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.
Videos
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.
Bushwalking Dominica’s Jungle. The Video
Almost nobody knows Dominica. That makes this Caribbean Island an “insider tip”. Half of Dominica is supposed to be rainforest, jungle. There are active volcanoes. Steep mountains. And a trail. You can walk the entire island yourself. This is my outdoor project: I will bushwalk Dominica’s jungle.
Sailing alone across the Atlantic Ocean. The video
My first Atlantic crossing. I am alone on the 12-metre REYKJA, a 35-year-old steel yacht. I am sailing from La Palma, Canary Islands, directly to Domenica, Caribbean. The distance is 2790 nautical miles, more than 5000 kilometres. It takes me 24 days.
Experiments with tradewinds sailing. The video
Just under six days sailing alone across the Atlantic. It’s 500 nautical miles, 900 kilometres. At first the waves are high. When they calm down, I can experiment. How can I sail in a trade wind? Deploy the two headsails? One headsail and the mainsail? Only one headsail? I find a setting that convinces. And then I have to make another big decision…