Behan Gifford

LATEST ARTICLES ( 537 )

• Distinctively St Helena

  

  St Helena is unique in many ways, and many we’ve been able to experience firsthand during our week so far – coupled with the sincere friendliness of everyone... Read more

  Posted on 17 March 2016 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Reefing, by and Large

  

  When do you reef? How should you reef? What are some excellent ways to screw it up? A few thoughts from Jamie (filtered through fun with salty sayings and his... Read more

  Posted on 15 March 2016 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Exploring St Helena

  

  St Helena is exceptionally isolated. The nearest point on Africa – Angola – is about a thousand miles away. Brazil is nearly 2,000. There weren’t any humans her... Read more

  Posted on 10 March 2016 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Passage Notes: Namibia to St Helena, Part II

  

  Halfway to St. Helena at a steady pace, more than 180 miles fall behind Totem on our fifth day at sea. We originally expected to have more than eight days on... Read more

  Posted on 08 March 2016 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Passage Notes: Namibia to St Helena

  

  The steady thrum of Totem’s Yanmar beat the departure march from Walvis Bay. Heading out under foggy skies, there’s precious little wind to tackle 1200... Read more

  Posted on 05 March 2016 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• There’s This Boat: Nalukai

  

  Every now and then I write about a boat that strikes us. They represent a spectrum of styles (the classic plastic Mary Powell; the rocket boat Relapse; the... Read more

  Posted on 03 March 2016 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Kicking out to the Atlantic: Caribbean Or Bust!

  

  Pacific, 2010. Indian, 2015. 2016 is the year our little crew points across the Atlantic, and we couldn’t be more excited about it! Yesterday morning we left... Read more

  Posted on 29 February 2016 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Cruising Namibia’s Skeleton Coast

  

  It’s only a couple of hundred miles from Lüderitz to Walvis Bay, but we broke the trip up to soak in some of the remote landscape. What started out cool and gra... Read more

  Posted on 27 February 2016 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Chasing Ghosts in the Namib Desert

  

  The obligatory tourist stop while in Lüderitz isn’t actually touristy at all: it’s a ghost town called Kolmanskop, a 15 minute drive into the desert. Read more

  Posted on 23 February 2016 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• A Week in Luderitz, Namibia

  

  The weather always wins: we planned on just a couple of days in Lüderitz. We didn’t want to make Ty, crew arriving in the next port north- Walvis Bay- sitting... Read more

  Posted on 21 February 2016 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• One Simple Question: What’s It Like to Go Cruising?

  

  I thought I knew what One Simple Question was about: it was the tale of an environmentally-focused expedition to give witness to global warming, by visiting a... Read more

  Posted on 17 February 2016 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Reading on Board: Ebook Or Print?

  

  In 2007, Jamie added bookshelves to Totem. LOTS of bookshelves. We felt important to accommodate our family before moving aboard. At the time, ereaders were... Read more

  Posted on 15 February 2016 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Last Days in South Africa

  

  Simon’s Town was our base for a month do power through pre-Atlantic preparations. There were rounds of maintenance catch-up, some new projects, and a few... Read more

  Posted on 13 February 2016 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Passage Report: Cape Town to Lüderitz, Namibia

  Totem’s anchor dropped late in the day in Lüderitz, the southern of Namibia’s two ports, three days after leaving Simon’s Town. Read more

  Posted on 11 February 2016 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Passage Prep: Getting Ready to Depart South Africa

  

  As our time in South Africa draws to a close, we’re focused on preparing for the big miles ahead to cross the Atlantic. Although I felt like we spent a lot of... Read more

  Posted on 03 February 2016 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Iridium GO! with PredictWind for Weather and More

  

  About one year ago, we purchased an Iridium GO! satellite wifi unit. This was a big decision as it is a significant expense and we had been happy using HF... Read more

  Posted on 01 February 2016 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Happily Tucked into the False Bay Yacht Cub

  

  We arrived in Cape Town weeks later than originally planned. Conventional wisdom was that multi-day windows out of Durban should cycle through regularly,... Read more

  Posted on 23 January 2016 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Watch Captain

  

  Our friend Ty has accompanied Totem on significant passages . We’re very excited that he’s booked a flight to Namibia next month, and will join Totem again to... Read more

  Posted on 20 January 2016 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Canning Meat on Board

  

  At some point, canning food makes sense for a lot of long-distance cruisers. Totem is a boat full of omnivores, and with five people on board, canning meat has... Read more

  Posted on 16 January 2016 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Portable Generator Benefits, and How to Care for One Aboard

  

  We strive to be a green boat, and supply our power through sun and wind as much as possible. But the wants of five people can outstrip what our solar panels... Read more

  Posted on 14 January 2016 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL