August 2nd, 2022 It’s been raining non-strop since yesterday. This morning only Woland signed for the run. I usually get up at 5:30, when he wakes up, walk him, feed him, prepare and drink coffee, do some work and go for a run at the beach. Once back I work a couple more hours before the … Continue reading Pukhet: broken routines, books, dog’s psychology
June 29th, 2022 I wasn’t sure about what to do with this journal. My last post marked the end of a chapter in my life; the few years sailing ANTARES in an elusive attempt to reach the Pacific. We started in Brandford Connecticut where I bought her in September 2013. From there we sailed in late March 2014 … Continue reading Ko Pha Ngan: Slocum and Woland
The story below was written in fragments during April and May of 2022. I finally put it together a couple of weeks ago while staying in the Island of Phuket. It is meant to give closure to my last passage. Paris, June 5, 2022 -------------- Northwest and southeast of point 12°03N / 67°38W extends a line of … Continue reading Loss
March 19, 2022 I am still here at St. Louis marina in Grenada. Everything took longer than expected and only today the last job was done. We are departing tomorrow, most likely bound to Curacao. We’re starting the trip well behind schedule and time is not on my side. I did some research and Curacao … Continue reading Grenada: last night
March 13, 2022 Washington was cold and I didn’t venture far outside the house. While Marina and Sofia were in school I was working, and at night went out for dinner. It was good to see them. I didn’t see anybody else, except Richard briefly one afternoon, and was in bed early every night. Still, … Continue reading Grenada: sleep disruptions and a short update
March 5, 2022 Morocco was uneventful; not much to write about. When leaving Tunisia I got back my mini drone and upon entrance in Rabat it went unnoticed. When departing though, I was stopped again by security, this time because of the sat phone and yellow brick I’m taking to the boat. After answering several … Continue reading Paris: Morozov, cornered rats, Bulgakov, Don Giovanni, the invisible object, and of course food
February 19, 2022 I’ve been here for two weeks, working. Although I do meet some government counterparts in their offices many meetings are still virtual and I connect from the hotel, the Movenpick in Gammart. So, I spend a lot of time in this hotel writing in the lobby (there is a couch I like … Continue reading Tunisia: missing stools, wrong man at the helm, failed spy, move on
February 1st. We moved to our new apartment 7 days ago; it was an uneventful, stress-free move. Everything we own has found its new place, including paintings that were hung on Wednesday and even Natalia’s shoes and bags. Over the weekend I also bought some new art: a beautiful elephant I found in the local … Continue reading Bangkok: new place and elephant; my hand and Hemingway’s advice; Annihilate; passage Grenada-Panama
June 23 We have converged to a sort of steady-state here, and only our daily routines give us a sense of time. Coffee soon after sunrise drank while checking e-mails; every other day a run to the other side of the island for a swim and workout (the whole thing takes around one hour); work … Continue reading KHo Mook: routine, cave, gallery of Babel, freezing and solar power for ANTARES
January 15, 2022 This morning we woke up to a beautiful sunrise. From our bed I could see the beach turning white, the sea slowly drifting south, the silhouette of a large canoe its anchor light fading, in the distance an island emerging from darkness and, behind, an arc of the sun. Natalia discovered this … Continue reading Ko Muk: escape, Explora, long-tail boats, ants, and ethanol.
Sailing to the Pacific in a Bristol 40 