After six weeks at sea, I arrive on La Réunion: rubbish, laundry, repairs. A visit from Marinette and hikes through lava fields and misty forests. Then it’s on again: 1500 miles across the Indian Ocean to Richards Bay, South Africa. Calms, fronts, cross seas, giant container ships and the dreaded Agulhas Current. Others do it in ten days, I take 19. Sail it like famous solo sailer Bernard Moitessier may have done it: No engine and take the weather as it comes.
6000 km Alone Across the Indian Ocean. 28 Days of Ocean Sailing, Christmas Island to La Reunion
6000 km solo across the Indian Ocean, from Christmas Island via Cocos Keeling to Réunion. 28 days without land, dealing with only small technical problems, calms and two heavy-weather fronts with waves over five metres. I spend five days sailing in strong winds and rough seas, heave-to for 24 hours and finally reach Réunion happily and proud after 3000 nautical miles alone on the ocean.
Birds, Crabs & Crisis. Sailing 1500 Miles from Australia to Christmas Island
1,500 nautical miles solo across the Indian Ocean: from Darwin to Ashmore Reef and on to Christmas Island. A loose shackle sends the boom swinging wild, the oil pump fails right at the reef, a squall snaps the spinnaker pole in two — and mid-ocean, the insurer drops single-handed sailors. In between: frigatebirds, boobies, noddies, turtles, and coconut crabs in one of the most remote corners of the planet. A voyage of wildlife, wonder, and on-the-fly repairs.
Broken Rib, Gale & Reefs: My 2,000-Mile Solo Sail to Darwin
A wild 2,000-mile sailing journey from Coffs Harbour to Darwin. Encountering storms, breaking waves, reefs, squalls, equipment failures and a broken rib, I push north along Australia’s east coast. From Brisbane and the Whitsundays to Cairns, Cape York and the Torres Strait, every mile brings new challenges. Darwin marks the end of one chapter—and the beginning of an even bigger voyage toward Europe.
Sailing gale. How? Technical and navigational issues
How do you sail safely in gale-force winds? This video covers storm preparation, heavy weather tactics and real-world cruising experience between 28 and 47 knots. Learn about reefing, wave patterns, close-hauled sailing, broad reaching, downwind sailing, squalls, preventers, heaving-to and survival tactics. Practical storm sailing advice from a solo cruising sailor aboard Reykja.
Headwinds non-stop: Why this crossing is so dreaded. New Zealand to Australia
A 1,200-mile sailing voyage from New Zealand to Australia turns into a race against time. Cyclone warnings, headwinds, rough seas, broken gear, and failed weather reports test two sailors on the wild Tasman Sea. Plans change from Sydney to Coffs Harbour. After 17 exhausting days battling wind and waves, they finally reach Australia—tired, relieved, and victorious.
Chasing Volcanoes. Solo sailing around New Zealand’s North Island
Two-thirds of North Island still lie ahead of me as I sail REYKJA through the volcanic heart of New Zealand. From tropical storms and broken gear to forbidden islands like White Island and the shores of Napier, this is raw solo sailing through fire, wind and tourists.
Treacherous Tasman Sea – Solo Sailing into Breaking Bars & Heavy Swell
Golden beaches, invisible fishing nets, breaking bars and chaotic seas. What begins as a quiet departure from Nelson turns into a hard solo sail along New Zealand’s wild west coast. Storms, gear failures and impossible decisions push Reykja north—until, at dawn, the Tasman Sea is left behind and the Pacific finally opens up.
The Roaring Forties at my heels. Sailing alone from Australia to New Zealand
Sailing from Tasmania to New Zealand – 1200 miles across the Roaring Forties. Three weeks of storms, calms, lightning, seasickness, technical failures and unforgettable moments with albatrosses and dolphins. The toughest but most beautiful passage of the last five years. Arrival in Nelson – without an engine, but with a boat full of stories.
Stuck! The struggle to bring REYKJA back into the water
A storm front and 35 knots of wind drive Reykja aground in Pilots Bay. Flooding, repairs, and setbacks in Launceston. But also, discoveries in Tasmania’s wilderness and environmental history in the southwest. With the help of great people, Reykja finally returns to the water. But the circumnavigation is stalling.