Saturday, January 27, 2024

Set Sail on a Mediterranean Culinary Voyage- October 10-26, 2023

rFor years we’ve enjoyed sailing Greece.   Setting the anchor & climbing upon our bunks, sometimes gets a fella into thinking - “why NOT click-it-up a notch”!  Take a real sailing boat but embark on a champagne & culinary themed cruise from the Italian Riviera (Riviera Ligure) to the French Riviera
(Cote d’ Azure) and onto the Spanish Riviera.  Take along only about 50 other sailors as well as —
2 MICHELIN Star Chefs.


“Sea Cloud Spirit” has the flair of a fully rigged sailing yacht.  She is 452 feet long, draws 18 feet of water, has 28 sails, and accommodates around 100 guests.  Traveling with a small amount of like-minded sailors from all over the world is just a fun thing to do.




We began our voyage from Genoa, Italy, the birthplace of Christopher Columbus.  Interestingly,Genoa is often pronounced here as “ jay-no-va”.  So be careful if you don’t know where you are at?  Melissa is enjoying a walk through Mercato  Orientale.  Popular here are such treats as focaccia, pesto, salami, and farinata.  We need to be onboard by late afternoon.



We’re onboard now on the Lido Deck.  “Fresh tuna” said the Chef!  Let’s take him at-his-word!  Melissa was pleased to find that you could be served raw or quickly seared right in front of your eyes.  But if that doesn’t float-your-boat, there’s prime rib steaks over yonder on the starboard.


Nice, France is the largest city on the French Riviera.  Our local guide, Leo has introduced us to a young German couple celebrating their anniversary with some vino on the back streets of Old Town-with cobblestone streets & colorful restaurants.



Barcelona, Spain is laidback and beachy and known for world famous tapas.  Jamon Iberico (cured ham) is the pride of Spain.  Columbus carried them on his ship voyage to America.  These pigs eat only acorns (bellotas) from special rangelands.  They are referred to as “walking olive trees” because their fat is nearly as healthy as extra virgin olive oil.  Some hams sell for over $2000.



Speaking of sailors, Carlo & Helen have a sloop moored outside of Athens at a marina well known to us.  We’re in our  “Dress Blue” attire having just feasted upon another culinary delight in the main dining room on the Verandah Deck.



It’s about 2200 hours on the Lido with the lights of Nice shining in the background.  How delightful it is to enjoy the city and to be in such a serene setting.   Several days later, we disembarked from our voyage in Valencia, Spain.  The “V” is often pronounced as a “B”  and the city is famous for paella, Flamenco dancing, and Cava (Spain’s answer to Champagne). We were in Valencia for several days and enjoyed our visit immensely-so much so that the visit would require another blog.






Friday, October 28, 2022

Greece - Another Great Sail in the Ionian Islands Sept. 6-22nd, 2022

 When something feels good, do it!  This is our 6th sailing adventure in Greece and yes indeed it still feels good!  This time we flew into London for a few days and later caught a short flight to Preveza on the east coast of Greece-which happens to be very close to our marina.  


We loved our hotel but we really loved “John” the Doorman.  His smile and fabulous counsel & advise made our London visit a tremendous success.  We stayed on the West End in the city of Westminster overlooking Green Park.  If you haven’t tried the Yorkshire pudding soaked in bone marrow gravy, then you need to turn around and head back to the UK.


Most unfortunately on our second night in London, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth passed away.  This evening at Piccadilly Circus was most unusual and forever makes Melissa and I closer to the wonderful people of the UK.  


We departed London on a Sunday morning, flew into Preveza, Greece and took a short taxi ride to the very small sailing village of Vliho where we climbed aboard our sailing vessel “Freedom”, a 42 foot Bavarian sloop.  This was a last minute surprise gratuitous upgrade given to us by the wonderful Charter Company-the boat was brand new as well.


