White Admiral - Travel Reports

Travel report 57. In San Blas with family and friends 2011. Written by Stein 18th Nov 2011.

2011-12-11T10:20:00.000-08:00

For corresponding pictures; Web report 57.Shelter Bay and San Blas with the Øistad family. We have now almost lost count of how many times we have sailed in Panama’s San Blas (Kuna Yala) archipelago, but once again, that is where we were heading Wednesday, 9th March. At 11.30 pm it was a black, tropical night as we motored out of Shelter Bay Marina. Aboard were Diana and myself, my mother Eli (

Travel Report No 56

2011-09-11T03:55:00.000-07:00

Click here to view the photo album no 56Winter 2011 by SteinEli moves to Lier.It is already September when this summary of last winter is finally compiled. Please forgive me. Life has not been so exciting that this belated news is shattering exactly, but life has been busy and evenings and week-ends are zooming past in a seemingly ever-faster pace…The main change to our lives last winter was my

A Wonderful Concert

2011-01-09T00:00:00.000-08:00

"New Year Concert" in the Norwegian Opera, Oslo, Thursday 6th January. A fantastic concert with Martin and Tonje and Dagmar and Christian.

Back to the tropics and San Blas. Report No 55.

2010-12-27T12:01:00.000-08:00

Written by Diana in Panama, 24th Nov. 2010.Click here to view the photo album no 55It was lovely to have left the first cold winds of winter behind, and feel the warm sunshine of Panama as we stepped off the plane on 4th October. We spent the first night in Riande Airport Hotel, a good and reasonably priced bed and breakfast, then took the express bus to Colon the next day, and got Shelter Bay

Summer 2010 Travel report no. 54

2010-11-01T21:14:00.000-07:00

by Stein in San Blas, Panama, October 2010Click here to view the photo album no 54Once again Diana and I are enjoying tranquil days on White Admiral in the wonderful islands of San Blas, Panama. It is, indeed, very difficult to beat this area when it comes to natural beauty and friendly locals. For a few weeks it is just the two of us aboard, but when we sailed

Winter and Spring 2010. Travel report no 53.

2010-05-17T07:50:00.000-07:00

Written by Diana in April in Panama and finished in Norway in May 2010.A cold winter in Norway Having left White Admiral safely on land in Cuba in late November, it was back to work for us both in our respective hospitals. Stein worked the

To Cuba. Travel report no. 52.

2009-11-29T04:08:00.000-08:00

For corresponding photos see Picture Gallery no.52 By Diana, 29th November, 2009.From Rio Dulce via Belize and Mexico to Havana, Cuba. Back in Guatemala Our plane back to Guatemala City arrived late afternoon 28th September. Instead of our usual cheap hotel we felt like more comfort and had a night in the Holiday Inn, which turned out not to be much more expensive as it included transport from

Summer 2009: Travel report no. 51.

2009-11-08T04:07:00.000-08:00

Summer 2009: New jobs. Life in Lier. Finn’s Christening. Visit to Træna. Geocaching. Travel report no. 51. For corresponding pictures see Picture Gallery no. 51. Written by Stein in Havana, Cuba. November 8th, 2009. Diana and I sailed White Admiral safely into Hemingway Marina, Santa Fe, just east of Havana one week ago. We had left Rio Dulce, Guatemala, 30th September, and journeyed along the

Back to Belize; Family and Friends, Blue Hole and Whale Shar

2009-05-01T04:07:00.000-07:00

Report no. 50 by Diana, May 2009. For accompanying photos see Pictures: Gallery no. 50. Return to Monkey Bay Marina. Ilse signs on again. We had been in our new flat in Lier just under three weeks when it was time to go back to White Admiral, waiting for us in Guatemala. So off we flew on March 7th, leaving our environmental footprints in London and Atlanta. Our stop in London gave us the

