Click here to listen via your favourite podcast provider, or scroll down and click on an episode.
JEANNE SOCRATES – WORLD SAILING RECORD HOLDER – PART 2
This is PART TWO OF THREE
Jeanne Socrates talks about her setup on board, changing an injector underway, and preparing for single-handing passages.
She’s been upside-down fixing autopilot and plans for all emergencies. She asks the pertinent questions in her preparation, “When we turn upside down, what’s going to happen.” And, “Can you take charge of your vessel if something happens to your partner?”
With manuals for everything, she’s ready for everything, but was she ready to lose her boat… her soulmate?
This is a podcast, if you’d like to watch our chat on video, click here.
JEANNE SOCRATES – WORLD SAILING RECORD HOLDER – PART 1
Part one. (Part two and three to follow). Jeanne shares some of her achievements and the story of her Australian heritage. She chats about how it all began. She also shares some great docking tips and funny docking experiences. What were Jeanne’s big learning curves? Listen and find out. If you’d like to watch the chat on video, click here.
FLOPPER STOPPER IN A FLAP!
Right, all you blokes pay attention; Sheilas turn the page (well if you could just wait a little while) this is for the emasculated males.
But the real problem, the actual crux of the flap I’m in; the reason I call on my brothers to hear my tale is this: Last night the wife and I had a barney. Of course, I was in the right like all good males invariably are.
“Just get out of the cockpit, you half-witted dolt, get some sleep and get off my watch,” yelled Jackie.
If you’d like to read this article and view some pictures, please click here.
LISA BLAIR SAILS THE WORLD! PART TWO
We chat with Lisa as she hurtles around Antarctica on another record attempt (during her first attempt she suffered a dismasting! Now, once again she faces southern ocean storms, icebergs, knockdowns, and lonely nights. With a target of 90 days at sea, click on the podcast below to find out she’s going, at almost halfway. (If you want to watch, we recorded this on Zoom and you can see Lisa on board (note the angel and swaying with the occasional bump!, click here to watch.
LISA BLAIR SAILS THE WORLD! PART ONE
We chat with Lisa as she hurtles around Antarctica on another record attempt (during her first attempt she suffered a dismasting! Now, once again she faces southern ocean storms, icebergs, knockdowns, and lonely nights. With a target of 90 days at sea, click on the podcast below to find out she’s going, at almost halfway. (If you want to watch, we recorded this on Zoom and you can see Lisa on board (note the angel and swaying with the occasional bump!, click here to watch.
Distill the Essence of Sailing: Distilling the essence of life at sea: It’s a love-hate relationship, a roller coaster. The journey becomes etched on our skin. Vibrant bruises match vivid sunsets. There are tremendous stresses on equipment as well as our bodies. We learn something new each day, about sailing and ourselves. Sailing the oceans isn’t easy, but offers magnificent rewards with perseverance. We whinge about the effort, but secretly we are glad, if it was easy, everyone would be doing it.
If you prefer to read this story, click here.
Take the Plunge!: A World Citizen with a passion for travel. Hard work, persistence, and fortitude will beat every challenge she faces, Liesbet wants to explore the world at deck-level. But her desires aren’t matched with those she loves and also wants to be with. Pulled in different directions, she takes great leaps of faith (some of this you’ll read in her book) – today we’ll talk about her take on luck – how she makes it all happen and what’s in store for herself and her (unplanned) husband! – If you prefer to watch the video podcast, click here.
Facebook for Liesbest: here. and Website: Roaming About a Life Less Ordinary
Traci has achieved many extraordinary things – including fulfilling her dream. Two decades ago she set a goal to sail on each of the Seven Seas. Only one, the Arctic Ocean, remains to be tackled. When she’s not working you’ll most likely find her on a yacht somewhere, following her Bluewater Gypsy dreams – as we do right now – join us in a fun conversation and learn some great tips on how to get going with cruising and survive it! You can watch the podcast video here. More details about Traci and her cruising life here or FaceBook Page SV Vellamo here.
Founder of Ocean Boardroom, Ivan Signorelli has vast boating experience. Join us as we chat about all things boating. Ivan shares some fantastic advice for boaters of all levels. Click here if you’d like to watch the podcast VIDEO.
An unplanned stop at the unwelcoming Isle de Cocos revealed a little gem. With imperative repairs, and stuck in the vortex of fickle winds and currents, we made way to the nearest safe haven, Isle de Cocos. Cruising boats aren’t permitted to stop here. If you prefer to read this story, click here. We’ve also created a photo/video podcast with subtitles: here.
War Ships, War Cries, and Wannabes
With a charming mix of mega yachts and masquerading pirates onboard 7-metre sailing ghettos, San Diego is like a melting pot of poverty and prosperity. On the edge of America, with Mexico insight, here lies the stepping-off point for cruisers. San Diego is not a cruising ground as such with its king’s ransom fees and stifling regulations. It is a gateway to the Pacific Ocean. Late in the season, most cruisers are already in Mexico and beyond by now. But a few cruisers lurk, mainly small sailboats with no fixed agenda. Vessels that ‘live’ here are all pristine. If you prefer to read this story and view the photos, click here.
