Freebooter comes out of hibernation!
After our 4 month stint in Johannesburg, it was great to head back to Grenada. Travelling light it was not, such that the absence of a working lift or … Continue reading
Books, Bonnets and Pap
So what does a kept woman do while the breadwinner is slaving away? Did you REALLY think I could do nothing all day except shop, drink coffee and walk dachshunds? … Continue reading
Ramblings of a Kept Woman
Having earned an honest living for so many years, it was a bit of a shock to accept my new status! Abandoned in the UK for two months whilst Steve wandered … Continue reading
Bush break
For another weekend off, we drove back up to Madikwe, a game reserve on the border with Botswana. This was the same lodge we visited last year, so no need … Continue reading
Victoria Falls
Time to be tourists and take a break from work via a British Airways flight to Zimbabwe! (Actually I thought that relations between that country’s Government and Britain was … Continue reading
Hennops Trail
Just outside Johannesburg, there is quite a well-known 4×4 playground in the bush. Having had a quick pitstop to replace a badly squeaking prop-shaft joint after Lesotho, and with … Continue reading
…….and down again!
So leaving Oxbow early it was again long climbs up the passes, first Moteng and then Molomong. At this time of morning, it was so cold at their peaks of … Continue reading
Lesotho
The start of Day 3 of the trip was a rude awakening. Daniel spotted a leak with a pool of liquid under the Landy. At 7 in the … Continue reading
Unfinished business & the 1st Outing for the Landy
After a flying visit to Makro to get a basic toolkit, we hit the road south towards Durban. Curiosity took us off the highway at Harrismith to see if the … Continue reading
A Fleeting Visit… and already looking to escape!
After 2 months down in Johannesburg on my own, I was so looking forward to seeing Annemarie again! Heading back to the UK for a couple of weeks would allow … Continue reading
Nairobi – Forgive me if you have been here, but….
Nairobi is different! Flying in past the magnificent Mount Kilimanjaro from South Africa, you sort of expect something fairly similar to the cities there. Wrong! Nothing had quite … Continue reading
Bush Wheels
Here in the urban jungle there roam many herds of BMWs and Mercedes interspersed with various lesser breeds. Aside from the hoards of ubiquitous Toyata minibuses, or Chinese knock-off … Continue reading
Did the Earth Move for You Too?
Struggling manfully to cope again with work, it was in the middle of a necessary, but dull, meeting that the shaking began. After the séance-like questions of ‘is that you … Continue reading
A Big Impact!
Take one bit of rock, hurl it at the ground, and what do you get? A huge hole if the rock is big enough and comes from outer space! … Continue reading
It all seems so very far away……
To think that it was only 2 weeks ago that we said goodbye to Freebooter for the summer, and started the long journey back to the UK! It … Continue reading
A Caribbean-style journey
In case I had forgotten to mention it, life runs at a different pace in the Caribbean. The journey back started with the failure of the online check-in system. After … Continue reading
Into Prickly Bay, and out of the water
There is something about the sea that undermines the ability of man to create anything enduring. Nowhere is it more true than for boats. As we start the great preparation … Continue reading
Underwater Art
, After a slow start, (thanks to the excellent hospitality on board Ocean Rainbow the night before), we took off in the dinghy with Claire and James to snorkel in … Continue reading
By St George…..!
Escape from St Lucia was achieved at 05.45 yesterday, at last. I am not saying we had spent too long there since arrival in December, but the courtesy flag was … Continue reading
Where there’s a will, there may be a way………
Seemingly sentenced to an indeterminable incarceration in St Lucia, the break came at last on Friday afternoon when the new generator finally appeared in the boatyard! This was after we … Continue reading
An Unpleasant Surprise……….
As we started do do some chores on board, there was a faint smell that became evident when we opened the engine compartment hatch. The bilges were full of diesel, … Continue reading
Back on Board!
After the mad dash back to the UK a few weeks ago, life became a bit surreal. Aside from addressing the immediate crisis, it all felt a bit alien. To be … Continue reading
Flying Visit
Having been called back home at very short notice, the last 10 days have been a blur of activity. It is 6 months since we were last here, and having … Continue reading
Man plans – God Laughs
Having settled at anchor in Bequia, and enjoying the looooong chill that is infectious there, the intended slow meander down the Grenadine islands evaporated with a single phone … Continue reading
Bequia
Having been in St Lucia for so many weeks, we were all to ready to make a move. So after a 03.00 start (only sailors would do this), we headed … Continue reading
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