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Browse the stories from our voyage, newest first.

68 stories

July 18, 2015 · Alex
Swear like a sailor.
My hands won’t stop shaking. I feel like I’m in a movie where a recently traumatized character frantically attempts to shake a cigarette out of its box only to find themselves unable to hold the…
June 11, 2014 · Nick
Two Words a Day
I’ve been putting this post off. So much has happened since our last update (about our passage to New Zealand in November 2012), and I couldn’t think of a good way to explain it all.…
February 24, 2013 · Alex
On My Way
I often wonder what others think life is like underway. I assume some people picture us sipping rum drinks watching the sun melt behind a feature-less horizon. Others (mom?) may picture us bobbing around in…
January 9, 2013 · Brian
“And Our Friends Are All Aboard”
I would have to say that a fair amount of my life revolves around the wind. So the notion of severing ties with the outside world (even if only for just three weeks) and adopting…
November 27, 2012 · Alex
Joy to the World
You know those slap-to-the-face moments. The ones where you’re so focused on what you’re doing that you don’t fully appreciate the situation, then you stop, take a fresh look around and SLAP you realize how…
November 4, 2012 · admin
Palmerston
Palmerston Atoll is a strange place. In many respects its just another one of the South Pacific’s beautiful atolls. Its turquoise lagoon is surrounded by a vibrant coral reef and coconut palm covered beaches. Supply…
September 12, 2012 · admin
Rock Lobster
First scanning the eroded surface for a good foot hold, I leaned into the river of water flowing against me and stood up to look around. The moon was nearly full and though mostly blocked…
August 21, 2012 · Alex
To Mock a Bird Killing
Intended to post this one a while ago … Hanamonae Bay, on the northwest end of the island of Tahuata in the Marquesas, has got it all. Its smooth white sand beach is lined with…
July 28, 2012 · Tom Kleeman
Tahitian Pearls
I have just had the good fortune to spend nearly two weeks on Saltbreaker in French Polynesia, on-board 25 June to 7 July. In the struggle to come up with a post on my visit…
July 10, 2012 · Nick
Alone in Fakarava
One month ago today, I hitched a ride with Alex and Dave Green to the airport. The town of Rotoava only has one flight a day and the airport is outside of the town of…
June 12, 2012 · Nick
Goat
Alex and I are just getting ready to dinghy to shore when we see a powerboat approaching. Four guys are packed in the small yellow craft which is followed closely by an outrigger canoe with…
June 3, 2012 · admin
Landfall
We arrive outside of Fatu Hiva, the eastern-most island of Polynesia in the early morning of our twenty-third day at sea. It is still dark out when I wake up for my shift, but you…
May 22, 2012 · admin
The crossing
Each day of the crossing we sent out a location update along with a brief daily update. Heres the full set of updates: April 17th, 2012: 0 45’S 90 18’W Arrived in Galapagos on Saturday.…
May 8, 2012 · Mikey
We could all together go out on the ocean
A spot location! A small bit of excitement comes over me as I find time to check my personal email during an otherwise mundane yet stressful work day. I enter their coordinates. Yes Google Maps,…
April 28, 2012 · admin
Meet Helmer
There’s something we have to tell you. All this time you’ve thought there were just the three of us aboard Saltbreaker, but the truth is: there’s a fourth. I think its about time you meet…
April 12, 2012 · Jay
Manuel Antonio Costa Rica, an Introduction.
Travel Day After watching the boys set sail from San Francisco, and all the associated feelings that went along with that – (See Nick’s blog entry to name a few – /sendoff/ ) I was…
April 11, 2012 · admin
Sightings
The sun had just risen and was struggling to force its way through the patchwork of fair-weather cumulus that had been following us through the convergence zone. Ahead of us one cloud looked out of…
March 31, 2012 · Nick
Island Bound
After our first provisioning run, we returned to the boat, dug deep into lockers we never touch, and pulled every scrap of food we own outside into the cockpit. Each item was added it to…
March 20, 2012 · Derek
Our Last Days in Costa Rica with Saltbreaker
Approaching Isla Tortuga After a calm 6 hour sail from Tambor which included a textbook spinnaker run, we found ourselves at Isla Tortuga. After about another hour of nervously watching the depth finder we were…
March 19, 2012 · Derek
Tamarindo to Tambor
After the eventful first evening we all woke up refreshed early on the first morning. After a quick breakfast and thorough bailing of water out of the dinghy we set off for shore. Tamarindo is…
March 17, 2012 · Derek
Welcome to Costa Rica!
Costa Rica. Finally. The idea of this trip came to me months prior to us actually showing up, starting with the Saltbreaker crew and I exchanging several emails. Alex was finally able to nail down,…
March 15, 2012 · lauren
Hanging out in Gigante
Gigante is the kind of place I could end up hanging around for a while. It’s beautiful, for one: a crescent of beach curves around a bay, with a rickety dirt path leading to a…
February 26, 2012 · Alex
Being Boarded
This blog will be a lot more interesting if you take a second to get a shared sense of what its like to sail/motor into 45 kt head winds. Start by consolidating the entirety of…
February 24, 2012 · lauren
What’s 12 Hours to Four and a Half Months?
