Suakin has to be seen to be believed. It is one reason why I took so many photographs of both people and buildings. Along the dusty road from the anchorage and old city lies the market, and behind the market, the residential area. The market is surrounded by wooden buildings that look more at home in The House of Fun, such is the angle at which they sit. It is the residential area, however, that really shocks. More buildings made of any scrap of cardboard, metal or wood have been cobbled together to provide some kind of shelter from the sun.

Tags: people, photography, poor, portraits
Category: meeting new people
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As if we needed proof that we were visiting one of the world’s poorest countries, the 1 hour bus journey from Suakin to Port Sudan was an eye-opener I’ll never forget.

Tags: photography, poor
Category: meeting new people, observation
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My first escapade into a Sudanese town was rather rewarding, at least from a photographic point of view. I’d been warned that the Sudanese do not like having their photograph taken and wandering around this battered old town with my massive Canon lens attached to my expensive camera certainly raised some eyebrows, not least from anyone in uniform. I’d already been ticked off by a local man for attempting to take pictures of the local fishing boats on this atmospherically cloudy afternoon.

Tags: photography
Category: meeting new people
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Only this morning I was hopping about on the empty promenade of Ismalia marina, having been left behind by the rally. We’d been woken up at 5am only to be told that our pilot wouldn’t be turning up till ten. After our last experience of that ungrateful arse of a pilot Liz and I had said that whoever came on-board as our pilot for the second day would not get any more than $10 baksheesh. A kick in the bollocks would also be offered if any objection was raised over the sum of our present.

Tags: baksheesh, canal, pilot
Category: meeting new people
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The rest of my commentary of this fine town will be done by picture. I have to say I was bowled over by the local people’s willingness to be photographed! Only three people declined their portrait being taken and a couple of people tapped me on the shoulder and told me off (one for photographing his cycle shop!), but the rest of Ismalia were queuing up! Young lads jumped in front of each other, young parents grabbed their children and market traders picked up fruit and offered it to the camera.

Tags: market, photography
Category: meeting new people
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A very angry Arabic marina manager started shouting in a way that only an angry Arabic-speaking official person can do. The pilot boat had to catch us up in order to drop off our pilot, Moussa, which is Egyptian for Moses. Biblical this man was not…

Tags: baksheesh, canal, rally, transit
Category: meeting new people, rants
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The internet cafe was nothing special but the guy in charge was. He was as camp as a lace doily and so it was with complete disbelief that I found myself in a conversation about finding him an English girl to marry! I am serious, this guy genuinely believed that I could call up an English girl who would be willing to fly over and marry him!

Tags: architecture, port
Category: meeting new people, strange people
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Today is arrival day. Our predicted landfall is 1600 and I’m writing this as we motor across flat calm water towards Port Said, so we’ll see if my ETA is correct. Although we can’t see land the depth is only 20 metres, and we’ve passed a couple of oil rigs and been overtaken by a huge cargo ship. With the hazy sun the entire experience reminds me of the east coast of the UK. On a good day. Instead of familiar Turkish banter the VHF is now choca with angry-sounding Arabic fishermen.

Tags: beer, navigation, pilot, yacht club
Category: meeting new people, rucks
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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?

Tags: friends, maintenance, weather
Category: boat maintenance, meeting new people
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This, our first official followtheboat podcast, is an interview with a young south African family half way through a sailing circumnavigation. They’ve visited a staggering 30 counties in 3 years but their trip has been put on hold as they attend to a dismasting hiccup! As if that’s not enough, Ronnelle has returned to their home in America for three months, leaving dad Neil to look after Emille, 7, and Pete, 5. There’ll be hell to pay if that mast isn’t up when she returns in the new year!

Tags: dismasted, education, family, interview
Category: meeting new people, podcast, through the porthole
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It’s perhaps not surprising that my best holiday so far was the result of a series of coincidences and good fortune. Even now, parts of it feel like a dream. How likely is it that your boss in South Africa tells you that you’re being sent to a conference in Istanbul and that – taking a chance because you know your friends are sort of crazy – when you email friends in London to say you’re going to be in Turkey for a few days, do they want to join you, they come back immediately to say that they’d love to.

