Author: andyandmeli

This article was originally written for GreenBiz. One ordinary Saturday grocery run, I found myself comparing two pieces of fish. Farm-raised versus wild-caught, from Norway or Chile — which was more sustainable? Should I prioritize species biodiversity, carbon footprint or waste from packaging? Welcome to my brain. Why does our food supply have to be… Continue reading How sailing challenged my sustainability values

How much stuff can you fit inside a 35-foot boat? Less than you hoped for but more than you can imagine. As I empty every locker and clean out every nook and cranny I feel like we were given all this crap on a dare to which we responded, “challenge accepted.” I’m brought back to… Continue reading An exercise in letting go

Do you remember the day we almost smashed you into a swinging trimaran? We do! How about all those times dolphins swam at your bow, and sea lions chomped on the sea grass growing on your belly? Oh my goodness, and the bioluminescence? That was wild! How about the time we beat all of our… Continue reading Ode to B

I’m sitting on Bravo anchored in Savusavu, Fiji. We just completed our 5-day passage from Tonga. We are tied to a mooring ball surrounded by unknown boats. A shallow field of sharp rocks sits 50 feet from our stern and I pray to all that is holy that this ball holds. We’ve broken away from… Continue reading Bula Vinaka!

We were told by sailing books and puddle jumpers of years’ past that we should come prepared to trade. Supposedly, locals would come up to us in pangas and offer fruits, vegetables and fish in exchange. So, in Mexico we purchased baseball hats, fishing lures and toiletries that we could use as bargaining chips when… Continue reading Two cucumbers

We bought our first sailboat, a tiny 15 foot Coronado, from a toothless fat man in a white unmarked van outside of an empty Westminster parking lot. For $500. Trailer and sails included. To say Bravo is an improvement on that first choice is an understatement. Andy and older sis figuring out how to re-rig… Continue reading From Stagecoach Reservoir to Fiji: Sailing chronicles of a Tica 

There are 2.1 billion people in the world without sufficient access to potable water, and we are two of them. A lack of access to potable water invokes images of women and children walking for miles with jugs over their heads or shoulders, arid landscapes, and families gathered around questionable sources. The image we don’t… Continue reading Lessons aboard: what sailing has taught me about potable water

It’s hard to write about the sensory experience of sailing when sitting at the boat yard. The beeping alarm of a loading truck backing up, the smell of diesel and paint fumes, the blistering sun on my darkened and dusty skin. Wax in between my fingers. Acetone deep in my nostrils. This is the sensory… Continue reading A feast for the senses

Captain James Cook first caught sight of Niue in 1774 but had quite an unsuccessful landfall. Niueans were traditionally very protective of their island and met vessels with suspicion and hostility. Cook and his men were received by a band of local warriors covered in what appeared to be blood. To add to their ferocity,… Continue reading Behold the Coconut!

I can’t remember the last time I had a salad. A giant sized portion of leafy greens sprinkled with a rainbow of options. Was it in San Diego? No, we had fried chicken. Was it in Mexico? No, I’m sure all I ate were tacos. I can’t remember because I didn’t make it memorable....because I… Continue reading The saga of the dead potato