Voyaging with Kids: A Review

When you take your kids out of mainstream society to go and live on a boat, you will get a lot of flack from the collective 'they'. "It's unsafe!" "It's weird!" "It's irresponsible!" "It's selfish!" Society, in general, will say a lot of things about your adoption of an unconventional life, and because the human knee-jerk reaction to things we don't understand is to reject them, it is to be expected. Sure, there will be the few people who will support your choices, see the benefits that travel and cultural immersion will grant your family, and defend you when others scoff; but there will be many who think it is truly insane to hop aboard a (relatively) small boat and sail off into the sunset with children in tow...

Voyaging With Kidsis for those people. But more than that, it is for you, the dreamer disillusioned with suburban life, harboring big dreams to live a life less ordinary in the hopes of doing something tremendous with your family. This book will walk you through the steps and show you that once there, living and traveling aboard with your family can truly be a wonderful - even magical - life.

The amazing (and totally convincing) forward, by none other than Capt'n Fatty Goodlander (he, himself, a former boat parent), is enough to make the most loyal of landlubbers take pause:

"There is only one thing I have ever done that's as fun as growing up aboard, and that's parenting aboard. A small boat on a large ocean is the perfect place to raise a child, especially in today's frantic, monetized, cyber-hyped world. You are physically, mentally, and spiritually close. There are few distractions, little peer pressure, and almost no shore vices to entice...The entire world can be your classroom...There is little need to teach religious tolerance when all your playmates pray to different gods. Racial prejudice is not an issue, either, when you live amid an international rainbow society. Best of all, while living aboard, you can easily and consciously disconnect your family from anything and everything ashore. You, the parent, can control the physical, mental, spiritual, and cultural environment of your child 24/7, which is almost impossible in most shoreside environments. Your child will morph into more than a son or daughter; he or she will grow to become crew as well.  A family is a team, and there's no better place than a sailing vessel to learn teamwork."

This book will not only help to answer the questions that keep you awake at night before embarking on such a journey ("What's the ideal age to take kids voyaging?" "What sort of boat should we get?" "How can I keep them safe?") but will also answer the questions you didn't want or were too afraid to ask ("What if my kids don't like it?" "Will their education suffer?" "Will my children turn into social pariahs?") Written by three very experienced and very respected cruising families, Voyaging with Kids is organized in a semi-chronological way (Chapter 1: Getting Ready, Chapter 2: Choosing a Family Cruising Boat...and so on) so that it is easy to navigate. The writers provide a 'factual and balanced' description of life afloat with kids of all ages and there's a great highlight chapter written completely by former cruising kids (spoiler alert: they went on to become intelligent, happy, accomplished adults!) From infancy to teens, Voyaging With Kidscovers it all and leaves no stone unturned.

The two versions of Voyaging With Kids,Kindle and hard copy, both have their advantages and, while I do prefer to read books these days on my e-reader (just so much easier and compact!), I also find that having a hard copy of reference books much more user-friendly to have on the boat. The kindle version has active links to videos and resources, where the hard copy has better images and more legible graphs and tables.

For anyone who is even remotely interested in voyaging with their children either in part or indefinite, this book is a must read. For me, it has most certainly earned it's place on the shelf right between to Beth Leonard's Voyager's Handbook and Nigel Calder's Mechanical and Electrical Manual and will, no doubt, be the benchmarking reference guide when it comes to cruising with children.

Oh, and don't forget to pass it on to nervous and ill-informed friends and family, it might just help put their mind's at ease.

* I made some minimal contributions this book and received a promotional e-copy in turn for an honest review. All opinions are my own. It's a great book ;)

How NOT to Buy a Cruising Boat: A Review

When Scott and I set out cruising, we made one glaring, huge, and pretty colossal mistake: we bought the wrong boat. Don't get me wrong, our first boat, Rasmus, will forever have our hearts and souls tied up in her - and she was in every single way a fantastic boat (strong, sturdy, beautiful, and a steady and patient 'teacher'). But - in hindsight - she was not the "right" boat which was why, not even two years after cruising with her, we found ourselves in the market for another boat.

