Category: 1st 90 days in EU

Hello Tunisia

25th October 2022

We had arrived in Marina del Sole a great cheap marina with the intention of chilling for a few days before the crossing, for me any excuse to prolong the inevitable over night sail. I was now in charge of checking the weather app as Garry had been reading his app wrong since we left South of France which explained a lot.

Garry uses Predict Wind which was set to use the Beaufort Scale not Knots of wind so when Garry looked at his app, 8 knots he thought but it was a Force 8 Gale 34-40 knots of wind, and we went out in this more than once.

Having discovered this little gem on the way down Sardinia, and now very weary when it came to weather. I was keeping an eye on the weather for the crossing which was better tomorrow as the swell and wind were on the rise from the day after.

So we got straight to doing some provisioning of beer, milk, butter, salad and vegetables. Bought wine for Martin and Clarissa as they had been told you can’t take alcohol into Tunisia, which was incorrect, but dairy was apparently hard to get hold of.

26th October got up early, we went through the process of checking out of Italy starting with the Police who stamped our passports and then customs to stamp our Zapptax documents so we could claim back our vat for the items we were exporting out of the EU.

Having cooked a vegetable pasta for the passage, we were already to leave at 12.30 pm. We nearly had a fresh fish to take with us which had jumped out of water and landed on the pontoon but i booted him back into the water so the dolphins could have him instead. The journey was going to take 24 hours and we could not arrive before noon next day as they would charge us for an extra day.

Let us say the passage went fine we did not run into a container in the middle of the sea or sink the boat, obviously I am here to tell the tale. It was nothing like what I was thinking, yes there were times that I became anxious about the tankers whilst in the dark because you can’t tell how close they are to us.

The daylight disappeared and the sunset was amazing, then the sun rose again and that was breath taking to. I have never been so keen for a sunrise, so we could see the actual distance the tankers were from us.

We do have the AIS which most vessel have so pressing on their boat symbol on the Raymarine told us how fast they are moving, what their vessel is and the TCPA Time to closest point of approach. My online day skipper course taught me about port, starboard, stern and steaming lights for different sized vessels.

I did work out that if you can see their port and starboard lights they are close which I found very useful and if really bright we should be altering our course accordingly.

Once I saw quite bright starboard, steaming and port light’s as we cross in front of a tanker, holy shit but it was fine the tanker probably altered his course by 1 degree and as Garry was asleep I did not want to wake him.

40 nautical miles away the Tunisia Navy contacted us on the VHF wanting to know where we were going, number of souls on board and our nationality. 23 nautical miles away our Starlink stopped working, so netflix was turned off. What a welcome, here’s a country that controls their peoples contact with the outside world.

Having already been to Tunisia over 10 years ago, a holiday rep told us 3 things – Tunisia people are not allowed passports, the zebra crossing are not like home they don’t stop and the Smirnoff vodka is like 10 times the price, due to import tax the government have slapped on top.

We arrived at Bizerte marina just after 12.30 pm was guided to the quarantine dock and told to stay on boat whilst they got the doctor to see us. Doctor arrived, we handed over our Covid passports and that was that.

Now allowed to leave the boat, we was escorted to the police, customs and coast guard. Police took retina scans, pictures and thumb prints. Customs asked us many silly questions, searched boat and confiscated our satellite phone which we had no idea how to use.

Now all checked in we moved the boat into our spot inside the marina as we had booked two nights here and then went on the hunt for a cash point and orange shop to get a sim card for internet access.

We found both easy with the help of google along with a few butcher shops, which was most amusing to me, as they hang outside the head of the cow they are selling.

That afternoon we just chilling and planning an early night when we had a visitor turn up, he seemed pleased to see us as for two weeks he was the only UK flagged boat in the marina until we arrived.

We agreed to join him on his boat for a couple of beers later, Tex has a lovely catamaran which he had just bought and sailed it from the same marina we had been in France, Port Navy Services.

As it turns out Tex is a musician he was the drummer/keyboard player for Transvision Vamp back in the 80’s . He has travelled the world singing Baby I don’t care and I want your love along with many others songs.

We spent two nights with Tex swapping gigging stories and the horrors both boats had endured on our journeys down to Tunisia as both our boating experiences were short.

We had booked a marina spot in Yasmine Hammamet for 2 months to hide from the winter weather starting from the 7th November but that was 115 nm away, which we had planned to do over six legs so less than 20 nm a day.

