Look ahead

When we planned our home leave, one thing was clear, to return to our boat as soon as possible. A vacation was out of the question anyway, as the "to do list" was far too long. In addition, the aggravation of the Corona situation made it very difficult to meet friends and acquaintances. Also the meeting with the family is still only conditionally possible, even impossible due to Corona suspicions, which all turn out to be negative. Since we always stay only a limited time in Germany, the aspect "missed opportunities", gains a whole new meaning. At least the above mentioned list could be worked off as far as possible and our book "Was ist eigentlich mit unserer Weltumseglung?" ("What actually happened to our circumnavigation?") could be finished. It is now available in stores, as e-books and paperback. The book describes the first part of our journey through the Mediterranean.

New book at Glenswelt

An astonishing realization that has emerged for us in the process of coming to terms with the past is that, even in the case of events that were perceived negatively at the time, we now also see positive things, some of which are even in the focus of our attention. A wonderful quality of the human consciousness, which lets us look forward. Perhaps also hope for all those who are stuck in the Corona impasse and are so slowly fed up with the "no-alternative" measures propagated by politics. Incidentally, for me the word no alternatives is already the unword of the year 2021 and shows only one thing, the helplessness of our political leadership, because one thing I learned out there, there is always an alternative. Either one is too lazy to look for it or not intelligent enough to find it. Both can have fatal consequences on a sailboat, so search until you find it. At the moment our politics seems to be in the search phase, unfortunately obviously far away from an intelligent solution. Maybe we should start looking for an alternative politics, because we have learned one more thing out there, too long lasting lack of alternatives only creates bigger challenges. Just mentioned in passing.

Parcel delivery in italian style

In the meantime we have used the comfort of a postal address and ordered various equipment. Among other things, in addition to the already existing shortwave connection, we will soon be able to establish a satellite connection for receiving weather data and sending an emergency call on the high seas. This will provide us with additional security for our upcoming Atlantic crossing. We also take advantage of the micro-seminars offered by our club Trans-Ocean and have already participated in some online. This offer can also be used by crews who are on the sea, which makes the work of the association, in the seminar area, even more effective. A great thing as we find.

Ascha, Snowman (in the middle), Gaby

Despite the Corona crisis, we are dependent on maintaining our social contacts if we cannot expand them. Our project must be, as they say in new German, "promoted". Maybe we are not as dependent on this as some younger crews who have put their project on a shaky financial footing, but it still helps us if even modest income is generated. We can't do that if we don't talk about ourselves and present ourselves. That's why we take advantage of the framework, which is severely restricted by regulations. Sorry Mr. Kretschmann, that we do not follow your line, but that you will ever belong to our supporters, I dare to doubt strongly and in this relation I remain old-fashioned and keep it like my grandma, who always said to me "Help yourself, then you will be helped". We experience a completely different support these days, with our acquaintances and friends. The encouragement and recognition that can be heard from the conversations cannot be emphasized enough as support. It helps us immensely to hold on to the goals we have set ourselves and for this we would like to thank them very much. Of course, it helps even more when you, like us, come along a bit undernourished.

Redwood trees planted in 1870 in Welzheim forest

After a hard hike in the Welzheimer forest, covered with snow and ice, we will keep the roast lamb with "Rotkraut" and potatoes, in lasting memory. With pleasure we tell our story and are glad about everybody who wants to hear it. We will use the remaining time and look ahead with thoughtfulness and personal responsibility. In this sense we wish, as always, fair winds and keep a stiff upper lip.