When Deb Akey of the blog The Retirement Project, shot me an email to see if I was interested in reading and reviewing her book, "How Not to Buy a Cruising Boat", I jumped at the chance. Not only was I very interested in the subject matter considering our first 'mistake' (no regrets!), but knowing that we still do not have what we would consider our "forever" boat, I thought that perhaps I could learn a thing or two. (Universe, we would *love* a three cabin Hallberg Rassy 46, just in case you are wondering!) 

I started reading and after two chapters I felt compelled to write Deb this email:

Hey Deb! I am plowing through your book - just wanted to let you know that I am THOROUGHLY enjoying it!!!! I will probably have a review up in the next week...I'll give you a heads up, but - wow - so impressed!! I love it! You and TJ are great writers (odds of BOTH of you being equally entertaining?!?!) and there's so much good knowledge in there - can't wait to share my review. Thanks again for the great read. xo

If that doesn't tell you how I honestly feel about this book, I don't know what will.

I would absolutely put "How Not to Buy a Cruising Boat" on the 'short list' of essential reading for any aspiring cruiser. And, believe me, I have read a LOT of great books about cruising. This book has earned a place at the top of the ranks. Why?

• It's a quick and easy read, yet full of fantastic tips. They truly cover all the bases with enough info to make you 'dangerous' but not too much information that it becomes a tome. For example, they ask the question: Are you really going to "sail around the world" or are you content to island hop around the Caribbean? Making a sound and realistic decision on this can save you many thousands of dollars on the boat (and gear) you "need".
• It's written from a "his and her" perspective. One thing that amazed me the most was the fact that both Deb and TJ write this book, and both authors are equally knowledgeable and entertaining. They alternate perspectives and chapters and it makes for an interesting read. I wasn't expecting that and was pleasantly surprised by this unusual style.
• They walk you through it all. Deb and TJ began from zero. No sailing background, no family boating ties...they did it all from scratch. From searching for boats on Yachtworld.com to your first survey, they'll walk you through the entire process of buying a boat and yet it doesn't feeeeeel like they are walking you through the entire process of buying a boat. They're just friends telling you a story. How did they do that?
• It's based on experience. Next time Scott complains about our boat, I'm going to make him read this book. Holy hell. It's really quite amazing that Deb and TJ have not a) thrown in the towel or b) gotten a divorce as they seemed to be living the "Marley and Me" of boating life. Learn from their mistakes.
• They keep it light. This is not your average, dry, "how to" reference-style book. More than once I laughed out loud at their recounting of a mishap or experience. As a fellow cruisers, these two speak the truth and with a great sense of humor.
• They are thorough. Deb and TJ are cruisers who went "all in" and by that I mean, they are really, really well researched. TJ also comes from a long line of mechanics and was an airplane technician in his former life so these two know what they ar talking about from a maintenance/mechanical perspective.
• They Keep it Real. For better or worse, they really drive home what it means to be a cruiser in this book; the good, bad and ugly. Anyone thinking of jumping into the cruiser lifestyle will not only find this book to be a treasure trove of great information on boat buying, but a really good glimpse into what it takes to live the lifestyle. Deb and TJ ask tough questions that will have you taking a good, hard look at what you want to do and why.
• They mention us. Okay, this is no reason to buy this book, but holy cow was it crazy fun to see "www.windtraveler.net" listed in print as one of twenty blogs singled out as helpful to them in their preparation! Not gonna lie, I squealed, took a screen shot and sent it to my best girlfriends. Big honor. Hugely flattered.

I loved this book and I think it's a really important read for anyone in the market for a boat. Your vessel will HUGELY impact (and I mean "make" or "break") your cruising experience, so this is a purchase that should be taken very, very seriously from the design to the integrity, from the mast head to the keel. There may not be such thing as the "perfect" boat, but there is definitely such a thing as the "wrong" boat and this book will definitely help steer you clear of mistakes that many cruisers make to end up there.

Deb and TJ: Saving potential cruisers from headache and heartache one crappy boat at a time.

Don’t Live on the Edge…Live on the Margin

When I saw an email in my in mailbox from “Patrick Schulte” my stomach dropped.  “Uh oh” I thought, “He’s going to unleash on me his irreverent wit and I will be left in a pulpy, tongue-tied mess”.  After all, we had broken several of his cardinal rules for successful boat blogging and I was pretty certain he hated us.

