a family sailing blog
The passage from the Aegadis to southern Sardinia is about 140NM and the forecast wind looked good but the swell/waves looked a bit gnarly. As we left Marettimo the wind was a good F6 on the beam and we were flying, but soon we were out out of the island effect the wind dropped away... Continue Reading →
In our first season we had been sailing for 7 weeks and not met another family. To be fair it was very early season and there weren't many boats about, but our kids, and especially Ben were crying out for other kids. One afternoon we pulled into an anchorage in Mahon, Menorca and next to... Continue Reading →
After leaving Malta at 4am with a 15 hour run to Licata, Sicily planned we ended up diverting into Marina di Ragusa after 9 hours. The conditions were not as forecast and we endured a miserable, large, confused swell which made Vega roll and lurch from side to side incessantly. Things were so bad that... Continue Reading →
Valletta is an amazing city, perched on an elevated prometory surrounded by water on three sides. From its amazing natural harbour that has been used for centuries, to its wonderful old buildings and its alfresco cafe and dining culture it is a must visit destination. I loved it, even if it was seriously hot in... Continue Reading →
After a pretty average night in Mgarr marina (I think the more time you spend at anchor the less you like marinas...) on Gozo we picked up my parents and headed out to explore the anchorages around the Maltese archipelago. It’s a small cruising ground and as a result it gets super busy, especially at... Continue Reading →
Malta is 55NM south of Sicily, which makes it about a 10 hour trip on Vega. The night before setting out we had sailed from Syracuse down to Porto Palo. As we upped anchor at 4am in Porto Palo there were fishing boats everywhere and we had to work hard to dodge boats and nets.... Continue Reading →
While in Syracuse we hired cars and headed for Mt Etna, the largest and most active volcano in Europe. Mt Etna is a 1.5 hour drive from Syracuse and being a big tourist draw card, it gets busy, so we headed off early one morning to avoid the crowds. Navigation was easy, we just headed... Continue Reading →
Syracuse is a superb town to visit by yacht and is one of the Medierraneans best natural harbours. Its town quay, which is grand on any scale, was until recently free of charge to use. Even now you only get charged 10 Euro per night to stay here, bit of a bargin where most wharves/quays/marinas... Continue Reading →
Having made it to Crotone in Italy with Calyxa, we were once again reunited with Clive, Claire and Oliver on S/V Intention, and after a fish BBQ and a bit of boat prep all three yachts headed off towards Sicily. However, we only got as far as Le Castella where we had to hole up for... Continue Reading →
Exploring the west coast of the Ionian Islands by yacht can be a risky proposition. The prevailing north west/west winds can, in the wrong conditions, make them a formidable lee shore with limited options for safe anchorages should the wind and swell pick up. However, the weather was settled for a couple of days, so... Continue Reading →
a yacht more to life 