Epilogue – Summer 2024

9 September

Reflections on the Summer 2024 Voyage

I thoroughly enjoyed this summer, even though I probably “bit off more than I could chew,” as the saying goes. Part of the reason for the trip was to test myself as well as Anna, my boat. It was a bit of a shake-out voyage for both of us. I learned that I need to be more patient and that stopping at too many points along the way can be overwhelming. It’s better to have a few key destinations in mind where you can stay longer, learn more about the area (thanks for the advice, Brian), and take the time to relax. We stopped at anchor or in a marina 37 times during our 4,267-nautical-mile voyage, which took us 87 days to complete. In hindsight, it would have been better to reduce the stops to about 20, spending more time at each location.

I also learned to trust Anna. She has a single John Deere engine with no backup, and while I am meticulous about keeping her maintained, I still worry about something going wrong on long legs. Well, she proved that I worry too much. She kept the oil pressure steady at 40 psi, the alternator charging the batteries at 27.4 volts, and the engine coolant at 83 degrees Celsius the entire time. No variation—almost as if the gauges were stuck at those measurements.

Anna performed at an A+ level throughout the trip, except for the windlass, which failed along the way, and the house batteries, which I suspected might be an issue. Everything else worked perfectly, which was very reassuring. There are a few tweaks to make for sure, and I have a list of upgrades planned between now and the end of the year, but these are mostly for redundancy and comfort. So, I have the refitting to look forward to over the next few months.

Here are some key statistics from the voyage:

• Days at Sea: 86
• Distance Covered: 4,267 nautical miles (7,903 km or 4,908 miles)
• Average Speed: 7.1 knots
• Engine Hours: 601
• Generator Hours: 165
• Fuel Consumption: 12.58 liters per hour
• Total Fuel Used: 7,559 liters
• Cost of Fuel: €8,832

Reflecting on my Summer 2024 voyages with Brian and Mikel, I realized that this was truly the start of my circumnavigation journey. I was exploring the entire Mediterranean Sea, much of which I have cruised before, but this felt like the beginning of a larger adventure—seeing the world. I also realized that there are other places to explore before setting off for Iceland, Greenland, and North America. In particular, I have my sights set on the Nordic region, which I plan to cruise from April 2025 through April 2026. This will be the second leg of the European portion of my circumnavigation, with the Mediterranean Sea being the first.

The plan is to cruise from Barcelona up through Amsterdam, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Norway from spring to fall of 2025. I aim to get Anna to Stornoway, Scotland, by November and will spend the winter of 2025 cruising the Scottish Isles, visiting the many distilleries from the Highlands to the Lowlands. It should be quite a voyage!

Then, in the April/May timeframe of 2026, I will make the voyage across the North Sea to North America, where I will begin the exploration of a second continent on my journey.