For those of you who have been living under a rock and do not know Patrick Schulte, he is the (hilariously and sometimes bitingly contemptuous) voice of Bumfuzzle which is, without a doubt, the most successful “sailing blog” on the internet today.  Pat and Ali are just a couple years older than we are, and yet they have lived approximately four lives: one in which they sailed around the world with pretty much zero sailing experience, another in which they drove across the parts of the world they missed on their sailing adventure in a VW bus, another in which they raced across country in a vintage Porsche and yet another when they had a couple of (adorable) babies, bought another boat (a monohull! Egad!) and moved to Mexico.  When they started blogging there were probably no more than three other sailing blogs and Pat has no one but himself to blame for the fact that there are exactly one million, eight hundred and twenty-two thousand more today.  Bumfuzzle opened the floodgates.

Anyway, I opened the email and it was not the verbal tongue lashing I expected, but a friendly response to a post I wrote about common questions we get in which one shrew super-charged on bitterness and (pregnancy?) hormones wrote me a comment peppered with words like “spoiled” “holier than thou” “nothing more than a stay at home mom” who "relies on her husband for income" among other things (after a little chuckle I hit "delete").  Never one to shy from controversy (actually I think they are fueled by their haters) Pat wrote that perhaps next time people inquire about how to finance a dream like this, we turn them on to his new book Live on the Margin.

Which is, no joke, exactly what I do now.  (He’s so smart, that Pat).

The book is not a travel narrative or a pithy account of a life at sea, but rather a how-to book aimed at showing people that it is truly possible to think outside the box and live your dream life (be it living out of a camper van in Baja, a surf shack in Costa Rica, or a thatch hut in Bali) by adjusting your spending habits, evaluating risk, and taking that exhilarating leap into the unknown while playing the stock market with realistic sums of money to pay your way.

Making that dream happen—stepping into an unknowable future for a life of adventure takes courage, decisiveness, an unwavering belief in yourself, and the willingness to take 100% responsibility for the outcome. Those happen to be the very same traits that define the successful trader. The skills you learn in pursuing the dream might just remove money from the list of reasons you can’t go. -From the LOTM Facebook Page.

Pat co-wrote the book with Nick O'Kelly, a fellow intrepid traveler and on-the-margin-liver and, despite the fact that I am famously terrible with numbers and math, the book is written in laymen's terms with real-life examples and the signature Schulte wit peppered throughout.  While it's still a book about online trading (not exactly a gripping page-turner) - it is not the total yawn fest that most other books in it's genre offer up.  It's could also have been named: Trading for Dummies, but that book probably already exists.

Anywho... if you are sitting there in your cubicle dreaming of backpacking across Southeast Asia, living on a sailboat in the Caribbean or volunteering on an eco-farm in South America - Live on the Margin might just open your eyes and show you that yes, there is a way.

Patrick Shulte is also the author of Bumfuzzle - Just Out Looking For Pirates which is a refreshingly hilarious account of their travels around the world by sailboat. At 2.99 for the Kindle addition, I promise you it'll be worth every penny.

Full disclosure:  I received a free copy of Live on the Margin.

First You Have to Row a Little Boat

For the truth is that I already know as much about my fate as I need to know. The day will come when I will die. So the only matter of consequence before me is what I will do with my allotted time. I can remain on shore, paralyzed with fear, or I can raise my sails and dip and soar in the breeze...

Every now and then you read a book that you simply adore.  The kind of book you want to hold close to your heart and read aloud for all to hear because it is so beautiful that it must be shared.  On every page there is a treasure, every sentence a poem, words dance effortlessly from between the covers.  The last such book I read was The Last Unicorn  by Peter S. Beagle many, many years ago.  I've read plenty of fantastic books since then, but none have captured my heart in quite the same way.  None, that is, until First You Have to Row a Little Boat by Richard Bode.

