Behan Gifford

LATEST ARTICLES ( 537 )

• Tradition for the Fun of It

  

  It was just a little tickle on my neck, but something made me give it a flick instead of a scratch. Good thing, too, because instead of aggravating the little... Read more

  Posted on 12 January 2015 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Sailing into 2015

  

  By many measures, we did not have a great year. 2014 was not marked by exotic anchorages and interesting cultural exchanges, but routine maintenance (and... Read more

  Posted on 05 January 2015 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Cruisey Holidays in Thailand

  

  Growing up in the northern hemisphere mid-latitudes, it still feels strange to have Christmas on a sunny beach, but it’s not too hard to get used to. Read more

  Posted on 25 December 2014 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Your Day is About to Get Better

  

  Get ready to smile! You know how when you smile at someone, it’s hard for them not to smile back? When someone passes along a good feeling, it’s hard not to... Read more

  Posted on 13 December 2014 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Fundraiser: Kids & Kittens at the Shipyard

  

  A few days ago, I posted the photo above to Totem’s Facebook page with the following caption: We’ve decided the scooters on Totem will have an extended useful... Read more

  Posted on 30 November 2014 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Fundraiser: Kids & Kittens at the Shipyard

  

  A few days ago, I posted the photo above to Totem’s Facebook page with the following caption: We’ve decided the scooters on Totem will have an extended useful... Read more

  Posted on 30 November 2014 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Holiday Gifts for Cruisers

  

  Shopping for a sailor? Getting ready to go cruising, and don’t want to spend on things you won’t use in your life afloat? Here is a list of suggested gifts we... Read more

  Posted on 28 November 2014 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Holiday Gifts for Cruisers

  

  Shopping for a sailor? Getting ready to go cruising, and don’t want to spend on things you won’t use in your life afloat? Here is a list of suggested gifts we... Read more

  Posted on 28 November 2014 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Inspect Your Sails: Identifying UV Damaged Cloth

  

  A dependable suit of sails to carry you towards the horizon is the basic tool of every cruiser. I’m sharing more of Jamie’s expertise as a sailmaker on the blog... Read more

  Posted on 21 November 2014 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Nearing the End of the Shipyard Grind

  

  We’re in the back half of our stay at Phithak Shipyard (PSS) near Satun, Thailand, and it’s pretty exciting to see work progressing on Totem. Read more

  Posted on 19 November 2014 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Writing Feeds My Cruising Soul

  

  A few months ago, I kissed the back of an envelope for good luck before dropping it into a mailbox in Singapore. Tucked inside was a publishing contract with... Read more

  Posted on 17 November 2014 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Inspect Your Sails: How to Find UV Damage in Stitching

  

  Cruisers flock towards the tropics, where all that sun exposure can be tough on sails. Short of alien ships on a bad landing approach, UV damage is the biggest... Read more

  Posted on 10 November 2014 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Inspect Your Sails: How to Find UV Damage

  

  Cruisers flock towards the tropics, where all that sun exposure can be tough on sails. Short of alien ships on a bad landing approach, UV damage is the biggest... Read more

  Posted on 10 November 2014 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Friendships and Cruising

  

  Ponnusamy, or Sam as we call him, prepared chicken curry at his home in Penang, Malaysia for us to share on Totem recently. He called it “a simple curry”... Read more

  Posted on 02 November 2014 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• The Hardest Part of Cruising

  

  I don’t want to be here right now. We’re living in Totem on the hardstand, on stilts in the shipyard. There is a lot of noise, and a lot of dirt, and a lot of... Read more

  Posted on 26 October 2014 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Welcome to the Shipyard

  

  PSS Satun, a Thai shipyard just a hop over the southern border with Malaysia, sits at the edge of a small village up a winding muddy river. Read more

  Posted on 23 October 2014 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• What’s Your Favorite Cruising Destination?

  

  With 71% of our planet covered by oceans, there is no shortage of places to explore by boat. So when I landed recently on a page for the latest campaign from... Read more

  Posted on 20 October 2014 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• The Cost of Cruising: Interview with SailLoot

  

  How much does it cost to go cruising? How much / how long did you save in order to go? What do you spend every month as a cruiser? What about earning money whil... Read more

  Posted on 17 October 2014 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Making a Boat into a Home

  

  In the run-up to cutting our docklines, my friend Toast and I would meet for workday lunch breaks in downtown Seattle to talk about All Things Cruising. Read more

  Posted on 12 October 2014 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Preparing for the Indian Ocean

  

  Jamie and I co-author the cruising column for 48° North, a Pacific Northwest regional boating magazine. He lead on this piece for their for October issue, with... Read more

  Posted on 09 October 2014 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL