Greece! After 9 days at sea.

After exactly 1628 Nautical miles, and exactly 9 times 24 hours, we arrived on Kos. My longest non stop trip ever, and despite the many rude awakenings, I would do it again no questions asked. Obviously the Swan 68 makes such a trip a lot more exciting than say a Bavaria cruiser, a Sun Odyssey or even a Halberg Rassy, but I would even have done it on a 30 foot sailboat (as long as there is an Epirb). The ‘Lady in Red’ is not your regular 68 Swan. She’s fully loaded with 15 Lewmar winches, the biggest one being a size 111 (see pic) and most of them being push button with three gears. There are two coffee Grinders (or pedestals) for buffing up your biceps underway or for use when racing. The mast and boom are carbon, and there is a set of Kevlar racing sails as well. Below deck you will find a dishwasher, a washing machine, dryer, ice maker, water maker, air-conditioning, stereo and TV, fridges, automatic toilets, etc… etc… obviously all carpentry is done in teak. Very Nice!

Does all this luxury lessen the adventure sensation? Well, maybe, but luckily we had a rope stuck in our propeller (you would be amazed of all the garbage you see floating in the middle of no-where) allowing me to go for a free dive at 7 o’clock in the morning (after 1 hour of sleep for I just finished my watch) in a 3000 meters deep swimming pool. With flippers that were too large, a snorkel and goggles that where to small, a rope tied around my waist and a leatherman® in my right hand, I took a deep breath and swam for the Maxi prop. While hanging on the prop, cutting the rope like a madman I couldn’t help to peak down into the great unknown. There it was. The Med, the sea I was used too, but vertically this time: a shade of blue that slowly gets darker and darker and is filled with aquatic animals. A priceless moment! Luckily I had ten other such moments, for I had to come up for air that many times. I had to hurry, an ocean tanker came our way and did not respond to hour radio call “please alter your course, we have a diver down!” What are the odds?

Need you sailboat delivered, moved, or you just bought one and have little experience? Send me an email. We’ll sail it together and I’ll teach you a trick or two…Or you have a boat and want to go round the world? Not alone? I might be interested… send me an email, besides sailing: all expeditions welcome! None of the above? Send me an email anyway!

Do you want to expand your sailing experience yourself? I built mine up using crew seeker websites.... They work! And remember… sail to travel. Don’t travel to sail!



p.s. Click on images to enlarge

Dolphins, Sea turtles, Whales and helicopters

The trip is very nice, we’ve been visited by dolphins at least two times a day since departure, and we spotted some blowing whales in the distance. A very nice big sea turtle of about 1.5 meters in diameter floated next to the boat as well. During my night watch, sailing close to the Sardinian coast the funniest thing happened. The weather was a bit rough, I was dressed in foul weather gear and the rest of the crew was sleeping. At one point I looked behind me, and saw a – what I thought to be – a sailboat closing in very fast. I clearly saw a hoisted sail and the port and starboard light (red and green). At first I thought it to be a hydrofoil Catamaran or something. I quickly grabbed the binoculars to get a positive ID. At first, no sails where to be seen, I thought I was hallucinating, clearly something was there. As it closed in, it appeared to be a helicopter, with its search lights on. It had me in its spotlights for about 5 minutes, hovering maybe 30 meters above sea level just next to the boat. I looked up, wondering who was looking down at me and why. I guess the where checking for illegal immigrants from Africa or so?

From Malaga to Mallorca

After exactly two weeks I find myself sailing back into the bay of Palma for the second time, this time on the ‘Lady in Red’ the nr 19 of the 68 Swan series. And although Mallorca is filling up with the world finest Superyachts because of the Superyacht cup to be held here next week, the Swan still manages to turn a view heads. And righteous so, she’s drop dead gorgeous. I would have contented myself with just a peak of the interior, and a walk on deck, but luckily faith has given me a lot more. If you have to do a sailyacht delivery, it might aswell be a Swan, right? We started the journey in Puerto Sotogrande (near Malaga) about three nights ago (about I say for I have lost track already), and are headed to the other end of the Med, Kos Greece. It is approx 1600 NM. We have planned to do it in about 10 day at sea without landfalls. Just a quick fuel fill up in Palma and off we go again. Funny detail, during the fill up I spotted Limitless; the worlds 10th biggest super yacht I believe it is, owned by Victoria Secrets (underwear!) founder.