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1 month ago | 
theislander.online | Jens Oomes
Ship’s Journal from Mallorca to FijiUpdate 25 March 25 1630 LT (GMT -6)When we finally exited the last lock of the Panama Canal I was quite tired. The pilot who had been with us all day was picked up by a pilot boat underneath the iconic Bridge of the Americas, the gateway to the Pacific. The line handlers still had to be dropped off in a marina around the corner. The delays we incurred during the day meant that we wouldn’t make the marina before sunset.
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1 month ago | 
theislander.online | Jens Oomes
Ship’s Journal from Mallorca to FijiUpdate 20/03/25 09:45 Shelter Bay ColonI’m not going to lie; our 3 days in the San Blas Islands felt like a holiday. Of course we did a couple hours of stainless steel polishing every day to feel less guilty and of course we were there to save on mooring fees, but what a steal that was! I find anchoring, in general, a magical thing. Perhaps it’s one of the last freedoms our world has on offer.
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1 month ago | 
theislander.online | Jens Oomes
Ship’s Journal from Mallorca to FijiUpdate 13/03/25 16:56 GMT-5 Cayos Chichime San Blas Since November I have been in contact with the agent who will organise our canal transit. He told me that once were physically in Colón, it could take 3 to 4 weeks to go through. When we arrived at Shelter Bay Marina, on Sunday 2 March, he told us it would now be 4-5 days from the moment we’d say we’re ready to go.
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1 month ago | 
theislander.online | Jens Oomes
Ship’s Journal from Mallorca to FijiUpdate 28/02/25 01:30 GMT-4 middle of the Caribbean Sea. Maybe this video conveys what is going on here but I doubt it.
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2 months ago | 
theislander.online | Marlot Cathalina
Beyond yachts and beaches, Mallorca is home to the largest bird in Europe. In fact, it is the only island in the world where the Black Vulture, with a wingspan of up to 2.9 metres, is still native. It was a close call, since the Black Vulture was on the verge of extinction in the 1980s, with only 19 Black Vultures left. Thanks to the efforts of the Black Vulture Conservation Foundation (BVCF), they are still with us.
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2 months ago | 
theislander.online | Jens Oomes
The ship’s journal from the Delivery from Mallorca to FijiUpdate 22/02/25 17:30 GMT-4 Grand Case St Martin. There are good ways to have bad luck. We were refreshed and ready for action when we came back from Anguilla two days ago. Our genoa was repaired and waiting for us in the sail loft. Slightly frustrated we found out that our Spinakker Halyard (which we use for the Code Zero) was not ready yet. That took until last night.
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2 months ago | 
theislander.online | Jens Oomes
Update 18/02/25 13:00 GMT -4 West of AnguillaI started writing this update while watching the sunrise over the hills of Grand Case. Writing helps me stop and let it all sink in. However, the best way to report these days in St. Martin is, of course, through images. But the operational side obviously goes on, and with our mission to get the boat to Fiji, we have to stay focused on the task. In the Caribbean, they say, “Big moon, big winds,” and it couldn’t be more true these days.
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2 months ago | 
theislander.online | Jens Oomes
Update Wednesday 05/02/25 1200 GMT-3 Mid Atlantic. A day full of action. After several days with a certain degree of monotony, Tuesday came with a full program. Some things were fun, others less so. With no squalls, ships, and definitely no land in the vicinity, I started my night watch sailing steadily through another dark night. The moon has only shown its cute smile for a few hours so far on this crossing. The ship’s ghosts were about to come out.
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Feb 19, 2025 | 
theislander.online | Jens Oomes
Update 30/01/25 0100 GMT North of Cabo Verde. All you can eat!I remember from previous crossings when we had to motor a few days to look for the trade winds. Or had to resist the temptation to luff up for speed because you’d sail into a lightwind area. Neither of these challenges is applicable to this crossing so far. And looking at the weather forecast, it will stay that way. Like an all-you-can-eat buffet, we are served a strong breeze across the pond.
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Feb 18, 2025 | 
theislander.online | Jens Oomes
Update 27/01/25 1130 GMT 25⁰54.2’N 18⁰24.8’WThe darkest night. We left Las Palmas under dreamy conditions. The wind is wonderfully consistent. If we could choose, we’d ask for these 16kt – 20kt winds. We knew we had to avoid the lee of the islands where the winds are too light. So we sailed on port gybe towards the coast of Morocco. I started my nightwatch at 3 a.m. It felt great to be out there and I was taking it all in although the stars and planets that An and Jan reported weren’t visible anymore.