Just 4 weeks after the disappearance of Mr. Max, again the 10th but this time February, there was a bit of a situation here. Janis turned up in a shocking state : I’ve got no idea what had happened, where it happened, nor why she came to me. Fact is Read more…
Exactly a year ago (it was the 10th of January 2021) Mr. Max disappeared and I still don’t know what happened. I went to bed around 2 am and he was purring happily full of love when I said good night to him. Around 5 am he went out for Read more…
Guess what? Although it would have been nice and easy for me, the story wasn’t over with Janis moving her babies out (read more about this here: Janis and the refugees) The boat to where she moved her little ones was a steel-boat that caught fire some years back when Read more…
It happens from time to time that some of the furry 4-legged friends (dogs and cats) come over to find a temporary shelter or, as it happens, to sort a temporary food-situation. Nobody abuses the hospitality, so we’re all okay and happy with it. This time everything was different. It Read more…
We were at Joao’s workshop. The place was crammed with buoys, lines, tools, all kind of fishing-equipment, a little TV-set humming away in the corner, a sweet little puppy and both neighbor’s cats and somehow there was still some space for a set of tables and something to sit on. Read more…
Sometimes things go wrong. This time it was us, a very good friend of mine and me. It started at 3 o’clock in the morning and honestly, I haven’t got a clue why things always have to go wrong at 3 o’clock in the morning. At the time a lot Read more…
Or how to stay safe and happy Heard too many tough stories and warnings about the Portuguese west-coast and getting a bit nervous about sailing along this coast? Don’t, but you’ve got to treat it with respect! There’s a few simple rules that will help you to get it Read more…
This part of “Lockdown” is about Liveaboard- or Cruising-Sailors and the problems they are confronted with concerning COVID-19. First, let me explain what a “Liveaboard-Sailor” or “Cruising-Sailor” is, so we both know what we’re talking about here: In general it’s people living on a boat, many of them without a Read more…
Today I would like to tell you about two groups of people who live a very different life. Like everyone else they are affected by the virus and governmental regulations in fighting the spread, but with very different impacts: Fishermen (Lockdown I) and Liveaboard-Sailors (Lockdown II). Looking back in time Read more…
It was towards the end of February 2020. A lovely sunny day but the wind felt icy. I was walking the street where my workshop is, on my way to our little Harbor-Bar to have a coffee. It’s always a nice break, a tiny social thing and of course I Read more…
I haven’t got a clue where to start. So much has happened in these nearly 18 years, how can I make this long story short? I’ll try: Not all of it happened together with Tonga. I’ve done some sailing with other boats too. And not everything was done by boat. Read more…