Ave del Mar

Author: johnherlig

  • Space Chimp and the Jamaica Crossing

    I stared at the chimpanzee, spellbound. A parade of majestic Mayan figures marched across his face carrying signs that made up a system of messages I found fascinating but impossible to understand. A lone, lithe figure dressed in iridescent greens and yellows danced gracefully above the Mayans. Simply amazing, I thought. The chimpanzee was wearing a…

  • Paradise Smells of Failure

    “Be careful,” a wise friend once said, “when you make that decision to jump into the lifeboat. Remember that all your baggage comes with you.” He was speaking metaphorically to marriage, not sailing, but it holds true through all walks of life. As it was phrased in the arguably-brilliant movie Magnolia, “We may be through with…

  • The Crossing: Miami to Nassau

    I did not vomit from nerves, as I thought I might, nor did I hit any coral heads or boats—but I was smacked in the face by a flying winch drum. So all in all this must have been a success.

  • The Library Aboard Ave del Mar

    I was reading the amazing blog of Howard Rice and the Voyage of Southern  Cross when I came across his list of books on board (I’ll be sure to include a link to his blog at the end of this post). Reading is a vital part of my happiness—and sometimes part of my efforts to…

  • Fare thee well, West Palm. 

    ​ There was adventure aplenty as Leg I fades into the books. Never have two men and one badass boat had more fun being arguably miserable a’sea than Chris Pruitt, Ave del Mar, and I did during our 20 hour slog south from West Palm in the near-coastal waters of Mother Ocean. I will only…

  • Postcards From Sea, Episode III “More Feta”

    In this episode of Postcards From Sea my firstborn Alex joins me to discuss feta cheese, how to do nothing on the boat for a solid week, whether or not she has actually sailed Ave del Mar, and if Türkmenistan is a real country.

  • Postcards from Sea, Episode II. “Capricious”

    Shortly after arriving in West Palm Beach, Florida, I took it upon myself to clean out the boat of a man who had recently died, and as always the universe paid me back more than I gave. In Episode II of Postcards from Sea you can hear the whole the story and meet  the man who is bringing the…

  • Postcards from Sea

    In my new podcast Postcards from Sea you will be able to hear the stories of my travels, told with a little help from some of the wonderful characters that I meet along the path. Listen right here or enjoy this and many other wonderful boating podcasts by visiting http://www.boatradio.tv.  

  • Sailing with Jamie

    My phone chirped, and the screen said New Text Message from Elizabeth SV Luna. I slid the screen open with my thumb and looked, but there were no words — just a photo of a brown cardboard box with my name on the front. I had a package awaiting me at my friends’ office. A…

  • Guest Post from Mike McDowall

    Mike McDowall, Boat Radio’s founder and gifted host, lives on the idyllic island of Mallorca and has a truly-fascinating backstory. He has agreed to be a guest columnist here on avedelmar.com. I trust you will enjoy his tale as much as I did. If you never caught his interview of me, you can hear it here: https://audioboom.com/boos/5007407-the-life-aquatic-john-herlig-and-ave-del-mar?t=0 ============================================== On the first…