What language do you two speak on the boat when it is just the two of you? You seem to speak so many languages.. Sure enjoy your Blog!
Tim

Thanx for a awesom blog and inspiration! How long are you planing to sail.. any specific goals, like 2 times around the globe? Are you working to get all end to meet or i the blog and savings enough?
Have a great day/Criss - Sweden

Who's idea was it to change boat? I read it was more speed and space you required.. ?

Tim: English! Some words comes out in Spanish too but mainly it is english for sure. It's good for us as we both can practice.... other than that Alex teaches me French at times..

Christian: Thanks for reading! No specific plans more than we'll do what we want to, when we can. The new boat must be ready and safe before we cross a new ocean.. We have spent much money and time to make our other boat, Caos, a very safe boat, now begins the job of doing the same with Duende. We will probably stay a few months here in Antigua, then maybe a few months around in South America, then Pacific. But can't tell you when. One day we will maybe get around the world.

We don't have much savings left... spent most of it on our first 1,5 year of cruising and on the boat/s..

Alex is working as a carbon fiber/composite specialist and he got loads of good job now when the season has started here. I'm working as a freelance photographer and I do quite alright as well during this season. The blog is my art project but also a business. We make alright money on the blog now and the plan is to get enough from it and things in relation to it so we don't have to be working with anything else. Maybe next year that dream will come true! Alex has a great (musical) plan that involves the blog, he will get started with it as soon as he's done with the boat later this year (hopefully late spring/early summer). He's a mastering/mixing engineer when he's not sailing around the world. We will also open up our market online later this spring so the blog is of much importance to us and so far it has proved to be a very good source of income for us... we got so much plans with it for the future so we are thankful that y'all are reading. Thanks!

Pete: It was mainly Alex's idea.. he has for a long time been longing for a project where he can build something with his hands.. a Hallberg Rassy is hard to modify to your personal needs and ideas, it is made the way it is and will always be. Alex will one day build his own boat from scratch so this new Duende is one step closer to that dream as she offers many possibilities for modification.

Also Alex has been frustrated with the speed of Caos. He raced much when he was younger and he wanted a boat that can give him a challenge. For me I was alright with Caos, she's safe, strong, comfortable and ok in size... but I do understand Alex's point of view and Duende is a beauty plus the size and speed appeals to me as well.

Besides of being a great boat, we both see Duende as the perfect home and we can see a long future with her. We don't want to build family with kids for now, but we want to have a home/boat which we can slowly build and rebuild to something that suits our life.. this boat is equal to a house on land for us as we will be sailing around the world for many more years so it is important we both feel happy with it. It is a family project which we value very much. Alex will use all his skills to rebuild/refit this boat to his high standards and he's happier than in a long time. For him it is important to be able to create something. He's an artist and needs to have a fulfilling project to feel satisfaction in life. For me, I love the size of the galley and saloon of course..

Who came up with the idea of this trip? Did you agree from the beginning, or did someone think their partner were crazy?

Celia: Initially it was Alex's idea for us to sail somewhere warm for a few weeks/a month (like Morocco or such) and I asked him why we couldn't sail around the whole world instead.. that was when we had dated for a few weeks and one year later we left. It has always been Alex's dream to sail around the world, for me that dream was created when I met him. I had never sailed before I met him but for now I couldn't imagine myself doing anything else.

Hello,
i love your blog, especially the great photos you take! So excited already which places in the world you gonna discover and share with us this year (:

My question would be: Is there any specific place or piece of nature you seen so far, that impressed you the most and like sticks in your memory more intense than others? Like the most overwhelming thing you've seen so far on your travels? If yes, which one was it?
I mean,you see and discover so much and i'm interested if there was something which was most special/beautiful for you.
Or is it all just so amazing and you can't really make a difference between the places?

Anyways,pleae keep on writing this amazing blog like forever,thanks /;

Ines

What brand and how much sunscreen do you use on a daily basis?

Kent in Kansas City

1. What happened to the HDPro camera? Why not set up a live web cam over Alex working on the boat, so we can see the weather the scenery and live activities.

2. Can you charter out Caos, at a low rate so it is always in use? Just generate some income from it while to go forward instead of waiting around for a lump sum?

3. Did you see the Dutch girl arriving in Sint Maarten on Saturday? The marina at the draw bridge. Looked very very window from the news videos. Simpson Bay I think. There is a monster yacht parked there, just massive, do you know who/what it is. Enormous white thing with a black stripe around it (I think).

How are both of you financing this trip around the world? I see some photography assignments, merchandising and articles as evidence of some of the income.

Also, once you pass into the Pacific, where will your first landfall be located?

