Couple sails deep into Central America
“Around the Next Bend,” ($18.50, Katchor Enterprises, 2008) by Bernie Katchor recounts the extensive cruising life and the seven-month river and coastal voyage undertaken by Bernie and Yvonne Katchor. The book captures their time exploring remote waterways, learning from local communities, and documenting the natural world they encountered along the way.
In this richly observed travelogue, the Katchors sail aboard their 43-foot ketch, Australia 31, as they navigate inland rivers and coastal passages. Their route takes them through lesser-traveled stretches of Guyana and Panama, where they become intimately acquainted with rivers such as the Macareo, Orinoco, and Barima before returning to the Caribbean Sea. The narrative balances practical seamanship with an appreciation for local cultures, plant and animal life, and the daily rhythms of life on board a cruising yacht.
A key feature of the book is its photographic record: 96 images taken by the author that illustrate scenes from landscapes, riverine environments, and encounters with people they met along the way. Those photographs complement first-person accounts and enhance the sense of immersion for readers who want to visualize remote anchorages, jungle fringes, and coastal communities. In addition to visual storytelling, the book also includes regional recipes gathered from local cooks and families, offering readers a taste of the places the Katchors visited.
Throughout the narrative, practical travel advice and tips are woven in for sailors and land-based travelers alike. Readers will find descriptions of navigating narrow channels and tidal waters, considerations for provisioning and health in remote areas, and guidance on interacting respectfully with local communities. The book’s blend of anecdote, observation, and hands-on information makes it useful both as a memoir and as a reference for others planning river or offshore cruising in similar regions.
Bernie and Yvonne Katchor bring decades of sailing experience to the pages: the couple have spent more than 44 years seeking adventures at sea, and they have lived aboard Australia 31 for 15 years. That long-term perspective colors the book’s tone—patient, observant, and experienced—so readers can follow not only a single voyage but also the rhythms of life that sustain long-term cruising couples. Their relationship with their vessel, their self-reliant lifestyle, and their methods for managing long passages are described with practical detail and a storyteller’s eye.
Geographically, the journey highlights the diversity of coastal and river ecosystems. The Katchors describe the dense greenery and wildlife that line riverbanks, the changing character of water as they move from inland channels to wider estuaries, and the distinct cultural influences that shape villages and towns along the way. Cultural encounters and local knowledge are central to the narrative: the couple learns fishing and cooking tips from residents, listens to oral histories, and documents the everyday crafts and traditions that define these communities.
For sailors interested in outfitting a vessel for extended cruising, the book offers reflections on rigging, anchoring in constrained anchorages, and provisioning for long periods away from major ports. For non-sailing readers, the human stories—meals shared, moments of hospitality, and the gradual trust built between visiting sailors and locals—provide accessible entry points into the experience of travel in remote regions.
The book’s compact size and clear organization make it well suited to readers who enjoy travel memoirs, natural history, and small-boat cruising accounts. With photographs, recipes, and firsthand tips, “Around the Next Bend” functions as both a keepsake of a particular voyage and a practical companion for anyone curious about exploring rivers and coastal waters in Guyana and Panama.
Bernie and Yvonne Katchor live aboard Australia 31 and are based in the Whitsunday Islands of North Queensland, Australia. Their long history of sailing and their commitment to living close to the sea infuse the book with authenticity and seasoned perspective.
For additional information about the authors and their work, visit www.berniekatchor.com.
This article originally appeared in the April 2009 issue.