The last trip of the year was south from Portsmouth, VA to the BVI with ARC Caribbean 1500 This was the first time for us to actually sail in the event that we have managed for many years now! The crew, Ed, Bruce, David and Tom, arrived during the week leading up to the start that was scheduled for Sunday November 6. Due to a favorable weather window, the start was scheduled for a day early and it as a bit running around on the docks to get everything ready for departure. 

The final leg of the Canadian summer started in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. This was the forth time Andy & Mia have been up there, twice on Isbjorn and once on Arcturus. Lunenburg is such a sweet little town with everything a sailor could want. The trip south was fairly uneventful with some upwind sailing towards the end before we entered the Delaware Bay and sailed back home to Annapolis

After a fun and relaxing week up in St. John's, Newfoundland, David and Dough arrived a few days early to explore the town before departing south towards Lunenburg. Dan, our 3rd crew, sailed with us up from Lunenburg and stayed onboard during the stop over in St. John's. As we departed, the fog rolled in pretty quickly and we had a nice cruise down to St. Pierre, arriving early in the morning in thick fog. St. Pierre really surprised us and the crew, amazing food, great hiking and the deserts people just could dream of.

Capt. Andy joined Isbjorn after his appendicitis surgery a week earlier in Newport. A great sail out of Lunenburg, the wind kept building as we sailed along the coast of Nova Scotia. To avoid a big low between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland we jumped in to Lewisbourg for a day. 20 hrs later we were out again, some frustrating light wind sailing through fog until we rounded Cape Race. The fog lifted, the wind picked up and can not say other that a spectacular sail up the coast. Dozens of humpback whales, dolphins and puffins all around the boat and we didn't drop the sails until we were in the cut to St. Johns!

The first trip for the summer and the start of our sailing up to Canada started in Annapolis. We had a great departure and sail up the Chesapeake and was out in the open ocean before we knew it. Th trip took an unexpected turn though when Andy started to feel stomach pain and the crew diverted to Newport. Andy had a quick appendicitis surgery and stayed ashore to fly up and meet the crew in Lunenburg. Andy's dad Dennis came up and captained Isbjorn up to Lunenburg, Canada.

After Andy's sister Kaitie's wedding in Key West, Mia, Andy, Liz & Thierry rendezvoused at Pam Wall's house to record the first episode of the new TV show! Then, crew joined Isbjorn on the canal across the street for the return voyage north to Annapolis. We tempted fate and left on a Friday - which I won't do again! Rough, upwind conditions dictated the trip, but it was punctuated by a calm ride around Cape Hatteras and a good finish! 

Mia & Andy share some photos of what it was like to sail to Cuba this year! Feel free to share these galleries with your friends and family - if you've sailed with us and would like a high-res, un-marked photo of any of the below, email us!

It was a disappointing result, having to abandon the race 3/4 of the way through, but before we even hit the dock we decided we'd be back in 2017! The whole thing was an absolute blast! What a cool experience to push the boat that hard, for that long. Paul Exner is the man!

The second leg of 2016. This one was supposed to start in Grenada, but when we got turned back on Leg 1, we ended up back in Tortola! Thanks to an awesome crew who changed their travel plans to join us for a fun island-hopping leg to Antigua, with a stop in Ile Fourche & St. Barths!

Our first leg of 2016, and one filled with drama! Heavy weather on the way south tested our mettle, and then in the middle of the night, the furler jammed & forced us to divert back to BVI. The very next morning the mainsail blew out across a seam from leech to luff. A quick turnaround in the BVI and a new furler and mainsail and we were back in business!

Photos from the second trip with crew aboard Isbjorn on our passage south from Lunenburg, Nova Scotia to Annapolis, MD. Crew onboard were Andy, Mia, Rachel C., Matt M, & Andy's Dad Dennis Schell.