Reflections on “life at sea”

When we talked of taking this trip and my mother asked us to explain our plans, I described our trip much as using a motor home to get from place to place and see the sights, only we’d be on the sea in a boat. Reflecting upon our trip now, six months on, I still feel this is a very apt description. There are so many comparisons.

Sailing often feels like camping – but with a motor home or trailer, not a tent. We are provisioning to last for a few days on the boat so we don’t rely on restaurants. Generally we go out for a meal every couple of days but prepare quite a few meals on the boat. We have a BBQ and grill very often just like camping. We have a fridge but supplement it with frozen water bottles to reduce energy consumption. We use less electric at night (when we aren’t at a marina) and end up feeling tired when the sun goes down. When it rains or storms you can really hear the sounds of wind, rain, and thunder. If you aren’t quite so lucky you may be bashed around a bit if there are waves accompanying the tempest which hopefully is unlike camping!

When we are out and about, we’ll often jump in the water to cleanse and because it is sea water, soap and rinse at the back of the boat – kind of taking a swim to refresh while camping. That said, even though we have washroom facilities on the boat (2 heads with showers in fact) we still jump at the chance to have a shower at the marina where we will often have high water pressure, high water volume, and space to reach our body parts without major contortions.

Then there are clothes. We don’t smell like smoke all the time but our clothes can get a bit salt stained. Washing clothes is often the biggest challenge and we haven’t camped long enough to know what it is like on the road. In Canada, if you are stuck you find a laundry where you can get a wash and fold or do it yourself, pretty much everywhere. Here it isn’t like that. Some, very few, marinas have washers and dryers you can use. More often there may be a “service” which means you can mortgage your house and wash your clothes (think hotel prices). If you are lucky there is a service in a small village where they will wash the clothes and hang them out to dry for a very reasonable cost. Last night we arrived in a marina where they had two washers and two dryers, 5 kg capacity, European manufacture, all working, all for the only slightly high price of 10 euro per wash and dry load. We did 4 loads of laundry and were thrilled to have thoroughly clean and dry clothes. We usually do our wash in a bucket and hang it on the boat to dry. When I do that, I feel like I’m camping. I think it is safe to say we are looking forward to coming home to our Miele washer and dryer and doing laundry whenever we feel like it and complaining about it to boot.

Those are the every day things of life. More important, this lifestyle is all about slowing down and appreciating life as it happens which is also the best part of camping. We have enjoyed the places we planned to see and they were all as expected (Athens, Rome, Venice, Dubrovnik, Split) but as or even more special are those which we didn’t expressly plan for but were marvelous. Corinth, Kos, Trogir, Starigrad,….frankly I could write down nearly every island we went to. I can’t think of one that didn’t have a peaceful bay with a nice view, an unexpected street performance, a tribute to a native son, a museum dedicated to a special find or unique element of the region. We have found shops selling local wine, oil, soap, cheese and art. We have consumed marvelous treats from around the Med. In every place I really feel we made an effort to explore, digest, and learn.

I have learned much about my family, myself, and the world we live in. I’ve got clever children who are eager to find their place in the world and contribute in their own unique ways. I’ve learned I need to ask more, speak less, and listen to my kids. They absorb more than I ever would have believed and I admit that I haven’t appreciated how much influence we parents have in their lives.

Teaching Theo has been a learning experience. He has no problem diving into topics of interest like the life of Leonardo, history of the gladiators, ancient stories of the Gods, and computer programming but it has been like putting camels through needle eyes to get him to do math and English. I have had to learn patience at a new level but we are making progress. We definitely have a greater appreciation for how Theo learns and this will help as he progresses through school. I’m sure Sheila feels the same way (I do math and she does English more by accident than design).

Margaret continues to impress me with her sense of adventure, desire to explore the world, self-discipline, and independence. I often have to remind myself she is 17. I’m a proud papa and we miss her presence on the boat.

Sailing has taught me both humility and confidence. Confidence in that we stated as relative neophytes and had to learn about sailing, weather, boat maintenance, patience with officials, and regularly finding arcane things in new locations. We’ve retained our spirit of adventure and are trying new things in new places as we go. Humility in that when we think we are getting pretty good at sailing, an unexpected gust of wind makes a normal docking situation go wrong. I’ve learned to take a breath, reset and try again…and forget that I’m entertainment for the 15 or 20 people that like to gather and watch – it is like people watching car racing for the accidents. (I do it too…if I hear yelling, extended motor or bow thrusters, or the like I’m on the boat quickly, ostensibly in case they are near our boat but after that I watch the action). I had one difficult situation docking where someone came onboard to help after our bow thruster ran out of juice on a beam wind. He gave me some great advice and pointers which I’ve since used. Humility and an ability to learn from others I think make me a better sailor than I might be otherwise.

We have had great input from many people but the one piece of advice I continue to think about came from our neighbor, Brian, who has sailed for many years, who told us if we think we should do something (to mitigate some risk) then do it. We are likely right and it is better to be safe. We’ve used this advice to stay in port, tie an extra line, pick a different location to anchor/berth, or plan alternative destinations when weather doesn’t go our way.

I have really appreciated this time to know Sheila better. We’ve enjoyed 28 years of marriage and I figured we’d be just fine, however, we haven’t been together 24x7 in those 28 years, at least not for such a long period and I have to admit to some trepidation. I’m pleased to share that we are still best friends and this adventure has brought us closer together. This may seem a brief sharing on a big item but I’m at heart a private guy.

What have I learned bout the world around me? Well fundamentally we are more the same than different and that mankind really hasn’t fundamentally changed that much over a few thousand years. Everyone cares about their family and community, contributing, being respected and valued. Everyone makes mistakes individually and collectively and the world has seen more than its fair share of tragedy spun by ambition, greed, and ego (I believe history is fundamentally shaped by the 3 Es, economics, ego, and environment). You really get a chance to understand migration driven by commerce, war, and environment as you tour sites and museums around the Med and see how this region has been so interconnected over the past 5000 years. I always “knew” this but it has resonated with me in a deeper way and I now fundamentally believe in the inevitability of migration and integration of commerce at a global level, assuming we can overcome our tribalistic tendencies and open ourselves to the holistic world around us.

So reflecting, I shared recently with a colleague that I wouldn’t trade this time for the world and I hold by that statement. It is amazing what happens when you camp on a sea-going motor home for a few months.

Kevin

Boat Maintenance

It wouldn’t be a sailing post with out some boat issue. Our stuffing box still leaked but not quite as much. Researching we learned that we have a Volvo lip seal stuffing box and that it requires attention every 200 hours or so. We are to be greasing it. The next mission became finding the Volvo stuffing box grease. I won’t belabor it beyond saying that our first Marina couldn’t help us on a Sunday – the service people didn’t want to sell the grease but the service to grease it. The chandlery didn’t have any grease and didn’t want any more to do with us once they realized they weren’t selling me anything. We kept looking and eventually found a well stocked chandlery in a very nice, quiet marina in Funtana so we’ve started to service the stuffing box. It still is leaking but less. We’ll keep at it.

