Hey, Have you been finding time to get outside and enjoy some strolls? I managed to spend three weeks in Switzerland this August. Of course, a few projects popped up as always, but aside from that, I got to visit some amazing spots with friends in Berner Oberland, Valais, and Graubünden. It was a bit funny, leaving Santana with Johanna in beautiful Elba while I headed back to Switzerland to roam around the mountains—something I’ve done plenty… Read More »vacation at home
Hey there, I’m spending some time in the Swiss mountains, enjoying the fresh air. Last weekend we were in Wallis, next weekend we’ll be in Zermatt, and during the week we’ll be in Graubünden. It almost feels like vacation—though I somehow still manage to pile up work on my desk! There’s also a huge backlog from the past two years, as things were moving slowly, if at all. How are you doing? Are you able… Read More »Kilimanjaro Lodge
Hello my friend, As romantic as Monte Cristo looks in the distance, most of my days are anything but. But I rarely take the time to fully notice them. After going all in to get everything done in Switzerland and prepping the boat for summer, a mountain of work piled up on my desk. While working on the boat, I signed a new client, which has been a very welcome financial boost—boats certainly aren’t cheap!… Read More »July update from Santana
Good morning everyone, I’m slowly pulling my head out of “installation and repair” mode and wanted to give you a quick update on the past few weeks. At the end of last month, I cleared and closed up our mountain chalet “Heidi.” Then, in early May, I traveled to Elba to take over Santana. After that, I started my journey back north, spending a few days in Liguria, some time in Switzerland, and then headed to… Read More »Update on Boat & Office work
Good morning Patron,I’m back in Switzerland and finally back on track! For some reason, I was sick for a week when I arrived in Elba, and again when I returned to Switzerland. Though I know what happened the second time—I had baby twins visiting, and they brought some baby germs along as a gift!Unfortunately, both weeks hit me with heavy headaches, so I had to limit my screen time as much as possible.Today, I want… Read More »Elba impressions
Hey Patron, Thank you for still being here with me. It’s been a busy summer so far, and I haven’t managed to write to you in the last few weeks, but you’ve been on my mind all the time 😉 I’ve been catching up on a lot of things that piled up over the past year, especially when it comes to my boat, which has definitely felt the lack of attention. ElbaAh, the joys and… Read More »Update from the islands…
Hey there, My tiny boat didn’t take well to my Corona-forced absence. It was leaking both top and bottom, and some of the wood was at risk of damage. The mast, in particular, lost most of its varnish, and a few cracks have appeared. I spent most of June and early July on Elba, keeping myself incredibly busy. Between working on Santana—Boris’ 35-foot Hallberg Rassy, which we’re getting ready to take guests sailing—and getting Simplicity back into shape,… Read More »getting the boat in shape
Hey, I hope you’re doing well and that the end of the year isn’t too stressful for you. I wanted to take a moment to share a beautiful sunset from Levanto, where we spent some wonderful days with new friends. I’ve just returned from Elba, and let me tell you—I made it there just in time. You can read the full story in my Patreon-only blog here: Simplicity of Happiness Logbook #20191216. To give you a quick rundown, I… Read More »sunset in levanto & logbook 20191216
Hey there, I’m writing to you from our mountain house, Heidi, here in Switzerland 🇨🇭. We’re enjoying the last week before the snow arrives and making the final preparations for winter. The first snow is expected this weekend, and soon the road to the house will be closed until April. Since we’re also getting our new apartment near Interlaken next weekend, we’re making the most of the access we still have to move things while… Read More »patron update – 5th november 2019 (last months update)
Hello my friend, I’ve left the boat in Elba for the winter, finding a cozy spot in Marciana Marina. We battled the winds trying to make it to Corsica, but ultimately decided to put the Corsica project on hold—it was becoming more stressful than enjoyable. As you might have noticed, I haven’t even had time to edit any videos for you yet. Last week, I prepped the house in the Swiss mountains for the upcoming… Read More »fullmoon in sahara
Hey there, The sails are still up, and we’re moving along—just much slower than we ever expected. Since leaving Sainte-Maxime, we’ve had almost no wind, and when it does show up, it tends to vanish halfway through the journey. At least we’ve managed to avoid any major thunderstorms… well, except for one yesterday. But we reached our anchorage just in time with all sails down, and it was nowhere near as intense as the one… Read More »patreon update – 24th august 2019 (slow sailing)
Hey there,We’re back on the water, and I wanted to share some of the highlights from the last few days with you. We ended up staying a bit longer in Sainte-Maxime, waiting for the Mistral to pass. Once it did, we set off with our hand-stitched sails. I’m not sure when—or if—the sails will tear again, but one thing’s for sure: the stitches we did by hand aren’t going anywhere! There’s something satisfying about investing… Read More »patreon update – 9th august 2019 (sailing again)
Hey, We unintentionally put our little wooden boat to the ultimate test in some of the roughest conditions yet! The ocean has been relentless lately, with either massive swells hitting the shore or powerboats sending waves our way, rocking us like crazy. As a result, getting enough sleep to stay energized has been a bit of a challenge. We ended up staying longer than planned in Bandol after finding a spot with minimal swell. Afterward,… Read More »patreon update – 29th July 2019 (storm proof)
Woohoooo! What a whirlwind of a month it’s been! Even though I didn’t get the chance to update you in real time, I’ve been thinking of you every step of the way. I’ve recorded tons of videos, taken plenty of photos, and had some deeply powerful coaching conversations along the way. The boat is ready and waiting for us in the bay of Bandol (it even survived 100 km/h winds at anchor with just the… Read More »patron update – 30th june 2019
Hey there, It’s been a while since my last update, and things have been quite busy. Busy in the sense that I’ve managed to get a lot done, but also busy dealing with relentless winds and constant waves that kept the boat rocking. Whenever the sun decided to show up, I took the chance to get some office work done, though I had to retreat to a coffee shop most days. Even recording this little… Read More »patreon update – 18th may 2019
Hey there, Thank you so much for sticking with me. These past few weeks have really pushed me to the edge of my comfort zone, and I’ll be sharing more about that in upcoming posts. I’m finally finding the time to sit down at my computer and get back to writing. For now, I just want to send a huge thank you for your support. Your encouragement has been a big help in keeping me… Read More »coffee time on board
Summer might be over in Bandol, but I’ve finally made it here, and it’s just as beautiful as ever. I haven’t had the chance to upload a video yet, but I’m planning to do that next week. It’s been an intense stretch—3,300 kilometers on the road so far, with another 2,500 still ahead as I’ll need to swap cars again. The exciting part? I’m planning to splash the boat next week, so stay tuned for… Read More »Bandol
While my boat patiently waits up in the North/East, I recently spent a week in Corsica, exploring whether it could be the perfect place to spend next summer. Spoiler alert: it absolutely is. Corsica is even more beautiful than I imagined, and contrary to my online research, I discovered plenty of wind-protected bays with excellent anchorage grounds. Now, the challenge is getting my boat there. I’m still unsure if it will sail without some modifications,… Read More »patreon update – september 25th 2018
Hey friends, I recently arrived at my little wooden boat, and to be honest, I wasn’t quite sure what to do next. It took me some time to figure things out, and I wanted to settle on a plan before sharing the news with all of you. This summer has been brutally hot and dry, which isn’t great for a wooden boat, as you might imagine. The wood had started drying out and I knew… Read More »no sailing, yet
