Blue Joline – Our circumnavigation blog
We are Petra and Bernd. We left the familiar behind and set off on our Blue-Joline, a 42-foot catamaran, into a life between horizon and hope.
Since then, we've been sailing around the world. Not fast, not perfectly—but with open hearts. We're rediscovering countries, cultures, and ourselves.
On our circumnavigation blog, we report on exactly that: starry nights at sea, arriving in foreign ports, foreign countries and cultures – and the challenges of self-sufficient living on the water.
We do this for ourselves, our friends and acquaintances, and not least for anyone else who is interested in such a project or would like to learn more about personal, authentic experiences in other countries.
We haven't set a fixed timeframe; we definitely want to take our time and not rush around. We have a rough plan, but it's not set in stone (Travel planning circumnavigation).
Get off the couch and into life.
We want to encourage you, too, not just to dream—to live your dreams. Don't wait too long.
What you will find here
Here you will always find the latest posts from our circumnavigation blog, regardless of the category.
The most elegant fishermen of the Galápagos Islands.
Between volcanoes and giant tortoises: an encounter with the largest cactus in the Galápagos Islands – if not the entire world…
Santa Cruz Galápagos – The Heart of the Galápagos Islands
Our circumnavigation on Instagram
We're becoming more and more immersed in new media. As baby boomers, we're not exactly digital natives, so it's not always easy to navigate the jungle of Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and the like. We're trying anyway.
We actually thought a circumnavigation blog would be the right medium. But we also want to grow with our challenges here. That's why we now have an Instagram feed dedicated to Blue Joline and our world trip on a catamaran. Perhaps you'll find some inspiration in our experiences, our travel destinations, or our lifestyle in old age. We're always happy to welcome new followers. This, too, is still a closed book, at least for now.
4 Comments
Ursula
Dear Petra and Bernd
Great website and great trips, congratulations! Did you also go to Istanbul by boat? We have a sailboat ourselves, would like to sail to Istanbul next year, and are looking for information.
Kind regards, Ursula
Petra Guertler
Hello Ursula,
We didn't sail to Istanbul, but flew from Bodrum. We decided against sailing for several reasons:
1. The long journey to Istanbul in the Dardanelles cannot be sailed, but must be done under motor.
2. There is hellish shipping traffic off Istanbul
3. The marinas in Istanbul are exorbitantly expensive – hotels are good and cheap
You can anchor off the Princes' Islands – as far as we know, this is probably the last opportunity to anchor for now… There are scheduled boats from the islands to Istanbul.
We spent a good five months sailing between Kekova and Cesme (Izmir Bay) – a fantastic sailing area with countless beautiful bays and charming little villages and lively towns where you can anchor safely and for free. As you sail further up or down the coast, the anchoring options become more limited.
I hope this information has helped you make your decision. We're happy to answer any further questions.
Fair winds
Petra
Thomas Hackspiel / SY Time AUT
Hello you two,
great website you run there!
I'm on my way to the ARC 2023 Just behind you – currently being transferred from Tangier to Madeira. Starting September 22.9nd, we'll be in Arrecife for 10 days.
Could we meet?
LG, Thomas
Bernd
Hello Thomas, thank you very much. I just checked in with you, and your plans sound very good. We'll definitely see each other in Las Palmas; we'll be there from the beginning of November. Best regards