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Anchors Away

Anchors Away

Central Daimatia, Croatia A big part of the cruising life is the search for ideal anchorages. Small, isolated bays where you can enjoy peace and quiet. During the August cruising and charter boat season, these bits of paradise can be difficult to find. Croatia is better than most countries, as there are a lot of […]

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Something for everyone

Something for everyone

Mykonos & Delos Greece One day when the wind seemed lighter, we decided it was a good idea to go 20 miles north from Paros to Mykonos. Halfway there, as we saw 1.8 knots on the boat speed gauge, it felt like the wind and waves were actually pushing Berkeley East backward. We thought about […]

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A taste of the cruising life

A taste of the cruising life

Naousa Paros, Greece Our friends Kathy and Carol left Berkeley East in the nick of time. While their final dinghy ride to catch the ferry was a bit wet, they missed the days of gusty winds that followed. A week earlier, they arrived at the marina near Lavrio. “Our taxi driver said it’s been windy […]

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Making the most of the Meltemi – Part Two

Making the most of the Meltemi – Part Two

Lavrion, Greece On day three of the Meltemi, the winds felt a bit lighter, until the big gusts hit. Boats were moving. They were mostly charter boats loaded with people on a week’s holiday who have the desire to go everywhere, but not necessarily the skills to deal with the conditions of these winds. Our […]

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What to do while the Meltemi blows

What to do while the Meltemi blows

Eastern Peloponnisos, Greece Meltemi winds are the strong, dry north winds of the Aegean Sea, which blow from late June or early July to September, reaching full strength in July and August. They blow strongest in the central Aegean, typically peak in the afternoon and often last for days without a break. The winds are […]

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Life’s a Beach

Life’s a Beach

Mykonos, Greece We have been fortunate to spend much of our lives living near beaches. And when we didn’t, we made a point to travel to places with great sun and sand. From California and Florida, to Australia, Mexico, Central America, South America, the South Pacific, Caribbean and now, the last four summers cruising in […]

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The Acropolis was calling

The Acropolis was calling

Athens, Greece While planning our trip to Athens, we read a lot of opinions, much of which were that Athens is just a big, busy, dirty city with only one redeeming feature, the Acropolis. We even met people who said it wasn’t worth a visit. But with our newfound love of Greek ruins, we had […]

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The road to Athens

The road to Athens

Golf of Patras to the Eastern Peloponnisos, Greece We often blog about the exciting things we see and do while cruising. But in between the iconic ruins and thrilling passages are normal, everyday occurrences that take cruising from one long vacation into just a regular, somewhat unusual, life. After a few weeks sailing around the […]

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The bridge, and the gap

The bridge, and the gap

Corinth Canal, Greece To sail from the Ionian Islands to the Aegean Sea, you can either go south around the Peloponnisos, or travel east through the Gulf of Corinth; we chose to go east. The entrance to the Gulf of Corinth is marked by the Rion-Andirrion suspension bridge, the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world. […]

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A country in ruins

A country in ruins

Olympia, Delphi & Epidaurus For the last few years, we have been watching the Greek economic crisis with interest. As a result of government overspending, Greece was forced to adopt harsh austerity measures to bring the country’s deficit under control. This, in turn, caused much unhappiness with Greek residents, a change in lifestyle and drop […]

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