Yachting World

CRUISE THE WORLD …WITHOUT A BOAT

‘You can get so lucky and find people who become lifelong friends’

As a boy, Darroch Tait always had his head in a book. He was fascinated by adventures and the discovery of new lands. In his early 30s he decided to quit his job as a teacher, buy a boat with his best friend and go sailing for a few years. He set off in his 35ft Trident Warrior Hitrapia in 2013 and cruised the Med, before Hitrapia dragged her anchor one night and was wrecked near Sagres.

Tait didn’t want to abandon his plan. So he decided to walk the dock and find a skipper who would take him on as crew. It led to him being crew for a transatlantic crossing and then sailing round the world in 2016. Today, over two years of sailing and three different yachts later, he has completed the circumnavigation, and written three books about his travels.

It has given him adventures to rival the most vivid of those childhood books. “Active volcanoes, catching a 100kg marlin, surfing monster waves, freediving with whale sharks, sailing through the midst of the humpback migration off the east coast of Brazil… these are just a few of the many highlights,” he says.

JOINING THE VILLAGE

When Karen Slater lost her job with the Fire Service after 21 years she decided to go sailing. She had no background in yachting and limited knowledge, but she spent two seasons crewing for a charter

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Yachting World

Yachting World6 min read
New Gear
What is it? The first chartplotter from French manufacturer NKE, intended to be both powerful and intuitive Who’s it for? Offshore racing and performance cruising NKE’s electronics have never gained much traction in the English speaking world, even t
Yachting World11 min read
Shortcuts To Paradise
Scotland’s famous Caledonian Canal cuts through the Great Glen from Inverness to Fort William and offers cruisers an unforgettable experience. The 50-mile canal first opened in 1822; it was designed to ensure ships (including those of the Royal Navy)
Yachting World4 min read
5 Expert Tips
Offshore racer and chief Mr Fix-it during The Ocean Race, Jack Bouttell shares tips for keeping your boat going offshore with Andy Rice In the 50-year history of The Ocean Race (ex-Whitbread/Volvo), Leg 3 of the 2023 edition from Cape Town, South Afr

Related Books & Audiobooks