Lone Star Times

Getting Ready to Depart for Atlantic Crossing

2011-11-19T08:35:00.001-08:00

Lone Star has been in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria since November 2nd while the crew has been preparing for the Atlantic crossing. We have joined the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) for the adventure and the fleet of 250 boats will leave Las Palmas around noon on November 20th for the crossing which should take between 16 and 21 days.

During the opening day celebration we got a picture of three of the crew on the left (Ron Horton, Craig and Ed Robeau) along with a few other Americans that participated in the parade. We are now ready to go and hope you will follow our progress via the ARC website or our blog.

One of the items provided by the ARC is a tracking devise on each boat that reports our position every 4 hours. If you go to this link ARC Fleet Viewer you will be able to find Lone Star. On the left hand side of the Fleet Viewer is a tab titled Teams. Click on that tab and scroll down till you see Lone Star. Click on Lone Star and you will be able to follow our progress. Also, we will be (hopefully) making daily log entries. Above the Fleet Viewer and below the ARC 2011 Banner is a group of drop down tabs. Click on Daily Log and scroll down till you see Lone Star. Click on Lone Star and you'll get an inside view of what it's like to cross the pond.

Gibraltar to Gran Canaria

2011-11-02T05:07:00.000-07:00

The delivery crew consisting of Craig, Mike and Ed arrived in Gibraltar on October 26th and proceeded to bring Lone Star back to life after she sat unattended at Alcaidesa Marina in La Linea, Spain for 60 days. La Linea is right next to the Gibraltar airport on the Spanish side. After getting Lone Star hooked back to shore power and bringing the systems up we walked into La Linea and had a late lunch.

On the 27th we motored from Spain to Gibraltar and checked into Marina Bay Gibraltar so we would be closer to stores for provisioning. We focused on provisioning that day so we would have time for a tour of the rock before we left. On Friday Mike and Craig toured the rock. Ran into one of Mike's cousins on the mountain before going into Saint Michael's cave. Took a couple of pictures of the part that had a theater in it. It is still used today.

We used a favorable weather window to begin the passage from Gibraltar to Las Palmas on 29 October. After spending the morning doing some last minute provisioning we slipped our lines to begin the voyage to Las Palmas, Canaries. We had winds off our stern the entire way along with an Atlantic swell that made Lone Star roll about 20 degrees on each crest. That made it uncomfortable to sleep until we got the hang of wedging ourselves in the bunks.

We used the motor to stay ahead of a weather system in the mid Atlantic. After four nights at sea Lone Star was motoring into Gan Canaria on 1 November and Ed was preparing to raise our Texas flag along with the ARC flag. I am glad we were able to leave when we did because several boats that left a day or two later encountered larger waves and had very uncomfortable passages.

Back to the Rock

2011-09-06T05:03:00.000-07:00

After leaving Mahon we spent several days exploring the calas on the the southern coast of Menorca. At first the calas appeared to be delightful anchorages but because of the wind direction we ended up spending several rolly and uncomfortable nights on the hook. We finally decided to abandon Menorca and made a quick trip of thirty two miles to the northern shore of Mallorca where the anchorages were much more comfortable. On August 20 we sailed into familiar surroundings – the harbor of Palma to await the arrival of our last guests of the season. In 2009 we spent the month of June in Mallorca using Palma as our base. This time we set up “shop” at Port Mallorca Marina, a great marina in the heart of the harbor.

On August 24 Alicen Swift and Tiffany Tarrant joined us for several days cruising. Alicen is the assistant director of our favorite charity, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and Tiffany, an Ob/Gyn Doc is her good friend and partner in crime. We spent 3 nights on the hook in three interesting anchorages. Our first stop was Port Soller where we took the tram to the interior town of Soller on of the many places reported to be the birthplace of Christopher Columbus. The second evening we anchored in Santa Ponsa Bay which has one of the best and largest beaches on Mallorca. The girls enjoyed some much needed beach time while Captain Craig enjoyed some solitude on board Lone Star. Our final night we dropped the hook at Portal Vells Cala where we explored an ancient sea cave and enjoyed the best snorkeling of our entire three years in the Med. Back in Palma we spent our final day with Alicen and Tiffany exploring the old city and enjoying a wonderful dinner out. A & T jumped ship on August 28 and on the 29th we left Palma for the last time and pointed Lone Star toward Gibraltar.

We spent the next week retracing our 2009 route as we headed west toward the Rock. As in 2009, we anchored off the island of Ispalmador which is off the coast of Ibiza and also like 2009 we waited out a storm in the Puerto Genoves anchorage. Our final night before arriving GIB was spent in the Benalmadena Marina which we renamed “Wally World” back in ’09. On September 6 at 1640 hours we arrived in Gibraltar, the western gateway to the Med. Our home was the Alcadesa Marina, Spain, just across the Gibraltar border. From our slip we had an excellent view of the Rock from our cockpit. We spent the next few days “buttoning up” the boat and hanging out in GIB enjoying pub grub. On September 13 we said goodbye to Lone Star and started the trek home after traveling 3,243 nautical miles this summer.

June, July and Mahon

2011-08-10T10:55:00.000-07:00

According to the pilot books, conventional wisdom and local lore there are three good harbors in the Mediterranean – June, July and Mahon. As we sit in the cockpit on Lone Star in the beautiful and historic harbor of Mahon, Menorca we heartily agree – Mahon is a damn fine harbor!

We arrived in Mahon on Wednesday, August 3 after a two night sail from the island of Marretimo in the Egadi Islands off the western coast of Sicily. It was an uneventful 50 hours at sea. The first 24 were spent under motor while the second half was a beautiful downwind sail with following seas. We used the jib and mizzen ballooner for the majority of the second day and averaged just over 7 knots. Under cloudy skies we motored into Port Mahon in the morning and were med moored by noon on the Isla Clementina pontoon.

Menorca is the most easterly of the Balearic Islands. Because of its strategic location in the Med, it has been ruled over by all sorts of folks including Vandals, Byzantines, Moors, Turks, French, and the British before finally coming under Spanish rule in 1802. Puerto de Mahon is an attractive and very interesting port up a deep long cala (bay) with a reputation for great all round protection. We were really excited to get to Menorca. In 2009 we bypassed the island when we were in the Balearics and were anxious to see what we missed. The whole area is steeped in history and Craig has just been beside himself the whole time we have been here wondering if Jack Aubrey walked the streets we walked or saw the sites we saw. Now this is a real problem and perhaps Mr. Scott has been at sea just a little too long. You see Jack Aubrey is the main character in the Master and Commander series; the Russell Crowe role in the movie. The problem with this is that Jack Aubrey is a totally fictional character – made up, not real. But did that deter or discourage Captain Craig? Nope, not one bit.

Mahon has a beautiful harbor walk lined with boats and small marinas on one side and shops, cafes and restaurants in historic buildings on the other. There are ample places to find a slip – even in August. Our choice was a bit unusual. We were moored on one of two “floating islands” in the middle of the harbor complete with electricity, and a swimming hole for the kiddos. There was even a Westie on one of the boats which Jan made quick friends with and of course started up the isn’t it about time to get a dog conversation. It’s just a quick dingy ride from the island to the dingy dock. Above the harbor is the historic city center with fish and fresh food markets, churches, plazas, pedestrian walk ways and old historic homes.

We spent three days on our floating island then motored just two miles out to Cala Taulera located beneath La Mola at the entrance of the harbor. La Mola is the site of the Spanish Fort Isabella completed in 1850 and now a tourist site. Interestingly Fort Isabella was obsolete by the time it was completed due to improvements in artillery technology.

We kept a close eye on the weather and confirmed that a Tramontona (a strong northerly gale) was headed our way with winds of over 30 knots predicted. While our anchorage was completely protected, it was rapidly filling up to the point of being overcrowded and quite frankly unsafe. By Monday morning boats were swinging into each other as more boats were trying to crowd in for protection. Using our sometimes good judgment we decided to abandon the anchorage and came back into the main harbor and tied up securely once again on our Isla Clementina. As we waited out the winds for the last two days we have voiced on more than one occasion “June, July and Mahon – a damn fine harbor!”

On the Hard in Trapani, Sicily

2011-07-23T03:09:00.000-07:00

So here we are Saturday, 23 July, on the hard in Trapani on the west coast of Sicily. No nothing tragic has happened. However about two weeks ago Craig started noticing a change in the Amel Drive unit oil when he checked it. Instead of a nice pure black color, the oil was beginning to change to a chocolate milk color. This meant that sea water was starting to get into the drive unit. This occurs when the seals start to leak and requires a haul out to correct. We were originally planning to pull the boat in Gibraltar to do all those maintenance items that can’t be attended to when the boat is in the water. Also this would insure that Lone Star would be ready for the ARC. With this new hiccup, we began discussing our options. All this while we continued to cruise up the up the east coast of Sicily, where we once again crossed paths with Royal Clipper, and out to the Aeolian Islands for a quick spin and then down to the west coast of Sicily. While enjoying our stops on the islands of Vulcano, Lipari, Salina and Filicudi, we considered other places we could pull Lone Star. We ultimately found Boat Services Trapani, requested and received a quote and were assured all the work we wanted done could be handled in a timely fashion. In addition to replacing the seals and oil in the Amel drive unit, Lone Star needed a new bottom job, engine and generator oil changes and a transmission fluid change.

We pulled into Boat Services Trapani on 19 July at 1700 thinking we would have a berth. Well there were definitely communication problems due to the language but we were able to sort things out and were soon tied up in the slip way with electricity which allowed us to have air conditioning. We were then off to meet with Pietro Zichichi, the boat yard manager and our email contact. Pietro does speak reasonable English which was a relief; however things are done a bit differently in Italy. His thoughts were we should be on the hard for a couple of weeks while we were insisting on no more than seven days. We left the meeting agreeing to meet again at 9AM the next morning and not quite sure how things were going to work out or if they were going to work out. That evening, over adult beverages, we decided that we would do only what was absolutely necessary and then move on. We wanted to be in the Balearic Islands the first part of August.

Sure enough the next morning at 9AM Pietro was at the boat. He wanted us to move to another slipway where a new state of the art 80ton boat lift would haul us out. We gladly obliged and what a kewl boat lift. The operator did all the maneuvering with remote controls! Not once did he actually get on the lift and drive it. Bet he’s pretty good at video games. Also the shape of the lift frame was specifically designed for sailboats. Things were looking up. That is until Craig asked to see the Boat Yard insurance policy. Apparently Italians don’t take too kindly to this request and Pietro became quite agitated. He did produce the policy and then demanded Craig produce our insurance policy, which he did. Craig then further explained that in America suing folks is quite common so producing insurance policies is quite common. Well whether Pietro understood or not he gave us a bottle of Sicilian olive oil as a gift, he and Craig shook hands and we were back on track.

Lone Star was lifted, her bottom power washed and then she was moved to her home for the next week – we hope! Pietro then informed us that a gentleman would be by to discuss our paint and oil needs and we would buy directly from him and get a 30% discount. Well the gentleman did show but his English was not good at all. However, he got someone from his shop to come over who spoke excellent English and paint options were discussed and orders placed. In the mean time I went to check out the hotel recommended by the boat yard. It was just across the street and as it turned out was one of the ones I had found on the internet that looked like a possibility. After checking it out it was a go. Clean, AC, Wi-Fi, daily breakfast, a boat yard discount and Sky TV with Fox News! Things were definitely looking good. I was having good feelings about how this was going to turn out.

We have had a hit a few speed bumps so far but have been able to work things out. When Craig went to the shop to pick up the SAE 20-30W oil needed for the propeller/seal job that he had ordered, he was informed they didn’t have any. So we were off on a search for the oil. We were sent several places without any results then as luck would have it we stumbled upon a marine engine equipment store which carried the oil in 25 liter drums. The job only required 10 but they gladly filled 5 2 liter water bottles full of the stuff and we were back in action. The bottom has been sanded, the first coat of bottom paint is being applied and the boat is being detailed. Craig has successfully removed the propeller and replaced the seals. This time the job was much easier with a gadget he fashioned from a water filter cartridge that helps him to evenly press the new seals into place. He also completed a bonus job by replacing the port aft bumper that had been damaged in Turkey last year.

Today Craig was informed that no work will be performed on Saturday or Sunday. Then he went over to the supplier and was informed they did not have the synthetic motor oil he requested. So . . . he went to another shop that was able to provide the oil for the Amel drive unit and found the synthetic oil he wanted plus regular oil for the generator. Now he plans to change the oil and filters this weekend and we will try to get splashed on Monday afternoon.

Now if you think I’m just sitting back taking it easy – you are mistaken. I’ve been busy updating our blog and photos plus watching Sky TV – there’s even a horse channel and sometimes it’s even in English! More later.

Heading Back to Sicily

2011-07-15T02:33:00.000-07:00

We made quick work of putting the Italian Adriatic Coast in our rear view mirror. After the stunning beauty of Croatia and Montenegro just across the water, we found this side disappointing. The Italian Adriatic Coast is truly uninspiring and uninteresting with no natural wonders to be wowed by and as far as we were concerned, very few ports worth visiting. We definitely got the feeling that the boats we passed coming and going felt the same – we were all just trying to get from Point A to Point B and as quickly as possible. For us Point B was Siracusa on the east coast of Sicily. We pushed hard and managed to cover 335nm in just 2 days. We sailed into Siracusa’s Grand Harbor at 1215 on 10 July and took a slip for one night at the marina. We used the convenience of the marina to easily provision the boat and then quickly headed out to the Grand Harbor where we anchored for another two nights. (150 Euros/night for a slip was all the encouragement we needed to get our provisioning done quickly. Welcome back to Italian prices!)

Siracusa is a beautiful blend of old and older. The old town Ortiga was originally settled in 734BC by folks from Corinth and grew to be the largest walled city of ancient Greece. Today it is filled with palazzos, narrow alleyways, a Temple of Apollo and of course a domo. From the harbor the view is stunning. Built in the 5th century BC, Siracusa also contains one of the most significant examples of ancient theatres in the world. Siracusa has one of the best markets we’ve seen in the Med. We had a great time wandering thru the stalls of fresh fruit, vegetables and cheeses and listening to the fish mongers shout back and forth to one another and to potential customers. We couldn’t resist the fresh tuna and had to take some back to the boat. (Once again – our kind of fishing!) That evening dinner was fresh sesame seed crusted seared tuna over wasabi mash potatoes – dining at its finest and all prepared by Chef Craig.

In addition to the sights of Siracusa we were entertained with two attractions while at anchor in the harbor. First was the treat of seeing the Rising Sun, the 6th largest yacht in the world. Rising Sun was originally built for Larry Ellison founder of Oracle and is now owned by David Geffen, one of the founders of DreamWorks and a music industry mogul. We looked up the stats on the yacht and she’s 454 ft and accommodates 16 with a crew of 45. If you’re one of the lucky guests on board you can watch movies in the cinema, relax in the gymnasium/spa/sauna or play basketball on a court which also doubles a landing pad for the yacht’s helicopter. Life is just rough for those on board!

We also had front row seats as two Italian fire fighting airplanes put on a show. These planes are used all over the Italian coast to aide in fighting wildfires which are common in the summer – sounds like Texas. For over an hour we watched these planes swoop down into the harbor, quickly open their tanks which are located in the planes’ pontoons and fill with water while still moving. The planes then flew off to drop the water on an out of site fire and were back in 10 minutes for another round. What really impressed us was the pilots’ amazing ability to do all this while maneuvering between over 30 boats anchored in the harbor without mishap. Truly impressive.

Bari

2011-07-08T02:29:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Bari, Italy the morning of 6 July after an uneventful 125nm run from Kotor, Montenegro. The seas were calm, the skies were filled with a crescent moon and a thousand stars and boat traffic was extremely light. We motored the majority of the way but as dawn was breaking the winds picked up to 12 knots and we enjoyed sailing the rest of the way. Bari, located on the Adriatic coast, is a major transportation and shipping hub. Bari has two ports, Porto Nuovo, which is the commercial harbor, and Porto Vecchio, the old harbor, filled with small fishing boats and private yachts. We elected to pull into Porto Vecchio and tied up on the harbor wall. Once secured we were quickly off the boat and headed for the local yacht club to see if there was an available berth we could use for two days. Folks at the yacht club spoke little English, our Italian was even less but with hand gestures and broken phrases we were able to make our request and they were happy to accommodate us for two nights. At 50 Euros a night including water, electricity and Wi-Fi, it was a true bargain! We quickly walked back around the harbor to Lone Star and moved her into our slip at the yacht club. Then it was off the boat again and a hike to the commercial harbor to officially clear into Italy and the EU. We were directed to several locations and never did make it to the correct window. However at the last stop the officials contacted the correct personnel who drove to us and stamped us in with no problems.

With berthing and immigration taken care of it was time to do what we came to Bari for and it wasn’t seeing the sites. We were here for repairs on our second freezer. This unit has given us problems since day one. We have had it serviced several times and always Amel treated it as a warranty issue. While in Dubrovnik the freezer compressor quit working completely which was going to be a costly repair because it was now out of warranty. However, because of the freezer’s track record and with Amel’s help, VECO the freezer manufacturer, agreed to replace the compressor for no charge. Once replaced, the freezer was chilling like a champ and we completed our business in Bari with the purchase of Italy Vodafone sim cards for our phone and computer. After two days it was time to get moving again.

Off to Italy

2011-07-05T02:54:00.000-07:00

We are heading to Bari, Italy today. Plan to get there safe and sound on the morning of 6 July.

Happy 4th of July from Montenegro

2011-07-04T13:01:00.000-07:00

Greetings to all from Kortor, Montenegro on this the birthday of our country. As coincidence would have it, this is also Montenegro’s National Holiday. Our journey to Montenegro began with a 35nm sail (ok make that motor) from Cavtat, Croatia on 1 July. Our destination was the Boka Kotorska (Gulf of Kotor) which is just passed the Croatian border. The Gulf of Kotor consists of three large bays – Hercegnovski Zalje, Tivatske Zaljev and Kotorski Zaljev – surrounded by mountains and connected by narrow channels. As we entered the Gulf we hoisted the Montenegran courtesy flag and the Q flag and made our way to Zelenika where we cleared customs. Once that piece of business was taken care of we continued on our way deeper into the Gulf.

