My Mate Phil
Phil was never happier than when he was solving a problem. Whether that problem was a better method of laying out the instruments for an appendectomy or designing an amnioscope that puts light where the doctor needs it most. His …
Piss and Vinegar
If it ain’t broke… Sailboats require maintenance. Maintenance is something sailboats are not designed for. Perhaps because their designers never intended them to live as long as they do. Perhaps because aesthetics sell boats. Perhaps because the boat maintenance cartel …
It Ain’t The Heat!
Position: 41°12’57.9″N 13°34’23.5″E One of the joys of wintering on your boat in northern climes is condensation. (Not to be confused with that singular joy of having siblings: condescension. – ed.) Warm air rises and when it meets a colder …
Keel Haul the Captain!
Position: 36°07’45″N 115°09’0″W Having entered the post-truth epoch four years ago, the nautically inclined are now entering the era of post-captaining. Boat owners and their boats can look forward to a time when the experience and nous of a skilled …
Drinking in the New Year
Position: 41°12’57″N 13°34’23″E The Plan What better way to ring in the beginning of a new year than with friends, good food, and plenty of prosecco? There is none. We heralded 2021 with Robin and Bob (our in-bubble dock mates) …
2020: Time to Accentuate the Positive
“If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” – my Mum Back when I worked for a living, I used to reassure my clients that as bad as things seem, not everything is broken. With that in …
Photos: Gaeta’s Festival of Lights
Position: 41°12’57″N 13°34’23″E Among its many charms as a port city, Gaeta really pushes out the boat when it comes to Christmas decorations. Not satisfied with hanging stars and wreaths in ever-shifting combinations of red, green and blue, at some …
A Rattle Bag
Position: 41°12’57″N 13°34’23″E Kodachrome In a world rife with misinformation, it is easy to forget all the crap you learned in grade school. Take for instance John Cabot. The famous English explorer. Bankrolled by Henry VII he is credited with …
Of Humane Bondage
Yeah, I’m the taxman Pity the errant British circumnavigator. When they buy their boat they have the pleasure of paying Value Added Tax to Her Majesty’s treasury. A princely 20% of its purchase price. Having parted with significant wads of …