HR 38 started her Worldtrip sometime in 2009, actually is in Australian waters.
“Hoe gaat het nu echt met jullie daar in Sydney?” Die vraag heb ik de laatste tijd meerdere keren langs horen komen. “Ja, tussen de regels door lezen we wel een beetje hoe het gaat. Maar vertel nou eens….. “ Het is dus tijd voor een update van alledag of zoals Opa het zou noemen “een saai stukje” dat de romantiek van het leven Down Under gelijk de das om doet. Het lijkt zowaar weer op een normaal leven, waar we, als we eerlijk zijn, nog wel wat aan moeten wennen…
Continue reading in Dutch language here please

LE RÊVE…
Voyager à la voile… c’est concrétiser mon rêve de gamin qui préférait dévorer des récits de navigateurs : “le voyage de Damien” et “la Longue route” – plutôt que de travailler correctement au lycée. Aujourd’hui, jeune retraité, le rêve devient réalité. Partir en couple … et partager une passion commune de voyager à la voile sous les tropiques.
LA RÈALITÈ…
Un voyage au long cours en Atlantique, par le Sénégal, le Brésil, l’Amazone, le vénézuela, les Antilles et dans le Pacifique vers la Polynésie française. Ici le blog

Bienvenue sur le blog de CERCAMON relatant notre VOYAGE EN VOILIER, avec nos récits, photos, et quelques conseils pratiques. Ci-dessous, vous trouverez un rapide descriptif de notre escale actuelle, suivi d’une présentation générale de notre parcours et de l’agencement de notre blog. Bonne découverte !

World travelling Doctor always around to supporting people in need, In Sri Lanka, Uganda, Myanmar, now preparing for some extended cruising with his aluminium van de Stadt 40 Caribbean, departing from her homeport in Germany in summer 2011. Please have a look to the exiting pictures in high resolution, you will find the pictures here

15.December 2010, position: 13-03 Nord und 48-40 West, erhalten wir diese Sailmail:
Lieber Peter Foerthmann,
haben Sie vielen Dank für Ihre guten Ratschläge in den letzten zwei Tagen. Dass der Hersteller von sich selbst sagt, er sei immer nur ein Klick weit weg, ist schon eine ungewöhnlich hevorragende After-sales-Betreuung. Der Chef von Windpilot ist – verzeihen Sie das missratene Sprachbild – ein leuchtender Stern am dunklen Firmament nicht gehaltener Garantieversprechen.

Wir haben inzwischen das Paddel senkrecht gestellt, was die Steuersignale verbessert hat. Für die Rutschkupplung am Radadapter haben wir einen Murks gemacht. Wir nehmen ganz einfach eine Schraubzwinge, wo die Flügelmütter (oder sind es -muttern?) nicht richtig zupacken wollen. Und siehe da: es geht. Aber das Foto von dieser Gewaltanwendung wollen Sie dann sicher nicht in den Prospekt aufnehmen.

Punkto Steuergenauigkeit reiht sich unsere Ovni nun also wieder in jene 200 Schwesterschiffe ein, die ebenfalls mit Ihrem Windpilot unterwegs sind und auf die Sie gut und gerne stolz sein können.
Ich hoffe, dass ich Sie einen Mausklick weit weg nicht mehr erreichen muss vor unserer Ankunft in Barbados und wünsche Ihnen deshalb schon jetzt schöne Festtage und ein erfolgreiches Neues Jahr.
Mit herzlichem Gruss
Thomas Rüst
SY Miranda II
13-03 Nord und 48-40 West.