The deeper we went the higher and higher the peaks grew, soaring to over 1,000m. The Gulf is ringed with quaint storybook towns with similar architecture to Croatia’s; terra cotta roofs and beige stone facades without the sparkling finishes but with a grittier, exotic feel. Crossing from Hercegnovski Bay into the two deeper bays we had to pass thru the Verigie Strait which is a tight bottleneck of a passage and the key to the Bay of Kotor’s success; invaders had to pass thru here to reach the port towns inside and the narrowness of the strait made them easy pickings. At the opposite end of the strait is the town of Perast which from its strategic location guarded the strait.

In its heyday Perast was a wealthy Venetian town which fell on hard times after Napoleon conquered the region. We tied up alongside the town harbor and enjoyed a leisurely stroll along the harbor enjoying the Venetian architecture and taking a peek inside St. Nicholas Church, dedicated to the patron saint of fishermen. Wanting to support the local economy, we took a water taxi instead of our dingy to the two small islands off Perast, St. George and Our Lady of the Rocks. St. George is a small, rocky island with a monastery and closed to the public. Legend has it that two fishermen found an icon of Mary on the island and when they repeatedly tried to take it to the mainland the icon was washed overboard to her original site. Apparently the fishermen finally got the message and left the icon in her original place. Since that time returning seamen would visit the site and drop rocks in the same place as an offering. Eventually more than 100 old ships were filled with stones and intentionally sunk in the same spot creating a much larger island. We docked at Our Lady of the Rocks home to a 17th century Catholic Church and filled with symbols of thanks and prayers. The walls are lined with Baroque paintings and a huge collection of wedding bouquets, given by brides who marry there, cover the alter.

We continued on our way toward the town of Kotor located at the deepest point of Kotorski Bay. As we neared the town we passed an old friend anchored out in the bay, Royal Clipper, who we cruised on in 2005. There has been a town at this site since the time of Christ. The Old Town is a crazy, mixed up walled village which obviously didn’t see the need of a city planner. While Dubrovnik’s streets are laid out in an easy to navigate grid, Kotor’s streets run every which way with no rhyme or reason. The protective walls cross the waterfront and then zigzag up the sheer cliff face behind the town. To make it to the top you have to climb over 1,500 steps gaining over 700 feet in elevation. Exercising extreme intelligence, we elected to go as far as the Church of Our Lady of Health, a third of the way up and enjoy the views down below of the old town.

We spent three days in Kotor anchoring out in the bay or med moored to the town wall. We had a great time visiting the market, wandering the streets, visiting the Catholic Cathedral of St. Tryphon and the Orthodox St. Nicholas’ Church, checking out the large mega yachts and enjoying people watching from our cockpit or one of many town cafes.

We celebrated the 4th with a traditional meal of chili dogs, beer and watermelon – love that Carni Food and enjoyed Kotor’s own version of fireworks. At night the town walls are lit, ringing the city with a beautiful glow.

A Unique Blog Update from a Visitor to Lone Star

2011-07-03T04:57:00.000-07:00

Capt’n Blabby and Stick’s Reunion Voyage---2011 Dubrovnik to Trogir, Croatia
or
How Stick Spent His Summer Vacation

For all you landlubbers, want-a-be sailors and seasoned salts, this is a “true story” of the Reunion Voyage of Capt’n Blabby and Stick. All names are fictitious to protect any innocence the actors may claim. Any of you folks that have kept up with our adventures--know our history. And of course, there are those less enlightened souls that have not. To those less enlightened a little history will add to this voyage.

J-J (the lovely bride of Capt’n Blabby) and Stick are childhood friends. Our parents attended high school together. We grew up in the same neighborhood, attended the same schools, Red Elementary, Johnston Jr. High and, Westbury High School. Westbury being the home of the Fightin’ Rebels and their mascot Johnny Reb, resembled Nick Adams on The Rebel, a hit TV show in the late 50’s and early 80’s. Westbury’s fame is worldwide. As evidence by Westbury’s and the Confederate States of America’s Battle Flag honorably painted on a monument in Hvar, Croatia.My lovely bride, Ms. P. on the left (also a graduate of the famed Westbury); yours truly, Stick in the middle; and J-J on the right. One thing about the good ol’ Westbury Rebels is: ours was about heritage not prejudice. Sadly, political correctness flushed our honorable heritage down the toilet shortly after our graduation. Johnny Rebel was replaced with “Rowdy Rebel” whose resemblance was exactly that of Yosemite frickin’ Sam, who lead the once proud and victorious alter mater to its present state of defeat and decline.

Not to be getting away for the voyage, this is just to let you know J-J and Stick have a little “history”, if you know what I mean. Capt’n Blabby, well he was a late comer-a-longer. The Capt’n and I became buddies in College, at the pride of the State of Texas: Texas A & M University. Although our exact introduction is blurred by history and mystery, we meet through sailing and a lanky dude named Cajun Joe, the promoter of the largest and longest running booray game in the history of A & M. Rumor has it Cajun Joe profited so from the game he escaped back to Louisiana and attend LSU. Cajun Joe had a history of escaping, as he also escaped Castro’s Cuba in his early days. Cajun Joe frequently sails on Lone Star and Seabbatical. (Frequently here means more that I have cruised on Lone Star and Seabbatical.) Others claim, Blabby and I became buds as we both drank the same favorite beer: free and cold. Being teammates on the sailing team at A & M, I was able to teach Capt’n Blabby all he knows about sailing. Thankfully, we had Joe Gray who designed the Headhunter Catamaran also on board. Joe assisted me, only when necessary, to teach Blabby the finer points of sailboat design, construction and theory. Few may know or realize, Joe and I taught Blabby how to build his first sailboat, the Headhunter Catamaran. OK, Blabby did have a hand in it and without us his hand would have been worthless. And there was Steve Pearce, who taught us the enjoyment of patience while waiting for the 4 o’clock winds on Lake Summerville. And we cannot forget Tarzan Tom, who earned his name by wearing diapers on a Texas Clipper summer cruise and swinging from a rope and yodeling like Tarzan. Yes, things can get crazy at sea. A point you fellas sailing Lone Star across the Atlantic to Saint Lucia might want to remember. Tarzan Tom inspired adventure and the fact that even a blind hog can find an acorn and no voyage is impossible. Tarzan Tom’s claim to fame was he sailed a Venture 21 across the Sea of Cortez, there and back, stocked only with plastic jugs of water and an igloo. Anyway, we all remained as Lake Somerville sailors, Blabby rose to the rank of Capt’n and set off to sail the Seven Seas, bragging of his voyages by post card. At least, now you know where the mighty adventurer had his humble beginnings and training. Something I am sure he has not shared with you as I am sure he only boasts of his captain school and other maritime institutes he attended. Anyway, Jan visited to A & M; and some claim I introduced the happy couple, others claim it was fate. As far as I am concerned it is a mystery---it makes a better story. Thankfully she attended and graduated from A & M, and Craig had the good sense to marry her. So, after years of begging and pleading on my part, and using the guilt card and every other ploy at hand----Capt’n Blabby relented to this reunion tour---knowing I would reveal his humble sailing upbringings and those who taught him so well. Well, it is time to stow the gear, hoist the sails and begin our journey as shown on the map below. The numbered circles indicating the places we anchored or docked each night.

Dan Jedan: DUBROVNIK, on mainland Croatia

(Stick sharing a little of the Croatian language he learned on the trip: “Day One” in the Mother Tongue for you English speakers.)

Of course the adventure begins with Blabby figuring a way to screw Stick. The boy has control issues. The Capt’n found a harbor with the oddest numbering system in the world. The Capt’n tired to explain it to me as odd and even numbering. It made no sense. I think it was as drunk Messkin’, on a three legged donkey, using spray paint to number the slips any which way the donkey hobbled and gravity fell. Anyway, after wondering the dockets with my lovely bride, and being offered (or lease my bride was offered) passages on several yachts, we notice the high, and mighty Capt’n Blabby on the stern of the proud Lone Star; Ol’ Glory waiving in the wind to his right and the Texas Flag flying high above from the main mast spreader. Damn, you might have thought it was a movie set. How does Blabby pull this stuff off? So, much for my grand entrance.

At this point, we had to pay our tariff to board Lone Star: two liters of Captain Morgan, a spicy run named after Blabby’s hero. It was also at this point I realize I was Capt’n Blabby’s cargo mule. I had to give up my checked luggage to pack stuff Blabby needed: flags, lubricants, log books, parts and a case of Wolfe Brand Hot Dog Chili Sauce---damn if Blabby did not get to me again. I am telling ya, it is control issues.

After a quick and manly handshake Capt’n Blabby and I did what all good sailor men do, hug the ladies. Although, I do think the Capt’n spent a little too much time huggin’. I had warned Ms. P to do the sideways, one-arm, half-hug thing but, O’ no---she had to be cutzie and do the both arm full frontal hug thing. A mistake she will not repeat. After the greetings, an adult beverage or two (who counts such items?) were shared. J-J manufactured some sandwiches that were true nectar to the hungry crew. A tour of the yacht was conducted, with me constantly wiping drool from my chin. This was the first time my feet had stepped on such a fine sailing ship—this was a long way from Lake Somerville. Ms. P and I stowed our gear and we settled in for the best customized cruise and personalized tour anyone could dream.

The ACI Dubrovnik Marina, where the Lone Star was berthed and we began this adventure, was very impressive. Check out the pheasant and the gardens located on the grounds: I enjoyed sitting on the deck and admiring the picturesque church across the marina: According to Cruise Director J-J, a must sight to do and see was the Old Wall of the old City of Dubrovnik. We waited till the cool of the afternoon and began the tour: With her usual good planning, J-J pre-purchased vouchers for the bus which we rode into the heart of Dubrovnik and the old town. As we departed the bus, I saw a city fountain. I had read about these and was excited to have the opportunity to drink the sweet, cool water from these old fountains. Maybe I am as simple as the ol’ Capt’n claims as these fountains were one of many highlights on this voyage. After enjoying the drink, filling my water bottle, we began the hike of the City Walls, with whom else but, our faithful Cruise Director J-J leading the way:

Capt’n Blabby taking a breather and Stick waiting with him so, as not to made his good buddy look bad. As usual our Cruise Director is up head, setting the pace:

A view of the Main Street, Old Duvronik from atop the wall, really just another exucse of Blabby to take a break, stop, frame a shot, shot, check the photo, re-frame, re-shoot, come on Blabby, we gotta get going: A view back to Duvronik from the Wall: We re talking success now, Ms. P, Stick and Blabby atop the Wall: One think about Wall hiking and then searching for a Post Office to mail Post Cards to my kids and photographs to J-J’s Mom, you build up a mighty thirst. This is one point, where Capt’n Blabby excells. He takes care of the needs of his crew. We wondered down several alleys and found a nice little café to enjoy a grog. OK, it may have been two grogs, again who keeps count of such things except the bartender.

Somehow, we boarded the correct bus and arrived back at the Marina. A good meal, a couple of toddies and we had a grand start for the Reunion Voyage.

Dan Dva: Dubrovnik to LOPUD, on the Island of Lopud

The bride and I arose to a bright day at 4:00 a.m. Man, it gets bright early in Croatia. No problem, more time to enjoy the day. Right! We slid the hatch blind shut and went back to sleep. Let the early bird have the worm. We enjoyed the sweet sleep of early morn.

When we did roll out of the rack, J-J and prepared a continental breakfast. The jams and jellies and the butter seem so much sweeter in this part of the World. Ms. P lived in Holland as a child and had been telling me of the breads and jams and butter how good they were. Well, J-J’s spread exceeded my taste bud’s expectations.

After breakfast, the Capt’n stated, we need to buy four potatoes before we leave. I asked why and was told for supper. I may be simple but, why four only? I am thinking control issues again. Well, we set off on foot to find potatoes. We find them everywhere and in sealed bags of 20 or more. And we keep looking for four individual potatoes. At this point, I know Blabby is toying with me. Anyway, after much discussion, debate and frustration, we finally come to the bottom line: are we sailors or potatoes hunters? We choose to purchase the sealed bag full of spuds, thinking this would validate we were sailors.

With spuds in hand, we are at last ready to sail the Adriatic Sea. Here is the workhorse, Ol’ Stick stowing the bumpers. The Lone Star being under the able command of J-J at this time. Who knows where the Capt’n is. Stick and Ms. P styling on the foredeck as we head out of town: We left the Port of Dubrovnik, passing under its new and impressive bridge: The unique thing about this bridge was only one support tower. You see it in the picture. Usually you see another tower at the other side of the bridge. Here they decided to just use one and I guess the span was short enough that one support tower was it required. Two may have been more balanced artistically but, not necessary.

The voyage to Lopud was a bit bumpy. Seas were running about 3 to 5 feet. We had to motor most of the way as we headed directly into the wind. Being her first sail, Ms. P was a bit green around the gills and toughed it out. Taking the helm seems to help with the off colored gills. Her smile returned—kinda… Our first approach to the Island of Lopud was on its southern shore. An inlet with a restaurant claiming to serve the best hamburgers in Croatia. That claim was enough for us to consider it as an anchorage.

With the wind blowing directly into this inlet, it was rough. As we were approaching, Chief Nava-guessor J-J (she wears many hats) smartly rerouted the Lone Star to the island’s north shore and the town of Lopud. I guess being the only town on the island; it shares the name of the island. As we came around the island, and saw the inlet and town of Lopud, there was a WOW factor. The setting was post card picture perfect. It was my mental image of Croatian island village. The buildings with the matching reddish-orange tile roofs, a church perched on the point, a small harbor and cafes along the coast line.

Approaching to anchor, there were two boats in the bay. One to the port side and one on the starboard. The one on the port side was manned by Lee and Judy, ol’ friends of Blabby and J-J. The to starboard, radioed us and commented he could not anchor because of the seaweed. I think he just want to anchor closer to us to check out our hot chicks. Why else did they have binoculars pointed towards our female crew? Thankfully, Capt’n Blabby was properly trained by the Lake Somerville crew knew how to handle the anchorage. He turned the helm over to J-J and proceeded to the foredeck, found us a sandy spot and in dropped the hook. The poor saps, who said too many weeds to anchor, were not only embarrassed by our successful hook, they realized they were no match for the hardy Capt’n Blabby and Stick. Thankfully, they had some pride and kept trying till they too hooked their anchor to the bottom.

After anchoring, we were introduced to one of the best traditions of Lone Star. The toasting of a successful anchorage or docking. This is a tradition that requires the use of fine crystal tumblers awarded to Lone Star upon her christening. The tumblers being chilled and then filled will cold beer. If a good anchorage only one beer is consumed in the toast. If a bad anchorage, two or more grogs are consumed.

The tumbler with wine is Ms. P. We thought about complaining that that was not the tradition but, we quickly realized that left more beer for us.

Well, we had our toast and then Capt’n Blabby looks around and complains I used knot securing the dingy was not as tight as it should be. As Capt’n, he immediately declares it a bad anchorage and another beer is consumed. Then as fate would have, the ol’ eagle-eyed Capt’n notices why he claims is another improper knot tied by Stick----a bad anchorage declared---- another beer is consumed. After this beer, I decided, I best go swimming. I am tried of being the whipping-boy.

I have swum in clear blue waters. This was different. Usually, as I stand on the shore or on the deck of a boat, the water looks blue and clear. When I jump in and look down at my feet, I see clear but, no blue. In the Adriatic Sea, it was different. I saw clear and BLUE to my feet. It is the most beautiful blue, clear water I have seen.

Upon boarding the boat after my refreshing dip, I heard our able Capt’n trying to impress the ladies by is knowledge of the trees on the island. He pointed out some Palms being as largest in Croatia. Check out the photo and you see they are almost as tall as the Church steeple. Lopud could be my favorite island. It has two scars. One old and one new. Neither fit the island and both distract from the island.

The new scar is a goofy looking modern hotel. It is a sore thumb. It’s architecture does not fit I with the environment or other structures. Hopefully, it will be the only such sore thumb on the island. The old scar is the old commie hotel/resort on the island. This is an artifact left from the days when Croatia was under commie control. It is dark, dungy concrete and so ugly, my camera refused to take its picture. Thankfully, overgrown vegetation covered much of this relic.

We boarded the dingy and headed ashore docking the dingy at the town harbor: Just as we docked we noticed a fruit and vegetable stand. And what did this stand have, the mighty potato. And they could be purchased individually. Now, what are the odds? A little island and it had the potatoes the way the Capt’n wanted them, sold individually. Remember, I told you I thought Blabby was toying with us about potatoes in Dubrovnik, well this validated it. Man, you gotta be on your toes around this guy.

We checked out the Churches on the island. Each unique and impressive. We verified the palm trees were tall. And we happened upon some huge pine trees. They had a beautiful canopy. It was a surprise find and wowed each of us. Here is J-J holding up the tree: We met a couple of good Ags on the beach, visited with them awhile. Strolled along till we found some pizza and gelato. The café was overlooking the bay. And it seems good opportunity to photograph our most gracious hosts: Then, we headed back to the boat, stopping by Lee and Judy’s to invite them for sundowners. An offer they could not refuse.

We concluded the day with the sundowner party, steak and the every-so-hard to find potatoes. We were serenaded by the Church bells every hour and it became a rhythm and comforting sound we welcomed. All Day One set a mark so high; I figured the rest of the trip might be downhill. Lopud was a beautiful, relaxing, a dream-come-true place.

