Hey lovely peeps,
Some of best moments are the the ones you don't plan for!
We have been struggling for the past 2 hours to pass Diamant Rock on our way to St Anne. The wind is not in our favour.
But it is an absolutely stunning day and there is hardly a cloud in the sky! 😀
And while we enjoy the stiff breeze the captain snapped this live shot. 🙂🙃
The captain caught me again - staring at the sea and forgetting about everything else for a few moments.
We were passing over a shallow ridge with a sharp drop and the water was so clear I could clearly see how the bottom of the sea rose before disappearing into the deep blue again just as I stood at the bow.
Sometimes it still gives me this eerie sensation when I imagine just how deep the sea below us is. I imagine SV CUBA floating above this massive expanse of water ...
2023-02-28 20:12:25 +0000 UTC View Post
Salsa has been hiding some footage from all of you. She wanted all of you to believe she is a pro on fuel transferring. Well she blows - Literally 🤣
2023-02-25 16:18:30 +0000 UTC View Post
For me as a German sailor, safety on a sailboat is a priority. But while we are sailing off grid, things are not always as simple as they seem.
In this episode, it seems, everything breaks. We have no working engine, no working dinghy and no working cake for my sailor girl…! 🤦♀️🤦♀️
Follow us on this episode of Sailing SV CUBA how we get our sailboat working again, invent an off grid fix for our dinghy and go WOW over Salsa’s Birthday present!
2023-02-23 23:09:22 +0000 UTC View Post
Living on a boat means, that a lot of my life happens outside. Come rain or snow, if SV CUBA isn't safe at anchor, we have to be ready on deck until our home is secure again.
Sometimes it can be tough. Waking up in the middle of the night to re-anchor while the wind is howling is no rarity.
But those challenges also force me to experience nature more fully in such a wonderful way. Seeing the sunrise over the horizon after a rough night at sea and the wind calm once a s...
2023-02-21 17:03:04 +0000 UTC View Post
What are the challenges in our daily life on a sailboat? Before and even after we drop anchor, boat life can come with a certain set of difficulties.
For our life onboard we need to find water. Long distance sailing also requires us to get fuel on our sailboat and what happens when there is too little wind? Plans can be made but we cannot control the weather. And even once we anchor in a protected anchorage, we are not always safe from a sudden, severe storm.
Follow us on SV...
2023-02-17 00:19:43 +0000 UTC View Post
It's been almost a months since we arrived to the Caribbean and slowly we are finding our feet in this new and exciting sailing ground. There just seems to be this one thing that we still getting used to: The Time! 🥴
After our 4 hours shifts at sea my time rhythm is still pretty messed up and this week I just kept forgetting what day it is.
I guess I am still being ship-lagged 😅 or is it boat-lagged?
With that interesting word-jumble I wish you a wonderful ...
2023-02-16 06:36:29 +0000 UTC View Post
We want to thank SV Cordelia for lending us their GoPro today to shoot this picture, so we can share it with you!
Yesterday we are anchored in Grand Anses, Martinique but during the week it is not allowed to stay in the area on the hook. But we found an abandoned mooring! Wohoo! 😃🥳
So, we woke up this morning and dug out a little yellow buoy that we found in Malta. Enrique wanted to get rid of it, but I always thought it might come in handy one day – and it did! 💪💪 2023-02-13 17:04:23 +0000 UTC View Post
I said to Sarah while filming this episode that every sailor needs a girl onboard for endless reasons: girls are funny, wonderful skippers and very responsible. For sure most would make a better Captain than me! I might just be on the way to be replaced. 🤪
Sailors like booze, no? well Sarah can strap a watermelon to a winch while reefed, blowing 24 knots and still make you a smashing cocktail...(ofc non-alco because we are responsible sailor... And when it comes to docking the boat s...
2023-02-10 15:10:48 +0000 UTC View Post
I had such an amazing time those first few days arriving to Martinique. It's like I hadn't stood still for months and months. Since we left Alicante in Spain it has been such a rush.
And then suddenly, we were here! So, what better way to celebrate our crossing than to watch the sunset while enjoying the warm water?
We were so happy indeed that we took quite a few photographs. So, I thought I post another one from that beautiful day, just before we were surprised by the craz...
