The Real World

“Modern man in the big cities is like a captured animal. We have all the comfort and food we need, still we are bored. But because we live among millions of equally bored people we do not notice the gloom. Only occasionally do we meet a surviving free spirit and wonder why he is so happy. It is not comfort which makes me happy.”  –  Sven Yrvind
 

We invested a wonderful two weeks on Lanzarote in the delightful company of fellow local liveaboard expatriates Sam and Terrie. The Euroballgames were on, a bizzare spectaculum whereby seemingly sane apes of the species sapiens rally around a flag they were assigned due to sheer geographical coincidence at birth, and huddle in front of their teleprompters to watch 22 select hairdos prance about a pretty lawn. When in Rome do as the Romans do, they say, and, accordingly, we invested a few weeks living by their panem et circenses [bread and games] recipe to keep […]

By |2018-03-13T00:15:40+00:00July 1st, 2012|Categories: Uncategorized|0 Comments

Return to Tatooine

“What surprises me most about humanity is man. He sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies never having really lived.”  –  Dalai Lama
 

A long winter of hard work and no play nearly made this humble narrator a dull boy. Barry R turned up a full month early to help bodge the boat up to ocean travel standards. And turn the aft cabin into a fully fledged orgy platform. My local friend Sandra helped redo the name on the stern with a stencil. And we mounted some solar panels. And my neighbour Klaus gave me a lovely rotting rib, which should do us for a season or two. And we […]

By |2018-03-13T00:26:32+00:00June 7th, 2012|Categories: Uncategorized|0 Comments

Crossing Mar de Alboran to Melilla

“Yes I am a pirate,
two hundred years too late
The cannons don’t thunder,
there’s nothin’ to plunder” 
–  Jimmy Buffet – A Pirate Looks At Fourty
 

Playing around with the kite cam – best toy of the season no doubt 🙂

By |2018-03-13T00:28:52+00:00May 11th, 2012|Categories: Uncategorized|0 Comments

Mar de Alboran wins

“You will do foolish things, but do them with enthusiasm.”  –  Sidonie Gabrielle Colette
 

Abortive attempt at crossing the Mar de Alboran Aguadulce (Almeria) – Melilla.. Gale force winds from wrong direction. One angry pond the med was that day..

By |2018-03-13T00:31:07+00:00May 4th, 2012|Categories: Uncategorized|0 Comments

Journey impressions + Cabo Gata bonus bit

“We are Achaians coming from Troy, beaten off our true course by winds from every direction across the great gulf of the open sea, making for home, by the wrong way, on the wrong courses. So we have come. So it has pleased Zeus to arrange it.”  –  The Odyssey
 

Last tour video for the season – promised! With Viktor, Eric, Saskia, Antofny, Timo, Maria, Reini and Clelia (footage) – thanks for playing 🙂

By |2018-03-13T00:32:44+00:00November 21st, 2011|Categories: Uncategorized|0 Comments

Snorkelling trip to Cabo Gata

“It was the Law of the Sea, they said. Civilization ends at the waterline. Beyond that, we all enter the food chain, and not always right at the top.”  –  Hunter S. Thompson
Holiday from our holiday – week at anchor near Almería 🙂

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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

By |2018-03-13T01:10:37+00:00November 19th, 2011|Categories: Uncategorized|0 Comments

Tired of waiting

“Once freedom has exploded in the soul of a man,
the gods have no more power over him”  –  Jean-Paul Sartre
 

The Portuguese postal service was taking its time, but pretty Ayamonte turned out to be rather enjoyable, especially after we’d activated some local couchsurfers. The plutocrats on a neighbouring motor yacht kindly gave us some tuna and what may have been bonito, which promptly resulted in a long-overdue sushi orgy.

We were soon joined by Maria “Norwegian person” J, who turned out to be an excellent addition to the crew. We finally set off for Cadiz, sailing most of the way, anxious to make it for the Friday night outing. On our way in, one of the drive belts failed, and I spent an hour swearing and sweating in the engine room. We finally landed at 0400, but were all too knackered for the disco.

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The journey towards Gibraltar a few days […]

By |2018-03-13T01:37:31+00:00September 27th, 2011|Categories: Uncategorized|0 Comments

Sunset off Cadiz

“Perhaps life is just that… a dream and a fear.”  –  Joseph Conrad

By |2018-03-13T01:39:07+00:00September 4th, 2011|Categories: Uncategorized|0 Comments

A Hard-Knock Life

“Live well. It is the greatest revenge.”  –  The Talmud
 

Many moons have passed since the last update, I hear some people were even wondering if we were still going. Well, reports of my death are an exaggeration, as Mark Twain said – I was simply too involved with the project.

But let’s start from the beginning. The last crew of Walde, Elin, and finally Kenny departed from Figueira da Foz, leaving me to my own devices. I crammed all the gymming and relaxing into the first week of my stay until Marco “el subcommandante” G turned up, who very kindly lent me a few days of his time to install a few beds on the boat. He brought with him Italian cuisine, taught me a few phrases in his native language, and generally turned out to be excellent company. Thanks Marco!

Later that week, we were joined by charming Jo G. I bought a moribund […]

By |2018-03-13T01:54:02+00:00August 31st, 2011|Categories: Uncategorized|0 Comments

In defense of the glorious amateur

“The white men are landing. Cannons! Now we must be baptized, get dressed, and go to work.”  –  Rimbaud

Having received some fanmail, I decided to make up a quick response. Find the full message below.

“couple of young tourist guys jerking off along the sunny coasts of europe,drinking beers partying and blaring of with such confidence, trying to finance a cruise with others money and help.Spontanious decision making and comfortable ports to repair,(an excuse to drink and show off),thank goodness for the trades.Think you that you are the first to do this trip?When you wake up and require help seriously get a pro on board and pay.In the mean time have a good one while it lasts.”

Dedicated to fanmail dude for inspiring me 🙂

By |2018-03-13T01:45:20+00:00August 27th, 2011|Categories: Uncategorized|0 Comments