HI, I’M MATT.
THESE ARE MY ADVENTURES LIVING ON MY SAILBOAT GUDGEON AS I SAIL AROUND THE WORLD.
Back at the end of 2013 I decided (apropos of nothing) that I wanted to live on a sailboat. Armed with only a copy of This Old Boat
Luckily the boat (a Cherubini designed Hunter 36) turned out not to have anything too disastrously wrong with it, so with a lot of time, money and reading I managed to get it into a livable condition. And then I discovered I liked sailing…
Things escalated from there and now, just over four years later, I’m preparing to head out around the world, leaving in May 2018. Come follow along!
Mazatlan to La Paz, Part 1
This is a two-parter as this wasn't quite the causal jaunt across the Gulf of California that I had planned. The following two maps show the route - note that the wind comes from the NW generally, so it would be at best a close reach. It started off well, cast off the...
Lots of small things and leaving to cross the Gulf of California!
So I'm a little behind which is why you are getting two posts in two days - I am sending this just before I set off to cross the gulf again (going the other way this time) with Liz (Goodbye Mazatlan!) Glad to have company as I am a bit rusty at this 'sailing thing'...
Changing out the engine mounts on a 2QM20 and fixing rotten stringers
My engine (which is literally older than I am and is a huge chunk of solid iron) sits on four things called motor mounts. These are made of metal and rubber or similar polymer materials and provide shock absorption for the engine. Which is great because it is...
Boat work and heat
A couple of days after the Tropical Storm passed over I started feeling kinda off - and sure enough I got a really nasty heavy cold, that pretty much put me out of action for a whole week. I must have got it in Victoria or on the plane, either way it was really nasty...
LiFePo4 Batteries: Part Eight – Adding an additional switch to the discharge relay
A quick update here - just to add an addendum to the LifePO4 series. No-one who is following this blog for travel reasons will find this interesting, but it's an important point as I know several people use a 7713 as a main relay in their systems. There was an...
Tropical Storm Narda
Adjusting from BC in the autumn weather (cool, rainy, cloudy) to end of summer mainland Mexico (sunny, humid, 30c+) was kind of a shock. My first day I was too hot and sweaty to really do anything, except sit around in front of a fan complaining (so pretty much the...
Back at the boat!
After a very rushed last week in BC (pro-tip - don't finish work on Friday afternoon and then get the 6am flight Saturday) I am back in Mexico and on Gudgeon! Since I had bought a lot of second-hand stuff while in BC (including a watermaker, a solar oven and a billion...
Less than a month left!
So I've booked my flight back to Mazatlan and it's on the 27th September, the day after my last day of work. Funny to think a year ago I was in the yard, doing final preparations to move south... definitely glad I am where I am and not starting down storms in Neah Bay...
Brexit, Solar Cooking and some second hand parts
Titles a bit all over the place as is this update - only two months to go till I fly back to Mexico though! Without further ado: Brexit One of the questions I'm often asked is 'why did you fly back for the summer?' There are actually a few reasons that I've explained...
Stocking up on parts in Canada
Firstly, I'm HALFWAY through my summer break! Only 2 and a half months to go till I'm back at the boat! While I've been back in Canada (and working two jobs) I've been buying up a storm, getting both additional things to weigh down the boat make things easier, and...
