Behan Gifford

LATEST ARTICLES ( 538 )

• Old School Skills for Sailors and Confinement

  

  This week was a zeitgeist of recipe requests after some of the traditional food preservation techniques (and a fun recipe!) showed up in our social media. Read more

  Posted on 16 April 2020 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Nautical Escapes for the Confined Sailor

  Here to meet your need to shift focus in a positive way: a slew of freebies, cheapies, and cool offers aimed at helping the confined crowd find (or stay on) an... Read more

  Posted on 10 April 2020 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Cruising: the Ultimate Pandemic Prep

  

  Totem is a floating island of self-isolation, swaying gently at anchor in Matanchen Bay…the SUP is stowed, Siobhan’s longboard rests on the side deck, the dingh... Read more

  Posted on 07 April 2020 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• The South Pacific is Closed

  In the wild elasticity of time since Coronavirus shadows began gathering, although it feels like an age since we canceled plans for the South Pacific – it’s... Read more

  Posted on 26 March 2020 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Provisioning for a Pandemic

  Plans are swirling: only a few days since I speculated about impact to our routing for the South Pacific, stringent regulations are being implemented across... Read more

  Posted on 17 March 2020 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• How Coronavirus is Impacting Our Plans

  

  Totem’s bow floats high thanks to the anchor and ground tackle that lies on the concrete dock just forward of her stem. The bow looks naked without a... Read more

  Posted on 09 March 2020 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Fueling No Controversy

  

  “Come back tonight.” Jamie’s new friend, a businessman in a remote Indonesian port, had agreed to help us buy diesel. It’s illegal to purchase in Indonesia as... Read more

  Posted on 06 March 2020 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Sunsets and Rainbows and a Lot of Work

  Ah, the cruising life! Swinging in a hammock, sipping fruity rum drinks, soaking in a spectacular view. Well, that happens sometimes… Focusing entirely on life... Read more

  Posted on 22 February 2020 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• How to Vote While Cruising Overseas

  

  “It’s just too hard,” the cruiser complained. It was the fall of 2016, and we were in a conversation about how to vote in the USA’s pending election. It’s not... Read more

  Posted on 13 February 2020 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• The Best Dinghy for Cruising

  

  Dinghies are analogous to cars for cruisers; is that why I stand in the cockpit with the faintest touch of trepidation and watch as our teenagers disappear... Read more

  Posted on 08 February 2020 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Bahamas Cruising post-Dorian

  

  In early September, hurricane Dorian slammed into the Bahamas and became the most devastating natural disaster on record for the islands. Read more

  Posted on 14 January 2020 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• The Measure of a Year: 2019 Reflections

  

  Totem rocks at anchor in the gentle swell off La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Mexico. We approached the end of the year on a mellow passage down the Sea of Cortez,... Read more

  Posted on 06 January 2020 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Ode to a Shipyard Community

  

  127 days of living on the hard are finally in the rear view mirror. Totem baked in the Sonora desert sun for more than four months of refit projects. Our boat i... Read more

  Posted on 24 December 2019 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Bringing Holiday Spirit Aboard

  “But how will Santa find us?” our children asked with more than a little anxiety. “He has his ways,” we replied confidently. This was 2007: the year before we... Read more

  Posted on 17 December 2019 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Holiday Gifts: What Cruisers Use

  

  The relative simplicity of cruising life changes the way we think about gifting on Totem. Living on a floating tiny home lends itself cautious acquisition;... Read more

  Posted on 25 November 2019 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Facing Fears: Kid Boat Edition

  

  Taking kids cruising benefits parents and children alike. I shared top reasons why recently: cruising instilled patience, confidence and independence in our kid... Read more

  Posted on 19 November 2019 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Time to Skip Tahiti?

  

  “Should we skip Tahiti?” A question I never thought I’d hear was asked seriously over sundowners last week as we discussed 2020 plans. Read more

  Posted on 09 November 2019 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Better Than Bacon

  

  Most of us don’t have a Bacon Number. This, of course, is the number of connections it takes to link an actor to Kevin Bacon. What does Kevin Bacon or the... Read more

  Posted on 01 November 2019 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Intentionally Unplanned

  

  Every journey to cruising is unique, but common themes abound. Our family shares aspirations similar to many who wish to strike out towards the blue horizon:... Read more

  Posted on 26 October 2019 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Cruising Skill and the Mileage Myth

  

  Miles sailed: a reasonable proxy for cruising expertise? DISCUSS. Read more

  Posted on 19 October 2019 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL