Europe · Mediterranean
Europe and the Mediterranean
Montenegro, Malta, Italy and other European stages before entering the Atlantic.
Publications are arranged chronologically – from the earliest to the most recent. Select a title to open the full entry.
Cádiz. It’s Good to Live Among Kind People :)
Cádiz. Spain’s Atlantic coast. Cádiz—just about the oldest city in Europe—doesn’t look particularly European in places, stubbornly recalling its Arab past. Yet after even the briefest int…
In the Canal Near Rome—with My Leg Not Severed by an Anchor (Hallelujah)
Our stay in the canal near Rome is memorable for a bicycle and an anchor The Fiumicino Canal near Rome, with its laid-back jumble of summer cottages and repair yards, looks like a tributa…
There Was a Storm; the Ropes Tore the Skin from Our Hands. Messina, Force 11
When we berthed alongside at the very end of the visitors’ pontoon in the marina of the Sicilian town of Messina that afternoon, we had no idea what kind of night lay ahead! Messina is a …
From Gibraltar to Montenegro. Reflections on Our Mediterranean Passage
From Gibraltar to Montenegro \article being updated\ 20 May 2014 And so we covered more than 1,600 miles to Malta, and another 500 to Montenegro—a total of 2,100 nautical miles from Gibra…
Montenegro — by Sea
By Yacht to Montenegro Montenegro greeted us on the last day of April with anything but warmth; when we arrived, it was actually freezing. It was raining, and Montenegro’s national wind, …
The Montenegro–Malta Passage and the Torn-Out Bowsprit
Montenegro–Malta 3 a.m. Malta is only some 20–30 miles away. The wind is freshening, and 23 knots are blowing almost straight on the nose, kicking up a shelf sea (perhaps that is not actu…
Naval Exercises of the Order of Malta
Naval Exercises of the Order of Malta We are still staying in Malta. A week ago, our Navtex (a fax, in simple terms) started buzzing and spitting out long receipts. Several times, a messa…
Malta. On the Way Back from the Regatta
Malta. On the Way Back from the Regatta Our Lady Mary in a marina in Malta . Taken from the tender (also known as the dinghy, the inflatable boat, or the ship’s boat). The whole family is…
Malta on Christmas Eve. People, Prices and All That
Malta on Christmas Eve I used to think that life on a yacht was one long adventure. Exotic places, action, discoveries every day—guaranteed. In reality, most of life aboard is taken up by…
Christmas, Malta and Fire Safety
Christmas, Malta and Fire Safety Notes of the First Mate This year was my first proper Catholic Christmas. The real thing—and... with a bit of fire! Our floating home was decorated with a…
Tribute for 12 Years. Malta. Sails
Tribute for 12 Years. Malta. Sails Malta still won’t let us go. First there were storms, and we didn’t go anywhere. Then we waited a long time for the new sails while they were made a…
Storms and Torn Sails: From Malta to Gibraltar
From Malta to Gibraltar ...We barely slept that night. I couldn’t because of the noise and the rolling; Andrey was bounding around the deck until three in the morning. A steady wind of 30…
Laaand!!! After 12 Days on the Open Sea
Laaand!!! After 12 Days on the Open Sea Guys, we’re ashore! Twelve days on the open sea, with no land and not even any ships. We made it almost to Gibraltar —1,100 miles non-stop. That’s …
A Dialogue with a Pod of Dolphins
A Dialogue with a Pod of Dolphins. 200 miles to Gibraltar. Our eleventh day at sea. All the storms are behind us. Today is a wonderful day: the swell is low and long, and the wind is foll…
Brave Young Sailors and Worried Busy-bodies
Brave Young Sailors. Yachtboard Fun Lady Mary was being prepared for the Atlantic passage in Almerimar. It is a small town in southern Spain, about 120 miles from Gibraltar. The marina he…
How We Sailed Through Gibraltar
How We Sailed Through Gibraltar All day, until we emerge into the Atlantic, dolphins escort us. There seems to be no end to them, apparently constantly taking turns so that we do not get …
Rolex Middle Sea Race 2014 — a Storm-Battered Regatta
A Storm-Battered Regatta Just over half a month remains until the Rolex Middle Sea Race, one of the Mediterranean’s most prestigious offshore races. The race has been held since 1968 and …