June 2018 – Friends, we made it to the hurricane-safe(r) waters of Bonaire!  After weeks of motoring east into the wind (more on that below), it was a gratifying change to steer Contigo on a southwesterly course and get help – not hindrance – from the incessant easterly trade winds.  We completed a 4-day / … Continue reading East on a Beat

April/May 2018 – Two days ago, we completed our 36-hour crossing of the infamous Mona Passage – that's more than famous – and motor-sailed along the South Coast of Puerto Rico, making use of the island's small night lee.  We timed our arrival in Ponce for daybreak, but found ourselves at the harbor entrance a good hour … Continue reading Dominican Adventures

March 2018 – We made it to the DR, having made landfall last Saturday morning in the small protected harbor of Luperón on the northwest coast of the country, 45 nautical miles east of the border with Haiti. We opted to skip Turks and Caicos - which we'd visited by air several years back - … Continue reading Llegamos a la Republica Dominicana!

January 2018 – This year, we are thankful that our post-holiday blues are primarily (not exclusively... we'll get to that in a second) characterized by the beautiful waters around us: teal, cerulean, navy.  In addition to their splendor, the shades of blue and green also help differentiate suitable sandy patches to drop anchor from treacherous … Continue reading “Hove-to” in Georgetown

December 2017 – We are cruising the Bahamas! After a (thankfully) uneventful crossing of the Gulf Stream from Lake Worth, Florida, we made landfall at Great Sale Cay in the Abacos on the third of December, and have been basking in island sun ever since.  Six months into our sailing adventure, we were averaging less … Continue reading First Taste of the Islands

November 2017 – We continue to plug along Southbound at a blistering (walking) pace and have now made it to Ponte Vedra, Florida, where we are spending Thanksgiving weekend with Karl's cousin Alejandro, wife Vivi, and their three lovely kids, to whom Karl is godfather to the youngest, Massimo.  In general, cooler and shorter days … Continue reading ICW Adventures

October 2017 – The year's busy hurricane season continues to be a planning factor, reminding us (to use an oft quoted trope) that cruisers’ plans are best written in sand... at low tide. We had intended an offshore run from Montauk to Cape May, but Jose's lurking about the Atlantic encouraged us to continue due … Continue reading Southbound!

September 2017 – We are back in Essex, CT – how time has flown since we were last here in early July! After our third overnight from Portland, ME to Provincetown, MA, we had another spirited sail across the Cape Cod Bay, stopped in Marion, MA for a home-cooked meal (thank you Sharon & Robert!), and … Continue reading Return from Maine (Part II)

August 2017 – We are in Portland and our time in Maine is quickly coming to an end – but it’s been full of great experiences, so we thought it best to break up our recap into two parts!  First, a bit on how we chose our cruising route around Maine.  The Penobscot Bay in … Continue reading Two Dragonflies (Maine, Part I)

July 2017 –  We would like to think that we are settling into our new lives as liveaboards quite nicely.  Moments of panic on the boat are less frequent, or at least when issues present themselves, we are better (but still not great!) at separating what is cause for serious and immediate concern vs. another … Continue reading The Vineyard and Family