Dan Tri: Lopud to POLACE, on the Island of Mljet

Before we left the Island of Lopud, we witnessed a little of the real world in paradise---garbage disposal, island style. We watched people bringing refuge containment devices (trash cans) to the docks. They just lined them up and left. And before long, here came the garbage truck---again, island style. The truck is parked on a barge, traveling to each of the islands to gather their refuge. The barge docks, the men on the barge start dumping the contents of the refuge containment devices in the garbage truck. Not sure why fascinated me but, it may provide another reason why it took Capt’n Blabby so long to agree to the Reunion Voyage: Stick being fascinated by water fountains and refuge collection.

So, now we are off to find the Island of Mljet. We motored most of the way making it an easy and enjoyable ride. Our goal was the town of Polace, located in a long inlet in the Island of Mljet. You can kinda see the approach in the photograph below:

Arriving in Polace, our able Cruise Director and Capt’n elected to dock at a restaurant. If you eat at the restaurant, docking is free. Seems like a good deal, you gotta eat. They choose the Calypso. Not sure why but, it may have to do with they had the most flags flying. The Island of Mljet is home to Mljet National Park and two inland salt lakes. The lakes are fed by the sea through a natural canal and somehow qualify as lakes. Where the canal connects to the sea, is one of the few reefs in Croatia. We took a van up; yes we went up in altitude to these lakes, a real weird experience. And the ride was through pines and other trees and it felt like a national park in the Rocky Mountains of the US of A. Seems out of place and it was a sight to behold.

Within one of the lakes we rode up to, is an island that houses a former Benedictine monastery built in the 12th century. We took a little skiff ride to Islet Marija in the middle of Lake Veliko Jezero. I am the cute on one the left in the photo below. The procedure on arrival to the islet is to hike the island, take a swim and then consume beer at the once former monastery, now beer dispensary.

Along the hike we found some “modern day” art and of course Blabby and his female side-kicks had to be cute. The boy is always doing something to steal the show and put smiles on the ladies’ faces. The islet had several beautiful views. It seemed odd to be on an island within an island and here we were. I got a kick out of it.

Along the trail around the island were several small chapels. Capt’n Blabby stopped at each one and prayed that this hike would end quickly. He had his focus on the beer dispensary.
The ol’ Capt’n’s prayers were answered; we wondered and stumbled until the trail ended at the one and only beer dispensary on the Islet of Marija.

After reviving his crew with liquid refreshment, Capt’n Blabby led his motley mob back to the town of Polace. Cruse Director J-J had spotted a sign reading “Homemade Wine” outside of a rock building in Polace just before our departure for the lakes. The Capt’n remembered the find and he was on a crusade to explore a tavern that advertised homemade wine.

I have heard of homemade wine, even made a little but, never had I seen it advertised as a homemade wine. Somehow wine sparks an affluence that requires a sign with the term vineyard, not homemade wine. Anyway, my interest was sparked and I followed the able Capt’n. And the rewards of a successful crusade----sampling homemade wine:

After sampling the homemade wine and schnapps, we made a purchase. At this time “homemade” was the correct term. The tavern host, grabbed a liter glass bottle from the shelf. He proceeded to the vat in the photo above and filled the bottle with the nectar of the vine. He then pulled a cork from his pocket and pushed it in the top f the bottle, half in and half out. Easy to open that way, he said.

With our prize in had, we strolled back towards the Lone Star checking the sights along the way. DSCN0100 Any this little island had one more surprise sign: Aloha. Gotta love Croatia.

They have a sense of humor. Before boarding the boat, we stopped by to visit with the Calypso’s renowned chef and ordered the traditional “lamb cooked under a bell” for our evening meal. The crew cleaned up for their evening meal at the Calypso.

Time spent at the Calypso will earn a special place in the Voyages of Capt’n Blabby and Stick. This is where their new handles were acquired. Our waitress was a dark-haired Croatian girl that was the spitting image of Natasha of Boris and Natasha on the Rocky and Bullwinkle Cartoon Show. And, not only did she look like Natasha, her voice and accent was Natasha of Bullwinkle fame. Unbelievable, here on this small island; crazy signs and a real life character out of a cartoon.

Anyway, we had a great meal and as usual, Natasha, like all ladies, took to Capt’n Blabby. They talked on and on during the meal. I don’t think she wanted us to leave. We were finished eating and Natasha brought us licorice liquor as an after dinner drink---her gift to us. It was something really special to her. And I can only assume she drank it regularly and that is what gave her voice its raspy sound. That was some of the most varnish-tasting stuff to trespass my palate. We all sipped, pinching our noses and gagging but, we finished the darn stuff to be polite. Guess what? She brought us seconds---anything to keep her Blabby around and talking to her. Well, it was the kiss of death, we could not finish it so, and we high tailed it to the safety of Lone Star and hid below deck.

Dan Cetiri: Polace to KORCULA, on the Island of Korcula

The next morning, as the Capt’n and I stayed below deck and hidden from Natasha, our ladies went to town, found a bakery and delivered us pastries fit for a king. Gotta admit, the ol’ Capt’n and I like to be treated well by the ladies.

Anyway, the time came, we had to get going. I stuck my head out of a hatch. And the coast seemed clear of Natasha. So, I took the contents of our refuge containment device and dumped them in the larger refuge containment devise at the Calypso. Well, low and behold, I was spotted by Natasha. She cornered me and questioned me about not drinking the second helping of licorice varnish. It was just like in the cartoons when Boris and Natasha are questioning their victim. Well, ol’ Stick, he did not crack under the pressure. He defended his fellow crew and stated they had already consumed there previously agreed to limit of alcohol and had they consumed the second grand and wonderful gift, they would have been severely punished by their captain.

I am not sure she bought the story but, I added we had some gifts for her in our appreciation of her gifts. She had heard us playing Norah Jones music and she had commented on how she liked Norah Jones. Well, Stick in his usual wise manner offered her a Norah Jones CD. Natasha being well trained by Boris and Bullwinkle negotiated for the Norah Jones CD and an ABBA CD. Who was I to argue with a Natasha? So, I return to Lone Star. I quickly procured the CD’s and delivered them to Natasha as evidenced by the photograph. The things I do to protect my fellow shipmates. Anyway, after the peace offering is made, Natasha waves and christens our Capt’n as “Blabby” and as we depart the dock she orders Capt’n Blabby and Stick to “loves your womens”.

Simply put, the acquiring of nick names and learning new phrases, well, that is a sign of a successful island visit. Of course, the “loves your womens” phrase has me in the dog house with my bride as she said ‘womens’ is plural. My argument is Natasha used poor grammar. My wife responds with, like Stick is one to judge another’s grammar. O’ well, life goes on. Onward to Korcula!

The Capt’n and I gotta get outta this port.

The voyage to Korcula was a day of sailing and motoring. Again beautiful sights and water the entire way. I never grow tired of the walled villages of Croatia. And thankfully, Korcula was another one of the walled towns. The harbor where we docket was to the left of this photograph. Blabby and I took naps during the heat of this day. The ladies went to town and toured on their own. And during this tour they found three, yes count them, three bottles of Captain Morgan’s Spiced Run. So, my dear readers do not be tricked into bring the treasured spice rum thinking Blabby is not able to purchase any on these backwater islands. It is available. He is just working your sympathy. Bring the treasured rum because you are a good, kind person and giving a gift of love and appreciation and not out of compassion for a man unable to find his favorite nectar.

I appreciated how this wall was long the shore line and a few feet above sea level. The other Walls we visited seem to be perched upon cliffs high above the sea requiring a long and hard stair climb. The city planned or developed properly and the wall was now a main walking street lined with cafes. One of which would serve our supper later that night.

And for some reason, maybe history I do not know, there is the Marco Polo Throne mounted on this walkway. Well, that was too much of a temptation for Capt’n Blabby. He immediately took command of the situation, seized possession of the Throne and parked his high and mighty Capt’n buttocks upon his newly claimed prize. Get command of a boat and claim the whole world. That’s the vision of our captain.

Blabby and I spent much of the afternoon sleeping. Sailboat cruisin’ is a tough life for you uninitiated. When were not sleeping, we watch the sailing schools crash their boats into the dock trying to teach their young charges how to dock. Their docking was so poor, they had to pass up grog and go straight to the hard-stuff to celebrate any docking they did finally accomplish.

Dan Pet: Korcula to SUCURAJ, on the Island of Hvar

We awoke this day to more pastries the ladies purchased in town. They found “hogs in a bedroll”. Similar to pigs in a blanket, only bigger. More like a hot dog and bun, and the bun is not sliced on the side. Well, the Blabby and I do like such food, and we do favor hot dogs, so we cue a slit in the bun. Now it was a hot dog. A squirt or two of mustard, we had breakfast dogs; the way every hardy sailor man should start his day.

Again, this was a day of sailing and motoring. Motoring may have won with the most time propelling Lone Star. The harbor into Sucuraj, it was a fun one. First, I still cannot get use to the green buoy being on the right when entering a harbor. Exactly opposite of Texas and Lake Somerville. And second, we had to dodge the ferry. It seemed the only purpose of this town was to maintain a ferry landing. And the ferry felt the need to dock regularly, often and loudly.

So, we dodged the ferry and put the green to our right and entered this marina sharing dock space with the ferry landing. The show here being the harbor master, a lady that could grab a monkey’s fist, tow a three inch line, wrap the clew and secure the boat to dock with one hand and two breaths of air. It was impressive. And if her physical talents were not enough to demand your attention and validate her command, her stature and voice did.

Needless to say, Blabby and I followed her every command. We had had enough women problems in a prior port of call, we did not need to start a trend. Sucuraj seemed undeveloped and kinda lost but, it did have its picturesque side as a sleeping fishing village, invaded by a ferry boat.

One of Sucuraj’s own had recently completed his earthly walk and his funeral was being held the day we arrived. The scene was similar to the movies of funerals in the fishing villages in this part of the world. A very respectful gathering of friends and family gathering and walking through the town to the cemetery. All the shops and cafes closed for the funeral and then reopened afterwards.

One piece of equipment we spotted on each of the island was the “semi-mule”. Not sure what it is really called. But, the roads and village cobblestone walkways are too narrow for semi-trucks. So, enter the semi-mule to haul and pull every type of wagon imaginable. In Sucuraj, the Capt’n and I checked out the semi-mule. I can testify from first-hand knowledge, this thing is held together with bailing wire and prayers.

One thing I enjoyed in each of the villages was the hourly bells of the churches. It was the same here. And there was the noisy ferry to make us appreciate the bells more. Thankfully, the ferry docked for the night at midnight.

Dan Sest: Sucuraj to HVAR, on the Island of Hvar

We woke early and left dock just after 5:00 a.m. We need to arrive in Hvar early in the day. Dock space was first come first serve. And Hvar was popular as the combined Mote Carlo—Rivera of Croatia. So, off we headed just prior to sunrise: OK, Hvar lived up to its billing. The place was rocking and rolling—in more ways than one. The harbor water was full of wave action—a real washing machine effect. We thought the wave action was from all the boat traffic. We were told it was from the current.

Anyway we docked along this main walk in town. We were in the center of it all. Hvar like so many of the towns also claimed a fort or walled city perched high atop a hill overlooking the harbor. Well of course, we had to high up three, 208 stairs, and ½ mile of inclines, to reach the fort. And the views alone were wor th it.

We also made a tour of the town and enjoyed a great piazza:

The docking at Hvar was tight to say the least. Most of those docking knew what they were doing. Anyway, the close quarters and all the large boats added to the setting:

Then there are the Krauts. For some unknown reason, they were docked on our port side. They needed to lower a jet ski and thankfully Blabby and I were there to assist. We got the jet ski in the water without harm or damage to any one. And the jet ski story does not end. There is more to it. I had a little free time so, I went walking around to see the town. As fate would have it, the Krauts returned from their jet ski ride. They now want to lift the boat back on board. A big mistake! As they begin lifting, the jet ski slips and crashes to the water, just missing the Lone Star.

In our journeys through the cobble stone walks of Hvar we came across this sundial built on the side of a building. It too was on of those simple things that fascinate ol’ Stick.

Being the big city and cultural town, Cruise Director J-J directed us to an evening meal at a romantic roof top restaurant. And once again, the crew cleans-up well:

After dinner we strolled to the Church in the photograph below for a folk song concert. This may have been Capt’n Blabby’s favorite event of the trip. I encourage each of you to not only invite but, take the good Capt’n to folk song concerts. The Capt’n was so moved by this event, he ha d to take our picture.

After the concert, a stroll along the harbor and a cone of gelato, we board the Lone Star for a night of good rest. But, our neighbors to port, the Krauts, they have other plans. The loud play of lousy music, accompanied by even louder voices above the “music”.

Dan Sedam: Hvar to TROGIR, on mainland Croatia

We arose for the last day of sailing, to be greeted by J-J and Ms. P who once again headed to a bakery and fetched us the pastries fit for royalty and the awesome “hog in the blanket”. Thankfully our neighbors were passed-out asleep. We visited with a Croatian boat to our starboard and watched a religious procession for one of the Saints. A great day to begin our last day of sailing. And this was our best day of sailing.

The wind was 12 to 15 knots; we sailed along an island which allowed a smooth sail of 8.5 knots to Trogir. It was a perfect day of sailing. So, much so, I hogged the wheel. Well, I sat at the helm and looked cool as auto pilot actually steered. I guess ol’ Stick had become a modern day sailor man. We arrived in Trogir and guess what, there was another fort. Not as impressive as the others but, they did have a fort. We docked at the marina, celebrated our last good docking the traditional way with one grog and the Capt’n finding faults in my seamanship and declaring more grog for the crew.

Trogir also had a walk along the harbor. We strolled the walk and checked out the town with the reality that this was the last night of a great trip. This just about concludes our tour, we spent the night on Lone Star, arose one again to our ladies bringing us fresh pastries and also J-J bringing three more bottles of the hard to find, Captain Morgan Rum. It is everywhere.

I wrote little about sailing because as Capt’n Blabby says, cruising’ in 98 percent boredom and 2 percent terror. I am glad we did not experience the terror. And I can also say, we did not experience any boredom. It was excitement from beginning to end. Ms. P and I had a great time. It exceeded our dreams, our expectations. Our friendship and Blabby and J-J’s graciousness made this a life time happy memory. Thanks!

Respectfully submitted,

Stick

P.S. Vote Stick for Year Book Editor of the Lone Star. He needs another cruise.

If its June it Must be Croatia

2011-06-30T05:42:00.000-07:00

For the past month we have been cruising in a spectacularly beautiful country, Croatia. We knew very little about the country beyond the basic facts that it was part of Yugoslavia and in the early nineties some sort of war was fought over Croatia. What we have discovered is a country filled with fairy tale villages, gleaming seaside resorts, historical towns and stunning green mountains tumbling down to the crystal waters of the Adriatic. We had been told the Croatians were very reserved and not particularly friendly and that the food was ho-hum. Instead we found charming folks both young and old always ready to help, lend advice or share a story and food which is quite tasty. Croatia was part of former Yugoslavia which was formed after WWI. During WWII Croatia sided with the Nazis thinking that would gain her independence from Serbia. After the war Croatia was once again back in the Yugoslavia fold this time under the Communist rule of Tito. Once he died in 1980 things began to unravel and in 1991 Croatia declared independence. War broke out shortly afterwards with Serbia and continued until 1995. In a short amount of time Croatia has amazingly put itself back together and only a few signs of war damage remain. The Croatians have embraced democracy and capitalism with zeal. In fact a local told us “Croatia is the land of a 1,000 niks. You get niked (charged) for everything, everywhere.” Something we found to be true. We were fortunate to share our Croatian adventures with two sets of friends – Corkey and Pat Campbell and Jim and Barbara Brock. Jan and Corkey have known each other since they were 3 and 4 and coincidentally he was Craig’s roommate at A&M and best man in our wedding. Jim and Craig worked together in the past and both Jim and Barbara have crewed with us on Harvest Moon Regattas and Jim was crew when we took Seabbatical across the Gulf and in the Caribbean 1500 in 2006.

Our Croatian adventure began with an overnight sail from Corfu, Greece. This was our first overnight sail of the season and 219nm sail proved to be uneventful. We left Corfu at 0825 and motored on glassy waters throughout the day and night until 0600 on 1 June when the winds picked to 17knts off our starboard quarter for a great sail the rest of the way. We reached Gruz Harbor, the harbor for Dubrovnik, and tied off to the Customs quay at 10AM and cleared into Croatia. It was another case of going to doors number 1, 2 and 3 - passport control, harbor master and customs, all of which were very efficient. After the exchange of copious quantities of kunas (nik, nik) and our folder filled with various permits we were on our way again and by 1126 we were in a berth in Dubrovnik Marina a uniquely pretty marina built on the grounds of a renaissance palace. The next day we were off on the bus to old town of Dubrovnik which lives up to its nickname – The Pearl of the Adriatic. One look stroll down the Stradun, the main promenade, with her buildings of beige stone and terra cotta tile roofs convinced us that all our guests had to see this truly beautiful city. With several days on our own before Corkey and Pat arrived we headed out of the marina on 3 June to the island of Lopud and dropped the hook for two nights in Sinj Bay. We had been told by the folks on Our Alabi that the beach bar in Sinj Bay had the best burgers in the world. Well of course we had to investigate but there was a problem. There are two beach bars in the bay both serving burgers. Hmm? Which one was the right one? We randomly picked one and yes the burgers were good, but were they the best? Hopefully we would have a chance to try the other bar’s burgers for a true taste test. After two nights in Lopud we sailed to the next island and med moored on the town harbor wall of Sispanaka Luka. Sispanaka. That evening on the advice of Our Alibi we had dinner at Kod Marka. We were simply asked fish or meat (we chose both) and the rest of the decisions were in the hands of the owner and chef. What resulted was an excellent 3 course meal. Sleep can easy that night and the next day it was back to Dubrovnik Marina to await the arrival of our first guests.

Corkey and Pat arrived on 8 June and after unpacking we were off to show them the old city. This time we took in the sights strolling along the town walls which offered excellent views of the old city on one side and the Adriatic on the other. Of course after such strenuous exercise we had to have dinner and gelato in town. The next morning we were off for a week of island hopping up the Dalmation Coast. Once again we stopped at Lopud. However due to winds we anchored out on the other side of the island off of Lopud Town and enjoyed a great steak dinner on board under the stars. From Lopud we headed for the island of Mljet and the national park located at the northern end. Besides the national park which is truly beautiful with anchorages, two inland lakes and ruins of monastery, Mljet claim to fame is that this is the island on which Calypso held Odysseus prisoner for seven years. We took a mooring at a restaurant appropriately named Calypso and spent the afternoon in the national park. That evening we enjoyed a traditional dish, Lamb under a Bell, at the restauran t. If you’ve ever been in scouts or were a scout leader you’re probably familiar with dutch oven cooking which is essentially the method used to cook the dish. Chunks of lamb, potatoes, onions and peppers are cooked in one pot over an outdoor kitchen fire. A great meal was had by all as we listened to the tunes of Nora Jones playing from Lone Star which was just across from our table.

We made three more memorable stops that week, Korcula, Hvar and Trogir. Korcula Town on Korcula Island is another medieval walled city. Though not as big as Dubrovnik, it is every bit as charming and is the home of Marco Polo. Korcula has a very laid back feel which is just the opposite of Hvar Town on Hvar Island. Hvar is considered one world’s top 10 most beautiful islands and the town is full of jet setting activity. Originally settled in 4th century BC by the Greeks, Hvar has been occupied by Slavs, Venetians and now tourists. While the town is beautiful, the harbor is a nightmare. Even in perfect wind conditions it is rolley and crowded. But if conditions are right and your early enough to find a place along the wall it’s worth the roll and noise. We lucked out and were able to be right in the center of action. Surrounded by 40m plus yachts on either side, we spent our time people watching, taking in a concert of traditional Dalmation music and hiking the the fort high above the town. Our final sail took us to the town of Trogir, a tiny medieval town completely surrounded by water. Trogir has a scenic harbor promenade and is full of twisty, turny streets and alleyways. We enjoyed a final farewell dinner and the next morning Corkey and Pat were off to Rome and more adventures.

On our own for two days we sailed to the Split, a large bustling cosmopolitan city compared to Trogir, and home to the Diocletian’s Palace. The palace was the retirement home of Emperor Diocletian, one of the few emperors who actually made it to retirement. Diocletian’s claim to fame was coming up with the clever idea of feeding Christians to the lions. We spent the afternoon exploring the remains of the palace and the following morning preferring the sourroundings of Trogir, we split from Split and headed back to Trogir for Jim and Barbara’s arrival.

We were lucky to find space on the harbor wall the first evening but had to move off the second night due to a large flotilla of small Croatian cruise ships that were arriving. We dropped anchor in the harbor and were soon joined by Jim and Barbara. Not long after their arrival we were visited by the harbor master who “niked” us for just anchoring out. Oh well, it was worth seeing Trogir again and sharing it with our friends. The next morning we were underway and our first stop was Hvar Town. However this time the wind conditions were averse to mooring in the harbor. In fact the harbor was closed anchoring and all sailboats because of the conditions. Instead we took a berth at the Palmizana Marina on Pakleni Island, across from Hvar Town. We took the water taxi across the canal once again enjoyed the beautiful town. Dinner was at a Rick Steve’s recommended restaurant, Konoba Menego, located on a steep back street. We put ourselves into the hands of the owner, Dinko, and the result was several typical Croatian dishes and locally produced wines. The biggest adventure of the evening occurred as we headed back on the water taxi, by now 11PM. All of a sudden an alarm was going off and the driver was instantly shutting down the engine and on his cell phone – the water pump had blown up. His female companion told us “Don’t worry, he has 125 numbers he can call.” So there we were, the four of us, the driver and his companion rocking and rolling in a small broken down boat in the middle of the night. Sure enough about 10 minutes later we see the lights of an approaching boat, another taxi, on its way to rescue us. We were expecting a tow, but no instead the four of us were transferred to the rescue taxi and at the last minute the “companion” jumped on as well leaving her boyfriend to wait for his rescue on his own. What true love! The next day we cruised along the west coast of Hvar stopping off at Scedro Island for lunch and a swim. Well at least three of us swam – briefly. The water was freezing and Barbara probably showed the most intelligence of the group and elected not to get in.

The evening was spent at anchor in Loviste Bay on the Peljesac Penninsula. Grilling out under the stars completed another perfect day in Croatia. Our last day at sea included a lunch break and shopping for local wine in Polace, Mjlet. Then it was on to Sipanaka Luka on Sipan where we took a mooring ball in front of Kod Marka Restaurant. Barbara and Jim are definite “Foodies” and we knew they would enjoy this dining experience. We all choose fish and first out was marinated anchovies and rocket salad with fresh smoked tuna. This was followed by octopus balls (similar to crab cakes) and seafood risotto. The finale was fresh grilled sea bass and amberjack. All was accompanied by carafes of the local white wine. Yum! Yum! If you’re beginning to think a main if not the main event in cruisers’ lives is eating local you would be correct! It was great ambience with the town and Lone Star in the background. The next day we sailed back to Dubrovnik Marina and were off one more time to the Old Town. Jim and Barbara got to experience the walk on the walls and we enjoyed one final last excellent meal in the Old Town. Too soon it was the next morning and they were on their way back to the States and home to hot, hot Texas.

The boat was very quiet after all our guests left. We had another week left on our cruising permit and planned to sail north to some places we had not yet seen. However, Mother Nature had another plan in store. Greece has the meltemi winds and Croatia has the infamous Bora. These are northeast winds which blow often at gale force 30-45knts and even up to hurricane force. We had not yet had the pleasure of experiencing the Bora but our luck ran out. For five days nonstop the Bora blew making any headway north extremely uncomfortable if not close to impossible. We did manage to leave the marina and once again anchor in Sinj Bay, Lopud before the winds set in. We spent three nights at anchor waiting out the winds. Now this did give us the chance to try the other beach bar burger. Verdict, also good perhaps better than the first, but Bill’s in Black Cat Junction outside of Kingwood still reigns as the best burger ever! After three nights on the hook and going a little stir crazy we did manage to make it back to Dubrovnik Marina and take a berth – just before they closed the marina for incoming boats due to high winds. After two more days the Bora finally blew itself out and we left for Cavtat a harbor town just south of Dubrovnik. This is a happening little town with a lively harbor walk, plenty of restaurants and once again the picturesque architecture of Croatia. We anchored on the town wall and spent the afternoon exploring the waterfront and walking around the bay. Before evening set in we were visited by Antonio, the harbor master, looking for his “nik”. He was accompanied the by the electric and water guy who was also looking for his “nik” which turned out to be the cost of half our monthly electric bill back home. Needless to say we chose not to take electricity. Our final bit of business in Croatia proved that sometimes things can be a little screwy. Wanting to save time the next morning we went to Harbor Police hoping to check out the night before. Not only were we told no we would have to wait till the morning (which ok we could understand that), we would have to move our boat to the Customs Dock before we could check out. The Customs Dock was exactly 30meters away but no, even though they could see our boat it wasn’t good enough.
So the next morning we pulled up the anchor, waited in line in the harbor for one hour and reanchored on the Customs Dock only 3 boats away from our original berth. Officials – you just got to love ‘um!

Looking back on our time in Croatia, it is time well spent and enjoyed and not enough time in this beautiful country at all. Our travels here were enhanced by the knowledge of two cruising couples – Katherine and Craig Briggs on Sangaris who passed on several brochures and insider tips and tricks on Croatia and Ann and Gerry May on Our Alibi whose treasure trove of information guided us the whole month. Gerry you should be a travel writer! Croatia we will miss you!

Checking out of Greece

2011-05-30T11:41:00.000-07:00

Monday, 24 May, a historic day for Lone Star and her intrepid owners. In between sightseeing on Corfu, preparations have been underway for our first overnight sail. The dingy outboard was tucked away in the lazarette. The dingy was hoisted and secured on board. Jack lines were run on deck and safety check lists reviewed. All was done and now the day of reckoning was upon us. Time to check out of Greece. For those of you who know us or have followed us on our blog, you might remember our initiation to the Schengen Law in 2009 on the island of Simi. Since that time we have carried in reserve a special “kitty” just in case on this day of days the Greek authorities decided it was time to pay up. So off we went to clear out. First stop – Port Police to have the final stamp in our Transit Log. Second Stop – Customs which collects the Transit Log. Third Stop (and most critical) Passport Control to have our passports officially stamped as leaving Greece. Did we leave this last stop with our pockets considerably emptier or did we arrive back at the boat ready to pop the cork and celebrate. A picture can tell it all.

ON TO CROATIA!

Sailing the Ionian

2011-05-27T10:38:00.000-07:00

Tuesday 24 May we entered the Ionian Sea where we made stops at three different islands, Ithaca, Lefkadas and Corfu, during the next week. Our first impression was how different these islands were from the Cyclades in the Aegean. Gone are the craggy, dry, windswept islands with the picturesque blue and white architecture you see in all the travel brochures and guide books. Instead the Ionian Islands are very green and fertile and the architecture appears to be a mix of both Venetian and French with a good bit of English culture thrown in – especially on Corfu. The islands closely hug the western mainland of Greece and the winds are not as strong as in the Aegean. The islands are close together with plenty of anchorages and harbors to choose from. It reminded us of sailing in the BVI.

Our first stop was in Vathi, Ithaca. We med moored in the harbor which when we came in had only a few boats but by evening there must have been close to 30 sailboats in the harbor with plenty of space for more. A special treat occurred the next morning. As a large ketch was pulling up anchor and leaving one of the folks on board was at the bow serenading the harbor on bagpipes. After Ithaca we sailed on to Lefkadas. Our destination was Vilkho Bay. Before approaching the turn into the bay we sailed past two unassuming islands, Skorpios and Skorpidhi. These unassuming islands are the very famous private islands of Aristotle Onassis. Boats can anchor off the islands, in fact one of the favored anchorages is off a small cove Jackie O preferred. However you can not venture ashore. As we came into Vilkho Bay we understood while several cruisers recommended it to us. Vilkho Bay has earned the nickname “Velcro Bay” – cruisers arrive and decide to just “stick” around. One look and you can see why - beautiful green waters with hills all around and a few tavernas on shore to in which to while away the hours. We found ourselves doing just that at the Yacht Club where we had the chance to chat up the Irish owner over a frosty cold one.

Before you get into Vilkho Bay you pass by the town of Nidri a very popular tourist spot with lots of action. But by the time you move into Vilkho the noise dies away and it is truly and tranquil spot. We only “stuck” around for one night and then motored up the Lefkadas channel to Lefkadas Town and med moored on the town quay for two nights. The channel separates the island from the mainland and on either sides of the channel are salt marshes. Lefkadas Town has an active water front and just behind it another one of those wonderful pedestrian streets with cafes and shops.

After our 2 night stay we sailed, ok mostly motored, 60nm to Corfu and took a slip at Gouvia Marina just north of the town of Corfu. With 1,200 slips, several cafes, swimming pool, and even croquet lawns and cricket pitches, not only was it one of the largest marinas we’ve ever been in, it also felt more like England than Greece! With the marina office soon closing we quickly hiked to the office to check in. While in the office who should come in – Maurice from Esperanza. Our paths had crossed once again. He invited us over for a drink that evening and we enjoyed catching up with Terry and Dr. Bob. They had also just arrived today. It was great to see them again and we think we’re destined to see them again at some point in Croatia. We filled up our time with exploring the old town of Corfu.
The old town is flanked by two Venetian Forts and in between are streets filled with shops, cafes, and museums. You had the feeling you were in Florence or Paris instead of Greece. We also rented a car for a day to explore the island. Corfu is lush and green with beautiful flowers in amazing colors everywhere. Olive and cypress trees dot the mountain sides and each harbor town has its own personality. One thing that is common among the towns – tourism. Corfu is a tourist island and all the towns have souvenir shop after souvenir shop. It’s apparent the island caters to the British as most of the signage is in English with many of the restaurants advertising “Full English Breakfast”. One advantage of this is we were able to find a British Hair Dresser to cut our hair. For once communicating how we wanted it cut was a breeze. Even with all the tourism Corfu is a beautiful place and one we will remember fondly.

Familiar Places

2011-05-24T10:12:00.000-07:00

On Friday 20 May, with a newly fixed fresh water pump and a visit to the Acropolis checked off the list, we left Zea Marina in Piraeus and continued our journey west. Now we were in familiar waters and retracing our 2009 path. Once again we transited the Corinth Canal this time heading west. As we transited with three cargo ships and 2 other sail boats it was just as thrilling as the first time.

A bonus feature this time was the addition of bungee jumping from one of the bridges. As the last of the boats passed they were in full operation with screams echoing off the canal walls. As we were transiting we also heard Esperanza calling the Canal Tower so we knew they were not far behind us. Once thru the canal we headed for the north side of Corinth Bay and by 1800 we were anchored in Vathi Bay, sundowners in hand and steaks sizzling on the grill. We were glad our 60nm day was over.

The next day we left Vathi Bay which we had renamed Jelly Fish Bay because of the dozens of strange looking jelly fish that were floating in the water. Translucent socks with red eyes, they surrounded the boat anxiously anticipating some unsuspecting sailor to dive in! That afternoon we pulled into one of our favorite harbors in Greece – Galaxidhi. It was just as charming as we remembered and we decided to stay for two days instead of just overnight. Galaxidhi is an excellent place to leave the boat while visiting the ruins of Delphi which is what we did in 2009. This time we decided to spend our extra day hiking in the surrounding countryside. That first afternoon as we were finishing a late lunch at one of the harbor side tavernas who should pull in beside us – Esperanza, our paths crossing once again. We chatted them up and they had also decided to stay for two days with plans of taking in Delphi the next. As we were finishing dinner the second evening in another quaint taverna Dr Bob, John and Brad came in and we joined them for an after dinner drink. As the evening continued at it was becoming apparent the men were starting to solve the world’s problems Jan left them to their own devices and smartly went back to the boat. Sometime later Craig made his way back to the boat sure that all problems had been solved and quite possibly new ones created!

In Galaxidhi we captured an amazing picture of Lone Star in the harbor. If you look closely at the mountains in the background – there’s still snow on the peaks! No wonder we’re not swimming yet. The next day, Monday 24 May, we retraced our route thru Corinth Gulf, under the Rion Bridge with Esperanza to our starboard and into the Gulf of Patras. We had a great downwind sail and at 1627 pulled into another familiar place – Messolonghi Marina. We returned not because the setting was idyllic nor the town quaint and the marina outstanding. We returned because it was in the right place, at the end of a 53nm sail, and out of curiosity. When we stopped in 2009 the marina, a Dutch/Greek partnership, was just a work in progress with great plans for the future. At that time there was one new dock, several old ones none with power, water, electricity or lazy lines. One building was complete and it was serving as the office with plans to eventually be a café/bar. But there was no charge.

Fast forward to 2011. Several new docks with facilities were now present. A two story office was now complete as well as bathrooms. The original café/bar building was there but still not open and instead of free the cost was 40 euros. Work continues, slowly, as is the Greek way and the plans are ambitious. We wish them well. There seems to be close knit group of cruisers who wintered at the marina. In fact we met Katherine and Craig Briggs, Seven Seas Commodores, who had wintered their boat Sangaris, an Amel Santorin, in the marina. Katherine and Craig have been sailing Sangaris for 12 years and have sailed as far as the Galapagos and had just finished two years in Croatia. They were preparing Sangaris for the voyage east thru Greece and on to Turkey. We enjoyed a visit on board their boat and later that evening Esperanza and Sangaris joined us on board Lone Star for sundowners, appetizers and the trading of sailing adventures and information sharing. Such is the life of cruisers. The next day as we sailed into the Ionian we said our goodbyes over the VHF to Esperanza as we were off to different islands.

The Peloponnisos and Diversion Number Two

2011-05-19T12:00:00.000-07:00

Friday the 13th turned out to bring good luck, not bad. We had a bow thruster that worked perfectly and with favorable winds we weighed anchor at 0900 and pointed Lone Star west toward the Peloponnisos Peninsula. We had an overnight stop on the island of Kythnos which is just the opposite of cosmopolitan Emoupolis on Syros – tiny, dusty and quiet but with a quaint charm. After a brief overnight stay we continued on, anxious to get to our destination – the Peloponnese Island of Hydra just off the mainland coast. With a relaxing sail, of course assisted at times with the motor, we found ourselves at the entrance to Hydra harbor.

With its close proximity to Athens Hydra is an extremely popular tourist destination. No cars are allowed on the island – transportation is on foot or by donkey. We had heard the harbor can be very crowded but we ventured in and very quickly left. Boats were rafted up two and three deep taking up almost the entire harbor with barely enough room to turn around. No way! We elected to sail further down the island and anchor out for the night. Plans were to return the next morning and wait outside the harbor entrance for boats to leave and then come in for the day. Well as so often happens in cruising, what you plan for is not what happens. While at anchorage Jan noticed the fresh water pump was staying on longer than usual. As afternoon turned into early evening it became obvious that the pump was working harder and longer. An inspection confirmed that we had a rapidly developing problem. The pump was getting ready to fail and no matter how much water you have in your tanks – no pump, no water.