We got the book as a gift, and instead of wedging it between a couple other books in our jam-packed bookcase never to be seen again, for some reason I decided to keep it on the little shelf beside our bed.  I believe certain books have a trace amounts of magic in them and way of finding their way to us at precisely the right time, and boy oh boy was the timing perfect for this gem.

I don't think any write up I give it can do it justice, but it must be known that it is not just for the sailor.  I would be doing those of you do not sail and might pass this book up because of it a huge disservice if I did not say that.  Sailing is merely a metaphor.  The book is a small volume whose subtitle reads "reflections on life and living" and it is full of philosophy, wisdom, poetry and inspiration all against the backdrop of Long Island Sound.  It is beautiful and thought-provoking in an almost breath-taking way and, who knows?  It might just be course-altering...

I had to judge where I was headed from where I had been, an acquired perception which has served me well - for the goals of my life, and especially my work, haven't always been visible points of light on a shore that looms in front of me.  They are fixed in my imagination, shrouded and indistinct, and I detect them best when my eyes are closed.  All too often I am forced to move toward them backward, like a boy in a rowboat, guiding myself by a cultivated inner sense of direction which tells me I am on course, tending toward the place I want to be. - First You Have to Row a Little Boat

A Good Question...

Hunter S. Thompson is one of my favorite authors.  He's got lots of great quotes and books out there.  His most famous book, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was turned into a rather lackluster film, as was another great novel of his The Rum Diary.  However, my personal favorite is Fear and Loathing in America (Gonzo Letters) which is a massive volume of personel letters written by Hunter himself (he, knowing his genius, carbon copied everything he ever wrote), from reeming out L.L Bean for false advertising to seething letters to politicians... from sarcastic ramblings to his publishers to rum-fueled diatribes to his 'lawyer' - these letters do not disappoint.  He is caustic, wickedly funny, politically fueled and perfectly irreverent.  I should warn you, his books are rife with foul language and some recreational drug use.  But we're all sailors, right?

Anyway, this is all besides the point.  The point of this post really is to ask the question:  Is your life a living adventure, or are you tucked securely into shore?

If you want more great quotes on pretty pictures, be sure to stop by our Tubmlr Page which I have had for some time, but am breathing new life into daily.  A new creative outlet for me...

Happy weekend everyone!

Love,
Brittany, Scott & Isla

Blue Water, Green Skipper

I love a good book.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have been contacted by a few publishers of nautical books and have been granted complimentary copies of these books to read.  I just finished, Blue Water, Green Skipper by New York Times bestselling author Stuart Woods and now I kind of want to race solo across the Atlantic.  Yeah.  It reminds me of the way I felt after I watched a particularly compelling documentary about people who climb Everest.  Buoyed by emotion, I thought to myself as the credits rolled, "I want to do that!!" and for a hot minute there was honestly contemplating how to go about doing so. Obviously my overzealous enthusiasm faded...  I will not, most likely, climb Everest and I probably will not sail solo in a race across the pond (but you never know?)... My point is, I was inspired.

Having never before owned anything so much as a row boat, Woods decided to pursue the peace of the open sea as he set out to single-handedly navigate the Atlantic during the 1976 Single-Handed Transatlantic Race...

The book covers Stuart's two year evolution from total newbie to full-blown solo sailor.  Rather than a dry, run of the mill "sailing memoir", this story has a definitive arc and the pages are colored with Stuart's natural charm and sharp wit.  His metamorphosis is (obviously) not without foibles and from embarrassing mishaps while learning to sail a dinghy (the only crew that would have him was a twelve year old) to a misbehaving wind vane (appropriately named "Fred", like his dog), the self-deprecating, dry humor peppered between the pages will make you chuckle.  Humor aside, what Wood's sets out to do is no small feet and his book is the perfect illustration of where a crazy idea, unwavering determination and a little luck can take you.  This story has all the guts of a true adventure tale (as it should, Wood's is a prolific author and has written fifty novels!) from controversy to tragedy, from inspiration to triumph, you best beware: Wood's memoir might just make you want to sail solo across the Atlantic...

And once again, I believe a good book is better if shared!  If you would like a chance to win this book, do the following: [Note: This contest is over, sorry!]

