watches were done in saloon, though I preferred being outside, harnessed in and riding the boat as if on a surf board! It was either feel sick and feel sh!tty, or see it for what it was and make the most of it.]]> http://www.followtheboat.com/2003/10/30/another-force-8-and-some-big-waves/feed/ 0 http://www.followtheboat.com/2003/10/10/crossing-the-north-sea-in-a-force-8/ http://www.followtheboat.com/2003/10/10/crossing-the-north-sea-in-a-force-8/#comments Fri, 10 Oct 2003 10:14:57 +0000 Jamie http://www.followtheboat.com/?p=1189 The weather was getting progressively worse but everyone was itching to get going and finally hit the open waters. When the green light indicated our turn to enter the lock the sense of nervousness and trepidation increased as the conversation dropped. Once the gates had closed behind us we had a fifteen minute wait as the lock filled and rose to sea level. We were all looking at the red traffic lights and waiting, wondering what the open water had prepared for us.]]> http://www.followtheboat.com/2003/10/10/crossing-the-north-sea-in-a-force-8/feed/ 1 http://www.followtheboat.com/2003/10/08/accidental-tack-incorrectly-furled-mainsail/ http://www.followtheboat.com/2003/10/08/accidental-tack-incorrectly-furled-mainsail/#comments Wed, 08 Oct 2003 10:06:53 +0000 Jamie http://www.followtheboat.com/?p=1184 Back on the Ijsselmeer we continued to get to grips with the boat. At one point I accidentally tacked, which in stormy conditions can be the end of the boat since the boom can swing round the wrong way and put too much pressure on the wrong side of the mast, which could snap it in two. Mistake number one!]]> http://www.followtheboat.com/2003/10/08/accidental-tack-incorrectly-furled-mainsail/feed/ 0 http://www.followtheboat.com/2003/10/08/sailing-across-the-ijsselmeer/ http://www.followtheboat.com/2003/10/08/sailing-across-the-ijsselmeer/#comments Wed, 08 Oct 2003 09:56:09 +0000 Jamie http://www.followtheboat.com/?p=1178 Although Ijsselmeer is only three metres deep it behaves very much like the sea. With fairly strong winds we unfurled the mizzen, the sail at the back of the boat that’s used to stabilise it in strong winds. With the slashing rain we were the only sailing vessel on what is normally a busy bit of water, and when the storm that had been predicted by the weathermen finally came over the sh!t really hit the fan!]]> http://www.followtheboat.com/2003/10/08/sailing-across-the-ijsselmeer/feed/ 0