This is a summary of the second season 2020-2022.
- Out of the frypan and into the fridge…. from this to THISAfter leaving the womblike warmth and humidity of Curacao in mid September, we have had to wrap up and toughen up for Autumn in Sweden. The crisp mornings, piercing afternoon breezes, cosy candle lit evenings, and saunas are as far from the Caribbean as one can imagine. The contrast gently reminds us to appreciate the …
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- Landlubber’s Life“Oceans apart, Day after day, And I slowly go insane….” This 80s ballad by Richard Marks succinctly describes many of our recent land bound months. Travel restrictions, particularly Australian border closures and arrival caps put us exactly here…. oceans apart, day after day….. and you know the rest. After leaving the boat and converting our …
- “A ship in port is safe. But that’s what not ships are built for.”(unknown) Hello from sunny Curacao! We have returned a year on, and hurrah hurrah, Almazul is back in her natural salt water habitat. We left chilly Sweden just as the temperature began to dip below zero and have quickly grown accustomed to living simply, working with our hands, and drinking our body weight in water …
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- Finally! Gone with the Wind…“Land was created to provide a place for boats to visit.”(Brooks Atkinson) And we have finally managed to leave Curacao. (But more of that later.) Rigging holdups delayed our departure for Colombia, so we plugged away at the boat work and made our own fun as we went. Drumroll…. we got our mast on! However …
- Gracious, vivacious Colombia!We made it to South America! A ripping sail featuring big waves, strong winds, and heavy seasickness delivered us to Santa Marta, Colombia after finally departing Curacao. Our first sail in 15 months certainly cleared the cobwebs, but did not quite warm up the (my!) sea legs. Sighting South America from the sea was a …
- Panic (swimming) in Panama!Hola! We arrived in Panama after a convoluted and interesting journey from Cartagena via the beautiful and (apparently – but not,) deserted islands of San Blas. Visiting the San Blas archipelago was definitely a change of pace from bustling Cartagena, and our first chance to enjoy the usual joys of anchoring. For the first time …
- Pacific perspectiveOur peregrinations in Panama continue, but no longer in Caribbean waters. The Panama Canal provided safe passage to the Pacific Ocean, and here we remain. Since leaving the quirky, touristy and beautiful archipelago of Bocas del Torro we have roamed through some stunning parts of the country including Escudos de Veraguas, Panama City, and the …
- Costa Rica – I can see clearly now the rain has gone…Pura Vida from Costa Rica! Pura Vida is a greeting used frequently in Costa Rica, and directly translates as “pure or simple life.” It’s a nod to the way Ticos live; no stress, no fuss, and happy with what they have. No one dwells on the negative. This ethos pretty well sums up the warm, …
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- “Country roads, take me home, to the place(s) I belong …”I am writing this from Sweden on the eve of our return to Panama and Almazul. For the past 6 months we have been on land, and here follows a brief summary. Upon leaving Costa Rica we hot footed the 200 odd nautical miles back to Panama, rounding the notorious Punta Mala safely. An enduring …
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