Viki Moore, sailing friend and author of the blog Astrolabe Sailing has kindly nominated my blog for a Leibster Award!

 (The Leibster Award – A blog is “nominated” for this “award” by other bloggers. It is a bit like a chain letter, except that the idea is to allow a blogger to introduce or recognize a fellow blogger’s work. So, being nominated is a bit of an honour…or at least an indication that someone else likes your work.)

I know the phrase chain-letter, can be off putting, however, it is fabulous that people are reading my blog and wanting to know more… so I’ll keep this brief – this is just a bit about us and what we’re up to!…if you want to know more…follow my blog.

1. Introduce us to your crew – who are they and what roles do they play in your operation?

There’s just Noel and I on board. We are both captain and crew – we try not argue too much about who is what on which day!

2. What sort of boat do you have and would you recommend it for other adventurers hoping to live aboard? What do you like the least about your choice?

Well, we are now on a Dutch barge, (we have previously lived on two different sailboats; for almost nine years on the first and a little over two years on the second). Rouge Corsair is a Luxe Motor, built 1920, and a rather neat boat to live on. I’d certainly recommend this type of boat for the canals. Rouge Corsair was a bunker boat, which means she has a fine bow and is easy to handle. We don’t have a bow-thruster but rely on the incredibly useful prop walk (large prop and slow speed) to manoeuvre her bow and stern. She’s 18.5 metres long, 3.96 wide, draft is 1m and air-draft (important in the canals) is 2.95m.

What do I like least? Hmmmm, tricky. At the moment just the mountains of dark brown timber (stained) below decks. My paint-brush will be doing the rounds this winter!

3. What are your sailing plans, if you have any, for the future?

We are cruising in Europe for a few years – probably. Then…maybe…another sailboat…we shall see.

4. How do you support your lifestyle while sailing and cruising?

Writing and photography, my next book Of Foreign Build, will be out very shortly. Also, I write for magazines. We are both maritime teachers and when on land (between adventures) we save like mad so we can go off and play again.

5. What’s the best experience you’ve had while living aboard?

So many and for so many different reasons: visiting unique countries and meeting different cultures…playing with orang-utans, swimming with sea-lions and whales, having time to watch the world unfold around me at my pace. Changing from a Corporate Girl to a Sea Gypsy Woman and finding out who I am!

6. Name the most challenging experience you have had while living aboard and what did you do to overcome it?

A raving storm was not very nice, basically it was survival tactics, drogue out, storms sails hauled and hunker down (running with it). Another time, in an anchorage that was impossible to get out of at night (the channel was not lit) – and being trapped within 60 knots of vortexing wind … we nearly lost the boat that night. (In the Gambiers), next time, with the same weather forecast and possibility of it happening again, I’d get out to sea (if possible) – there are far less things out there to hit!

7. Is living aboard and sailing an alternative way of life for you, an escape from the system, or is it just a temporary adventure?

It is a way of life, until we have to earn money and want to stop for a while. Longest stretch on-land, in-between adventures is two years.

 8. Any big mistakes you have learned from that others may learn from too?

Don’t wait to learn. Enrol in a course, read and research BEFORE you go.

9. What advice would you give to those that may be interested in following in your footsteps and living aboard and/or cruising?

As above and JUST GO! Read our blog, including fortnightly updates on Cruising Clinic for answers to this question – and our book Cruisers’ AA. And, don’t listen to nay-sayers – if someone says, ‘you can’t do that,’ it means you can!

10.What motivates you to blog and what tips can you offer fellow bloggers?

It helps me keep track of what we are doing, while keeping everyone up to date! Just write down what you are feeling, experiencing. Let it flow. Also, everyone has a good idea or something to teach others – no matter what stage of cruising life we are at, so it is good to share. AND it is a great reference back. (It also inspires you take some great photography and keep them organised!)

So, that’s us – thanks again Viki for nominating me. I would now like to nominate a few of the other blogs that I follow and enjoy – they are:

Eurmacs

On A Barge in France

Four2Tango

Sailing in my Sarong/Valiam goes sailing around the world

If you see your blog listed above, just follow these simple rules to accept your own Liebster Award:

• Refer back to the blog that you nominated you
• Answer questions posed by the nominator (same ones as above)

Nominate other blogs you believe are worthwhile