1. Comment on this post with something you have done that might seem crazy to the outside world (you will notice I have removed captcha and made it easy for you!)
2. Share our blog with like-minded family and friends; you can either share us in your own blog in the form of a post or send a link to our blog in an email (make sure you copy us on the email so we know you did it and can enter you!) AND/OR Share our Facebook Page by clicking "SHARE" on the link to this post and commenting below it. (Don't forget to comment or else I might not see that you shared us!)

BONUS:  If you do all three (i.e. share by email, blog post and share our FB page, you will be entered three times and therefore increase your odds of winning!)

Once you do one or both of those things, you will be entered to win.  I will select TWO winners on Friday morning and ship the books shortly after. 

Happy reading!

Love,
Brittany, Scott & Isla

The Shipkiller: A Contest!

You can win this book!

Nothing can transport a person to another time and place quite like a good book.  Most of you know that I am a voracious reader and, while my time to read has been compromised slightly I am now getting my bearings back and have started reading again (hooray for a baby on a wonderful eat, play, nap schedule who sleeps 9 hours a night!).   Lucky for me, I have been contacted by a few publishers and have been gifted a few great sailing books to sink my teeth into as of late.  This one, folks, is a good one!

If the title of this one isn't enticing enough, the cover photo should be! The Shipkiller is not actually a new book, but a revised edition of the thirty-five year old maritime thriller being re-introduced to a new generation of readers.  Not too long ago I wrote about how a collision with a tanker is among the cruising sailor's worst nightmares and this novel brings that fear to nail-biting life...  

After being run down by the largest supertanker on the planet and losing his boat and beloved wife, Carolyn, to the sea - Peter Hardin embarks on a journey fueled by revenge that embraces the oceans of the world in an effort to avenge her death.   Through raging storms in the South Atlantic to the sickening heat of Persian Gulf, Hardin turns into a man possessed - a hardened sailor with but one goal:  sink the behemoth that stole his life.  Full of white knuckle action and plenty of unexpected twists and turns, The Shipkiller is sure to capture the imaginations of sailors and thrill seekers alike - it certainly got a firm grip on mine!!

"A stunner.  Absolutely riveting.  A marvelously taut, brilliantly told story of revenge, and the sea, and the dark forces that can shape the human condition." - Robert Ludlum

Now that I finished this fantastic book, I am going to gift my very own 'advanced reading copy' to one of you fine readers!  But there's a catch - you need to do a little PR for us.  In order to enter the contest, you must share our blog or Facebook Page.  To share our blog via email, just send a message to anyone and everyone you think would enjoy it with a link to our site and make sure you copy us on it (otherwise we won't know you shared it!).  To share our Facebook Page, just hit "share" on the link to this post (I can see who "shares" right there on the site).  Your name will be entered in the contest and I'll draw the winner at random tomorrow afternoon.  Once the winner is announced, I'll get your address and send the book to you.  Simple as that! 

[Note: This contest is over, sorry!]

Love,

Brittany, Scott & Isla

Top 10 Tuesdays: 10 Father's Day Gifts for the Sailor Dad

It's *someone's* first Father's Day!

It's that time of week again...but this week is special, and because Father's Day is coming up this Sunday I thought I would make a Top 10 List* for those of you who are looking to get something special for that special (sailor) someone.  Scott has been given strict instructions NOT to read this post, because two of the items I have gotten him are on this list - and another item on this list is something I am getting him for his upcoming birthday so hopefully you all can keep a secret!

For those of you who are still looking for that perfect gift - here are:

