and there I see the cavallerie, the blue lamp and now I can hear the board trumpet. A speedboat full steam ahead… the ship's nose, which is about half a mile away, heads towards my front mast. This is not good ... not good at all! I decide to put my wetsuit over my cannon to hide it - this is a sailing tip: in case of emergency, you can fire through the leg cut! :-)

It would be easy for me to send the marine's 70 feet bathtub of plastic under the water surface, but I decide for diplomacy in the first step. Despite the camouflage suit, my trained military view can recognize 4 struggler of the coast that are lashing about themselves. I hold my lighter close to the match cord of the board cannon… "Stop… stop ... Stop!!!" I can hear them shout, after their stern jumps up, driven by their own waves. I try to keep my hand calm and think "Cool down, Andreas… being a Viking or not - you're still just on your journey through!" My bullet would blow through all shells of Billingantifouling!

The guys are really wearing camouflage while shipping near the coast… I chuck myself away! If they had chosen turquoise - like the water, or at least grey - like the boat, I wouldn't have seen them that easily. "Well, warfare is a science" I think. In the south it's more important to see and to be seen. "6 miles outside!" only now I'm realizing, that I sailed into an area of active shots by the marine. Oops…J I refer to the size of my boat, the fact that the coast is close by and the international rights of kayaking, but the guys say: "No ... follow us, 2 miles back… 2 miles outside", I read from their lips and I ask myself, if they are totally crazy. I don't want to reach Africa ... I want to reach Rome. They accompany me out of the area of maneuver and I'm alongside under canvas. I see fender and rope ends and can't look over the curb even if I stand up. All I can see are tons of jackboots. Wait!!! There's a pair of feet wearing thongs! I look up - there are smiling faces J They are taking pictures ... Laugh and save some water. At the end, I was glad not having bombed at first chance, as the guys were really friendly and I'm pretty sure they also have family. Thanks for your influence, Mom! ;-) (Stop grumbling, Dad. Nowadays, you talk first!)

3rd June 2012 Salivoli / West coast of Italy

This day was a hard one. Stern wind, but a lot of waves and steam…. The water is coming out of my ears. I'm beaten after 10 hours. Entering the harbor at Salivoli brings back the divine silence and peace into the boat and my whole body starts to relax. There's a sign at the entrance saying "Alt!" It seems they tried to make one step towards visiting strangers. But - really - it wouldn't be that amount of time and effort to add the "H" at first position.

I did not see the sign officially and move to the inner harbor. Somewhere between the big ships, I can see the attack dog of the harbor, this time on bike, instead of using a tender. So, I have to return to the Alt with missing H ;-) This is where I can stay. My wet beard creates sympathy and I am glad about it. Roberto, who seems to be very noble wearing nice clothes, gives me two coins for taking a shower. Lucky me! But that's not all. He and his guys decide to cook for me - on board! On board of a 30 ton cutter that has 2 Mercedes-turbines à 1200 PS. A hotel is a joke comparing to this boat. Only 2 hours later, I find myself with fine leather under my bottom and it's a long "pfffff" sound when I'm sitting down with pleasure. Well, I'm gonna share this one in all details with you:
1) Martini, served in a prechilled glass (and olive on a spit of course ... with fresh bread and salami of the Provence, domestic cultivated olives.
2) Pasta with homemade sauce, again some olives, parmesan cheese ... I can use a spoon for unfurling the pasta - like I'm used to do! This is served with wine - homemade of course J Delicious!
3) Cheese to close the stomach ... Gorgonzola in a giant size is placed right in front of me. The cap of my outboard motor can't be much bigger. I splashed out this time and became a little naughty ;-) The skipper afterwards had his picture taken with the empty bottle of the sparkling wine that we had with dinner. I guess, the sparkling wine was no bottom shelf liquor, too. Those are precious moments ... This is when you feel like you're a chosen one ... really! Burp ... no need to write more about it. , I 'm satisfied and happy, when I duck into my tent at night. I Thank you guys though I think it's hard for you to understand what that meant to me. Good night.

I manage to catch a Czech skipper and keep him from brushing his teeth to help me with my coffee in the morning. After a short moment of hesitation, he boils me some water for my Nescafe. While sipping it, I realize this has not been a moment of glory for me. I should have known that everybody living more than 5 kilometers east of Berlin doesn't carry water in his ship, but Sliboviz. It's 6:30 am, when my tongue starts to roll up and down, as if it wouldn't know where to stay. What was wrong with this skipper? 70%??? At half past six?? Hehe J very hospitable ... thanks!

I keep sitting with this cup of coffee in front of the harbor tower for a while and I'm ready for take-off. I let my mind wander ... there's an electric caddy in front of me, which they use for golfing. On it, there's a big UK-Halsey sticker. "Yeah" I think "you made it ... 4.300 miles managed ... You're an emperor and commander of the earthman-people ... you are the one and only carrier of the Röttge-Ring. In every harbor of the world the great sail maker of Flensburg provided a caddy, so that you don't have to walk anymore." Nice thought ... a smile and the bite into a piece of stale bread bring me back to reality ... it goes on Andreas ;-) Move out!

Am I one of them? A sailor? It's an own world you live in when you are an offspring of the waterside. It's marvelous to watch all being and appearance in the vesper tine, peaceful minutes of the day. I love to watch those who are showing off and I'm happy for them about their luxury. One day, there's a sudden sunset right next to me in the harbor. No wonder: A boat is masking the planet! My goodness ... I think I must be wrong: The measure of feet suddenly turns strange, cheap and small. "Kilofeet" comes to my mind. How big this ship might be? 100 Kilofeet? And now it turns out there's a guy standing on the forward deck. I shout towards him and show my thumbs up ... we both burst into laughing. Great! The noises of his 500 bow thruster make me thoughtful. I want that too! 4 times 1500 watt - 12 volt blow drier in my kayak and I'm the king of every harbor. Aw ... I want to go back in my garage!

I tried to manage at least the miserable noise of other sailing boat's traps, but that's not easy with a mast of two meters. A steel rope didn't work, three rope ends with five parts of 12 mm Niro-screwnuts also kept to fall short of the mast. I don't know if I awoke someone while trying this ... but yes, I'm one of them!

It's Tuesday, 5th June 2012 / 5 miles east of Pisa

My name is Andreas Gabriel and I'm the captain of my kayak. A boat, which will never let me down. An absolutely crazy barrow that will bring me home. I'll return with a thick skin and a lot of humor.
I often imagine the moment I pass the Eider barrier.
Until then ... I'm on my way!