Tags: crew, fishing
Category: meeting new people
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Much later Jamie impressed not just our immediate party but everyone at poolside by performing a series of beautifully executed complex dives. I think this one was a reverse back somersault with triple pike from memory [which wasn’t too good by then].

Tags: beer, swim
Category: meeting new people
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The weather has broken, Marmaris is surrounded by storm clouds and its dreary foreboding is compounded by the fact I’m packing to return to the UK; so let’s step back in time to sunnier days when Matt and Candice came out to visit. We took in some of Turkey’s finest coast line and Greece’s jewel, Simi. This log is written by Matt, who’s comedy prose is accompanied by some fantastic photographs. It concludes with an entry by Siobhan, who came all the way from South Africa to visit us for a couple of days! We are honoured.

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In this, the last of our photography features of our winter home town, we feature the ‘Old Boys Of Fethiye’. This little project happened by accident. I was just cycling around, minding my own business, when I came across this cafe full of old boys. When I asked the waiter if it was ok to take some snaps of the old men playing board games he said not only was this ok, but it was expected. Boy could these guys pull some poses! Possibly my fave photography project to date.

Tags: cafe, photographs, photography
Category: meeting new people, observation
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It is with great sadness that we announce the tragic death of Christer Klingwall, owner and skipper of ‘Lady Jessie’, who took his own life last Monday, 20th April.

We would like to pay our respects to our sailing buddy by posting up some pictures and thoughts on followtheboat, which featured Christer in our last video clip. Mayke, Christer’s ex-wife with whom he remained close, said ‘Christer would love the idea of a tribute’. This article, then, will be a continually updated and amended page dedicated to a great sailor. If you would like to add your own comment, thought or photograph then please either use the comments form at the end of the article or email us.

Tags: bodrum, christer, regatta, sweden
Category: meeting new people, observation
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Once again, the sweet farmer’s daughter comes running down to us and apologises that dinner will not be ready for a while as she is milking the cow and off she runs. Though we don’t hear said cow, as we play our game of Rumicub, we are surrounded by bleating goats, hooting owls, braying donkeys, jumping fish and crowing cockerels – life on this island is actually quite noisy!

Tags: dolphin, goats, photographs, tomb, turtle
Category: meeting new people, strange people
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I only see him move once, and this was to pass us the bill. He limps his huge mass towards us and smiles through toad-like eyes. I imagine he is probably very good friend with James Bond, he seems to know everybody and things seemed to work around him to his satisfaction – whether this is down to wealth, culture or bloody hard work, I do not know, what I do know is it looks like a good life.

Tags: fethiye, food, historical, lizard, market, tortoise
Category: meeting new people, observation
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Short of trudging through somebody’s garden, we decide to descend, only to be stopped by two traditionally dressed women who insist on giving us directions. It turns out that a set of steps which were guarded by a charming black Labrador were in fact the correct route and we soon find ourselves onwards and upwards. Even the dogs here are friendly.

Tags: bazaar, food, historical, history, tomb
Category: meeting new people, observation
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It’s an exciting time for the manager of Delta Marina, who has doubled its berths to 80 in the last few years. With the borders between northern and southern Cyprus now open, hope for relaxation of trade restrictions and loosening of prohibited areas, the cruising scene is set to expand very quickly. “The Minister of Trade [who, incidentally, spoke at the rally reception we attended] has stated that tourism is Northern Cyprus’s number one priority. Key to this is sailing, which is one reason why they are building a new marina up the coast from us”.

Tags: cypriot, cyprus, marina, rally
Category: meeting new people, through the porthole
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The first night of the rally was pirate-themed, hence the eye-shadow. Somewhere in my tiny brain I thought perhaps I bore a vague resemblance to Johnny Depp in ‘Pirates…’, but then I do have to keep reminding myself that he’s not a fat ****, so I just ended up looking like a gay English lout.