The other running topic has been dealing with the holding tank. We did find some magic juice called “Aqua clean green” which purports to have environment credentials but essentially liquefies the waste to facilitate emptying of the tank. So far so good. It is expensive but seems very effective.

Batteries are always interesting. You may recall we replaced the engine battery. The service bank for everything else is relatively new but we watch carefully so we don’t drain it too far. If you drain the batteries too low their life is shortened and they are expensive to replace. We use a generator to recharge unless we are in a marina connected to shore power. As we’ve been in Croatia we spend more time away from Marinas so the generator is used more. We keep the freezer off to preserve power and only recharge devices when the generator runs. It seems if we run it a couple hours a day it keeps things generally OK. Batteries are also charged when the engine runs but the alternator is slow to charge. If we keep the boat we’ll get a bigger alternator as well as a solar chargine system to supplement the generator. In addition to engine and service batteries we also have batteries at the front of the boat for the bow thruster (moves the front of the boat right and left) and one for the generator. It’s a long story but we think the bow thruster batteries may be wearing out so we’ll be examining that further. They are of course very buried and hard to reach. [Update: So far so good - no issues with bow thruster]

The bilge (bottom of the boat where all water goes, hopefully) before it is pumped back out had some unexpected extras yesterday. We check it often to ensure there isn’t more water than expected and that the pump works (if water came in unexpectedly you’d want to know your bilge pump will pump it out again. When I checked it there was an odd growth in the bilge. Closer smelling revealed it was mould you’d smell in rotten milk. I was transported back to a morning a few days before when I found the milk on its side and leaking through the opening. I had cleaned up the mess but likely not before some milk went through the fridge drain. So I scraped the layer of growth from the bilge and poured a couple buckets of water through to clear it. When we next got to a marina, I cleaned the fridge out, purged the drain line from the fridge to the bilge, and then ran water through the bilge for some time to clean it. No more rotten milk smell!

An interesting and somewhat embarrassing note (because it shows we haven't thoroughly cleaned the fridge before), when we found the fridge issue, we decided on a more thorough clean and did a full defrost of the fridge. When all the ice buildup went away, we found we had a freezer at the top of the fridge - since we started sailing the fridge has been on and this door was not obvious to us. Exploring during the thorough clean we were surprised to find this new place to keep ice. it also means that we don't need the big freezer going to have ice. This may sound like a small thing but the freezer is the biggest power hog. we've been using it to freeze large bottles of water when we have shore power and use those in the fridge to reduce electricity consumption when not on shore power. When it was 30 plus celsius this made a big difference for us. So we have a more serviceable fridge and ice!

We also recently found some water in the forward bilge which is unusual. It is under our bed so we don’t pull the access open too often. We cleaned up all the water so we could determine the source. I thought maybe it was from when we used a bilge cleaning liquid because the water was soapy. We found some water, however, on a higher area. Since the weather was rough we though perhaps it had just sprayed around. As always with leaks, we taste to see if sweet or salty (fresh water or sea) and then try to find the source. We figured it was either from some spot in the deck that was leaking, a pipe leak from when we refilled water, or perhaps something in the deck when we wash to boat.

We had a rocky, wet trip to get to this marina but the bilge was dry (good news). I washed the boat after we arrived and was going to check for leaks but got distracted talking to some people on the dock who had spent time in Canada. We had a great little conversation but I then filled the water tank. Water was back in the bilge. It is sweet so it is from either washing (leak somewhere forward) or from filling the tank. Stay tuned for more.

When we were diagnosing this issue, we found a whole area of mildew in our forward cabin that we immediately addressed.

On other topics, seawater combined with urine forms calcium. Our toilets flush with seawater so you are constantly seeing calcium buildup. We’ve learned that vinegar works best to clear it so right now both heads have the bowls full of vinegar.

Today we are Marina bound due to 35-50 knot gusts today so we pulled cushions out to air in the breeze as well as Theo’s soft toys. The boat hatches are also letting air through so hopefully this strong breeze will refresh the boat and dry things a bit. After all the humidity we’ver had, sheets and fabrics can get a bit clammy on a boat.

In other boat maintenance there were lose bolts to tighen, a floor compartment to clean, vacuuming to remove crumbs and debris, and other minor chores. There is always something to do on a boat!

We did a brief sail to Cres in Croatia and the log wasn’t working. Further looking and our speed wasn’t showing up either. Today I pulled the transducer which is under the boat and found 2 tiny barnacles as well as other growth on the device so it has now been completely cleaned. We’ll see tomorrow if it all worked.

In other good news, the stuffing box did not leak at all and we were under motor for about 4 hours. It is good for now!

Theo's Fishy Blog

Mr. Fishes

We are at a random anchorage (ed. note: this is a Theoism for being in an empty bay). It is all quiet and nice.

Today I (Theo) went swimming with the fishes (ed. note: not in the mobster way).

The bay we are parked in has lots of fun fishes. We fed some and they swirled up superfast to eat the food. They liked the bread, but they liked the spaghetti so much they ripped it out of my hand. Yesterday I identified the big school as saddled breams. They like the shade made by our boat. They are very fun to swim with. They come pretty close – only a meter away – but it is not scary (my mom read that they eat plankton, so she wasn’t scared either). Mos

t were about 20 cm (8 inches) but they can grow up to 30 cm.

On the sea floor are cotton spinners, a type of sea cucumber. They spit weird things at you if you get too close.

When I was swimming near the shore I saw rock sea urchins. Today by the boat there were moon jellyfish, the biggest about 4cm, the smallest 1.5 cm. We tried to get pictures but they kept swimming away. Mom was scared to jump in (ed. note: not scared exactly…)

In between swims today I played chess with my dad. It was fun and I had a good time.

I took a picture of my mom’s butt but she won’t let me put it on the internet.

 Theo

A vacation within a vacation; Venice and Rome

"Hey, let’s go to Venice"

There are many aspects of life aboard that really appeal to me and #1 is the ability to release the lines and go wherever your heart desires. It really isn’t that hard. A bit of fuel, some favourable winds, and a well operating sailboat can take you so many places.

We had decided we would take Margaret to Rome by sailing to Venice and taking the train to Rome. That meant we’d have some pretty long sailing days to pull it off with time to see both Venice and Rome. The weather forecast was favourable, with the only downside being that we’d have to motor a lot as the winds were low or opposing our direction. We did manage some sailing and motor sailing but mostly we were on the engine as we made our way towards Venice. 

