Jon Tucker married the girl next door when they were teenagers in New Zealand, and they both built the traditional black ketch ‘New Zealand Maid’ which was to become home for their family of five boys when they gave up their teaching jobs, loaded up ten boxes of school-work, and sailed away into the South Seas.

Jon and Babs still live aboard their ketch, over three decades later. Between voyages, he writes books based on the many expeditions that he and his adventurous family have enjoyed in the pacific and Antarctica, as well as boating-related articles in various magazines including the UK Marine Quarterly. He is currently working on his eighth book, after returning from a camping trip to Alaska.