For the fourth time Loading Michael of “Out-the-world” for a photo Parade. In six categories should be his most beautiful pictures of the second half 2016 imagine. A great idea, when we liked were always there and this time we want you not withhold our best pictures of the past half year.

Animal

Love this category and I hate both. Animals are one of my favorite designs and accordingly many are the images, which have accumulated in six months.

So I have chosen the beautiful and colorful parrot for this category.

but the beautiful butterfly and the impressive Bald Eagle I did not want to hide from you :-).

Famous

During our visit to Washington, we may see many famous buildings, But the Washington Monument in the light of the setting sun has particularly impressed me.

Grown

At issue “Grown” I first thought of an image with plants, until I remembered our visit to the stalactite cave in Luray. I especially like this with the reflection in the crystal clear, underground lake.

At night

In the botanical garden of Norfolk, I captured this great atmosphere, which pleases me of my night pictures best.

building

Natürlich habe ich das Bild für diese Kategorie bei der Durchsicht meiner Bilder aus New York gefunden. Direkt vor dem Grand Central hatte man eine tolle Aussicht auf der Crysler Building.

favorite picture

Dieser Sonnenuntergang in Maine ist mein Lieblingsbild aus dem zweiten Halbjahr 2016. Ein wunderschöner Platz, der es wert ist, besucht zu werden 🙂

Eine kleine Zugabe: nature

Dieses Herz ist mir auch in Maine über den Weg gelaufen. So ein Motiv hält die Natur nicht oft für uns bereit 🙂

I hope, dass Euch unsere Bilder des letzten Halbjahres gefallen haben. Wer mehr sehen will, braucht nur einen Blick in die Bildergalerie zu werfen. Die Ostküste der USA ist sicher eine Reise wert 🙂

Uwe and I knew from the outset, to travel to Santa Marta would be a test. Shortly before Santa Marta it did come in really big for us as we had passed the Cape in the north. The wind increased from 30 Knots on violent 40-50 Knot abruptly. We have the foresail furled quickly and are just the mainsail in the second reef in 3-4 gerauscht meter high waves confused our goal counter. I really had to keep all the difficulties CESARINA on track and the violent gusts of up to 50 auszusteuern node. But at some point we had reached the bay and decided against Santa Marta, to drop anchor in front of the Marina, and calmly consider, how would we go.

It already looked scary to see from, with what power the strong wind was tearing at the cleats and linen webs yachts. Again and again our wind indicator showed a value of 46 Knoten an! We checked the weather forecast and saw, that it should not be better but rather worse the next day. So there was no other choice. We had to go in there!

After we 15 Minutes are circling in the harbor, we got our berth at the end of web e assigned. Now it was about the sausage! Backward against the wind in the box and then also just before the stone wall at the end of the basin. It was clear to me, I would have only one attempt, to maneuver CESARINA in the gap. On the other hand, the wind would have us to be very threatening.

So I positioned the ship at an angle of 70 Degree front of the box and then gave back full throttle. The so-called wheel effect pulled the rear then the rear elegant and perfect to port in an arc in the gap in. After 2 Minutes was CESARINA then laterally to the web and Uwe mastered perfectly his job, to position the mooring lines in the right places. Am Steg already waited several friends and Dockmaster. Most seem to have been impressed(I believe), was as confident and calm the maneuver expired. This challenge we had so mastered.

In the evening there was something powerful to drink and we were celebrating our first together and successful trip. It may like to go to Australia. On Wednesday 18. January, will then go on towards Panama!

About 10:45 It was finally said “Jump in the middle” and CESARINA unescorted from its case on the web J Rodney Bay Marina in the harbor basin. Our friend Wolfgang from Regensburg, of his journey from Venezuela to St. Lucia had unexpectedly lost the mast, waved us so long afterwards, until we reached the narrow channel to Rodney Bay. For our “Commodore”, as we called him friendly, was visibly sad, us go to see and for us a Exhilaration, to be allowed to leave the harbor residence after five weeks. Today at 12:00 should the adventure “World ARC Rallye 2017” Start by launching finally.