We have an ipad tool, Navionics, which we use to help plot our course and play through various options (early stops, later stops, marinas, bays, etc) and then we use the plotter when we are sailing. It is a very flexible tool and has very current electronic charts. Using this tool we set some broad travel goals with the first day being the most relaxed since we were recharging from having guests (we tend to do a bit more when we have company).

August is the busiest time for sailing in Croatia and we expected prime anchorages to fill up fast. Marina’s were likely available (for a price) since the boats would be out and about and we figured we could pre-book marinas and sail longer in the day and be sure of a place to rest overnight. Our strategy was to set sail around 6am and get as much time as we could before we were drained which would allow us to find a place between 2 and 4pm, or so.

Day one we sailed lots and made it to an area where we were able to get in some swimming, some dingy riding, and a very nice time of things without overdoing the first leg of the journey.

Day two we went on to Ist. We moored on a ball in the bay and putted into the local village for some dinner and provisions. Arriving for dinner early that night (6pm) we were attracted to a pit on a spit over a wood fire but it wasn’t yet available since rational people eat at 8pm in Ist so we settled with some wood fired pizza.

We left at daybreak with a goal to make it to Rovinj where we’d stay in the marina since it would be a super long day. Knowing the time it would take we figured we’d evaluate our destination as we drew closer. When you leave in the morning, you have the sun coming at you for 2-3 hours until you can seek shade from the bimmini. The day was largely uneventful but we were getting tired. We called ahead to Rovinj and learned that the marina was closed for 2017 for remodeling. We determined we’d head instead to Pula, a location closer to where we were and get a full day in the next day. In the end, it worked very well because there is a Roman Coliseum in Pula in great condition which we were able to tour that afternoon. Plus we had a delightful meal at a wine bar not far away. Serendipity is a great and wonderful thing. The other advantage was that Pula has 24 customs and police so we could check out whenever we wanted. We set our goal and checked out the next mornig at 5:30. We finished in record time of 40 min and set our sights on Venice.

The trip to Venice was surreal. There was no wind at all until we were in the lagoon so we also had 11 hours of motoring. We hardly saw any boats through the whole trip and there was a haze in the sky that made it look like the sea was the sky and the sky was the sea – you couldn’t tell where one stopped and the other started. Anything we did see appeared to be floating through the sky.

Another remarkable experience on this trip was the number of dolphins. We saw several pods (or one pod followed us) during the trip. It is always remarkable to watch them as they bound through the water and I feel a glow from having witnessed them. I’m not sure why dolphins make me feel that way but I suspect it is because they always seem to be a gifted mammal; intelligent and playful. We spoted some other creatures as well – sea turtles, jellyfish, but mostly it was quiet.

Because life should never be dull, we were doing some cleaning and maintenance during this calm (it is easiest to clean and maintain the boat when it isn’t bouncing around) and I was surprised at how much water was in the rear bilge. We have always had some water there from the various issues we’ve had – it is where the holding tank would end up if there was a leak (recall I had to tighten some clamps to resolve some leakage way back when we started), it is where the through hulls for the airconditioner reside (we have had to prime the lines with seawater so that makes it wet). We had washed the bilge before we left and Sheila figured that some water had gone to another bilge so expected there to be some water however there was more than could be explained.

Water in the boat can either be from water coming in from outside, or from liquid within the boat leaking. The first diagnosis is the taste test – is it water and if so salty or sweet. This water was salty – it was coming from outside. Many things draw water from the outside – airconditioner, engine, toilets – so we checked to see if there were any leaks from hoses, connections, etc and found nothing. Our brains went to “stuffing box”. The stuffing box is where the propeller shaft goes through the boat between the engine and propeller. It is said that it usually drips. Well I went to examine it and it appeared to be dripping every second, rather than say once a minute. It is hard to tell exactly what is happening because it is a tight space but there was water there and it appeared to be overflowing into the bilge at a modest but higher than desired rate.

We started to read about the stuffing box in our fix everything manual and it was apparent if we had an issue or not, we’d likely have to seek help and possibly hoist the boat from the water, an expensive proposition we’d always sooner avoid until end of season.

We emptied all water from the bilge and watched at intervals to see how much water was coming in. It wasn’t more than a couple liters but still more than we wanted to see. We monitored it but figured we’d fix it in Venice somehow.

All of the sudden our plans to go to Rome seemed a bit in the air since we thought a repair would be in order. Once in the Venice marina I set to work to examine things more closely and found that the clamp around the unit was lose. It could be that simple…I got out the tools to tighten it up and cleaned everything until dry so we could better monitor the situation (leaks and dirt would show up more readily on a clean surface).

The next morning things were dry as a bone so we determined to keep the original plan of going to Rome and we’d do a short trip from Venice to somewhere nearby and monitor the stuffing box under load so we could get it fixed if we had to before returning to Croatia.

This plan gave us two days in Venice, one day for travel to Rome, two days in Rome, and then a day of travel back to Venice. While this is a completely inadequate amount of time for these two cities, we could at least get the highlights of each location.

Venice and Rome

With a plan to ignore the boat and explore, we excitedly set off to catch the waterbus to central Venice, first to deal with entering the country and then to see the sights.

Catching the waterbus from the marina involves walking out on a 150 meter dock and waiting in a floating oversized bus shelter. The floating part is key – it is actually intimidating waiting in the shelter because there are so many waves in so many directions from the constant boat traffic, tide currents, and wind that the shelter bounces all over the place. It is more seasick inducing than being on the boat in confused seas. Thankfully the waterbus arrived within 15 minutes and we were on our way, watching the scenes of Venice unfold as we took the bus through the canals.

Clearing customs was relatively simple – I was wearing contacts and couldn’t easily read the form I had to fill out so Sheila completed it and I signed. We were admitted to the country about 15 minutes later. It was quite efficient and the people were friendly. We set off to walk to St Marks Square so we could visit the Palace and Basilica.

En route we stopped for lunch and had pizza in an airconditioned restaurant (that was a requirement), managed to get our phones with SIMs thanks to Margaret, and shortly thereafter took in an exhibit at the Leonardo museum. We were going to visit it the next day and keep to our plan but there were so many interesting shops and places along the way we were diverting anyway.

The Leonardo DaVinci Museum is worth it for fans of the master. We saw copies of his his works and drawings and then full scale models of many of his ideas. It was very interactive and people were encouraged to turn cranks and move parts to see how they worked. We all found the models fascinating and it was so amazing to realize that so much of what we saw was in use in machines and engines today. I went through with both Margaret and Theo (they go at different paces) and explained cams, differentials, rack and pinion, among others. A visit to the gift shop at the end ensured we took some physical memories as well.

