Xplore definative famliy names on board

Spend long enough time anywhere and with anyone or thing and you start to really understand and see their strengths, weaknesses and character, for the good or bad.
Over the seven years with Xplore we have seen our fair share of ups and downs, literally ! so its not surprising that just like with people we have had to deal with the maintenance on a regular basis, there are breakage's and replacement of so many items and parts along the way.
For a yacht to have sailed now 90,000 nautical miles we have developed a lot of faith and trust in some key components on board and these parts we have fondly given names to, to add a touch of character to items and equipment that we rely on every single day, it's sometimes easier to understand why something breaks or falls apart when they have a name, because you can say to them 'hey sorry, I haven't looked at you or given you some attention for quite some time" no wonder you're complaining !

The definitive Xplore on board family names list:

Andy : Andy is the type that just grabs you in such a firm sort of way when you first meet him, when he's out and about he's right up front on Xplore. Andy's pretty handy when you want to stop somewhere, he loves diving and playing around on the sea floor, and that's because he's our anchor.

Larry : Strong chap, controls the anchor winch and chain, lives up front, so he is a quiet slightly reclusive type, made by Lewmar, hence the name Larry

Yolly : Well there are the twin sisters Yolly, No1 and No 2 and they are our primary head sails which are called Yankee's, both only wear short skirts, as they like to have a bit of "wind up their kilts" so to speak, but its really because they don't like getting their dresses wet.

Ziggy : Ziggy is a trooper and was named because he loves zooming around nice and fast, he is our Zodiac that takes everyone on Xplore to shore at the amazing places we visit.

Stewart : Now Stewart loves to sail, he's happy at any time of the day as long as he can play in the wind, even though he's done so many miles, he's very young at heart (personally he thinks he's invincible) that's because he was made with just a splash of super strong vectran, Stewart is our Staysail.

Peter and Percy : Funny name for gay Greek boys, bronzed so black from the sun you can see them stick out like sore thumbs with all their gold bracelets, they just lie around in the sun on deck all day, but when the wind comes from behind, as quick as a flash they are up there ! out they go
proud as punch they love being show offs, whether it's the spinnakers or poling out Yolly they're out there bar hard. made out of carbon fiber and kevlar and they are our spinnaker poles.

Bubble and Squeak : Well not everyone likes talking about these two, but the reality is that they are used by everyone , every day, hail rain or shine and they are our two toilets in the bath rooms. They too have personalities, and unless you learn their quirks pretty fast then life on Xplore can be a tad messy, Bubble lives on the right side of Xplore and Squeak is on the left side. Bubbles always burps a bit after being used, where as Squeak just chats away as she is being used.

Victor : He's a beefy chap that hangs out with Baz (coming) Victor is a very proper sort of a guy who takes his job very seriously, whether it's just for a bit of support for Baz, or if its to pull him into line Victor is always someone that you can count on. Victor is our boom vang.

Barry : Baz as known to his mates is no light weight puppy at about 150 Kg's, Baz is a bit of a whipper snapper, hence why we have to keep Victor with him to keep him into line, Baz is fondly attached to Malcolm (coming also) and is the boom for the main sail. Now you should see Baz get into a right old flap when he's been left with too much main sail up, he rattles and wiggles like a cut snake.

Malcolm : Fine up standing person who gives a lot of grace and elegance to Xplore, couldn't be with out him and his fine balance of lines and cables that allows us to fly through the waves with our sails, Malcolm is our mast.

Mikie : Crikie Mikie we call him, as he is a big tall guy that when he stretches he almost reaches the sky, in 4 sections he goes up and up the full length of Malcolm, as a sail he is a power house in light winds, and that's what he really likes and prefers, because over 30 knots he just falls apart at the seams, so we put him away when its really windy and save him for another day, Mikie is our main sail.

Mr Perkins : Some days we don't have any wind and that's when Mr Perkins comes in, a steady personality he happily sings away with a sturdy deep voice that you would expect of someone who carries a great responsibility. To get us in and out of port, or to get us into a tight anchorage when it's blowing a gale we couldn't live without he and his reliable nature. Mr Perkins is our main engine.

Mrs Perkins : Now don't get us wrong, Mrs Perkins is a gem, BUT...... there have been times when you just can't quite work her out, reliable, Yes, a bit of a loud voice, Yes had a few medical problems over the years, Yes, do we still love her, Yes,. for all her faults we think she's a gem, Mrs Perkins is our generator and charges our batteries, drives the high pressure pump and heats the water so we can have lovely showers, how could you not love her, even with her temperamental hiccups.

Ernie and Errol : Bloody hot heads are these two twins, they have a drinking problem, and that probably comes from their German descent, its the dam diesel that they cant get enough of and add that to a bit of electricity and well they just go off ! huffing and puffing away they produce so much heat so quickly that we have to take their booze away pretty fast. You have to love them though because in the depths of Antarctica they keep us so snug and warm, Ernie and Errol are our two heaters made by Eberspacher.

Wendy : She's a bit of a slurper herself, drinking problem as well, but at least it's only water, with a nice warm sea she can produce 160 liters of fresh clean water per hour, she's a bit of a connoisseur of fresh water and doesn't like the salt so she spits that out over the side, Wendy is out Aquafresh water maker that allows us to sail thousands of miles without having to take water.

Frieda : Now Frieda only joined the family two years ago, we weren't quite sure if she would fit in, but she finally found her place, at first we all thought she was a cold bitch but our hearts opened up to her skills and talents, and when the day ends and we pull out a cold beer or wine, prepare a nice fresh salad then we all say cheers to Frieda our portable fridge / freezer.

Wilma : Wilma has been Wilma since day one, she's the one that keeps everyone on the straight and narrow, takes us through the tough bits, but as so many girls are like she does love to have a spin and a twirl when she's in the mood, Wilma is our steering wheel, the helm of the Xplore.

Arnie : What can I say, all brawn and not a lot of brains ~! but there is not one person who comes on Xplore that doesn't love him, 24 / 7 he's knocking the miles out in some of the most horrendous conditions. Poor guy, he's locked up in a tiny compartment, hardly ever gets looked at or touched,
sure he grumbles a bit when it blows but you can't blame him for that. When its - 20 c outside, ice all over the deck, snow coming down and blowing a gale he still choofs along and does his job, Arnie is our very strong auto pilot hydraulic pump pack.

Sally : Everyone has their place and needs, and well Sally just is a dirty girl, it's her character and something that's not going to change, she loves a good pumping every day, but other wise she just lays around in the bilge waiting for the next shower, fill her up a bit too much and she burps and
farts, oh boy, such a nasty way, but keep her well looked after and she smells like roses, Sally is our grey water tank on Xplore.

Well there you have it, "The Team" and an insight into their characters that has really taken a lot of years to evolve that I can write in so much detail, but each and every part has its role and can't be ignored. Just like the "people people" we have on Xplore who equally play a vital role if you want to go ocean sailing and exploring the remote wonders of the world.

Stephen