30
Jul
2025
Winter Storage

Winter Storage

Freshly rested and full of new energy, we return to Mabul from our vacation in Colombia. But in addition to beautiful memories, we also bring back a far-reaching decision: after three intense, exciting, and at the same time exhausting years, we need a longer break from life at sea to finally find peace again. So the Pacific Ocean and the Panama Canal will have to wait another six months until we and Mabul are ready for the next adventure. To prevent further mishaps, we decide to park Mabul in the dry dock of the Panamarina during hurricane season – at least there she can’t sink herself. The coming weeks will therefore be dominated by a special task: putting our sailboat into winter storage in the tropics.

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02
Jul
2025
The Vacation

The Vacation

After several hot and strenuous months in the mangroves, filled with countless boat projects, it is finally time for a brief break. We leave Mabul behind almost rushed after finishing the last bits of work, hop on a plane, and start our boat break in Colombia. We land in Pereira, and soon after, charming Salento pulls us in. Big travel plans? Nope. The only thing that’s certain is that in two and a half weeks, we’ll fly back to Panama from Medellín – what happens in between is up to adventure.

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13
Jun
2025
The Mangrove Months

The Mangrove Months

Before finally passing through the canal into the long-awaited Pacific Ocean, there is one last short stop on land. The very last Panama Canal boat preparation. The worn-out cutlass bearing needs to be replaced again, and above all, the cause must be permanently fixed. Since we have been anchored in Linton Bay for weeks anyway, the decision is clear: Mabul will be hauled ashore at the nearby Panamarina, we will rent a room with air conditioning to keep the mood bearable, and we will do what needs to be done.

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25
Apr
2025
Stranded in Linton Bay

Stranded in Linton Bay

We reach Linton Bay in early February – we have no idea that we will be stranded here for much longer. But staying in one place for longer also has its advantages. You get to know the people on the boats and on land. These people and their stories are particularly interesting in Linton Bay – and in many cases also quite weird.

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23
Jan
2025
The sinking island of Gardi Sugdub

The sinking island of Gardi Sugdub

Last summer, a story went through the world press: «Klimawandel: Bewohner verlassen Insel in Panama», was the headline on ARD and «Gardi Sugdub: The Americas’ disappearing island» was the headline on the BBC. A sinking island is forcing its inhabitants to look for a new home on land. The island is called Gardi Sugdub and is located in San Blas, the autonomous territory of the Gunas, in Panama. An island paradise of more than 350 islands. Is Gardi Sugdub, the crab island, now deserted? Perhaps it has already sunk, we ask ourselves and set course for the island.

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27
Dec
2024
A rearranged triangle relationship

A rearranged triangle relationship

Back on Mabul! Time for a brief review.

2024 is the year when everything changes again. It is also the year of a boat timeout. When we arrive in San Blas in Panama in January, we think we’ll be sailing through the canal and across the Pacific with our friends from SV My Motu shortly afterwards – but we don’t. Alex has nightmares for nights on end and constantly dreams of our rig failing. We listened to his gut feeling and stayed on the Caribbean side – as it turned out later: with good reason. Here is our review of 2024.

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15
Dec
2024
Boatjobs on the hard

Boatjobs on the hard

Boat projects hurricane season 2024 part 2

I have spent six weeks on home leave – time with family and friends in my home country of Bavaria and in Switzerland. After such a long time, I was particularly pleased to see Karin again. For weeks it was just phone calls and messages, and now we’re finally in the same room again. No screen, no time difference. Simply real. But I’m also experiencing absolute culture shock at being back in Western society after such a long time at sea. I can’t really cope. Reintegration? Not so much. I haven’t been to Germany in any significant way for over five years, so I see everything from a new, unfamiliar perspective. Above all, the nature with mountains, mixed forest, lakes and rivers is simply incredibly fascinating. Then, after beautiful and exhausting weeks, it’s time to say goodbye again. We part ways again and I return to Panama, to Mabul, to start the dry dock projects in the hurricane season 2024.

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13
Oct
2024
Jungle Boatjobs

Jungle Boatjobs

Boat projects hurricane season 2024 part 1

Our 2024 sailing season ends earlier than expected because Mabul breaks down every time we try to leave Panama. Well, I had put the Panama Canal on ice, but when trying to sail to the Bahamas, Mabul just soaked up the water in the anchor locker until it sloshed into the cabin. After I had repaired the damage in Cayos Albuquerque, I went straight back to the dry dock in Panama because of another problem, only to discover after four weeks of intensive work that the rudder bearing had significant play. Colombia? Nice try… Mabul wants to go back to dry dock. So she stays in Panama and I get to work on the boat projects for the hurricane season 2024.

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12
Jul
2024
Guna Yala

Guna Yala

San Blas – The Mystical Paradise of the Guna

From Providencia, we’re cruising 270 nautical miles to San Blas, Panama. The archipelago consists of over 350 islands and islets and is governed by the indigenous Guna people, who call it Guna Yala. We clear into Panama on the main island, El Porvenir, and pay our contribution to the autonomous Guna authority. Porvenir is tiny, with little more than an airstrip and a few houses. While clearing in, one officer is mowing the grass while the other stamps our passports. Here, everyone does a bit of everything.

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21
Jun
2024
Charming cocaine island

Charming cocaine island

On the nautical chart, you’ll only see Providencia if you zoom in very closely; that’s how tiny and charming the cocaine island is. Although Providencia belongs to Colombia, it’s much closer to Nicaragua. Here, traditions are upheld, and mass tourism is nonexistent. In 2020, a hurricane nearly devastated the island’s infrastructure, yet the islanders didn’t complain; instead, they considered the hurricane a blessing.

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