Bottles were quickly filled with reserve water. We have amply spares on Lone Star but one thing we did not have was a fresh water pump maintenance kit. We made the decision that we would only see Hydra Town from a distance and that we needed to get to a location that Amel could quickly and easily ship the necessary kit to. From where we were that was Athens. Diversion two under way. We had not planned on stopping in Athens but now it was obvious we would need to. Since it was Sunday and the Amel offices were closed we decided to first continue to our originally planned stop after Hydra, the island of Poros. The earliest anything would happen would be Monday with hopefully and overnight shipment to Athens. Poros is also a popular tourist destination and home to the Greek Maritime Academy. We arrived at 1310 and med moored along the town quay. The first thing we noticed were dozens if not 100’s of young cadets in uniform on the quay and in the restaurants with family, friends and girlfriends. We don’t know if it was a special family weekend or just your average Sunday on Poros when school is in session but it made for enjoyable people watching.
We felt we had a good plan with the water pump had enough water in reserve to take care of our needs if it failed completely. Even with the issue unresolved we enjoyed our time on Poros. Lunches local tavernas, walks and hikes around the island. Monday morning the Amel After Sales Department, which is outstanding, received our emergency email and quickly put together the parts we needed for an overnight delivery. We made arrangements for the package to be sent to Zea Marina and with confirmed reservations all we had to worry about, other than the pump failing, was the package arriving. We arrived at Zea Marina 1313 Tuesday afternoon and as we were greeted by the mariner who would escort us to our slip he welcomed us with music to our ears, “We have your reservation and your package is waiting for you in the office”. Good music indeed!

We ended up spending 3 nights at the marina. It turns out the problem was because the retaining piece that keeps the seal in place had broken and the spring it was supposed to be holding back was causing the key to the impeller to slip in and out. It was a wonder the pump worked at all. Craig successfully replaced the broken parts and we now have a spare maintenance kit on board. Since he was on a roll Craig also replaced the raw water pump for the AC units. The original one had developed a leak and Amel had sent a replacement, but Craig just got around to replacing it. While that was going on Jan spent time adding to the boat provisions. We also enjoyed a change of pace – a Chinese Dinner out and Kentucky Fried Chicken on board. Yep the Colonel is in Athens right across the street from the marina.

Diversion Two turned out positive for more than just a successful repair. We spent our final day at the marina by taking the train to Athens and had the chance to see the Acropolis. We also had the good fortune to be tied up next to Esperanza in the marina and to become acquainted with the owners, guest and crew. Maurice Raynor, a fine English gentleman, was on board awaiting the arrival of his American wife Terry and friend “Doctor Bob” from California. Also on board were Scottish Captain John Tunn and Mate Brad from South Africa. A regular United Nations on board that boat! We enjoyed sharing information and as it turned out our itineraries were similar. Perhaps we will see them again as our journey continues.

Bow Thruster Woes and the Island of Siros

2011-05-13T11:47:00.000-07:00

We said our goodbyes to Nita and Stacey as they headed off to the Athens ferry. We then made preparations to leave Paroikia Harbor and head west for the island of Serifos. Plans were to reach mainland Greece and the Peloponnesus Peninsula within a few days. Instruments on – check; Nobeltec up and running – check; engine on – check; bow thruster down – check; bow thruster working – “Jan we might have a problem” – no check. At first check the bow thruster worked only in one direction. A second try it worked but suspiciously. We continued to lift the anchor which came up clean and as we made our way out of the cramped harbor the bow thruster quit working all together. Once we were clear of the harbor and out in the bay Craig started trouble shooting the problem. At first we thought the emergency breaker may have tripped but that was not the case. Further testing and replacing the fuse proved unsuccessful.

Craig determined the problem had to be with the solenoid. At this point we went over our options and decided Serifos was not a good choice for us. The pilot book indicated very limited if any boat services and the island did not have daily ferry service to Athens in case we needed to have something shipped to us. However 28nm due north was the island of Syros, the “capital” of the Cyclades, with numerous boat yards, chandleries and daily ferry service to Athens. It was time for a diversion. It was a 4 hour uncomfortable sail with winds and waves on the beam, increasing and clocking to directly on the nose. During the ride we discussed docking possibilities. Without a bow thruster our mobility would be limited. Lone Star has a rudder that is hung on a skeg and does not back well at all without assistance from the thruster. A med mooring would be next to impossible. Instead, we needed tie up alongside. Of course as we entered the Ermoupolis harbor the winds were increasing with gusts in the low 20’s. The town harbor was out of question so we headed across the bay to “Marina Sirou”. The pilot book stated the basic marina structure was complete. That is barely correct. There are pontoons. But as the case is in so many Greek marinas, work has stopped and nothing else is complete. There were a number of boats tied off to the pontoons, but we did manage to find one spot we thought we could maneuver into. With the winds working against us and the bow thruster not working at all, it took three men on shore helping with the lines but we managed to get Lone Star secured to the dock. By the time all was said and done the winds were approaching 30 knots blowing us on to the dock; we had every fender and ball out and were double tied on all points. Now the real work started – figuring out how to get the bow thruster repaired. Turns out that Side Power, the bow thruster manufacturer, had an office in Athens. The receptionist/manager turned out to be a life saver. Turns out Side Power has an electrician on Syros they recommend. Several calls to the electrician resulted in no answer. The next morning we made contact however the gentleman spoke no English and our Greek amounts to hello and thank you. Side Power in Athens took over and within a few hours we had a call from someone who did speak English and set up the appointment for that afternoon. The electrician (still no English) arrived at the appointed time and after inspection called the Athens office which acted as interpreter and informed us it was the solenoid. The Athens office said they would have a new part shipped via the morning fast ferry the next day. The next morning at 10:30 the electrician was back and after much gesturing we realized the part was in and he wanted Craig to go with him to pick up the part so we could pay for it. Off they went to who knows where but they were back in ½ hour and within a couple of hours we were hearing the beautiful sounds of a perfectly working bow thruster!

The meltimi was still screaming into the bay so we stayed put that day and the next morning decided to motor over to the town harbor and med moor since we had been stuck out in the boon docks for 3 days. We were glad we did. Emoupolis feels like the capital of the Cyclades and is its largest town. It has an active harbor front and just behind the harbor is a wonderful pedestrian shopping area with marble lined streets, cafes and parks. There are many 18^th century ship owner mansions, classical buildings and an enormous church on top a hill. It’s definitely a different feeling from the small island villages. But, all in all, it was a great last day and a wonderful end a trying time on an island.

Don't feel sorry for them... ... ... ... It is the life they have chosen

2011-05-12T07:03:00.000-07:00

But first, our trip began on April 27, when we boarded the first leg of our flight to Newark, and from there boarded another flight to Athens. We had the great fortune of flying first class both going and coming back home (a result of saving my Continental miles since I was probably about 5 years old……oh wait, there was no Continental back then. Now I’m really aging myself). Don’t think it took Stacey quite as long. I just knew I would be saving them for the trip of a lifetime. Dare I mention, this trip also coincided with mine and Stacey’s first anniversary? Guess there’s nothing left to do but go to Disneyworld for our second. Ok, back to the trip. We spent 4 days in Athens where we were in a great hotel downtown with a view of the Temple of Zeus from our room. And we could easily see The Acropolis and Parthenon from our hotel’s rooftop, which was also a restaurant/bar.

We hired our driver that picked us up from the airport to take us our first full day to the Corinth Canal, Mycean ruins, and a town that is supposedly known as the ancient capital of Greece before Athens. Can’t remember or spell the name. All I know is it was beautiful. We had a great late lunch at one of the harbor cafes. We wanted fish, so they bring you inside and start opening drawers of different fresh fish so you can make your selection.

The Greek salads are amazing as are the Greek wines. Go figure. I don’t think we ordered a meal, except maybe breakfast, that didn’t include the famous Greek salad and yes, wine. Well, you have to set your limits somewhere. The next day was our visit to the Acropolis/Parthenon. Absolutely thought I was going to die on the walk up. Only stopped to rest one time though and once there, the view was incredible. You could see all of Athens, the mountains and the beautiful Aegean Sea, just like on the postcards. We decided to forego the Acropolis Museum. After spending the previous day looking at lots of ruins and statues with no heads, seeing it all again kinda lost its “wow” factor.

Alas, I think my favorite part of Athens was the quaint and winding streets (called the Plaka area) filled with sidewalk cafes and lots of shopping. We spent one entire day just shopping, stopping at a café for tapas and wine, trying as many Greek foods and wines as we could and so on. There’s even an area much like a flea market that’s just open on Sundays where you can buy just about anything. We found a really cool antique looking, brass nautical compass that had Capt. Craig’s and first mate Jan’s name on it. We made sure to get a picture of him acting like he knew how to use it.

In celebration of our anniversary I wanted to get a waffle at one of the cafes we had seen the previous day. We walked around looking for the perfect souvenir and anniversary present that spoke Greece to me. After much looking, I settled on a beautiful Greek Key ring (the Greek Key means long life) that my dear sweet husband bought for me. He’s the best.

Monday morning and time to go meet Jan and Craig. We boarded a high speed ferry that took us to Naxos. Let me say that I have quite a tendency to motion sickness, so Jan had encouraged me to be sure to put on one of those patches that you wear behind your ear that keep you from getting sick. Well, for me anyway, the motion sickness would have been better than the side effects it gave me. It made my throat so dry I couldn’t find enough water to drink, which still didn’t help and it made me dizzy (no comment, those of you who know me well) and somewhat nauseated. So, they told me to take it off and in a couple of hours I was all better. No more patches for me. As we made our way off the ferry, we saw two very familiar smiling faces there to welcome us to the Greek Isles and the island of Naxos, known for their potatoes.

Our hosts’ couldn’t have made us feel more welcome and what can I say about “Lone Star”, in a word, gorgeous. Now that’s what I call a toy boat. The rest of the island experience is pretty well documented in Jan and Craig’s blog of our visit. I think the highlight was being given the opportunity to take the wheel for quite a while on our sail from Naxos to Paros. Craig and Jan are great teachers and although I was a little tentative initially, I really began to get the hang of it and felt quite comfortable. All in all, we loved the Greek wine, delighted in many tastes of the delicious food and saw sights that will never be forgotten. We leave behind two very special friends, but take with us precious memories not possible except for them and their gracious hospitality. Thank you dear friends.

Fair winds y’all; we’ll see ya in the fall.

Hotel Lone Star

2011-05-09T11:19:00.000-07:00

On May 2 we welcomed our first guests Nita and Stacey Horne from Kingwood on board. They arrived by high speed ferry from Athens and after lunch on board and unpacking we were off to explore the Kastro (old Venitian castle) of Naxos. Being the intrepid explorers that we are we kept looking for the castle and an entrance only to finally be told by a shopkeeper that we were actually already within the castle walls. Oh well, with that accomplished it was back down to the harbor in search of the perfect taverna for an afternoon thirst quencher. The next morning we picked up a rental car and headed off to explore the island. With Craig’s expert driving, Nita’s front seat navigation pointing out that the street we were on was now ending in a flight of stairs and Stacey and Jan handling the back seat map deciphering we had a successful day with only a few mishaps, turnarounds and backups. Naxos is the largest island in the Cyclades chain and Mt. Zeus at 1004m is the highest peak. Naxos is more fertile that the other Cyclades and is famous for its potatoes, olives, grapes and figs. The inland is dotted with several marble quarries, beautiful vistas and numerous picturesque mountain villages. We stopped at Halki, in the heart of the island and followed the delicious smells to the village square and Yianni’s Taverna where we enjoyed a lunch of Greek salad, grilled meats and pitchers of Rose Wine. After lunch we toured the Vallindras Distillery which produces the local liqueur, Kitron, the old fashioned way. Kitron is made from the citron which apparently is barely edible in the raw state but quite tasty as a liqueur.
We were then on our way back down from the mountains via the coast with a stop to dip our toes in the Aegean, still way to cold to get any deeper. That evening back on board Lone Star we celebrated Nita and Stacey’s 1st anniversary with cake and champagne. We also had a visit by Nickoli, the harbor master, who shared tales of the sea with us. Nickoli and Craig had really bonded during our 5 days on Naxos. The next day we left Naxos and headed out in the Aegean for a two hour sail to Paros. Nita and Stacey both had the chance to man the helm and before long we were anchored off a small beach christened Craig’s beach close to the town of Naousa for an evening on the hook and under the stars. The following morning after Stacey, an avid fisherman, inventoried the on board gear, the guys were off in the dingy for some fishing while the ladies hung out on board. After the guys arrived back empty handed, after all this is the Med, we pulled up anchor and sailed around the corner to the main town Paroikia and took the last spot in the inner harbor which was a good thing because the weather forecast was predicting the arrival of meltimi winds the next day. The meltimi winds blow predominately from the northeast with winds up to gale force levels in the central Aegean, which is where we were, but usually do not start until late June which it wasn’t. In 2009 when we waited out the meltimi on Paros and it looked like that was going to happen again. But Paros is one of our favorite islands and not a bad place to be stranded. By the next day the winds were blowing constantly at 30 knots and boats were heading into the harbor for safety and rafting up.
Because of the weather and ferry schedule this was Nita and Stacey’s last island before heading back to Athens. We found plenty to occupy the time with – exploring the twisty, turning village roads, shopping, eating good food and drinking yummy Greek wine. The highlight was touring the Pangia Ekatondapyliani, a church dating from 326 AD. Stacey had been telling us the entire time on board that, regardless of the cold waters, one of his goals was to go swimming in the Aegean. And on the last day, with the meltimi finally gone, he finally made good on his promise. It was a great week with Nita and Stacey. We were able to show them how hard cruising is – sailing, anchoring under the stars, visiting beautiful islands. At least they didn’t have to experience any boat repairs. Monday morning we said our goodbyes as they left the boat for the ferry back to Athens and we pulled up anchor to head for Serifos. A great week!

Tex Mex in the Greek Islands!

2011-05-03T06:48:00.000-07:00

Can this be true? When reading Lonely Planet's section on Naxos we found out their favorite restaurant was Picasso which they claimed served excellent fajitas and margaritas. Well as any Texan will tell you, a week without Tex Mex is a week without sunshine. Being true Texans we had to put the restaurant to our rigorous standards. We had two opportunities in 2009 while crossing the Med to try so called Tex Mex Restaurants and both came up very short so our expectations were not high.
We found our way to Picasso's for dinner and first up were the margaritas, chips and salsa. Excellent! Then on to the beef fajitas with all the trimmings. Excellent!! Picasso's can hold it's own to any Mexican restaurant back home. Surly the owner must be from or had lived in Texas. Turns out our table was next to the owners, Debbie and Stratos. We had a nice conversation and learned that Debbie was actually from Canada and Stratos was Greek. They met in Canada and moved to Naxos to enjoy the "idyllic" Greek island lifestyle. They opened the restaurant back in 96, hired a chef trained in Santa Fe and have been serving great food ever since. So if you're in the neighborhood and are missing Tex Mex....

Naxos

2011-05-02T00:28:00.000-07:00

We found a great end spot in the harbor at Naxos and have cleaned up the boat in anticipation of the arrival of Nita and Stacey Horn, our first guests of the season. We are having a difficult time, however, with how expensive it is to keep our boat at the dock in the harbor. Nicholi, the dock master, said he had to charge us 3 euros a day ($4.35) for electricity and that seemed reasonable. We then asked what the charge would be for for the boat. He shrugged his shoulders and said the boat is free. We think free is good so are planning to stay 6 days before moving on.

Kos Greece

2011-04-27T11:37:00.000-07:00

Arrived in Kos April 25th and spent most of the afternoon clearing in. Checking in required going to doors number 1,2,3, and 4.
1. A visit on the boat by port police to fill out a crew list and have it stamped, followed by a 15 minute walk to the ferry terminal where
2. Passport Control stamped our passports
3. Customs filled out and issued a transit log (30 Euros) followed by a walk around the harbor to
4. Port Authority who stamped our our Transit Log and charged us 15 euro for entering from a non EU country.

We are now spending our third night in Kos because of high (25 to 30 knot) winds. The forecast is for less wind tomorrow and we hope to be heading for Naxos

Bodrum

2011-04-25T11:41:00.000-07:00

We spent our last night in Turkey in Bodrum. Had a delightful meal in a restaurant on the waterfront and cleared out of Turkey on the morning of 25 April. We will miss Turkey. We have had a wonderful time there the last two years.

SV BeBe and a rendevouz with the Rouses’

2011-04-24T11:40:00.000-07:00

The highlight to our 10 days in Marmaris was finally meeting up with Judy and Bill Rouse. We met Judy and Bill in the BVI in January 2007 when we were cruising on Seabbatical. They were just beginning a circumnavigation and we were anchored in the same bay on St. John. Since we were both flying Texas flags it was only natural we would end up sharing sundowners and stories. They had recently purchased an Amel Super Maramu and prior to that owned a Beneteau. Coincidentally Seabbatical was a Beneteau and we had recently placed an order for an Amel 54 the new boat Amel was building. But most important of all they were fellow Houstonians. That one evening was the only time we saw each other but we have kept in contact thru the years via email and blogs. Fast forward to 2011 and we finally crossed paths again in Marmaris, Turkey.

Back to the Boat – 2011

2011-04-22T01:30:00.000-07:00

Greetings to one and all. We are back in Marmaris, Turkey on board Lone Star. We left Texas April 11 and after 3 planes, 2 taxis and a night in a hotel which reinforced that what you see on the internet is not what you get, we boarded Lone Star. We found her in good shape after the winter thanks to the watchful eyes of the folks at NOKTA. While we were gone we had two boat jobs completed – mounting one of the downwind poles to the mast and having a stainless cradle made and mounted on the port stern side of the boat for our life raft. Both jobs turned out great. We have spent the past week bringing Lone Star “back to life” and getting her ready for the cruising season. Today, Friday, April 22, we are leaving Yacht Marine for what we hope is the last time. Our plans this year are to head west. We will sail thru the Greek Islands, on to Croatia, Italy, the Balearic Islands ending in Gibraltar in mid September. Along the way we are looking forward to several sets of friends joining us. After a trip back to the States once the boat is in GIB, Craig will head back to Lone Star in October where he and his trusty crew will sail the boat to the Canary Islands and then on November 20 depart on the ARC with 240 other boats bound for St. Lucia in the southern Caribbean. We will be updating the blog periodically so stay tuned and see how close we come to meeting our planned schedule! Fair Winds.

