Wednesday 2nd Panetelleria
we left Monastir 1430 after spending an hour to clear custom and the police , Steve and Frank on Yamma planned to clear after us and meet us in Panetelleria , we was hoping to arrive on the island just after day break , within an hour into the trip it came to light that at the speed we was doing we will arrive a lot earlier , we decided to reef the mainsail and the genoa to slow our self-down , murphy Law just when you want to go slowly , it just don't happen , our speed went from just over 8kts over the ground to 7.4 kts , we give up on the idea and just went along with the speed , our thoughts where that maybe late in the night the wind would drop and our speed would be reduces , it just didn't happen , we arrive in total darkness at 0230 in the morning , slowly we edge our self into the outer harbour and drop the anchor .
Come day light we left the anchorage and found a space on the wall in the inner harbour, it wasn't till 0930 that Yamma arrived and moored next to us .
Thursday the wind was forecaster to pick up to a Force 6 from the NW but with a high sea wall and an reef in the middle of the entrances to break up any seas that got past the outer harbour we very confronted that we would be find moored side on .
We hired a car for the day and explored the Island.
In the evening the wind swing around to the south and started to blow 18 kts gusting 25 kts but all was well although we was slightly pinned to the wall , with plenty of fenders to protect us we had no concerns .
Friday morning we was joined by a new Zealand cat on the way back home, the wind was now really started to pick , we put out a few more mooring lines just in case any would break ,
The evening ended after drinks and snack on Yamma to see in an new season .
Saturday 1400
The evening may have ended with everyone happy , but it didn't stay that way for long , within an hour of being asleep the ropes started to make a loud cracking noise, fenders sqicking like mad , we went outside to check , everything seen to be fine , the wind now have gone around to the NW and gusting 40 kts , a swell has found it way in to the harbour and Isabelle was rolling quite a bit , no more could be done so we went back to bed , within an hour voices could be heard outside so I went to take a look in case someone needed help , the cat had popped two fenders and steve and Frank where sorting out there lines as one snap , Isabelle thought rolling a lot seen to be fine we help out and returned to bed with 30 mins there was a loud bang , I jump out of bed to check , we too had just snapped one of our big mooring line , the night wasn't going well , here we all was 3AM trying to make sure the yacht didn't get damages with more lines set once again we all went back to our boat , sleep was impossible with all the noise any way it wasn't long before we was all out side again by now the swell was making all the boats uncontrollable , leaving the wall wasn't a options , there was more chance of damage if we tried to leave , all we could do is make sure all our fenders and line where ok .
It wasn't till 0630 that we had real problem all the sudden Isabelle seen to rise up and heal over and has she came down there was a loud bang as the boat bounce off the wall . I quickly just out of bed to find one of our spring lines have snap and doing so Isabelle collided with the wall , removing chunks off her gel coat , we got out bigger lines and make new spring , for the rest of the morning we checked on the lines every 20 minutes there was no more returning to bed or leaving anything else to chances .
Its going to be a long day , the winds are not forecaster to die down till late this evening .

Tuesday 8th Comino
1030 just a few hours ago after a magnificent 22 hours sail , we used our new Rocna anchor for the first time in a small anchorages on the Island of Comino , and it great to be back on our own hook . tomorrow we will try and find a mooring place in Malta which will be our home for the next two weeks while Christine fly back to Holland .
Our plain for this year as at yet not been decided it a toss-up between going back to Greece for some months then heading from Turkey for the last part of the summer and spending the winter there , or go west and leave the Med and spend the winter in the canaries , what every we decided it has to be done before leaving Malta ,

New season is about to start
Mid March
At last I have found some time to catch up with my blog .
Our winter hide out has been the town of Licata on the south side of Sicily , we did consider going back to Ragusa where we was in 2011 but at the end of the day we both thought it would be nice to winter out somewhere new .
There been a few changes some good and some not so good, Sam our loving sea dog died , old age got to him in the end and we had to do what was best for him , it was very hard on all of us ,we took him out to sea on a sunny Saturday morning and buried him at sea , we both thought it would be a fitting way for an old sea dog .
I never find it easy when it comes to saying good bye to such a big part of my life , Christine to this day miss him and Eddie our ship cat don't seem to be the same any more ,all he want to do is spend more time with us now .
The other bad news is a few weeks ago one of the other live aboard while riding his bike, got run over and died, it been a very sad time for everyone here, we all think we going to live for every , but the reality is , any day now could be our last day .
On the plus side we manage to get a lot of work done and Isabelle is looking great , Christine at last have finished the winter cover , so come rain or shine we can sit outside , it made a big different to our life .

