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…

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…

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…

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 —…