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
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,A short shout out from Mexico City. I am posting a longer recap some time next week.Currently we are on the journey to and then almost all the way through Europe. Karl is save on dry dock, Boga is in her Box and we are waiting for the flight to Germany.Tomorrow, on Friday we’ll arrive in Frankfurt then spend some days in Engelskirchen with my parents, then drive to the Netherlands on Monday and… Read More »23rd may 2024 – on the way to europe
Hello everyone,For those tracking my journey or receiving my automated Garmin messages via email (text me if you’d like to join), you’re already aware that we were anchored near Puerto Vallarta in a stunningly peaceful bay and have already crossed the Sea of Cortez by now. Life here feels like an eternal vacation, perhaps because it mirrors the leisurely pace of the other vacationers around us. By day, Boca de Tomatlan bay is a vibrant… Read More »7th may update – sail, anchor, work
Hey there, sunny greetings from Mexico!I’m not a fan of flying or overnight travel; time zone changes always throw me off. But, I had a compelling reason to jet back to Mexico. Last year, when I downsized my business ventures, I made a conscious decision to focus on coaching and exploring remote destinations. I was determined to bid farewell to the Mediterranean and set sail in the Atlantic, bound for the Caribbean. Now, I’m relishing… Read More »16th april 2024 update – sailing the mexican pacific coast (again)
Hey there, The year has barely started, and I feel like I am already well into it. And there is yet so much more to come. I am a bit cautious about announcing ambitious plans because last year really taught me a lesson on how differently things can go than expected. With that in mind, I am aware that things can happen, and I might change my plans. Having said this, I do have an… Read More »21st february update – plan for the year
Hey there, Wishing you all a fantastic 2024! I trust you’ve kicked off the year with enthusiasm. I’ve been deep in soul-searching and reflecting on the past year, and it’s taken me on quite an emotional journey. The text I’m writing has become a bit more extensive than I initially planned. Amidst all this, I’ve been immersed in boatwork, and I’ll be giving you an update on that while saving my psychological musings for the… Read More »patreon update – 9th january 2024
Hey there, It’s been a while, and I’m finally taking a moment on Santana, all by myself, to catch up on some office work. I had guests on board until mid-October, and then I went on a fantastic adventure through Southern France to explore the inland canals with my friend Nike from WhiteSpotPirates. Now, I’ve decided to hang around Bandol for at least another month, till the end of November. It’s kind of a big… Read More »29. October 2023 – update and future plans
As September waves goodbye, the summer of 2023 is winding down. I’ve already had my fair share of tussles with strong winds, and here in sunny Bandol, I’m soaking up the last rays of late summer. My Switzerland journey turned out much sunnier than I expected, but those mountains sure keep me on my toes. I had two main missions up there. First, I needed to clear my barn – the one that was home… Read More »09. September 2023 Boatworks and more
Hey, I wanted to drop you a quick update. The rest of August I stayed in Bandol, Provence, including heavy rain and strong winds at the end of the month. On September 1st, I decided to seek shelter in the harbor and extended my stay for the entire month, to be able to travel to Switzerland. When I left my house in Switzerland back in May, we had chilly and damp weather, which prevented me… Read More »7. September 2023 – Santana in Bandol and me in the mountains
Hey there, The boat life has resumed once again. The past month turned out to be more stressful than I anticipated, for various reasons. I spent the entirety of May in Switzerland, where I had to move out of and renovate our apartment. While there were a few sunny moments upon my arrival and departure, the three weeks in between were shrouded in dense fog and incessant rain. It felt as though I hadn’t glimpsed… Read More »11. June 2023 – back on the boat
I traveled back to Europe this week to finalize a few things so I can fully focus on Tanzania, the Lodge, and Django Tourswhen I return in June. Speaking of Tanzania… In my last post, I mentioned that after some back and forth, I decided to keep the house at Kilimanjaro. Originally, the plan was for me to take a more hands-off role with the house, letting my business partner run the accommodation on her own.… Read More »5.4.2023 update on the kilimanjaro guesthouse
Hey Patron, As promised in my last post, I’m sharing some photos from the amazing safari I took in Mkomazi National Park at the beginning of February. I’d always dreamed of going on a safari, but I wanted to experience it without the crowds—no competing with other tourists for the perfect shot. When I discovered Mkomazi National Park, a remote and lesser-known reserve, I knew it would offer the kind of unique and unforgettable experience… Read More »15.03.2023 a remote safari adventure in mkomazi nationalpark
WOW, it’s already March—how are you doing? When I posted my last update, it was early January, and I had just arrived in Tanzania. I was gearing up to organize a few things before my guests and friends arrived, but I ended up feeling a bit unwell for a few days. To my surprise, I had COVID again, just eight weeks after my first bout. It wasn’t too bad, but it caught me off guard.… Read More »Update from Kilimanjaro 2.3.2023
Hey Patron, The last month didn’t go exactly as planned. I installed Starlink on the boat and immediately set off for some secluded anchorages where I had no internet before. The idea was to enjoy a few peaceful days in solitude with clear skies, calm waters, and plenty of time for myself. The internet worked perfectly, and I was able to get work done while still having plenty of time for some wonderful hikes. It… Read More »marina, mountains, covid and tanzania
Hey Patron, I‘m back on Elba and Santana for a bit over a month now and I enjoyed late summer sailing and 🥾 hiking as it not that hot anymore. I often enjoy late summer/early fall and remember that I had a couple of wonderful late summers in Berlin over the years. The last years I was mainly in the Swiss mountains for October and often the summer thunderstorms had already passed through. The nights… Read More »summer of sailing
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
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 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 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)
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)