We continued along the streets. I’d encourage anyone just to get lost in Venice. It is really easy and not risky in the least as long as you don’t mind backtracking when you hit a watery dead end. We saw so many interesting shops and buildings. Soaking it in was a pleasure. Gelato was required as was lots of water as the heat was still oppressing the day.

We got to “the square” and decided to enjoy a beverage in the square at a small table with a proper waiter and linens on the table. The prices were CRAZY. We perservered and each had a drink and no food. The total bill for our four drinks was about $75 CAD. I rarely think about the cost very much but I have to say that it was worth it just to soak in the ambience of the square. We didn’t go to soak in the ambience there the next day, though.

We were able to get some food in Venice and prepare burgers on the boat. We had arranged to meet with our neighbours on the boat beside to share drinks and stories. We arrived late but we were still eager to connect so after feeding the kids, Sheila and I went next door on their beautiful AMEL and shared wine and cheese for a couple hours. We learned about their many years of sailing the globe. They were now based on Venice full time and hosted grandkids on the boat quite often. It is inspiring to meet people living the life. To me they always look full of life and many years younger than their chronological age.

The next day we were determined to see the Doge’s palace and basilica. We got there relatively early and waited in line for about 20 min. We were in! It was massive, beautiful, and overwhelming to take in. We self directed through the many rooms not fully appreciating the various functions of the ornately decorated rooms other than noting that they were meant to show off the wealth and power of Venice at its height and in certain cases intimidate those seeking audiences with authorities. Further the warren of the prison made it clear that it was a place you wouldn’t want to spend a lot of time. I was most impressed with the armoury which had cases and cases in several rooms displaying every kind of weapon you hope never bashes or penetrates your body. There were full suits of armour set up and on display and even suits for kids. All I could think was how often you’d have to replace a suit of armour for a growing kid.

Wanting to then see the basilica and learning from the morning we found some “front of the line” tickets on line and paid the modest charge to skip to the front. This was well worth it in high 30C heat. Plus the basilica is beyond impressive. I knew we had yet to see the Vatican but you really can’t do justice explaining the Venice basilica. So huge, so golden….a person is transported to a heavenly location just to be in the building. I could only marvel the finished product and imagined what could be involved in the project to build this church.

Leveraging the front of the line experience, Theo and I got tickets to go up the bell tower in the square. We arrived at the tower only to see no evidence of front of the line short cut. We stood in with the masses to go up the elevator. About 10 min in, bored, I read the tickets and noted that there were specific instructions saying that there would be no signs however there is a side entrance. Apparently they don’t want people to know that some are skipping. Anyway, we bailed on our long line and went to the secret side entrance and were up in the next elevator. From the top we could see far and wide across Venice. It was fun to see all the way to the Marina and see where our boat was berthed in the distance.

Finally we got some supplies at the grocery for dinner and caught the waterbus home. It is important to note that the nearest grocery store in Venice was actually in the old town so we had to shop for everything, including water, in Venice and cart it back. The Marina also had about a 15 min walk from the bus to our boat. Let’s just say that our exercise was carrying water across the old city and then through the marina park grounds. First world problem I know but it was a workout.

The next day it was time to go to Rome. We left for the train station, by water bus, with ample time. We arrived, had a leisurely coffee and snacks and made our way to the platform about 20 min before departure. Arriving at the platform it was pointed out that we had purchased tickets for the next day. With 20 min before the train left Margret and I ran to the ticket office to change our tickets. The line was huge and they had a take a number system but a very nice rail employee let us skip the line so we could address the ticket. We learned that our train was already sold out but another was leaving in an hour. We changed our tickets for a modest fee and went to find another coffee. Thankfully we were in Italy where they understand coffee is as fundamental as breathing and they typically do it right. Overall the experience was perfectly pleasant. I can’t imagine changing a ticket in Canada being that easy or that inexpensive. I think there is a correlation between ease of change, attitude toward helping a customer, and cost. My experience in Canada unfortunately has been that you may get excellent service if you are at the top of a loyalty program but otherwise be happy if you can make a change regardless of the cost.

In Rome we found our subway, made it to our stop, struggled a bit but made it to our AirB&B, and set about finding a dinner place. Google and Travelocity have been instrumental in our restaurant searches. Not far from our place we found a beer and burger café that had amazing IPA and burgers that were out of this world. What a combo!

We started to build our plan for Rome. We wanted to see the Coliseum and the Vatican. There were no prepaid front of the line tickets available in either case – it is an extraordinarily busy time to go. The Coliseum is free the first Sunday of the month so we knew all creation would be there. We resolved to go early to get in line. We also reserved four places in a tour of the Vatican on Monday.

At the Coliseum we found a tour group near the entrance so paid for the tour, primarily to skip the line in 35C weather. It was worth it for that. We had a fairly dry tour guide but were able to see everything as well as possible given the crowds and it did allow us to skirt by some of the traffic. Our tour included an older area of Rome and our guide for that half was a true comedic talent. We were entertained as we marched through oppressive heat to the sites. The Coliseum is of course fabulous and was well worth the visit. I couldn’t believe that they were able to flood it and hold mock naval battles. Wow! The engineering of ancient Rome is humbling. The remainder of the tour was less memorable I think because we were hot, tired, hungry, and thirsty. Thankfully we found lunch in a restaurant with an airconditioned cellar. It was better than it sounds. We made our way back to the apartment to enjoy air conditioning, escaping from what had become 40 C in the afternoon heat. 

The next day was the Vatican. Again we made it to our 8am tour with time to spare for an espresso (still in Italy remember?). Having booked this tour in advance we did some basic research and found this guide incredibly knowledgable. She took us through many parts explaining it very effectively as we went. The art from classic to modern is truly impressive. If you see every item at the Vatican apparently it takes 11 years to see it all. We saw the highlights.

For me the highlight was Sistine Chapel of course. I had no idea that Michalangelo was not an accomplished painter before he took the commission and learned as he went. You can see the progression of his talent. Seeing God touch Adam up close and personal was a dream come true. I have wanted to view these works as long as I can remember. The works on the ceiling look three dimensional. I never could imagine it being so masterful.

St Peter’s did not disappoint as the largest and most elaborate cathedral. We walked past shrines of the preserved popes – one cast in wax and another in bronze – erie. We also saw the alter under which St Peter is buried. We also saw a chapel where you can be married. There is an 11 year waiting list. You have to prove you are a devout Christian and “qualified” to be married there. All I could think was how if you are a good Catholic, you aren’t to have sex before marriage nor use birth control so how on earth do you handle 11 years of waiting? It is an impressive place to be married, sure, but I wouldn’t wait 11 years for fulfillment.