I had selected 5 anchorages to stop over night at with attractions on the shore, possibly plans to get off the boat for beers maybe in the evenings.

We had been instructed to tell coast guard when we were leaving and we needed to collect the satellite phone so we could take it with us to then to hand back in with the customs at Yasmine Hammamet.

On the 1st days sailing around Tunisia we had our first Dolphin sighting for 5 seconds and must of spoke to the coast guard 4 times, asking us for our heading, number of people on board and their nationality.

When we arrived at our anchorage for the 1st night the coast guard asked us why we have stopped, I mean really , did they expected us to travel the whole way in one go?

Some anchorages were good, some where bad, but none of them had beer. We stopped in a lovely anchorage at Haouaria where we visited Roman Caves in the morning before we set off sailing for the day.

It turned out chatting to Coast Guard would be a running trend over the next three day but on the 4 night we were moved on from our anchorage and told to anchor around the corner in front of a fishing port.

Next morning we set off at 6.30 am to sail the 40 nm left in one day as we were sick of being harassed on the VHF. We started moving out from the area we had been made to anchor in then a coast guard boat chased us down asking where we were heading, we think they thought we had just arrived in the country.

After a long day of motoring we arrived at Yasment Hammermet marina at 4pm where we filled up our diesel tank in order not leave air for bugs to breed. The cost was a whopping 0.036 dinar per litre with 3/4 of a tank needed it cost 260,000 dinar bargin. 1 dinar = 0.27 p 70 quid in total.

We handed in satellite phone to customs, paid the marina for the next 2 months and moved the boat around into our allotted spot. The dash was over, we were here and not moving for the next 60 days yey now off to explore Yasmine Hammament.

All dashed out

3rd October 2022

Woke up late obviously needed the rest we decided we would visit the Leaning Tower of Pizza today. After a slow start to the day we final got ourselves on the move around 1pm, Google had told us that you buy bus tickets from a Tobacconist around the corner from the bus stop.

We found the bus stop, checked out times and then I went in search of tickets. Most shops close at 1.30pm till 5.30 so off I trotted leaving Garry at bus stop. Got there 1.25pm to find the lovely lady locking the door behind herself. Never mind a good friend always says just hop on public transport and use the we did not realise card.

Bus arrived on time so we got on still hoping maybe we could pay on the bus, but Italy’s public transport had only just dropped the wearing masks and the driver was still shut away from all customers so we rode for free.

30 minute bus ride then a 30 minute walk we found the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Free for all to walk around and ogle at a building with a lean.

In true Ems style we walked back to area where we got off bus and it was beer o’clock somewhere in world so we enjoyed a couple whilst working out how to get back to boat. Everything is always clearer after a drink lol but we found the bus station and bought tickets then headed back to marina.

With the winds still up in wrong direction we were forced to stay in yet another marina on the 4th October just another 20 nm further along to the coast called Cala De Medici . Not that I am complaining, because by now I had enough of this shuffling along everyday to a shit anchorage where I would have a shits night sleep, worrying about the boat dragging anchor and ending up in the shit on a pile of rocks.

Everyone thinks we are living the dream but in reality its boring and very tiring spending 24/7 on a boat motoring or trying to sail everyday to the next destination. I was missing my freedom of just being able to walk outside my back door into my garden or walk around the charity shops every Friday afternoon by myself. Chatting with the Olds every 5 days or so and eating Chris’s lovely cakes.

The home sickness and pending over night sail with only Garry to talk to made me feel scared and lonely. Friends at home carry on with the rat race, being too busy to talk. I just wanted to go home but knowing my once loved home was no longer my home.

With the 90 day clock tick tick ticking we again left the marina to move our new home to Baratti a little beach in front of marina it was calm of everything, no wind but cloudy water. We dropped anchor, waited for 2 hours and then went ashore in the hunt of beers to help sleep.

Our beach landing turned out to be a complete fail as it was a wall not a beach so ending up heading towards a private motor boat area. A lovely fisherman pointed at a dock so we left the tender there and headed to the pub.

In the morning we were leaving main land Italy to jump across to Elba, so after another rolly night we started to lift the chain. We were in 4 meters with 20 meters of chain out, today the water was clear and i could see the anchor laying on top of sand ….. whoops.

15 nm to Porto Ferraio on Elba it took 5 hours to motor across we had picked an anchorage with good protection the other side of a ferry dock. On approach many ferries were passing us, they are massive compared to us with cartoons painted on the sides.

