Mourning the Motion
Side by side, we lay in darkness, as stillness surrounds us. The roar of distant waves a faint reminder of our link to the ocean. No night watches tonight, no need to wedge ourselves in or clip ourselves on. No rush of water against the hull, rendering sleep impossible or rogue waves threatening to throw us…
HELLO from Isolation Bay, Indonesia
HELLO from Isolation Bay, Indonesia; home for a while. It’s been over a month since we first dropped anchor in the bay; the longest we have stayed in any anchorage, ever. Florence, crew and our new community of stationary sailors are safe, well and grateful to be provided with a safe place to stay by…
Sailing on a Film Set
Thanks to films such as The Beach and James Bond, the Phuket/Krabi area of Thailand is well known for its stunning karst limestone islands rising up out of the calm sheltered waters of Phang Nga bay. The thought of sailing our own boat through this stunning scenery would have been a dream just 4 years…
Vietnam: Hanoi, Halong Bay and Da Lat
Hanoi We seek glimpses of different lives, adventure and the excitement of being alive as we travel. Although not our usual remote destination, the streets of Hanoi still provided all of these things. With a population of around 8 million people in a city were everyone rides a motorbike, that makes for some chaotic, loud,…
Swapping Boats for Motorbikes in Vietnam
Whilst in SE Asia, an opportunity arose that could not be missed; a chance to see both my (Amy’s) brothers together in one place for the first time in 4 years. This was not a normal ‘see you down the pub at 7’ sibling catch up. In order for this to work, we would need…
Langkawi; The Best of Malaysia’s West Coast
Described as ‘The Jewel of Malaysia’s west coast’ our bows had been aimed at Langkawi ever since we entered the Malacca straits. Rushing ashore to catch the Kuah Harbour Master and complete our paperwork just minutes before he shut for the day, we anchored as close as we could, shortening the distance to row. It…
Penang; a favourite stop in Malaysia
Once more into the Malacca straits, this time heading north from Pangkor to Penang, 140 miles, a mere day and overnight sail. In this area the straits widen out so there is lots of room for us to sail outside of the shipping lanes. However fishing boats, nets and thunderstorms are still the norm. As…
Our Cup of Tea
A cuppa, a brew, a pot, char. Mornings are rarely started without it. It’s a running joke on Florence that a real disaster at sea for us would be running out of tea. As fate would have it Florence herself came with not one, but two tea pots; the perfect boat. Even the scorching tropical…
Flying High – the Highs and Lows of sharing our adventure
Who are we? Are we sailors or are we bloggers, or vloggers, or youtubers? We have come a long way since we cast off the lines 3.5 years ago, when our sole challenge and adventure was to be getting ourselves and our boat around the world as safely and efficiently as possible. A huge task…
Oh Ship! The Malacca Straits
Florence is in Dire The Malacca Straits Filthy water, no wind, squalls, horrendous lightning storms, an overhanging yet no longer prevalent risk of piracy, problematic fishing boats, nets and rafts, all in what is one of the busiest shipping routes in the world. Just a few of the reasons we have been dreading these congested,…
We are Back! Returning after 2.5 years
After many months, countless miles, and multiple countries, Florence and her crew are back…. Back in the Northern Hemisphere that is. An invisible line has been crossed, Neptune has been toasted and we have been left reflecting on the last 2.5 years spent in the Southern Hemisphere. Anchored at exactly 0°00.000 we were struck by…
Boulders of Belitung; the Seychelles of Indonesia
From the crocodile infested, tea stained waters and dense jungle of Kalimantan, a 280nm, 2 night sail transported us into a different world. Florence was now floating in turquoise waters, opposite bright white sand beaches and towering granite boulders. Despite the total change in environment, we had in fact not even changed country; the granite…