Return to Guatemala after another Norwegian winter

2009-04-16T04:06:00.000-07:00

Here we are yet again aboard White Admiral and anchored in Placencia, Belize. We only left deep snow in Norway eight days ago, while here the trades are blowing their tepid breeze, the bougainvilleas are in magnificent bloom and I’ve had two swims today – so far. The speed at which we can go from one continent in Nordic winter to another continent in Tropical summer is part of the fascination of

Autumn in Belize. For photos see Picture Gallery no 48

2008-12-10T04:05:00.000-08:00

Autumn in Belize. By Diana. Travel report nr 48. For corresponding photos see Picture Gallery nr 48 Tapadas and zarpe. Tuesday, 21th October we were ready to leave Monkey Bay marina. Having had the boat left in the water, there seemed much less to do than usual, get on the sails, check the engines, fill up with drinking water, do some shopping and a few small jobs, and we were ready to go. John

Summer 2008 See also Picture Gallery 47

2008-11-01T04:05:00.000-07:00

Summer 2008 By Stein. For the corresponding pictures; see Gallery 47 This is written in early November aboard White Admiral. We are at anchor in Caye Caulker, Belize, where all is well with White Admiral, Diana and I. We also have family visiting for two weeks; my mother Eli (who will be 93 next month!) and cousin Stein (“St. Buster”) who also were with us a year ago in Panama and San Blas. The

Panama, Colombia, Honduras and Guatemala: Pict.Gallery 46

2008-04-01T04:04:00.000-07:00

For corresponding pictures see Pictures Gallery No 46- Norwegian winter Well, here we are at the end of another period of sailing, ready to return to Norway and back to work! First a quick review of Winter 2008 after our stop-over in Canada with Diana’s brother Jim. We also stopped in London to see (our daughter) Elisabeth and her Hugh, and in Lincoln and Manchester to see more family and friends

Kuna Yala to Isla Linton, El Valle, Shelter Bay and Canada

2008-02-29T04:03:00.001-08:00

Written by Stein, Kristiansand, 29th Feb. 2008. For corresponding pictures see Picture Gallery No 45. From Kuna Yala to Isla Linton, El Valle, Shelter Bay and Canada Pizza Dining with a Sloth Ilse left us after 10 days of not the best weather, we were indeed in the rainy season, but after a lot of adventures. Diana and I now felt like seeing more of mainland Panama, and after a last few days in

More Kuna Yala. Visit from Ilse and Near Disaster

2008-02-29T04:03:00.000-08:00

Written by Stein, Kristiansand, Norway, 29th feb. 2008. For photos see Picture Gallery No 44. More Kuna Yala. Visit from Ilse, Rio Gangandi and a close call in Porvenir. Dog Island, East Lemmon Cays Since Diana last reported 31st October we had another few days before my mother Eli and my name-sake cousin Stein (now officially “St. Buster of WhiteAdmiral”!) flew back to Norway. A new anchorage

Summer 2007 and Back to San Blas (Kuna Yala)

2007-10-31T04:02:00.000-07:00

Summer and back to San Blas (Kuna Yala). Written aboard, October 31st, 2007 by Diana. For photos see Picture Gallery No 43. Summer in Norway South Norway has had one of its worst summers for many years, for us this was no big problem, as we had arranged hospital work, Stein for 4 months from 7th may, and I for 3 months from 1st June. We both enjoyed freshening up our clinical expertise, and

Kuna Yala - Comarca de San Blas- Report No 42.

2007-06-27T04:02:00.000-07:00

Kristiansand, 27th June, 2007 by Stein. For corresponding pphotos see Picture Gallery No 42. Kuna Yala - Comarca de San Blas The South-Western part of the Caribbean continues to give us pleasant surprises, and our visit to the archipelago of San Blas in March-April 2007 was a real delight. Diana and I have now for more than 30 years had the privilege to sail many seas and oceans and to visit some

Islas del Rosarias. Report 41.

2007-06-02T04:01:00.000-07:00

By Stein, Kristiansand, 2nd June 2007. For Photos see Picture Gallery No 41. Islas del Rosario, Colombia. Suddenly it is Saturday, 2nd June and finally time to sit down and recall two pleasant sails we made to the Rosario Islands in March, nearly three months ago. When we last reported on the exciting, inland trip to Cuidad Perdida we were in Cartagena in early March and honestly believing that

Cartagena and Cuidad Perdida. Report 40.

