Position: 39°04’48″N 17°08’12″E Navigating the Straits of Messina is downright mythological. At its northern entrance lie the twin monsters of Charybdis and Scilla, whirlpools that in ancient times drew sailors to the briny deeps, never to return. These days the …
Position: 39°52’18″N 20°00’13″E Until September, we had it in mind to head for Tunisia for a few days and on to Greece and Turkey from there. But based on rave reviews from our friends Robin and Bob, we reconsidered that …
Position: 38°25’11″N 14°57’15″E The grand entrance of a 35-foot red-hulled German sailboat into Porto di Ponente’s snug harbour immediately made Carol reach for her iPhone. Manned by three strapping young men, two on the foredeck and one at the helm, …
Position: 40°37’54″N 14°35’51″E I’ve never been certain if Amalfi means just one Malfi, one of many Malfis, or indeed an absence of Malfis. The Jacobean play, The Duchess of Malfi, indicates that the original name has since morphed into a …
Ponza and Palmarola Ponza sounds like a racetrack for cars. That’s probably because it rhymes with Monza, which is a racetrack for cars. But Ponza is an island 30 miles west of Gaeta and a justifiably popular weekend destination for …
Position: 40°54’55″N 12°56’56″E To paraphrase Ratty, the Water Rat in Wind in the Willows, ‘Believe me, there is nothing—absolute nothing—half so much worth doing as paying someone to mess about with your boat.’ Such luxuries are for the wealthy. We …
Position: 41°12’57″N 13°34’23″E After spending the summer reconnecting with our friends and families on America’s west coast, we had exhausted both our 90-day ban from Schengen countries and our hosts, Lauren and Wade (thanks guys!). It is time to return …
Position: 45°34’04″N 122°32’13″W Footwear may not be the first thing you consider as a sailor, but it should be on your shortlist. A sturdy pair of boots serves many purposes beyond making hiking more practicable. In a pinch they can …
Position: 33°24’35″N 104°31’27″W “Roswell? Why do you want to see Roswell?” Carol asked, giving me the side eye. “Because,” I replied, “I want to see where you went to high school.” NY to NM In 1972 Carol’s dad, Bob, left …