Promptly at 12:00 Uwe steered our CESARINA over the line south towards Castries, capital of St. Lucia. Behind Castries it was yet to pass another line, Before then all 27 Yachts of the fleet their direct course of 280 ° to Santa Marta, Colombia docked. In Castries a horde of boats with the team by World Cruising Club and photographers waited, to say goodbye to the fleet and to send on the trip. While we with a boomed with Genoa on starboard and determinate mainsail to port 7-8 Node gen Colombia rustled, grabs the team of the World Cruising Club already the case for the flight to Santa Marta. An important part of the rally, that at each of the venues around the world, Employees of World ARC supervise the Floote and we e.g. to authorities, mooring, excursions, organization, etc.. support.

In the evening then the hunger contacted us. Now the hour struck by Uwe. So far he was obviously very impressed by the many lines, Winschen, all the technology and the huge sea with its high waves in his place in the cockpit. He sails on his 43 Foot yacht for many years mostly on the Baltic Sea, but this number here on the Atlantic is a completely different league. Uwe had already cooked potatoes the evening before, which he processed into very tasty fried potatoes in the pantry using all his strength. In the heat below deck and the extremely violent rocking ship, it was certainly not an easy task. It was a bit too much for him at first, because I was allowed to enjoy the potatoes alone. Der Hunger war ihm jedenfalls vergangen 🙂 Was bin ich froh, einen guten Koch an Bord zu haben.

Nach der allabendlichen Funkrunde um 18:00 All crews said goodbye to the night with a greeting and good wishes on shortwave. Uwe was supposed to take over the first watch, because I was still tired and tired from all the work on the forecastle. CESARINA had an excellent attitude and ran happily through the sea. Disturbances were not to be expected and after a short briefing, I put on myself 19:30 in the bunk to sleep. Uwe had everything under control and woke me up 01:00 for the changing of the guard. He had apparently enjoyed his first night alone in the cockpit very much. A good prerequisite for the next months together on our way to Australia. For me it's a good feeling, to have a friend on board, I can entrust my CESARINA and white especially appreciate it, the way I do it.

So it may like to go further! In about five days, we will arrive in Santa Marta and look forward to some interesting discovery tours. I almost forgot to mention, The fact that a big fish grabbed the bait together with string. it has the 1.2 mm thick nylon rope simply bitten. Uwe could not believe when he saw the sparks. He just said over and over again, that would not believe him his friends from the Flensburg Fjord. Welcome to the Department “offshore sailing” !

One of the greatest films in the history of German cinema is indisputable for me “THE BOAT”. Seitdem Uwe an Bord ist und in der Suite im Vorschiff sein Quartier bezogen hat, hat sich auch der Umgangston geändert. Die Schiffsführung wird respektvoll mit “Herr Kaleun (Kapitäns Leutnant) und die Besatzung mit “1 WO” (Erster Wachoffizier) angesprochen. Ebenso wird an Bord zu jeder Gelegenheit salutiert 🙂 Wir sind beide große Fans und haben den Film so oft gesehen, dass die meisten Szenen fast synchron mitgesprochen werden können. Es fühlt sich einfach alles gut an 🙂

Die Stimmung an Bord ist gut und die Truppe ist gut gerüstet für den ersten Törn nach Santa Marta/Kolumbien. Die Mannschaft ist voll motiviert bei der Schiffspflege und in der Kombüse. Am kommenden Samstag um 12:00 (UTC -4) wird die Rallye “Around the World” started. Of course, we are all excited and already full of anticipation. But on board with us prevails as much order, that we are probably one of the very few ships, that 2 is fully ready to leave days before start. That means, that the refrigerator and diesel- and water tanks are filled, the laundry freshly washed in cabinets located, the batteries are charged and everywhere else “Vessel is.