2007-03-18T04:00:00.000-07:00

(by Stein, written in Cartagena March 18th) For corresponding photos see Picture Gallery No 40. Returning to Cartagena Our flight back to Cartagena was not as straight-forward as when we went home in late November. We then flew directly from Cartagena to Madrid with Air Madrid, a budget airline of about three years’ standing. The plane was delayed by ten hours, was only half-full when it finally

Norwegian Winter Interlude. Report No 39.

2007-03-17T03:59:00.000-07:00

(By Stein, Cartagena, 17th March 2007) For corresponding photos see Picture Gallery No 39. As has been our routine since 2004, we were again back in Norway in early December. We wanted to see family and friends, look after our house a little and we needed to work for a couple of months. I was back at the Dept. of Cardiology, Sørlandets sykehus for my sixth time – again a most enjoyable period,

Bonaire to Cartagena to Land's End and Norway

2006-12-20T03:59:00.000-08:00

More guests Stein’s mother Eli, accompanied by Kim and Jeanette Halle, arrived precisely at 0320 a.m. on 9th October at Flamingo airport in Bonaire. Eli unfortunately had a bad case of sciatica, but was otherwise as sharp as ever despite approaching 91 years of age. Kim and Jeanette are a young couple, friends of Eli, who are themselves considering buying a sail-boat for long-distance cruising,

Bonaire, Dutch Antilles, 7th October, 2006.

2006-10-07T03:58:00.000-07:00

Another summer over. We arrived back at Curacao Marine on 16th September well after sun-set. We had spent two days in England en route, partly to help Robert get installed in Cambridge where he is going to do a year’s post-graduate diploma in Computers, and partly to visit Elisabeth, who with her husband Hugh’s help is setting up a photographic studio (Skin Studio) in West London, in addition to

Aves, Bonaire & Curacau - Curacao, 9th April 2006.

2006-04-11T03:57:00.000-07:00

Stein and I arrived at Caracas airport on 28th February, three hours later than expected, thanks to a plane cancellation from Miami. Would our taxi driver Aries have understood the message that Elisabeth had given to him on the phone from London? He knows not one word of English, neither does Elisabeth know any Spanish, but after a quick lesson from me, had told him we were now arriving at 11 p.m

Norwegian Winter Report (London, 27th February 2006 by Stein

2006-02-27T03:58:00.000-08:00

his is being written in London as Diana and I are on the way back to Venezuela and our faithful White Admiral – reportedly in good shape and un-broken into in Astillero de Higuerote! I realize that most people that enter our web-site do so for the more exotic stories and pictures, so this report is going to be fairly brief. But family, friends and work back in Europe is also an important part of

Venezuela Oct 2005 - More friends, more Los Roques.

2005-12-20T03:53:00.000-08:00

Diana and I were on our own for the over-night sail from Los Roques to Caracas, Thursday Sept 29th. We were close-hauled, but comfortable. Only as we approached the continent in the early hours did the wind fail (normal for this area), and we motored along the coast to find a safe anchorage, preferably a marina not too far from the airport. The main excitement on this trip was two hours after

Back to White Admiral - Los Roques, Venezuela, Sept. 29th

2005-11-20T03:54:00.000-08:00

Norwegian summer; jobs and socialising. Summer in Norway went by too quickly; what happened to all the walks in the mountains, visiting more friends and relatives around Norway and decorating our bedroom? (We were back in our house again after renting it out for nearly two years.) But professional jobs worked out well. Stein enjoyed his third period back in the Cardiology Department of Sørlandets

