After spending a few days along Spain’s Costa Brava, I was eager to keep moving west. I had a feeling the weather would soon turn cold and stormy. Westerlies often barrel through this time of year, and when they do, leaving the Mediterranean becomes a serious challenge. I think Nike would have happily stayed a bit longer, soaking up the last warm days, but I couldn’t shake the urge to keep going—I didn’t want to… Read More »Sailing with a Screw Loose
Life aboard a sailboat has a funny way of flipping the script. One moment you’re sipping coffee while dolphins dance alongside your bow, and the next you’re elbow-deep in the guts of your Autopilot, channeling your inner McGyver. When you live on a boat, it’s never a question of if something will break. It’s when. This time, it was the Autohelm 2000 throwing a fit—again. I’d already shared in the last episode how it failed us mid-sail, and… Read More »McGyver Mode Activated: Life on the Water, One Fix at a Time
Anchored in Costa Brava, Spain, we soaked in what felt like the final days of summer. It was mid-November when we recorded this video, having just left Port Saint Louis du Rhône, escaping the heavy winds that were now approaching our side of the Bay of Lyon. We hurried to sail further southwest, eventually finding a beautiful little bay—calm, secluded, and the perfect spot to stay for a few days. The water was crystal clear… Read More »Anchored in Costa Brava: The Last Days of Summer
Isn’t it always a brilliant idea to kick off your first departure in months with an overnight passage? As I mentioned in my last article, I was eager to leave the Camargue and the Mistral region as quickly as possible. Getting stuck there for weeks—or worse, facing brutal weather—wasn’t exactly part of my plan. We set off in light winds, which soon faded to nothing, leaving us drifting. And then, just before sunset, the wind… Read More »A Rough Start: Of course, it didn’t go as planned
There are two types of wind in Bouches du Rhône: none or too much. The week I spent working on Santana in Port St. Louis du Rhône in early November 2024 was the former—no wind at all. The days were sunny, warm, and felt like a wonderful late summer. Simply perfect weather to get everything ready. It was the calm before the storms that would soon roll through. Memories of Stagnation in the South of… Read More »Leaving Bouches du Rhône: The Calm Before the Storm
Here we go—still on the hard in Port Saint Louis du Rhône. Just in time, the package from Germany arrived with the watermaker, a reverse osmosis desalinator. This is my first project with Nike, and I want to have it installed before we splash so we can produce our own drinking water whenever we need it. Choosing the Right Watermaker Over the years, I did quite a bit of research and explored the available options.… Read More »Turning the Ocean into Drinking Water
Hey there, The new season of Untie The Lines just started last week, and I couldn’t be happier that Nike captured so much of our journey. Watching these episodes brings back countless memories—some vivid, others I had almost forgotten. It’s fascinating how many moments slip through the cracks when you’re constantly taking in new experiences. Preparing Santana for the Journey Back in November, we kicked off our journey in Port Saint Louis du Rhône, where… Read More »A New Season of Untie The Lines Begins
Happy New Year, my friend! It seems my body decided it needed a well-deserved rest, but of course, I didn’t listen. That neglect earned me a really bad cold right after Christmas, which followed me on our road trip through Morocco. I’ve been slowly regaining my energy since mid-January after spending my birthday in bed—though I did manage to squeeze in some boat work to prepare for the next adventure. From Sailing to Exploring Morocco… Read More »A New Year’s Adventure: Morocco, Mountains, and Memories
The season finale of Untie The Lines Season 7 went live last weekend, and I finally caught up to Nike with my posts. What a ride this past year has been! A year ago, Nike and I casually discussed the idea of sailing together and perhaps shooting one or two videos for her channel. I liked that idea; I’ve always enjoyed storytelling and occasionally filmed my own adventures, but I usually struggled to shape the raw… Read More »A Year of Sailing Adventures: Season Finale of Untie The Lines Season 7
Hey there,Almost at the season finale, I’ve finally caught up with Nike’s releases! What a journey it’s been. Honestly, I had no idea she was planning to release nearly an entire season featuring me, but I have to say—I’m loving it. Watching these episodes brings back so many incredible memories, and I feel incredibly lucky to have my own “private documentation team” capturing this chapter of my sailing life. Now that we’re venturing into uncharted… Read More »Sailing The Infamous Karl