As of today, and the satellite tracker works and thus on the website of the World ARC http://www.worldcruising.com/world_arc/world_arc/eventfleetviewer.aspx are also constantly pursuing our current position. Emails we will send at sea with our short-wave radio system and get. The address is: DHKG@sailmail.com Es gehen aber nur Textnachrichten und keine Bilder oder Anhänge.

Morgen am Freitag gibt es noch die letzten Infos beim sogenannten Skipper-Briefing. Dort werden Wetterinformationen, Funkfrequenzen und allgemeine Hinweise ausgetauscht. Dann heißt es aber endlich: Leinen los und “fair Winds”. Das Abenteuer kann beginnen 🙂

In dem Moment als „Friend“ und „Jerry“ bei uns am Steg auftauchten und sich als Experten in Lackierarbeiten präsentierten, war ich den Beiden gegenüber zunächst relativ misstrauisch eingestellt. So viele Leute fragen nach Jobs, that they want to do on the ship and everyone is THE expert in their field. What a stroke of luck I made with both of them, shows up a little more every day. Reliable, very thorough and conscientious, to many years of expertise and a letter of recommendation from the Eigner Tim and his boatman of the British yacht "Brave Heart of Sark". A ship like Cesarina, the only 25 Years younger and 72 foot long.

The paint work is progressing well. After each newly applied layer of high-gloss clear coat everything is ground again and thus opened the paint surface, before the next layer is applied with a brush. The whole procedure is then repeated up to 10x. In many areas, you can already see very well, that the paint gets a very low gloss. That's the magic, emanating from wood. The whole ship lives and breathes through the natural product and is talking to the viewer. It's like looking someone in the eye and being lost in thought……

Many people who pass here every day stop and look at CESARINA's lines. Sometimes people say, that she is the most beautiful ship, which you have long seen here in the marina. Of course, that makes the skipper a little proud :-).

On the other hand, I also hear from different directions, that some are of the opinion, that I'm exaggerating "a little". How do they come up with it :-)? May well be, that for some others the care and work on the ship means more burden than pleasure and their preferences are different. Almost like before…How often back then did our customers and competitors shake their heads blankly at my joy in perfection and the constant striving for the "best". Only our employees were proud of your company, and after all we only have it after a while 14 Years to the top. I either do something “right” or not at all. “What ever makes your boat float” or whatever makes you happy. Why should it be any different with the ship?? Love and passion for what you do, ist die Basis und der Ursprung solcher Projekte und kann auch nicht mit Logik und Ratio begründet werden. Das Schöne ist ja, dass dieses Projekt niemals fertig werden wird 🙂

Mein lieber Mitsegler Jürgen kann jetzt gern am 27.12 an Bord kommen. Ich bin mir sicher, dass wir die Leidenschaft für schöne klassische Yachten und die See teilen und eine geniale Zeit bis nach Australien haben werden. Das Leben kann schon cool manchmal cool sein 🙂

Riesig gefreut habe ich mich als ich gestern ein Paket von meinem lieben Freund Franjo aus Köln bekommen habe. Schon die geschriebenen Worte „Cakes and Black Bread“ auf dem Paket haben fast dazu geführt, dass die junge Dame im Marinabüro es erst gar nicht herausgeben wollte. Es roch schon von außen sehr gut 🙂 Allein schon, dass jemand sich die Mühe macht ein Paket an mich auf die ferne Reise zu bringen ist “Gold” wert. Alle Kekse und das Paket Schwarzbrot sind aus eigener Herstellung und sind einfach nur köstlich. So fern der Heimat weiß man solche Dinge und tollen Geschenke noch 3x mehr zu schätzen. As I said, das Leben kann schon manchmal sehr cool sein 🙂

In dem Sinne wünschen Marina-Katze “Pischi” und ich von Bord der CESARINA Euch allen ein schönes Weihnachtsfest!