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…
Category: General
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…
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…
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…
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…
Coinjock To Portsmouth
Monday, 12 May, 2025Another memorable day—the last stretch of the Intracoastal Waterway. Today’s leg would bring us to Portsmouth, right next to Norfolk, where the ICW officially begins at mile zero, marked by the iconic railroad bridge. But before we could enjoy that milestone, there were still a few hurdles ahead. One particularly tricky one—a bridge near our…
Pungo River To Coinjock
Sunday, 11 May, 2025With two of the three crossings behind us, today was the big one—the queen of the North Carolina crossings, Albemarle Sound. In fair conditions, it’s a peaceful, enjoyable open-water passage, stretching about three hours with plenty of room to breathe and take in the horizon. But in bad conditions? Uncomfortable at best, dangerous at worst….
Running On Adrenaline Pure
Friday, 14 March, 2025The open road—a 25-hour drive only interrupted by a few short power naps in parking lots and questionable gas station coffee strong enough to strip paint. At 8:30 AM, with the sun grinning down at us like it knew something we did not, we rolled into the parking lot of Harborage Marina in St. Pete….