We were tired from touring and went back to the apartment to crash. We had a nice dinner out with Margaret being her last evening with us. The next day we said a tearful goodbye as she left for the airport and we went to catch our train (proper ticket date) back to Venice.

This trip has been about better knowing my family and I’m thankful that Margaret was able to be with us so much of our time. I know she needed her space and independence and being together all the time was likely trying but it was so worth it for me and hopefully for her. It is so rare that I’ve been able to really know my own family with the hustle and bustle of daily life. As I write this she is now back in Toronto and preparing for school and I miss her very much. The starboard aft cabin is “Margaret’s Room” and it feels empty right now.

Venice was so great we stayed another day. Then because of the weather we stayed another... It was the weekend before we were back in Croatia.

Friends aboard

Friends join

We had the pleasure of hosting our friends, Ian and Francis for a few days. It was great to see familiar faces and share a few moments from this chapter of our lives.

The wind was forecast to be very strong so we decided to stay put in Split for two nights. The marina is centrally located so we were able to enjoy the old town of Split. The old town is a bit of a jumble of history all mashed together. You are likely to see bits of Greek, Roman, and later history all interspersed as you go through narrow streets and navigate the crowds.

There are many highlights. The primary structure of the old town is the Dioklecijanove palace which dates from around 305 AD. There are several gates one can pass through and once in, you can see several impressive sites. WE took in The Cathedral and its catecombs, the Temple of Jupiter which seems a bit wedged in among several buildings but impressive nonetheless, the substructions (basement and foundation) of the Palace where you can see the various halls that were underneath the main palace for storage and to ensure a flat surface for the structure above. We also went to the “live Museum” where for a small fee Theo was able to dress in period warrior armour. They were quite delighted to have him there and he tried on many different eras. While he was learning about the details as he dressed up, we were able to try archery. It was fun to shoot some arrows and a couple even hit the target!

The live museum is a project run by university students intended to educate about soldiers through ancient times. To draw attention to the place, male students are dressed in Roman armour and positioned about the city. They pose for photos (for tips) and encourage people to go to the live museum. I’m not sure how well the advertising works since we were the only ones we saw at the actual place but it added a nice flavor to the old city and I’m sure the tips were welcome by the students. Theo bonded with the man teaching him about armour so got a very good demonstration.

Food in Split was expensive but we did eat at one vegetarian restaurant where we sat around a tiny table and enjoyed sumptuous food. Theo was very keen on sushi so everyone patiently went for drinks and sushi appetizers in the afternoon. Sushi is astronomically expensive in many places we’ve been. I think we’ll eat tonnes of it back in Canada in sheer appreciation of the relative affordability.

On a side note, we once again were having holding tank issues – smelly and inconvenient especially when you have guests. I had tried to arrange a pump-out while in Split but it is a relatively unknown service. When I did manage to track down the service, they quoted me 200 Euro which is extraordinarily expensive. The last time I had it done was in Cyprus and it was 60 Euro. I declined the pump out and resolved to find a solution.

Ian and Francis were troopers through this problem. Ian and I developed 3 approaches to resolve the problem and went in search of parts at a local hardware store. After an uber ride there and back and we were ready to try our solutions the next day.

While we were at the hardware store we had a close look at the fires which were on the hills just outside of Split. It was very windy and the fire was spreading quickly. Canadair planes were dropping water and filling up in the bay nearby. That evening the cloud of smoke had spread across the entire sky of Split. It was erie grey/green.

Margaret was getting ready to head to Denmark so we left her in Split and took off for the islands. We decided to head to Hvar and ended up visiting a couple different towns on the island. While we stayed primarily in the towns overnight we had a chance to swim in a bay as well. We visited shops and found a great shop selling all the things we love – Olives, olive oil, coffee beans, wine, cheese, speciality sauces, cookies…the list goes on. We picked up many things to enhance our life aboard and consumed them over the coming hours and days.

A truly magical spot in Hvar was the Fortress of poet Petar Hektorovic in Stari Grad. Petar is a father of Croatian Literature who lived in the 1500s. He built a fortress home over 40 years which is quite rustic and has a number of stones inscribed with the philosophy of his life. The Fish pond and garden were fabulous. “Alas, the days flow by like waves and do not return.” As we pursue this sabbatical, that saying spoke to me.

We enjoyed dinner at a local slow food tavern and briefly took in an art exhibit by Emil Robert Tanay, a well known Croatian artist and professor of art.

The next day we made our way back to Split. We tried several mechanisms to address the holding tank. We did manage to get it drained using a siphon Ian created using some garden hose (not one of our original 3 solutions) and with a plan to enter an access point and attempt to clear the blockage. We had tried pushing the blockage through, snaking a coiled wire through, air pressure….nothing had worked.

We went to a different Marina closer to the airport and said goodbye to our friends. It had been a special time.

Sheila and I had enjoyed Hvar and had a few days before Margaret was to return with her friend from Denmark. We decided to hoof it to the bay we had enjoyed, moor overnight and head to the town of Stari Grad the next day. We enjoyed some swimming and had a marvelous time spending a bit more time in Stari Grad to see an exhibit of venomous snakes with Theo and hit the best shops for more decadent provisions. Based on the recommendation of a shop owner, we decided to head to Vis.

Vis is a remarkably quiet spot and is only 90km from Italy – it is the westernmost island in Crotia. Being in that spot, it had a history of military importance with fortifications still in place from when Napoleon had set his sights on world domination. The british built a fort atop a hill which now houses a nightclub. Elsewhere on the Island we were able to visit a submarine pen built into the hillside, an underground tunnel system, as well as gun turrets that had been carved into the hillside to defend the island. The cold war made an impression.

Being moored in the harbor we ran about in our dingy to get to and from shore. By now, Theo is very experienced in running the dingy and while he rarely enjoys going in a single straight line, he does steer us successfully to and from shore. He is learning to start the engine on his own so he can have full independence. Right now the starting cord is still a bit tough for him but he does manage to start it often.

On our tour of the various military installations on the island we also observed the stone walls and paths all over the island. To grow anything, the land had to be cleared rather like the farmer’s fields in Ontario and there are vertical and horizontal rows of stones separating growing plots. The number of hours of moving stones around the islands in Crotatia make the clearing of land one of the major infrastructure projects of the age.

In Vis we were able to buy a wooden broom handle. Taking advice from another cruiser, we screwed some screws into the end and built a narrow macerator to fit in the waste pipe. This hand held device vigorously applied finally freed the blockage in the pipe and we had a functioning holding tank once again. It is inevitable that I have to clean if not replace the hose going from the tank to the seacock and I do not look forward to that day.

From Vis we went to Milna on Brac and spent a relaxing night in the Marina there parked in front of the church. We thought we’d go to the town dock but the whole thing is now an ACI marina so we once again paid the marina fees. When we do this full time in the future, we’ll have more anchoring and fewer marinas as it is the marina fees that really dent the budget.

