Six Years of Cruising Friendship with Aventureiro
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One of the hardest parts about the cruising life is that friends come and go so frequently. When we say goodbye to someone, we never know when we might get to see them again. David is fond of saying “another day, another bay” because we truly don’t know when and where we might see someone again.
We have all kinds of examples of how people, cruisers especially, have flitted in and out of our lives. The crew of Aventureiro is one such example, and we had the amazing pleasure of getting to stop by their home, Recife, with our boat!
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Miami, February 2014
David and I had placed the order for our boat six months prior at the Annapolis Boat Show. We went to the Miami Boat Show to shop for gear and to go out on a test sail on a Helia. That’s when we met Hans and Karina.
Hans and Karina had already been keeping up with us via the blog, which we’d only recently posted pictures of us and our names. They were also shopping for a Helia, and were 95% sure they wanted to place their order.
We kept in touch, and were excited to hear that Hans and Karina had ordered their Helia, to be named Aventureiro 3.
La Rochelle, November 2014
Just a few days after Starry Horizons had been launched at the Fountaine Pajot factory, Hans got in touch and said he was thinking about coming to visit the factory to tour and talk face-to-face about the plans for Aventureiro 3.
Hans ended up flying in at the end of the month, just in time to spend Thanksgiving aboard Starry Horizons in La Rochelle.
Line Handler in the Panama Canal, March 2016
When we sent out an email inviting guests to come to visit us and that we needed line handlers to help us complete our Panama Canal transit, Hans volunteered to join us.
While our line handlers didn’t end up having to work much, Hans spent a few days on board the boat and celebrated the milestone with us!
Cape Town, January 2020
While we were in Cape Town with Starry Horizons, we got the news that Hans was coming to the city for the Cape 2 Rio Race! Despite Hans staying at a hotel just a few minutes’ walk from us, we were all extremely busy, but we did get together for dinner on the V&A Waterfront.
Recife, Brazil, February 2020
Brazil is a great pit stop when you sail between Saint Helena and the Caribbean. After a twelve-day sail from Saint Helena, we arrived in Recife, Hans and Karina’s hometown.
At this point, they had sold Aventureiro 3, so their slip at the Cabagana Iate Clube – complete with preset dock lines for a Helia – was free for us to use.
Their son, Lipe, sails multiple times a week at the yacht club, so we were able to see Hans and Karina frequently.
Hans is a harbor pilot, and he took us out for an adventure while he piloted two ships in Suape. It was great fun to have a behind the scenes look at what harbor pilot do.
Hans and Karina also made sure to give us a proper introduction to Brazilian food. They took us to a regional restaurant and helped us make sense of the 100s of choices on the buffet. We visited their lovely home where Hans grilled us traditional Brazilian meats. They advised us on Carnaval and boat projects.
All five of us at Cabanga. The view from their patio table overlooking the city. 
Out for ice cream!
Another Day, Another Bay
We’ve loved getting to know Hans, Karina, and their family through the years. Their daughter, Marina, now goes to school in Chicago, so, unfortunately, we weren’t able to see her this most recent visit.
Hans and Karina have been supportive followers of ours from day one, and it has been a real pleasure to see Hans so often. Having them available to visit in Recife was the best part of our visit there!
We wish them all the best in Recife and with Aventureiro 4! Where in the world will we see them next?