Venezuela, Oct-Nov 2005 - A visit from Eli & Rigmor and

2005-11-15T03:53:00.000-08:00

Visit from Eli & Rigmor. The next 24 hours, we spent getting the boat ready for our next Norwegian guests, Stein’s mother Eli, and our friend Rigmor. Again, planes were in time and passengers happy and we could leave the expensive marina almost at once, and had a new brisk sail up to Los Roques. This time we entered the Boca de Sebastapol channel between the reefs on the SE side. Halfway up we

Nov. 2005 - The Islands of Galapagos

2005-11-01T03:52:00.000-08:00

Guayaquil, Ecuador. Arias, our faithful taxi-driver, drove us safely the 2½ hours to Caracas International Airport on November 9th. Along the way we stopped for a traditional coconut drink, particularly refreshing as the nuts are cooled in a big freezer. The evening plane from Caracas via Bogota got us into Guayaquil, Ecuador’s biggest city, in the middle of the night. Here we were met by our

Kristiansand, 3rd May 2005

2005-05-03T03:55:00.000-07:00

Kristiansand, 3rd May 2005 Exactly one month has lapsed since our last report in Venezuela. I am now writing from our old house in Vigeveien, Kristiansand. It is nearly 2 years since we rented the house to a pair of colourful ex-Brazilians, Eliana and Marcelo and teenage daughter Louisa. They have not quite yet managed the massive job of moving their equally colourful and numerous belongings to

Puerto Carenero, Venezuela, April 3rd 2005

2005-04-06T03:55:00.000-07:00

White Admiral is back up on the hard, washed and cared for, sails, dinghy, ropes and shackles all rinsed with fresh water and packed away for summer storage. We are in Asterillo de Higuerote, a small yard mostly used by motor boat owners from Caracas, but we heard from anther catamaran that it was a good place for sail boats too. It has certainly been a pleasant experience to come here, we seem

Puerto la Cruz, Venezuela, Sunday March 6th, 2005

2005-03-09T03:56:00.000-08:00

Diana and I arrived back at Puerto la Cruz this morning. We have just finished lunch of home baked, brown bread eaten with a selection of fruit and salad bought from a street stall close to the marina entrance. Today being - domingo – Sunday – does not seem to prevent these small businesses from operating. After a sailing trip of two weeks we had run out of just about everything fresh, so bananas

Atlanta, Georgia, USA, Wednesday 16th February 2005

2005-02-18T03:56:00.000-08:00

In our last report in November we thought that on this day, February 16th, we would be back on White Admiral in Puerto la Cruz, Venezuela. Alas, this was not to be. Instead we are relaxing after a big breakfast here at Ramadan Plaza Hotel, Atlanta as our corresponding plane to Caracas yesterday was cancelled... Hopefully the plane this afternoon is on schedule, but again it illustrated how even

November 16th, 2004 - More Venezuelan Adventures.

2004-11-16T03:51:00.000-08:00

London, Tuesday, November 16th. Diana and I arrived safely back to Elisabeth & Hugh’s here in London today. In a few days we carry on to Norway, on Sunday 28th our grandson Johan Fredrik will be Christened in Oslo, and the next day it’s back to work in Kristiansand and Arendal. We return to Venezuela and White Admiral February 16th, 2005. Mochima National Park Since our report dated Cumana,

Cumana, Venuzuela, 24th October, 2004

2004-10-24T03:51:00.000-07:00

Isla Coche From Isla Margarita we had a pleasant 3 hour sail with only the genoa to the west coast of Isla Coche, an island between Margarita and mainland Venuzuela. It is a few miles long and broad, very dry, consisting of low hills in various hues of brown and red, with a scattering of bushes and cacti. As we approached the beach and anchored, the wind which had been increasing for the previous

Isla Margarita, Sunday 3rd October

2004-10-03T03:50:00.000-07:00

Good morning! The sun is just up ahead and slowly rising beside the burned out hulk of Hotel Concorde (20 charred stories; a tragic fire 15 years ago…). To the left, in the city of Porlamar, the first light is warming numerous other high-rise houses where the local citizens live. Behind that, capped by white clouds, craggy, green mountains. A lot of pelicans are already on the wing leisurely

