Interview with Rosie and Sim from ‘S/Y Wandering Star’

John and I met them at the Bock Marine Boat Yard in Beaufort, North Carolina in August 2014. Both of our boats were on land for bottom work & other miscellaneous repairs. To maintain our sanity, Rosie and I used to walk together in the afternoon near the boatyard in spite of the boiling sun.

Question: About yourselves and your boat?
Answer: Hi, we are Rosie and Sim Hoggarth from the UK. Our boat is ‘Wandering Star’ – a 44ft steel monohull, one of four made by Topper Hermanson in Fernandina Beach, Florida. Our blog is www.yachtwanderingstar.com.

Rosie and Cat 'Ali'

Rosie and Cat ‘Ali’

Sim and Cat 'Ali'

Sim and Cat ‘Ali’

Question: Where are you at today?
Answer: Today St Patrick’s day (17 March 2015), we are anchored in a beautiful spot between Stocking Island and Elizabeth Island in Georgetown, Bahamas.

Question: What was your career before cruising?
Answer: Sim was a marine engineer and I worked for a lettings agency (realtor) in the London suburbs.

Question: What made you decide to live on a boat?
Answer: We met on the tall ship that Sim was chief engineer on, and thought – why not do this ourselves.

Question: How long have you been living on board?
Answer: We are approaching 11 years of living full time aboard.

Question: Why did you choose the boat that you have now?
Answer: We chose ‘Wandering Star’ because she is very seaworthy (we think of her as a small ship 🙂 ), we liked the way she looked and she offered a lot more comfort in terms of upgrades and living space then our previous boat a Corbin 39. Which was also a very sea worthy boat.

'S/Y Wandering Star' in the Bahamas (March 2015)

‘S/Y Wandering Star’ in the Bahamas (March 2015)

Question: How many miles have you traveled so far in the boat?
Answer: We are fairly slow movers. In the last 11 years we have travelled approx. 25,000 nm.

Question: How did you prepare for the cruising lifestyle (financial, technical, and general preparation)?
Answer: We barely prepared at all in the beginning except for quitting our jobs and selling our homes and buying the boat, but once we’d bought the boat, already in Antigua we spent three months sorting her out and making her sea worthy. We never imagined that 11 years later we would still be sailing. We are lucky in that not only are we both fairly practical, but that Sim is a marine engineer as well.

Question: Best cruising/sailing place or experience and why?
Answer: sailing into a new place for the first time is always exciting. We really enjoyed sailing along the South American coast. It was often fairly windy but always behind the beam so comfortable yet exhilarating at the same time.

Question: What do you like the most about the cruising/sailing lifestyle?
Answer: We love the freedom it offers, the closeness to nature and the alternative lifestyle it allows us.

Question: What do you like the least about the cruising/sailing lifestyle?
Answer: (1) Always saying goodbye to people. (2) Lightening

Question: What was your most fearful moment of cruising/sailing experience?
Answer: Dragging onto a Lee shore in 40kt winds that lasted for a week. We lost the engine with a line around the prop. Fortunately we had good friends that helped laying out four anchors to stop us landing on the beach and stayed like that until the winds abated. Everyone in the anchorage helped get us out of the shallow water. We were very humbled.

Question: How do you maintain your boat?
Answer: We do almost everything ourselves.

Question: How do you maintain yourself (health, fitness, and strength) and your relationship with your sailing partner?
Answer: We like to swim and walk and recently got two kayaks but we are not fitness fanatics. We are best friends.

Question: What do you miss the most?
Answer: (1) Spending time with friends and family. (2) The disposable income from a permanent job.

Question: What is your favorite website?
Answer: I love reading friends blogs, anything informational and anything that is creative.

Question: Advices to future cruisers/dreamers?
Answer: Just do it!


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