Alone? Whatever gave you that idea!
I know it’s time to update this blog again when friends start messaging me to ask how things are going. So here’s a little update. Sailing-wise not much has happened: I’m still in Ponta Delgada, and …
Sailing around the world on Merrimac, a Stadtship 56.
São Miguel
In the end, the passage from Harlingen to the first island went very smoothly and was pretty much uneventful. Once again we could stand our watches inside, and there was remarkably little shipping after we turned SSW off …
Champagne sailing
Well, we’re incredibly lucky. It’s honestly unbelievable how lucky we are with the weather. The weather in Europe is all over the place: the lows are tracking between Scotland and Iceland, and there’s …
A Prosperous Start
We left yesterday around 10 o’clock with very little wind. By about 3 o’clock we had passed Den Helder and could finally get the sails up. There wasn’t much wind all night, but just enough to keep …
Back to the Azores
Marion is busy with the church renovation this year, so this time I’m setting off the old way: with crew first. To keep my sea legs in shape, and because it’s a truly beautiful spot on this planet, …
A man, a plan, a canal, Panama!
Panama. In the Netherlands it’s really only known for the canal, bananas, the palindrome above and its role as a tax haven. So what should you actually picture? Arnold already got a first impression in Dec 2020, …
Have you heard the one about the couple who tried to leave Panama?
Well, they did set off, but they had to turn back. Hotel Panama: you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave. As I type this we’re on a shared local minibus to Panama City to check back in again …
Off to the Galapagos
The final preparations are under way. Navigation set up, tanks full, 16 wheelbarrows of food loaded aboard. Boat scrubbed, meals cooked, awning stowed, liferaft ready for use. As usual on this passage, the wind looks to …
Iridium on Carrousel now up and running
Right, you can now follow us online! When we leave, hopefully Monday afternoon or Tuesday, you can track us at: https://forecast.predictwind.com/tracking/display/Carrousel/ Fingers crossed it actually happens, because …
Off on a voyage with Carrousel
Marion and I have been in touch with Damaris and Rudolf for years. They live in Harlingen too, and crossed the Atlantic a year ahead of us. Very handy, then, to learn from them how things work in countries across the …
Bumping our way home
Over the weekend it quickly became clear. Two more days of patience and the wind would veer from south to northwest. That’s a nice direction for heading due south. On Tuesday morning we get up at 6. Not long after, …
Stavanger and Surroundings
After 2 days on the free mooring of the Royal Norwegian Boating Association in Uskjo, it was time to mingle with people again, and besides, we were rather curious about Stavanger. That meant quite a detour, because the …