Author: Toni

Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes We 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 minutes Prior 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 minutes Since 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 minutes Palermo, 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 minutes Carloforte, 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 minutes Cabrera 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 minutes Today 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…

Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes Marbella is a town of two halves, the old and the new.  Old town Marbella is a labyrinth of cobbled streets filled with cafes and restaurants, frequented by as many locals as tourists giving it a somewhat authentic feel.  Classy boutiques outnumber the tourist tat shops and being Sunday, the organs from the catholic church in…

Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes After 7 weeks in Queensway Marina Gibraltar while we got upgrades added to Dreams we’d started to feel like we were putting down roots. We’d become very familiar with the town and got to know a number of other people staying in the marina. So much so, our evenings were filled with happy hour gatherings…

Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes We’ve arrived in Rota in the Andalusian region of Spain after a 22 hour passage from Lagos in Portugal.  For most of the passage we were able to sail with a pleasant downwind breeze keeping us moving between 5 and 7 knots, a real treat after all of the motoring we have had to do.  …