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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“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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A kiss. A hug. I hate goodbyes! Without a further word I turn around and walk back to the beach that now lonely lays in the dark. Playa Tortugas, turtle beach, here in Cancun, during daytime full of families and fun, is surrounded by a net, intended to protect its guests from sharks and other…
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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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“Open – Rain or Shine” the neon sign over the entrance to Skull’s Landing invites its guests. It is one of those signs that normally can be switched from “open” to “closed” just this one doesn’t have a “closed” option. A great marketing move. Skull’s Landing is the local cruisers’ hangout with Happy Hour from…
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This photo was taken on March 27, 2020 at the anchorage at Isla Mujeres, Mexico after the government of the state Quintana Roo had ordered to close all bars and restaurants from 23:00 until further notice due to the Corona pandemic. We are from Canada, from Argentina, from the Netherlands, from Sweden, from the USA,…
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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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This photo was taken on March 18, 2020 at the anchorage at Isla Mujeres, Mexico. That day marked a small step for mankind, one giant leap for me: I could finally clear in to Mexico. What sounds like the most ordinary thing in the world, in times of pandemic masterplans it becomes an extraordinary achievement.…
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Port of Departure: Marina Hemingway, Havana, CubaPort of Call: Isla Mujeres, MexicoDistance: 268 nm (308 mi, 496 km)Estimated Duration: 67 hrs (2 d 19 hrs)ETD: Thursday, Mar 12 13:00 UTC-4ETA: Sunday, Mar 15 07:00 UTC-5 Weather The moderate high (1024 HPa) sitting south of the Florida Panhandle is most influential for the current weather situation…
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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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This photo was taken on March 03, 2020 in the Gulf of Mexico, approximately ten nautical miles north of Santa Cruz del Norte, Cuba. We were on our way from Varadero, Cuba to Havana, Cuba, a short 90 nautical miles over-night passage. After a rocky night the winds and the seas had calmed down and…
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Weather The high that was sitting west of Florida over the last days and brought cold and strong northerly winds to the north of Cuba moved east. Accordingly the winds are currently shifting from northwest over north to east and further to southeast and decrease as the center of the high moves northeast. At first…
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“Hey Maik!” somebody is shouting my name and abruptly I turn around. I see a pink Chevrolet ‘55 convertible taxi, and I see a woman, wearing an elegant long dress and a hat that makes every sombrero look tiny. Huge sunglasses cover what is left to see on her face. The sun is burning relentlessly.…
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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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This photo was taken on November 08, 2019 just a few nautical miles west of Dominica. I headed north making use of the trade winds on my way from Martinique to Guadeloupe. I remember this was a stop-and-go passage. The wind in these latitudes is constantly, strongly coming from the northeast. When you are in…
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By an Unknown Author The night breaks. The light shakesDown from the sky. The darkness trembles: shivers, dissembles:Unwilling to die. And facile and fleet, on dusky feet,Out of the dripping sunlight tripping,Shadows pass by,All sprinkled and spatteredWith golden rain, All shivered, all shattered, like dream-ghosts scatteredBy the waking brain. The light dawns. The night mournsAnd…
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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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