Behan Gifford

LATEST ARTICLES ( 537 )

• Looking West from Martinique

  

  When we look back on the Caribbean, Martinique will feature among the best memories—and not just because of the pâté, brie, and baguettes. Read more

  Posted on 06 December 2017 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Holiday Gifts That Cruisers Want

  

  As avowed minimalists, this feels slightly awkward putting a post of holiday gifts together. But the reality is that there are useful needs to meet in a life... Read more

  Posted on 27 November 2017 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• A Cruiser’s Thanksgiving: Twists on Tradition

  

  Harvest festivals are cross-cultural and found all over the world, but that held on the 4th Thursday of every November is uniquely American. Read more

  Posted on 24 November 2017 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Caribbean Cruising After Hurricanes Irma and Maria

  

  A stream of migrating boats attest that the Caribbean sailing season is starting NOW. The fleet heading north from Grenada and Trinidad, those taking the... Read more

  Posted on 17 November 2017 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Folk Art and Daydreams from Bequia

  

  Cruisers merrily claim they “go where the wind blows.” It’s sort of true, but implies a more laissez-faire approach than migration patterns belie. Read more

  Posted on 13 November 2017 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Awesome Ted: the Best of Cruiser Culture

  

  Friendly, supportive, egalitarian. The cruising community has a subculture all its own: we tend to know each other faster and deeper. Read more

  Posted on 02 November 2017 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• We Now Return to Regularly Scheduled Cruising Adventures

  

  Grenada brings respite to the Totem crew. The last five months have been crazy: bashing against conditions from Bahama to the BVIs, dealing with skin cancer... Read more

  Posted on 26 October 2017 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• The Power of the Tribe

  

  It’s barely 24 hours since I returned to Totem, rocking at anchor in Grenada. For nearly two weeks I was stateside, away from Jamie and the kids for what’s... Read more

  Posted on 17 October 2017 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Low Friction Rings: Like a Donut, but Sweeter

  

  As the quotable quote demands, “ask not what your vang can do for you, ask what you can do for your vang”. OK, maybe that’s not exactly how it goes – but after ... Read more

  Posted on 25 September 2017 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Hurricane Maria Watch: Real-time Weather

  

  The news that Maria has strengthened from category 1 to category 5 hit like a gut punch. Learning this update at dinner last night stopped all conversation, the... Read more

  Posted on 19 September 2017 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Hurricane Irma: Sailing to Safety, How You Can Help

  

  Totem and crew are in Grenada. Time and mobility were our key advantages to get safely far from the devastating path of Irma when others could not. When Irma... Read more

  Posted on 10 September 2017 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Weather Resources for Hurricane Season

  

  “It’s like you have a bullseye on Totem!” More than one friend has commented along those lines to us recently. It does seem like severe weather systems... Read more

  Posted on 02 September 2017 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Cruising from the Greater to Lesser Antilles

  

  Figuring out the names of Caribbean islands was as daunting as learning island groups of the South Pacific. First, there’s a whole lot of them! And then, where... Read more

  Posted on 30 August 2017 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Facing up to Health Care

  

  Keeping up with routine health care needs isn’t a problem when cruising. It’s rare to be in a place where quality care cannot be found, or reached quickly shoul... Read more

  Posted on 16 August 2017 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• VHF Radio Etiquette

  

  “Thanks for the wake, @$$%*#!”  Unpleasant to imagine, unpleasant to hear, and rude on all sides. We haven’t heard that since leaving the USA and I don’t miss... Read more

  Posted on 04 August 2017 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• AIS and Radar from the Hurricane Season Stragglers

  

  Sunrise tinted the margins of Puerto Rico’s rugged profile with a warm glow. Making landfall on the west coast after a week of bumpy, on-again / off-again... Read more

  Posted on 01 August 2017 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Bahamas Lookback II: Falling Short

  

  Three months of cruising the Bahamas left many impressions. After too much time on the mainland, escaping east across the Gulf Stream felt like freedom:... Read more

  Posted on 24 July 2017 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Cruising the Bahamas: Beauty at Our Back Door

  

  Hard won miles to windward from the cerulean blue of our last Bahamian anchorage, some perspective on our months in the islands is sinking in. Read more

  Posted on 17 July 2017 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Safety on Board: Preventer Setup on Totem

  

  Boom preventer. Boom brake. Whatever you do, whatever you call it, having a way to prevent or dampen the force of the boom to prevent accidents while sailing... Read more

  Posted on 26 June 2017 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL

• Easy Bread to Feed a Hungry Crew

  

  A well-fed crew is a happy crew: this is no secret. Food is a love language for many, myself included. Feeding people, seeing their pleasure in something I’ve... Read more

  Posted on 14 June 2017 FAMILY, OUTDOORS, SEA, TRAVEL