Marmaris to Fethiye

2010-08-20T01:25:00.000-07:00

After a one week stay back at Yacht Marine in Marmaris where we took care of boat maintenance, we were on our way again – this time south to the cruising grounds of Fethiye Gulf. The 3 weeks we spent in this area was delightful, a true cruiser’s paradise. Beautiful waters, there were so many places to anchor or taverns to tie off to the decisions were hard to make. Because so many boats visit this area, mooring balls and bollards on shore have been installed in some areas to protect the sea bed and trees on the shore. It made anchoring almost a no brainer. There were several spots which were our favorites. Just before Fethiye is Eckinicik Limani, a well protected bay with My Marina, an excellent restaurant with slips offering electricity and water. This is a good place to leave your boat for the day tour up the Dalyan River to the ancient ruins of Caunos. We were able to wander thru the ruins which included a temple, theatre, ancient port, agora and fort. Further up the river the tour boat passes beneath rock tombs on its way to the village of Dalyan where we stopped for lunch. A great way to spend the day. In Fethiye Bay other spots we enjoyed included Wall Bay, where we snorkeled over sunken ruins, Cleopatra’s Bay, a tiny bay with thick pines, and Tomb Bay with Lycian rock tombs in the cliffs. Two towns anchor Fethiye Gulf, Gocek in the west and Fethiye in the east where we made brief stops in each. The only negatives to our time in Fethiye had to do with it being August – lots of folks on vacation and the heat. Hey we had heard it was hot in Turkey in August but we thought, “We’re Texans. We can deal with heat.” Well we may be Texans but the heat was even too much for us. You know it’s hot when you jump in the water and instead of cooling down you heat up! So after 3 weeks we headed back to Yacht Marine to prepare Lone Star for the winter in the water. We must confess – our thoughts were no longer on cruising – we were anxious to get home. We had a very important date – our daughter’s wedding! As anxious as we were to get back to the states we did stop in Istanbul for four days. What an amazing, beautiful city – truly the crossroads of civilization. We saw many sights including the Haija Sophia (palace for the Ottoman Empire), Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar and Underground Cistern. Truly a great ending to a wonderful summer of cruising. Now on to the Wedding!

Our Travels in Turkey

2010-07-20T02:43:00.000-07:00

View Travels in Turkey in a larger map

9 June 2010 - Bay of Marmaras to Kirigi Koyu

10 June 2010 - Kirigi Koyu to Didim Marina

12 June 2010 - Didim ro Kusadasi

16 June 2010 - Kusadasi to Altinkun

18 June 2010 - Altinkun to Kazikli Limoni; tied up to Kaptan Han

19 June 2010 - Kazikli Limani to Iassos

20 June 2010 - Iassos to Yalikavak

21 June 2010 - Yalikavak to Bodrum

24 June 2010 - Bodrum to Cokertme

26 June 2010 - Cokretme to Akbuk

27 June 2010 - Akbuk to Castle Island and back to Akbuk

28 June 2010 - Akbuk to English Harbor

30 June 2010 - English Harbor to Cokretme

1 July 2010 - Cokretme to Turgutreis

3 July 2010 - Turgutreis to Knidos

4 July 2010 - Knidos to Dacta

5 July 2010 - Dacta to Keci Buku

6 July 2010 - Keci Buku to Dirsek Bay

7 July 2010 - Dorsel Bay to Bozburun

9 July 2010 - Bpzburun to Ciftlik

10 July 2010 - Ciftlik to Marmaris

Cruising the Ionian and Carian Coasts

2010-07-19T03:40:00.000-07:00

After a four day visit to Kusadasi we pulled out of the marina on June 16 and pointed Lone Star south. This time however, we were in no rush and were looking forward to some leisurely cruising. The coastline of Turkey is deeply indented with numerous gulfs. In each gulf are a number of bays all offering wonderful anchorages. Unique to Turkey are the small fish restaurants and tavernas found in many of the anchorages. These restaurants have their own private docks, often with electricity and water hookups, that boats can tie up to for free. All that’s expected is that you eat dinner or lunch at their restaurant. We took advantage of that custom and thoroughly enjoyed some great dinners. Grilled lamb, beef, chicken and fish were always on the menu along with mezes, the Turkish version of tapas or appetizers. Roasted peppers, eggplant dips, pickled seaweed, humus, grilled octopus and zucchini cakes were just a few of the mezes we sampled. Cooking on the boat definitely became something hard to do! When we didn’t tie up at one of the restaurant piers we anchored out in crystal clear waters that rival and surpass the Caribbean. In Turkey, in addition to anchoring, it is common to run a stern line to shore to keep the boat from swinging.

Gulluk Korfezi

The Gulluk Korfezi or Gulf of Mandalya is the first gulf south of Kusadasi. Two stops there were the highlights of this gulf – Kazikli Limani and Asin Limani. Kazikli Limani (harbor) is located at the very back of the gulf. It is hilly and heavily forested and lightly populated. The cruising guide does not do this bay justice. The guide book states there several mussel and fish farms at the entrance. However all of these have been removed and the bay has returned to a more natural state. We decided to tie up at Captain Han’s Restaurant and were glad we did. This was our first experience dining at a bay restaurant and even after stopping at many more it remains our favorite and the photo they took of us and the boat shows how beautiful it is at night. The owner Emre is an excellent host. We were the only boat that evening and enjoyed an excellent fish dinner and the good company of Emre and his friends. The other highlight was Asin Limani the site of the ancient ruins of Iassos. We med moored along the sleepy little fishing village’s quay. It was amazing to look across the harbor from Lone Star’s cockpit at the ruins which date from 400BC. Once the heat of the afternoon was gone we explored the Tem ple of Zeus, the agora (market), theatre and hiked through ancient olive groves to the Byzantine Fort on top of the mountain. Truly enchanting!

Gokova Korfezi

We entered the Gokova Gulf on June 21. Our first stop was the town of Bodrum, located at the mouth of the gulf. Bodrum is an enjoyable tourist town with dozens of gullets in the harbor and a very crowded marina. However after telling us there was no room, they found us a slip for two nights. Located right in the heart of the town the location was perfect for exploring the city. Not to be missed is the Castle of St Peter housing the Underwater Archaeology Museum. The castle itself is worth the price of admission. The museum exhibits are excellent and one of the highlights was the remains of a 15th century vessel and her cargo of glass wares –excavated by a team from Texas A&M –gig’em! Anx ious to depart city life and enjoy the more rural features of the Gulf, we set sail after two days.

Following a 20nm sail we tied up to Rose Mary’s Pirate Landing in Cokertme. A number of charter companies have bases in Bodrum and Cokertme is a popular first or last night stop when cruising Gokova. There are four restaurants, all with their own piers, and were all full by sundown. The bay is beautiful and we decided to stay another night, this time anchored out. There are so many potential anchorages in Gokova you could spend weeks cruising this gulf. After Cokertme we anchored in Akbuk Limani, a picturesque spot with high mountains dropping steeply into the sea and crystal waters. After leaving Akbuk we sailed 5nm across the gulf to Sehir Adalari (Castle Island). We dropped the hook in turquoise waters and proceeded to explore the ruins on the island. The ruins date from the Carian to Byzantine times. There is a small beach known as Cleopatra’s beach. Cleopatra is rumored to have spent time on this island and had sand imported from North Africa to create the beach so her “good friend” Marc Anthony could sunbathe. Whether this is fact or fiction tests on the sand reveal that it is not native to Turkey and has similar traits to sand found in North Africa. Hmmmm.

After Castle Island we sailed down the south side of the gulf to English Harbor named for the British Boat Squadron which was stationed there during WWII. This is an absolutely gorgeous, well protected bay. The hills are heavily forested with pine trees and the water is mirror calm. It reminded us more of Lake Ouchita, Arkansas were we spent several family vacations, than the Med. We spent the first night tied up to the pier at Deniz Kizi Kaptan Restaurant and the next anchored out where we experienced our first attempt at running a stern line ashore. While our initial efforts may not have been graceful we did ultimately experience success.

Hisaronu Korfezi

On July 1 we left the Gokova Gulf and pulled into Turgutries Marina to await the arrival of two guests. Jaime, our youngest, had a good friend and fellow dancer who was traveling in Turkey with her sister who had just finished studying a semester abroad in Ankara, Turkey. Emails were exchanged, a plan worked out and Jessy and Daniela Kronberg joined us on board for two days of sailing. The morning after they arrived we took off on a 24nm sail to Knidos on the Datca Peninsula.
The winds were excellent and the sailing was great. Jessy was behind the helm for the majority of the trip and after a brisk sail we were tied up to the Knidos Restaurant Pier at 1230. Once again Knidos was an incredible site where from the boat you could look out and swim in the waters beneath ancient ruins dating as far back as the 7th century BC. Though overgrown, the ruins are impressive because of their size and setting. That evening the four of us enjoyed dinner in the restaurant and watched World Cup football on the restaurant TV. Spain was playing and it turns out Daniella was a huge fan, especially of one player – Pique. Sunday, July 4th we sailed from Knidos to the town of Datca, a distance of 20nm. Actually the wind died and we ended up motoring. Unfortunately Daniella missed her turn at the helm. Once we had dropped the anchor in the bay in front of the harbor the four along with Jessy’s and Daniela’s backpacks were in the dingy headed for shore. It was time to say our goodbyes and they were off on land for more adventures. It was great having them on board and spending part of July 4th with fellow Americans.

After a pleasant night on the hook and a walk in town the next morning we headed deeper into the Hisaronu Gulf. Our destination was Keci Buku a beautiful bay located at the very end of the gulf. Keci Buku is a beautiful cove with thick pine forests on all sides. There are several restaurants in the cove and we chose Iskele’s. Of course another great meal was had and the next morning we took a taxi inland to hike the Turgut Waterfalls. We arrived early, before the throngs of tourists, and Jan braved the cold mountain waters while Craig hiked to the top of the falls.
Later we had a 10nm motor sail past several islands and anchored with a line ashore in Dirsek Bay. We keep writing about the beautiful waters in Turkey but so far Dirsek takes the blue ribbon. The colors and clarity were amazing and we actually saw fish when we went snorkeling! Unlike the Caribbean there are not many fish to see in the Med and I think most of them hang out in Dirsek Bay. The next afternoon we left Dirsek Bay and the Hisaronu Gulf and sailed around the corner to Bozburun. Once a major center for sponge diving, the people of Bozburun now make their living providing services to the visiting cruisers.

We spent two nights in Bozburun – one night enjoying dinner at Osman’s and cheering Spain on to victory over Germany. We can’t believe we’re actually watching soccer and sort of liking it! After leaving Bozburun we were close to our starting point of Marmaris. We decided to come back into the Yacht Marine for a few days to get some work done on the boat, quotes for work we want to have done this winter and provisioning before we headed farther south. On July 10 we were once again tucked in on Hotel Pontoon gearing up for the next adventures.

Heading North

2010-06-18T06:43:00.000-07:00

Finally, on June 8th, after two weeks in the marina we were on our way. Our plans were to head north as quickly as possible to Kusadasi. Kusadasi is the port nearest the ancient ruins of Ephesus. It would take about 4 or 5 days to sail to Kusdasi. The meltemi winds blow from the northwest, strengthen during the afternoon and get stronger as the summer progresses. Since our travels would initially take us against the wind the plans were to get early starts in the morning and make as much progress as possible each day. We headed out the afternoon of the 8th and had a delightful sail in Marmaris Bay running close into shore and past the harbor. It was great to raise the sails for the first time since last October and run thru all the systems while under way.

By 1700 we had dropped the hook, successfully- hooray!, and were anchored in a delightful anchorage right next to Marmaris Yacht Marin! So ok, we didn’t exactly get far – that wasn’t the point of the sail. We just wanted to work out the kinks and see if we remembered how to do this thing called sailing. The next morning we were off bright and early at 0630 for a 40nm motor sail to Kargi Koyu Bay on the Datca Peninsula. The day was uneventful and it was a peaceful anchorage with a few sunbathers enjoying the water and just two other boats to keep us company. Once again we off the next morning at 0630. We motor sailed for 64nm and at 1530 pulled into the new Didim Marina for two nights. The marina has all the modern conveniences and since it’s only a year old plenty of availability. While in Didim we visited the ancient ruins of Didyma. Didyma was a religious sanctuary to Apollo. The temple, the largest Ionic temple in the world, was destroyed in 494BC and was in ruins until Alexander the Great arrived. Reconstruction was never completed and what can be seen today dates from 300BC. Anxious to get to Kusadasi we continued on our way and pulled into the Kusadasi Marina on June 12. Once a small fishing village, Kusadasi is now a bustling tourist town with restaurants and shops lining the harbor and an excellent bazaar just a block off. Since it is the gateway to Ephesus cruise ships and bus tours are constantly coming and going and in the evenings the nightlife heats up. Within the confines of the marina are several restaurants, swimming pool and tennis courts. Our first morning we hired a taxi and were off to see Ephesus. Ephesus is the largest, best preserved Roman ruins in the eastern Mediterranean. At one point the population was over 500,000. St Paul preached here and established an early congregation and St John brought Mary here where, legend has it, she lived out her final days. Even with all the other tourists it was truly amazing to walk the ancient streets lined with columns, temples, theatres and homes and to tour Mary’s house. Another excursion we took while in Kusadasi was the ferry to Samos, Greece. Samos is the closest Greek island to Turkey; at one point they are only one mile apart. The harbor town is charming with all the requisite tavernas lining the quay. For those with inquiring minds and who are in the know – we were stamped in and out of Greece with no problems. For those of you not in the know, you’ll just have to wonder why that might have been a problem!

Beware of KIWIS Asking “Would you like to go for a Daddle?”

2010-06-18T05:27:00.000-07:00

According to the Free Online Dictionary the definition of “daddle” is: To toddle; to walk unsteadily, like a child or an old man; hence, to do anything slowly or feebly. So when fellow cruisers Lindy and David Scrivin asked if we would like to go for a daddle Sunday morning and see some ancient ruins near Marmaris Yacht Marin we enthusiastically accepted. Lindy and David are a great Kiwi couple who left Auckland, New Zealand several years ago aboard their 42 foot sailing yacht Raconteur. Their journey has taken them deep into the South Pacific, thru the Red Sea and eventually to Marmaris, Turkey where they have wintered their boat for the past few seasons. We first met David when he “rescued” us outside Tansas, the major supermarket in Marmaris. Being newbie’s to town, we thought we were waiting for the Dolmus at the correct location but David recognized the error of our ways and took us to the correct bus stop. A delightful chat ensued on the ride back to the marina and a new cruising friendship was formed. We learned that his boat Raconteur had just gone back into the water and his wife Lindy who was in Wales visiting family would soon be joining him for cruising.

A few evenings later we ran into David and Lindy in the marina bar and the Sunday morning daddle was proposed. David explained the last hour would include a bit of steep but we had no worries; after all we trusted David completely – he had steered us correctly in Marmaris. Sunday morning with water and sandwiches in our pack and the sun shining overhead our band of hikers took off. Joining the four of us was Launa from Cat Callou who, with her husband, had recently completed a circumnavigation. As we were starting out Lindy informed us that in addition to the hike we would also be “geocaching”. Unknown to us, GeoCaching is a worldwide phenomenon, a treasure hunt that has been going on for the past 10 years. Treasures, or caches, are hidden all over the world in various containers. Inside the containers are a log book for recording your find and various small items such as magnets, band aids, small toys, etc. These items you trade for something you leave in the container. There is a website www.geocaching.com which lists all the known geocaches in the world and their GPS coordinates. You can input your location and find out if there are any geocaches near you. We have since found that there five hidden in different parts of Kingwood. As it turns out there was a geocache hidden in the ruins of the Ancient City which was one of the sites we were hiking to. Lindy had brought along her granddaughter’s “Travel Bug”, a small stuffed dragon who would visit the geocache if we found it but not stay. We soon found out that in addition to being expert trekkers Lindy and David are also avid geocachers. So armed with water, a travel bug and David’s new hand held GPS off we went on our little daddle.

So remember the definition of daddle at the beginning? Well we guess in the Kiwi Dictionary daddle must have a very different meaning. Almost immediately we were hiking uphill and not at a slow rate. At first, other than being uphill, the going was not rough – we were on a dirt road. However, soon we left the road and were hiking on trails and climbing over rocks. After about an hour we came upon the ancient village and after some searching voila!

The geocache was found. Pictures were taken, names were recorded in the log book and then the geocache was returned to its hiding place. After a brief rest we were on our way again with David informing us that the next bit would be the hardest. We looked at each other thinking, “Hey we’re from Houston – we’re flatlanders. What we just did wasn’t steep?” Apparently not. Soon we were climbing –not hiking virtually straight up the mountain over giant boulders and across fallen trees. Trail – what trail? The only way we knew which way to go was by following red painted markings. Markings we found out David had painted the year before. Turns out our trusted leader is not only an avid trekker, he also sets trails and leads hikes for others.

Though it was obvious we were out of our element, David and Lindy were encouraging us the whole way even announcing at one point we had broken the back of the trail. Well, I don’t know about breaking the trail’s back but at that point I was just praying some body part didn’t break! Finally, after what seemed like days but in reality were only 2 ½ hours we made it to the top of the mountain and the castle/fort ruins. Was it worth it? You bet. The ruins were intriguing and views stunning. We spent about 45 minutes on top enjoying our break and pondering the history of the ruins then we were off on our descent. We took a different route which was much easier; after all it was down and soon turned into a dirt road.

About ¾ of the way down we encountered an ancient cave that was used as far back as 4th century BC for religious ceremonies. Finally, thinking we would never see her again, we were back on Lone Star – totally exhausted and barely able to move. We also decided that if we ever recovered us two flatlanders were definitely going to work on this incline stuff. That evening we all regrouped in the bar for frosty coldies and to toast the day’s successful Daddle. However the next time a Kiwi invites us for a daddle……

Back to the Boat

2010-06-07T03:40:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Lone Star! We are finally back on the boat. Our start this year was delayed due to our oldest daughter Jennifer graduating with not one but two masters from Columbia. How kewl is that? After enjoying all the graduation festivities in NYC and saying goodbye to family and friends we left Houston on May 22nd for Turkey. We arrived in Istanbul via a connection in Frankfurt on the 23rd. After an overnight stay in Istanbul we took a 1 hour flight to Dalaman followed by a 1 hour taxi ride to Marmaris Yacht Marina the afternoon of the 24th. Even with our bleary eyes and jet lagged brains, Lone Star looked great in the yard with new bottom paint and a clean shiny hull.

