The day that we would set sail from Largs had finally dawned. (For real this time!) We’d moved our starting date back by a day due to around 20knots of headwind which our experienced sailing friend, Ollie, had advised against if we wanted to keep our growing love for sailing intact. We’d decided to heed …
Time to Leave
Now that we were in the water, we were of course immediately impatient to be on the road. Or on the sea, to be more precise. If ten long months in the boatyard weren’t enough to spur us on, the marina fees that were the same price as the flat we’d rented in Manchester definitely …
The Big Splash
Ten long months after lifting out of the water and ‘splash day’ had finally come around. In the first few months of the year we’d fit in a break in Italy; come back to spend a couple more months in the flat in Largs; done our Day Skipper Practical course; and packed up our belongings …
A Week on the Water – completing our Day Skipper Practical
(April 2022) We had booked a week off work to do the Day Skipper Practical course. It was a very exciting moment as, although we’d had many days on a boat over the past few months, the boat had never been floating. Our first evening was a brief affair, we met the other people doing …
With the wind in our sails
The skies are still grey, the days often damp, but the hope and optimism is growing, the feelings beginning to ramp. My dad here last week, helping to master the keel, now dry hopefully patched, I’m starting to feel the days are getting brighter, both the skies and within – heart, mind and soul; the …
Part 2 of 2021: lessons from the boatyard
Little did we know when we hauled out at the end of July, that we wouldn’t be heading back into the water until April the following year. Nor did we realise all that was yet to unfold over the coming months, had we known, we would likely have made different choices. Although we faced many …
Hello there readers
It has been a long time since I wrote something here, what a busy couple of years it has been with many unexpected twists along the way (for all of us I’m sure). As my life transitioned from a backpacker who picked up work along the way, to what is known as a digital nomad …
Part 1 of 2021 – the beginning of a life-changing venture
Our time in Italy was cut short due to the looming Brexit deadline. We discovered in mid-November it would be much easier for Miki to stay for a longer period in the UK if we arrived before 11pm on 31st December 2020. So bags were packed, notice was given at the flat in Genova, and …
A Taste of Italy
Miki and I arrived at Milan station with just enough time to buy tickets for our next train, and for me to try my new mediocre Italian skills by ordering some slices of pre-prepared pizza, before heading to the platform. This final part of our bike journey was to take us to Miki’s parents’, an …
From the UK to Italy
(August 2020) As I’d mentioned in my previous post, we spent the majority of the lockdown with my parents and saw a couple of friends and other family members along the way. The time had now come for us to travel south to Italy, to visit Miki’s family. We had decided to cycle to Italy, …