When it came to passing the ferry dock to get to our anchorage it just had to be at the time one was leaving and one was arriving. We were playing piggy in the middle of these two giant ferries as they pivoted perfectly around in front of us.

The anchorage bottom was mud and water very calm it felt like the boat had been cemented in and was not moving amazingly as we were right next to the giant ferry moving in and out all day.

We jumped into the tender to go a shore to find the co-op to buy beers to celebrate our crossing, Navily had mentioned a place to leave the tender. When we turned up it was a very small part of a dock which had been fenced off because of a derelict factory, 3 other dinghies already there, so no room for us.

We tried another spot but could not find a way through the derelict factory so we jumped back into the tender and as Garry did he dropped his new reading glasses into the water which was 6 metres deep and muddy as hell. As most things are winding me up due to homesickness and the dreaded overnight sail, I had a moan as its just another shit thing Garry was inflicting on us. No beers no glasses we went back to boat.

In the morning of 7th October we managed to park our dingy by the coop, there was a market on too so we had a walk around, bought a frying pan and water sterilising tablets. Getting ready for arriving in Tunisia, my thoughts of the worst that could happen on the over night sail repeatedly played on my mind.

Over the next few days we start to plan which side of the Corsica to go down east or west and now knowing wind direction plays a big part of an anchorage getting this right was crucial. Our anchorages were ok as we managed to get beers in both, winner winner and the only highlight was at watching a sea gull stealing crisps someone had left at a table in the restaurant.

Crisp Stealer

The day came to crossing over to Corsica 9th October we crossed at 10am, we had big waves and lots of wind. We picked the quickest route in the direction for wind assistance, setting sail aiming for one of the marina at the top of Corsica. But as we got further from of the lea of land we found waves breaking on port side, pushing the boat over so had to change heading for a better more comfortable sail. Knowing we needed to be in marina that night, it looked like the marina was going to a lot further down than what we planned.

After a long day Port Bastia was our nights destination and they were not answering our VHF calls, so we slowly entered the marina and parked our self nearly on the end of the dock. This is when we found our plank of wood to be a little short so had to use the tender as a crutch.

Later that night in the dark and pouring raining another boat also had the same problem with contacting the port on entry. So they too just motored in but with only one space on the end left they were struggling to get both bow mooring lines in place so we threw on our wet weather gear and got them to throw their lines to us so we could pull their boat towards us enabling them to get the mooring line on the port side tied on. Later they knock on our boat and give us a bottle of wine for helping them out, cheers.

The next 15 days was a bit of a blur for me the weather was horrible, we ran out of water on the boat. We had some highlights but mainly lows as we picked the wrong side of the Islands to travel down to the bottom of Sardinia.

We did get the AIS sorted in Sardinia, we found Blue Jellyfish in an horrendous anchorage we picked in front of a beach and enjoyed my last supper pizza before the dreaded crossing.

I would love to thank everyone who supported me through this part of our journey as I was a nervous wreck about this crossing. I had built up this picture of us sailing into a tanker in the middle of the sea and sinking the yacht. I only nearly book a flight home twice in this period of time, not bad going. I also want to thank Garry for being a very supportive, understanding partner as I was a nightmare.

No Sleep Dash Part 2

20th Sept 2022 – 3rd October 2022

After leaving the comfort of the Frejus Marina our 1st destination was island of Ile Ste- Marquerite an Anchorage called Belvedere Du Dragon, we decided we would try again our first tender beach arrival and walk to the Fort Royal De I’lle Sainte-Marguerite Fortress which had prison cells and Roman Relics at the Museum of Iron Mask.

In the morning from the boat we picked our spot to ride to, which tree to padlock the dinghy to and what route to walk. On arrival our spot we found had sharp rocks under the shallow water, I quickly learnt I needed shoes i could wear in water because i needed to get off the tender and put my feet on these sharp rocks.

Being the determined sole i am i jumped right in, pulled the boat and Garry to the tree, as the end goal was a lovely walk in the sun. The visit to the museum was worth the damage to my feet but new shoes went on the ever growing list of things to buy.

As my last night’s sleep was ok we decided to stay another night. That afternoon i suggested a little tender ride to the next Island Ile Saint Honorat to see the monks. Garry took one look at the newly found swell concept which he had never known about and said it to rough for 1 nm crossing, our outboard engine won’t cope.