10 Great Father's Day Gifts for the Sailor Dad

1. DaKine No Zone Surf Hat - Scott has been looking for a sailing hat for a long time and he just bought this one for himself and LOVES it.  In fact, when he put it on yesterday he said, "I think I am going to wear this to work tomorrow".  Obviously he is joking, but all kidding aside - this is a great hat.  It looks good, fits well (yes - even on my hubby's super large head!), will block the sun and even comes with a removable chin strap (bonus!) and an adjustment strap to make the hat more fitted.  The charcoal color is really nice as well.  
2. Nigel Calder's Mechanical and Electrical Manual - we have owned this book since day one and cannot sing it enough praise.  Nigel Calder covers everything from installing electronics to maintaining your diesel engine to designing a 12v system.   If you own a boat, you should have this book on board.  Period.
3. Oakley Mens Bottle Rocket Glasses - shhh! I got these glasses for Scott for Father's Day.  He's wanted a nice pair of sunglasses for a while and he tried on a few pair in the Savannah airport a couple of weeks ago.  I chose these because of the fact that they are polarized (don't bother buying sunglasses that aren't if you plan to sail in the tropics!) and they have rubberized ear pieces so they won't slide off his head.
4. Havaianas Men's Brazil Flip Flop - I also got Scott another pair of these for Father's day since he has practically worn through his latest pair.  These flip flops are the best.  They do not absorb water like Reefs (which not only make your feet slip around in them but make them SUPER stinky after a while) and at about $18 a pop are cheap enough to replace when they blow out.  Scott originally refused to wear these, but when we thought we had a dead mouse on board and traced the foul odor back to Scott's old Reefs he agreed to try them out and has never gone back.  Thank goodness!
5. Fein MultiMaster Oscillating Tool and Sander - Scott has been wanting this tool for the boat for a while (after using my dad's on numerous occasions) and I plan to get it for him for his birthday.  These little tools are super useful on a boat, from grinding to sanding they certainly have their place in the sailor's toolbox!
6. Patagonia Men's Save The Waves Tee - I got Scott one of these a long time ago and he wears it at least once a week so I thought I'd include it as a fun little extra.  I love Patagonia as a company and happen to love their tee shirts as well.  Scott has a decent collection of their shirts as he usually gets at least one or two of these a year from me.  The "Save the Waves" tee is especially cool because a portion of the proceeds goes to the Save The Waves Coalition.
7. Garmin Worldwide Handheld GPS - no matter what type of instrumentation (or lack thereof) you have on your boat, a handheld GPS can come in handy!  We actually have two back ups on our boat and keep one in our ditch bag as well.  These are great for everything from navigation to making sure you're not dragging at anchor or remembering a great hike on land!
8. The Morrow Guide to Knots - we have this book aboard Rasmus and have used it on more than one occasion!  It is very easy to follow and the step by step diagrams are a piece of cake to mimic.  Do you know how to tie two different sizes of line together?  How about how to secure your boat to a piling? Whatever knot predicament you come into - you can be sure the answer is in this book!
9. Deluxe Rigging Knife - Every sailor should have a good knife.  We have two of these aboard Rasmus, one for each of us.  Many sailors sail with one of these attached to their person at all times because they are so useful.  A rigging knife is designed to work with lines and shackles and is considered essential to the sport of sailing by many sailors.  If you are not familiar with this tool and curious as to what they can be used for, I found this PDF to be much more articulate than I'd ever be!
10. Sea Eagle Fast Track Inflatable Kayak - is it any wonder that Father's day is right around the beginning of summertime?  While this is by far the most expensive gift on our list - if you are looking for a great inflatable kayak to paddle around with your hubby or family - this is the one to get!  We own it ourselves and LOVE it.  It is super durable, incredibly sturdy (Scott used it to stand-up paddle board!) and easy to store.  Fun for the whole family!

Hope this helps you find your special sailor daddy something special!

Love,

Brittany, Scott & Isla

* We have recently become Amazon Affiliates.  I know, I know...many of you told me to do this a LONG time ago so here we are.  Basically, if you choose to buy any of the products I have linked to above - we will get a small cut.  I hope you know by now that I would not recommend anything frivolously or without a genuine intention so please, please do not think that my "Amazon Associate" status will change the way I suggest anything to you.

The Wave

“They move across a faint horizon, the rush of love and the surge of grief, the respite of peace and then fear again, the heart that beats and then lies still, the rise and fall and rise and fall of all of it, the incoming and the outgoing, the infinite procession of life. And the ocean wraps the earth, a reminder. The mysteries come forward in waves.” - Susan Casey, The Wave

I read a lot.  In fact, I've probably read at least 40-50 books since we left on this trip...I love to read, and if I've got a decent book in my hand - I'm good to go. 

Not all the books I've read are good, and not all the books I've read are nautical in nature - but this last book was both excellent and (semi) nautical so I thought I'd share my thoughts on it...