Before departing on Monday morning, we bought spinach pies at the local bakery which we enjoyed as we sailed around Meganisi running south around Kythro and finally into Syvota harbour for a port side tie.  The quay was busy as we totally enjoyed our evening at the Tabepna Ionian (dockside taverna).


A view from behind the olives on the Island of Ithaca.  Homer’s most famous Greek hero, Odysseus was King of Ithaca.  This tale was composed around 700 BC and was performed theatrically by bards for several hundred years before the age of written words.  No surprise that there are no words for an appropriate description.


After a week of sailing, we moved to some nice nearby shoreside accommodations to enjoy a few more days.  We drove our rental car to the far west shore of Lefkada where the cliffs are high and the surf is beautiful.  Dining on the beach for a lunch time break was just in-the-cards that day!  


                                     “Sandy toes, sun-kissed nose. Don’t call it a dream, call it a plan!”


Tuesday, May 24, 2022

Sailing the Eastern Caribbean - May 3-15, 2022

 The Eastern Caribbean is a bit more of a challenge.  It’s remote and the distances between islands make for a more robust sail in more aggressive seas.  And the place is a contradiction, at times.  One can find huge & elaborate facilities and then there remains those island bars and restaurants that are nothing more than a pile of driftwood artistically sitting there on the beach.



These islands are called the Windward Islands.  Columbus knew that he had to fall-down well below 30 degrees of latitude to be pushed by the Easterlies to the Americas.  With such restraints, a majority of 16th century sailing ships found themselves right HERE.  The island bearing to the windward in reference to that vessel became the Windward Islands.



We chartered a 46’ Catamaran “Freedom” which helped us deal with the heavier seas.  Our Captain was Francisco and our cook was Julietta.  


Local beer here is Hairoun and the preferred currency is the EC’s - the Eastern Caribbean Dollar.  You get a handful of EC’s for each US dollar.  This circumstance originated the familiar Jimmy Buffett quote “EC come EC go”



Captain Jack Sparrow set fire to his rum on this very island of Petit Tabac as a signal for help from other pirates.  It’s no wonder that the film “Pirates of the Caribbean” used this beautiful island as a backdrop for the their motion picture of tales from the Caribbean.


The seas were a bit tall when Captain Francisco caught this beautiful Barracuda.  He gave the fish a snort of the “170-proof” rum (that they also use to make local rum punches) to calm him down.  Within an hour, Julietta had prepared us a beautiful seafood lunch.


Melissa and I always find time to enjoy the things around us.  We also spent some beach time on the island of Bequia (pronounced Beck-Way) after the voyage.  The people are as lovely as their island!

Saturday, October 2, 2021

Greece - The Ionian Islands - Sept. 8-29th, 2021

We had chartered our sailboat for last year but the trip was cancelled because of Covid 19 restrictions.  Fortunately, the good folks at the charter company allowed us to carry over the charter to 2021.  We were required to record our body temperatures and oxygen levels every day on a log as specified by the Greek authorities.


From the heel of Italy to the shores of the Peloponnese sits the Ionian Sea, which is located on the western side of Greece.  These islands have a strong connection to Italy as they were occupied by the Venetians in Medieval times.  The islands also spent several decades as a British protectorate.  These cliffs are on the southern most tip of Meganisi and there are several caves here also.

To say the same thing in Greek as follows:

The Olympian God, Zeus, had a mistress name Io. Fearing the wrath of his wife, Hera, Zeus turned Io into a white cow. Hera soon sent a gadfly to torment the unfortunate Io. To rid herself of the torture, Io plunged herself into the sea and hence THIS sea became known as the Ionian Sea.



Our boat is a Bavarian 41 sloop.  We are loading our supplies aboard here at home base in Vliho Bay on Lefkada, near the town of Nydri.  Sailors in Greece tend to eat at tavernas most evenings so provisioning is not so very important, although it may be difficult to figure out how much food to purchase.  There is always the opportunity to sail into a little village and visit a local bakery.


