It’s almost midnight. I’m on a business trip, somewhere in a grey and rainy corner of Europe, sitting in some anonymous hotel room. And I’m grinning like a kid. The crew is complete. Come May, JACE heads south — back to Grenada for “safe” storage during hurricane season. Once the decision to keep her became…
Somewhere Along the Way
My sleep is restless. Is it the predawn departure or the swim among stars in glowing water? I wake and check my watch often, relieved when it finally vibrates softly on my wrist: 3:30am. I get up quietly, dress, and make tea. At 3:45 I wake Karin. We eat a small breakfast, ready the boat…
Between Reefs and Stars
The fifty-some nautical miles from Guadeloupe to Antigua turn out to be easier than expected. After days of light winds the sea is fairly calm, and with the breeze just forward of the beam we cruise comfortably, making good speed. Seven hours later we drop anchor at Jolly Harbour — just in time to still…
Bini and Amelie – Part II
It’s 4:30 a.m. I can’t sleep. I’ve been wide awake for an hour. It’s a gorgeous night: the decks shimmer pale white in the half moon, brighter stars stand out clearly, a thin veil of cirrostratus drifts across an otherwise clear sky. A light breeze moves across the still anchorage. A dozen boats tug at…
Happy New Year
I’m standing on the beach, staring into a bonfire. The flames have an odd green hue — not because of the many rum punches, but because of the red emergency flares burning all around us. Apparently, that’s what sailors use for fireworks. It’s 2026 Hard to believe. Adieu, 2025. What a year it’s been —…
Christmas in Dominica
The last two days with JoJo fly by just as quickly as the week before. After crossing back to Martinique, we slow things down a little. We linger once more in the scenic bay of Anse d’Arlet, fly the drone, swim, and — to soothe Johannes’ thirst for more sailing — go for a short…
JoJo Aboard
I’m sitting at the Martinique airport, perched on an abandoned information desk. There aren’t nearly enough seats in the arrivals hall, and this seems like as good a spot as any. Yesterday was busy: laundry done, boat cleaned, provisions restocked. JACE is ready for the next phase. It doesn’t take long before my sister’s son…
Solo again
Saying goodbye to Greg is hard. We had such a great week together. We’re in Soufrière on the southwestern side of St. Lucia, JACE swinging on a mooring below the famous Pitons, and we’re standing on the town quay with Greg’s taxi waiting. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Where were we? Ah, right —…
Remembering Suheil
This is not a sailing update. It’s a tribute to my dear friend who passed away last week. As I cannot attend his funeral, I wanted to honor him in the best way I know — by writing. A few times in life you meet a person you instantly know is different — someone truly…
Old Friends, Good Wind
The idea of Greg joining me came about spontaneously. We were catching up on the phone, and when I mentioned another season on JACE, I threw it out on a whim: “How about you join me in December for a week?” True to form, Greg jumped on it and made it happen. Greg and I…