Servicing a Max-Prop is one of those tasks that becomes less daunting with experience. Are you familiar with Max-Props? Have you ever taken one apart or, more importantly, put one back together? We need to change the dripless seal on SY Esper’s shaft, and that means taking off the prop Click here for full post: […] More
Do you know how to check your boat hull? It’s always a slightly unnerving moment when you get to see your hull out of the water, especially after two years with no haul-out. Jamie had regularly scraped off the marine build-up since leaving Thailand in 2018, and all the Click here for full post: https://followtheboat.com/check-your-boat-hull/ […] More
How do you prepare for your boat haul out? What should you do before you haul your boat, and how can you be best prepared? We list the jobs that you should do before you get there in the first of our boatyard mini series… We kick off with Click here for full post: https://followtheboat.com/how-to-prepare-for-your-boat-haul-out/ […] More
This episode is the story of two people who met on an island, became friends, and then fell out and became enemies… And we’re not talking about us! On the beautiful island of Balambangan, we discover why the British lost to a local Sulu prince, in a seldom told story Click here for full post: […] More
This episode is the story of two people who met on an island, became friends, and then fell out and became enemies… And we’re not talking about us! On the beautiful island of Balambangan, we discover why the British lost to a local Sulu prince, in a seldom told story Click here for full post: […] More
What are your 25 Cruising Heroes for the 21st century? Yachting Monthly editor, Katy Stickland, was asked to choose her top 25, and when we heard she had chosen us, we were blown away! What Katy said “What constitutes a cruising hero in the 21st century? Especially as so much Click here for full post: […] More
If ever there was a reason to go sailing, it is this: the ability to explore places that few people venture – not just foreign tourists, but locals too. These spectacular caves on Balambangan Island in northern Borneo are well and truly off the tourist trail. Pristine and seldom Click here for full post: https://followtheboat.com/ep-238-caves-of-balambangan/ […] More
We dragged a Rocna anchor! Yes, for only the second time in 14 years our sturdy and reliable anchor let us down. But only slightly. In near gale winds over three days at anchor, we stayed up for 24 hours on watch, taking three-hourly shifts. As the light breeze Click here for full post: https://followtheboat.com/we-dragged-a-rocna-anchor/ […] More
What are its benefits and does the boat yard do good work? These are the two main reasons for checking out any boat yard before you make the decision to haul out for maintenance and repair work. If you need to do a full refit, we suggest you shop Click here for full post: https://followtheboat.com/ep-236-next-boatyard/ […] More
We’re back on our own and this time we’re looking for a new anchorage. But how do we choose a good spot, what do we need to take into consideration when selecting a good place and what sources of information do we use? We look in detail at the Click here for full post: https://followtheboat.com/ep-235-where-to-anchor/ […] More
Does Malaysia care about the beaches? And what are local people doing to keep them clean? We visit Roby’s Secret Place Cafe and Camping eco-camp, where we talk to him about how he is managing the clean-uu and changing the behaviour of local people. Roby’s family heritage is from generations Click here for full post: […] More
Taking the dinghy through beautiful and well-established mangroves near Tanjung Simpang brings us onto why we chose the Highfield dinghy and Tohatsu outboard motor that is SY Esper‘s “car”. Based on what we’ve used and know well, we discuss the types of tenders available to cruisers. We also look at Click here for full post: […] More