And all I ask is a Tall-ship, and a star to steer her by... Lines from Sea Fever by John Masefield, learned by many at school, and guaranteed to awaken a romantic streak in lots of us. For me, always a dreamer, it seemed to offer enticements to explore remote and romantic sun-drenched islands, winds stretching canvas, humming in the lines while gently rolling along on ocean waves. I only dreamed until one day I realised it was actually possible to live that dream. So I signed on as crew of a sailing ship in Panama and headed out into the Pacific, learning the ropes and navigation as I went. And we did visit those romantic sun-drenched islands, amongst them the Galapagos, Easter, Pitcairn and Tahiti.