Hey there, fellow wanderers! We are Markus and Bettina, the crew of S/V Koko, and we have decided to complement our land-legs with a pair of sea-legs. Welcome to our little corner of the online world, where we will occasionally share some of the wild, hilarious, and (hopefully) awesome moments from our adventures on the…
Why Naming Her Koko?
Monday, 2 December, 2024Naming a boat is no small task, especially when you consider the practicalities of communication over VHF with bridges, other boats, and the coast guard. We wanted a name that is short, easy to understand, and simple to pronounce and spell. But beyond practicality, we wanted a name that holds personal significance for us. After…
Adventures In The Making
Sunday, 8 December, 2024As we begin planning for what we hope to be a fun maiden season with our sailboat, S/V Koko, we feel a mixture of excitement and, well, a bit of nervousness. Why nervousness, you ask? Because our planned trip is less about the destination and more about embracing the unpredictability of cruising—something not even the…
The Shortcut That Wasn’t
Tuesday, 17 December, 2024As we dive into planning our cruise from St. Petersburg to Rock Hall, the first major decision lies before us: how to navigate from the west coast of Florida to the east coast. By car, one would simply drive from west to the east in a straight shot, rather than making an extensive circumnavigation south…
How To Round Florida’s Southern Tip
Wednesday, 18 December, 2024In our previous post, we outlined that the Okeechobee Waterway is a no-go for our journey. Instead, we are setting our sights on rounding the southern tip of Florida. With that come some interesting options for our journey. Option 1: The Dry Tortugas Picture this: a group of small islands 70 miles west of Key…
Inside Or Outside
Monday, 23 December, 2024As we prepare for our upcoming cruise along the Gulf Coast and the East Coast of the US, we will face an interesting decision each day: should we go inside or outside? Going inside means traveling along the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), a protected route that winds through rivers, bays, and canals parallel to the coastline….
A Furry Navigation Helper
Saturday, 28 December, 2024Had a very curious and furry little helper this afternoon while plotting the course for the next leg of our sailing journey: Benny—Jenny and Gabe’s kitten who came visiting us over the holidays—took his role as my assistant very seriously. His contributions included swatting at the cruising guide, pouncing on the iPad, and napping on…
Florida Shakedown Adventure
Tuesday, 7 January, 2025Greetings from our frozen northern exile! The countdown to our Florida escape is on, and we could not be more excited to swap snow boots for boat shoes. Sure, we are eager to ditch the snow and freezing temps for Florida’s… well, somewhat less freezing but still shiver-worthy weather. More importantly, we are very much…
Koko Gets Her Wings Back
Wednesday, 8 January, 2025Yesterday was a bit of a wrestling match, but we finally managed to jam every last bit of boat gear into the suitcase. With the zippers holding steady, we headed off to the airport this morning, ready to get moving. I actually showed some maturity this time by wearing real socks and sneakers instead of…
Puzzle Day
Thursday, 9 January, 2025On this first full day of our Sarasota trip, we were ready to dive headfirst into boat life… right after a long and well-deserved sleep-in. Our goal for the next two weeks is to settle into Koko steadily, with everything in its rightful place, just like back home. You know, the kind of living where…