So | WORLD TOUR STORIES Alex and Taru sailing around the world.Travel blog. Lifestyle blog. Sailing blog.

So

Here's one thing I've been busy with lately. A First 40,7 that was crashed into. Will show more when it's finished.

Hi, it's Alex. I have heard that many of you want me to write some more in this blog. That's very nice of you. There are basically three reasons to why I haven't done it so much :

1. I have a life. A real life outside of this blog. You maybe think that we live only what is written and seen here, but the truth is that this is only maybe 10% of our reality. Taru much of the time lives in between the real world and the online world, but I prefer to live my life totally IRL. But of course, I am not a photographer who has a passion for sharing my art. And for me personally I see not much value in writing. I don't have this need or urge or whatever you call it.

2. And the writing part. I am French, and I lack of some words in English, so for you to be able to understand a shit of what I'm saying in text, there are a lot of editing needed. This takes time, both mine and Tarus. And time is very precious to me. There are many things I much rather do than write, I am sure you understand.

3. Like earlier mentioned, I have no real interest in writing. Also no time. Or let's say it is not my priority. So it is very simple to us. Taru runs this website as much or as little as she wants and I do my stuff in the world outside of this online thing. I work on the boat, I fish, read, sometimes I work on projects on other boats like that one above, I must also take care of my woman, have a good time with her and all of that. Listen, I don't even have a Facebook account, I rarely check my email and even less I answer any of them and now you ask me to write a blog? Come on. I appreciate the comments from you all that I read and I admire the quality of work which my baby has put into this website, but I personally have not had time to get myself involved too much. It is very distant to me.

So I hear that some of you would like to read more about mechanical and technical things and my point of view when it comes to boat stuff in general, sounds good, but at the same time I have understood that most people here seem to appreciate reading about hair colors, high heels, fitness advice and whatever else, and this I don't know too much about, so: I will give it a try, but don't expect too much now, I will try to post sometimes. But the question is: What are you interested in reading about? I know Taru makes a great job with her stories and images but what do you want to know from my view? Is it my work done on the boat that is of interest or do you want me to share with you some secrets about Taru or what? If you can be so nice to guide me a little bit I would appreciate it.

I will get back to you when I find the time. Thanks. Alex

Filed Under: Alex writes

32 Responses to “So”

Anonymous said...: honesty is what matters :) we are just all nosy little people thats why. and your blog is my means of escape until i prepare to take on my own adventure :) it would be nice to hear about ur hair color... no im just kidding!!- give us ur insight on ur adventure so we can have more to look forward to when we are ready to embark on our own :); June 30, 2011 at 10:08 PM
Paul Kekalos said...: As a sailor who is only able to use my boat on weekends, I am very interested in both aspects of what you and Taru have to offer. From the point of view of a man trapped in the office all week, and on the boat only weekends, her perspective- the escapist fantasy- is fun to read about, and inspiring given the quality of her art. But, I would be very interested in your perspective on the technical side of things. The maintenance. What it takes to keep the boat running, etc...Upgrades, things you are doing to the boat. All of that would be very interesting to someone for whom it is (for the moment) a weekend hobby.
Fair winds,
Paul; June 30, 2011 at 10:12 PM
Anonymous said...: I think many of us blog followers are sailors and much more interested in the specifics of some of your sailing experiences, itinerary planning, boat projects, equipment failures or positives, and what you've found to be different, more difficult (or easier), than you might have
thought it would be before you began your journey. Also, I'd be interested in learning what you have chosen as your new vessel to be and why, although I have been told this is to remain top secret info until the deal is done.

Taru is indeed beautiful, unique and very talented; her gorgeous photos and well written posts outstanding, and surely she only needed one very funny photo of her 7,000
high heels lined up on the rail, to make her point of the diff between her former land locked life and her newly chosen one.; June 30, 2011 at 10:21 PM
Juancho87 said...: hi alex, i'm from Argentina so my English is not good enough. i would like to see and hear about what are the problems and how you fix it. tell as about the regata you have some time ago. what do you think it is necessary or you think it is necessary for such a long trip or now you blame you haven't installed. and also the male view of such a journey because from the point of view of taru all is wonderful. i hope this can give you a hint about what I would like to see in your blog, however it is great and provokes envy in me and i wish some day i can sail the caribian. best wishes to both.

