Dear Readers,

these days have caught up with me memories of the Caribbean. When I was two months in St. Lucia was on dry land, and was waiting for a replacement gearbox from Germany, I wrote to an American, who had been following my journey on the Internet.

He told me, that he once little one, 5,5 m had bought sporting yacht in Barbados, thus sailed a bit around the island, and it was then sold again. It was a plywood boat type “Caprice”, which was built in the 60s and 70s of CEClark on the Isle of Wight. Later there were also models of fiberglass. The boat has made a name by numerous long trips. Rollo Gebhard sailed 1963 a boat of this type of hand Monte Carlo in the Caribbean, was there even on Antigua Queen Mum (!) visited on board, before he sailed to Bermuda and rammed on the way to New York by a whale was. Read the story in his book Seefieber. However over the oceans. or, richer imaged, in the book Logbook a life.

Made an even more incredible journey but the Briton Shane Acton with a “Caprice” first type, he “Super-Shrimp” (short: “Shrimpy”) and therefore called for eight years, long distances in the company of a young Swiss, sailed around the world. Here is a some information.

The book “Shrimpy” is today hardly get and if there at unbelievable prices!. I did many years ago to get a copy for just a few euros, and since the book is one of my favorite books, because it shows, that can be experienced even with little means a lot.

As I did so in the Caribbean and this mail was received by the American, the me of his Caprice named “Sharky” told, made it CLICK. – “Is back there in the lagoon does not even such a small, light blue plywood boat?” – And in fact, I shot photos, sent them to the U.S. and got reply: It IS the Caprice, the Americans once owned. But as the boat came to the Caribbean? It's a pretty long way from the Isle of Wight to St. Lucia. Could also answer this question to me the Americans: On her own keel, of course!

Sharky in the Caribbean

He could not tell me much, that a Briton had the boat late nineties sailed singlehanded across the Atlantic and then sold to Barbados. On board, he even found one with a knife in Scotland scratched tally, who counted the days of the Atlantic crossing.

Two days ago I was flipping me on a search through internet suddenly when I discovered this book here:

It is the story of this very Caprice, I there so inconspicuous and rot in the Caribbean at its buoy schwoiend found. You could tell me a great story. But I will now make use of this book – so far it is really exciting to read! 🙂

John