Sailing the Med 2015
Sitting on Clio's deck surrounded by clear azure waters I contemplate living on board our beautiful little yacht. In this my third season I still enjoy the long summer days that tend to melt into each other and still enjoy very much our interactions with the very hospitable and welcoming Greek and Turkish people.

This year I feel that I am becoming more relaxed and confident in my abilities as a crew member and that I can contribute much more to the actual sailing and the many activities involved in a yachting life.

Our season begins living in a dusty boatyard 3 metres above the ground in April preparing Clio and ensuring that she is in good working order so that we could set off on our adventure feeling confident that we would be safe. I gained more knowledge and experience in the Turkish Marina observing activities on the many boats as well as helping with tasks on Clio. I like learning about what makes Clio work so that I can positively contribute and not just feel like a passenger on board.

It is a different experience for me this year coming back to some familiar territory and faces. I enjoy reconnecting with our good Turkish friends and making new ones. I get a sense of belonging when we revisit places like Gocek, while still loving exploring the coastline and finding great new little bays to anchor in. An added pleasure this year is being able to share Clio and this amazing lifestyle with our crews (see http://sailingclio.org/ ). I have enjoyed the new dynamic of having other people on board and the added responsibility has increased my level of self confidence. We’ve been very lucky with our great crews and looking forward to the next ones.

It has also added to my appreciation of our time to ourselves. Life on board can vary from completely relaxed to sometimes a bit more stressful situations when sailing and something goes wrong, especially in very windy conditions. But I have learned lessons from each of these situations and appreciate the need to have total respect for Clio and for the sea.

Back in Greek waters We can choose to sit on board in anchorages or in ports, and sleep and swim the days away. Or, when we need to rejoin society we go ashore. On land I love all the options that we have, to walk places, catch local buses, hire a car or just sit in the nearest taverna and admire Clio from ashore.

The Meltemi wind can be frustrating when it blows continuously like it does this year, but it also has allowed us the opportunity to stay put for longer periods in nice sheltered bays and ports. In ports we then get to know our yachtie neighbour's a bit better and get a feel for the local culture.

Life is good on our floating home.