Meeting the Forest People of Borneo
‘Borneo’. Just the name conjures scenes from BBC nature programs with Sir David Attenborough’s soothing voice narrating lush scenes of the life filled rain-forest. Yet here we were; no longer sitting watching a screen from our sofa but about to take our home into this mystical place. Sailing up the Kumai river to the Tanjung…
I See Fields of Green; The Rice Terraces of Bali
It’s a common misconception that Bali is a separate country, independent from the rest of Indonesia, yet arriving after two months sailing through Indonesia it feels as if it could be. Gone are the groups of curious, grinning, innocent children running to greet us as we row ashore. In their place appears a sole 8…
Chasing Waterfalls in Lombok
Our time so far in Indonesia has been spent away from the major tourist areas, but now we are approaching the holiday hot-spots of Lombok and Bali. Apparently you haven’t been to Lombok unless you have been to the Gili’s; 3 small islands that form part of Lombok, but are a boat ride from Bali.…
Nothing Worth Doing is Ever Easy
It is not often that we can be found pounding our way upwind in 20 knots, unable to take our foot off of the accelerator as we are racing the setting sun to get to an anchorage with enough light left to anchor. Looming over us is the possibility of having to spend another night…
A Day at the Races
The instruction to “bring a spare set of clothes” was the first indication that we were not about to experience a champagne quaffing day at Ascot. A day at the races in Sumbawa turned out to be much more our style. The riders and spectators may not have been decked out in their finest, yet…
Here There Be Dragons
In a land far far away… “If you don’t want to become lunch make sure you stay behind me” calls Safi as he veers off the dusty track onto the parched forest floor. Suddenly he stops and peers at something on the ground; a powdery white substance, the colour of ground up bone “Just as…
A Land of Contrasts
With the tide covering the sand bar in front of our anchorage, the blue horizon is empty but for a couple of neighbouring boats. The water lapping our hull, creates the only sound to cut through the silence. Home for the night is an atoll, miles from anywhere. Serenity surrounds us, a far cry from…
Life Over and Underwater in Hoga
Tacking the dinghy between the fish traps and young boys in a traditional canoes, we edge closer to the stilt village built above the reef. This traditional over water village is home for the fishermen who have been stopping by Florence over the last couple of days. Although they have said we would be very…
Exploring Wanci-Wanci and new crew for Florence
Where’s your favourite place? It’s a question we get asked a lot. Yet for us it is very difficult to choose. When we first set out travelling we thought it would be the most beautiful, scenic places that would stick in our minds. The reality is that the strongest, most precious memories come from the…
The Islands where Money Grew on Trees
After six whirlwind days in Debut we are setting out to sea once more; bound for a group of islands where the trees produce a product that was once more valuable than gold. A visit to these islands would have set the sailors of old up for life. But what do they hold for the…
Our Debut in Debut; A Royal Welcome to Indonesia
We stir from a deep sleep as the 5am call to prayer drifts across the anchorage in Debut. Poking our heads out of the hatch, we smile and return the enthusiastic waves and “Salamat Pagi” of fishermen motoring their colourful wooden open boats out of the crowded anchorage. The rising sun glints of the roof…
Goodbye Australia; Setting Sail for Indonesia
With just two weeks left on our Australian visas we find ourselves being propelled out of the country. Not by officials but by the tide as it rushes through the Torres Strait Islands, the northernmost outpost of Australia. We are carried along at nearly double our normal speed, with barely a chance to say goodbye.…
The REAL costs of sailing around the world. Is it as expensive as you think?
