Thinking back to the start of 2020, makes me think of the opening lines of HG Wells’ novel, The War Of The Worlds. Except in this real-life story, a virus is attacking humans rather than the Martians.

"No one would have believed in the year 2020, that within a few months, the world would be a very different place. That the freedoms we enjoyed so casually, would now be severely restricted by a global pandemic."

However, we were luckier than many. Following two months of lockdown, we managed to salvage the summer with a cruise around the Spanish Balearic Isles. In this blog we look at the route we took, along with the highlights and lowlights.

The second half of the article breaks down the costs of sailing in the Mediterranean for a couple living full-time aboard a yacht.

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We haven't spoken much of Brexit in our blogs, mainly because I try to steer clear of politics. However, as background, we voted to remain and since that fateful day in June 2016, nothing has happened to make us change our minds. As much as we'd hoped, it hadn't gone away and the UK's membership of the EU was rapidly coming to an end. We were soon to feel the first of its impacts.

But before we get to the nitty-gritty of that, there was our first Christmas afloat at anchor to distract us. We then made our latest-ever-in-a-year trip downriver for the new year with a mad-dash adventure to Portugal for paperwork and the fulfillment of a culinary dream.

To read the full article, please click here.

Feeling confident with our new anchor chain installed, we headed out to anchor and to begin our winter afloat in the Rio Guadiana.

We had some idea of what to expect, having talked to others who had previously wintered here. However, we know from experience that expectations and reality don't always align. Sometimes they can turn out better than you hoped.

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We’d arrived at Ayamonte Marina on a mission to collect our new anchor chain from Ayamar chandlers.

Our current anchor chain was deteriorating badly, with lumps of rust flaking off. It was also beginning to stretch, and would regularly jump off the windlass gypsy. If we wanted to anchor in the Rio Guadiana for the winter, a new chain was essential to keep us safely moored in one spot.

In this blog, we review the options available for the new chain followed by the purchase. Click here to read the full article. We face the difficult task of transporting the chain to the boat. Finally, we swap the old chain for new and take the opportunity to refresh the chain locker.

October 2020
Having left the Rio Guadiana, but still undecided as to where to spend the winter, we waited at Culatra for west winds to settle. There we could enjoy the uniqueness of the sand island, its tractors, and its amazing nature.


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