Author: Toni

Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutesMother Nature has kept us on our toes in recent weeks. Sand storms are to be expected at this time of year but somewhat naively we hadn’t given any thought to the risk of tsunamis, despite Greece having the highest seismic activity in Europe.  A little before 2 am on Tuesday 13th May our phones…

Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutesThe moment I walked through the dark cobblestone fortified entrance to Monemvasia an immediate sense of delight filled me, as if I was a child stepping into a fairytale.  It’s rare these days to visit a new place and not already know what to expect. The information available to us is amazing, but often the…

Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutesFor six months over winter Dreams was stored on the hard (dry dock) at Basimakopoulos Shipyard on the Peloponnese peninsula of Greece.   Before we left her at the end of October, we had worked long days for a week, winterizing her to protect her from any possible damage and wear and tear from wind, rain,…

Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutesWe have a pretty decent amount of shade on Dreams but with the temperature barely dipping below 32 degrees, any sun that did shine on the cockpit, where we spend most of our time, was brutal. We made do by hanging towels with clothes pegs but very quickly realized we needed a long term solution….

Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutesPrior to crossing into the Gulf from the Ionian Islands we rendezvoused with Danielle and Kivanc, friends from California that we used to regularly sail with.  They are at the start of their 4th summer season sailing in the Med on their monohull, Sea Bee and it was great to catch up with them and hear…

Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutesSince arriving in Greece a little over 3 weeks ago we have finally been able to slow down and it feels good.  It feels really good.  Because we are traveling on our boat we have been able to check into Greece on a crew list rather than our passports which allows us to stay in the…

Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutesPalermo, Sicily, Italy Our passage to Palermo was half a day of discomfort. With the wind on our nose, Dreams crashed and bashed her way through the waves slamming down with a force that put me on edge despite knowing it sounded worse than it actually was. Feeling physically and mentally rattled and exhausted, arrival…

Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutesCarloforte, Sardinia, Italy Heading off to bed at 11 pm I noticed a lightening storm out at sea and took comfort that if it came this way at least we didn’t have the tallest mast in the marina, so our chances of being struck were minimized.  At 12:30 am I was woken by the sound…

Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutesCabrera is an island in the Balearics with a rich history and an iconic 14th century castle built to protect the island from the attacks of Berber pirates. Declared a National Park in 1991, a small number of park employees and military personnel live and work here but you will find no hotels, resorts or…

Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutesToday was the perfect day.  Today was what I envisaged for all the years we were working and saving up to buy a boat.   After an overnight passage from Cartagena to Formentera in the Balearic Islands, we anchored in a peaceful bay and slept like the dead for 11 hours.  Woke this morning to clear skies…