Hello there!
I'm one of the daydreamers that one day will sail away with my boat and hopefully will meet you in at anchor in a fantastic place in the middle of nowhere.
Do you think your lifestyle will change after crossing Panama channel? South Pacific is huge and quite different from Caribes. Will you be able to update your blog so frequently like you're doing now?
Best wishes!

Here's a screen shot of the massive yacht I am referring to

http://i44.tinypic.com/so8v81.jpg

I remember Alex owning a motorcycle before your trip and with his mechanical skills he must have owned a series of interesting vehicles before spending endless hours in the bilge. We read your blog daily from car-obsessed Los Angeles every day.

Alex,
Tu as choisi un superbe bateau. Il a une ligne fantastique et ça doit être un vrai plaisir de la barrer.
Pas trop de boulot de maintenance tout de même?
Luc

On your "advertising" section you say: "They say this is the worlds largest and most famous independent sailing/cruising blog..." http://sailingaroundtheglobe.blogspot.com/p/advertising.html

What does this mean and how do you know your blog is the largest independent sailing blog?

We have followed your world tour for a year now and wish to leave for a similar journey ourselves one day. i see you have done well in promoting your trip and the blog is a success, your ideas would be helpful as we too would like to set up a blog for our journey when we set sail. Thank you.

Do you want English lessons as you post blog entries? While your English is 99% accurate there are many small subtle things missed, and unless pointed out will never be corrected.

For example the paragraph in this post is 100% accurate except the last sentence: "We look forward to speak to you"

which should be:

"We look forward to speak[ing] to you"

Very small thinks like this all over the place where the use of in should be on, lots of these e.g. "Swing in a liana anyone?" -- this should be on. Anything on the outside is on, anything inside is in.


Not trying to be clever but for a non-English speaker unless someone points them out, they will never be corrected and learned.

why are there so many pics of Taru in this blog? You love yourself so much?

have anyone of you guys suffer from any kind of motion sickness

"why are there so many pics of Taru in this blog? You love yourself so much?"

More pics please:-)

Hi! When reading your blog I always wonder how you manage to not get bored of each other and lose the "passion". I have always felt that you need some time apart to miss ur partner or just have alone time to be at your best when you actually are together. When you are sailing - do you spend all the time socializing or do you spend a lot of time on your own (you on the computer and he reading perhaps)? Do you have any thoughts on this matter? Would appreciate your opinion, you seem very indpendent and I am as well so I go nuts just living in a small apartment with my bf. Love your blog - it´s the best way to escape the office for a few minutes every day.

Hello,
Great blog i love yours passion you put into blog and pictures. I'm dreaming too, to sailing around..
A question: Did you have savings to buy new sailing boat or you change your old one with the new?

Br from Slovenia

Thank you for your dedicated and beautiful work on the blog. Its such and amazing inspiration to my friend Ed and myself! For a couple of single guys getting started with pursuing the boating/travel dream, (each of us is looking to purchase a boat) what advice could you give regarding best boat size, learning how to sail and income ideas to sustain a simple lifestyle traveling through the Caribbean. Your input is deeply appreciated and we enjoy watching your adventures unfold! Well done and CHEERS!! Hope to have a drink with you guys somewhere, sometime! :)

there are so many photos of taru because she is beautiful!

your blog is oh so inspiring. thank you!

Hej Taru! jag har skrivit till dig förr om frågor kring då du var 22-23 och reste själv. jag har aldrig velat leva det konforma livet utan vill ge mig ut i världen och följa mitt eget hjärta. hur gick du till väga? var du helt själv? hur fick du in pengar? har du några tips och råd? du är så inspirerande!

/e

Hello Taru and Alex,
Few days ago I found this blog...After that I'm reading it every day, not reading, eating up. I also love the sea, and I'm dreaming too leave this materialist lifestyle and living on the sailing boat as you. For now I didn't found enough courage...honestly I need some time to bring two children’s to get "bread", after that I hope... I was always interest how to make income or money on this kind journey... I found yours answer regarding the sponsors and blog. Then I think 140.000 visitors of blog per month, vau, congratulation, and I wonder why you didn't monetize this blog with ad-sense? I believe that ad-sense can bring you from 600-1.200€/month.
Anyway, great blog, keep yourself and maybe we will meet some day somewhere on the sea.

Br
Vito

Taru & Alex,
? What (if anything) do you now appreciate more of regular shore life? As in - before you embark upon the cruising life try to soak up the .......?

You have such an inspiring blog - two beautiful people, photos and observations. I appreciate your perspective very much - as similar background of music production, sailing and some early boatyard fibreglass/rigging work.  Hoping to join the cruising world again soon -  thanks for all the wonderful insights.  

Another sailing blog/boat I follow recently arrived in Antigua - please say hi to Mike and Rebecca on 32' cat Zero to Cruising if you see them  - you seem kindred spirits to some degree.