Las Perlas & Western Panama: For many reasons we had a sad farewell from Ecuador, heading for Las Perlas. On the way, we suffered equipment failure and gale-force winds, which meant we turned our bows elsewhere and explored a new destination. Come with us and visit Las Perlas with us onboard our sailboat and en route we’ll reveal Panama’s Secrets. If you prefer to read this story and view the photos, click here.
San Francisco is one of the most diverse and exciting cities we have had the pleasure to visit. It has a unique cultural tapestry and is a gay hub in more ways than one. Open water vistas are just waiting for a breath of wind to kick up into a brutal chop. Combined with a myriad of shallows, this recipe can cause even the seasoned sailor some difficulty. If you’d like to read this story and see the pictures,click here.
A Trip to Niue – A Jewel in the Pacific Ocean
Niue is a country in its own right. The small island sits like a gem set in a gold of ocean. Situated approximately 230 nautical miles directly east of Tonga and 672 nautical miles east of Suva in Fiji, it creates a welcome rest sailing between Palmerston, (a tiny island 390 nautical miles northeast of Niue) and Tonga. Niue is one of the last jewels in the ornamental circumnavigation ring. If you’d like to read this article and view the pictures, click here.
Viki Moore
A sailing woman with plans! Viki is vivacious and altruistic and you just can’t help to feel energised and inspired by her stories. Take a peek into Viki’s life, with the challenges and support she’s had along the way, shaping her into the strong woman she is today. If you’d like to watch the Video Podcast, click here.
Futile Thoughts, Towing Traumas, and Exploding Toms!
Join us in Mexico: “We smiled a lot, mimicked nodding dogs, filled out blank boxes with personal details, and gave everyone we met money.”
If you prefer to read the article and view the pictures, click here.
Angels, Goats, and Eloquence in Aitutaki –
“Kia Orana – may you live long”, she adds, “enjoy the show and help yourselves”, comes the offer. “Only polite to do what the host asks!” The magic of Aitutaki, find out what I wanted to help myself to!
If you prefer to read this story and view the pictures, click here.
The Panama Canal Experience
A shroud of mystery envelopes the modus operandi for traversing the Panama Canal. Gossip, rumour, and dare I say, a little tittle-tattle gave the crew of Mariah II some serious forehead creases as we approached the infamous isthmus. If you prefer to read this story and view the pictures, click here.
NEW PODCAST: Sailing the World – San Blas
The level of tranquility of the San Blas Islands was a surprise. With the warm and fun welcome from locals, pristine beaches respected by the few that visit, the San Blas have a special place in our hearts. If you’d like to read this story and view our pictures, click here.
The Essential Cruising Peacemaker
The scene is set in early morning, on anchor, an open road, the Pacific Ocean. Here we sit outside Bahia de Caraquez, Ecuador, the day we supposedly finish a 2,800 nautical mile voyage. This odyssey entailed crossing the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) with all its associated calms, squalls, lightning and running before hurricane warnings. After four weeks, the nerves are shattered. If you’d like to read this story, click here.
Marine Police Rescue
Some of the best training we had was as Marine Rescue Skippers, particularly with the Marine Police. Unemotional, precision, skill, and patience are just some of the necessary skills. If you prefer to read this story, click here).
Don’t Judge Your Skipper
It’s easy to judge people’s decisions, especially those on the water. Being a Skipper must not be taken lightly. That little piece of paper saying you are a licenced Captain carries a heavy responsibility. If you’d like to read this article and view a few pictures, click here.
Tantalizing Tahiti
We’ve had a few hare-brained schemes, here’s one. Circumnavigating Tahiti. Chasing Cook’s history, and exploring places off the beaten track. If you’d like to read this story and view pictures, click here.
A Tender Moment in a House of Ill Repute
We’ve made it across the Atlantic to Barbados, arriving just in time for celebrating New Year’s Eve. Two weeks later, Den (my Dutch friend) and I are still hard at it, every day, in a Bridgetown brothel. There’s not much privacy either, we work at the rear of the establishment, in an open shed, exposed to the derisive laughter and unasked for advise from the local Cajuns. Just what went wrong…? (If you’d like to read this story and see the pics, click here).
(Caribbean music supplied by: http://www.freesfx.co.uk)
Refined Wayfarers
Can the cruising lifestyle be civilised. YES. Is the resounding answer from most of our salty buddies. Well, it’s what each of us term as civilised is where the question becomes a little ticklish. If you’d like read this story, click here.
Five Capital Experiences
With a hankering for small villages, we still savor the animation big cities and their inhabitants offer. These thoughts lead us back into a conglomerate of memories; here are a few, from deck level. You can read this story here and view some photos.
Fear is a Funny thing
Suddenly I had an affinity with middle-aged women, after all I was one! The emotional effects of self-inflicted pressure, learning something new, coping with a female body at a certain age. I had experienced being launched into the boating world in my twenties and now I was stepping up to a new challenge in my forties. (You can read this story here: with pics)
Destination NSW: Greenwell Point
The ebb and flow of wants and needs alter unexpectedly for us all, we will deal with the quick-sand of life, but we think it’ll be okay at Greenwell Point. Nestled in the heart of NSW this lovely little village welcomed us in and allowed us to call it home for a brief time.
