at 11pm yesterday night we dropped anchor in front of isla mujeres. we could not go inside the harbour as it is a bit tricky for us to get in there and we need daylight. now we will make on of these famous stahlratte breakfasts and then go inside the harbour to the marina pier and start paperwork.

60 NATICAL MILES LEFT TO ISLA MUJERES. WIND IS SSE 20KNOTS AND WE SAIL WITH 7 KNOTS SPEED. WE WILL ARRIVE TO ISLA MUJERES TONIGHT 9PM.

good morning world! we left cienfuegos /cuba yesterday 5pm with 12 souls on board. we had to mmotor through the night as there was no wind at all but at 5 am this morning a very gentle breeze woke up and we stopped the motor and now we are heading for isla mujeres/mexico with 4 knots of speed and allmost no
waves. fishinglines are out and so we are all looking forward to a nice tuna sashimi later on.

hi all somewhere outside there!
finally we really reach cuba today. that means, since yesterday all the bikes are legalized and going around through cuba. today then gabi brought the ship to the pier very superior. we had been cleaning up now (nearly) everything, started to organize solutions for the worth problems and can go
over to do all the maintances and repairs. (most of you now, everytime the same, sewing sails, repairworks in the machineroom, fighting cucarachas and all this stuff...) because of permanent problems with our sky-file heres a phonenumber for getting able to contact us. mobilphone 58352185  Unfortunally i dont know now the numbers you have to dial before for cuba. if necassary youll find out.
demasiado mucho hasta luegos

Before we went overnight to Cienfuegos we stoped at Cayo Largo for having a refreshing swimtime and start to realize that our journey on sea is getting over. We came in to Bay of Cienfuegos and droped anchor in front of the marina punta gorda at 08:45 on Mon 04.Feb. Earliest Time we can go to the
pier will be at the 9., so anybody has to stay on board to do this and keep the anchorwatch. The  paperworks, drug- and hygeniccontrols had been done very quick and since midday the marinabar has been flooded with little, thirsty steelrats. in between the bikedrivers tried to get their temporary importation things done at the aduana, but what a pitty, the only officer who is beeing authorized to do this is just in holydays till friday.....Yesterday had been a day of getting orientation, people checked busroutes, changing money and all these things for get prepared travelling further. today now the complete old crew and every other guest left the boat, so  that there only we (gabi and ETE) both lost souls are still on board, to keep the things running. and they will!

hasta luego y la victoria siempre!

Nach anfaenglichen Startschwierigkeiten, Zylinderkopfwechsel etc., sind wir jetzt den 7. Tag unterwegs. An den ersten beiden Tagen hatten wir richtig gut Wind und sind mit viel Schaukelei und mit Motorsegeln voran gekommen. Danach fing der schoenere Teil der Reise an. Wir wurden durch Segel und Wind voran gebracht, mitunter auch bei 6 Knoten. In den letzten zwei Tagen schlief dann auch der Wind etwas ein und drehte auf Nord, so sind wir "gemuetlich" mit 3-4 Knoten vor uns hin geduempelt. Jetzt nur noch 10 Seemeilen bis kurz vor cienfuegos. Mit Motorkraft laufen wir oestlich an cayo largo vorbei um am spaeten Nachmittag, uns nahe von cienfuegos, vor Anker zu legen. Erstens ist heute Sonntag und wahrscheinlich keiner in der Marina der die Einreisepapiere erledigt, und zweitens, will vieleicht der Ein- oder Andere noch einmal in das schoene, "kuehle" blaue Meer springen. Also noch mal Badestunden. Solch eine Ankunft bringt ja fast immer zwei unterschiedliche Gefuehle hervor. Einerseits die Vorfreude des Ankommens und andererseits ein wenig Wehmut, das kleine Schiffuniversum zu verlassen. Doch die Entdeckerlust obsiegt natuerlich, und so freuen wir uns Alle auf die morgige Ankunft.
Einen schoenen Gruss von der "Ratte".