The next day, back toward Split and the marina, Margaret and her friend “Denmark” showed up not long after we docked. Once again hot showers were much appreciated.

We held in Split due to high winds in the forecast so M and D went clubbing and we definitely did not. It was well after 3am when the two returned. We figured we’d head off for an overnight at an island and give Denmark a taste of cruising life. We planned on an anchorage and overnight in a nearby town. Problem #1 was when we anchored, Theo was stung by a wasp. For most kids this is a nuisance but for Theo very dangerous as he is highly allergic. He has been taking shots for the past 3 years to build his immunity to the venom but we knew from testing that he would still react. The wasp was a yellow jacket but it wasn’t clear if there are differences in Europe and Canada. This was his second sting ever which can sometimes be worse. We tried not to show our stress levels as we watched him closely – swelling, breathing, disposition, you name it. Theo reacted fairly normally thankfully and with a bit of Advil was soon over the worst of the sting. No epipen required thankfully. Both Sheila and I were trying to determine if we were going to be doing an emergency call for an airlift. Where we were, there were no hospitals nearby.

Having the pleasure sucked out of swimming, we looked for a place to stay overnight. Nearby we couldn’t get into the town so we went back to Milna and stayed there. Aside from an 80s rock tribute band which went till 2 or 3 in the morning, we survived it. You have to understand that when there is an outdoor concert, they start late (11pm or so) and go into the wee hours. There are no noise bylaws and the bass can be felt in the boat. Believe it or not, you can get used or at least immune to it but I don’t like it.

The next day we were back to the marina but changed to Trogir for a new experience. We

ventured into the old city, had a delightful meal in a courtyard restaurant, and of course met one of the guys that had spent all the time with Theo at the Live Museum in Split. He remembered us so we took many pictures posting with him dressed as a centurion.

Margaret was to fly soon from Rome and we had debated how to get her there for the flight. Since we had all wanted to see Venice for some time, we decided to sail there as quickly as reasonable and then building on the idea, go as a family by train to Rome and see the sights before Margaret returned home – kind of a mini vacation if you can have such a thing while on sabbatical.

This goal meant long sailing days of 8-12 hours which is never as fun as it might sound. You don’t get much time to explore and can get quite drained from sun, wind, and attention to your environment (think driving on a road trip). Nevertheless we had a goal and set to achieve it.

More to come on Rome and Venice in the next blog post

Croatia express - what a trip to Split!

Croatia express

With days to make it to Split, we had to sail at a high pace to make it to our destination. Since we were in a Marina, we had to get some laundry done, provision the boat, fill with water, etc and the day before was very tiring clearing out of one country and into another along with sailing many hours. It was 1:30pm before we left and we knew our first day would be a short sail.

We went to Okuklje where we were able to moor at a privately held quay. The restaurants will put in mooring lines and put advertising so you know who to thank for their generosity. We were beside a floatila (a chartered group of sailboats who are guided to various destinations on their holiday but sail their own boats). The floatilla vacationers were a very friendly, more mature, racous group who had clearly bonded on their week away. They were taking turns hosting drinks on the quay and one couple asked Sheila many questions about our life since they were planning to do the same in a couple years.

In the evening we wandered over to Maestral (the restaurant associated with our quay) and were delighted to have one of our more memorable meals. The view over the harbor was magical, the food a delight and aside from Sheila being stung by a wasp, couldn’t have been a better evening. Given Theo’s allergies we agreed it was better one of us got it rather than him at least.

The sail from Okuklje to a bay in Loviste was fun. We had strong gusts and were able to sail much of it, eventually reefing the main (decreasing the size of the main sail so it doesn’t capture so much wind). There were many kite surfers and windsurfers enjoying the strong winds. We anchored in a bay that evening resetting our anchor once after we dragged when the wind shifted. A bit of a restless night but overall OK.

We saw the wind forecast and decided we’d leave very early the next day with a goal to get to Split since Ian and Frances were to be on the dock mid afternoon. Departing at 5:30 am, Sheila helped get things set and then went below to sleep. The kids were also in bed. I wasn’t that concerned but it turns out we were in for a rough ride.

We’ve learned not to trust the forecasts – typically they seem to underforecast the wind speed and are a gauge, not a prescription. Leaving the shelter of the bay, the wind was up. Since I was alone and it was already a gusting high teens, low 20s I decided to keep under engine until I made it around the Island. We knew it would be the highest wind in that area so I figured I’d go conservative.

The wind grew quickly to plus 30 knots and shortly after the waves kicked up. It was directly in front of me and I wanted to stay heading into the wind. At 30 knots, the dingy lashed on the bow of the boat started to get air underneath it and was hovering above the deck during strong gusts. I knew I was facing gale winds. It came up very fast. Expecting it to be done before long based on the forecast I perservered and considered some sheltering bays we could go to if required. Waves were now past the 2 meter mark which was pitching the boat (at 2 meters we feel it). The wind continued to increase and the seas were getting confused (waves from more than one direction).

There is a scale we have as a reference (Beaufort Scale) which was created by admiral Beaufort (1700s?) which to this day is a very helpful tool to judge wind strength based on observed sea conditions. I was clearly in a near gale, Beaufort 7, where the sea heaps up, waves break white foam which is blown in streaks. I was watching our gauge which has been suspect since we left but it confirmed what I was experiencing…and the wind speed was inching up. Gusts were coming in the 30 knot range and then 40 knot range within minutes. Clearly this was not going to pass. I saw a ferry approaching and made way so I could pass some distance from it. The dingy was now a sail and rarely touching the deck. I was wondering insanely how much it was going to cost to replace it and how much damage it would do flying off the boat as I knew the lines where I had secured the dingy were not strong enough to endure this wind for long. Quickly I was seeing Beaufort 9 which is 41-47 knots, a strong gale. I was thinking I really should have a sea anchor to hang off the back of the boat and keep the boat into the wind during storms. I focused on keeping the boat directed into the wind, keeping the dingy from flying, and how I could turn back through the waves and return to the bay we’d started from since it would be the most navigable of all potential shelters I saw on the chart. The gauge now showed stupid numbers well beyond 50 knots and I wasn’t sure how confident I could be in its accuracy so focused more on the sea state.

The speed at which the storm blew up meant I hadn’t woken Sheila and now I couldn’t leave the helm. Billy (remember Albania?) had said the Med was a good place because we’d see it all and I was starting to understand the comment better.