12 March
We now have new seating covers for the cockpit.
Isabelle has new sails and a heavier Rocna Anchor, The lights have now all been changed to LED strips and I am about to fit and AIS to the Navigating system.
Only thing left to do is clean the prop and water intake before we leaving.
Licata is a lovely old town and a bit run down, the people are great, always having time to talk to me, if not in English, then we find other ways , Christine Italian have improved in leaps and bounds , we can get most things in the town and we have the use of a group car when we want to go far a field .
The marina is quite new and very safe from all weather , the ladies in the office are help and always smiling ,but the management have a lot to learn on how to treat their clients , some of us have has some run ins with the managements , the other big problem Licata has is the fouling , in all the years I have sailed I have never seen boats fouled so bad in such a short time , we now have had seven boats up to date which have tried to move and haven't been unable to , what doesn't help is to get lifted out at the boat yard will cost you over 800 Euros , taken this into account we don't think we will be coming here again .
We once again have made some good friends here , Every Monday night we pack our guitars and head off to Las Vegas for a Jam night , it started with just a few from the marina going and now as much as 30 come along as well as the local Italian some who also bring their guitar , we play sing and drink and as the night goes on our guitar playing and singing gets better , or maybe it just sound better because we all had a few by then.

Out winter sailing haven't been that great this year , just two trip where made to Malta we would had like to done a bit more sailing .

Out winter sailing haven't been that great this year , just two trip where made to Malta we would had like to done a bit more sailing .
we are now making planning to leaving Licata , as soon as we get a good weather window , we will head further South to Tunisia , where we are hoping we can get Isabelle lifted out to do some work on the underside and at the same time explore some of the country but before that we have one stop to make , the Island of Pantelleria around 96 miles South West from Licata .
once again this year Blog I will try and give out some usefully information on the places we visit to help our who are sailing in
17th March
Our last day in Licata
It Is that time of the year again when we have to say good bye to all the friends we made over the winter , most of the live aboard will still here till the end of April when the contact come to an end , but as usually we will be making a early start , our first trip is 170 MN to Monistir in Tunisia .
There been Gales blowing over the last few days so we not expecting an easy trip but unless we make our move now , it very likely then the wind will die away and we will have to motor all the way ,
To day been spent making Isabelle in to a sailing yacht again , every thing packed away and an stew made to eat on the way , all our good byes have been said some ended in tears it's amazing our strong bonds are made over the winter mouths ,
18th March
Our first night on another continent .
170 NM and 29 hours riding a wild sea we arrived in Tunisia , the sail over can only be describe as riding a horse bear back for 29 hour , every muscle in our body aches , but it was great to be back at sea , to feel the wind in our faces once again . Isabelle took it all in her stride only twice did she get caught out falling off a large wave and shipping green water over the deck and into the cockpit , luck for us that we was well covered in , but with so much water it still found it way thought the spray hood and the down below , the new cover christine made , saved us for getting a total drenching . five hours from land the sea Calm down the wind turned to the SW and some motor sailing was needed to keep us on our path .
Tunisia only showed herself when we was five miles off , what we would call a summer haze covered the coast , as the land come in to focus out of the mist the first was could see was the tops of the tall towers from the mosques surely but slowly the land scape came into view .

Entering a new harbour for the first time is alway exciting , Christine watch out for some kind of signal where to go while I kept a watch on the depth , it wasn't long before we was first directed to the custom dock but just as we was about to manoeuvre on to it we was ask to go straight in to a berth , that suited us fine , we wouldn't have to move again .

Then the work started , we are so used living in Europe not having to clear into country we have forgot the amount of papers we had to fill in . First the police and immigration then custom followed by a walk back to Isabelle for a quick look around to satisfy custom that we had not smuggled any one into the country , one look at the mess aboard and the bottle of whiskey we left them on the table as a present and they were off back to their offices then it was off to the marina where we was told to go and rest and come back another time Very nice people , all that was left was to sort out Isabelle and chill .
19th March
we arrived just over twenty four hours ago and already Isabelle has been lifted out , at this rate we will be back in the water by the week end
Sunday 21st March
Three days on and we are back in the water , Isabelle has been clean and polished , her bumper rubber on the back has been resealed the propeller sent away to be re bushed and the copper coating we covered her bottom with last March have a had a light rub , she now ready for her new adventures


