Dear Readers,
It is now quite a while ago already, that has been done here on this site some. My old tinkered himself in html page, which was not originally intended for the masses, but only, can follow so that my friends and family, my journey with the Maverick on the Atlantic, well in recent years has 100.000 Welcomes visitors and it was about time, the site to make something more modern and, above all, a little clearer.
My gratitude goes to my Webmaster Dennis Goerke, which the side in many, has brought many night shifts completely to the new structure. I can imagine, that this was a hell of a work… In addition, we have moved: Since the Atlantic story so already a few years away, you find my site and travel stories from now on under www.john-erdmann.com (Of course, the page will still be well above www.allein-on-see.de accessible…)
If the website news. More news: I'm only just arrived back in Germany and have spent the last 3 Spent weeks in the U.S.. In mid-March I flew to Atlanta, there to visit my friend Dick Stafford and his family and also to many, to hold lectures in many American schools. In addition to a school for “big boys” (including metal detectors and police…) and the College of Atlanta, I visited a middle school and above all there in 2 Good days 300 Children in grades 5 to 8 entertains. Many of them had already “Where” Read, the book of the 16-year-old American, which is sailed around the world – and now they were naturally very excited to meet someone, they can draw on the parallel.
After a very busy week in Atlanta I was then made in a borrowed car from Dick on a road trip through the U.S.. 1.700 I drove miles in three weeks in total. My first leg took me back to the Intra-Coastal Waterway-, closer to St. Marys in Georgia. Why to St. Marys? Now, I had learned by chance, that my Maverick is still there and will be refurbished and so I took the 8 Highway driving hours for me, to see her again. Soon after my arrival, I went down to the local single-site marina, hoping, the boat to be found immediately. I knew just the place, not the exact berth. So I wandered so by the boat lines and suddenly my eyes fell on very familiar lines… Maverick. A blatant sense. I held my breath. Since then our paths cross again, after 1,5 Years…
On board, I could not find anyone, But I had rented directly on the safe side for two days a motel room and tried it again the following morning. And in fact: I could see from afar, that the hatch is open. I knocked on the deck – and became acquainted with Bob Winter, the second owner of the Maverick (to me), a real nice, friendly people. All day we sat on board and told, I from my trip, He made his living buying and from the boat. 1.000Questions de, from both sides. Bob immediately offered me a cup of coffee (what for me is always a very nice gesture…) and immediately I remembered, I've been drinking from this cup of coffee a few dozens: It was once my. Of course, I brought him a book, he promises to show the world and to honor.
On deck has hardly changed: My labels are from, but otherwise everything looks as usual. Those Behind Peak ist komplett leather, The old box is out of gas and the diesel tank, the new one is gone. More has changed under the deck: The deck is now supported properly at last, after it has started already with me in Lisbon, sag. I was really worried me at the time, how it can bring back to the old form: Mast down and push the jack back and stiffen? When Bob was simply the: When the mast was down, it took just one night. Then it was “PLOPP” – and the deck was back in the old form. Typical America, there were a few technical changes to the boat: Instead the card table, the boat now has a cool box (with me on board so the time was not even a beer, a hot drink…), Optimus kerosene stove gave way to a microwave (but only for port operations) and my bunk is now a holding tank (Holding Tank) installed, which is mandatory in the U.S.. When the Coast Guard would have stopped me, I certainly would have had bad problems… Even the dinghy is still “Mermaid” and is from Kiel. However, Bob felt, that “Mermaid” something like “nothing” and is not, I told him, “mermaid”. So far away from the root word, he was with “nothing” or “nix” yes no…
In the evening we were finally invited to a 43-foot yacht for dinner and watched the newly released DVD about my trip (for download at www.segel-filme.de) an, I commented in English. Then we parted ways again, My road trip was to lead me to the north. But I was able to drive content and happy – Maverick is in good hands knowing.
215 Miles north, I reached the next day after 4 Hours driving Charleston, where I had left and then sold Maverick. Again, a strange feeling, at these “Port of Call” my trip to come back. And this time, even by car. Ich fuhr so manche Route ab, I was then walked on foot. So I ran an average time 5 Miles to the nearest Walmart. In Charleston, Amber and Emily should I take the Dyar family, I then had taken during my trip so warmly into their home. After 4 Days in Charleston we drove in convoy on to Hilton Head, where the family now lives. Some really nice days followed. I slept almost the whole time on their boat, the “Ay Mon” (Greetings in the Bahamas) – toll, back on a boat in a marina and its.
After almost one and a half weeks I was finally on the way back to Atlanta and joined the circle of my trips. In the morning I was still on the Atlantic coast at T-shirt weather and flip flops – Mittnacht compared to 8 Hours of driving I was then suddenly 3.000 Feet high and could see it the next morning to snow outside my window…
Meanwhile, I'm now back in Kiel, but will continue this afternoon over the Easter holidays to my family in Wolfsburg. Next week Wednesday, the 26., it is my greatest experience so far due to the Atlantic trip: I am against the evening 23.00 Clock as a guest on Pro7, Stefan Raab “TV-Total”. And I'm very excited, what awaits me there…