2023-02-08 16:50:02 +0000 UTC View Post
You think sailing can be thrilling? Sometimes boat life even at anchor can be scary! Storm & Lightening - mother nature threw a spectacle for us this week on Sailing SV CUBA as we anchored near one of the most dangerous islands in the Med.
In this episode, we leave our sailboat at anchor for one of the most amazing experiences of our lifetime – a climb to the peak of a volcano, at night. 🙈😀
Yet soon after things turn for the worst, and we are hit by a massive lightning...
2023-02-05 04:02:19 +0000 UTC View Post
We were about to upload our latest Episode for you when it finally stopped raining.
Quick now! Because for days we wanted to get some footage of this Beautiful place we found. Buit just as we arrived back at SV CUBA, the authorities asked us, and all the other boats to leave the anchorage.
Oh dear, so this meant finding another place to drop our hook. That’s easier said than done but in the end we managed to find a small anchorage right in front of the Capitol City!
And no...
2023-02-03 21:14:12 +0000 UTC View Post
After 19 long days at sea, I couldn't wait to finally jump into the water again. Out on the open ocean, I just didn't dare to go for a swim. It was tempting but we had been told by other cruisers that they spotted a rather large shark circling their boat for some time on their crossing. And overall, it is not the smartest thing to go for a swim in the middle of the Atlantic.
So, when we finally dropped the hook in Martinique, I couldn't wait any longer. Even though the day was gre...
2023-01-30 21:12:57 +0000 UTC View Post
We are sailing to a truly spectacular place. A unique island that made a name for itself around the world. But before we can anchor and step foot on this truly amazing little isle, we have a long sail ahead of us and make a stop along the way. We manage to wedge our sailboat between many others in a rather crowded anchorage. The very next day we are out on the water and the sails are up. Now it is only hours to our next sailing destination: The lighthouse of the Med!<...
2023-01-27 22:05:51 +0000 UTC View Post
It's done! Just a few days ago I ticked off an item from my bucket list, that I never thought would be on there: The Crossing of an Ocean!
What an incredible experience it was! 19 days of nothing but sheer endless blue water and blue skies.
Even though we had prepared CUBA for many years for this immense leap, it was not certain until the very last minute if we would actually be able to pull it off.
So, until we lifted anchor and hoisted the sails, I hadn't even found the ti...
2023-01-25 03:37:56 +0000 UTC View Post
After a sail that lasted longer than expected, we finally anchor at an island feared by seafarers.
Though difficult we find a small protected anchorage that we share with a few other sailboats. The bottom at this area does not have the best holding for boats to anchor overnight, but we find a reasonably safe spot.
Follow us on this episode of Sailing SV CUBA as we discover what the island has to offer and get surprised by some rather bad smells. We go exploring by dinghy and durin...
2023-01-21 22:58:00 +0000 UTC View Post
We are beaten, salty, tired & sleep deprived, but over the moon and exited to share our new Caribbean adventures with you guys. We make these videos for you and because of you. Thank you for being there for us.
Love Sarah and Enrique 😍😘🥰
2023-01-20 01:15:53 +0000 UTC View Post
As I am writing this, we are only moments away from lifting the hook and sail across an Ocean. Quiet honestly, it still did not sink in on me as I still have so many things floating in my head. We had to prepare ourselves and the boat but there wasn't a quiet moment to reflect on what we are about to do.
So, while we still prepared physically and all our safety is taken care of, I do feel a little like going head over heels into an ocean crossing.
But this is just how ...
2023-01-13 15:59:01 +0000 UTC View Post
As you know, we are currently in the middle of the Atlantic. At the moment we are probably busy plotting our course, checking the weather, and keeping a lookout for other boats. On passages, we usually do 4 hours shifts, with one person being awake and one person resting.
But while we slowly but surely sail towards the Caribbean, I did not want to leave you without a little insight of what a calm day on the beach looks like. 😊😊
Honestly, I cannot wait to arrive on the other ...
2023-01-05 19:59:01 +0000 UTC View Post
And just when we thought life couldn’t get better at anchor the captain said, it’s time to lift the hook and keep sailing west!
For more than 2000 years, there has been a tradition in this part of the Thyrennean Sea. It is a battle to capture the King of the Strait.
