A blog posting is truly well overdue. After too long a time away from the boat we are finally underway and finally getting back into the cruising mode. More blog entries should be forth coming as we settle in.

Our return to Malta almost one month ago was delayed but we thought we would find Threshold well prepared by all our preparations last year and the work the yard was supposed to do. We expected the boat to be dirty but not to the extent we found her with caked on dirt/mud from the masthead to the keel. And, the work given to the boat yard was hardly started. Two weeks of strenuous work and supervision (allow two days for touring) and we were exhausted and happy to get off the dock and underway. Topping up with fuel was first priority (diesel 1.35 euros/liter, petrol 1.47 euros/liter, some of the cheapest in the Med, and the euro is about $1.44)

We worked too hard in Malta. It was just good to leave even though there was more of interest to see. Off toward Croatia we sailed, ah hem, that would be we motored, expending some of the recently purchased diesel. The SE corner of Sicily with its fishing port of Porto Palo was in our way. We anchored and rested for 36 hours missing some great wind going in our direction. As we sailed we could hear the NATO warships broadcasting warnings and calling ships in the area north of Libya. And, the a sailing lesson re-learned for me: Never, ever pass up good sailing weather windows in the Med. That wind while we rested would have carried us the entire 500 miles to Croatia in three days and we wouldn't have caught a fish net in our prop, and I would not have had to go up the mast while underway to save a spreader light from crashing to the deck. Instead it will take us seven days and those two minor adventures to get there. We did get to stop in Otranto, Italy for three nights. That is an ancient, Roman town with intact 14th century walls around the old part. Very pleasant even though the anchorage was very rolly. We did share that anchorage with new friends aboard their yacht Onward which we would have missed if we had caught the good wind.

Presently, the sun is well set. It is a very dark, windless night with more diesel being used. The lights in the mountains of Montenegro and Croatia are within sight 48 miles ahead if we use Karyn's night scope. Tomorrow we will check in, pay our fees, and begin this years cruise in earnest.