https://youtu.be/5TDSDDU-5lg In our latest video we breakdown how much it has cost us to spend 3 years full time sailing, over half way around the world. Because there is a lot of information to take in via the video, we have also written it up below. When setting out from England 3 years ago to…
To the Top of Australia; Rain-forest, Reef and Crocodile Rivers
Sailing north from Magnetic Island we were involved a dramatic sea rescue. A crackly, barely decipherable message over the VHF had mentioned a boat was missing from the anchorage we had just left. Hours later Matt spotted a floating object appearing then disappearing with the waves. As we approached it was clear that it was…
Like a fish out of water
“Argh” We woke with a start. What was that? Nothing… Nothing had startled us. No bobbing, no rolling, no slapping, no gurgling. It’s well over a year since we spent a night on solid ground and the lack of motion is startling. Our floating home is still our home, yet she is no longer floating.…
Windswept Whitsundays
One of the amazing things about travelling by boat is that we can go pretty much anywhere that has coastline. So using this means of transport to travel to remote, hard to get to and rarely visited destinations makes sense. When socialising with other cruisers, conversation often drifts to amazing experiences shared in far flung,…
Marina Life in Mackay
“Blooming heck, Florence is in a Marina! That’s an unusual sight!” called our friends from the opposite dock. It seems we have developed a reputation among cruising friends for avoiding marinas. Why? Life in a marina is never a relaxed affair for us. We always feel an underlying pressure because we are paying for parking,…
Fluttering by the Kepple and Percy Islands
A poor life this if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare. W.H.Davis Great Keppel Island reminded us how much can be gained if you take the time to slow down, open your eyes a little wider and look a little deeper. Tired from an overnight sail, our bleary eyes scanned…
Waltzing with the weather to Lady Musgrave Island
Cruising life is just one long waltz with the weather. Get your timing right and simple movements can create harmonious beauty. Get it wrong and you will soon have a stiletto through your toe. Bobbing at anchor in the Burnett River, we had been waiting for the music to begin for over a week. Our…
The Horizon is Calling
The end of cyclone season is fast approaching. A break from ocean sailing has done us good. We are feeling good. Florence is looking it. Our blog is however looking a little neglected. How on earth do you fill four months of your life without a job? Very easily it seems. The last four months…
Sailing Sydney Harbour on a Shoestring
The Iconic Sydney Harbour is right up there in the must do sailing destinations of the world. It felt surreal to be cruising under the harbour bridge together, on our own boat, half a world away from where our journey began. Witnessing the tip of Florence’s mast glide under the soaring metal framework of one…
A Warm Welcome in Brisbane, Australia
With some bad weather coming and the need to have some replacement parts delivered, we took a rare, week long break in a marina, just outside Brisbane. As the wind whistled through the rigging and more thunderstorms blew through, we were able to carry on with our jobs regardless and safely leave Florence unattended while…
Mad Dogs and Englishmen in the Great Sandy Straits
Armed with a working engine and fully stocked with Australian goodies (minus the vegemite, ugh!), we headed out from Bundaburg to start our journey south through the Great Sandy Straights. Flat water and 10-15 knots brought the kind of sailing you can only dream of after an offshore passage. Having arrived in Australia, it was…
Cruising Karma
Life on board a cruising boat is not all sun, sand and amazing cultural experiences. Okay it is mostly like that, but sometimes you can get stuck with a problem that you don’t know how to solve. We’re talking about boat maintenance here. We have to do all our own boat maintenance and fixing, sometimes…
Arriving Down Under – Bundaburg, Australia
Having radioed the officials, we pulled alongside the gated quarantine dock to start the process of checking into Australia. The couple of hours awaiting their arrival was spent frantically cleaning up the kind of mess only an ocean passage can create, and munching our way through the last of the food that would otherwise be…
Completing our Pacific Crossing – Sailing to Australia
“See you in Aus” we called to our many neighbours anchored off New Caledonia’s busy capital of Noumea. The safe sailing season was drawing to a close and the fleet of international cruising yachts were gathering to check out of the country and make their way to the safer (cyclone free) waters of New Zealand…
Our Favourite Anchorages in New Caledonia
The capital of Noumea came as a bit of a culture shock to us; high rise buildings and busy highways replaced the dug out canoes and thatch houses of Vanuatu. New Caledonia is a French administered country. Of course this means an abundance of baguettes, cheese and other European mouth watering delicacies are available; just…
Sailing Vanuatu to New Caledonia
A sudden jerk on the lines, caused Florence to heel over as rain hammered into her side. Peering out from the companion way hatch, we were able to see that it was just another rain squall blotting out our view of Port Villa from where we were moored in the harbour. Shutting out the howling…
Last stops in Vanuatu
