and so did my blister. Six metres behind my tent I found a place that should be the toilet. While the stream was on its way to color the pebble stones in beautifully bright smaragd and diamonds, on my left an insect came its way and looks to me. That's when my body decided: No way, get out of here! Half a drop had already reached the ground and this "thing" stopped and turned its head as scary as the model T1000 in Terminator III. It points to the right to get to the drop. I could literally watch it doing his analysis about the situation and then it headed straight to this point. It mainly looked like a praying mantis, its body as thick as a pocket lighter, but so much longer and so much feet!



I stepped back and took a stick. Telling it stuff like "I don't like things like that" and "Move your ass out of here" I accompanied the insect, nudging it towards the north of Turkey. I wonder if this could attack me. I'm quite sure that one can listen to the sound of its feet once it's calm. It took me 4 beats to get it on its back. I assumed this would be tactic and watched it for a long moment. It seemed to be bent to attack in the right moment. Later, when I was in the tent, I thought stuff like "did it come alone?" "might they have machines to destroy tents?"



Roughly seven minutes after I had woken up the next morning, I already had hoisted the sails. Let's move on!

Can you get arrested at the beach? Yeah, this Is possible ... On Sunday, 11th of September 2011 I found myself somewhere at the Turkish coast about 20 sea miles south to Denizköy. My GPS was to blame. Is it possible I made a wrong entry? Where should I go? It became stranger and stranger over there. It is difficult to find your way without any help passing islands, rocks of bays. I decided to sail back for a mile to lay at the beach I could see from the boat. Just to turn on my computer, check where I am, and continue my trip. That was my plan. I remembered some houses there.



There was a safety roap 500 metres before the beach. I asked all staff crew to lift their swords, their oar blades and their outboard motor, get the last swing to skip over and then to let it down finally. Many people came to watch the Frisian Jack Sparrow spread his happy mood. But not only ordinary people came. Of course I saw the security guy with his weapon speaking in his phone, while I belayed my boat at a parasol of two young ladies. But suddenly there were three security men, later ten of them. They told me I could not sleep here in any case. "We got to have the seapolice here before you can sail on" I could understand, though their English was horrible. Four policemen of the coastguard and some security men were talking on the phone, and reading some notes, while myself and some beardy secret service agents showed solidarity with each other and laughed about a bald headed.



I used every conversation break to say "Allah Allah" (good God) to keep them in the mood. It took me some time to understand that I had entered one of the most guarded beaches in all Turkey. It was a private beach of probably the biggest oil company in Turkey. The situation got worse, when they found a book in my stuff, which is written in Turkish. Nergis Yazgan gave it to me in Istanbul. Was I really not speaking Turkish? Could I be an agent? Mr. 0080 in the mission to cross the safety rope. It was very funny to see all those sharpshooters two hours later taking pictures and waving goodbye at the beach to see me leave. Great guys, though very important, but so human and funny. I shouted "inshallah" from my boat and could see them smile, showing their white teeth. This was a great moment!



Are there sailing submarines? Well ...

Evdilos/Ikaria in Greece, Sunday, 25th of September 2011. I've been here since Tuesday, waiting for better wind. It's blowing day and night with an enormous power. The forecast is bad for this day, too. Nevertheless, I wake up at 5:30, as the night was calm. The sea is relatively calm and I think "Go Andreas! Listen to your feeling and your baroscope". I'm leaving at the first light and it takes about 40 miles to arrive at Mykonos. The north wind is good to use. What are rather not good are the huge gigantic waves in this region. They rarely lost their height, due to the hurricanes during the last days. The boat does a very good job. I don't feel unsafe at any time. I speed up to seven to eight knots. I lose Ikaria out of sight and the waves are no longer waves but skyscrapers, searching for their ground to settle down. Hours later I can see Mykonos.



I had an average speed of five to six or at least four to five knots, while the wind kept moving. I get submerged again and again. My boat is coming out clumsier and clumsier. I wait a moment to take a look under the cagdeck. This confirmed my suspicion. Both boats are filled with water. Distress at sea with a paddle boat!!

I stay calm. With the level of the waterline and unbelievably clumsy, my boat still moves on with up to three knots, as the GPS tells me. Loading 400 kilo more weight and nearly under water, the boat won't stop! Incredible! Ten miles in front of Mykonos the cagdecks are bubbling through the canisters that are placed in the inside. "There won't fit even more water" I think "you are still on board, keep cool". After very long ten miles I could finally arrive at the first bay of Mykonos and the beach that saved me. I got all my stuff together and hung it up. Believe it or not, even my computer survived. Crazy!



Mykonos, 30th of September. My name is Andreasos Gabrielis and 'm on my way back home with a small, but incredible boat.

The wind is strong again. I'm gonna have to wait for a while in Kalafatis.