It’s been, again, a while since the last time I updated this journal. I had a couple of busy months since my return to Beirut after the summer. Work took me to Ryad, Frankfurt, Washington DC, Algiers, and Peru where I spent my 50th birthday (and was robbed). Christmas and New Year’s Eve I was in Ecuador … Continue reading Salinas, Puerto Rico to BVI or St. Martin — January 2020
Beirut, 29 September 2019 Things look a bit calmer in the Caribbean Sea and I hope they remain this way. Antares and I have been lucky. On August 25th, one day after Dorian was born as a tropical storm east of the lesser Antilles, Marina Salinas sent a warning e-mail; check the storm and … Continue reading Hurricane Season, Rides, and a Dalio
August 18, 2019 This post is late due to problems accessing the blog. _____________ I am writing from Tessalonikky Greece. I came with Natalia for a couple of days to meet her parents who are on their way to Parea, a beach-town just a few miles north. I left Salinas, Puerto Rico, almost two … Continue reading Reflections About an Aborted Passage
August 5, 2019 I realized yesterday that it had been more than eight days since I left Ecuador and moved to Antares. The 8-units package of Starbox instant coffee, which I had opened early in the morning the day after I arrived to Ponce - Puerto Rico, had only one little bag left. As … Continue reading Salinas PR
July 31st, 2019 I am back to Ponce. Have been here since Saturday 27th. First provisioning and preparing the boat, then just waiting. A mild anxiety comes and goes, and is hitting a forte today as my departure becomes imminent: tonight after midnight. I was supposed to depart yesterday night but Chris Parker discouraged me … Continue reading Ponce once again
July 18, I have been in Ecuador for almost one month, most of the time at the beach in Casa Blanca. My mother and daughters are also here. Natalia left a few days ago. It was our anniversary but we both forgot. Father, brother, and son arrive on Friday. Although it is already the … Continue reading Casa Blanca – Same – Ecuador
June 19, 2019 This time I’m witting from the cock-pit, with the sun behind. Antares is facing south and I am facing the trade winds, which are blowing, making the sound of an oboe. We are not sailing though, we are on the hard. Antares was hauled out yesterday morning. The impact with the USO … Continue reading Ponce
June 12, 2019 I crossed the Mona passage yesterday. It was a long, long crossing. Winds were never above 13 Kts and most of the time between 8 and 11, but the swells/chop came from stronger winds somewhere else. Big chops and little wind is not a good combination. I had to make long tacks … Continue reading Punta Cana – Las Pargueras
June 9, 2019 I'm writing from Marina Cap Cana, still in the DR. This was not part of the plan but after hitting what seems to have been a reef yesterday at around 3am, I didn't have the choice. After two days at marina Puerto Bahia preparing the boat, yesterday (June 8) I got my … Continue reading Samana – Grenada (#1)
June 5, 2019 I m writing at a coffee shop in Moscow airport. I left Beirut yesterday night bounded for Dominican Republic where Antares is waiting. Alas, no direct flights. Not even with one stop somewhere in Europe. Instead, two stops: one in Moscow and one in NewYork. I m going back to DR for … Continue reading South Arabia, Madagascar, and a Short Cruise from Puerto Plata to Samana DR (March – May 2019)
Sailing to the Pacific 