The crew

What's going on with the boat?

After ten years living on Tarquilla we have moved to land. I'm often asked if we love the house or miss the boat and the real answer is - both. We still have Tarquilla and we are open to all options at the moment as far as her future is concerned. We will carry on working on her, it would be great to be able to sail her again. The Scilly Isles, Portishead marina, Bristol harbour and Falmouth are all places we have talked about as well as many others further afield. But, on the other hand, if a family was looking for a boat, ready to do the preparation she needs and wanted to take her on then we would sell her. She is not ready to sail off into the sunset but has a lot of life left in her. If you or someone you know would be interested then please contact us. She is 3 ply cold moulded, 42 foot long, one off design built in the 1960's. She has 2 double cabins and 2 single berths, a good size saloon, a decent size galley, head and a covered cockpit. She has two engines and a full suit of sails. We have lots more photos and can provide more details or answer questions. In the meantime, this blog has come to a natural pause for now as we take on new adventures.

The crew

We are a family of two adults, three children and a dog living near the sea in South West England.

The crew - taken near the end of our massive refit on the hard

The boat

Tarquilla was built in a back garden in Keynsham, England and launched at Bristol harbour in 1975. She is a 42 foot cold-moulded plywood catamaran. She was a family project for her previous owners and a labour of love.

We bought her in Spring 2011 ready for our big adventure, moved her from Falmouth in Cornwall to Topsham in Devon and moved on-board in August that year. After lots of cleaning, painting and repair work she was ready to go.

She is our much loved travelling companion.

image: catamaran moored in marina with palm trees behind

The Crew

The skipper (Mark)

Can turn his hand to most things whether it's repairing engines, replacing rotten wood, building kayaks or running up something on his sewing machine. He has kept Tarquilla afloat through the big adventure and is now working on refitting her. He is also in the process of setting up Drifted Art - hand built kayaks and other practical and decorative items.

Me (Sarah)

Teacher, helm, rope thrower and general cleaner whilst we were travelling. I have now returned to my other love, nursing.

The deckhands

Aged 4, 7 and 8 when we set off on the big adventure, the boys love everything boaty. They worked hard to become useful crew members. As well as learning lots at boat school and from the world around them, they have taught us a lot about different ways to look at the world.

They are now back in formal schooling doing GCSEs and A levels. They also enjoy dinghy sailing, stand up paddle boarding and kayaking.

The sea dog(s)

Susie was our much loved friend. We were looking for a new dog, she was looking for a new family and she was perfect. She was a big part of the family and crew for 7 years until sadly we had to say goodbye but we are so glad that she shared most of our adventure and remember her fondly.

image: older golden retriever lying on dry leaves

In December 2016 we adopted Bailey, a Kelpie puppy who needed a new home. People often describe him as 'full of life', he quickly became a central part of the crew.

image: Kelpie stood on a sandy beach

Where else can you see us?

We're on facebook as Tarquilla

We're on twitter as @sarahontarquilla

We're on instagram as @wheresmygaragefloor and @sarahontarquilla

We've also been in: