I have sailed more than half around the world to Launceston, Tasmania. This video is about marvelling around in my destination. Off course I go sailing afterwards. I’m aiming for a long passage to Tonga but end up in Sydney. Not quite by choice.
sailing alone
Gale or Sturm?
Gale is part of the risk while sailing the world. Gale guarantees clicks on YouTube, surrounds the sailor with the aura of a hero. No wonder this word is used so often. But if you really get caught in a gale, it changes the ship and the sailor massively. ‘Sturm’ is wind with a speed … Read more
Finally my dream comes true: Tonga to Tasmania
I started 2020 from Fehmarn, Baltic Sea. My vision: to cross the Atlantic and the Pacific, then up the Tamar River to Launceston, Tasmania. Like Joshua Slocum, the first solo sailor around the world, 124 years ago. But then came Covid and restrictions everywhere. I wasn’t able to cross the Atlantic and had to move to the Mediterranean.
But now I’ve almost made it. I’m in Tonga. It’s 3000 nautical miles, 6000 kilometers, to Launceston. This video is about the last leg of a long crossing: three years, two oceans, one destination.
Reefs and Volcanos. Sailing alone across the Pacific Ocean. Part 4: In Tonga
Can I sail a reef system with wind alone and without a motor? How does it feel to cross submerged volcanoes that reach up to 30 meters below the surface? My route: from Samoa to Niuatoputapu and the Vava’u archipelago in Tonga.
Gale and doldrums. Sailing from Bora Bora to Samoa
Life goes differently than my planning. Actually, I wanted to sail to Penrhyn, the northernmost Cook Island. Instead, I end up in a Doldrum area, a stationary zone with no wind. New plan, new course. And instead of doldrums, now gale is predicted. Will I find shelter in the middle of the open Pacific? Or do I have to go through it? My route: from Bora Bora via Suwarrow to Samoa, in the middle of the Pacific.
Sailing alone across the Pacific Ocean – Part 2. French Polynesia under sail.
Intact islands, stunning landscapes. In the middle of the Pacific. This is the best country I have seen – so far. I meet friendly people, search for weathered tikis, marvel at enigmatic fish and screeching birds. And learn how to navigate the atoll: strong currents in the passes, nasty coral reefs in the unmapped lagoon. My route: From Hiva Oa in the Marquesan archipelago to Tahiti, Fakrarava and Tikehau in the Tuamotu archipelago.
Sailing alone across the Pacific Ocean. From Panama to French Polynesia
My longest blue water trip so far; 35 days at sea. I am sailing solo on Reykja, a 35 year old steel yacht. It goes through the Panama Canal to Hiva Oa, French Polynesia. The distance is about 8000 kilometers. This part of the Pacific is remote, I don’t see a single ship during the whole time. But many other things.