Juan Ignacio.; June 30, 2011 at 10:32 PM
s/v Windward said...: Alex -- point taken.

Tell me about the real life part.

Tell me about the layup you're using on the 40.7. Tell me what hit it, and how.

Tell me about the rigging on Caos, about the unpleasant aspects of slogging through crappy weather and the suspiciously sentient, malevolent nature of certain waves that strike contemptuously while you're trying to keep your lunch in.

Tell me about dolphins escorting you as you sail, or about sitting becalmed for too many days, or about being wedged uncomfortably into the engine compartment trying to fix a stupid problem that should not exist in the first place, and trying to figure out where that screw has gotten off to since it dropped.

Tell me about trying to make sense of charts and the chartplotter when what you see is in conflict with them.

And don't take much time to edit or polish it, because what I mentioned is a small fraction of what you contend with to sail around the world and you can scarcely spare the time, and the beauty of a blog is that it needn't be publication-quality prose but rather a contemporaneous account of your real life.

And if you're too busy to mess with writing anything at all for a while, that's good too. Enjoy the company, the trip, the ship, the venues and the adventure, and perhaps at some point share the parts that seem significant to you.; June 30, 2011 at 11:02 PM
[m] said...: Bonjour Alex!

I for one would love to know about all the technical stuff you run into and more about living on an older boat and the maintenance required. While the pics that Taru posts are awesome, I have a feeling they're only the really romantic part of living out at sea and the other stuff is sort of what you're referring to as 'the real world'.
I am thinking of one day taking my girl out for a trip down south (in Canada now), so any details about actual life at sea would be a gold-mine!

Et si tu veux ecrire en francais, pourquoi pas! etre multi-lingue est quelque chose positif. Les anglo peut toutjours utiliser Google Translate ;).

a plus.

Mihnea; June 30, 2011 at 11:12 PM
Jackson Hole Skier said...: Alex
Thank you for taking the time to write. I have just purchased a boat myself in Venezuela (Cumaná) and need to make sure it is ready to sail away. It has been sitting on the hard for three years.
There ae many obvious things that need to be done like bottom paint but which bottom paint for an aluminum boat in the tropics?
Some of the standing rigging is a bit rusty but is it just stain or deeper? Who can supervise work done on the boat while I am away or must I be there the whole time? If the later I might as well do the work myself.
What about sand blasting the old paint off, is this a good idea or just scape it off as it blisters?
Many questions and perhaps the answers are not part of your repertoire but soon will be part of mine foe better or worse?
Thanks again for cruising and letting us know about the good places to hang out.; June 30, 2011 at 11:55 PM
Tarmac Drifter said...: Hi Alex and Taru,
Alex,
I like your response and do not blame you for not wanting to waste your time with blogs, facebooks, tweets and whatever other form of social media is brewing out there in cyber space. However, if you do decide to share I would be interested in repair problems that you have had to deal with during your trip. Perhaps this is a once a month event, but I think it would add greatly to your blog.
I found this thread by Liz Clark very informative and a testament in self sufficiency.
http://www.swellvoyage.com/2010/02/
Keep up the great story telling and I wish you success with your new boat plans.

Wayne; July 1, 2011 at 12:00 AM
Jakob said...: Hi Alex.

Yes, I would like to read less about hair colors/high heels/whatever and read more about the hardware & gadgets onboard/work done on the boat/thoughts about what can be improved on the boat/work like work done on the First/navigation/problems/incidents along the way/boat speeds etc.

In brief:
More about the actual sealife, less about hair colors.; July 1, 2011 at 1:00 AM
Alev said...: I know very well that sailing, the life at sea is something more than what is seen at this blog. There are so many technical work and calculations and accurate predictions should be done. The life at the boat should be simple and you need to be happy, comfortable with limited possibilities at the boat. So, simple solutions for complex problems or for even a daily activity is very meaningful, educational and a very good experience. These kinds of news and information are valuable for me and I will be glad to hear those.
On the other hand Taru's point of view is very interesting and enjoyable. Taru, as a semi pro photographer, I find your work very well. You have taste of life. You are doing really good work by telling, showing the life you two have there. I like the way you express the things to us. I know how hard it can be to sail at sea or around the world. Fashion, gym, high heels do not belong to there but I understand that you two are a good team and Alex is doing his own part so good that Taru can add the fashion, gym, high heels part very well in this wild experience. I appreciate you both. Hope to hear from both you and Taru in your own ways. Have a great journey with health.

