The last few weeks have been sheer fun. We are slowly working our way up the Exuma Cays in the Bahamas and having a blast with each stop. And, of course, it wouldn’t be as much fun if our pup Ocean didn’t also get to come along for the ride, snorkel, hike or whatever we have lined up for the day. ​Although Ocean is always suited up for a swim, some of her activities require some extra gear to get the most fun out of everything she does. Here is her Top Five list of “Must Have” Activity Gear for the Cruising Dog #1 Sunglasses These great sunglasses protect Ocean’s eyes from the sa ..read more

Bonus video! This week's blog is light on pictures. In lieu, please check out this great video by Sailing Caretta that features Wild Horses cleaning their first conch. Enjoy!  ​ Continue reading below for this week's blog from Sailing Wild Horses. BONUS VIDEO Getting Through a Weekend of Severe Squalls We had a doozy of a storm this past weekend in Georgetown. It was big. It was scary. But it was also a great reminder of the fortitude and generosity of our sailing community. ​ All forecasters were calling for a bad storm hitting the Bahamas from Friday through to Sunday. We p ..read more

Our last time in Georgetown, one year ago, seemed like a blip. We were here for two weeks but, for us, the vibe was very different. We were exhausted from constant travel, still trying to get our bearings on how to do this liveaboard thing and we were nervous about making the leap to the Caribbean. Our two weeks in Georgetown was spent stocking up, fueling up, and checking out the “you-have-to-do-this” stuff like the “Chat n’ Chill” beach and exploring the island by car. We did manage to snorkel and hike a wee bit but, truly, our minds were on weather windows, planning our route south and conn ..read more

On Monday March 4th, Wild Horses and Caretta left our cozy spots in the south Raggeds after two glorious weeks. We had to time our exit from the anchorage with high tide as the channel leading out of the anchorage can drop below 1 metre in depth. Our keel has a depth of 1.7 metres so working with a flooding tide is critical. In fact, even with high tide, our keel momentarily touched the sandy bottom. No damage was done but it did make our hearts skip a beat! ​ Our first two stops up the Ragged island chain were anchorages just a few hours from each other. The first was Double Breasted Cay (I h ..read more

Our days here in the Raggeds have been very relaxing. ​ We wake up late and then slowly sip our coffees while checking out the beautiful scenery from our cockpit. Next on the agenda is heading to shore for Ocean’s first shore puppy play date with Josie, the 10-month old pot cake (mixed breed Bahamian dog) owned by Dale, one of our anchorage mates. The two dogs have become fast friends and exhaust themselves with running, tug-of-war, chewing on sticks and swimming. It is puppy nirvana. Ocean and Josie play on the beach Happiness is sharing a bowl of fresh water There is nothing li ..read more

​After several weeks of being on the move, with mostly 24-hour overnight passages, the crew of Wild Horses is ready for a break. The Ragged Islands have proven to be the perfect solution. Here we can stretch our legs on long, sandy white beaches, catch up on a few small boat projects, or just have slow, quiet evenings on board Wild Horses.   Also on our near-future itinerary is to get in the water and snorkel in the many beautiful coral reefs that surround the small flat islands of the Raggeds. We are just hoping that the water warms up a tad. It is currently a chilly 24 degrees Celsius a ..read more

Our time in Matthew Town, Great Inaugua was short.  Just two days after we arrived, a good window to make the 24-hour sail to the Ragged Islands had opened up.  It is the exhausting part of this lifestyle for me. Having not yet fully rested from our last overnight sail (from Luperon), we had to immediately start preparing for the next overnight sail. We kept our eyes on the prize though. The Ragged Islands are renowned for their beaches and active coral as well as their remoteness from the hustle and bustle of cruising life.  We were excited to go there. The first thing on the ..read more

At first glance, Luperon is not that appealing. The harbour water is dirty, garbage sits lumped at the side of the street, skinny dogs bark as you walk alongside the shack-like housing near the docks, venders in cars selling fruits and vegetables yell indiscernible Spanish through loudspeakers, motorcycles zoom in and out of streets and alleyways.  ​ Dirty, loud, confusing. There is no mistaking that it is a third world country. Arriving just after sunrise in Luperon, DR It was a cold morning. Just 19 degrees Celsius! Livestock making its way through the streets of Luperon ..read more

This is the first blog post that I have written while we are underway to a new port. Normally, the seas have lots of swell (creating an uncomfortable washing machine-like experience), or I am busy assisting with the sails or it is nighttime.  With those conditions, writing is just not tenable so I always wait until we are settled in our new anchorage. Today, however, the sea conditions are almost flat and the wind is non-existent. The sails are all tucked away while we motor from the port of Samana to the port of Luperon, both in the Dominican Republic. Even though we are moving within t ..read more

Our past week has been spent in Puerto Rico, starting with the most eastern Spanish Virgin Islands and then moving along, east to west, to finally arrive in Puerto Real on the west coast.  This anchorage will be our jumping off point to head to the Dominican Republic.  In fact, when the early morning rises and you are perhaps reading this post with your morning coffee, we will be arriving at the Cap Cana Marina in the Dominican Republic, having successfully traversed the Mona Passage. ​ We arrived in Puerto Rico eleven days ago and our minds have been pre-occupied with two very impor ..read more