Hello and welcome to our Shopify blog!
I will be writing about the crazy process of trying to get a Shopify shop off the ground soon (damn, it's HARD) but while I gather myself to jump into that, I thought I would introduce our sailing blog with the newsletter I posted yesterday. Visit www.sailingandsunshine.com to see what we are all about as full-time liveaboards and cruisers.
"Hello to all our faithful subscribers and friends,
Cape Town has had its wettest recorded winter for the last 50 years, some say forever. Record-breaking storms and rain, smashing seas and fury lashing the coastline causing havoc.
However, it is not only the long and lonely winter with bloody awful weather on board that has me re-assessing whether this is still fun. I read the other day that the “Boat Galleys” Dave and Carolyn Shearwater https://theboatgalley.com/start-here/ (legendary liveaboards) are hanging up their sailing gloves and transferring to land. Granted Dave is almost 85 years old so in all fairness it is understandable but I have just hit 60 so should have a lot of life left in these sealegs! The damp and cold do not help with joints that are suddenly stiff and a tad bit achy and not quite as springy as they once were. It is impossible to take the dinghy to shore for a plain and simple walk and even with a wetsuit, a swim is just too much for the brain! Another winter aboard SV Knowind is not that appealing right now.
It’s the little things getting to me too. No toilet seat for 2 weeks as Captain Underpants somehow broke the last one. So I perch on the cold rim in the dark hours to have a pee and have to wait until we get to land to get a new seat. Somewhere in this boat we (read “he”) lost the iPhone charger which runs the anchor alarm so that is not operating at the moment. Don’t get me started on the mould and the constant vinegar wiping.
Lord, the bitch can moan! There’s more but I will stop. I feel better now…
On a lighter, brighter note, the flowers in the West Coast National Park where we are languishing on our boat, have been beyond spectacular due to all the rain, life bobs along comfortably with the odd sunny day where we can light the fire and braai (BBQ), and I am totally immersed in the unexpected fun and creativity rushing out of my crazy mind and into my Shopify shop https://nauticalnecessities.shop/. Currently mainly focused on the USA plus market but coming to SA soon (it is SO much more involved in Africa!)
Captain Underpants and I are also busy working on our cookbook, recording him preparing and cooking is the highlight (funniest) of the day, again a bit of a stop-start project as we run out of ingredients! He needs to perfect the art of flipping things as I now have a nasty scar on my left leg where part of the recently made tuna pie landed in mid flip.
Looking forward to some sunshine. And a new loo seat.
Captain Mike and Nikki."