What once were sailing boats, can now only be described as rare vessels and we were privileged to witness one of the only 10 boats left.
Join us in this episode of Sailing SV CUBA to find out more about this ...
2023-01-04 23:00:01 +0000 UTC View Post
We want to wish you a Merry - belated - Christmas & you and your loved ones a wonderful start to the new year! May it be filled with happiness, laughter, and sunshiny days! 🌻🌻
Whether you celebrate quietly or throw a party to welcome the new year, we hope it will be a beautiful and unforgettable time!
By tomorrow, we will have ventured beyond the sounds and sights of fireworks. Yet, hopefully, in less than 18 days we have arrived in Martinique! ⛵
We have schedule...
2022-12-30 11:28:02 +0000 UTC View Post
Wow! Finally, all the preparation is done and we are ready to depart on our biggest adventure yet!
It is still such a surreal feeling that we will leave land behind in a few hours and next time we see the coast again will be in Martinique.
It's been an absolutely crazy past few weeks! Hopefully, it will be a smooth ride but we will tell you all about it, once we arrive on the other side.
Lots of love,
Salsa
2022-12-30 01:39:40 +0000 UTC View Post
In this episode we got 2nd time lucky & anchor in what for us is paradise.
In contrast to our last anchorage, this one is the ideal one for a sailor. Boat life could not be better for us: Everything is within easy reach, and only a dinghy ride away. Since we could not provision our sailboat in our last episode, this time we manage to get everything we need close by and cheap!
The views of this place are breath taking, but to make it here, we had to sail through one of the busi...
2022-12-28 23:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
When this picture was taken, it was warm, sunny, calm and I felt inspired.
I am now about to cross the Atlantic and it will be cold, dark, rough and ... I don't really know what I got myself into... 😅
But I know I will arrive to the new year in the Caribbean and it will all be worth it!!
Lots of love!!
Salsa
2022-12-26 01:33:35 +0000 UTC View Post
It has been a crazy run up to Christmas for us but we are finally – almost – ready!
We want to wish all of you wonderful Christmas, a Happy New Year and thank you from the bottom of our heart for you support and for being part of our journey!
For our big crossing we will only need to provision fruit and veggies now, get drinking water and scrub the hull.
We spend a lot longer in Cape Verde than anticipated but life just goes a little slower on the islands.
Ju...
2022-12-25 20:50:40 +0000 UTC View Post
Time to lift anchor and get out! This week we are anchoring in what seems like a paradise for a sailor but it’s not! Boatlife in this part of the Mediterranean Sea may look like a dream but in reality, it is far from ideal.
Even though the region is beautiful for sailing, everything in this town requires a climb up. No stores for provisioning or such are within easy reach. Once we made the ascend, we are looking for a hungry sailor restaurant to treat ourselves to one single carbonara...
2022-12-22 02:00:51 +0000 UTC View Post
As I am writing this post, we are almost ready for our biggest leap yet. So far, we did not even have the time to let sink in what this really means.
It’s been quite a rush making it to Cape Verde on time and when we arrived, we dove right into the preparation to spend up to a month at sea. It’s a crazy thought - a month without seeing land…
Yet as a sailing nomad, it is easy for some things to become almost normal. The prospect of crossing an ocean is one of them. For the p...
2022-12-17 13:47:08 +0000 UTC View Post
Wonder how we spend a 24 hour sailing passage as a nomad couple at sea? This is a day in the life of our off grid lifestyle.
In this episode of Sailing SV CUBA, our 46ft sailboat takes us on a passage from Malta to Sicily where we are trying to anchor before nightfall. We have absolutely no wind but that doesn’t mean there are no sailing incidents.
Once things are sorted the crew decides to go swimming in the middle of the sea. Next thing we know, we anchor and check in into Ita...
2022-12-15 05:37:39 +0000 UTC View Post
For all my life I loved the outdoors. At every opportunity, I ventured out to explore. What started with hiking and cycling tours that lasted from dawn till late at night turned into extensive paddle-boarding expeditions once we moved to southern Spain.
And while we still lived on land, we hardly ever spent any time at home. Whenever the conditions were right, we’d pack our boards, drive down the coast, paddle until our arms gave up, and then took the bus to drive back to where we’d...
2022-12-10 18:02:03 +0000 UTC View Post