The flow of cars in Charles Helou highway, which our apartment oversees, never dries-out; neither late at night, nor before dawn. Like in a river, there are changes in volume; sometimes the flow almost stops and spills over the side roads. But the vehicles are always there, the sound waves of their engines aggregating into … Continue reading Beirut: Ride, Traffic, Wine, and Entropy
My main achievement today was to update this site. I added a "Menu." It sounds simple, but it took me a while to understand how WordPress works. I did it because the blog that was documenting my travels with Antares is evolving into something that resembles more a journal; which I need to have. … Continue reading Updating the site, another Blog, aperitif
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 am slowly settling down. The apartment remains almost empty; our furniture, I estimate, is now in the middle of the Atlantic. I give it at least two weeks before we have our “stuff” in place. I miss my white chair the most, our bed second. I already see that not everything will fit, including … Continue reading Beirut: Second week
Natalia, the two dogs and I arrived yesterday afternoon. She has a new job here and I, after eighteen years at the World Bank, will be looking for something new to make a leaving. Hopefully something that will give me more time for sailing. For now, we are loving the new apartment and the neighborhood, Mar … Continue reading Moving to Beirut
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
Sailing to the Pacific 