As The Season Fades

Monday, 3 November, 2025

Today was haulout day. The kind that sneaks up on you even though you’ve circled it on the calendar and talked about it for weeks. We knew it was coming, but still… when the marina crew rolled up at 8:30 sharp, it hit us. That’s it. We were already up since 6:00, hauling the mattress…

Boatshow Cruise – Day 5

Monday, 6 October, 2025

At 03:00 sharp, the mooring ball decided to audition for a percussion solo, loudly banging against Koko’s hull. So much for a peaceful night. I climbed outside and shuffled forward in my pyjamas, wind slapping me awake better than any espresso. I found Koko jammed straight against her mooring lines like a dancer caught mid-spin….

Boatshow Cruise – Day 4

Sunday, 5 October, 2025

Today’s Mission Impossible—and we chose to accept it—was to check out the latest ice cream place Bob had recommended when he learned we’d be stopping in Cambridge. Only snag? Bob’s geography is a bit loose. The ice cream shop he recommended is in Oxford. Not the one in England, but the one tucked into the…

Boatshow Cruise – Day 3

Saturday, 4 October, 2025

We woke up this morning with the luxury of time, thanks to yesterday’s strategic planning, which had put us in prime position for a quick hop to Cambridge. No rush, no alarms, just sun on the deck and breakfast in hand. And let me tell you, Aldi’s sour cherry marmalade deserves a round of applause….

Boatshow Cruise – Day 2

Friday, 3 October, 2025

The snowbirds are on the move. You can tell. It’s early October, a regular Friday, barely a whisper of wind, and yet the water’s busy like it’s a Saturday in July. We were tucked away in our quiet corner of Sellman Creek, just us and the ospreys, but peek around the little island to the…

Boatshow Cruise – Day 1

Thursday, 2 October, 2025

We woke up to sunshine so bright it felt like the boat had drifted into a postcard overnight. No need for long debates or breakfast. Today was a sailing day, and we were already halfway packed in our heads. Quick showers, a bit of rummaging to change Koko from marina mode into sailing mode, and…

Fit-ish at Sea

Tuesday, 16 September, 2025

So 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…

Empty Nester Cruise – Day 2

Saturday, 13 September, 2025

We had started this ‘Empty Nester’ mini cruise with the kind of plan that’s best described as “vibes-based navigation.” No rigid itinerary, no grand ambitions, just a loose idea and a boat full of snacks. Last night’s wind forecast was basically a shrug from Mother Nature: 1–3 knots for the next few days, so we…

Labor Cruise – Day 3

Wednesday, 3 September, 2025

We only had a quick hop today, just under 15 nm back to the marina. Since our grand return home wasn’t scheduled until tomorrow, our only mission for the day was to glide into the marina before 17:00, just in time to give Koko a sip of diesel and a much-needed holding tank pumpout. That…

Labor Cruise – Day 1

Monday, 1 September, 2025

After 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,…