Tags: cyprus, party, pirates, rally, yeni erenköy
Category: meeting new people
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I’m not entirely sure why this happened: when the depth is over 100m the gauge normally just shows ‘—m’. I’ve never seen it show a reading like that before and I can only assume it was a shoal of fish, or one big fish, attracted by the sound of the boat’s chugging, monotone engine. Either that or a Turkish submarine was f***ing with us.

Tags: cyprus, finike, motor sail, turkey
Category: meeting new people, video clips
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Banu and Batu’s progress has not been without its problems, however. Despite running their family business now for over 20 years they have had some run-ins with the local marina next door, who have only been here for five years. When Banu told me of the bribes Ece Marina have been offering her in order to close her down, I was disgusted.

Tags: ece, fethiye, marina, mooring, restaurant, wi fi
Category: meeting new people, through the porthole
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When I think of the organisation this would take back at home (babysitters, traffic, setting Sky+ to record missed programmes etc) this was an impressive effort by all involved. For us there were some new friends made, some familiar faces we’d never spoken to, familiar boat names we’d never actually met, and some old friends too.

Tags: chagazee, cowrie, fethiye, impulse, turkey
Category: meeting new people
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My last weekend, however, was marred somewhat by a couple of idiots I met in the bar on Friday. New boat owners hailing from Essex and London they had nothing good to say about the sailing community. Or Turks for that matter. I sat and listened as they slagged off Turkish workers for being lazy, and yotties who help each other only for personal gain. Eh?

Tags: marina, marmaris
Category: meeting new people, rucks, strange people
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I’ve just completed my first watch. Me. I’ve just helmed a 50m motor yacht from Marmaris, Turkey, into international waters. I’m now officially one of the big boys. I wonder what nautical tattoo I’ve earned? Image of a gin and tonic on my forearm?

Tags: motor boat, turkey, yacht master
Category: meeting new people
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Gwen is a first generation Swedish American, though she does now claim to be Canadian: “Since Bush came to power I refuse to be acknowledged as an American. I worked in the foreign service on hardship programmes and trained in Washington before being posted to West Africa. A great experience marred only by the eleven obligatory injections. Despite majoring in a variety of subjects for 16 years I never actually got a degree so officially I wasn’t allowed to become an officer in the foreign service, but I’d built up so much experience they made me an officer anyway”.

Tags: american, australia, bahrain, californian, charter, las vegas, marmaris, net, netsel, pacific, qatar, swedish
Category: meeting new people, through the porthole
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When one meets a self-confessed moody old crook who was infamously known as ‘The Bitch of Smithfield’, who hung out with rogues like Drinking John down the meat market, was courting a bank robber and has set light to more cottages and cornfields than I care to count, one imagines getting the imposing Gina to drop her guard to be a bit of a challenge.

Tags: impulse, ireland, jersey, music, solo
Category: meeting new people, through the porthole
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Over the Spring of 2008 I decided to take some portraits of the people associated with sailing here in Marmaris, Turkey. Of the 100 or so original portraits a few stood out as being quite striking, so I produced this little montage.

Tags: photographs, photography
Category: meeting new people, observation
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“I was a nun for many years and Pedro was a priest”, explains Isabel with that angelic smile. “We were
both on a trip to Rome to see the Pope, which is how we met. When we returned to Spain we cast off our robes and decided to go sailing instead”. Just like that? “Yes. We shocked both the church and our families by getting married. Within a month we bought ‘Issotta’, a Dufor 40, and invited our parents to see our future home. Fortunately they loved it and with their blessing we set sail the next day”.

This scoop was just too good to be true: I thought the singing nun was a sixties pop legend, not a bright young sailor from Spain.

Tags: dufour, music, sing, spain, spanish
Category: meeting new people, through the porthole
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In our short sailing life we’ve had the pleasure of taking non-sailors with us on day trips and weekend anchorages. It’s always great seeing the expressions on their faces as the gib is unfurled and the boat heals over! Our visa run to Rhodes was a little different, however, as we took on board some experienced sailors and a sailing virgin. In this post we get to hear from that virgin first hand!

