We have our daughter, Erin, with us for the summer. She produces weekly YouTube blogs so until Sarah starts writing again I thought i would link to Erin’s first video on-board Linea.
Category Archives: Video
Guest Blog; Keira and Lucy on Linea
20/08/19-01/09/19
A few highlights from a fantastic two week holiday in Croatia…
After a flying visit to Dubrovnik with Keira, we travelled 4 hours by ferry on Wednesday to Milna on the island of Brač. Sarah and Ian were on the town quay awaiting our arrival and we walked to where Linea was moored. After a long catch up, a delicious homemade curry, and a few glasses of wine, we were ready for bed, and slept soundly for the first night on the boat.
Thursday, we set off to Smrka bay, which was beautiful, it even housed an old Military tunnel left over from the Former Yugoslavia, and an old house left in its original state.
The house was complete with an outside shower and toilet, as well as a large open fire in the main room of the house, used for cooking a traditional supper for dinner guests who wish to enjoy a traditional Croatian meal.
Friday, we managed to sail the full 19 miles to Vis as we were lucky with the 5.6 knots of wind in our favour.
Saturday was by far the most interesting day as we set off from Vis town by Land Rover to visit three different military bases. Equipped with helmets and headlamps, the tour started in the underground tunnels. We explored the labyrinth of tunnels and bunkers, saw the remains of cannons and abandoned warehouses.
The views from the top were incredible! The tour guide pointed out Tito’s cave and informed us that the leader used this as a Partisan hideout from the invading Nazi forces during the Second World War. We were left fascinated by a tour so rich in culture and history that afterwards, we spent some time discussing it with our guide over a well-earned beer.
Sunday, we sailed 30 miles to Korčula.
I think now it is the right time to mention that England thrashed Australia in the Ashes. Despite mine and Keira’s disinterest in the cricket, I know that S+I will be thrilled that I mention this here, it did create a buzzy atmosphere on the boat and we celebrated by enjoying G+T’s on the top deck and were introduced to ‘Black Mariah’.
The following three days were spent in Lastovo’s Archipelago Nature park- the most idyllic place of all. We were spoilt by the luscious vegetation and marine life that surrounded us. Some personal highlights from this wonderful island: locals who travelled around by dinghy delivering bread and pastries to any anchored vessel, the four of us star gazing on the top deck- mesmerised by the little air pollution, the exhausting yet thoroughly enjoyable 20 mile cycle around the island topped with a fantastic lunch in ‘Fumari’.
Next up was a 30 mile sail to Ston, we spent the evening in a restaurant where a large table of crew members dined from the world’s second largest super yacht named ‘Perlorus’.
We indulged in freshly barbequed fish and home grown salad and chips and enjoyed conversing with the crew members and learning how ‘the other half live’! Keira and I spent our last night on the boat in Cavtat before S+I took us to shore to wave us goodbye as we parted ways. A truly unforgettable holiday filled with cultural discoveries, delicious food, some exercise, and great company- thank you Sarah and Ian for a wonderful boating experience.
I don’t know if you want to put this in the blog but I just wanted to say a special thank you to Ian for teaching me the basics about sailing, I can confidently work out the maths when it comes to calculating the distance, speed, and duration from destination to destination (just about!) Sarah, thank you for inspiring me with your cooking and acting as nurse when I fell over and cut my knee. I am so grateful to you both for inviting me onto the boat, you spoilt me! I look back with such fond memories that will stay with me forever. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
From Crotone to Croatia
We continued to hop along the coast of Southern Italy and made it as far as Brindisi. The thing about hopping along the coast to arrive at a destination some way off is that it means you are doing very long days and when you arrive you have no energy to go off and explore. This means you probably need to stay at least two days to be able to see any of the places you stop at. Each time you anchor it is necessary to lower the dinghy into the water and reverse the process when it is time to go – so its a bit of a pain.
As it happens, we have only managed to go ashore in Santa Maria di Leuca and Brindisi.
In Brindisi, we moored stern to the quay in a fab location by the Appian Way steps; the boat was thoroughly put to bed; we had completed our log updates; changed into our shore clothes and even applied a little lippy (Just Sarah!), we were just getting ready to disembark – so some considerable time had elapsed…when an official in a Brindisi to Corfu Ragatta 2019 T-shirt showed up and told us emphatically that we couldn’t park there. Grrr! Where was he when we came in??
So, we headed off again, this time to the marina. We were tied up securely by about 7pm. After sorting out the paperwork with the office (all in Italian!) and getting ship shape we decided on a pizza supper in the marina restaurant. (42 Euros per night, laundry, more sinks at various heights and showers and loos than I have ever seen in any marina, friendly marineros and staff, just a bus ride out of the main town.)
Our plan was to carry on up the east coast to Vieste and then a short 50 mile hop across to Croatia. By now we has spent a lot of time motoring and looking at the weather for the next five days we would be doing a lot more motoring, we decided that the best possible chance of sailing to Croatia would be the following day. So plan A was abandoned in favour of a crossing direct from Brindisi. The following morning whilst Ian sorted out an issue with the batteries and filled up with water, I headed to the mini market to stock up on supplies for the thirty hour crossing to Ubli, Lastovo, Croatia.
We managed to sail all day and all night and then motored the remaining 30nm when the wind died to 6 knots.
