To Cartagena with Jesse and Sander
It’s exactly noon local time, and we’ve been under way since 06:00 yesterday morning, having left Aruba bound for Cartagena in Colombia. But first, a quick step back in time. After spending two weeks on the …
Cruising
On the Hard in Aruba
Well, another two weeks gone already. Time flies! Let’s have a look at what’s been quietly going on. As promised, I treated Brigitte and Abbie to a lovely brunch at the ‘Elements Restaurant at Bucuti …
Bonaire and Aruba
Oops, I meant to post something every week, but I now see I’ve skipped one. That’s partly because I’m sailing familiar waters – after the first Covid lockdown I spent 3 months in Aruba and 3 …
Passage to Bonaire
Just a quick update. After two and a half days at sea we arrived in Bonaire without any problems. The Dutch Navy’s station ship was there too, as was an enormous cruise ship. On the way Abbie felt a bit queasy …
Grenada
Because of the situation in Venezuela we didn’t want to sail from Suriname to Bonaire in one go, so I’d decided on a pit stop in Grenada to see how things were looking from there. We had to go there now …
Suriname, you were enchanting once again
As I type this I’ve already left the country and am on my way to Grenada with Arnold. But in 23 days I never found the time to write down everything we got up to. A lot has happened! Kees, Tanneke, Kommer Jan and …
Arriving in Suriname by sailing yacht (2025 edition)
I’d already heard that the arrival procedure for Suriname had changed last year, but I hadn’t expected it to have gone this digital, let alone that it would actually work! For those coming after me, here are …
Crossing
Tomorrow morning we make landfall, Suriname in the first light, but my heart is still bobbing along on days made of nothing but water. Water everywhere, and yet never the same: from whispering ripples to waves flexing …
1800 miles down, 150 to go
It’s already the 9th and last full day at sea. We expect, with a high degree of certainty, to reach the fairway buoy sometime tomorrow morning. After that it’s still a decent stretch up the river, but …
Where the name "Merrimac" comes from
I often get asked where the name “Merrimac” comes from. Well, here’s the story! Merrimac is the Native American name of a river in New Hampshire, these days spelled the modern way, Merrimack. It means …
Notifications didn't reach everyone
When I published the previous post it turned out something had been set up wrong, so not all subscribers got a notification. That should be fixed now. Have a quick look on the site to make sure you haven’t missed …
Sinterklaas
Yesterday, out of the blue, I got a message from what I think was a female Sinterklaas helper … 🎁 A Sinterklaas Poem for the Men on the Boat 🎁 Dear sailors, gathered on this floating home, Sint greets you warmly, …