ShipHappens

A 150-day adventure by SaltyHairWeDontCare & Tomas Read more

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Trip start
November 2, 2023
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Day 2
Friday, November 3, 2023 at 11:33 AM
🌧 30 °C
Altitude: 5 m
Trinidad and Tobago Piarco Savanna 10.576864, -61.32590110°34’37” N 61°19’33” W
Stopover Trinidad
November 3, 2023 in Trinidad and Tobago ⋅ 🌧 30 °C
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Day 2
Friday, November 3, 2023 at 5:46 PM
☁️ 28 °C
Altitude: Sea level
Caribbean Sea 10.844949, -61.40829110°50’42” N 61°24’30” W
Ferry to Tobago
November 3, 2023, Caribbean Sea ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C
Due to Carnival, all flights were fully booked, so we had to travel to Tobago by high-speed ferry (26 knots) for 3 hours.
TravelerLueg nid so ernst! 😂
11/6/23Reply
Traveler😂 er luegt „cool“
11/7/23ReplyTranslate
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Day 3
Saturday, November 4, 2023 at 7:51 AM
☁️ 28 °C
Altitude: 11 m
Trinidad and Tobago White Rock 11.282378, -60.69623711°16’57” N 60°41’46” W
Tobago
November 4, 2023 in Trinidad and Tobago ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C
After 2 days, we finally reached Tobago, where we will stay for 2 nights in a guesthouse before moving to our boat Zenia. 🤩
TravelerGute Erholung von der Reise und dann kann‘s ja bald losgehen ….
11/4/23ReplyTranslate
TravelerDanke!🤗
11/4/23ReplyTranslate
Traveler🌤️Beneidenswerte Temperaturen habt ihr… Freuen uns auf eure Berichte! ⛵️🐳Herzlichst Pöpsch & Mösch😘
11/5/23ReplyTranslate
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Day 3
Saturday, November 4, 2023 at 3:13 PM
⛅ 29 °C
Altitude: Sea level
Trinidad and Tobago Milford Bay 11.159275, -60.84157911°9’33” N 60°50’30” W
Getting Zenia ready
November 4, 2023 in Trinidad and Tobago ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C
Our first night in our new home was magical. 🥰 Then, our first dip in the cool waters. A dream come true! Unfortunately, we're facing an issue with the power supply as the batteries are no longer charging properly. We'll try to get new ones in Martinique.Read more
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Day 6
Tuesday, November 7, 2023 at 6:58 PM
☁️ 28 °C
Altitude: Sea level
Trinidad and Tobago Milford Bay 11.159248, -60.84135411°9’33” N 60°50’29” W
Almost ready to go
November 7, 2023 in Trinidad and Tobago ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C
Yesterday, we spent half a day at the immigration and customs office for clearance out. Here in Tobago, everything takes a little longer...

Today, we wanted to set sail for Carriacou, which is a 15-hour sailing journey. But our plan did not work out. We had to fix some things on the boat.
The radio isn't working properly, and we're still experiencing issues with the power supply. Our bilge pump is not working, and there is some oil in the water. In Martinique, we will try to repair the pump and investigate the source of the oil.Read more
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Day 7
Wednesday, November 8, 2023 at 8:02 AM
☁️ 28 °C
Altitude: Sea level
Trinidad and Tobago Milford Bay 11.159358, -60.84152211°9’34” N 60°50’29” W
Our home Zenia - a Dufour 40 performance
November 8, 2023 in Trinidad and Tobago ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C
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Day 7
Wednesday, November 8, 2023 at 12:21 PM
☁️ 29 °C
Altitude: Sea level
Trinidad and Tobago Milford Bay 11.159353, -60.84149611°9’34” N 60°50’29” W
1 1
Last Breakfast in Tobago
November 8, 2023 in Trinidad and Tobago ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
Traveler Best Doubles at Jimmy‘s🤤
11/8/23Reply
Traveler We have attached our dinghy to it….
11/8/23Reply
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Day 7
Wednesday, November 8, 2023 at 2:46 PM
⛅ 30 °C
Altitude: Sea level
Trinidad and Tobago Milford Bay 11.16532, -60.85367611°9’55” N 60°51’13” W
Carriacou
November 8, 2023 in Trinidad and Tobago ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C
Our overnight sail to Carriacou was nothing short of an adventure. The wind proved to be quite capricious, and initially, the autopilot was off the table due to a challenging power supply. Tomas, however, managed to resolve the issue. We arrived in Carriacou feeling rather exhausted. The island offered us the opportunity to restock our supplies and refuel.