Sailors in the Caribbean sail to shore to grab a rum drink with a silly name.   In Greece, the sailors head to shore for some of the most fantastic Greek food & wine.   How about some Shrimp Saganaki, Fried Cheese, Cretan Dakos, Moussaka and red wine while sittin’ on a table near the dock!




We use a process called the Mediterranean mooring which means that we anchor with the bow out and back into the quay (piers) in order to not take up so much dockage space.  Melissa is holding the hand controls for the electric windlass and is letting out anchor chain as the boat backs down on the quay.  


Our sloop is in the middle of the picture with anchor out and also a line to shore with the dinghy tied to the stern.  We are at the beautiful small city of Fiskardo on the island of Kefalonia.  Pull the dinghy to the rocks with the line and then take a short walk into the village.



Our boat is approaching a swing bridge (that is opening for us) allowing us to enter the Lefkas Canal which will serve as a “short cut” for us to sail onward to Corfu (the most northerly of the Ionian Islands).  The Corinthians started construction of this canal that separates Lefkada from mainland Greece in 650 BC, turning Lefkada into an island.   There was no written language in 650 BC!  



Here sails Steve & Melissa in their brand new “Greek skipper’s hat”  with the dinghy bouncing along behind them.  

Wednesday, April 22, 2020

St. James City, Florida- Jan., Feb., March-2018-2021





We purchased a little outboard big enough to take some sea but small enough to push off a sandbar after the tide leaves you stranded.  This picture is just off the beautiful sandy beach of nearby North Captiva Island in the Gulf of Mexico.  The predominant wind is from the east and therefore, the Gulf of Mexico beach on this leeward shore is as smooth as a baby's butt.


Our home is on a canal with a bulkhead large enough to hold the small outboard as well as our super little Cape Cod sailing catboat-the "NoJibe".  This is the largest undeveloped island in the state and resembles a place largely forgotten by time.  St. James City located on the far south end of the island, has one very small grocery store, two boat yards, one church, a restaurant or two, and FIVE bars.  Suffice to say that this place is "laid back".  




Here is a manatee-cow and her calf- off the backend of the sailboat.  Momma found the underside hull shape "just right" to assist her with some degree of stability as the youngster nursed from behind the mother's front flippers.  


On our way to Doc Ford's Restaurant, our boat passes Marker 5 with a beautiful Bald Eagle, just taking it easy on his perch from above.



Running up the Matlacha (matt-lu-shay) Channel, you'll find Bert's (beer joint) a 75-year old-time hangout featuring grouper sandwiches and real steel pan reggae music off the back deck.


And running north up Pine Island Sound, you'll find Cabbage Key.  With "dollar bill" lined walls and famous paradise cheeseburgers.  This is the Doll House cabin-available for rent and comes with your own private pier and boat dock.  Then, the gourmet meals available only-at-night are absolutely wonderful!



But my all time favorite pastime is to enjoy a cup of wine while sailing back and forth off the south end of the island in San Carlos Bay.  Our catboat is modeled after the late 1800's working boats that graced the waters of New England with their single sail on a single mast set well forward on the bow. We have a little single Diesel engine and we sound and sort-of lookalike the "African Queen" when heading back up the canals toward home late in the evenings.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

British Columbia-Desolation Sound-Sept. 21-Oct. 4, 2019




The Sunshine Coast of British Columbia is a region of the southern mainland on the eastern shore of the Strait of Georgia and northwest of Greater Vancouver.  Desolation Sound is a deep-water sound at the northern end flanked by Cortes Island and West Redonda Island.  This is an area with spectacular fjords, mountains, waterfalls, and wildlife.  We had been thinking of making this trip for several years, especially after sailing the San Juan Islands in 2014 with our friends Dan & Donna.  Dan put the “bug” in our ear.