We spent the first night in the marina hotel and then moved aboard the next morning to start the 2 ½ day process of getting Lone Star ready for the water. We had to remove the propeller, drain the oil from the lower drive unit and replace the packing bearings. This was a first for Craig and he appreciated Bill Rouse's (s/v BeBe currently on a circumnavigation) comments about how to use the puller devise. Sure enough the propeller popped right off.

On May 27th Lone Star was back where she belonged – in the water.
We certainly won’t miss the endless trips up and down the ladder while she was in the yard but we do have to admit the “boat yard stair stepper” was great exercise. Since she’s been back in the water we’ve been busy with putting her back together for the cruising season. From putting sails back on, checking that all the systems were working to answering important questions – What’s this for? Where did I put that gismo? How does this work and what does it do? - our days have been full. But just in case you think it’s been all work and no play, let not your hearts be troubled. We have built into the schedule time for hanging out by the pool, enjoying sundowners with fellow cruisers in the marina bar or on board boats, enjoying the great Turkish cuisine and exploring Marmaris.

The actual town of Marmaris is across the bay from the marina. There are two ways to get to town – dolmus (bus) or water taxi. Both are a 20 minute trip and offer beautiful views of the bay and surrounding countryside. Marmaris has a lovely walk that rings the bay. Alongside the harbor are tour boats and Turkish gullets offering every type of excursion imaginable . Restaurants can be found all along the harbor walk serving amazing dishes. The Turks have definitely elevated the art of grilling to a new height. Just off the harbor is a bazaar full of shops selling anything you can imagine and an ancient castle worth exploring. So far we have found the Turkish people to be very friendly and helpful. English is widely spoken; it’s a required course in school, which is a good thing because the language is very, very different from ours.

Our stay in Marmaris has been extended due to problems with our “sports car” motor (dingy motor). Cruising would be next to impossible without the car; so off the motor went to a local shop and within two days we had her back and running like a champ. Now the time is finally here – tomorrow we slip the lines and set sail on a yet to be determined route exploring the Turkish coast and the nearby Greek Islands. Stay tuned for our next update from some unknown Turkish location. Fair Winds!

Christmas in Asheville, North Carolina

2009-12-23T18:41:00.000-08:00

Our last set of postings had us hopscotching thru the Cyclades and Dodecanese Greek Islands to Marmaras, Turkey where we planned to put Lone Star on the hard for the winter.
Our final transit was from Simi, Greece to Marmaras, Turkey on October 14th. We heard Simi was a quiet town and we enjoyed three days on the island enjoying the picturesque harbor town before heading on. On the day of our departure we learned what may prove to be an expensive lesson about the Schengen laws. You may be saying "What are they?". Join the club. We did not even know they existed much less were something to be
concerned about. Nothing was even mentioned in our cruising guides. Well, to make a long story short these are a group of laws adopted by most but not all of the EU countries which difines some visa requirements for non EU resident travelers within these countries and stay limitations for the other visitors that do not need a visa (i.e. us). Basically if you are a non EU resident you can only stay in the Schengen Countries 90 days. That's not 90 days in each country - it's 90 days total in all the countries! And once you leave the Schengen countries you have to stay out for 90 days. They must really not want our tourist dollars! Who are Schengen countries? France, Spain Portugal, Italy and Greece to name a few. In other words there is no "legal" way to do what we did - cruise for 6 months in these countries - without breaking Schengen law. However, apparently none of the countries enforce this law except for one - Greece - and not all the time. Well it was our "good luck" that on the morning we checked out of Greece we had an unfriendly agent who must have had a very bad night before and obviously woke up on the wrong side of the bed. He decided to take it upon himself to inform us in his very limited English of the error of our ways, fine us a very substantial amount of euros and told us we would have to settle up with the Greek Consulate back in the States before we could return to Greece. Furthermore, he said our passports were now flagged in the computer so we better pay up. Now if you saw the unorganized office and the fact that he didn't even touch the computer it may make one think twice about paying the fine. However since we want to return to Greece next year we will be making a trip to the Greek Consulate after the first of the year to clear up our problem and hopefully, fingers crossed, having some if not all of the fine forgiven.

Once in Turkey, we spent the next week getting the boat ready to be pulled out of the water for the winter. This included, oil changes, removing sails, deflating the dingy and numerous other tasks.
On October 14th Lone Star was pulled out of the water and put on the hard for the winter. The Marmaras Yacht Haven Marina is a first class operation and we found the staff to be friendly and helpful. There is also a surprisingly large English speaking group of cruisers that we enjoyed being with until our departure for the USA on October 17th.

We have now settled back in Kingwood and have rented a patio home for the next year while we decide on where to permanently establish a "land base". We have been enjoying catching up with family and old friends. We are spending the Christmas holidays in Asheville, North Carolina with our children and future son-in-law and will definitely be back a couple of other times before we return to Turkey in May of 2010.

Follow our Journey to Turkey

2009-10-11T13:49:00.000-07:00

View Our Trip to Turkey in a larger map

October 8th. We are now moored at Marmaris Yacht Marina in Turkey and are getting LONE STAR ready for her stay on dry land. She will be pulled out of the water on October 14th.

October 2. We motored for 25 miles today and Med moored in Kos Harbor. Looks like another cute Greek town and we plan to spend three or four days here.

October 1. We had a 50 mile motor sail that was mostly a beam reach. Arrived at the marina around 3:30 in the afternoon and found they actually had boat boys to help us dock and lazy lines for securing the bow. They also charged a fee of 32 euros for the night. Still a big difference from Italy.

September 30th. We are Med moored on the quay in the city of Katapola on the island of Amorgos. Visited a fantastic monastery built on the side of a mountain.
The Lonely Planet guide to Greece says it is one of the top ten places to visit in Europe. We agree. It was worth the walk up the winding trail dug into the side of the mountain. One of the pictures gives a good view looking down from the monastery.
September 25th. We are now in Paros which is a relatively large island in the Middle Cyclades. We are tied to the quay at a very nice town marina using lazy lines (no setting the anchor to tie to the quay) and the mooring fee is ZERO and it has FREE WiFi. We are starting to wonder why we spent so much time in the Med when Greece was just to the east waiting on us.

Transiting the Corinth Canal

2009-09-21T07:21:00.000-07:00

Zakinthos, our first Greek port of call, is part of the northern Ionian Islands. The Ionian Islands are not the sun baked islands with white washed houses that are so common in Greek travel brochures. These islands are very green and more reminiscent of Italy. But make no mistake – this is Greece. We had a very pleasant afternoon and evening exploring the port and enjoyed our first traditional Greek meal, mousaka for Jan and roasted rabbit for Craig. We also had the wonderful surprise of a slip which cost only 19 euros for the night! What a welcome change from Italy and Spain.

The next morning, September 17th, we were off by 9AM. Our route for the next few days would take us through the Gulf of Patras, Gulf of Corinth and ultimately the Corinth Canal. Our first stop was Mesolonghi, 43nm away. The journey was not the most pleasant – 15 knot winds on the nose with light rain showers and confused seas. Midway the skies did clear and the seas laid down making the ride much more comfortable. Mesolonghi is located at the entrance to the Gulf of Patras. To get to the harbor you must motor up a 2nm canal lined on both sides with salt marshes and houses on stilts. It looks more like something out of SE Asia than Greece. The harbor itself is completely protected and is an excellent place to wait for good weather. The “marina” is a work in progress. What was once an old municipal marina has been taken over by a Dutch/Greek Partnership with ambitious plans to develop it into a world class place. As for now, there’s no electricity but great WiFi and no charge for the night. It’s a 25 minute walk into the town which is where the poet Byron died.

Anxious to move on we were once again underway by 9AM the next morning. We entered the Gulf of Patras and had a fabulous downwind sail averaging 7 knots. We passed under the Rion Andirrion Suspension Bridge, longest in the world, and were side tied to the quay on Trizonia Island by 3PM. The island is lush and green but the marina has a reputation for being a grave yard and dumping ground for abandoned boats. Once again no facilities at the docks but no charge either. We’re starting to like this concept. As cheap as anchoring but you don’t have to hassle with the dingy.

The actual fishing village along the harbor is quaint with several tavernas which of course we had to check out.

We were up early and on our way by 7:00AM. Our port of call, Galixidhi in the Gulf of Corinth, was only 20 nautical miles away, but we wanted to get in early to have time to explore ancient Delphi. We motored the entire distance and were in by 11:30AM. Galixidhi harbor is absolutely charming and the facilities are first rate. The harbor was recently renovated with both electric and water available and once again only 19 euros for the night. In the 18th century it was a prosperous port until the Turks occupied the area and captured the fleet. A unique local character, the unofficial harbor master, assisted us with docking and then, when he learned we planned on going to Delphi in the afternoon, with taxi arrangements. Speaking a mix of Greek and barely recognizable English he insisted we follow him through a maze of streets to a home where an elderly woman greeted us and gave us glasses of water. A conversation between the woman and Capt Zorba (as we came to call him) ensued followed by a telephone conversation between Capt Zorba and a taxi driver. Arrangements were made and at 1PM we were picked up in much to our amazement a legitimate cab, a new Mercedes no less, and driven to Delphi. It turns out that Tonas, the driver, is the son of the woman whose home we went to. In ancient times Delphi was regarded as the center of the world. The place is spectacular, set high in the mountains amidst rocky bluffs and steep cliffs. The Greek gods Apollo, Dionysus and Athena are most famously associated with the site. Unfortunately the day before we visited there was rock slide and part of the Delphi was closed. We did enjoy what we were able to see and the museum is excellent.

Back on board Lone Star late that afternoon and evening we had several interesting experiences. First was a conversation with fellow Texans! Bill and Mary, currently from New Braunsfels and touring Greece with their son and his girl friend, strolled by the boat. Conversation followed and we learned they had lived in Kingwood for 10 years. Second, a group of about 20 “seasoned” travelers from the USA on an organized bus tour walked by the boat. More conversation followed and the next thing we know they’re taking pictures of us and Lone Star! Finally, after dinner as we were sitting in the cockpit Thomas and Linda Wildung from Christina, the boat next to ours, happened by. After talking with them for awhile we invited them on board and had a wonderful visit. Most amazingly we learned that Thomas had been with Royal Caribbean Cruise Line and was the original Captain of the Brilliance of the Seas the ship we sailed on for our Panama Canal Cruise with many of Craig’s relatives. What a small world!

Sunday, September 20th, we were off early again. Our plans were to sail to Corinth and take a spot in the harbor for the evening. The next day we would transit the canal which was only 10 minutes away. We started off with threats of thunderstorms and cloudy skies. We arrived at the harbor only to find it very small and quite full. Technically it wasn’t full because one sailboat had taken up two spots on the quay. Even though the crew was on board and saw us circling the harbor they did nothing to move their boat. We had no choice but to leave. After discussing our options – which were limited – we decided to transit the canal that afternoon. We motored to the canal entrance and after notifying the canal authorities and a one hour wait we were able to proceed. The canal is 3.2 miles long, 25meters wide and is cut into limestone which rises 79 meters above sea level. At 3PM we finished our transit, paid the fees and entered the Aegean. It was as if we had entered another world. When we exited the canal we left the dark clouds behind and had beautiful crystal blue skies and excellent winds for sailing. We still had several hours to go before we would get to a suitable anchorage. Finally at 6:20PM, after 60nm and almost 12 hours we were anchored off Salamis Island in a beautifully protected harbor. The lights of the town twinkled and the stars came out as we enjoyed a great dinner on board - our misfortune of not finding a slip in Corinth Harbor turning into our good fortune of ending up in this beautiful bay!

Mama Mia! Mama Mia! We’re in Greece

2009-09-16T13:08:00.000-07:00

Greetings from the sunny island of Zakinthos, located in the Ionian Sea. Lone Star has finally made it to the land of mousaka, baklava and ouzo. Our journey to Greece started almost two weeks ago on September 5 when we said goodbye to our last guests of the season, motored out of Sorrento and pointed the boat toward Agropoli, Italy. Our sail took us along the Amalfi coast passing the beautiful seaside town of Positano. We had a great downwind sail across Salerno Bay and pulled into the Agropoli Marina at 1630 that afternoon. We spent three days in Agropoli recharging our batteries after several months of “turbo touring” with our daughters, future son-in-law and wonderful friends, catching up on boat chores and bringing our neglected blog up to date.

Agropoli is a charming port town set in a pastoral setting. Steep roads from the marina lead up to the town square with several blocks of pedestrian only streets perfect for strolling. From Agropoli we left Italy’s mainland and sailed overnight to Messina, Sicily departing on September 8 and arriving the next morning. We now could tell summer was ending and fall was in the air as the constant days of cloudless skies and high temps were departing. The weather was definitely becoming more unsettled and unpredictable and the temperatures had dropped just a bit. While the marina and marina staff was nice we found the town of Messina not so nice. No nearby cafes and not very well kept. We spent two days in Messina, one due to a weather delay and were glad to get underway on Friday, September 11. Our destination was Riposto, 32 nautical miles further down the Straits of Messina.

During the trip to Riposto we spotted Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas, a cruise ship we were on for a family reunion cruise in 2006. Even more of a coincidence was the fact that at that very moment a friend of ours, Judie Tidwell and her daughter Amy, were on board. Jan hailed the ship on the VHF and was soon talking to the Captain asking him to send our greetings to Judie. The Captain asked if he could trade places with us and we were definitely in agreement with the idea. The thought of room service, massages, and umbrella drinks by the pool seemed very tempting! Alas, the switch didn’t happen and we watched Brilliance motor past on her way to Greece. That afternoon we got an email from Judie saying she received our greetings.

We pulled into the marina at 1330 and were treated with a beautiful view of Mount Etna from Lone Star’s bow. We spent our three days in Riposto tracking down an updated card for our chart plotter which included Greece and Turkey (since we were headed there we thought that might be a good idea) and getting the boat ready for a two night offshore crossing. Of course it couldn’t be all work and no play. On the day of our anniversary we took the train to Taormina, a picture postcard town high in the mountains overlooking the sea.
We toured the Greek amphitheatre, enjoyed a typical Sicilian lunch and capped it off with our last Italian Gelato. On Monday, September 14 after six weeks in Italy, we turned the boat due east and headed for Greece. We loved our time in Italy but it was 650nm to Turkey and we were anxious to get underway.

The winds were very light so needless to say the iron genoa did the majority of the work. We saw no wind but thousands of stars at night and bits of trash floating by during the day.The second day out we put time to good use and set up the downwind ballooner system. While the winds were so light it didn’t really help much we did accomplish our goal of retraining ourselves on how it worked. Thursday morning we motored in to the Zakinthos town harbor glad that we had made it uneventfully to Greece. It wasn’t long before Lone Star was rinsed off, we were officially cleared into Greece, we were showered and headed into town to explore our first Greek port.

Couldn't Have Said it Better!

2009-09-05T09:13:00.000-07:00

Kathy kept a journal while in Italy. We couldn't have described the visit any better. Enjoy!

Kathy and Mike's Italian Vacation Journal

2009-09-04T05:32:00.000-07:00

August 20^th, 2009

3:00 pm…..and so our adventure begins…all checked in and about to board the plane. Mentally trying to prepare for the next 14 hours of travel.

August 21^st

12:15 am Texas time... 7:15 am Paris time….watching the beautiful sunrise as we are less than an hour outside of Paris! Getting pretty tired of being on the plane!

11:30 am…leaving Paris…heading to Rome!!

1:30 pm….arrived in Rome AND our luggage did too!! Our friends who we came to vacation with…Jan and Craig…were there waiting for us! Went to their boat and have now survived our first very loco taxi ride! WOW!…..unpacked after our tour of their beautiful sail boat ….waited for the afternoon heat to die down and went out to see the Ostia Antica ruins which date back to 2 B.C. Doing anything to stay awake at this point!

Now we sit on the deck with our sundowner in hand…enjoying the cool evening breeze, a light meal Italian style and catching up with great friends that we have not seen in a few months. WELCOME TO ITALY!!

Saturday, August22^nd

Early starts to the day…taxi, train, metro subway…finally made it to the Colosseum. Quite impressive…also saw the Arch of Constatine and the Forum. Had a wonderful long Italian style lunch (Mike even tasted mussels)…Had Great Pesto!! Then it was off to the Pantheon and Capitol area, Palatine Hill and three beautiful duomos. Mike lit a candle at St. Pius V station in honor of school days! Made it back to the boat for snacks, drinks great music but best of all a SHOWER!! Mike has five nasty blisters but never wanted to quit walking around Rome. Even saw a church that had the same name as Mike’s mom!! All in all a very good day!!

Sunday August 23^rd …..HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!

Our day started with a vacation coffee or Bailey’s Irish Cream then we were off to the Borghese Gallery. A beautiful collection of art and grounds that have been made into a park. We met a family from Sioux Falls and another from Maryland. We had pasta and wine for lunch then headed off to the shopping district which is known as Rome’s Rodeo Dr. Then we sampled our first gelato!! Once again today we saw three beautiful churches. They are EVERYWHERE!!

We then found a little outdoor pizzeria where we sat and enjoyed the evening waiting for dusk. I had a Long Island Ice Tea and the waiter brought us snacks when he found out it was my birthday.

To complete the day of sightseeing we made our way to Trevi Fountain and threw in our three coins!! What a way to celebrate one’s b-day!!

Now once again we find ourselves sitting on the deck of the boat on the Tiber River sipping a glass of wine, visiting with wonderful friends and listening to Willie Nelson!! LIFE IS GOOD!!! HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!