28th March
It been a really nice change spending time in Monastir the small group of people here are very nice , we joined them at the BBQ on Sunday where we had the chance to meet everyone .
The street market is buzzing with local people at time it hard to walk thought the centre the stalls are full of fresh fish , the fruity and veg smell as if they have just been picked this morning . huge lump of meat hang from the top of the stalls ,all at a very reasonable price , every thing you buy seen to be less the half the price we pay in Europe ,
Just down the road from the market is the Mausoleum and the Bourguiba Mosque , all day long men are going in and out , the call for pray can be heard from the marina .
The sounds , smells and the people makes Monastir a lovely place to explore .
30th March
Are last day in Tunisia
With a small weather window opening up to morrow we will sail off in a Easterly to the Island of Lampedusa , a small Island lying 90 NM east and an half way point to Malta , The island Pantelleria will have to way for another time once again the winds are not quite right .
We will be sad to say good bye to Tunisia it would had be nice to explore further in land , but the weather is so un settle this time of year that we have to take are chance while we can .

Info on this page are places that we will visit in 2014
Our first entry has to be our winter marina Licata .
Situated on the south coast of Sicily , this is a new marina .
The positive side
This is a very safe marina what ever the element maybe , There not a problem leaving the boat here for the winter months , the winter charges where 1000 Euros for six month and if you was a member of some sailing clubs they would give you a seven month free , the staff where friendly all the time unless you had a complaint then there mood would change , but other then that they would help you if they could , there was a problem with the shower in the begin but that was put right in the end , two toilet and showers block which was always kept clean .the chandlers in the marina although he was given 20% discount on most things and was very helpfull ,wasn't that cheap and people mostly use the one out side the marina . there a large supermarket just out side the marina and the town is only a 10 minute walk , you can buy most stuff in Licata .

Negative side to the marina .
The marina has very bad fouling problem , we knew about this before we went but nothing could prepared us for how bad it was .
There is no security around the marina , although the marina will say it has a patrol , we only see it three time while we was there and every time after a breaking was reported ,
There also no safety ladders or life ring,
There are three yards near by the Marina where you can be lifted , some will let you live and work on your boat others won't , price for lift out and back in plus a clean is around 800 Euros for a 12 mts yacht , and over 1400 Euros for them to do tghe work and antifouling the boat .

The management have tried hard to promote the marina , it a shame that all the hard work they did was wasted , people was asked to come to them if they had a problem and not report it on the internet , when people did , their attitude seen to be ,this is our marina and we run it how we like , I think the management have a lot to learn about how to deal with live aboard .
Although if you didn't have any cause to complain you would see the management in a different light .
Would we come here again NO , although the marina winter fees are reasonable when you add on what it will cost you for a lift to remove the winter fouling it becomes a very expenses , when just along the coast there Ragusa which don't have the fouling problem .

Monastir Marina
The marina was built around apartment and restaurants it has for small pontoons and the rest of the berths are around the quay side it felt very safe although at time locals would wonder onto the boats to have their photo taken, all way best to keep your gangway up if you are stern on.
The entrance is straight forwards and once you entry there will be someone to direct you to the customs Quay .
The marina are very welcoming , and prices are low , if you are planning to stay longer than 16 days it would be better to pay for a month berth , March 2014 day fee for a 12 mts yacht was 25 TD about 12 Euros . water and electricity extra and only if you need it , rate 2.75 TD
Their a small yard and they can haul out boats up to 20 ton bigger boat would have to go to the fishing port two miles down the coast .
Clearing in took about half hour the police and custom are in the marina and it all done in a very friendly way.
There is a super market just outside the marina and the town is just a 10 minutes' walk , with two other big supermarkets and a very good street market , the cost of food is a lot less then in Europe .
Fuel is again very cheap and it well worth fill up every contain you have, we have safe over 130 Euros by filling up in Monastir .
We would have no problem visiting Monastir again

Pantelleria 36 50 N 11 56 E
This island lies some 85 miles of the Tunisia and 90 miles from Sicily the entrance has a long break water wall with an green light on the end and a red light on a buoy,there are leading lights to help you in , if you are coming in at night just line up the middle and you will enter without any problem ,
Once in the harbour splits into two , to the left there is another inner harbour where there is a kind of marina and if they see you coming they will try and tell you that you must go in the marina , to the left of the harbour there is another break water where the ferry berth , keeping left you will entry another harbour ,be a where there is a reef in the middle but it is well mark , you can berth to the wall on the port side as you entered we was side on but it early in the year I would they would want you to drop the hook and go stern or bow on . at time of writing we wasn't charge .
A strong NW wind bring in quite a swell , and all three yacht had fenders that popped
its a small town but it has a super market and a good bakers you can buy fresh fish , there some lovely walk the people are very friendly , a car hire cost us 35 Euros for a day but there also a good bus service .
you can buy fuel just but the quay but be warned it was 1.90 Euros a lts .