At the end of 2023, we returned from France to Panama to civil unrest. Main roads were shut down throughout the country, and some regions were paralyzed as illegal, semi-permanent blockades completely stopped vehicular traffic. Nothing could get through by land – not people, goods, or even emergency vehicles. Some roadblocks were emplaced for just […]
Author: John-Michael
Harvest Time
If you know us at all, you undoubtedly recognize that we love traveling slowly, putting down roots, and getting to know a place. Zipping from one city to the next, with only a day or two to explore, has never been our style. When a place touches our hearts and imaginations, we are inclined to […]
Wine Country
What comes to mind when you think of France? Wine is probably near the top of the list, or it should be. During our first season in France, in 2022, we traveled through multiple regions and enjoyed how the wine varieties changed. We were never very close to vineyards, however, and bought our wine at […]
That’s a Wrap!
If you know us well, you know that subtlety and muted shades are not our jam. We like bold, funky patterns and loud colors. We want our immediate surroundings to be bright and cheerful. We love Ziggy B, but the boat came from the factory in the most boring colors, and it was almost in […]
We Live Here!
When we moved to France, we were certain we would soon make a hilarious and embarrassing language error. It is going to happen; it is just a matter of time. But the marina where we bought Ziggy B beat us to it. Ok, they did not do it themselves, but the automated translator for their […]
Fat Bottomed Girl
We have hauled ¡Pura Vida! out of the water several times to work on her bottom, but it has always been done by a boat yard with a sling crane. These beastly contraptions place two or three enormous straps under her hull and gently lift her out of the water. The crane then moves to […]
Pacification
We finally did it! We crossed the isthmus through the Panama Canal, affectionally called the big ditch, into the expansive Pacific Ocean. Despite having read a ton of blogs and guides, there were quite a few surprises in store for us. The crossing alone was quite the experience. It required extensive prep, and coordinating several […]
Double The Fun (Double The Madness)
It has been an exciting, crazy year…and it is only mid-April. The madness started at the end of 2021, when we made a life-changing, yet impulsive, decision. After being struck by lightning in 2020 and having close calls with hurricanes from 2015 to 2018 aboard ¡Pura Vida!, we decided that we no longer wanted to […]
Something Is Burning
“Something is burning” are three of the most frightening words you can hear someone say on a cruising boat. Those are the exact words Kimberly yelled out a couple of minutes after we had started our engine. She then ran to the cockpit and shut the engine down while I reached for the fire extinguisher. […]
Our Cruising Quinquennial
August 9, 2015 was a regular Sunday in New Orleans. It was expectedly hot, humid, cloudy, and the summertime sluggishness had settled over the city like a smothering blanket. It did not feel like a special day for us, yet it was arguably one of the most momentous days of our lives. After our morning […]