“Chinandega! Chinandega! Chinandega!” The woman with the caramel colored skin and unnaturally tawny hair was yelling the destination of the minibus with a vigor I couldn’t help but admire as I stood in the center…
January 26, 2012 · admin
Tehuantepec and Our Longest Passage Yet.
If you’d been listening to channel 19a in the Gulf of Tehuantepec earlier this week, you may have overhead a conversation that went something like this: “Artillery blast hits BRAVO 9.” “Nothing there … HOTEL…
January 17, 2012 · Alex
Leaving Mexico (in five short acts)
When leaving a country by plane, I hardly even remember the exit visa process. Its painless. Hand your passport to a drowsy looking official who stares blankly at you, flips to an empty page and…
January 6, 2012 · Dave Green
Old Haunts, New Year’s.
You wake up. 7:00AM. Wait for the sun to rise. Dive in the water. You snorkel in the place you first learned how. Back to the boat. You turn on the motor. Head to Zihuatanejo.…
January 6, 2012 · Dave Green
Navidad in Navidad
Once again it’s been proven to me that it’s not the places, it’s the people. We arrived in Barra Navidad on Christmas Eve morning, after a day and a half of motoring. When we motor…
January 2, 2012 · Linus
New years toast
During our two weeks together, (it started with Nick’s birthday and evolved) a small toast for celebratory events was developed. Here is a revised version for my dear friends on the Saltbreaker for 2012: May…
December 20, 2011 · Nick
Pirate Attacks and Boobies
As we drew closer to the island, it became clear that the black haze hovering over Isla Isabel wasn’t smoke or clouds, but an insanely dense flock of frigate birds. A few minutes later, Linus…
December 14, 2011 · Nick
Phil Collins
There’s something you should know about us. We are slaves to tradition. “A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past.”,…
December 11, 2011 · admin
2,000 miles (and a farewell to baja)
Earlier today we officially marked our 2,000th (nautical) mile! Not bad. And to think, it only took us three months. If it were a little less windy we’d set off one of Aunt Mary’s lanterns……
December 4, 2011 · jjmatuschek
My Journey with the SBB
On a brisk and cloudy Sunday in late October I met the ‘Saltbreaker Boys’ in a West Marine parking lot. Marc, my captain on the Mer Sea, introduced me to Alex and Nick Kleeman, Dosh…
November 17, 2011 · Tom Kleeman
Taxi Please
Jose Napoleon drives by on a 4-wheel ATV. He’s wearing ear-buds and a sweatshirt that says “Security”. Alex waves him down and asks directions to some landmark where in 18 hours, and with considerable luck,…
November 16, 2011 · Dosh
What it really means to Saltbreaker something (Or Baha Ha Ha according to Dosh Part II)
“I’ve got all these squid biting at my lure but they don’t seem to grab, does anyone know how to catch these things?” This was a question presented to all the Ha Ha boats over…
November 16, 2011 · Dosh
Baha Ha Ha according to Dosh Part III (or Dosh is finally done)
I have decided to post my experiences with Saltbreaker in three parts and in relatively rapid succession since this is sort of past due and I just had too much to say for one post.…
November 15, 2011 · Dosh
Baha Ha Ha according to Dosh Part I (or Juan Part II)
15 days. That is the amount of time that I was aboard the vessel Saltbreaker, a 32 foot fiberglass sail boat with tight quarters, a finicky head, only one lee cloth, and a crew that…
November 3, 2011 · admin
Juan (part 1)
The taste of Tecate is still fresh in my mouth as I decide to stand up. The wind is strong, really strong, so much so that when I open my mouth my cheeks begin flapping…
October 26, 2011 · admin
Return of the Sea Beast
“Grab the gaff! … and a club!” We’ve been catching a LOT of kelp. Everywhere we’ve gone we keep hearing about how great the fishing is. The Channel Islands had reports of schools of tuna…
October 26, 2011 · admin
Bear Mace Bear Maze
“Naw, that’s not nearly enough!” “Three bears is plenty, you want to make sure you can still get out of the maze!” We’re in San Diego and we’ve just finished painting the deck (another story…
October 23, 2011 · Alex
Point Conception: check.
Point Conception certainly has built up a reputation. Cruising guides, internet forums, blog posts (including this one) all have the same quote: “Point Conception: Cape Horn of the West Coast”. Obviously the conditions aren’t anywhere…
October 12, 2011 · Nick
Painted Cave
They’re all yelling at me. I backpaddle, trying to decide what to do next, but the white noise caused by hundreds of voices screaming together prevents me from sorting anything out. More out of desperation…
October 12, 2011 · Alex
Sea Beast
“What on earth is that noise?”. It sounded like someone had just turned on a dentist’s drill in the cockpit. It was 4am, and we reluctantly got (back) up to check it out. We’d just…
October 7, 2011 · admin
Sign up for spot!