You can’t miss St.Lucia if appoaching from the south; the two Pitonsare the island’s national trademark and even the beer is named after them. We anchored in Marigot Bay and suffered from a complete culture shock. This is the first spot we met in the eastern Caribbean where the white “civilisaton” has established itself. Marigot Bay is a kind of watersport-swimparadise-beautyfarm-amusement park-resort and stopping-place for charterboats. Around the picturesque bay several fancy restaurants have drawn up, expensive residences and even an (according to the sign) gourmet-supermarket where they sell typical Caribbean products such as smoked salmon, marinated herring and Chassagne-Montrachet. The English southcoast, though magnificent, seems suddenly terrifying close. Continue reading here please

On a mis en place une navigation simple:
C’est vers l’horizon que pointe l’étrave de nos voiliers. C’est sur la barre de navigation horizontale en bas de l’écran que vous trouverez les rubriques qui seront toujours présentes sur le site. Ce sont les informations “générales” qui font la particularité du site de Banik. (Si la barre de navigation n’apparaît pas, Par contre, en cliquant les liens ci contre, mettez le cap sur des informations et des pages plus spécifiques à notre cas personnel et qui ne seront visitées que par les petits curieux.
Bonne lecture.

Life time live aboard family travelling around the world since about 30 years, writing les “lettres de banik now since years”. After cruising with a Trismus 37 for many years they are sailing a self built steel One Off now since several years – performed by – guess what?

Sparkman & Stephens designed, Italian built Sciarelli 47 got a brand new Windpilot Pacific Plus sometime in 2009. Both her owners travelled to Hamburg to visit the Windpilot workshop – here is the picture gallery about their visit – and here you can find theirblog in Italian language.

Swedish built Laurin31 cruising since 2003 in European waters, a Windpilot Pacific at her transom.

Kenth Graff: Windpiloten vet vi sen gammalt att det fungerar klanderfritt, så det var inget svårt beslut att ta bort det gammla hydrovane, och ersätta det med ett modernt vindroder.
Så nu tycker vi att vi har det som behövs för en lång vistelse i norr.
Planen är att besöka både Björnöa och Svalbard,under 2011.

If you are a friend of Scandinavien land- and seascape, here are the pictures

Dutch built steel van de Stadt Seal, many years old has been purchased by German family some time 3 years ago. After upgrading the boat the entire family got started for a 3 years circumnavigation, currently staying in South Africa, with one years time left to return to their home port. Here is the blog in German language

French built Ovni 435, brandnew built and launched in Les Sable d´Olonnes in 2009 is heading West via Madeira, the Canaries and Cape Verdies to follow the dreams of her owners couple. A Windpilot Pacific MF3 is being fitted.
Please read their blog and see their pictures here

Pretty old Austrian built Sunbeam 30 completed the Atlantic Circle within 18 months successfully, an 35 year old stainless Windpilot Pacific at her transom. Please have a look at her huge picture gallery telling perhaps more rather than stories – which however are written in German language. Please continue reading her

A Voyage To Greenland In “Polaris”, Part 2
Two weeks ago we published the first of a three part photo essay by our friend and and incredibly talented photographer, Michael Haferkamp, who, together with Martina, has just spent 18 months cruising the west coast of Greenland in their Hutting 53, Polaris.

If you thought part one was spectacular, and clearly you did judging from the comments and web traffic numbers, wait until you see part two–Michael and Martina’s winter frozen into the ice 180 miles above the Arctic Circle.

Don’t forget to click on the slide show to enlarge it. Michael’s photographs must be seen full screen. Courtesy of John Harries US, info@morganscloud.com. Please see Michael Haferkamps pictures at full screen

legendary French steel built DAMIENII did a lot of ocean cruising during decades. Former German journalist converted his life towards a liveaboard sailing his boat singlehand during many years, mainly in Pacific areas. Peter is author of many books and articles in German language. Visit his interesting website with lots of different hints and links in German language only

German built steel SkorpionII, many years old has been reconverted by its todays owner to newest standarts. Boat and owner departed from their homeport in Germany in summer 2010, passing Rein upwards, Rhone downwards and left Port St. Louis in South of France in August 2010. They are on their way west now from Cape Verdies. Continue reading in German here