Jeanne Socrates (at the time of writing) is back on her boat in Canada after an extended (land) stay in Australia (Covid). She is busy prepping her boat to sail to Australia. What drives Jeanne to keep sailing and traversing the long distances.

Jeanne Socrates - sailing record holder Part 2

Jun 18th, 2022 29m 41s

Jeanne is a powerhouse of energy and smart thinking. “I am small I needed to think of the location of everything!” She has manuals for everything and has no problem repairing her engine while at sea. San Francisco and Alaska help her plan for

Jeanne Socrates - sailing record holder Part 1

May 7th, 2022 29m 50s

Jeanne started her love of the water with surfing and dinghysailing. Soon she found out that although sailing is simple there is a lot to learn, Navigation, Col Regs, Passage Planning, weather.Hear about her first sailing experiences, her loves

Lisa Blair Record Breaking Antarctica Attempt PART TWO

Apr 26th, 2022 33m 9s

Imagine for a moment.... months at sea - 12 metre waves (great walls of water) being knocked down and sliding across the ocean top wondering if you'll come out of it.No one there physically to bounce ideas off.... reassure... give you a cuddle

We chat to Lisa Blair as she hurtles around Antarctica PART ONE

Apr 26th, 2022 33m

Lack of sleep, knockdowns, icebergs, broken equipment, repairs at sea.... alone... the thought of her previous dismasting looming....

Flopper Stopper in a Flap

Apr 26th, 2022 9m 37s

The scene is set on an 'open road' anchorage. Jackie and I sit, outside Bahia de Caraquez, Ecuador... the day we supposedly finish a two thousand, eight hundred nautical mile journey. This odyssey cruising the ITZC with all its associated calms

Distil the Essence of Sailing

Feb 25th, 2022 12m 25s

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 some

Costa Rica's Little Gem Isle de Cocos

Aug 23rd, 2021 18m 6s

With nothing more to worry about than craving succulent roast chicken and gooey ice cream, we sliced through the ocean, enjoying the stuff dreams are made of. The concerns of motoring much of the way temporarily held at bay. Leaving Acapulco, M

Visit San Diego: War Ships, War Cries and Wannabes

Aug 5th, 2021 18m

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.

Visit Las Perlas with us onboard our sailboat

Jul 17th, 2021 18m 12s

Chatting to my dad on Skype, he in England me in Ecuador, I told him how we planned to sail to Panama to collect our new sails. “You talk about it as though you are popping off to Supermarket” he laughed. With only 560 nautical miles to travers

Join us in Diverse San Francisco with (near) Calamities in California

Jun 24th, 2021 17m 1s

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

A Trip to Niue - A Jewel in the Pacific Ocean

May 26th, 2021 12m 59s

We are 15 metres underground in a silent, echoing cave. Only the solemn plop of icy, freshwater can be heard, woven between our awed whispers. I take two big breaths, the chill of the encompassing sapphire water temporarily forgotten. Two m

Futile Thoughts, Towing traumas and Exploding Toms

Apr 27th, 2021 21m 3s

First stop, Salinas, an over-nighter from San Diego, into a new marina. The entrance is narrow and has a distinct ‘east coast of Australia bar’ feel, creating a strong desire to make use of a rather large blindfold. The marina is reasonable at

Angels, Goats, and Eloquence, in Aitutaki

Mar 24th, 2021 14m 29s

It stole our hearts, we wanted to stay. The island's charm, the people, the way of life appealed to us both, although we tried we couldn't. We did make the most of our stay - dancing, lunching, sharing, making new friends, even doing the laundr

Sailing the World - Panama Canal Experience

Feb 12th, 2021 31m 48s

There are assorted methods to choose from to achieve the same thing. Whether at anchor, or in the mosquito-infested marina, there is a standard three days to complete all the paperwork. Once you have handed over all your dollars to anyone you

Sailing the World - San Blas

Feb 12th, 2021 18m 12s

Behind schedule by three months (due to problems on terra firma not nautical) we hurriedly sailed 2,500 miles in six weeks to enable us to witness for ourselves why the San Blas is “a place to see”. We are also preparing for the Panama Canal

The Essential Cruising Peacemaker

Dec 23rd, 2020 9m 37s

A successful ‘Flopper Stopper’ principally has to do two things. (1) Sink easily. (2) Resist an upward force. One simple method is to have a weighted horizontal door. The ‘door’ opens on the way down (sinks) and ‘closes’ on the up lift from the

Precision Performance by Marine Police and Volunteers

Dec 23rd, 2020 13m 49s

With unemotional precision and no time for niceties the facts are disseminated to the awaiting crews. The silence buffets between the groups and the adrenaline starts pumping as a few of us peek over the wall to the building seas that await u

Being a Licenced Captain Carries a Heavy Responsibility

Dec 6th, 2020 11m 14s

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. As a Skipper, you are responsible for

Tantalizing Tahiti - A circumnavigation of an Island

Nov 14th, 2020 16m 39s

We arrived Papeete the same day as Noel’s daughter, Mel arrived from Ayers Rock. We were nonchalant about the timing, only because we had not considered that marvellous innovation of the date line. After negotiating low flying aircraft, we c

A Tender Moment in a House of Ill Repute

Oct 23rd, 2020 10m 52s

‘Successful cruising is a matter of continual awareness’. This adage was not followed. Sitting at a beach bar, boasting about crossing oceans to the only people who care to listen, other cruisers, is not awareness. With my back firmly placed

Refined Wayfarers

Oct 13th, 2020 15m 38s

We may not have the refinement of fine arts but what we have is so much better. In a remote anchorage, with a welcoming beach and shady palms, where do we get our culture from here? Well these can be the best spots. Good anchorages will fill

Five Capital Experiences

Oct 10th, 2020 11m 19s

Featuring just five of the many cities we visited - here are some unique escapades that make us smile - from mesmerising strangers in Paris, to Mad motorboat owners in America. Plus fun in Havana, Casablanca and San Juan, in Puerto Rico.

Fear is a Funny Thing

Sep 12th, 2020 20m 12s

Recently, in the midst of teeth grinding fear I realised it was not the event itself causing my sleepless nights it was the lead up to it. It was the ‘what ifs’ that stirred up those little fear gremlins into a frenzy.I know this because during

Destination NSW Australia: Greenwell Point

Sep 9th, 2020 15m 12s

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 c