At last, an update from Crazydream!

Sorry it’s been a long time but we never seem to get around to updating it and never really sure if anyone looks at the blogg. We tend to just check the emails, as time is limited when on-line.

So what have we been up to? Loads!

Since we last made an entry we have sailed at least another 800 or so miles making our total for last year over 2500 nm. We thorough ally enjoyed sailing in Croatian waters, ideal with just short stops between anchorages and shelter from most directions. P called it “Cream Puff Sailing”. This meant light gentle winds and few waves or swell apart from the time Jane and Mark Norman visited and we saw 45 knots across the deck, waterspouts, and horizontal rain. Jane can never say again that she doesn’t go out in anything over a force 3! We didn’t seem to meet many British cruisers, whether that was because of anchoring most of the time (£30 - £35 a night in a marina) or that there was just so many Italians and Germans! We did however spend many days cruising with “Rassy Lady” (Steve and Maggie) and enjoying the local “Grasevina” wine and unfortunately on “Bobs” gin towards the end of Croatia.

We were moving on most days, only staying places longer if the weather forecast meant we should. This we will definitely change this year, more on that later.

We knew we were heading down to the Peloponese for the winter, so pushed on south, returning to Brindisi, Italy, to stock up and avoid too long a trip and going too close to Albania. Most of you know we don’t enjoy or is it endures the long passages unless we have to.

We arrived in Corfu at the end of August when it was still rather busy but late enough that most charters were finishing and the Italians were heading back. We had great intentions of catching up with “Reckless” (Tim and Chris) who although we both left Cagliari on the same day, we hadn’t seen since then. The weather however was against us and it was not to be, we got within 70 miles but they had deadlines in Crete and it was just not too be. Thankfully we did catch them for a drink in the UK when we were both back.

We did start to meet many British boats in the Ionian, all with good things to say about it, we gain advice on where and where not to go, places to eat, and most importantly where there was a washing machine! We rushed the Ionian and have decided we would return that way this year. We possibly would have stayed there this winter but had arranged to meet some old friends in Kalamata on the southern Peloponese coast. We had a fantastic greeting when we arrived, following a lovely sail with the cruising chute. 4 boats we already knew and lots more to meet and greet.

We felt there was going to be a good community there over the winter but we had made the decision to return to the UK to earn some money to keep the dream going. We put “Crazydream” on the hard, complete a few jobs and left many unfinished and returned to Portsmouth early November after a few days break in Athens being true tourists.

You catch up with us now having finished three and half months of work and surviving the winter in Blighty. We have managed to save some money, spent some too unfortunately, and we are now well and truly ready to get back to “Crazydream” and to continue the cruising life.We will try to update and make more use of the blogg this year, even getting some pictures on it if the system will allow – watch this space!!

 

You’ll be pleased to know that since we last wrote the weather has improved and if anything got too hot but thankfully we are anchoring a lot and therefore can just go for a swim off the boat at any time (water temperature has been up to 26’C). We’re not complaining but it’s nice when the afternoon breeze kicks in. 

Croatia is still beautiful although it is now getting busier with the Italian and German boats that apparently descend here every summer. We hope we can still find some quiet anchorages to hide in. We are getting some nice gentle breezes and sailing most days, we can’t remember the last time we had to motor a whole trip, we have even had our ghoster sail (that’s a light weight colourful sail which helps you go faster or even go at all, in light winds!)

We have travelled further north with our friends Steve and Maggie, in Rassy Lady, motoring through the Velebit (Velebitski) Canal (reputed for its strong northerly winds) in calm. We had dolphins on that journey which was great as the mountain scenery really was quite barren and didn’t inspire us at all. We can however say that we have been through the Velebit Canal! We prefer the tree line, uninhabited coves of the islands for the scenery and even managed to see a deer licking the salt off the rocks in one anchorage. We got as far north as Pula and visited a Roman Amphitheatre, apparently one of the best preserved in the world but was slightly spoiled by the technicians setting up for a concert!

We have now travelled south to meet up with visitors, leaving Rassy Lady to continue north. We have stopped in many beautiful anchorages avoiding marina’s, not just for the cost but because they are so crowded, entertaining with peoples boat handlings but nevertheless places to be avoided unless desperate. Like if you’ve broken the banjo bolt in the diesel system after changing the filters and don’t have a spare and therefore can’t start the engine. Replacement got, then the lift pump don’t work, oh the joys of engine maintenance and cruising.