Well it took a while but i convinced Garry it would be fine, with the promise not to fall in ……. adding extra weight like life jackets, grapnel anchor, fire extinguisher and spare fuel as it added weight we started our journey across. As it turns out it was fine but i quickly understood Garry argument for not going, the ride was wet, bumpy and Garry had to point the tender at an angle to the waves so we did not tip over.

After another lovely walk around a different island with a look at how the Monks lived, we headed back to our boat full of luxuries. The tender ride was better on the way back as it was not into the waves.

Later that night the music started coming from a night club possibly miles away, noise travels far on water. The party carried on all night and the boat started rocking too as the swell had picked up. Morning came so did my sea sickness with little sleep for me it was a long journey with large waves and uncomfortable sea state.

We arrived at Ville Franche Sur Mer the anchorage called Anse De I’Espalmador, a very large bay with lots of boats at anchor. In the morning after a great nights sleep we walked around old key with hundreds of others as a Tui cruise ship had rolled in that morning. Its amazing how that many people can spoil an area, services get slow, rubbish in area builds up.

We decided to stay another night so we could explore that afternoon the next cove over called Saint Jean Cap Ferrat , lovely walk, a couple of beers and it was off back to the boat.

The swell had picked up making it very hard to get on from the back of boat, the rear of boat was moving up and down very fast in front of our eyes. Every time we got close to the back of boat the tender would go under and be pushed down into the sea. Whilst we sat in tender wondering how the hell we were going to get on, this is when I realise the curse of the 2nd night, swell appears it and I can’t get no sleep tune starts to play.

24th September we trudged to the next place, it starts to raining as we pass Monaco so we missed seeing that delight. Our anchorage came and went because we would not fit.

We finally had to stop at Rada Di Poggio in Italy Sanremo, as it was getting dark we dropped our anchor knowing this was going to be a long night. It was our 1st night in Italy, which was going to be spent rocking side to side all night. We used the big screen had movie night and no sleep was had by either, but we did learnt how to say “please may we have 2 beers” in Italian.

25th we moved the boat as soon as we could see to Porto Di Andora, the anchorage Baia Dei Saraceni another rolly anchorage but more sleep than last one.

With the clock ticking weather getting worst the march went on, Garry trying to do 30 nautical miles a day in order to get to Tunisia and the over night sail was playing on my mind.

26th Sept planned to stop at Seno Di Paraggi but anchorage was full so carried on to Santa Margherita Liqure anchored in front of the beach, great nights sleep.

28th decided to stay another night so had a long walk around and our anchor app recorded everywhere we went. In the bay here all of their buildings were painted to look like they have unique brick patterns. The look was amazing they looked really expensive structures till you got up close and saw they were all painted.

Morning of the 29th September with 2nd night anchorage saga I had no sleep so moved La Spezia at anchorage Le Grazie it was raining, waves were big and horrendous so stopped after 8 nm at Golfo Di Levante anchorage Sestri Le Vante in front of a little fishing village as it turns out rolly too also no sleep but better than motoring in the sea state to La Spezia.

30th I have lost a day really not surprised with the trend of no sleep going on.

31st At La Spezia anchorage Le Grazie was a mill pond which was surprising due to weather we had on way here was really bad rain, no visability. Garry’s glasses got wet so he just ran off to clean them and we were trying to miss a sand bank on way into cove at the time….

On the 1st Oct We went a shore, its sat am no one was about. Walked up a large hill to see a Villa, Romana Del Varignano which was closed but could see into our bay and the bay next door.

Took pictures of both bays which the other bay was apparently a top secret military base and you’re not allowed to enter, we found later whilst eating really bad pizza at Rio Gourmet.

2nd Oct 2022 Weather looked like rain was on the way and the wind was in wrong direction, making no anchorage along the next straight viable to stop in. A marina it was going to have to be, Turistico La Madonnia was the 1st and Garry had sent email but we had not received a reply. It was a sunday so we set off anyway thinking they would reply sometime before we get there.

The sea state was weird the VHF kept repeating bad weather warning for Corsa Island which was only to our starboard side across the water. Soon the marina came into view, we still had not received a response but Garry took one look at the breaking waves around entrance on the side and chickened out.

So on we went to the next marina another 14 nm more, this one was on Navily to book without email. Port De Pisa sent us a message to ring for instructions before entering port as large waves are breaking on front entrance. Holy shit we had no choice but to motor on and attempt the entrance in.

A 3 metre wave pushed us into the entrance of the marina, staff member in tender in front of us frantically saying slow down and 35 peeps from the harbour wall watched as we surf into the marina, what an entrance.

