Otak Zut, Crtoatia We had just gotten back on Berkeley East after a swim when a couple passed by in a dinghy. We were anchored far back in the huge Luka Telascica national park, and finally beginning to understand the beauty of Croatia. We’d heard over and over again how gorgeous the country was, but […]
Istria, Croatia We sailed Berkeley East to Croatia for two reasons: one, we had heard about the great cruising there; and two, it was time to reset out VAT clock (we are only allowed to have Berkeley East in the European Union for 18 consecutive months or we have to pay Value Added Tax -VAT, […]
Piran, Slovenia When we sailed into San Remo, Italy last June, we never imagined that Berkeley East would be in Italy for an entire year. It was an incredible time. There is still so much to see in Italy, but it was time to move on. Our next stop was the tiny country of Slovenia. […]
Verona, Valpoliella and Soave, Italy There is so much to see and do in Venice, that it was difficult to venture beyond the magical city, but we thought we should see some of the surrounding, less traveled area. We ran into some cruisers who had recently been to Verona and they were unenthusiastic about their […]
Venice Italy Sailors go wherever the wind will take them. For cruisers, sailing is wonderful, but it usually is all about the destination. And iconic destinations are on every cruiser’s list. New York, Sydney, Hong Kong, Venice, we all want to sail our boats into legendary harbors. Motoring along the inland sea to Venice was […]
Chioggia, Italy We decided to travel up the East coast of Italy because we wanted to take Berkeley East to Venice. It was a good decision, as we had many great experiences there. With just a few miles to go, we stopped in Fano, Ravenna and Chioggia before cruising up the inland sea to Venezia. […]
Ancona, Italy We know how crazy it sounds that we would need a break from sailing around the Med. But sometimes a little land time, away from the boat, is a good change of pace. We have always wanted to see Umbria, the central region of Italy, some call it “the green heart of Italy,” […]
43 36.68’N:13 28.95’E May is considered a “fringe” month for cruising. It can still be a little cool and windy, but sometimes that beats the summer heat and dead calm conditions that require motoring. The crowds are less in May, which leaves plenty of space to anchor or dock. But towns and marinas are often […]
Bari, Italy With weather becoming a problem again, we pulled Berkeley East into a marina, rented a car and did a few daytrips around Puglia. Unlike much of Italy, the terrain in Puglia is nearly flat, which made for easier driving in our nifty little Fiat 500. Most of our driving in Italy has been […]
Otranto, Italy As we were preparing to leave Siracusa, we were exchanging some emails with friends about our upcoming plan: a two-day/overnight passage across the Straight of Messina to the heel of Italy. One friend wrote back and said, “Have fun tomorrow.” We could only chuckle at that, as overnight passages are seldom fun. Sailing […]