En route we saw a couple of pods of dolphins and some big fish swam with the boat for about an hour.
Now that we have given up fishing after the fishing line debacle in Syracuse, we see fish! I could practically have scooped them out with a net! Typical!
Lastovo is absolutely GORGEOUS! We found the check – in process to be smooth and efficient. The people were lovely. The place is spotless. We hired bikes from Dado at Rentacarlastovo and he brought them right to us. We enjoyed a big day cycling all round the island although we did find 5km of up on a gravel road in 35 degree heat quite a challenge!
We arrived back about 1800h in time for a refreshing beer with our new friend.
We didn’t even mind paying the National Marine Park fees of 200Kn/night. That’s about £25.
After three days we had a great sail north to Korcula and a pretty anchorage on the east side of an isthmus. Then the following day we managed a nice motor/sail east and round to an anchorage south of Korcula Town.
We have been here three days and its going to be hard to leave. We are in a fab, safe anchorage. It is only a short dinghy ride to Korcula. There is a pleasant breeze. The water is crystal clear.
Now, THIS, is what I signed up for!
Atop Mussolini’s steps in Santa Maria di Leuca. 
Huge cumulo-nimbus clouds off Otranto. 
Our lovely anchorage in Lastovo. 
Following the signs in Lastovo, by bike. 
View from the top of a very high and long and gravely hill on Lastovo. 
Graveyard. 
West quay in Korcula town 
Tower fortification in Korcula 
Headless NIck! 
Sunset from our anchorage off Vrnik Island. 
Looking North from Badija Island circular walking route. 
Question mark? set in stone? 
A door into the Franciscan Monastery on Badija. 
A very tame deer.
Ski Season 2019
Leaving Naxos after one month (Testing the engine)
We finally waved goodbye to harbourmaster father and son team Nikos and Makos in Naxos. They wryly commented that we should have asked for the monthly mooring fee. We returned to Paros. We anchored in the south west part of the bay of Naoussa and enjoyed a fine afternoon swimming and snorkeling. Erin spotted a beautiful starfish for us all to admire.
After a super calm night, we headed north in great winds to Finikas. Arriving with a flurry of charter yachts, we were hoodwinked into thinking that the quay would be a good place to be overnight, despite forecasts of strong southerly winds in the night. Foolish error!
We were awoken from fitful sleep by the grating noise of the spreaders and stays clashing with those of the neighbouring boat. We managed to pull forward so that the rocking would be safer and went back to bed. Ten minutes later, Erin shouted out, ‘Boat!’ in a tone of great alarm. She had popped her head out of the forward hatch and to her amazement saw a charter yacht pinned across our bow at 0400h in the morning, in the dark!
We all dashed on deck to fend off this yacht. Another departing yacht had tripped its anchor and so they were forced to leave in some haste. On motoring out, they wrapped a rope round the propeller so they had no power. Left to the devices of the strengthening wind, they were blown along the bows of the boats on the quay, stopping at us because they fouled their keel on our anchor chain.
After hours of fending, our anchor finally gave up and their keel was free. They continued to bounce along every single bow along the quay finally stopping about 2 metres from some rocks. Ian helped them to get their anchor down and then they waited for the coastguard to arrive to tow them to safety.
In the meantime, we were all busy on Linea. First, we pulled the anchor as tight as it would go. Then, we kept the engine on in case we need to motor forwards at all. We tried to limit the damage as much as possible whilst this boat was pressing us back against the quay. Tthe swell was lifting us higher than the quay and it is a miracle that the rudder didn’t get damaged. Josh was doing sterling fending off with the popped fender.
Ian eventually came back to the boat and we decided that since it was almost dawn and we were not happy with our anchor we would leave. The boat on our starboard side had to leave first since their anchor chain was lying right over ours. We motored to the anchorage on the other side of the bay.
After a few hours nap we were beginning to see the humorous side of the story. We still couldn’t quite believe all that had happened during the night. We were mightily relieved not to have incurred more damage. The boat next to us had not been nearly so lucky; having its stern constantly smashed into the quay.
We moved on to the practically deserted island west of Mykonos and had a wonderful night in a perfect cove with Delos in the distance. A beautiful place to calm the nerves.
On Wednesday we set off to Mykonos, as Josh and Erin had bought fantastically cheap flights back to Manchester from there. (£38 each) We anchored in the bay south of town and sat out the evening’s strong winds.
There was time for some last minute hair braiding
and back gammon championships.
Next day, we caught a bus to explore the lanes, whitewashed churches 
and bijoux shops in town. 
We walked round to meet up with Stephen and Gilly for a swift beer and to catch up on their island-hopping adventures.
It was a pleasant wander round Little Venice, past the windmills and up and down the steps on the hill.
The town was thronged with doddering cruise ship passengers.
During the very wet journey back to the boat to collect bags, we saw yet another inflatable toy somersaulting across the bay. We managed to catch it and the girls were very happy with their swan (Susan). 
All too soon, it was time to bid a fond farewell to Erin and Josh. They headed to the airport and we went back for another windy night in Ormos Ornos.
During the last few days, we have switched the engine on and off a total of eight times and all seems to be well. We are gradually gaining more confidence that the fuel is clean and the pipes are clear. Phew!