Latest Adventures
Zwolle, funfairs, fireworks and holes in the water
Shangri La berthed at Zwolle, Netherlands The trip down to Zwolle started off fine. I first took on 100 litres of diesel, mainly to help mix in the fuel additive which is necessary to prevent diesel bug. I particularly wanted this done, as the diesel on board has been...
Learning the ropes – Zwartsluis, Hasselt and Zwolle
Shangri La 2 at her berth in De Kranerweerd marina Another hectic but satisfying week! We haven't travelled very far, but we have achieved a lot. One of the most important projects achieved was to fit an automatic bilge bump - an essential, as far as I am concerned....
On the water at last
Camping on Shangri La 2 The last few days have been a roller coaster of emotions! We have owned Shangri La 2 for a full year, and yet have not actually done any cruising on her. If you have followed the blog to any degree, you will know that terrible weather, ie...
Holland cruising plans
63 Degrees North just before midnight! Back offshore, working again. At latitude 63 degrees, in the North Sea, we are almost in the land of the midnight sun, so it never gets properly dark. I have been making good use of the extra time - busy planning our first proper...
Plans are made to change!
Relaxing on the back deck Well, we never got to Shangri La this May as planned. Much too much to do regarding our new house back in Cape Town. So here I am back at sea, working. But not all doom and gloom. Great progress with the UK registry, and other certificate and...
All at sea
Sunset in the North Sea Back in the North Sea again, but working rather than messing about in boats. All part of the plan though. As someone once remarked, a boat is just a hole in the water into which you throw money! So this needs to be done. Even though we are a...
Change of plans
Zwartsluis - public jetty Well, here we are in Holland. But spring has certainly not sprung, so Shangri La will stay on dry land for a few more weeks. First part of plan went okay - hired a car and came across from UK on the ferry - brought all the linen, kitchen...
Paperwork, Paperwork and more Paperwork
View from our present house in Cape Town Belated wishes for 2013. I have been pretty quiet of late, mainly because I haven't been doing any Waterway Wandering of any sort at all. What we HAVE been doing is selling our house in Cape Town, and buying a smaller...
Roggebaai Canal – Cape Town
Roggebaai Canal - Cape Town Most people have heard of the V and A waterfront in Cape Town, but how many know there is a navigable canal and a lock as well? It's only a small canal but it does exist. The canal was built to connect the foreshore area in Cape Town city...
Back in South Africa
Shangri-La in shed for winter Been a bit quiet on the blog lately I am afraid. We have been furiously busy doing house repairs since we returned to Cape Town in October, and thus not much waterway wandering. Shangri-La (2nd from left in pic) is safely wintered in a...
About Me
My love of boats goes back to my early years when I went on holiday with my parents to Knysna in the Cape.
We stayed at a hotel on stilts, and I played in rowing boats and little motor boats on the lagoon.