ALEV; July 1, 2011 at 1:08 AM
LogbLogb said...: Circumnavigation and offshore sailing! How you do it. How you think about it . f it. Wy dont you write in french.; July 1, 2011 at 1:39 AM
Albert said...: Hi Alex,

why don't you post videos? Less work for you and Taru. Regarding english, I bet more than half of the people that read you (including me) are non-native english speakers, so don't worry about it, give it a try.

PS nice work on that boat!; July 1, 2011 at 4:20 AM
Anonymous said...: Hi alex, more boat stuff, fishing, engines please, mostly man talk.... Cheers matt.; July 1, 2011 at 4:31 AM
Anonymous said...: tell us how she really is! You guys are a cool couple. Envious for your nice journey.; July 1, 2011 at 4:49 AM
FotnotsMaja said...: Hejsan!
Din blogg är så fin! :)
Ha en fortsatt trevlig dag!
Varma hälsningar
Maja; July 1, 2011 at 5:23 AM
Anonymous said...: Alex,
I would go for French and let people translate with google.
I am interested in the techical aspects of your journey. Electricity needs, how did the HR 352 worked out, equipment that works and not. How much time is boat maintenance, upgrading, repairing. What is really challenging and what turned out much easier than expected. Heavy weather, what is the ideal boat for a trip around the world. How to finance a trip like this. Does the blog cover almost nothing of your expenses or is it really possible nowadays to finance a journey like this via a blog?
A couple of humble advices:
1. Post only if you feel like, otherwise it does come out badly and possibly a little offensive. Do not blame people if they would like to know more. Take it as a compliment on how nice your blog is.
2. From your post above, I can see you have a very different style and interests than Taru. Keep the two narratives separed. Maybe a sub-blog with the techical stuff where you do not need to worry about being a novelist and can just give out the information you feel like sharing with the techies. Even in bullet point style.
3. your blog is really succesful, if it is an important mean of financing, do not change it too much. Let Taru do the job and express herself, she is really good at it.

Anyway thanks for this blog to both of you. I am really impressed by the quality of Taru's picture and work. Congratulations!

Best of luck,

Paolo; July 1, 2011 at 7:32 AM
Jeremiah said...: Hi Alex,

Taru does a great job at entertaining us. She reminds me a lot of my own wife and gives me hope in convincing her to pack up and sail away. One thing that would be great is if you could write about your boat, how it compares to other boats out there and what would be the ideal boat for you. Will the next boat you choose be a fin keel or would you still with the full keel like you have now. I know you have gotten to sail many boats maybe there were some that you loved more than others, and maybe there are some you would avoid.

And if we only see you write once a year, that's ok too... like I said, Taru does great at entertaining her readers; July 1, 2011 at 8:28 AM
Anonymous said...: Hi Alex,

i would like to hear about the advantages/disadvantages of the HR 352 under the aspect of your round the world trip: for example the stern of the HR isn't so practical because of jumping in the water, the wooden deck is too hot for tropical sailing and so on. Would be great to hear your (Alex and Taru) experiences because of the practical use of the boat! Thank you! I really like the bloh! Many greetings from Germany, Hamburg.; July 1, 2011 at 9:52 AM
Tytti said...: Hi Alex,

it would be nice to hear more of Your voice too. In French if You choose (would be good brush up for me).
I'm a woman and interested in feminine maintenance but boat maintenance too. A newbie to diesel motors and stuff. How often do You have to do rust removing ?; July 1, 2011 at 9:59 AM
Anonymous said...: I can see that you are into tattoos, what are yours and are there a meaning behind them all? Does Taru have any?; July 1, 2011 at 10:02 AM
Anonymous said...: quite frankly, I wouldn't write a damn thing. It's your girlfriend's deal. I read the blog to see the pics and read a few paragraphs about the adventure.

I don't give a shit about boat repairs or mechanical stuff. If someone wants that, there's a bunch of boat repair books they can get.

As someone who lives IRL also, I would stay away from the BLOG.

