We are fast approaching the end of this sailing season. So in reflection, I was asked how it was.
I can say we did a fair bit of sailing, I could say we sailed more than we motored but I’m sure it’s close, for sure we would have liked to sail it all, and as one friend said you have the time.
I guess with our eagerness to arrive at the next destination still with daylight and the pure fact that we have found that usually during the night there is no wind, we ended up motoring more than we wanted or expected just to keep progress.
We were pushed to our limits of ability and scared ourselves out of our wits probably more than once, learning important lessons each time.
We got to see and spend real time in some of the most beautiful places around the Western Mediterranean and I’m sure we have only just scratched the surface. From Portugal on the Atlantic side to the Mediterranean coast of Spain with Cartagena as a high point of that leg, to the Balearic Islands, Sardinia, Corsica, the Tuscan Islands, the Pontine Islands, the Aeolian Islands, Sicily and part of the Western coast of Italy.
And although we saw a lot and we also missed a lot, so many places and so little time.
Not every day is blue sunny and calm seas unfortunately and alas we need wind to sail.
A favourite, if I had to pick, would be the east coast of Mallorca but with fewer people and yachts..... I think that many of these islands have been spoilt by the mass tourist trade as many places have been around the world.
We proved to ourselves that we can live on anchor for long periods of time with some limitations (we are working on overcoming these limitations) but I think it was a fair trade-off considering the relative comfort and some might say luxury we lived in.
It’s something special to wake up and take a swim right off the back of your boat before a big breakfast. It’s also something special to be out with the stars at night sailing the oceans and seas of the world.
We had a great treat on this last sail of the season with a large pod of dolphins that played with us and the boat for an hour, no moon and just stars, a turtle that Ana finally saw plodding along in the sea, to finally catch that elusive fish to feed the family!
Such big treats to make us want more.....
Now as we sit in Tunisia I hope that we manage to spend more time in some of these islands but sometime in the future, I guess. Our season started early and I think we hit the Balearics early enough to see the beauty without the summer crowds but also we missed the great warmth of summer and the warm waters. I think we could and should have pushed ourselves harder to see more but sometimes we get greedy and just want to sit at home in the boat and live our version of a normal life.
This winter we will see more of southern Sicily and Malta weather permitting. We have many boat jobs and projects to complete and get ourselves ready for next season, ah yes next season will be in the Adriatic Sea, the east coast of Italy to the top Venice and Trieste and then Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania.
So much more to see and many miles to sail!