Humming Bird Marina, Chaguaramas, Trinidad, Sunday, Septembe

2004-09-20T03:50:00.000-07:00

Stein is actually at a medial conference today, a meeting of the Trinidad and Tobago Medical Association, with a lot of interesting lectures on the agenda so he has gone to get a taste of the local medical attitudes. Meanwhile I have done a bit of cleaning and tidying so that we are ship-shape for leaving for Venezuela in 2 days. I am now sitting in bikini at the chart-table, one towel under me

London, Monday August 30th 2004: Summer report

2004-08-30T03:45:00.000-07:00

Farewell Isobel Young (1913-2004) Our summer break in Norway is over and I am on a slow journey back to our yacht in Trinidad, stopping over in London where I’m staying with Elisabeth & Hugh. Eli is staying behind in Norway this time, and Diana is not with me, either. - She had to fly from Kristiansand to Canada a few days ago as her mother, Isobel, became seriously ill. She got there just in

London, UK, May 23rd: Final sail to Trinidad

2004-05-23T03:39:00.000-07:00

I’m writing this in Kensington, London at Elisabeth (our daughter) and Hugh’s house, so as planned we have left the boat for summer storage in Trinidad and are slowly on our way back to Norway. And with a lot of rain and humid heat in Grenada and Trinidad lately, it is pleasant again to breathe cool, dry European air in long twilight evenings – not to mention the fun of seeing family and friends

Grenada, 3rd May, 2004

2004-05-03T03:38:00.000-07:00

Bequia and St VincentWe left Barbados on13th April, sailing out into the sun-set, after afarewell glass of champagne with Kenneth Crutchlow (director of Ocean Rowing Society), the boys from Kilcullen (the support boat), photographer Dixie and Matt Boreham (who had just rowed the Atlantic) with his family. Those not so pleased with us were the birds who were trying to make a nest in our radar

11th April2004 Port St Charles, Barbados

2004-04-11T03:38:00.000-07:00

It is a warm and beautiful Easter Morning here at Port St Charles, Barbados. The humming birds are zooming between the blue flowers lining our dock, a pair of fly catchers are twiddling happily (and dropping things!) from the mast head, and it is already 31 degrees inside three hours after sunrise. There is hardly a breath of wind, but the weather man on CBC radio promised some trade winds later.

25rd March 2004 Port St Charles, Barbados

2004-03-25T03:43:00.000-08:00

Nearly a month since our last update and we are still enjoying life in sunny Barbados in the lagoon at Port St Charles. One reason for our delay with this report is that both our laptop computers crashed within 3 days! A local data expert is working on them, and in the meantime we are using the Ocean Rowing Society’s computer. Our two main occupations this past month have been meeting rowing

February 17th 2004 - Barbados!

2004-02-17T03:35:00.000-08:00

At 0910 local time, ie 1310 GMT we tied up at the immigration/customs jetty, Port St Charles! Position is N13 15,8' W 59 38,7'. We were quickly boarded by three officials, who completed a lot of papers, got the B$25 fee, joined us in an "anchor dram" and declared us officially entered in Barbados! Last night was rough, especially after about 2 am when we again had to reef down the genoa. Took the

February 2004, Port St Charles, Barbados

2004-02-01T03:44:00.000-08:00

Navigation is no longer an art, we knew exactly when Barbados would appear on the horizon, and as expected, on the morning of 17th February we had the delightful sight of the island on portside. The sea was rough as we got closer to round the North Point, with gusts up to 36 knots, so it was a relief to come into more sheltered water on the West coast, and even better to tie up at the Immigration

First reports from 2003

2003-12-31T03:46:00.000-08:00

Below are all the reports from Diana & Stein's first year on Whiteadmiral:February 15th - Crossing the Atlantic - Two days to go! Position Sunday February 15th 12 GMT: N? 13 32,6’ W 55? 10,2’, 259 n.miles to go. EWNE F5, rough seas, clear sky (overcast later). Several heavy squalls last night - the rigging becoming cleaner all the time! We have been at sea now for 13 days, a fast ride in the