This is the “Grey Lady”, our home for a couple of beautiful weeks.  She is a Sabre 38 down east design with the latest technology, including the new pod propulsion drive train.  We are anchored in the gorgeous Melanie Cove at Prideaux Haven.  What a wonderful way to spend the evening.



Taking a dinghy ride in the afternoon is an absolute must.  Especially when you find starfish, harbor seals, blue herons and bald eagles.  Not to forget the beautiful scenery.  Make certain to put on your CO2 inflatable life vests-the water is too cold to chance a slip overboard.



It seems that we go from one fantastic anchorage to another.  In order to get into this Princess Louisa Inlet, it is necessary to time your arrival at slack current so that you can punch your bow through the narrow rapids at Malibu.  And enter into a truly magnificent granite walled gorge rising to 7000 feet with numerous white waterfalls splashing on top of playful harbor seals.  And LOOK where we found to moor for the night.  No need for stereo this evening.  Just wine, cheese, and waterfall on the back deck!


Off-in-the-dinghy!  Twice daily, nature puts on a show of the tide changes with incredibly turbulent rapids.  The difference in water levels between one side and the other sometimes exceeds 9 feet with 200 billion gallons of water flowing through Skookumchuck Narrows connecting Sechelt and Jervis Inlets.  This is where you find the little village of Egmont.  Here we are almost out of red wine.  The wine store (actually the only store) closes in an hour.  The current is over 8 knots and the horsepower on our dinghy is 8 horsepower.  Oh, by-the-way it is also raining.


Returning back to the U.S., we cleared customs just outside of Roche Harbor at the north end of San Juan Island and we did it using the Custom & Border Patrol new computer App-all done “face-timing”on the back deck of our own boat.  Then we were off to the east side to Friday Harbor-so very quaint.  Melissa bought fresh smoked scallops, cups of fresh Dungeness crab, and a globs of locally smoked salmon that tasted more like butter.  Then dinner ashore tonight at the Cask & Schooner Pub overlooking the harbor.


And of course while underway, you don’t want to disturb the local humpback whales.  Interestingly, all male humpbacks sing the same song.  But that song changes from year to year and somehow they all “get the word”.  I recall (from yesteryear) this was always a tuff assignment for the guys in my Marine Corps rifle platoon.  These are what-we-would-call “squared-away” whales!



Melissa’s got the helm and is standing by on her VHF channel 16 and 88 alpha while following our course on the Garmin GPS, fortunately equipped with AIS.   Our galley is down and our berth is the large queen walk-around situated most forward in the V-berth.  We had made the outside Pacific passage to Alaska in 2015 and we saw some very remote coves and inlets that were beautiful.  But I don’t think we’ve ever seen such massive mountains nestled in such gorgeous water as here in Desolation Sound.  



Sunday, December 9, 2018

VIRGIN ISLAND QUICK TRIP October 15-22, 2018

The old Caribbean held numerous tropical depressions still moving about the area, but we took advantage of a bargain price for the boat to give it a try.  And it was a little breezy and a little rough at times.  The boat sometimes just shook.  I was happy that it was all new riggin’!   But fun, of course.


We headed to the new Moorings Yacht Charter after being hit by Hurricanes Irma and Maria and chartered a new 38 foot sloop.  There was still much damage to be seen but the new marina base was in good condition.  The new restaurant, Charley's, was over the top good.


The dinghies were all brand new and larger with older engines.  The winds would move about and change their minds frequently.

But with a little rum, certain adversities can be overcome.  Soon we were out on the open waters.


Many of the old bars and restaurants had not yet had time to rebuild and re-open.  But, of course, Foxy's had itself all put together.  Maybe "the party never ended"!


We rented a car at Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour and drove to the Hog Heaven Bar situated high on some cliffs with breathtaking views of Leverick Bay in the background.  Our sailing itinerary was a confused one throughout the week as the winds and seas made decisions for us.  But we had a great time. The BVI is easy to get to and easy to get around.  It will be good as new very soon.