Sandwich Bay A brisk sail from Ambrym brought us to Sandwich Bay, one of the most sheltered anchorages in Vanuatu. The mangrove lined bay houses a small, friendly village. This was the only village that we visited in Vanuatu where the second language was French rather than English. One of the families runs a small…
5 Weddings and a Funeral Vanuatu Style
After over 2 years ‘on the road’ we have learned that the best experiences often come from unexpected events in unexpected places. Places we would have previously never even knew existed. Other than the rough depth of the anchorage, we had little other information on Akham Island. From the information on the chart it looked…
Custom Dancing on the Magic Island
The beauty of cruising is not having to stick to a strict schedule. There are no planes to catch or hotels booked. This allows us to take advantage of opportunities that turn up at short notice. Whilst re-provisioning in Port Villa another yacht told us about a festival that was happening in two days time,…
Exploring the Cannibal Island of Erromango
We were sad to leave Tanna, as well as our amazing experience with friends Mary, Jimmy and Felda, we had enjoyed meeting Andy and Gemma on yacht Paws. Enjoying sailing the machine alongside their sailing tender, and getting involved with their project of cleaning plastic from the beaches. However it was time to go, so…
Village Life on Tanna
Still buzzing from the magic of the volcano, we took an afternoon stroll around the bay. From this simple walk came one of the best experiences we have had on our travels so far. A little way down the jungle lined, dirt road we met Mary, whose village overlooks the bay. Mary, a similar age…
Peering into the Centre of the Earth
We had been watching the red glow of the volcano from the anchorage at night and were both excited and apprehensive about getting a closer look. Mount Yasur is one of the most accessible active volcanos in the world and you can get to within 150m of the crater rim by 4×4. The activity level…
Sailing to Vanuatu
A sense of excitement and relief overcame us as we left Denerau marina, having checked out of Fiji. The ‘pirate’ tour boats, super yachts, hotels and Hard Rock Cafe here in the marina felt a world away from the rural parts of the country that we loved. Our destination was Tanna an actively volcanic island…
Western Fiji
Some good friends were travelling all the way from England to see us so we headed to the West coast of the main island to be near the airport, ready for their arrival. Whilst visiting the local market to provision, we were told of an upcoming rugby match between Tonga and Fiji. Rugby is huge…
Fiji’s Astrolabe Lagoon
Our time with the people of Moala (see previous written blog) was one of the highlights of our trip so far, but we left the island feeling pretty low. An un-forecasted gale had come through the night before we left, bringing winds of over 40 knots (74 km/h). Unrelenting gusts blasted through the pitch black…
Moala – A Real Fijian Welcome
With any form of travel it is easy to follow the well beaten path, visiting only the locations with the ‘best’ beaches, waterfalls or reefs. Although wonderful, these places sometimes leave us longing for a more genuine experience. We love learning about the places we visit and find that the best way to learn about…
The Lau Group – Eastern Fiji
The Lau group is a group of islands to the East of Fiji. The islands are fairly remote from the two big main Islands and the pace of life is much slower here. The distance from the main islands and limited transport mean they receive very few visitors. Our first stop in the Lau group…
Our first taste of Fiji
Savusavu on the south coast of Vanua Levu was our first stop in Fiji. We spent a few days here, recovering from the sail up from New Zealand and re-stocking with fresh food. There was a lot of fresh produce available in the market, always an exciting sight after a long passage when we have…
Back to the Tropics, New Zealand to Fiji
Here we go to Fiji then, just a small matter of 1156 miles to travel across the ocean. It has been a long time, nearly 6 months to the day, since we last did a long passage, namely the one down to New Zealand from Tonga. So as we head out into the ocean, through…
New Zealand South Island Road Trip – Pt 2
Milford Sound is the most talked about, photographed and visited place on South Island, in fact it attracts over half a million visitors per year! This amount of hype often means places are spoiled and leave you feeling disappointed. We were skeptical about how much we would enjoy our time there, especially the obligatory tourist…
New Zealand South Island Road Trip Pt.1
For years pictures of New Zealand’s South Island have had us yearning to hike it’s mountains, swim in it’s serene lakes, drive it’s winding roads and paddle through it’s jaw-dropping fjords. Our visit to New Zealand would not have been complete without a trip to this outdoor mecca. Unfortunately the wild scenery we love is…
It’s a Hard Life this Yard Life
Life has a way of balancing out, so after nearly two years of fun we were due some hard effort. It would be easy to make the assumption based on our videos and photos that living on a boat is easy. Don’t ever let us con you into thinking that. Unless you have the money…
New Zealand Catch Up
It’s been a while since we posted an update, so as we wait for the weather window to leave New Zealand, we thought we had better catch up. We know it’s hard to understand how we can be too busy to update our blog when neither of us are working so let us try to…
Sailing Yacht Florence 