Julian
Hi! In my twenties I had an opportunity to sail around the Isle of White for a couple of weeks. I loved the experience, especially (oddly enough) getting caught in a brief gale. The experience left me wanting more, but a couple of decades, two kids, and a change of hemisphere passed before I actually bought a boat and learnt to sail. My background includes time in the UK Armed Forces, UK and NZ Ambulance Services, and NZ Police. I have also worked as a tutor for inmates in prison, with troubled youths, and had various miscellaneous jobs, including a spell as a ‘book bus’ driver and librarian! I hold a PhD in Renaissance literature and am the author of Shakespeare’s Forgotten Allegory, an academic text that reveals how medieval theatre influenced early modern playwrights. I love the self-reliance of sailing, as well as its blend of tradition, theory, and practical skills.
Cara
Hello! I was born and raised in Dunedin, New Zealand. As a youngster I did a fair bit of dinghy sailing but then moved onto spring board diving, representing NZ for a time. Its been great to get back into sailing, and great to have the chance to take some time out from my busy job as an anaesthetist. Though it will be a challenge, I hope to be able to keep my medical registration current whilst we travel. I’m very interested in information technology and so have become the default ‘Technology and Navigation Officer’ on Taurus. I’m looking forward to plenty of adventures, dolphin spotting, and glasses of wine whilst watching the sun set.
Taurus
Taurus is a Feltz Skorpion IIa, professionally built by the Feltz company in Hamburg, Germany in 1980. The shipyard specialised in the building of steel yachts which have an outstanding reputation for sea-worthiness. In fact, an article I once read on heavy weather sailing began with the advice, “buy a good boat, such as a Feltz Skorpion.” Cara and I bought the boat in Opua, New Zealand, in 2020 from a German couple whose plans to circumnavigate had been foiled by Covid. They had sailed the boat from Italy, after purchasing it from Christoph and Babsi, who had sailed Taurus around the world over a seven year period. A blog recording their trip can be found here: http://www.sytaurus.com
Sailing Taurus NZ 