Susan Casey's "The Wave" is, quite simply, a book about waves.  Specifically (as her sub-title explains), it's about the  "rogues, freaks and giants" of the ocean.  Some sailors might not want to read about waves that have swallowed entire container ships and may feel better not knowing the figures of exactly how many boats are "lost at sea" (most likely due to rogues), but for some reason these sorts of books don't bother me.  Knowledge is power people.

First of all, Casey takes what could have been a dry and dull science book and creates a vivid and "gnarly" page-turner by looking to the people who know these waves best: mariners, oceanographers, and big-wave surfers (Laird Hamilton, in fact, could be considered a "main character" in this narrative).  In between her interviews with these experts she hops back and forth in time, weaving seamlessly between modern day knowledge and ancient lore.  Haunting stories of ships being snapped in half by waves as big as office buildings, unbelievable stories of entire mountainsides cleared of trees by 100 foot freaks and harrowing accounts of tow-surfers who paid the ultimate price for the "ultimate wave" pepper the pages of this book.  These tales of survival and tragedy at the slippery hands of the sea are all equally gripping and incredibly humbling.  Casey writes in such a way that not only can you adequately grasp the science behind the maelstrom, but you can almost feel the power and magnificence of these walls of water as if you were surfing right alongside her.  Not an easy feat.

Her research takes her from Hawaii, to London, from Tahiti to South Africa, from San Francisco to Baja and all of it points to one, definitive conclusion:  big waves (and I mean of the 80-120 foot variety) DO exist, and - if climate change and global warming continue at the current pace - they're only going to get bigger, uglier, and deadlier.  It's not a question of if, it's a question of when.

If you love the ocean, if you are passionate about the environment or mystified by the sea - read this book.  Whether you observe them from the beach or choose to ride them on a boat or a board "The Wave" will enchant you.  It is as powerful and gripping as the monsters it seeks...Hang ten, my friends.

“That rush! . . . When you blow down the side of a wave and the thing’s growling at you and snorting and all that power and fury and you don’t know whether you’re gonna be alive 10 seconds from now or not, it’s as heavy an experience as sex!” - Greg Noll, big-wave surfing legend

Love,
Brittany & Scott

A Person's a Person No Matter How Small

The other day, when I went on a hike with friends to Mt. Carmel falls this little guy found a flower and his dad said, "Look Quinn, it's like the flower from Horton Hears a Who".  I had to take a picture because he was 100% correct.  It was exactly like the flower from the classic children's book by the wonderful Dr. Seuss!

For those of you who don't know what I am talking about, treat yourself (and your children, if you have any) to this book about a lovable elephant who saves a tiny planet of people who live on a flower.  I was practically raised on Dr. Seuss books and I swear I can still hear my dad's animated voice reading, "I meant what I said and I said what I meant, an elephant's faithful one hundred percent!!" 

The main theme is one to always be mindful of, and that is the fact that we should always treat others with kindness and respect because, after all, "a person's a person, no matter how small".

Just a nice little story and a pretty little flower to brighten your day.

Love,
Brittany & Scott

Top 10 Tuesdays: Top 10 Books to Prepare you for Cruising

There are a ton of books out there about cruising.  Before we left I scoured the internet looking for great books about cruising and found them to be very helpful in preparing me for this journey.  Some are better than others (and there are many more wonderful books that are not on this list), but I think these ten books in particular make for a nice, well-rounded cruising library.  Many of these are not the type of book you would read cover to cover - but will prove useful for reference once aboard.  Here they are, in no particular order:

1. Jimmy Cornell: World Cruising Routes - This book is fantastic for planning cruising routes.  It tells you when to go where, and - more importantly - where you don't want to be and when.  It's a great resource for passage planning and Jimmy Cornell is the authority on world cruising routes.
2. Jimmy Cornell: World Cruising Handbook - This is a great companion to the book above.  He lists nearly any port of call you can think of, the customs regulations, ports of entry, visa requirements and other formalities such as that.  It's like an encyclopedia for cruising and is very useful when internet is not available and when we are passage planning.
3. Hal Roth: How to Sail Around the World- Hal Roth has created a very comprehensive guide to cruising that covers everything from essential gear to storm tactics.  It can be very technical, but much of it reads very easily.  Full of great tips, tricks and information.
4. Nigel Calder: Cruising Handbook - Nigel Calder is quickly rising in the ranks as "the" cruising authority and this book is proof positive.  It is chock full of great, useful information that is covered in a very accessible way.  I don't think he leaves a single subject uncovered.  It is a fantastic volume.
5. Nigel Calder: Mechanical and Electrical Manual- I don't think we've met too many boats who don't have this book aboard.  It is a must-have.  You WILL reference it.  Just wait and see.  And you'll be REALLY grateful you have it because it will be the first place you look when something fails (and something - maybe many things - will fail, it's just a question of when).
6. Beth Leonard: The Voyager's Handbook - I LOVED this book.  It's one of the few books on this list that I actually read cover to cover.  It's another cruising book that covers it all - from navigation to meal planning, from how to manage life at sea to storm tactics - Beth goes into great detail about the life of a voyaging sailor.  This book will paint a very real picture of what to expect when cruising and will provide you with some fantastic tips and tricks to help you get underway.
7. Charles B. Husick: Chapman Piloting & Seamanship- This book is considered by many a skipper as a "bible" and we use it frequently as a reference.  Believe it or not, there are a TON of rules when it comes to sailing and navigation.  Knowing who has the right of way in what situation can be the difference between an afternoon sail and a disaster.  Furthermore, if you ever want to get your captain's license - or at the very least know what you need to know to be incredibly competent on the water - this book is for you.
8. The Morrow Guide to Knots- Lets face it, we don't know all the knots we need to know.  How do you attach two different sizes of lines if you want to make a longer line? That would be the sheet bend (okay, that's easy - but there are MANY more).  The diagrams are clear and replicating the knots is easy with their step by step pictures. 
9. Lin and Larry Pardey: The Cost Conscious Cruiser- Full Disclosure: We actually do not have this book and we have never read it. So why the heck is it here?  Well, I am including it because it has been mentioned to me so many times in blog comments and reader emails that I feel like it has a place.  The Pardey's focus is on simplicity and how to really maintain a boat well on a budget the right way.  They are in the "hard core" camp of cruisers and many people chose not to live exactly like them, but their advice and the tips they provide are apparently saving people money all over the place!
10. The American Practical Navigator: Bowditch- I'm not going to lie.  When Scott brought this book aboard I was like "What the hell?? You have GOT to be kidding!!" It is HUGE.  Gigantic even.  BUT...it is the definitive authority when it comes to all things navigation.  It is incredibly dense and if anyone out there has read this thing cover to cover, you deserve some sort of award (or a straight jacket?).  This book is carried on the bridge of every single US Navy Ship and perhaps it should be in yours as well.

I might also include a book on weather predicting, but I am so inexperienced with that so don't feel like I could really suggest a good one.  What I WOULD suggest, however, is that anyone sailing offshore subscribe to a weather service like the one we get from Chris Parker (he focuses on the Bahamas and the Caribbean).  He is fantastic, and his reports are tailored specifically to our location and passage.  Of course you use other models as well and make your own decisions, but having a professional meteorologist on your side is a big help.  We are grateful for his reports every day.

What books have you found essential to cruising or prepping to cruise?

Love,
Brittany & Scott

Rest & Relaxation

This is our room at the Chateau de Francis...

That is to say, this is our room in the lovely home of our friends, Karly and Jason. We met Karly and Jason on the Windjammer cruise we took a few weeks back, and the four of us became fast friends.  In fact, we got along with them so well it sort of felt like we've known them forever.  I guess that's why it wasn't so strange that (after knowing us for a week) they invited us to stay with them in their beautiful home in Trinidad for two weeks while Scott works here in the boatyard.  Grateful doesn't begin to describe it.

So this is my lair while they are all off working - I can chill out in here, listen to the birds chirping, feel the sun through the windows and read, work, write and relax.  Of course I am welcome to the rest of the house, but this room is just so perfect and calming, I enjoy it the most.

Love,
Brittany & Scott