(You can read this story here)
Buying and Selling a Boat – How we sold Mariah II
“It was wonderful to see Mariah sing along to the tune of her new owners.” But before we reached the stage we had to weather the storm of time-wasters and dreamers… but then we are all dreamers…
(You can read this story here: With additional top tips for buying/selling your boat included and feedback from those who didn’t buy Mariah and their reasons why!)
No Strangers Here – come with me on a journey to Suwarrow, an island in the northern group of the Cook Islands in the south Pacific Ocean. We sailed there a few years ago and it is a particularly special place.
The Cruising Lifestyle – the cruising lifestyle isn’t a lazy way to live – if you want to be successful at it. This story is a “typical” (if typical exists!) day on anchor in San Diego. Life on board is like occupational therapy; as long as you accept it as such it is mostly smooth sailing. You still have to live with your partner, and more pertinent but often not considered – you still have to live with yourself.
Blue Water Women – Come on a journey with several other women, who share some sailing tips, advice, and inspiration.
A View for every Occasion – With each journey my soul is reshaped. I’ve bid farewell to places where I know I’ll miss the people and the lands, but also a part of me because I’ll never be that way again.
I wonder what part of me I’ll leave in which corner of our natural Disneyland. And what new thoughts and outlooks I’ll collect to replace what I’ve left behind; refreshing my layers with a view for every occasion.
Boating with Buster – Amidst a crisis, Alison feels life’s not worth living, but Buster, a Beagle puppy, will change everything…
Acquiring Lily, a Dutch barge, Alison and her husband, Roger, head for the calmness of the inland waterways. Boating with Buster, they learn plenty about boisterous Beagles and bothersome boats!
Tacking Through Life – Terrified of water and unable to swim, why would an upstate New York farm girl contemplate an ambitious trip on the high seas? But that is exactly what she did. At the age of 55, in freezing winter over a shot (or two) of Aquavit, Carolyn and her Viking husband, Gert, hatch a plan to buy a sailboat and embark on a five-year circumnavigation of the globe. But like so many dreams, this one does not go quite as planned.
Destiny’s Gold – It is 1820 and a young, female sea captain sets sail aboard the schooner Destiny bound for the sugar plantations of Cuba and then on to the Baltic for iron. Political intrigue and mystery dog the voyage, and those who underestimate the captain’s skill and business acumen do so at their peril.
Read by Author Pamela Grimm
Occluded Fronts & Associated Stunts – A terrifying night at the Gambier Islands shows just how important it is that we, as mariners, interpret, adjust, and prepare, especially where the weather is concerned!
Lightning Storm at The Nicobars – A lightning storm through ocean reefs. Sailing into Sri Lanka and flying fish!
Travelling Through France on a Barge – Join us on our first trip through France on our 1920s Dutch Barge.
Buying a Dutch Barge in France with an Aussie – Have you dreamed of puttering along the European canals? We found buying a boat in a foreign country incredibly daunting, scary, and hysterical (all at once) – join us on the buying-a-boat-in-France debacle…
From Pirates to Injuries – Why HF Radio still has its place on board.
The Great Loop Part 1 – After many years of sailing oceans, it was time to venture inland, by boat: Part 1
The Great Loop Part 2 – After many years of sailing oceans, it was time to venture inland, by boat: Part 2
The Great Loop Part 3 – After many years of sailing oceans, it was time to venture inland, by boat: Part 3
Ditch Bag, Grab Bag, Flee Bag – Surviving is nice but being rescued is even better! Compiled here is years of collecting great grab bag advice PLUS the wonderful wisdom of the Women Who Sail Australia FB group.
Sea Change – Are you just stepping into the cruising world? Or are you a seasoned salty? I’ve journeyed from newbie to professional mariner – I get it – I understand what it is like. Here I look at it from both points of view – both will learn something from this story. (As well as a gem of tip!)
Facing Fear Head On – Enchanting, enticing, but also at times, terrifying; the sea beckons many of us. To others it is a ‘necessary evil’, something to endure as we seek to experience exotic locations, foreign cultures, or unusual wildlife encounters. Some are chasing a dream, others are following someone else’s.
Experiences are different – and Facing Fear is a common thread. Here’s one true story, with three bonus pieces of advice from three other authors. While the things we fear may vary, the experience itself links us like an invisible thread.
Top Twenty Observations when Living onboard – A light-hearted look at life on board, including some real gems useful for every boater!
Do you dream of sailing around the world? Do you dream of combining the cruising lifestyle with work?
Meet Erin Carey, with little sailing knowledge she has done just that. With fabulous advice and honesty that makes you smile, learn how Erin and her family (husband and three, yes, 3, kids!) achieved the mind-bending goal of sailing off into the sunset and making it a success.
Do you love dogs? Do you love cruising? How can you combine both? Tanya Rabe is the founder of Dogs Who Sail and has all the advice you need, fun stories, a life well-lived (and, at times, challenging) life. PLUS some exciting news!
Grateful for the video animations via:
Free Stock video by Videezy!