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 →
Circumnavigating Corsica
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 →
Mooring in Bonifacio
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 →
Sardinian east coast
Other cruisers told us the east coast of Sardinia was a boring place to travel, with limited anchorage opportunities and lots of expensive marina time the order of the day. That may be the case in the wrong conditions, but we had a ball and anchored all the way up this spectacular coast. Sure, we... Continue Reading →
Cagliari
After a couple of days recouping in Cape Carbonara we had to run to Cagliari, to escape a fairly intensive Mistral that was rapidly heading across the Balearic sea towards us. The Mistral is another of those Mediterranean winds that sends sailors scurrying to find shelter. It’s a very gusty wind, the average wind speed... Continue Reading →
Cape Carbonara, Sardinia
Italian names don't get much more Italian than Cape Carbonara! The cape is a great place to arrive and has a couple of really good sandy anchorages which provide great protection from most winds. Sand is always good to see, not just because it looks great, but because when it comes to digging your anchor... Continue Reading →
Valletta and a bit of Maltese History
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 →
Crossing To Malta – Tankers & Dolphins!!
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 →
Syracuse, Sicily
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 →
Onwards to Sicily
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 →