And here we go again! Video number three is here, and I’m thrilled to be almost aligned with Nike’s release schedule. In real time, we’re anchored at a tiny island north of Formentera, waiting for the wind to shift. Tomorrow—Tuesday—we plan to set sail toward the African continent. For ease with customs, our destination is Melilla, one of two EU cities on African soil. That said, we’re taking it easy. If the wind, the waves,… Read More »Magic Place In The Sea Of Cortez
Hey My Friend, Here we go with video number two this week! I think Ennio Morricone has written the perfect theme song for this deserted fishing village at the southernmost tip of Baja California. The eerie, foggy weather that greeted us after successfully crossing the Sea of Cortez created an unforgettable, cinematic atmosphere for this strange and fascinating place. A Beach Like No Other The beach here was a special place—strewn with hundreds, if not… Read More »Village At The End Of The World
Hey My Friend, This week is all about videos! During our time sailing in Mexico, Nike captured a lot of great footage. I’ve been enjoying watching these videos as she releases them, and I’m excited to share the episodes that feature both of us. I’ve fallen a bit behind, so I’ll be catching up this week. Real-Time Update: Ibiza As for the present, we’re currently in Ibiza, staying in the Marina at Santa Eulalia until… Read More »3 Nights At Sea
As we hopped from bay to bay along the Mexican Pacific Coast, comfort and speed were our top priorities. We were on a tight schedule, aiming to reach a specific marina halfway up the Sea of Cortez before hurricane season kicked in and Karl is not really the fastest of his kind. Work commitments added another layer of urgency, so we carefully planned around calm weather windows. When necessary, we fired up the engine to… Read More »Comfort, Speed, and Discovery
And here we go again, sharing another video update before diving into the articles about recent boat repairs. I’m a bit behind on presenting and adding commentary to our Mexico journey videos, but thankfully, Nike has been steadily uploading clips to keep up with our adventure’s pace. Currently, we’re already talking about Season 9, with Season 8 likely focused on her canal boat project—something that will be both fun and nostalgic to watch. The canal… Read More »Keeping Up with Mexico: Another Video Update
As you might have guessed, I didn’t stay in Elba for long. The weather was cold, rainy, and choppy, making it hard to enjoy my time there. My original plan was to sail to Sardinia to meet up with friends and help them with their boat. While checking a few things on Santana, I took the opportunity to inspect the rigging and, to my dismay, discovered that the wooden knees supporting my chainplates were partially… Read More »A Return to Mexico: Sailing, Soulmates, and Santana’s Setbacks
Hey there,Wow, do you ever have those moments when time just seems to disappear? On one hand, I’m wondering where the last few weeks (even months) have gone. On the other hand, I know they’ve been packed full of activity. Right now, I’m somewhere near Lübeck in northern Germany, juggling office work and preparing for my return to the south of France by the end of the month. It’s time to dive into some boat… Read More »Who is this guy? UTL Introduction
A Sailor’s Approach to Life Hello my friend,Earlier this year, I came across a saying for the first time that resonated deeply with me: “Sailors write their plans at low tide in the sand.” It perfectly captures my own approach to life. Over the past few years, I’ve been teaching myself to remain as flexible as possible. This doesn’t mean I don’t make plans or that I frequently change my mind. Instead, it’s more about… Read More »Why I am currently not sailing
An Exciting Episode of “Untie The Lines” Hello my friend,I’m thrilled to share this episode of Nike’s “Untie The Lines” YouTube documentary with you! Do you remember when I visited her in Mexico earlier this year? It feels like ages ago, but those were some unforgettable days of sailing. I already posted the first episode of Season 7 a while back, where Nike was deep into prep work, including her plastic project, In-Motion. Episode 8… Read More »2nd September 2024 – Untie The Lines crossing the Tehuantepec Bay
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… Read More »15th August 2024 – Elba, Corsica, Marseille
Hey there! 🌊I hope you’ve been soaking up some summer vibes and sunshine! Here on Elba, it’s been a busy mix of weather. Last weekend, we had a foggy, drizzly Sunday – more like a fuzzy Hamburg rain in fall than a typical summer shower.I made the most of it by staying below deck to work on my chainplates. I think I found a good solution and took a few photos that I’ll share with… Read More »11th July 2024 – untie the lines, season 7
Hey my friend,What a trip it has been! Mexico City, Frankfurt, Engelskirchen, Workum, Bonn, La Spezia, Elba, Capraia, and back to Elba.These were the destinations since my last post. It’s been a whirlwind of time shifts, sleepless nights, hours and hours in the car, and finally, sailing again.I haven’t started the refit of Santana’s chainplates and knees yet but plan to do that within the next 14 days. I’ll post a couple of photos or… Read More »26th June 2024 – back in the Mediterranean