As most of you know, my temporary home base currently is Isla Mujeres, Mexico where I happen to have become some sort of unofficial first responder to all sorts of maritime mishaps and emergencies. During this time I gained a lot of experience in salvaging, searching and rescuing. But before I share some of it…
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Why didn’t I just say “no”?, I keep asking myself. I am sick. I can’t see my own face but I bet it is as greenish brown as the Sargasso seaweed that is spread all over my deck. I feel terrible. Cold sweat is running down my face. I remember the fun fact that it…
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“Tattoos are only for sailors and criminals!”, is what my mom kept telling me when I was little. I always wanted a tattoo but had little ambitions to become a criminal so this is how I became a sailor. Sailor tattoos tell stories. They tell stories of toil and strive, accomplishments and passion. They also…
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The blistering sun is relentless, the broiling heat inevitable. Not too surprising. It is summer in Mexico after all. And still my mind has wandered off to distant shores in the cold. The book is written, I can finally take down my pen and prepare my next voyage. After the game is before the game.…
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Passage planning is not only a good habit that is essential for every voyage. It is actually required by law in most countries of the world. All 164 countries that have ratified the International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) require by law that the master of every sea-going vessel prepares a passage…
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And all of a sudden it is calm. No movement. Not the slightest breeze. Not the usual cacophony of Reggeaton music, barking dogs and roaring power boats. Even the birds stopped chirping. The world is holding its breath. This happened so suddenly, like someone pulled the plug in the dance club. Subconsciously I want to…
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A beautiful scene. The boat is heeling in the evening breeze. The mainsail is hauled tight. And all this in front of a romantic sunset. But something is wrong. No spray is flying, no bow is cutting through the waves, no whooshing, no splashes – no movement at all. No sound. A still. Surreal. I…
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Patience is the most important quality of a captain. A lack of patience sinks ships. But even more important it is to be just in time.
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Please make sure you have read Mexican Standoff – Part 1: Humiliation before you continue. So I lost my dinghy, I got bruised and hurt, I spent the night in the dirt, I got ripped-off and robbed. Humiliated. How deep can you fall and still not hit bottom? Once again I remember Rocky’s words: “It’s…
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I am wet. I am cold. My bruises hurt. My scrapes burn. My head aches. Breaded in sand like a schnitzel I feel hunger coming up. I take a deep drag. The sweet smoke befogs my mind and my sight but I still make out Seefalke’s anchor light in the distance. So she is still…
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Ronja’s Learning Adventures tell the story of a little girl who is fed up with school. At one point she runs away from home and joins her father who lives on a sailboat. While sailing the world with him she will now experience all that she only read in text books before. With the time…
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Ronja’s Learning Adventures tell the story of a little girl who is fed up with school. At one point she runs away from home and joins her father who lives on a sailboat. While sailing the world with him she will now experience all that she only read in text books before. With the time…
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“Good morning, this is Isla Mujeres Cruisers Net. It is our purpose to stay connected, exchange information and build the community of cruisers. Your participation is encouraged.,” at exactly 08:00 the familiar voice greets all sailors currently anchored or docked at Isla Mujeres, Mexico. The voice belongs to Lisa, who is our net controller today. She…
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It is dark. Pitch black. Impervious. Only scattered low declination stars hint at the existence of more boats at this anchorage. I know there are dozens. Most of them have their anchor lights on, but not all of them. During the day I spent some time memorizing a path through this maze of boats and…
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“2000 Pesos,” the boy claims with great self-confidence. He has a neon-yellow colored Iroquois hair style and his skin color is evidence of his creole heritage. He wears colorful shorts, flip-flops and a muscle shirt that dramatically reveals his tattoo, showing a – let’s say – slightly underdressed girl with an impressive bust size. The…
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So now it is definite. It is early morning of October 31, 2019 as I motor down the muddy waters of Suriname River from Domburg, through the heavy jungle heat. I follow the tide past plantations and mansions towards Paramaribo, Suriname’s lively capital, and I know: It is definite. Earth and water, just like air…
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I just arrived back on my boat Seefalke. She is currently docked in Marina Gaviota in Varadero, Cuba and after two weeks of painful separation, the two of us are finally reunited again. I caress the womanly curves of her wheel tenderly; I know she feels how much I missed her. When talking with friends on…
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$1,000 nights are notorious among sailors. This is what we call nights when a sail is ripped in a sudden gust, or the dinghy outboard motor falls over board, or the anchor needs to be given up. Ask any blue-water sailor and you’ll find they all had at least one of those $1,000 nights in…
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As you may remember, I am in Germany at the moment. I left my boat in Cuba for two weeks to take care of some important business. Despite being here for a week already, I am still suffering from the blunt culture shock. It is just a few days ago that I met with my…
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Being in Germany now, in my home country 10,000 km away from home, I feel like on a speed dating competition. I will be here for only two weeks and friends, family and business partners are fighting for a spot in my bursting schedule. I feel very flattered, however, I feel overwhelmed and homesick, too. …
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“Uh oh, I’m an alien, I’m a legal alien….”, Sting has been following me today from the moment I got out of the plane in Düsseldorf, Germany. I just arrived from Cuba, where I left my boat and home Seefalke for two weeks to take care of some urgent business and admin in the fatherland.…
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