Passing a ferry the people on deck watched the sailboat plunge dramatically into the waves as spray washed over me. The ferry went past as I neared the point on the island where it should be the worst (two channels converging) and made for the distant shore scanning the charts to see where I could potentially come in. About this time, Sheila surfaced to see what was happening. I was glad she was more rested and could help. Securing her tether, she went up front to tie down the dingy. As the boat roller-coastered on the waves she finished the tie down and came back to the cockpit, salt sprayed and satisfied.

The winds were holding in the 30s with gusts into 40s and low 50s at this point but the seas were confused so it was a rough ride. She then worked with me to find potential ports or bays. We judged we were too far from the bay and would need something closer. We were essentially in a very wide channel between islands and the mainland with towns right on the water. The towns didn’t appear to offer much shelter and we figured we would be better away from the hard sides of the channel. Land is definitely hard if we can’t move the boat around well – some of these harbours are very small. Sheila suggested going toward one shore in the hopes that at least one wind source might be eliminated and therefore waves would be more likely consistent in one direction. Great idea and it worked. We had a ride but not as rough.

We gauge we use to track windspeed decided it had enough of this tempermental wind and completely kacked out. We could no longer read our wind speed. I thought at first it had blown off but it was still physically attached. From that point onwards we used the Beaufort scale (observation of the sea) and our wind vane.

Having now hit our new normal, about this time we saw a grey haze over the pass between mainland and Island. It was difficult to tell what it was at first but turns out it was smoke from the coastal forest fires. We could smell the smoke shortly thereafter and we learned in Split the seriousness of the issue for the coast.

We together worked the boat, looked for potential places to go should things worsen again and rode the waves and endured the spray. The worst had passed but we were continually soaked by salty waves as we continued the the journey.

By this time the windsurfers and kite surfers were out in force and we passed through packs of them as we made our way. Other sailboats by this time were out enjoying the winds as well.

Salt covered our clothes, all exposed skin, glasses (which I cleaned continually), hair….but the wind continued 20 to 30 knots all the way to Split so there really wasn’t a lot of downtime. The AIC Marina in Split is a very cramped little marina and we were coming in with 20+knots of wind – thankfully no swell. That was a fitting end to the long journey. We docked with some minor confusion but overall it was fine. We were greeted on the dock by Ian and Francis looking salt encrusted, harried, and tired and wanting not much more than a shower and a beer. I’ve certainly gained a new respect for the sea and we’ve discussed some more safety practices we can use in the future to manage more intense situation.

Kevin

Albania, Montenegro, and entering Croatia

Onwards through Albania

I never expected to be able to visit Albania. It was a tightly closed communist country for decades, shunning evenMontenegro

the USSR and linking only with China. The coast was covered in underwater mines to discourage visitors (now since removed) and inside the country were thousands of bunkers, prepared in case of attack. Fearing the cold war, there is also a massive underground bunker in one of the Unesco cities.

Albania has many advantages for someone coming by yacht. You enlist a shipping agent to prepare and address all administrative formalities so you don’t have to go through customs, port police, etc. They’ve developed a pretty efficient network and we dealt with one person for all these administrative things, rental car, directions in the city, recommendations for restaurants, and he even took the garbage away from the boat for us! There aren’t many comfortable berths anywhere and only one marina for the whole coast line so you are docking with ferries and cruise ships but we managed.

Arriving relatively early we were able to get docked, relax, and then go for an early dinner. The restaurant owner showed us the fish available and we picked what we wanted. Prices were fabulous (having been through some of the more expensive areas of Greece and Cyprus) so we dined well.

We stayed through the day in Sarande so we could visit Burit (an ancient city) as well as the “Blue Eye”, a natural headwater that pumps out water at 7.3m cubed per second, and visit a mountain town. With a car rental arranged 

we were able to get to all the sites in one reasonable day.

We met Billy, a Canadian from the west coast, who was single sailing his yacht and he joined us for our day of touring. It was great to learn about his life in the fishery and gather some sailing wisdom. I think we’ve convinced ourselves we aren’t yet ready for the Atlantic but we (I at least) am eager to cross it at some point. Certainly the boat requires some additional work before we can cross.

Billy and Theo became fast friends discussing ancient cultures, tortoises, star wars, and the like. It was great to see Theo get into one of his talkative states where he shares all the facts he has amassed about a variety of topics. It never ceases to amaze me how much he learns through his quiet observation, youtube videos, and books. He was making observations on Alexander the great and corrected me on some facts related to Egypt and India. We read more about it the next day so he could show me what he had learned.

The car we rented was not what was expected. We had a Mercedes about 15 years old with balding tires,

squeaking brakes, and air conditioning that had a special button to press or it wouldn’t work. The windows sometimes worked and as the driver I had to ignore several dashboard warnings about signal lights, brake lights and general advice that I should get the car in for service. Nevertheless we were able to tour around the island quite effectively and it was nice to have a slightly roomier vehicle.

I can highly recommend Sarande and the surrounding area for visitors. The people were very friendly and helpful. In the mountain town we saw a lot of revitalization. Hotels, restaurants, cafes are starting to open and we met a man who proudly showed us his family home which he was renovating into a restaurant and maybe hotel one day. The stonework he was undertaking was beautiful and we promised to come by again and dine there.

While Albania is delightful, we had a schedule and were picking up our friends Ian and Francis in Split, Croatia in a week. We went through passage planning and realized that we’d have to sail several hours each day to get there so it would be best to get started. Albania doesn’t have too many ports or anchorages so we did big passages here to get to each spot. We just made it to the only marina in Albania before dusk, had a shower, and went to a nearby restaurant where we had another amazing meal. As I write this we are heading to Durres which is another long sail. The pilot guide makes it sound a bit dusty and uncomfortable but we need somewhere to put up for the night. After that we’ll either do one more stop or head directly on to Montenegro. That will make three long sail days in a row and I’m sure we’ll want a bit of a rest.

Durres was just as advertised! We were on a commercial dock between two freighters. A very large yacht pulled in just ahead of us so we were about halfway down the length of the docks nearby the loading cranes. The docks were fully operational until around 10pm or so. There were large trucks, forklifts, and loads of materials moving about in earnest. We had to weave our way through the busy workmen and moving machines to get to the main city, about a 15 min walk away. I couldn’t help thinking, as a father, that the men were enjoying Margaret walk though the mileua.

It took two trips through the port – the first for provisioning, the second for dinner. We had dinner at a nice upper level restaurant which was likely one of the nicer ones in the area. Albania was relatively inexpensive so we didn’t have to worry about it. We did our check out in Durres which meant we could sail on to Montenegro. The shipping agent was very thorough for his 70 Euro fee. I would have liked to spend a bit more time in Albania but not in Durres port. You can’t really stay there for long as it is likely you’d have to move the boat out of the way for commercial ships.

