Sail Far Live Free

"I'm back to my deck shoes with holes in the toes. Fish on the line, sails in the wind. Cooler of beer on beach with my friends. Back in the sunshine again." - Lyrics from "Back in the Sunshine" by Jim Morris I knew it was going to be an epic getaway when one of our friends said, "I could pee on her, but it would smell like coffee and feel less weird if Kevin did it." So, I reluctantly mustered up the courage and wrung out a kidney in an empty water bottle. I then proceeded to pour my pee on my wife's neck and shoulders. Does urine really take away the stinging from a run-in with a jellyfish or is that a myth? Scientific American says it's a myth , but we were nearly 5 miles offshore and Erin's shoulders and neck were on fire from the man-o-war she just snorkeled through. Actually, Erin's analogy was that it felt like someone was putting out a pack of Marlboros on her skin. The good news was that she didn't show signs of goin

"Dear ocean, thank you for making me feel small." (Photo from Islamorada, FL by K. Walters)

"The art of writing is the art of discovering what you believe." - Gustave Flaubert So true. My writing forces me to examine my beliefs and my inner thoughts. That's free therapy and part of what I enjoy about blogging. But I learn just as much about my own beliefs from reading what others write. And so, it's that time of year again. No, I'm not talking about New Year's resolutions, fruit cake or boat shows. It's time to give some love back to the sailing blogs I've enjoyed following during 2014 and look ahead to other blogs that should provide new cruising adventures in 2015. (Need to catch up on the best blogs from 2013 or 2012 ? What are you waiting for!?). SFLF's Best Sailing Blogs of 2014: Sailing Totem : The s/v Totem crew has been cruising and blogging since way before 2014 and probably should have showed up on my annual "best sailing blogs" list sooner, but nonetheless, here they are. Inspiring stories, practical

A Cruiser's Neighborhood (by K. Walters on S. Benjamin Island, Lake Huron)

“Offshore, it’s all about expectations. If you expect life onboard to be like life at home, you won’t enjoy it and you probably won’t be successful at creating it. It’s supposed to be an adventure, so treat it like such.”   –Andy Schell I started SailFarLiveFree.com to document and share my passion for sailing, but also as a tool to help me grow and learn as a sailor. This is one of those blog posts where I get to sit back and learn from a pro, literally a sailing professional. I’m pleased to present an interview I recently did with Andy Schell from 59-North.com . For those of you who don’t know Andy, he has connected his passion for sailing with a career. Andy and his wife Mia help organize and manage cruising rallies, perform yacht deliveries, and offer ocean passage/crewing opportunities. Andy also produces an excellent sailing podcast ( 59 North podcast ) and is currently a Contributing Editor for SAIL Magazine.     I want to say THANKS up front to Andy for taking time t