We book two nights straight away after that ordeal to recover as Garry had also discovered he had 50 Tetley tea bags left and I had realised the the leaning tower of pizza was a 30 minute bus ride away.

A good two nights sleep was achieved but who knew what was coming next.

The 9 week mad dash Part 1

12th Sept 2022 – 20th Sept 22

Our 1st few days we just sailed or motored following the path we had taken with Chris staying in the anchorages we had already been to. 1st night the little cove we had lunch in we stayed over night, Six Fours Les Plages in front of beach stopped two nights due to thunder & lighting all day and did not fancy moving in the rain. We had planned to complete our 1st beach docking in the tender but never managed to get ashore due to weather.

On the 15th we set off to Porquerolles to have pizza but wind direction was not in our favour for that anchorage so Rade De La Badine opposite side of bay we stayed but with the pending 34 knot winds the next day which we did not fancy Porquerolles Marina it would be to hide from winds.

Saturday 11am we set off across the bay, swell was up and winds were around 28 knots. We radioed the marina on approach but they were not answering, last time we just pottered in and someone greeted us. This did not happen unsure of what to do or were to park we tried to turn the boat around to wait on a free pontoon we had passed. However the bow thruster failed and with the wind up we nearly crash into a couple of boats whilst turning around.

After what seemed to be a horrindous ordeal we hot footed it out of marina and back across bay picking our spot a little further out from beach and putting more chain out as we did not know what to expected with these winds approaching.

That afternoon whilst waiting for the winds to turn up Garry decides he wanted to go for a little tender ride to collect a new bow thruster battery from a marina shop further around the bay. I talked him out of it for a few hours as we were waiting for the winds but once they had came gone and Garry gets something in his head it happens whether i like it or not. He had planned out the route apparently down to the last detail and found 3 marina shops on google in that area where 2 marinas were.

We put the tender in the water and started the journey to this Marina, as it turns out wind creates swell so the 40 minutes ride was a little rocky and wet for Garry on the back, me however with no tender seat was sitting on the floor in the front nicely protected from the spray.

We made it to what Garry thought was the empty part between the two marinas, its was full of little sailing dinghies, a club had just arrived back from an afternoon of racing. We coasted on in with all eyes on us and what the hell we were doing in their posh sailing club area.

Garry left me in the tender whilst he went to get the battery, after 20 mins Garry arrived back at the tender batteryless saying the marine shop that stocks batteries is a 30 mins walk away. So we attached tender to this pontoon and off we went with google app pointing us in the right direction. Indeed their was a shop that sold batteries, never thought about carrying the battery back did Garry!!!

We carried the battery between the two of us one handle each and started the long walk back. Arriving back at tender with longer arms then before we threw the battery in and started to go home but then it spit and spluttered to a halt. We had ran out of petrol in the motor and Garry never packed the can we had purchased and filled only a week ago. Lucky the posh club had their own fuel dock so we paddled off to buy 1.23 euros of diesel to get us home to fit the battery.

With new battery in place we could now enter a marina and not having a shower since we left Port Navy Services, Garry booked us into Frejus Port for 2 nights not realising it was 50 nm away. It was a very long way, a very long day, all for a very long shower yay!!

Whilst in the marina Monday was food shopping, new flip flops for Garry and sort a noise the engine makes on start up. Richard, Claire Ellis and Albus a lovely Dulux doggie from Stourbridge had pointed us in the right direction to a shopping centre.

The shopping centre was just what we needed it catered for all our needs including an old persons shopping trolley to save carrying the food we had bought. You just don’t realize how spoilt you are when you drive to the supermarket, you put your shopping in the boot and then drive home no carrying involved.

On a mission to sort the noise the engine is making on starting, Garry takes apart the ignition board to look if the switches he had purchased would fit. No was the answer so Garry put the switches back in and starts the engine to check if all is good, which the engine starts but still makes the noise.

However not all was well as Garry then could not stop the engine and he had to radio the marina boat yard to see if a engineer could attend the boat to assist in our predicament. Within 15 minutes a nice chap arrived, showed Garry how to stop the boat engine and a quick lesson on engine ignitions.

That evening we had been invited on to Claire & Richard’s boat for beers and nibbles, our 1st invite out to another boat. Keen to be on our best behaviour we only took a few beers, bottle opener and our own glasses.

A good night was had swapping stories about sailing, our journey so far all whilst drinking all our beer and theirs (sorry). The night flew by and the beers ran out so it was time to go home.