On the docks we saw Illusion, the mega yacht filling with 4 tankers of diesel. We ran into Illusion in Split again and were speaking with one of the crew. They had gone there specifically to fill with fuel since the price is 

substantially lower.

It is hard to describe the frustration of port authorities, customs, and agents. It is likely best to sail long distances, get poor sleep, navigate unknown waters, and then worse, navigate unknown ports with no signage where you are trying to find something different each place. And…we aren’t done yet. We have to check in to Montenegro, check out, and then check in to Croatia (which has a reputation for being administratively focused). Each time we do this process it is about 2-3 hours, part of which will be travel time to find all the different offices you must visit.

Bar in Montenegro was a good example of this experience – first you must visit the customs dock, not the marina, and complete the check in. First things first, it was really hot – like 2pm sun beating down, no relief +30C kind of hot. Canadians and crayons melt. You take your paperwork – crew list, passports, registration, insurance are typical but there may be other things. You wait where there are no visible officers wondering if you are in the right place and if they’ll ever appear. You meet the first person who gives you instructions on who you must see and where (the physical geography of which is never close) and start the adventure. In Montenegro I had to find the harbourmaster (who I was told was the cargo master, incorrectly) and I was assured it was in the next building.

There really was no next building close. My first stop in the next building I came to ended up being the marines. They were not happy I went there and sent me back. In the first building I was told it is in town first left. Have I mentioned it was hot? Entering the town I found a tourist agency. They suggested it is in the grey building just beyond them. I walked past an apartment building to a commercial complex. I walked around the commercial complex finding nothing. I went to a café where I saw “officer”looking people and they pointed me to the grey apartment building, which was in fact an office. It was really hot. Walking around the circumference of the building I found a 1x2 meter sign which did in fact list the harbourmaster. It did not face any streets but in fact faced the building beside it so only by walking between two buildings would you have any indication it is there – no flags, no nothing. Walking inside, I went up the stairs to find a series of doors, closed, with no windows and no signs. There was no directory. I looked downstairs since doors were open there. Nothing. Just rooms with chairs and tables. I walked back up and went to the next floor. It was hot. There was a hallway and closed doors. I went up. It was really hot. I explored each floor and went back to the first one and knocked on a wooden door. A man opened the door and directed me to the next closed door. I knocked on that one and inside was a counter and the harbourmaster administrator. Apparently I had knocked on the bosses door first.

He politely processed the paperwork which took approximately 30 min…please don’t get me started with paper efficiency, data keystrokc entry, scanning, photocopying…these offices would drive a lean six practictioner into nirvana or complete shock depending upon their intestinal fortitude. As it is I just close my eyes and wait for the process to be complete. We joked about his aged photocopier and he worked his administrative magic, processing and stamping.

I was then back to port police and customs and more waiting. The port police asked lots of questions and sent me on to customs. Waiting outside the customs office for an agent I scanned the horizon, made a note to not go through so many countries in a short period during a hot season, and generally organized my thoughts for travel ahead. The customs officer arrived, saw I had passports and waved me onwards. Back to the port police I verified all was done and returned to the boat of tired impatient crew feeling more than a little exhausted and terribly thirsty.

Once finished with clearing, we proceeded to the marina to get some fuel and then place the boat.

The Bar Marina is a bit confusing. We had made a reservation however there was no one in the office. We ended up going to a “pier” which seems to be privately held although it shares the facilities of Bar Marina. We were concerned we were getting cheated but overall we paid the same price or slightly less than Bar Marina as it turns out. The facilities were generally poor so we didn’t use them. The docks were in rough repair. The town by contrast was quite nice. There were many restaurants nearby and we were able to provision about 20 min away at a large grocery store.

In Bar we had a relaxing evening first having dinner then going for coffee – we saw a very interesting concert advertised and fully intended to go but with the day’s exertions, fell asleep before it started. Ah well, next time.

From Bar we went on to Budva. We stopped at a picturesque bay near Budva called Sveli Stefan which is beside an island town. In that bay we had a nice relaxing swim and struck up conversations with some Canadian women who were vacationing nearby. They saw the flag and waved and cheered with all the enthusiasm you can get from university students. A Russian man also was interested (perhaps because of the Canadian university students?) in speaking with us so swam by the boat and hung out for a while. One adventurous woman jumped off the boat using our favourite halyard swing.

We went on to the Marina in Budva so we could do customs directly the next morning. Montenegro certainly is a place to explore further. The marina was beside the old town and there was a massive concert stage nearby. We had a marginal dinner (always give yourself time to find the nice restaurants which are rarely ever in plain sight) and with Margaret and Theo returning to the boat, Sheila and I wandered around the town, took in part of the concert, and then went on to a nearby bar for a drink. It felt like a date! Friendly people, great surroundings, and a romantic setting I think we enjoyed Budva.

Early the next morning I wandered to customs to check out and found out they wanted the boat to come to the customs area. I wandered back to the boat and we set off to the customs dock. Less than an hour later, we were on our way. There was much confusion in the office about something but language barriers prevented me from appreciating the situation. I was quite concerned that we weren’t getting a document signed which showed our departure date. The port authority didn’t care but I figured Croatia would since I’d heard so much about fines/fees, etc if you don’t have things “ship shape”. They agreed that the customs officer could sign since the Harbourmaster was not in the office that day.

From Budva we went on to Dubrovnick. We booked into a marina but had to go the customs dock first. Yay! Have I mentioned how much I enjoy clearing into a country? Let’s just summarize this one…It was 1 hour, 15 minutes. I could find the offices easily however you must pay several hundred dollars in fees in local currency – thus I had to find a bank machine. Most of the time was me wandering the streets trying to find a working ATM. 3^rd time lucky I was able to withdraw cash, return to the office and pay the fees, and finalize customs clearance.

We arrived fairly late at the marina but wanted to see Dubrovnik. 
Margaret was particularly keen since we may not be back there (I love this attitude and approach to seizing the moment). We hired a taxi and went to the old city. Searching for restaurants, we quickly realized the town was extraordinarily expensive. We were tired, hungry, and wanting to see the town rather than sit in a restaurant so opted for fast food which we ate on the steps of a nearby church. Once everyone was no longer “hangry” we explored the city, wandering the walkways around the town.

Dubrovnik is a living old town and there are many residences in the walled city. Wandering the streets you see people in courtyards, on their steps, laundry hanging over the alley, and chatter of neighbours. It was special to see and amazing to think about what it must be like to live in such a place. The streets are steep and pedestrian. You’d sacrifice some conveniences to live there but it seemed so special it must be worth it.

We had been assured in Greece our SIM would work in Croatia however this turned out not to be the case. We managed to get a phone call in before the money ran out so we could call the cab to return us to the marina. I was so glad we went to the city rather than crash for the night nearby.

Kevin