Latest Articles

Mix ‘n Match Bird Quiz

The Ship’s Naturalist has been very busy these past few weeks. She has at least two articles in the pipeline, but transferring her observations from the Nature Diary to the computer is a long, slow process. In the meantime, we thought you might enjoy a little nature quiz. Continue Reading…

The Story of a Goldfinch

Once upon a time… Combining her talent for studying wildlife with that of the raconteur, Roxanne has written a story. It isn’t a fairy tale, and although we will never really know how the adventure began the ending, at least, is a true story.

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Remains of the Reconquista

Over the course of the past three years we have made several forays into the interior and have had plenty of opportunity to visit some of the castles with which Spain is littered. In this article, Xoë describes a few of these fascinating monuments and reaches back in time to trace their origin and purpose. Continue Reading…

Inflatable Canoes

Searching for a way to win back her figure and fitness, but without the expenditure of any unpleasant effort, Jill discovers canoeing. There is just one problem, and that is the matter of stowage. If you think a couple of canoes take up a lot of room in your garage, try fitting them onboard a yacht! Clearly, the answer lies in acquiring a pop-up version which, at the end of the day’s play, can be magicked away and hidden under the bed. A spot of on-line research turned up half a dozen different makes of inflatable canoe and two dozen different models, but can any of these vessels really be paddled along like the real thing? Our intrepid team of testers set out to discover the truth. Continue Reading…

Three kids in a van (not to mention the dog)

How can you holiday and see the world on the cheap? Answer: as a backpacker. But how can you do that same thing with three kids and a dog in tow? That’s what the boat is all about. With a boat you can travel, in your own home, to the far corners of the globe. However, there are times when a boat can be very restrictive. You can travel the seven seas, but when it comes to terra firma you can only get at the edges. When you want to travel and live cheaply on the inside of a country then you need the terrestrial equivalent of a cruising yacht: you need a camper van, or motorhome. Continue Reading…

Sea School

When you live on a cruising yacht the world is your oyster - but it’s an oyster which comes without any dressing. Liveaboard yotties, drifting about on the seven seas, have to do without many of the things that Westerners generally take for granted: there is no hot and cold running water out here - not aboard our boat, anyway - and there is no national grid to provide our electricity. We also do without television, the Daily Mail, postal deliveries, and baths. And our children do without school. People who choose this lifestyle seldom have trouble managing without the frills - but school hardly fits into that category. The parents of a liveaboard, itinerant school-aged child have to find some other way of imparting to him the accumulated wisdom of the world - or else, to quote the late Bing Crosby, he may grow up to be a mule. Continue Reading…

Life in the Mar Menor - Part 3 : Insects and other arthropods

The final episode of Roxanne’s wildlife trilogy is devoted to the creatures which many of us overlook or regard with fear and loathing: the creepy-crawlies.

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Life in the Mar Menor - Part 2 : Birds

In the second instalment of her wildlife series, Roxanne introduces us to her feathered friends. Continue Reading…

Life in the Mar Menor - Part 1 : Sealife

During the past couple of years Mollymawk has been based in the Mar Menor. It’s not the most attractive or exciting place in the world, but the Ship’s Naturalist has found plenty here to interest her. In this three part series she begins by telling us about the life which lurks in the water. Continue Reading…

Shakespeare’s Globe

During our recent visit to England, Xoë was delighted to have the opportunity to visit the Globe Theatre. This experience inspired the following article. Continue Reading…