USA to The Bahamas My hopes for a good sleep did not materialize. I fell asleep as soon as my head touched the pillow because of the previous sleepless night. Then a strange noise entered my dream as if water was splashing somewhere nearby. I ignored the noise unwilling to wake up and drifted back […]
Nassau, The Bahamas, March 2022 Read More »
I had not left home for almost 5 months since October. There was a plan to go to Sudan in December 2021 and it spectacularly failed. I easily got a Sudanese visa that looked like a good omen for the trip. In order to visit the Sudanese consulate in person, I bought a ticket with
USA to The Bahamas, March 2022 Read More »
EPILOGUE So, my sailing trip got terminated early. I suspected that it might happen, mainly because of my unseaworthiness, and had a Plan B. My destination was Europe regardless of the transportation means with the final stop in Bulgaria. It did not matter how soon or late I would get there or by what route.
The Caribbean, April 2021 Read More »
On board of Elli Di The six of us, after the meeting, made another attempt to prepare for the Atlantic crossing. While the others worked on a shopping list of the necessary supplies, I took all first aid kits on board and emptied them on the cockpit table, then threw away expired medications, googled names
Phillipsburg, Sint Maarten, April 2021 Read More »
Marigot By next morning, Wednesday, things calmed down. When we got up, everyone had a different goal in mind. Presumably, the catamaran was leaving on Thursday although she was not a bit readier than the day before. Anna wanted to spend ashore as much time as possible since she may not see land for weeks.
On board of Elli Di, Saint Martin, April 2021 (continued) Read More »
On board of Elli Di In the morning on Tuesday, the 27th of April, Anna and I went to see Fort Louis in Marigot. It’s a short but steep climb up to what’s left of this once mighty fort, completed in 1789 under St-Martin’s then-governor Jean Sebastian de Durat to protect the settlement of Marigot
Marigot, Saint Martin, April 2021 Read More »
Marigot My understanding is that captain defines it all on the boat. Yachting sounds like a dangerous business. Lives of everyone on board depend on captain’s skills and personal qualities. Therefore, captain should be experienced, capable of making right decisions in tough situations, and well-organized. This was the minimum set that I expected from captain.
On board of The Elli Di, Saint Martin, April 2021 Read More »
Saint Martin I woke up in the middle of the night because water was dripping on my face. Did I forget to close the overhead porthole before the rain started? No, it was closed tightly. I felt around the porthole. The rain water seeped in from under the rubber seal strip that was supposed to
Marigot, Saint Martin, April 2021 Read More »
Barbuda to Saint Martin Skipper Konstantin had a couple of friends in Saint Martin. One of them was Marina who lived there permanently on her yacht. She kept to herself and I did not have a chance to meet her, although indirectly, she became part of this story later. The other Konstantin’s friend was Pavel.
Saint Martin, April 2021 Read More »
Antigua & Barbuda The catamaran left Barbuda at 1 p.m. and we got to Saint Martin at 3 a.m. It was a long day with little to do while sailing except for watching the waves and eating. The rolling seas did not affect me this time. I could not tell if it was the lasting
Barbuda to Saint Martin, April 2021 Read More »
