25. August 2018
August was all about getting to know the cruising grounds around the Canary islands. We explored the islands of Gran Canaria, Tenerife and La Gomera and learned to deal with the sailing conditions between the islands, where the winds change in strength and direction more rapidly than we ever encountered before. In the acceleration zones between the islands, winds may suddenly increase with 10 to 15 knots and close to the islands it can be quite a challenge to sail with the squalls and calms....
10. July 2018
Today is July 10th, 2018: only 30 days left before traveling home, back to the life we have grown to love so much. Every day now it gets more difficult to keep our focus on feeling anticipation rather than feeling impatience. Anticipation being the feeling of being excited about something that is going to happen, or making that something happen in the near future; and impatience being the feeling of wanting something to happen as soon as possible & being annoyed by having to wait for it...
11. March 2018
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts; a quote often attributed to Winston Churchill, I am not sure if he actually did say this somewhere, but it resonates anyhow ;-). After three long Winter months in the Netherlands, towards the end of January, we finally got good news from Astilleros Lagos (the boatyard in Vigo): FARR-out was about ready to be set afloat again. Unfortunately her skipper was knocked out by the flu epidemic that was torturing...
12. June 2017
Spring leaves us feeling hopeful and optimistic about creating green light for sailing FARR-out into new waters. After much Winter contemplation, it is time for action this Summer: time to get her ready and find competent crew to make it to the Cape Verde and eventually cross the Atlantic in the Fall. After spending October-May in Marina Makkum and a last trip across the Wadden Sea, Dennis recently sailed her back to the Rotterdam area, where he has his work. The traveling distances over land...
31. January 2017
Mid-Winter and unlike our previous plans, we are still in the Netherlands, with its picturesque, dreamy landscapes, sure! We would not have minded a different landscape and some 20 degrees celsius more though . . . We went on another amazing adventure in the English channel to the Channel Islands this past September/October, one that makes us want to taste more. Since I joined in this dream of Dennis' back in 2014, I feel my life has been a roller coaster. I understand more than ever that we...