http://www.followtheboat.com Tales (not just) from the high seas Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:34:46 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.followtheboat.com/2011/04/14/goatherder/ http://www.followtheboat.com/2011/04/14/goatherder/#comments Thu, 14 Apr 2011 15:00:59 +0000 Jamie http://www.followtheboat.com/?p=21423 Today I had an encounter I will never forget. Meet Chella Duri, a goatherder from Tamil Nadu, working in the neighbouring state of Kerala. He earns as much in a month as we spend on an evening out, but I'm not asking for your pity, just a few moments to listen to what he had to say when he heard that I was a rich westerner living on a boat in Cochin...]]> http://www.followtheboat.com/2011/04/14/goatherder/feed/ 11 http://www.followtheboat.com/2011/02/01/certified/ http://www.followtheboat.com/2011/02/01/certified/#comments Tue, 01 Feb 2011 05:58:44 +0000 Jamie http://www.followtheboat.com/?p=21017 A few weeks ago I received an invite to attend the Kerala Watersports Sailing Organisation Certificate Awards. I'd already met Captain Jolly Thomas who is the man responsible for teaching young children how to sail their little, second-hand Optimist dinghies. In a country that has no real sailing heritage and with next to no funds Jolly has achieved the near-impossible by creating a small but successful sailing club for children. Set up as a charitable organisation the least I could do was attend the ceremony and maybe invite a couple of other western sailors to join me. Terry of 'Roam II' and Brian and Maureen of 'Suryana' came along to give their support.]]> http://www.followtheboat.com/2011/02/01/certified/feed/ 7 http://www.followtheboat.com/2011/01/24/bonkers-wedding/ http://www.followtheboat.com/2011/01/24/bonkers-wedding/#comments Mon, 24 Jan 2011 10:46:01 +0000 Jamie http://www.followtheboat.com/?p=20940 I've no idea who Romit and Rupashi are but I was at their Hindu wedding nonetheless. This was a fantastical event with much noise, colour and many people. Here is my pictorial account of the special occasion: more photos, less words. ]]> http://www.followtheboat.com/2011/01/24/bonkers-wedding/feed/ 10 http://www.followtheboat.com/2010/03/24/hms-chatham-big-brother-is-watching-us/ http://www.followtheboat.com/2010/03/24/hms-chatham-big-brother-is-watching-us/#comments Wed, 24 Mar 2010 10:00:42 +0000 Jamie http://www.followtheboat.com/?p=19826 Meet Big Brother, watching our every move since Egypt!]]> http://www.followtheboat.com/2010/03/24/hms-chatham-big-brother-is-watching-us/feed/ 2 http://www.followtheboat.com/2010/01/28/the-people-of-sudan/ http://www.followtheboat.com/2010/01/28/the-people-of-sudan/#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 08:32:26 +0000 Jamie http://www.followtheboat.com/?p=19219 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.]]> http://www.followtheboat.com/2010/01/28/the-people-of-sudan/feed/ 10 http://www.followtheboat.com/2010/01/27/welcome-to-the-culture-shock/ http://www.followtheboat.com/2010/01/27/welcome-to-the-culture-shock/#comments Wed, 27 Jan 2010 11:22:37 +0000 Jamie http://www.followtheboat.com/?p=19166 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.]]> http://www.followtheboat.com/2010/01/27/welcome-to-the-culture-shock/feed/ 6 http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/11/18/well-hush-my-mouth/ http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/11/18/well-hush-my-mouth/#comments Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:45:45 +0000 Jamie http://www.followtheboat.com/?p=18669 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.]]> http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/11/18/well-hush-my-mouth/feed/ 2 http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/11/12/the-gem-of-the-suez-canal/ http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/11/12/the-gem-of-the-suez-canal/#comments Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:25:59 +0000 Jamie http://www.followtheboat.com/?p=18603 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.]]> http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/11/12/the-gem-of-the-suez-canal/feed/ 8 http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/11/11/bribing-the-wrong-person-in-port-said/ http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/11/11/bribing-the-wrong-person-in-port-said/#comments Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:33:51 +0000 Jamie http://www.followtheboat.com/?p=18567 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...]]> http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/11/11/bribing-the-wrong-person-in-port-said/feed/ 0 http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/10/23/tiger/ http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/10/23/tiger/#comments Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:00:29 +0000 Jamie http://www.followtheboat.com/?p=18441 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!]]> http://www.followtheboat.com/2009/10/23/tiger/feed/ 6