Hello there,
I hope this message finds you well.
I wanted to update you a bit sooner, but unexpected travel got in the way. Let me take you back to about a month ago. After successfully fixing the chainplates on Santana, I enjoyed some time in the south of Elba, where the crystal-clear waters were breathtaking. Up until early July, things were a bit cooler, thanks to the weekly Scirocco winds.
For those unfamiliar, the Scirocco is a southern wind that brings warm, wet air mixed with Sahara sands, resulting in cloudy skies, occasional rain, and everything dusted in yellow. But soon enough, summer fully arrived, and temperatures quickly soared into the mid to upper 30s.
Towards the end of the month, I tested the new chainplates by sailing to Piombino, where I picked up my favorite crew. We then sailed back to the south of Elba. The southeastern tip of the island, with its old iron and rock mines, is a strikingly rough yet beautiful landscape. With no cellphone connection there, I was able to linger longer than I usually do. Thanks to Starlink, we spent several days enduring strong nighttime winds, circling around Elba, and making stops in Campo, Fetovaia, and St. Andrea.
Unfortunately, I received some distressing family news just before Nike was scheduled to leave. I’m incredibly grateful that she canceled her flight back, stayed with me, and helped with some final arrangements on Elba. Then, we set sail for a 250-nautical-mile journey. We made stops in Corsica and Porquerolles before finally reaching Port St. Louis at the “Bouche du Rhone.”
I left Santana in dry dock, uncertain when I will return. When I do, it will likely be with Nike as we begin our journey west towards the Atlantic. Marseille offers easier travel options since it’s not on an island and doesn’t require a ferry, but I learned that getting from the port where Santana is docked to Marseille can be challenging due to limited public transport.
At the moment, I’m in Germany, while Nike is in the Netherlands picking up her 21-meter barge, which will serve as her European base for the coming years.
I am not sure how long I’ll stay, and once I can leave again, there will be some stuff to do in Switzerland and then most likely some time in Lübeck on Nikes new home and then we have a long journey south again.
But as we proofed once again: sailor (especially the two of us) write their plans at low tide in the sand.
So lets see where we’ll find ourselves at the end of the year.
Take care my friend and all the best, Floh