Birth of a Solo Sailor

Heat, homesickness, seasickness - there are many reasons but only one result: I am alone now. After a year of sailing as a couple, I will now continue the voyage single-handedly. I feel free but also lonely as I follow the mighty Suriname River through the rainforest into the Atlantic Ocean to set out to fulfill my last promise of the relationship that no longer exists.


The first part "On a Mission" of this compelling short story collection describes Maik’s trip from Suriname to Florida, where he will deliver the two dogs Cap'n Jack and Scout home. On this 2,500 nautical mile voyage, there will be no helping hand and no company. On the other side, the reader experiences the exhilarating freedom as the crushing weight of responsibility finally falls off. 


"The strongest man is mightiest alone!" - or maybe not?


Ambivalence characterizes the first part of this exciting adventure that does not break off in the second part "Culture Shock". After successfully completing his mission, Maik goes on home leave, but despite all the joy of seeing family and friends again, the return to civilization is cumbersome, and he is drawn back to his boat, S/V Seefalke, after little more than a week.


Light-hearted and inspired by the lightness of Cuban salsa, in part three "Pandemics and Hurricanes" he finally arrives in Mexico, in another time, in another world, where nothing is as we knew it. 


German navy veteran Maik Ulmschneider, born in 1977 in Friedberg, Germany is an avid single-handed sailor and captivating storyteller. His exciting short stories have been published in German and in U.S. sailing magazines and are finding a growing audience. Sometimes funny, sometimes sad, sometimes silly, sometimes serious but always authentic and gripping, each story gives a remarkably honest insight into the sailor's soul. Join him on his exciting adventures and become part of his unique experiences. Help him search for shipwrecked seamen in the vastness of the Atlantic, celebrate Christmas with Haitian cargo sailors or meet Creole jungle kids in Amazonia, roll cigars in Cuba and negotiate with Mexican beach gangs...


But if you think you can sit back, relax, and passively enjoy the read, you're badly mistaken. In selected multiple-choice stories, the reader is not spared from making his own decisions, which can dramatically change the course of events. This creates a unique thrill and the responsibility of the captain on the high seas becomes tangible. Do you decide to reef for the night to be protected from those vicious squalls? Or do you rather continue under full sails to outrun that tropical depression building up behind you?


The fate of ship and crew is in your hands, sailor!