Island

  • 🇸🇭️ St Helena Island

    Welcome to Saint Helena! the anchorage is directly on the ocean The small island St Helena is a rock rising up sharply from the 5000m deep ocean seafloor in the middle of the southern atlantic ocean. It was discovered by the Portugese and ruled by the Dutch VOC before it became an important Brittish overseas territory: before the invention of motor driven ships all North going sailing vessels called at the island to provision.

  • 🇦🇨️ Ascension Island

    It only took 5 days to cover the 710nm between st Helena and Ascension island,the easiest sail ever! Ascension is a Brittish overseas territory, like st Helena. The island has a RAF airfield and a US base with advanced radar and communication equipment for the US space program. Obtaining a visa must be done in advance, an administrative process that requires each visitor to provide proof of medical and repatriation insurance.

  • 🇨🇻️ Crossing the equator

    The kind lady of port control checked us out on Friday as our plan was to leave Ascension Island on the Sunday for our passage to the Mindelo on Sao Vincente, one of the Cape Verde islands. This will be our longest passage so far, 1700 miles in a straight line, more than 20 days of sailing. We will go north first crossing the doldrums, the zone around the equator where the tradewind will change from south-east to nearly zero then turning to north-east.

  • 🇨🇻️ Mindelo

    At arrival on Sao Vincente, one of the Cape Verde Islands, we anchor under sail in the motor vessel anchorage as the engine does not seem to be working well. After arrival we go ashore to check in and discover that it is Canaval! Everything is closed as the whole town is watching the parade this afternoon. We eat, watch the scenery and relax in a Spanish restaurant. Beside French tourists there are many locals of Creole, Chinese, African and Indian roots looking at the colourfull parade, a true mishmash of people.

  • 🇬🇮️ Gibraltar to 🇹🇳️ Ile de la Galite

    Everything is prepared. All paperwork is done but the prediction does not seem favourable. Still I decide to leave Gibraltar now: my eldest son gets married and the flight to the wedding is booked from Tunisia.So far so good. Our first passage on the Mediterranean sea starts with a little breeze from the East so the course past Europa point is set in the direction of Malaga. Then a tack in the direction of Marocco to cross the busy shipping lane.

  • 🇹🇳️ Ile de la Galite

    It was the Italians who build houses and infrastructure on this beautifull, unspoiled island. They cultivated part of the land growing figs and vegetables. When Tunisia became independent they all left to France giving their houses back to nature. Some of these houses are now used by the National and the police and some fishermen. The rest is inhabitable. The path leads to the top of the mountain where once the Italians grew their vegetables.

  • 🇷🇪️ Reunion Island

    How is it possible? Turkey to Reunion island, 500 miles east of Madagascar in the Indian ocean in a month? Well, simply by cheating: a flight from Paris. This is the plan and it sounds good: First a 150km train north to Utrecht, then the midnight Flixbus to Paris airport then the 11 hour flight to Saint Denis de la Reunion. I am too early so I see the 21.00 leave for Paris.

  • 🇪🇸️ La Gomera, the greenest of the Canary Islands

    On the way to Sidi Ifni and Mirleft as I wrote in the last post? Well.. we are sailors and sailors change their minds all of the time. While leaving Essouaria there was good wind to bring us straight to the Canaries but there was no wind near the coast, so time for a new plan. Lets go to La Palma instead.

  • 🇬🇩️ Lets sail to....the Caribbean!

    At night at anchor in Puerto Vueltas La Gomera I wake up in the middle of the night, anchor alarm. The kathabatic wind howls over the mountain. In the morning the same again and we are almost on top of the catamaran that anchored behind us yesterday, much too close for my taste.

  • 🇬🇩️ Grenada

    The Definition of Arrive.

    Do we arrive as we sail at dawn around the northern tip of the island through a channel with reefs? It is drizzling and the squalls on the horizon around us make a dramatic background. Or do we arrive when we drop the anchor?

  • 🇩🇲️ Dominica

    There are so many island nations in the West Indies, enough for a lifetime. Where next? Lets go to Dominica, it is interesting because it is mountanious, covered by misty rainforest and not so many boats seem to go there. It is less than two days sailing from Grenada.

  • 🇵🇫️ Land, we see LAND! Welcome to Fatu Hiva!

    What a pity this beautifull passage has come to an end, we LOVE being at sea! But now we are at anchor in baie Omoa on Fatu Hiva, one of the Marquesas islands in French Polynesia!

    Crossed 4 timezones while sailing 4005 nautical miles over the Pacific ocean in 28 days from Panama, an average speed of 6 knots. Fastest sail in a 24 hour period was 180 nm, an average speed of 7.5 knots. And the slowest sail: 84 nm in 24 hours and that is 3.5 knots average.

  • 🇵🇫️ Hiva Oa

    We arrived in Atuona on the next island Hiva Oa in the morning after a slow but very pleasant night sail.

    Busy! Some 30 yachts and the supply+cruise ship Aranui 5 in port, so we anchored outside. The Aranui 5 departs in Tahiti and you can get a ticket: only 1100 euro for a ten day trip around all the islands. Fun uh!

  • 🇵🇫️ Ua Huka and Nuku Hiva

    We leave our beautifull anchorage in Puamau just before sunset.

    My Irish daughter Holly read an interesting article in Nat Geo about how Ua Huka has more animals than people . With wild horses, pigs, goats and cockerels roaming in lush green (like Ireland) forrest she feels this is her kind of place! She is of course invited.

  • 🇵🇫️ Sailing under bare poles

    It was an easy sail from Hatiheu back to Taioae. An essential stop to swap English reading books at Kevins, to stock up at the supermarkets and buy fresh vegetables from the market. All done. Time to leave Nuku Hiva. We look forward to sail to the next island Ua Pou.