We stumbled upon a community of retired English folks here. For lunch, we were treated to an English-Indian curry that was nothing short of sensational. Mmmmh, it was delightful!Read more
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Day 9
Friday, November 10, 2023 at 5:08 PM
🌧 28 °C
Altitude: Sea level
Grenada Sandy Island 12.485475, -61.48284912°29’8” N 61°28’58” W
2
Carriacou - Sandy Island
November 10, 2023 in Grenada ⋅ 🌧 28 °C
Anchored here for two nights, we're savoring the turquoise blue waters and the pristine white dream beach. Tomas utilized the time to mend a few things onboard. Today, the winds are quite strong—overnight, we experienced gusts exceeding 35 knots. It was quite a rocking night, but fortunately, the anchor held up well.Read more
Traveler Bi üs hätt’s hüt s‘erscht mal geschneit ….. 🤣
11/12/23ReplyTranslate
Traveler🙈
11/12/23Reply
TravelerWunderschön, tolle Fotos! Liebe Grüsse 😊
11/12/23ReplyTranslate
Traveler🤗❤️
11/12/23Reply
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Day 11
Sunday, November 12, 2023 at 5:32 PM
🌬 29 °C
Altitude: Sea level
Caribbean Sea 12.899728, -61.31999612°53’59” N 61°19’12” W
2
Recharching on Burgers & Beers
November 12, 2023, Caribbean Sea ⋅ 🌬 29 °C
Traveler Nichts mit bädele…🐋🐠🌬️💨?😘
11/14/23ReplyTranslate
TravelerA doch doch😁
11/14/23ReplyTranslate
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Day 13
Tuesday, November 14, 2023 at 12:06 PM
🌬 29 °C
Altitude: Sea level
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Wallilabou 13.270622, -61.29240513°16’14” N 61°17’33” W
Smooth Sailing Finally
November 14, 2023 in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines ⋅ 🌬 29 °C
After a few days of strong winds and rough seas, today was a bit calmer with gusts maxing out at 25 knots. 😎 We were too exhausted to sail directly to Martinique, so we made an overnight stop in St. Lucia. Travis hooked us up with chicken, fish, and fries – a stroke of luck! 🍀Read more
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Day 14
Wednesday, November 15, 2023 at 9:44 AM
☀️ 29 °C
Altitude: Sea level
Saint Lucia La Point 13.997905, -61.05123913°59’52” N 61°3’4” W
🌊🌬️⛵️
November 15, 2023 in Saint Lucia ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
First, Tomas tackled the hard work, and I enjoyed the pleasure! 😁
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Day 14
Wednesday, November 15, 2023 at 8:34 PM
🌬 28 °C
Altitude: Sea level
Martinique Anse Tonnoir 14.433178, -60.88770114°25’59” N 60°53’16” W
Chasing Waves with Martinique's Dolphins
November 15, 2023 in Martinique ⋅ 🌬 28 °C
On our way to Martinique, we were accompanied by a lovely escort 🐬🥰.
TravelerWow - Was für äs Erlebnis …. Unbezahlbar !!! 🙂
11/16/23ReplyTranslate
TravelerDä Wahnsinn! So schön!
11/17/23ReplyTranslate
TravelerWau so wunderschön 🥳 liebi Grüess us de regnerische Schwiz
11/21/23ReplyTranslate
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Day 17–19
November 18, 2023 - November 20, 2023
2 nights
🌬 29 °C
Altitude: Sea level
Martinique Banc des Trois Cayes 14.442193, -60.88785214°26’32” N 60°53’16” W
Easy peasy, weekend in St Anne
Nov 18–20, 2023 in Martinique ⋅ 🌬 29 °C
what's better then a Shakshuka in the morning? TWO shakshuka 🙌 - we had to give the first one to the fish, because the eggs where fishy...

we anchored our adventures in the quiet village of St. Anne, a hidden gem in Martinique's Le Marin region. anchoring with batteries is sooo much nicer than handling the chain manually 😁 next week we will get to the marina, to do some last outstanding work on standing rigging 🤞Read more
TravelerEs freut uns, dass es vorwärts geht! 👍🤗😁
12/2/23ReplyTranslate
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Day 19
Monday, November 20, 2023 at 2:27 PM
⛅ 29 °C
Altitude: 31 m
Martinique Morne Courbaril 14.468937, -60.86742814°28’8” N 60°52’3” W
WorkWorkWork
November 20, 2023 in Martinique ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C
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Day 22
Thursday, November 23, 2023 at 4:09 PM
☀️ 29 °C
Altitude: 31 m
Martinique Morne Courbaril 14.46893, -60.86745514°28’8” N 60°52’3” W
More Work🙈
November 23, 2023 in Martinique ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
The Misadventures of Boat Repairs

