When we first set out cruising, one question that kept coming up was whether we should carry a second anchor. Weekend sailors easily get away with one, but once you start roaming further afield and staying in places where the holding is questionable, the weather unpredictable, or the seabed downright mischievous, a backup anchor stops…
Author: mhof
Fit-ish at Sea
Tuesday, 16 September, 2025So here’s the deal: apparently “sailing” doesn’t count as exercise. At least not according to my primary care physician, who every time I proudly announce that my fitness routine consists of hoisting sails and dodging boom swings, grins like he’s just heard the punchline of a dad joke. “Markus,” he says, “I know your kind…
Labor Cruise – Day 1
Monday, 1 September, 2025After watching the Labor Day weekend madness unfold from the safety of our slip, we figured Labor Day Monday would be the great exhale. The crowds would thin, the anchorages would clear, and the bay would return to its usual laid-back self. So we ditched the dock life and cast off late morning. No plan,…
Wind In Our Sails
Thursday, 21 August, 2025Sailing the Florida Keys wasn’t only a scenic escape. It was a masterclass in courage and self-confidence. From St. Petersburg through the Everglades and the Keys, and up to the Chesapeake Bay, we navigated unfamiliar waters, made real-time decisions, and trusted our instincts. It reminded me of the very essence of my previous job in…
The Smell That Spells Weekend
Friday, 15 August, 2025Coffee is a strange love. If we’re being honest, black coffee is sharp, bitter, almost abrasive. It’s not the liquid luxury we imagine in glossy ads unless you smother it in milk foam, caramel syrup, or sugar so thick it could stand a spoon. Yet here I am, looking forward to it every morning, as…
Upper-Up Cruise – Day 5
Thursday, 7 August, 2025Today was one of those “we should probably head back” kind of days. Appointments tomorrow, real life calling, and the marina whispering sweet promises of pump-outs and diesel top-offs. But hey, just because we had to go home didn’t mean we couldn’t squeeze in some proper sailing first. Forecast said a stiff breeze in the…
Unlearning The Good Life
Sunday, 3 August, 2025Anchored in the Chesapeake Bay at sunset. No luxury resort, no curated itinerary, no overpriced restaurants, no designer cocktails or status-symbol coffees—just a sailboat, still water, and the kind of quiet beauty you can’t buy. And this isn’t a vacation. It’s just life. Our life. Real happiness doesn’t look like what we’re sold. It’s not…
Koko’s Got A Mascot
Wednesday, 2 July, 2025Big news—we’ve got a new crew member aboard Koko. Meet Kokole. Kokole is a stuffed gorilla with a winning grin and an appetite for adventure (and bananas). A gift from Dennis and Emma, she didn’t bring sailing credentials, but she brought an irresistibly friendly smile—and the kind of cheeky charm that makes you hide the…
Sorta Sailing Again
Wednesday, 2 July, 2025We finally peeled away from the dock again this afternoon, two months after arriving in Rock Hall. It felt like forever. Rolling in from home and reaching the marina by early afternoon didn’t leave us with much time; just a few hours to get out and sail before the day slipped away. There was almost…
Full-Foil Keel
Thursday, 12 June, 2025One feature on our boat that never fails to stir up strong opinions is the full-foil keel—a signature design element Island Packet Yachts are known for. People either love it or raise an eyebrow so hard it might fall off their face. It’s one of those designs that doesn’t sit quietly in the middle. It…