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Sailing around the world for six and a half years and visiting 56 countries, meant we had to buy food and other necessities in almost all of them. Because we deliberately sought out-of-the-way places, shopping for food and other necessities was mostly directly from the local producers, or at local markets.

The local pearl farmers on a small Tuamoto atoll told us we were the first yacht ever to visit, invited us to dinner every day, and gave us handfuls of black pearls. The farmer’s wife and children had just returned from a four week holiday in California, they had satellite TV (100+ channels) and international satellite phone. Remote they may be, isolated and uninformed they are not.

We sailed around the world in our Mason 53 Dolphin Spirit for six and a half years, visiting 56 countries, so developed a good knowledge of the requirements of checking into and out of countries, and a simple rule for dealing with officialdom:

“You are in their country; the rules are their rules; so smile, do what you are told without complaint, or leave.”

Checking in and out of a country when you arrive in your own boat involves various combinations of Health, Immigration, Customs, Customs Police, Agriculture, Port Captain, Port Police and Beach Police. In some countries, e.g. Sri Lanka, add the Navy. Plane and cruise-liner arrivals have things much easier, dealing only with Immigration and Customs and occasionally Health.

During our six and a half year circumnavigation in Dolphin Spirit we visited 56 countries and ate in 50 of them. The only time we were ever sick was after eating at a McDonalds in Egypt - that exotic food will get you every time.

In fact that bit about exotic food is totally untrue. After having lived and worked in more than 100 countries over more than 30 years, I have had food poisoning just three times, the above incident being the second. The third was in France where I dined one night on fish soup followed by fish in puff pastry.

Whether you are a newbie to boating or a seasoned navigator, you will find that choosing a boat to buy can be quite a daunting task. There are so many different types and models of boats for you to choose from, and you have to take certain factors into consideration when you are looking for the perfect boat to buy.

On the one hand, you have to know what type of boat best suits your purposes. You should take into consideration things like what the boat will be used for, who will use the boat, and where the boat will be used. For example, if you are planning to use the boat for longer trips out at sea, then you should get a boat that has cabins, toilets and cooking facilities.

In the past, mariners use to navigate by the stars. Today, they navigate by satellites through the Global Positioning System (GPS). This brilliant piece of technology can locate a person with a GPS receiver anywhere on Earth and report back their exact location with astonishing accuracy. It can also tell a sailor out on the ocean or lake how to get to any chosen destination quickly and easily.

Hundreds of different types of marine GPS units are for sale. As you can imagine, all are waterproof and have various features that help you navigate out on the water. The units have pre-programmable databases for all the rivers and lakes as well as nautical markers for lights, buoys, sound signals and day beacons among other things.

Carole is very fastidious. The only public bathroom she will use willingly is the one in Trump Tower in New York. Therefore one of her great joys as we sailed around the world, was that being in our own boat, Dolphin Spirit, allowed her to carry her own toilet along, and avoid using ones that did not meet her exacting standards.

You and your co-captain have read Chasing Sunsets and both are now convinced that ordinary people just like you can go cruising in comfort and safety. Then you read Steering You Straight and got all the real practical information you needed to prepare, but now let’s take a little time to make sure that you have the critical matters well in hand.

Be very careful about choosing a boat name. Names that are cute in the U.S. marinas lose a little luster in the real world of cruising. Think of the effect on Immigration and Customs officials when you tell them that your boat name is No Money or Runnin’ Away.

The ocean air, the constant breeze and the sun glowing down on you are some of the reasons why you might take a look at boating as a hobby.

A vessel afloat over millions of gallons of water may not frighten many people, but it probably does frighten a few. Being scared usually has something to do with what size of boat you are on, but most of the time it’s the water itself that concerns people. The fear of just floating on the water, whether it is in or out of a boat, is enough to make people say no thanks to boating. Taking a look at different options when deciding whether or not boating is for you would be a good place to start.

It’s a standard and well known fact on dry land that in the event of trouble on the lake or on the water the basic water safety boating rule is “Stay with the Boat”. Never have truer and more accurate words been pronounced when it comes to boating safety - whether it be for recreational boaters, water skiers in the summer time or for anglers and fisherman.

Last week’s much hyped event at Pittsburgh - the Pittsburgh Boat Show finally concluded and contrary to popular anticipations, it was not as big a hit as expected. Firstly, the show was devoid of its promised glamour, adventure and magnificence. The same expo by the same people was more happening and exciting last year. Even though they had the latest in what the marine industry had to offer, the boat show failed when it came to attracting vast crowds and doing a profitable trade. Most say it was because of their poor advertising campaigns and lack of awareness in nautical circles. Even boat clubs were poorly informed. However, even with the decreasing visitors, the overall sales of the exhibits managed to cross a whopping 40 million dollars over a total of 5 days. Perhaps the few who came meant serious business.