SV-Zanshin

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Sailing from St. Kitts to Nevis, the crew on Katzenellenbogen caught this picture of me sailing with the single volcanic hill on Nevis in the background.

Finally the full refit of Zanshin is finished and it is time for these web pages to once again be filled with a bit of life. After a lengthy refit after the ravages of hurricane Irma, Zanshin is finally back in the Caribbean and ready for further adventures.

Click for 2021-08-02 Blog Entry

“Zanshin” is a Jeanneau 57 model sailboat; with 57 feet (17m) there's a lot of room aboard for supplies as well as for people. She was built at the Jeanneau factory outside of Nantes in France, then shipped to Annapolis, MD in the USA where she was commissioned and from there I sailed down to the Caribbean, where Zanshin has been ever since.
Since then I've been sailing up and down the Caribbean island chain exploring the various islands for extended periods. I'm planning on going through the Panama Canal and heading into the Pacific for the long journey across the Pacific. Since the “barefoot route” around the world uses the warm tradewinds that blow to the west it means that heading back east is difficult and uncomfortable. Thus, once past Panama there's no going back and I'm enjoying my time in the Caribbean so much that I'm loathe to leave.
Since I single-hand Zanshin I like to avoid weather and seas as much as possible, which means that I'm most likely not going to sail the challenging route in the high latitudes going past the great Capes of the world - I'll use the man-made canals to shorten the journey.
This site has grown over the years and contains a mix of dated and new material, from manuals and technical details to stories and my daily blog. The blog is in actuality something of a daily dairy and I always post several pictures daily along with a brief description of my adventures (or lack thereof) each day.

Please enjoy browsing the site and, for those who find themselves sailing in unknown waters:

“Immer eine Handbreit Wasser unter dem Kiel.”
(May there always be a handsbreadth of water beneath your keel)

Random Site pictures

The distinctive silhouette of "A" and the rising sun in Falmouth, Antigua
(2013-03-16 06:28:20 NIKON D7000 with a "35.0 mm f/1.8" lens. [f/4.5, 1/400s] ISO 100 Focus ∞)
[17°0'47.25"N 61°46'38.94"W (facing E)]

The beachfront at the Leverick Bay Resort on Virgin Gorda in the BVI is small, but protected in the North Sound and only a few feet away from a pool, bar and restaurant.

[18°29'50.86"N 64°23'8.26"W (facing SW)]

Another perfect day at Cane Garden Bay
(2021-07-14 19:01:45 NIKON D850 with a "24.0-70.0 mm f/2.8" lens. [f/3.2, 1/2000s] ISO 64)

Sleeper
(2011-04-30 12:05:01 NIKON D7000 with a "18.0-200.0 mm f/3.5-5.6" lens. [f/5.3, 1/400s] ISO 100 Focus ∞)
[17°0'0.56"N 61°46'37.13"W ]

This reef is quite a ways from the shoreline and it is possible to sail between the reef and the island, but the waters are shallow and full of coral head so prudent mariners never go inside the reef
(2017-02-23 08:21:35 NIKON D7100 with a "18.0-250.0 mm f/3.5-6.3" lens. [f/14.0, 1/80s] ISO 100)

Vista
(2013-04-17 10:47:44 NIKON D7000 with a "35.0 mm f/1.8" lens. [f/2.8, 1/160s] ISO 100 Focus 0.32m)
[15°34'55.8"N 61°28'40.99"W ]

The pressure vessel end cap with the single high-pressure feed has been unscrewed and cleaned while the new membrane awaits installation in the sealed plastic bag.
(2011-12-23 14:45:55 NIKON D7000 with a "18.0-200.0 mm f/3.5-5.6" lens. [f/3.5, 1/100s] ISO 400 Focus 0.79m)

Splicing Dyneema

(2014-03-08 11:16:10 NIKON D7100 with a "18.0-250.0 mm f/3.5-6.3" lens. [f/13.0, 1/200s] ISO 100)

Sea Fern
(2012-03-18 13:27:59 NIKON D7000 with a "10.0-24.0 mm f/3.5-4.5" lens. [f/7.1, 1/125s] ISO 125 Focus 0.32m)
[18°6'17.06"N 63°4'6.35"W ]

This small extinguisher, the type often found on boats, has a tough time in getting a small fire under control. The flame only went out as it gasped the last burst of CO2.
(2014-11-21 13:36:46 NIKON D7100 with a "18.0-250.0 mm f/3.5-6.3" lens. [f/4.5, 1/250s] ISO 400)

Kuankun close to the finish line.
(2011-04-29 14:08:07 NIKON D7000 with a "18.0-200.0 mm f/3.5-5.6" lens. [f/5.6, 1/320s] ISO 100 Focus ∞)
[17°0'25.83"N 61°48'15.23"W ]

Click on one of the random site images to expand or click here to select new images. You can click on the little mark on the image to go to the page(s) where that image has been used.

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