Didier, our savior electrician, greeted us with, "And you thought you'd spend your time sailing in the Caribbean 😂." Finding skilled craftsmen here is a challenge, especially if French isn't your forte, plus spare parts cost a fortune. Yet, with a new alternator, fresh batteries, and a rigging check, our boat's almost brand new. Tomas switched all lights to LED, I tackled cleaning – now, fingers crossed, we'll be carefree setting sail north on Tuesday. 💪😎Read more
Traveler…. Nur unbeschwert herumsegeln, wäre ja etwas langweilig gewesen ….. 🤣
11/24/23ReplyTranslate
TravelerNaja, Tomas vielleicht schon, mir bestimmt nicht😂
11/26/23ReplyTranslate
TravelerWas ist euch ausgestiegen ? Auf einem Segelschiff ist immer etwas kaputt. Geniesst eure Zeit und die Wärme.
11/25/23ReplyTranslate
Traveler😂 Das haben wir gemerkt… Der Alternator und die Batterien waren kaputt. Beides ist nun repariert. Am Montag wird der Watermaker noch umgebaut, er zieht Luft an. Danke!😁🤗
11/26/23ReplyTranslate
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Day 28
Wednesday, November 29, 2023
☀️ 29 °C
Altitude: Sea level
Martinique Pointe Cailloux 14.459112, -60.87478614°27’33” N 60°52’29” W
rigging fixed 🙌
November 29, 2023 in Martinique ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
we got all of out standing rigging checked, fixed and tuned 🛠️

"standing rigging" = anything holding the mast & lifewires. "running rigging" = anything holding the sails

standing rigging is crucial for security: any failure could result in demastation - a horror scenario for all sailors 😱 we better made sure it's all up to date and "ready for crossing the atlantic"Read more
TravelerWo ane gahts dänn als nächscht‘s ….. ?
12/4/23ReplyTranslate
TravelerEigentlich uf Guadeloupe und denn zude BVI, aber mir händ möse umchehre, öpis stimmt mitem Saildrive nid. Hüt chunnt de Mech gos aluege. S git anschiinend e Facebook Gruppe mitem Name Volvo Penta Victims🙈
12/4/23ReplyTranslate
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Day 34
Tuesday, December 5, 2023 at 2:52 PM
☀️ 29 °C
Altitude: Sea level
Martinique Pointe Cailloux 14.459428, -60.87492414°27’34” N 60°52’30” W
3 1
Waiting
December 5, 2023 in Martinique ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
Ahoy there! Today's adventure unfolds as we twiddle our thumbs, awaiting tomorrow's mechanic magic on our saildrive. While logic suggests hauling the boat out, the marina's dry dock dance card is fully booked until next week. Fear not, for a submerged superhero—a.k.a. a diver with an air bell—will perform the aquatic repair ballet. The suspense is real; how exactly does this underwater wizardry unfold?

Meanwhile, in the realm of sweet idleness, I revel in the art of doing nothing. As for Tomas, well, duty calls, and work beckons. Stay tuned as we navigate the delicate balance between boat bother and blissful repose. Cheers to the unpredictable tides of travel! 🌊Read more
Traveler Aso mueni keini meh chaufe 😁
12/6/23Reply
TravelerHmm mol abwarte, ha kein grüene Dume🤣🙈
12/6/23ReplyTranslate
Traveler🤣 kenni
12/6/23ReplyTranslate
Traveler Habt ihr den Teufel an Bord???🔥🧌🥹
12/10/23ReplyTranslate
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Day 36
Thursday, December 7, 2023 at 8:55 PM
🌧 26 °C
Altitude: Sea level
Martinique Pointe Cailloux 14.459233, -60.87474114°27’33” N 60°52’29” W
2
Work Ethic in Martinique…
December 7, 2023 in Martinique ⋅ 🌧 26 °C
The mechanic didn't show up yesterday and was unreachable. In the evening, he finally got in touch, promising to come tomorrow. We're getting used to it and decided to make the most of the day 😁."
Traveler Chasch du lööööööööhhhhtä …. ? ….. Mega 😃
12/8/23ReplyTranslate
TravelerJo, scho nid profimössig aber so dases verhebet. Hani im GoTec glernt😄
12/8/23ReplyTranslate
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Day 38
Saturday, December 9, 2023
🌬 28 °C
Altitude: Sea level
Martinique Mouillage River 14.738483, -61.17811614°44’19” N 61°10’41” W
Autopilot MacGyvering
December 9, 2023 in Martinique ⋅ 🌬 28 °C
Christophe, our diver, finally arrived to fix the saildrive. Using an air chamber, he tackled everything underwater, replacing seals and changing the oil. Unfortunately, he discovered minor material damage to the drive shaft, possibly the cause of the issue. We'll see how long until water seeps in again...