Tags: art, chute, greece, lessons, mizzen, rhodes
Category: meeting new people
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I’m not sure if five beers at the bar with one of the Porthole editors counts as a ‘management meeting’ but I was getting a bit worried I’d been shirking my responsibilities as a journalist. With just two days before the print deadline I’d still not spoken to my proposed interviewee and I was thinking up excuses as to why pages eight and nine were going to be blank. Then in walks this beautiful French woman with an air of sophistication.

Tags: france, gib sea, solo
Category: meeting new people, through the porthole
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“It’s a real eye-opener”, commented Astrid. “Another time one of our girls used to get up at four in the morning to get the milk in off the door-step. When I told her she didn’t need to do this she explained that her mother had taught her to steal milk from people’s doorsteps. She was three.” Sadly another of their foster children got into a fight in an underground station and was knocked to the tracks and killed. “Of course that was very sad”, says Astrid, “as he’d only left our care a week before.

Tags: anchor, cowrie, greece, impulse, marmaris, moody, pania, rhumb do
Category: meeting new people, through the porthole
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I only have one page to document the many, many things Susann does! From chartering to exporting generators, from motorbikes to oriental dancing, Susann takes multi-tasking to the extreme. After interviewing her I now understand why some people have 27 hour clocks by their bed. This girl does it all……..

Tags: charter, german, germany, göcek, marina, marmaris, sarsala
Category: meeting new people, through the porthole
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When I worked on the tugs in Portugal my job was to provision the galleys, but I was also tasked with reminding the Portuguese ladies that the Brits were in town, so I would frequently recce the girly bars. Somehow I earned the nickname ‘Shagga’ by the Portuguese bar maids.

Tags: english channel, thames, tug
Category: meeting new people, through the porthole
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So a chance meeting with one man and his boat changed everything. It changed our future plans as sailors. It created a crossroads at which we would normally have gone one way, but have chosen to go the other. You know what I mean: one of those rare occasions which you look back on as being a significant moment in your life.

Tags: marina, marmaris, turkey
Category: meeting new people
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This was Jamie’s first delivery for Professional Yacht Deliveries World Wide, a UK-based yacht delivery company. It provided Jamie with the opportunity to sail with an experienced skipper, Kevin Smith. As it turned out the first mate, Lee, was just as experienced and together they provided Jamie with a wealth of knowledge and learning.

The journey from Lagos in the Algarve, Portugal, to Dartmouth in the UK, took just under two weeks. A few days were spent in Bayona due to bad weather.

Tags: dartmouth, lago, malo, portugal
Category: meeting new people
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Liz and I were introduced to Geoff by Dobby, and is based in English Harbour working as a chippie. Originally reigning from Cowes, Isl of Wight, sailing is obviously in Geoff’s blood. He’s single-handedly crossed the pond a couple of times, which when you think about it is pretty remarkable.

Tags: antigua, siesta, sparkman and stevens
Category: crew, meeting new people
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When I finally left I got a taxi ride to the airport, which took me through the inside of the island. As I said my memory is a little vague but that taxi journey sticks in my mind as being one of the best road-trips I’ve taken in my life. Why? I’m not sure. I think it was the stark contrast of a Caribbean blue sky, distant shimmering waters and the rich green vegetation of the banana plantations.

Tags: caribbean, st lucia
Category: meeting new people, strange people
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The great thing about sailing is the social life. Many an evening has been spent propping up the bar, drinking rum and chatting to locals and yachties alike. Edward and I met Alan and Bev whilst doing exactly that in Marigot Bay. This is where Admiral Rodney hid from the French, using coconut fronds to disguise the tops of the masts from the passing enemy. We didn’t make any enemies whilst we were there but we did bump into a fantastic couple, Alan and Bev, who where on a make-it-up-as-you-go-along world cruise.

