a family sailing blog
Anchoring is often likened to a black art, but we have learnt that there is some science to it, a bit of commonsense and a whole lot of luck! I know plenty of weekend sailors and racers who loath it, even the old sea dog that took me through my RYA Coastal Skipper qualification didn’t... Continue Reading →
Despite being frightened by stories about exceptionally dangerous storms, such the 1979 Fastnet or 1998 Sydney to Hobart races, not all storms create dangerous breaking waves. But some storms do and its been on my list for a while to understand what conditions will result in waves that may be dangerous in the open ocean.... Continue Reading →
When we first bought Vega, we had envisaged spending a season in the Mediterranean then sailing her home to Australia via the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. In the end we loved the Med so much we spent three seasons there. I ended up sailing across the Atlantic with friends in 2016 and settled my itch... Continue Reading →
Lots of people want to know the costs of sailing in the Med. Well.. as for your personal budget that’s your call. We met families who cruise on under 250 Euro a week and those who have the means to spend considerably more. We seemed to average about 400 Euros a week. Location is an... Continue Reading →
Before the weather really turned ugly we ran the gauntlet and headed 50NM north to Pisa. The wind was light and variable and the sea state ok, with about 1m of swell. But as we arrived at Pisa Marina I was a little surprised by how swell really heaped up around the entrance, forming 1.5m... Continue Reading →
New crew, Damian and Helen, joined us for the penultimate leg of our 2017 cruise from Bastia in Corsica to the Tuscan Island of Elba and then north to Pisa and the famous leaning tower. Their arrival seemed to coincide with a decided change in the weather. It had been blue sky’s and sun all... Continue Reading →
Our first trip to the mountains was so much fun we decided to head back for a second time. This time in the central and northern regions. We left Vega in the old port of Bastia, hired a car and went to explore. First we explored the Asco valley, which was magnificent. We decided to... Continue Reading →
Having only explored the Straits of Bonifacio in our first season we were really keen to spend some time on Corsica and decided to circumnavigate the island in a clockwise direction from Porto Veccio on the south-east coast. The south-east coast is a wonderful cruising ground. It is picturesque and has a host of anchorages... Continue Reading →
Bonifacio is a must visit destination on any Mediterranean sailing trip. The old town, with a labyrinth of narrow streets and historic buildings, is perched high on the cliff tops over looking the straits of Bonifacio’s azure blue waters. It’s the kind of place where you just wander, explore and soak up the vibe. We... Continue Reading →
When I was learning to fly…way before kids…I read a magazine called Pilot. It had an article on the back page called ILAFFT or "I Learned About Flying From That". It was the best section in the mag, and the first bit I read each month. Pilots could admit to their worst, most embarrassing, or... Continue Reading →
a yacht more to life 