Now for all of you that think that for this cruising life you need a yacht with all the gadgets, comfy bed, water and toilet etc, think again. We have met a Slovenian chap cruising Croatia on a Laser dingy, towing a child’s inflatable dingy out the back as his tender. He slept on it, cooked on it and had already done well over a hundred miles on it. His engine was his flippers when he swam and it even had an awning/tent to cover him at night. An absolute nutter but he was out cruising!

Again we must apologise if you have been texting us, we are still not receiving many/any. If you don’t get a reply from us, assume we haven’t received it and if its important please give us a ring. We are trying to sort it this end but with no success.

So we are now getting ready for our visitors, sending requests of things required and feverishly cleaning and tidying the boat in anticipation but excited to see friends

 

 

Cruising Sicily

So after waiting for the weather window for what seemed like ages, we finally left Sardinia for Sicily. There was a convoy of 3 boats, Willem II, Eldrebolger and ourselves. The wind and waves were a little stronger than P would have liked but G was happy and the other boats had left before us so we had to go. It was the text messages that we had to say that they were sure we wouldn’t be off with the forecast being as it was, but oh yes we were. We managed the crossing of 168 nautical miles in 27 hours and were very pleased to see Wild Thyme waiting to take our lines.

Our first impression of Sicily was "spectacular" and has remained so. The beaches are golden and the sea turquoise surrounded by mountains and hills.

We have cruised along the north coast of the island enjoying the pizza and ice cream along the way as well as the picturesque villages and towns.

We also visited the volcanic Aeolian Islands off the north coast, seeing steaming craters and "fireworks" from Stromboli at night, an awesome sight.

We had worked the tides out for the Messina Straits and were confident we had them right, we did but the forecast of an Easterly force 3 was totally wrong and we had a Southerly force 7 gusting 8. Lets just say it was rough and very wet and we were only too pleased to be attached to the land but not so when they told us how much it would be in Messina marina for the night – 60€ and water and electric would be extra. Unfortunately the weather didn’t improve but we weren’t staying there for another night. So out in 35 knots of wind we went again for a whole 6 miles to mainland Italy.

Thankfully the weather has improved since then and we have slowly moved around the foot of Italy. We decided to give Etna a miss as we could see it still had snow on the top and was probably not open to tourist yet and needless to say it would be very cold as well.

We are currently cruising along with two other boats, Eldrebolger, Sue and Anton from Norway and Allotria, Franz and Heidi from Germany. Its nice to know that others are going the same way and you are all watching out for each other plus there is different boat to have a drink on each night!!!

We are well on our way to making Croatia by the end of May

So the boat has finally been lifted and the work completed. Thanks to Tim and Chris ("Reckless") for all their help and the cheap antifoul, not our choice of colour but we both think that Crazydream looks ok with a light grey bottom! We celebrated the relaunching in style with 22 people on board, consuming 6 bottles of bubbly and numerous bottles of beer - just an average evening in Cagliari!

We now have just a few odd jobs to do, which honestly we should have done earlier in the winter stopover but didn't find the time in between the socialising. We hope to be ready to leave harbour just before Easter, heading for Sciliy.

A few boats are ready for the off, so we had a "farewell" BBQ last weekend, spontanious drinks on Crazydream and a planned BBQ at Tony and Lynda's ("Knight in Gale"), who have just bought a property on the Island. We all hope to make it and as the weather window hasn't opened yet there should be a few of us there. There also happens to be a beer festival this weekend in Cagliari, so it would be rude to leave too early!!!

It is definately going to be hard to leave Sardinia and all the new friends but there is a lot more of the Med to see and we are looking forward to Croatia and the "cream puff sailing" (a quote from the Cruising Association info book!).   

The next entry should be from a different island and news of our 2006 sailing experience.

Christmas and New year came upon us with a BBQ organised for Christmas Eve, 24 litres of mulled wine being consumed. Christmas lunch in the marina "Gazebo"for 14 people, each boat bringing a selection of food, from starters to pudding, there was even a roast turkey to be carved!  Party games followed along with more drinks.  Boxing day the traditional walk in the country to clear the hangovers before we got ready for New Year.

We will keep you posted of our happenings as we go.