Tags: catamaran, marigot bay, rodney bay, st lucia
Category: crew, meeting new people
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Blue Monkey was a tired old Beneteau 46 belonging to the charter company Moorings. It was our duty to deliver the boat to the Moorings base in Marigot Bay, St Lucia, in one piece. It wasn’t until we completed our task and got off Blue Monkey that the steering went, the autohelm was lost and the boat literally fell apart in front of our eyes.

Tags: antigua, beneteau, caribbean, charter, moorings, st lucia
Category: crew, meeting new people
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When you’ve spent over three weeks at sea Antigua really is a piece of heaven on earth. We don’t need to tell you what it was like because it’s all that you imagine it to be: warm, idyllic, welcoming and simply stunning. With free-flowing rum and the fact it was approaching Christmas the vibe was fully switched on to ‘party’ mode. Tim, Dobby, Michel and myself rented a shack for a month on top of a hill overlooking Falmouth Harbour and quickly sussed the perfect recipie for rum-punch. Yachts came and went, providing the south of the island with crowds of party people who crammed the local joints like the Mad Mongoose.

Tags: antigua, caribbean, christmas, english harbour, mad mongoose, nelson's dockyard, pineapple lodge, pitons, punch, rum, st lucia, wahoo
Category: fishing, meeting new people, observation
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Dave the Egret joined us for a 24 hour leg somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic. Obviously tired from flying he decided to take passage on Ocean Indies and earned his keep by staying on anchor watch for the entire time he was aboard. When he parted he left behind a little present for us on the deck.

Tags: atlantic, beneteau, charter, crew, fishing
Category: crew, fishing, meeting new people
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Expecting an open-armed warm welcome, three men appear on the deck looking a bit perplexed at our arrival, what with our kit and bags. Even an explanation of our presence seemed to confuse the guys on board.

Tags: beer, cascais, cat, crew, lifejacket, portugal
Category: meeting new people
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The petrol head from Manchester who now lives in Abersoch, Wales. Dave has owned more cars than I’ve had hot dinners, and he’s owned as many boats as he’s owned cars, so he’s got through more engines than I’ve had hot AND cold dinners. In fact he’s owned so many sea-faring vessels he can even boast to owning a pedalo. Until someone nicked it.

Tags: brigand, cascais, crew, marina, portugal
Category: crew, meeting new people
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The crew was ordered to buy Chinese for the guests so off we went into town again, via a bar for a quick drink. Putting the 180 Euro bill on Michelle’s credit card we took the Chinese back to the boat and served it up to a very ungrateful and unfriendly bunch of Dutch f***ers.

Tags: beer, ijmuiden, lock, north sea
Category: meeting new people
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After a chat and a beer we got to know the boat and I made the schoolboy error of choosing the smallest bunk in the fore cabin. Twat. My fears of an uncomfortable sleep, however, were dispelled after my first night aboard Voyager.

Tags: amsterdam, bunk, dutch
Category: meeting new people
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Crew of Voyager, October 2003

Tags: crew, netherlands
Category: crew, meeting new people
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Whilst the food went down well I think there was still a lot of first day nerves, at least for me. Had I made the right decision to leave the comfortable surroundings of home? What’s Sam really like when it’s blowing a force 7 in 20ft waves? Would I get on with Conny and Lorraine? Is sailing for me?

Tags: cowes, fishing, isle of wight, ramprasad
Category: meeting new people
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A qualified Royal Yachting Association (RYA) offshore yachtmaster, Sam has already crossed the Atlantic a number of times. His piece-de-resistance, however, must have been sailing the original Ramprasad (a traditional open Indian fishing boat made from teak) from India to Australia single handed. Check an Atlas to put into context just how mad this bloke is.

Tags: crew, ferro cement, ramprasad
Category: crew, meeting new people
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England To Netherlands, May  2002

We wish we’d kept a log of this trip, since this was the first time Mike, Marcus and Jamie had ever been sailing. Actually, Mike had done some sailing in the sea scouts but since this was over fourty years ago this trip was a great refresher course!

This trip was [...]

Tags: competent crew, knight vision, lessons, netherlands, shotley
Category: crew, meeting new people
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