The Endless Sky

When you stand only five-foot-tall in your stocking feet, being hoisted up the mast and into the blue sky is a treat rather than a chore. It took many a long month for me to coax The Captain into saying 'yes' and in truth, he is still reluctant.

I've never forgotten the exhilaration of reaching the top of the mast and the joy of the soaring view, more than a year ago when he sent me up to replace the main halyard of our previous boat. These days, he sends me only a little way up, for smaller jobs, but still, the thrill has not left me.


charterbot rewiring the deck speakers

There are so many women on crew teams whom I admire—women who are smart and resourceful, women who can sail and repair their boats as well as they can cook and provision their galleys. My friend Samantha is one of these women—she's a yachtmaster in her own right, as well as a chef. This is how I would like to be someday.

charterbot replacing the steaming light

Crew working life on a boat is more fun when you are constantly learning. Yesterday, I was 'graduated' to two different tools in my [very] beginners' toolkit: a plain and a Philips head screwdriver. This is quite possibly one of the highlights of my week.


the charterbot at work: a little way up the mast, her favourite perch