P.S. My gift from Craig….I could pick out anything off the cart in Rome that cost less than $2. I got a shot glass of Rome!!!

Monday August 24^th

A leisurely start to the day…..coffee, breakfast, and a little preparation for our departure tomorrow for Tuscany.

Left around 11:00 to make our way to Vatican City. Took a tour with Angel Tours. Jimmy (from Ireland) was our guide. He had been an art history major and really brought the whole experience to life. Quite informative and entertaining. He even knows RICK STEVES!!

As far as seeing Vatican City…the museum…Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica….WOW…A THOUSAND TIMES WOW!!!

Now we are back on the boat once again enjoying the company, music and a little drink as we continue to prepare for a new adventure tomorrow.

Once again……LIFE IS GOOD!!!

Tuesday, August 25^th

Picked up our rental car (a FIAT) and left Rome in our rear view mirror!

First stop was Civita di Bagnoregio. It is simply not possible to describe the views. You reach the hilltop town by climbing a pedestrian bridge. Had a wonderful lunch of sausage, grilled vegetables and bruschetta. Mike even ate eggplant!! The food is cooked in an open fire pit! All this food plus wine and coke for four people only 25 Euros!! Pretty good.

As we left to make our way to our agriturismo (the farm house where we would be staying) we were not aware that the town we plugged into our GPS exists in more than one place in ITALY!! After two hours of driving (at least thru beautiful country and hill towns) we finally were convinced….most of us anyway…Craig was a holdout…that we were lost!! Got back on track and two hours later than expected we arrived at our destination. The views are more than you can even imagine. We were welcomed with a glass of the wine made at the farm by lovely hosts and got settled in to our new home base for the next few nights. We went to dinner and wondered around San Gimignano. Ended the evening with a gelato and an early bedtime. Very tired and tomorrow is another adventure as we head off to Florence!! CIAO!!

Wednesday, August 26^th

We have now spent our first (rather noisy) night in our cute little farm house. We enjoyed breakfast on the terrace and probably gained another 5 pounds eating homemade pastries, cappuccino, organic fruits straight off their trees, etc. etc.!! SOOO GOOD!!

Then it was off to Florence with several stops for Kodak moments along the way. Once there we went to see “DAVID” along with a few other pieces of famous art!! Now that we know so much more about Michelangelo thanks to Jimmy from Ireland, it is really more interesting to see just what a genius he was. We then wondered thru the city and found our way across to the Ponte Vecchio Bridge lined with so many shops selling leather goods and gold and silver.

We saw the beautiful Duomo, Santa Maria del Flore then it was off to another great lunch. Mike has now learned that he likes pesto!!

Then it was off to Pisa to see the famous leaning tower. It was neat to see but Pisa is a rather seedy little town. We even saw topless working girls at several points along the road.

Beautiful drive back to our home base….stopped at the market so we could have a picnic on our terrace. Great day in Tuscany!!!

Thursday, August 28^th

Started our day with another great breakfast and had a note on our table about it being market day in San Gimignano.
We made that our first stop and that was really fun to see!! Then it was off to Siena!! It was awesome…one of our favorites so far!

We gave ourselves the afternoon to relax by the pool before our wine tasting and tour of the farm. Very informative and quite tasty. For those who are curious….extra virgin olive is made by using only one press and colder temperatures!!

We came back to our room for another picnic dinner on our terrace and had a little more of our vino!! Lots of laughing….lots of fun!!

WHAT A DAY………AHHHHH SIENA!!!!

Friday, August 28^th

Said goodbye to our agriturismo and are now on our way to Cortona!!

Home of “Under the Tuscan Sun” it was a beautiful place to see. Mike was even able to find Bramasole which is Frances Mayes’ home. We also found the best gelato in all of Italy right in Cortona!! A fun morning.

Next it was off to Assisi to see St. Frances. After lunch it was time to start making our way back to Rome. We stopped to do some shopping for supplies before we start the sailing part of our trip in the morning.

One of Rome’s crazy drivers actually tried to ram the side of our car while Mike was driving. That was a scary moment. We were all happy to turn the rental car back in and go back to very overpriced taxis and public transportation. OUR ROAD TRIP TO TUSCANY WAS TOTALLY AWESOME!!

Saturday, August 29^th

Started our preparations to leave Rome and sail south. We had a slight delay when an alarm kept going off - something to do with an engine…minor detail!! The guys finally decided trash was probably the problem we left the river to see what happened.

Once we were under way the alarms stopped going off and as we cleared the harbor we were finally for the first time in the beautiful waters of the Mediterranean Sea. The colors change from a cobalt blue to navy.

Craig began teaching Mike how to handle Lone Star and before long he was actually sailing the boat and took us all the way to our next destination. Calm winds, bright sunshine but not too hot. We stayed only about a mile to a mile and a half off the coast so we always had great views. I even put out a line and trolled the Med! No bites!!

Sailed for about five hours before we made it to our marina. Got settled in and then walked around the marina full of cute little shops. Came back to the boat to enjoy sundowners and a fantastic steak dinner an oh yeah….a game of rummy cube!!

About 10 pm we went for a walk into town for a gelato and you would not believe what Saturday night in Italy looks like!! It is really a happening place from newborns to the elderly. Amazing to see….everyone just comes out to enjoy each other’s company.

GREAT DAY ONCE AGAIN!!!

Sunday, August 30^th

Sitting on deck enjoying coffee and watching the marina activity. Waiting for Captain Craig to complete his beauty sleep!! This lifestyle takes it out of him so we must be patient!!

Left Nettuno and encountered very large swells just outside the harbor. For the next six hours we sailed in less than favorable conditions. Never got sick but I was sure praying for calmer seas. The weather was fine but the swells were not!!

Sailed to Ponza which is a vacation destination for locals and tourists? The swells seemed to calm as we came closer to the islands. Found a spot to anchor and enjoyed swimming in the Med for the first time. I was just thankful to be in calmer waters. Had a nice dinner of grilled chicken and we are all retiring early.

Monday, August 31^st

O M G……….so much for retiring early last night!!! The winds rolled in and made for very rough waters. Craig changed out location around 5 am and then Jan came to our cabin to tell us we were leaving completely. Conditions did not look as though they were going to improve so many boats were making their exit!! It was too rough to even get out of bed to I hid under the covers, prayed and held on tight!! It was rather scary although Craig and Jan assured me the boat was never in any kind of danger. GOOD TO KNOW!!!

We are now getting close to Ischia Island which according to the bible of Rich Steve’s rivals Capri for its beauty. I am SOOO ready to be on land!!

We arrived at our next marina about 2pm. It really looks nice with beautiful villas overlooking the sea. Now we can settle ourselves down after that last experience!! I think I talked to God all night long!!

We were all so tired from our overnight ordeal (especially our two captains). Got the boat secured in the marina and took a nap. Walked across the street to check out the town then came back to the boat for leftovers and an early bedtime!!

Tuesday, September 1^st

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO DEAH!!!

Our first morning to wake up in Ischia. Everyone slept last night so now we are refreshed and ready to do some exploring of the island and seize the day. Checking on marinas in Capri to move on soon.

CHANGE OF PLANS!!! Marina in Capri costs 300 Euros PER NIGHT !! WE WILL NOT BE STAYING THERE!! Sorrento looks great and we can see Capri by way of a ferry boat ride to the island.

We strolled around Ischia, had lunch with a really fun guy who spoke English and taught Craig some Italian. We are now back on the boat for siesta time. Stores were mostly all closing after lunch. Italians take siesta time quite seriously. Had a really nice dinner on the boat…pesto pasta, bread with dipping sauces and of course a little vino!! Now leaving for our late night stroll in town to people watch and perhaps a gelato!! It is almost a full moon over Italy!! GREAT DAY!!!

Wednesday, Sept. 2^nd.

We are sailing once again and very thankful for calm seas!! We are sailing by a coastal town of Procida and Mike and I are going to take pictures from the dingy. Procida has so many houses of different colors. Really neat to see.

I had my turn at sailing Lone Star. Pretty neat. We even had a dolphin sighting today.

We sailed by Naples and all agreed to see it from afar!! Off to our marina in Sorrento which will serve as our home base until departure on Saturday.

Captain Mike took over and REALLY sailed today…no motors…just great winds. He got the boat up to 8.7 knots which is really moving!

After everyone was cleaned up and refreshed we headed up the cliffs into Sorrento city. What a beautiful place. Of course there was more shops to explore and once again the search continues for the gelato to our perform the best gelato of Cortona !!! Probably not going to happen!!

Thursday, Sept.3rd

The day began with a ferry boat ride over to island of Capri. We first did the Blue Grotto which was overpriced but fun and glad we did it. Our boat guy serenaded us in Italian as he rowed us around in our little boat. .

We then took the tram up into the city and walked around the very pricey shops. One stop at the restroom changed our whole day as my purse was stolen. My fault as I let my guard down and left it on a hook. It was gone in a matter of a couple of minutes. After filing a police report and having a quick lunch it was back to the boat to start calling to cancel credit cards, etc. Capri no longer felt good to me and I was ready to leave it behind.

Spent the hot part of the afternoon on the boat…had a dinner of leftovers and then it was back up the hill into Sorrento for the famous evening stroll and gelato. Tension still in the air. Ready to end this day.

Friday, Sept. 4^th

We have now come to the end of our dream vacation. Tomorrow starts our two days of travel.

The morning started with a big breakfast and lazy lounging. We went into town and saw the lemon groves. Then it was on to power shopping buying the last of the gifts. Mike struck gold when he found Captain Morgan in one of the little shops for Craig. Before the day ended we had brought back six bottles of it to the boat!!

We came back to the boat for the afternoon….packed, played rummy cube and watched as storms started building. At one point we saw two tornadoes which according to radar were only about 1 ½ miles from the boat. Boats were coming back into the marina at a rapid pace and we were prepared to take shelter in town if needed. Lucky for us we dodged the storm and our hope is that it hit Capri and took out my purse thief!!

We went back into town for dinner, strolling and our last gelato!! Next week…South Beach…Phase One!!

We are now back on Lone Star getting ready to call it a day. It will be hard to say good bye to Italy and the best of friends in Jan and Craig. They will be home soon and ITALY WILL FOREVER BE IN OUR HEARTS !!

What an adventure!! A once in a lifetime trip!! We are very blessed to have had this opportunity and truly grateful!!

Under a Very Hot Roman and Tuscan Sun

2009-08-20T13:01:00.000-07:00

After three days of anchoring out off the Tuscan islands of Elba and Giannuiri, we pointed Lone Star toward Rome and on August 20 pulled in at Nautilus Marina on the Elba River in Fiumicino. This would be our home for the next 10 days while we explored Rome and Tuscany with our long time friends Kathy and Mike Stewart who were arriving on the 21st. We’ve known Kathy and Mike for years and have vacationed with them before. After we sold our house in February they graciously offered their home to us till we left in April to go cruising. We currently are storing a closet full of stuff in their house until we go back to the States in the fall and figure out where to live. The term “marina” is a bit of a stretch for where we docked. Nautilus Marina is actually a boat yard on the Elba River with side ties, water and electricity available for boats. Being August the office was closed and on vacation but the boat yard staff was still on duty. We felt a bit isolated but the staff was great and very helpful and spoke some English. The place served our purposes since we wouldn’t be on the boat other than to sleep and shower. Of course we had to make special preparations for our guests. Mike is a diehard T-sip and with us being Aggies we wanted to make sure he felt welcome. So of course the first order was to fly a special flag we had been saving in his honor. Kathy and Mike arrived without mishap on the 21st and after lunch, unpacking and stowing luggage we once again were on a mission to keep our guests up till dark thirty.

But you will have to wait for the rest of the story… Our days together were awesome and when we have decent internet the rest of the story will be told. Until then…Ciao!!

Six Folks on a Boat

2009-08-10T10:45:00.000-07:00

What happens when you put 6 perfectly sensible, “mature” adults together on a sailboat for six days? Would there be enough space for all? Would tempers flare? Would there be a mutiny against the Captain? In the case of “Judy, Martin, Sherry, and Drew’s Excellent Lone Star Adventure” there was lots of laughter, adventure, good times and no sign of a mutiny. After Jaime and Sky departed in Elba we made our way back north to Genoa to meet up with our next guests. Judy and Martin Harris, a truly Fab English couple who lived in Kingwood for a number of years before moving back to England and Sherry and Drew Verret, true Texans and long time Kingwood residents, were on their way to join up with us and enjoy a few days of sailing. So how did we come to know this motley band of travelers? Jan and Jennifer had met Judy and her daughter Emile at Foxcroft Farm when all were taking lessons and thru the years of carpooling and barn functions got to know the whole family. Now this is where it gets tricky – don’t worry you won’t be tested. We ultimately met Drew and Sherry Verret thru the Harris’ (the four of them being very good friends) at a New Year’s Eve party. However since we had also lived in Kingwood for years we knew of each other, had a number of the same acquaintances and Jan and Sherry felt like they very well could have met each other many years ago at a bunko or pachinko gathering. This fearsome foursome has sailed on Imagine and Seabbatical in the past and in fact Drew crewed with us on a Harvest Moon regatta and helped Craig bring Seabbatical back from Florida at the end of our cruise on her. He had been scheduled to be on board this November for the Atlantic Cup Rally from the Canaries to the Caribbean before our plans changed. However we’re not letting Drew out of his commitment and he is on permanent standby for when the crossing does take place. OK – enough background.

So here we were back in Genoa making preparations for their arrival. Drew and Sherry had flown to England several days before and the foursome was driving from England via the Chunnel to join up with us. As planned they arrived at the marina shortly after noon on August 10 with a car bursting at the seams with luggage. Much to our relief the majority of it stayed in the car and only what they needed for six days of sailing came on board. Getting four adults to decide who sleeps where, who gets the bunks, whose on the top one, and where to stow everything took some time and maneuvering but after a lunch to fortify the spirits it was off to Genoa’s Old City for sightseeing.

This was our third time for a touring the old city and we were feeling like pros and official guides. However, Genoa is so interesting and picturesque she never fails to intrigue or surprise us.

After sundowners back on the boat, a pasta dinner overlooking the port and a good night’s sleep the courageous gang of six was up early and ready to go. After a brief safety spiel we were underway at 10:30AM for a sail along the Italian Riviera to our first port of call, Santa Margherita. The itinerary we had planned for the week was much the same as it was for Jaime and Sky. The ports were so charming we wanted to revisit and were certain our friends would also enjoy them. After leaving the harbor Craig immediately turned the helm over to Drew. With Drew at the helm, the girls got their sea legs under them and Martin quickly took to chilling on the “Beach” – what has become the most popular place to hang out on Lone Star.

All during the 4 hour sail (and the term is used loosely – make that motor sail) all were enthralled with the colorful houses and resorts that dotted the coastline. At 1400 we pulled into the harbor at Santa Margherita, slightly anxious because we did not have a reservation and had been told there may not be any room. However Jan’s persistence on the bow paid off and a spot was found. After securing the lines, the group headed for shore for sightseeing and exploring.

We finished the evening with another great dinner along side another beautiful harbor.

The next morning we were off again at 10:30 (sound familiar) in route to Portovenere. The stop voted most favorite on our previous journey. Not to be outdone by Drew, Martin quickly took the helm and did not relinquish until we were approaching the harbor.
And not to be outdone by Martin, Drew quickly took up residence on the Beach and proceeded to chill. With a confirmed reservation for one night we arrived at 1430 and quickly changed the reservation for two nights. 5416 5433 7454 7457 The evening ended with a steak dinner on board Lone Star. The next day we went out sailing for the day and it was the ladies turn! Judie was first at the helm and quickly showed the guys how to do it. No motor for her – strictly wind power. Next up Sherry also gave the guys a lesson in handling a sailboat without the motor running. Rumblings of “rematch and redo” could be heard from Lone Star Beach but “girl power” was definitely the motto of the day. For lunch we dropped an anchor off a nearby island and also enjoyed some Mediterranean swimming. Dinner that evening was at Osteria Baracco, a restaurant located on a back street which had been recommended by a friend of Martin and Judy’s. It was excellent.

After two great days in Portovenere we were underway, once again at 10:30, to Viareggio. Drew was back at the helm hoping to redeem himself from the showing the ladies gave the day before. Winds were light, however we did manage to keep the motor off a good portion of the time and by 1500 were once again side tied on the canal in the marina. The traditional “booze cruise” dingy ride ensued followed by a pizza dinner on the promenade.

Much to our surprise upon arriving back at the boat we discovered a wild fire burning in the mountains beyond the town.

The next morning we had a ringside seat from our boat as we watched the water planes drop their payload on the still burning fire and swooping down into the water right outside the marina to refill their tanks.
Our last day of sailing was our longest. We left at 0930 for the 40 mile sail to Cala de Medici. Martin took the helm for the entire time even though the winds died midway and we ended up motoring. For their effort at trying to match the ladies sailing prowess and refusing to give up Drew and Martin were awarded Lone Star caps. At 1530 we were in a slip in the marina and Martin and Drew were on their way to the train station to figure out the logistics for the trip to Rome in the morning.

Back on board Craig and I were anxious to talk to Jaime. We had not talked to her since she left the boat in Elba and had received an email stating she needed to talk to us as soon as possible. Thinking it was something to do with the house she and Sky were closing on in a few days we got in touch with her and were we every wrong. Turns out while in Verona Sky popped the question, Jaime answered and a ring was given. They’re engaged and an October 2010 wedding is planned. That evening on board Lone Star the six of us enjoyed a grilled chicken dinner, toasted the happy couple and sang several rounds of “They’re Going to the Chapel and they’re gona get married…”
This was followed by a hotly contested game of, would you believe, Spoons with the two final contestants not giving an inch.

The next morning after 6 days of fun, relaxation, exploring and proving, yes six adults can spend time together on a boat and still like each other when it’s over; Judy, Martin, Sherry and Drew said their goodbyes and headed for their next adventure – Rome. We had a great time and look forward to a return visit from this band of salty dogs.