It was the day before our boat was due to be lifted out and transferred to the boatyard, and we were met with stronger winds than we were comfortable with for moving Lanita. Either we needed to take her round to a pontoon near the crane, or pay a £50 fee for the marina to …
Activities
Finally, we sail!
After three months of patience, on 2nd August 2025, we enjoyed our first sail on Lanita. During the last couple of months we’d had our mast down for new rigging. Having taken our vessel to a boat yard across the harbour which we thought was cheaper (though later we realised we may have misjudged this). …
What’s that sound?!
When we first purchased Lanita our cockpit had faced the pontoon. Something that was enjoyable in the first couple of days as neighbouring owners stopped to say hello, but began to feel an inconvenience as we struggled to eat a meal in peace. Coming back in from our first voyage gave us the added benefit …
Hard work and monumental rewards
During our first few weeks of boat ownership, we ticked off one accomplishment after another, feeling a growing mixture of pride and amazement as we did so. Not only had we brought some prior knowledge along with us this time, but having also grown as a team, we were even more able to tackle one …
Introducing Lanita
We’d made the long journey down the country from Yorkshire to the south coast the evening before, full of anticipation and disbelief of the day ahead. It was Thursday, 24th April when we awoke early in our AirBnB, quickly getting ready and then driving the short distance from our accommodation in Weymouth, across the causeway …
Immersing in island life
As our holiday on Koh Lanta continued and we explored a little more of the island over the coming days, we came across a large bar/restaurant with tables here and there, hammocks hanging, and many secret cubby holes. We were the only guests, and as we perused the menu at the entrance, trying to work …
Phuket and the Big Blue
Our 3-week holiday from work was approaching, and we’d originally planned to stay in Malaysia, perhaps to visit Borneo. In the end, however, we headed to Thailand. This decision was largely based on the desire to scuba dive, and finding a good first place for Miki to experience it. So it was that we landed …
Bangor to the Isle of Man to Maryport, by sailboat!
Having arrived in Bangor, Northern Ireland, on a Saturday we had all of the following day to relax and explore. Early Sunday morning we headed away from the sea, hoping to leave the cold sea wind behind for a while. After wandering for about an hour we came across a vast park, green grass sprawling …
We Left Largs!
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 …