Texas Phil; July 1, 2011 at 10:13 AM
Bob said...: Salut Alex, je te comprend tres bien!!! Personally I'm above all interested to have some information about your sailing and life experience in this amazing adventures you are living because I'm planning to go to live on a boat as well, in the near future. Dabord, avec ma moitie', on voudrai rouler dans la Mediterranee et peut etre un jour...traverser, nous aussi, l'Ocean. Enjoy and "Buon vento"!!!!
R.; July 1, 2011 at 11:38 AM
L.L. said...: I appreciate the actual details of living aboard and cruising. My boyfriend and I currently live aboard and are planning a circumnavigation. I follow a lot of cruisers blogs to learn the practical details.

We don't have as much money as it seems that you and Taru have so I would very much appreciate knowing which systems, gadgets, or luxuries you find absolutely necessary for cruising. I would like to know how often you use your electronics and how important you think they are.

We are old school and whenever we go on a long passage we use paper charts (although we do have a gps). I guess what I am wondering the most is, what is your opinion about modern technology's place on a cruising boat??

Liz
edgesoftheearth.blogspot.com; July 1, 2011 at 1:10 PM
Anonymous said...: Love the blog, but along with Taru's observations and photography, many of us would value your technical observations and suggestions.

Neither of you speak about money much, and that is often a personal decision, but I also think a lot of people would like to know how you either fund your travels, or how you earn money.

Thanks, and am not trying to be rude by talking money :); July 1, 2011 at 1:58 PM
Nancy @ Dream Travel Vacation said...: I came across your website for the first time today. I like your brutal honesty. To be honest with you, you write very well considering you think you are lacking some words in English. Heck, you write far better than some people I know here in USA. :-)

Is your home based in the Caribbean? Or are you vacationing there? Your title, World Tour, means you both are traveling around the world?? I tried to look for 'about us' . Pardon my ignorance, but can't find it.
Regardless of what others say about you not writing enough, it means they enjoy reading your blogs. I, for one, like your writing style. :-); July 1, 2011 at 11:33 PM
Nancy @ Dream Travel Vacation said...: Ahh, after looking through, I found your "about us". I bookmarked your site and will read more later as I see many interesting things to read. It fascinates me when I read about anyone travelling by boat around the world. Awesome journey and experience!; July 1, 2011 at 11:37 PM
Karen Wallace said...: I read this blog because I love reading what Taru has to say. It is her perspective that I find interesting. Great images and narrative about life. Thanks for sharing your life with us. Hugs Karen; July 2, 2011 at 7:16 AM
Stefan said...: I follow the blog, because it is not about technique and how to catch the wind - It is how two people life there life, lifestyle, a little of how life works.

Keep staying IRL and be the mysterious man behind the scenes. There are enough sites to google for the bluewater-navigation-how-to-do-this-and-that-stuff. There is only one life. Your own life.

Hey. I am the guy, that sometimes shouts in here: Be careful with yourselves.

Good luck; July 2, 2011 at 1:18 PM
Sam said...: Very funny post Alex. You had me in stitches! I enjoy all aspects of Taru's blog...but my favourite parts are the beautiful pictures and the sailing stories. I'm looking forward to reading more of your 'tell it as it is' posts.

Best wishes
:-); July 2, 2011 at 4:49 PM
Skylark said...: Hey Alex, I certainly agree with the folks above. Although hair color, high heels and coffee makers are interesting, I would love to hear about the day to day activities you do with the boat to keep her in as good shape as she is. Also would love to hear about you sail set-up, navigation dos and don'ts as well as the tools you have on-board, etc. We certinaly know you take good care of your woman, now lets hear about the boat. Thanks.; July 6, 2011 at 11:41 AM
Anonymous said...: Write about sailing/boats/tech.

How do you think about sail trim when cursing with limited crew? What are your tips on laying carbon fiber+boat repair? How does the boat's handling change when loaded with all that stuff? Any thoughts on mono-block amplifiers? What about scuba?

Hair color is boring. Food picks are best w/recipes. Learning how to do stuff is the best.; July 6, 2011 at 5:32 PM
Anonymous said...: Alex,

t'as juste a écrire en français non? Plusieurs comprendront, et pour les autres, il y a Google Translate. Ce blog fait voyager, alors ils voyageront, les anglos :)

Sébastien; January 12, 2012 at 1:27 PM

So

32 Responses to “So”

Categories

Blog Archive