09/16/2011, Under way
We popped the spinnaker yesterday and sailed most of the day. I am feeling pretty confident that we will have enough fuel to make it to Gibraltar now. Unfortunately I just downloaded the weather file and see that there will be westerlies starting on Sunday afternoon. We need to take refuge for 12 hours until the wind changes direction again. Looks like the only port we can reach is Algers in Algeria. I am hoping I can find a nice anchorage outside break water that we can anchor. I really do not want to check into the country if it can be avoided. On the positive side, I hear that Algeria has some of the cheapest fuel in the Med.
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09/14/2011, Under way
We just rounded Tunisia and are making the long trek along the North African coast. Currently we are 700 miles from Gibraltar. We had a really nice day yesterday in the very light winds near Patelleria. The water was like a mirror and crystal clear. First we were greeted by a pod of dolphins, and then turtles, and then jumping fish!. The sun was so hot we decided to take a little break from the grind of the passage and take a swim. So we all striped down and jumped in. You get a funny feeling when you jump overboard from a perfectly good boat in the middle of the Med. I think there are a few movies on the subject. Lucky the boat was moving slowly so we all climbed back on board.
We have been eating really well so far. Unlike most, I seem to gain weight on passages. We had curry chicken our first night out and last night we had cheeseburgers with grilled potatoes on the BBQ. I usually do not BBQ underway, but it has been so calm that we could not resist. I usually precook and freeze several meals so all we have to do is thaw them and maybe boil some rice. Tonight we are having pasta with sautéed mussels.
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09/14/2011, Under way
We had a very eventful night aboard Azure II. Other than dodging the usual suspects - ships crossing our bow at 18 knots - now we have floats to deal with. I am not sure what these things are, but there are hundreds of them all in a straight line. They seem to be spaced about 1000 feet apart and are anchored in 1200 feet of water. I cannot imagine the anchor that is holding them in 1200 feet of water. We have been paralleling them ever since we left Malta.
We are motoring past Pantelleria right now in very light winds. We would like to stop and do some snorkeling. The entire island is a nature preserve. Alas we need to push on to try to get to Gibraltar while the winds are favorable. The winds in the Med average 15 knots - either 0 or 30 - so we are pretty happy with 0 right now. Fuel is another concern for this passage. We can only motor for 6 days, but the passage will take 8. Hopefully we will be able to sail soon, otherwise we need to find a port to get fuel.
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09/12/2011, Royal Malta Yacht Club
John and Jim arrived successfully this morning....12:30am. Of course we had to stay up to 3:00 am to share all of our stories. The next morning we celebrated with a fresh pot of Pete's coffee and some famous Azure pancakes. Today we are touring around Velletta to see some sights. We are thinking of starting our journey to Gibraltar on Tuesday the 13th.
We have a spot now so you can follow us at:
http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0WOUnoFlnhAgJEMeQDg9d3B5qtT0TaHuu
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09/06/2011, Malta
We arrived in Malta a few days ago and have been busy ever since. We checked in with customs and did a quick tour of Valetta. You immediately sense how much history there is here. Malta is very unique compared to other old European cities in that it has retained so much of its architecture. The Maltese seem to of avoided the earthquakes, wars and pillaging that have decimated so many other cities. We have been very busy readying the boat for the next passage. There are always new projects that creep up to occupy our time. We are staying at the Royal Malta Yacht club near Valetta. They have a new clubhouse and with about 500 members.
Jamie, Elaine and Barry are flying out on Thursday the 8th. We have had a great three weeks together exploring Turkey and Greece. John and Jim will fly in to join me on Sunday the 11th for the next leg of our adventure. So far weather windows are starting to look good for the 14th, but you never know.
Photos Here
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08/31/2011, Olympia
We have something very special to celebrate today. It is Jamie and Elaine's 10 year wedding anniversary! Greece is a great place to celebrate pretty much anything!
Yesterday we rented a car and drove to Olympia to check out the old stuff (as Leo would say). The site was very interesting with the temple of Zeus (one of the seven wonders) and the origin of the Olympic Games. It was very special to stand on the site where the Olympic Torch is lit every four years. We also toured the stadium where the running and chariot races were held.
We are leaving for Malta tonight around 9:00pm our time. We should be in Malta on September 3rd in the morning. The total trip will be about 360 miles.
Photos Here
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