You may have noticed that every once and a while our location gets posted to facebook. You also may have noticed that the last two weeks have been a bit sparse on the updates. Had…
October 6, 2011 · Dave Green
Monterey Anchor Troubles, in three acts
First, a couple definitions: mooring (ball) – a large metal ball with a hook in it that floats in a harbor, usually arranged in big rectangular grids, used for tying off for the night stern…
September 20, 2011 · Nick
Sendoff
Somehow it didn’t feel real till the goodbyes started. 6 years ago Alex and I sat on a beach in Croatia watching cruising boats go wherever they pleased. 3 years ago I left for Korea…
September 20, 2011 · Dave Green
Moments at the Start
I keep realizing, over and over, that this is actually happening. – We get onto Angel Island and we hike up the hill. Elmer, Dralle, Hannah, Erin, Pat look out at the North Bay. Elmer…
September 19, 2011 · Alex
The Picture
“Haul in the line! … Wait, no. Let go of the line!”. We had just minutes ago passed under the golden gate, passing around our bottle of rum, toasting each other, the trip, and posing…
September 15, 2011 · admin
Party!
Come join us for a send-off party this coming Saturday on Angel Island. We plan on heading out for the island around 10 am, claiming a handful of grills (right by the ferry terminal) and…
September 2, 2011 · Dave Green
Tick Tock
God. Why did Nick have to put that timer up on the site? I was having such a nice time imagining that this trip was still some crazy dream. Every time I look at that…
July 16, 2011 · Alex
Ha Ha
Anyone who knows us well enough knows that we rarely know where we’re going next let alone when. This is particularly true when it comes to travel. Those same people are about to have their…
July 5, 2011 · Dave Green
Seasick
(China Camp was fun. The trip to nowhere a week before…less so. Apologies to nervous friends and family. I just tend to think the most fun things to write about are the things that weren’t…
June 23, 2011 · Nick
Anchoring at China Camp
We’ve caught a lot of flack recently from family and friends who are concerned our blog seems to indicate that our boat is falling apart. This concern is understandable from most, but old salts know…
June 4, 2011 · Alex
Accidental Practice
Half moon bay (from the previous post) was the first of what will be several practice trips before we head out for real. This trip and I imagine all upcoming practice trips included things we…
May 13, 2011 · Nick
Diesel Repair
Having recently taken a marine diesel repair course, I figured it was about time to do some much needed maintenance on our backup propulsion source. The class I took was great, if only because the…
April 21, 2011 · Alex
Deparrrture
September 19th is international talk like a pirate day. It will also be our first full day at sea. We’ve finalized our departure date and (while the details may change) the plan will involve a…
April 13, 2011 · Dave Green
Give me anything besides a catheter to pass.*
I’ve spent the past three months reading about every medical procedure with a chance of appearing at sea. From treatment of shock, to reducing broken bones, to injections and IVs. I sit, reading, and intermittently…
April 5, 2011 · Nick
Stepping the Mast
“Last chance, you guys going to put a coin down there or anything?” Panic. 3 Weeks ago, we brought our boat over to Svendsens boat yard in Alameda to unstep (remove) our mast, replace the…
March 29, 2011 · Alex
Wheel or no wheel?
Find me a part of a sailboat and I can find you 100 people with different (strong) opinions about it. Full versus fin keel, wire versus rod rigging … etc. The question of wheel versus…
March 14, 2011 · Dave Green
Pirates
With the recent stories of pirating off the coast of Somalia growing more intense, we’ve been thinking a lot about what we’d do in a situation like that, should it ever come to it. Last…
March 10, 2011 · Dave Green
Red Dragon
If I put my ear next to the deck I can hear the spray from the hose gushing down the pipe to our water tanks in the cabin below. I bend at the waist to…
February 27, 2011 · Nick
Dirty Jobs
A few days ago I decided to deal with our dirty bilges. I followed some tubing from the cockpit to find a pump we never knew existed in the bilge furthest aft. Turns out the…
February 18, 2011 · Alex
I Know A Guy
Actually, my girlfriend Lauren’s parents’ high school friend knows a guy, who knows a guy who sailed around the world (Kevin Bacon may actually be closer). The important part however is that a few weeks…
February 16, 2011 · Nick
Planning
About 6 months ago, we realized there was simply too much material to learn for each of us to study everything we’ll need to know to make this thing happen, so we split the work…
February 7, 2011 · admin
Floating
After nearly a solid week of delays, we’re finally back in the water; removing the head intake thru-hull proved to be harder than we had expected, painting the boot stripe turned out to be a…
January 28, 2011 · admin
On The Hard
After last Tuesday’s haul out, we pulled tons and tons of money out of the bank to hand over to the the previous owner of the boat soon to be known Saltbreaker. Having this much…
January 21, 2011 · admin
Haul Out
In the past several months we’ve seen dozens of boats; most of them here in the bay area, and several in La Paz. Of all the boats we’ve seen, some were out of our price…
January 13, 2011 · admin
A formal request
Laura, My brother and I along with a dear friend will be leaving this May in a 32 foot sailboat in an attempt to complete a 2 year circumnavigation. We’ve just finalized the purchase of…