Heading towards Dominica, we realized something was amiss with the autopilot. Anchoring off the north of Martinique for the night, Tomas found a broken screw in the autopilot. No problem, shoelaces served the same purpose... 😎Read more
Traveler👍💪🤗
12/11/23Reply
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Day 39
Sunday, December 10, 2023
🌬 28 °C
Altitude: Sea level
Dominica River Canari 15.285905, -61.37656815°17’9” N 61°22’36” W
Zenia's Turbo Sail
December 10, 2023 in Dominica ⋅ 🌬 28 °C
The next morning, we sailed on to Dominica, and guess what? The autopilot decided to cooperate! According to Navionics, the journey should've taken 7 hours, but we breezed through it in 5 1/2 hours. 😁💪 Oh, and Zenia hit a whopping 10.6 knots! Finally, back to the joy of sailing!Read more
Traveler👍🏻🥰
12/11/23Reply
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Day 40
Monday, December 11, 2023 at 7:50 PM
🌙 26 °C
Altitude: 6 m
Dominica Anse Bateaux 15.245392, -61.3739715°14’43” N 61°22’26” W
Bubble Bliss
December 11, 2023 in Dominica ⋅ 🌙 26 °C
Today was finally a day without boat repairs and cleaning. We were picked up by Seacat at 2, who first took us to the customs office for clearance. Then, he drove us to our snorkeling destination, Champagne Bay, named for the visible underwater volcanic activity. The water was bubbling! Additionally, there's a stunning reef there. To warm up after the long snorkeling adventure, we headed to Soufrière Bay, where I lay in the warm, volcanically heated, bubbling sea. 🥰Read more
Traveler👍🏻
12/12/23Reply
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Day 41
Tuesday, December 12, 2023
⛅ 25 °C
Altitude: 634 m
Dominica Wotten Waven 15.313171, -61.32250215°18’47” N 61°19’21” W
RainRainforestRain
December 12, 2023 in Dominica ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
Today, we giggled our way through the rainforest en route to Trafalgar Falls. The nature around here is truly mystical!

Later, we splashed around joyfully in Titou Gorge. Racing against the rain, we had to hurry as the water levels were on the rise. To warm up, we treated ourselves to a round of rum punch.Read more
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Day 42
Wednesday, December 13, 2023
🌬 27 °C
Altitude: Sea level
Dominica Lagon River 15.580065, -61.46288615°34’48” N 61°27’46” W
Indian River
December 13, 2023 in Dominica ⋅ 🌬 27 °C
Today, we sailed from Roseau to Portsmouth in the north of Dominica. Our adventure included a boat tour along the Indian River, where Calypso's hut from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest stands.

In the evening, we joined a barbecue and connected with a vibrant sailing community. Their tales were full of excitement. Interestingly, we opted for poulet instead of fish today, as the fishermen wisely avoided the sea with 28-knot winds – unlike us! 😂🙈Read more
TravelerSpricht nichts gegen leckere „Chicken Nuggets“ ….. 🤣
12/14/23ReplyTranslate
Traveler🤣🤣🤣
12/14/23Reply
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Day 44
Friday, December 15, 2023 at 5:14 PM
☁️ 28 °C
Altitude: 13 m
Guadeloupe Anse du Bourg 15.86892, -61.58234815°52’8” N 61°34’56” W
At Last, Holiday Vibes
December 15, 2023 in Guadeloupe ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C
Sailing from Dominica to Guadeloupe: Tomas worked on the computer below deck while I navigated. That went quite well.
The next day we enjoyed a leisurely day in Terre-de-Haut. We went snorkeling in the bay of Plage de l'Anse, observing various fish in the crystal-clear water. Afterward, we took the dinghy to stroll and shop in the charming town. We were told the BVI is quite expensive, so we stocked up on supplies here. Storing our purchases in the dinghy, we treated ourselves to delicious fish for dinner. Luckily, Tomas had bought a powerful new headlamp, which proved invaluable as we navigated home in complete darkness.Read more
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