I submitted the book proposal this morning. I have a couple of papers to finalize but otherwise my days are starting to have less structure again. I’ve had some more meetings and conversations about job opportunities but there is still nothing concrete on the table. I am not missing work, at least not my old … Continue reading Beirut: uncertainty, coffee, Harley, and the next passage(s)
I m writing from my room at the house in Casa Blanca – Ecuador, where the girls and I are spending vacations with my family. My mother, father, and brother are here, so is my sister and nephew who arrived two days ago. We’ve found our routine. A lot of reading, very little work, movies, … Continue reading From Casa Blanca Ecuador – Antares @ the Boat Yard in T&C
At the end I didn't go. Why? I didn't sleep well Sunday/Monday night thinking about what to do. Antares' rudder tube -- where the steering quadrant connects to the rudderstock -- needs attention. A potential leak is developing, in part because the clamps around the flexible stuffing box are rusted and can fail. The likelihood … Continue reading Still @ South Side Marina
Antares is almost ready to go. But the question now is where ? The original plan was to sail towards Manzanillo Bay in Dominican Republic and from there follow the north coast to Luperon and, eventually, Puerto de Plata. But the weather is not cooperating. The problem is not as much the passage to Manzanillo; … Continue reading Indecision: DR, Jamaica, T&C?
Well, it seems I m going back to T&C on Wednesday for a solo passage to Luperon in the DR. I have my airplane tickets, my carry-on is packed, the new drone (Karma by GoPro) is ready in its, small, case. I'm just waiting for the dry food to close the bag where I bring … Continue reading From Turks and Caicos to Dominican Republic
Natalia and I landed in Providenciales on Friday April 9 after an uneventful journey that started, early that day, in Washington DC. We had checked-in a heavy-duty bag with the drone and electronics, and a new dinghy. Yes, a new dinghy, a 9 ft Newport with hard floors. At the end, the old couldn’t be … Continue reading Back to Turks and Caicos for a Short Cruise
I was glad to finally leave Georgetown. While Richard was at the helm slaloming around the boats anchored in front of the marina, I quickly set the course on the chart plotter, activated the Spot homepage, and sent the first “Ok” message. A large Russian yatch passed on our port side but nothing else. We … Continue reading Georgetown to Turks and Caicos (Part II)
It took me again a while to post an update about the last passage but here it goes, the first of the new year. I m writing from Same, a small town in the north coast of Ecuador, where I usually spend Christmas and New Years Eve. I came here from Turks and Caicos after … Continue reading Georgetown to Turks and Caicos (Part I)
Antares has been in Georgetown Exumas for too long. My daughters and I arrived there in late August 2016 and the plan was to go to Cuba in early November. It didn’t happen. I had to extend my cruising permit instead and it expires at the end of this year. I don’t have the choice, … Continue reading It seems we will be moving again; Turks and Caicos !
Again, a long hiatus in this Blog. It is not that I have lost the motivation or that the plans have changed fundamentally, it is just difficult to alternate between family, work, and the sailing project. Cruising full time is not an option for me, not yet. The alternative, iterating between Antares and my home … Continue reading Problems with Customs and some Maintenance Work
Sailing to the Pacific 