Mallorca, Spain The drone of the engine was exhausting. We had been motoring for 26 hours, through black lumpy seas, towards Menorca, Spain, the light of the moon frequently slipping behind dense clouds. The air was heavy, the decks were damp, Berkeley East smelled like a wet dog. At least the sun was beginning to […]
Sardinia, Italy After a stormy night in Pantelleria, we pulled the dock lines just as the sky began to brighten, and inched Berkeley East, as quietly as possible, out of the small harbor. While we had dodged any controversy concerning BE’s VAT (Value Added Tax) clock with the local authorities, we didn’t want to give […]
Pantelleria, Italy Sitting at anchor in the Edagi Islands, Sicily, we had been looking at the undesirable weather forecast, weighing our options. We still had an urgent need to get Berkeley East out of the European Union, and back again, before the 15th, so the clock was ticking. There were several possibilities. We could sit […]
Favignana, Italy When we first began cruising, 12 years ago, we had to put our computers in watertight bags and take them to shore to access the internet at a local coffee shop, or bar. Boat to boat communication was done via VHF or SSB radio; calls were made with a satellite phone, or more […]
Vulcano, Italy One evening during our winter in North Carolina, when it was snowing outside, and there were holes in our house, we had the brilliant idea to book Berkeley East into Barcelona’s Port Vell for her next winter break. While we typically only commit to a winter berth about halfway through the cruising season, […]
Charlotte, NC and Gaeta, Italy We usually get back to Berkeley East from our winter break by mid April. A couple weeks of boat prep and we’re off on another cruising adventure. But last fall, we decided to do some much-needed work on our home in North Carolina. What began as “deferred maintenance” (paint, new […]
We have been delayed with matters on land. All is well. We will be back on the water soon.
Cala del Core Ponza, Italy We seldom end a cruising season where we began. In fact, we typically prefer making new discoveries to repeating past experiences. But this year was an exception. While we had hoped to be in Spain for winter, our longing to revisit Northern Italy, the French Riviera, Corsica, and Sardinia, combined […]
North East Sardinia It is a well-known fact that the Italians love fast cars. Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, peddle to the metal, 0 to 60 in three seconds. That fierce passion transfers to boats as well. Italian-made yachts like Azimut and Pershing can reach speeds over 25 knots, which doesn’t sound very thrilling but on a […]
Northern Sardinia, Italy We discovered long ago that our GPS has a mind of its own, always selecting the shortest route and assuming we can travel at ridiculous speeds. Consequently, we are often led along narrow, winding roads through hilltop towns and over mountains, rather than being directed to the much faster highway. While frustrating, […]
