Behan Gifford

LATEST ARTICLES ( 537 )

• Memorable Stopoff at Mansuar Island

  

  We could go straight back to Sorong, but we decide to stop off on the way- see if we can trade a couple of days in the islands first, and make it up with... Read more

  Posted on 04 March 2013 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Raja Ampat: Turning Back South Again

  

  We move on from our teacup anchorage to find one more spot for a last hurrah with Nalukai and Muscat. There's a sweet collection of islands just a few miles... Read more

  Posted on 01 March 2013 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Raja Ampat: Lingering with Friends

  

  I suppose if we were determined to tick the boxes of "things you are supposed to see and do" in Raja Ampat, we would have left our teacup anchorage after anothe... Read more

  Posted on 25 February 2013 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Raja Ampat: Now THAT'S What We Came for

  

  It happens. Our next anchorage, which becomes referred to as "the teacup" for it's wee size and general shape, is such a slice of heaven that we decide to stay... Read more

  Posted on 23 February 2013 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Nudging North in Raja Ampat

  

  Getting ourselves out of Sorong (finally). We have almost a month to play in Raja Ampat, which sounds like a lot, but we already know it's going to be impossibl... Read more

  Posted on 21 February 2013 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Too Long in Sorong

  

  Sorong is a necessary evil. OK, not evil, but it’s not a terribly interesting place- yet it’s on the edge of the very spectacular Raja Ampat, which we can’t wai... Read more

  Posted on 19 February 2013 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Oh FAD It! Or, the SE Asian Marine Obstacle Course

  

  There’s a special boater’s hell in Southeast Asia in the FAD minefields. FADs, or Fish Aggregating Devices, range from something just larger than a bathtub to... Read more

  Posted on 18 February 2013 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Playing Tourist in Biak

  

  We go to the market in the morning look for a ‘bemo’ (the minivan/bus system that operates as public transportation all over Indonesia). Read more

  Posted on 16 February 2013 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Chasing Fuel in Biak

  

  Although we've made most of the westing that stretched ahead of us just a couple of months ago, there’s still a good distance to get across the rest of the top... Read more

  Posted on 14 February 2013 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Raft-Up: Keeping the Peace

  

  This month's raft-up topic looks into relationships on board and asks the question: how do you make a relationship work on board? Exhibit A: the happy... Read more

  Posted on 13 February 2013 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Taking a Break in the Padaidos

  

  Once the hook is set in our little spot at Mios Manggwandi, there’s little we'd like to do more than have a nice long nap. When we left Jayapura for all we... Read more

  Posted on 11 February 2013 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Sharing Our Experiences: Totem's IWAC Interview

  

  The same month that we were in the throes of final preparation to depart from Mexico for the Marquesas, a very cool undertaking called “The Interview with a... Read more

  Posted on 08 February 2013 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, TRAVEL

• Across the Top of Papua: Jayapura to Biak

  

  We had been anticipating a challenging journey across the top of Papua. It is the “wrong” season. Wind and current are likely to be adverse. Read more

  Posted on 07 February 2013 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, TRAVEL

• Making Friends in the Louisiades: Learning Misima Dialect

  

  Connecting with people in the places we visit, learning about our similarities and differences, is something I truly enjoy. Demonstrating interest by knowing... Read more

  Posted on 04 February 2013 OUTDOORS, TRAVEL

• Happy Thanksgiving!

  From our anchorage in the lagoon of the Hermit Islands, a Happy Thanksgiving from the Totem crew! We didn't have a turkey or play touch football in a leaf... Read more

  Posted on 02 February 2013 OUTDOORS, TRAVEL

• Zen and the Art of Not Missing a Field Guide

  My abundance of pumpkin and coconut got me started on that post about wanting a certain cookbook a couple of days ago, but while I'm thinking about the books... Read more

  Posted on 02 February 2013 OUTDOORS, TRAVEL

• The Boat Galley Cookbook - All I Want for Christmas

  It's time to make dinner, and I'm looking around at the galley and wondering for the Nth time in the last few months, what I can do with pumpkin, coconuts, and... Read more

  Posted on 02 February 2013 OUTDOORS, TRAVEL

• And Then There Were Three

  Two days after we swam with whales in the lagoon here in PNG's Hermit Islands, we were told one of the whales had died. At this point, the pod had been inside... Read more

  Posted on 02 February 2013 OUTDOORS, TRAVEL

• Raft-up: But Where is the Soy Sauce?

  After anticipating cruising for years, you'd think we have plenty of time to optimize space used in Totem's various lockers, shelves, and other stowage areas. Read more

  Posted on 02 February 2013 OUTDOORS, TRAVEL

• Oh Yes, Whales in the Lagoon! Oh No, Whales in the Lagoon...

  On our second morning at the Hermit Islands, Jamie went ashore to meet with Bob, the village elder who is shepherding us during our visit. Read more

  Posted on 02 February 2013 OUTDOORS, TRAVEL