sy Timoneer

Noon Position  22 deg. 34’ N. 041 deg. 18’  W.

Course  –  253 Degrees   Speed –    10 Knots        Day’s Run –  264  Miles

Weather –   Clear and sunny.   74F

Wind  –   8 knots from    ESE

The windless area around us seems to be expanding. Below is the view from our new mast camera on the starboard mizzen spreader.  Looking at the latest weather charts it seems that this calm is moving west at the same speed as us, so we will be in it for at least the next 2 days and probably longer; maybe even all the remaining 1200 miles to Antigua.

But conditions are better for fishing. This ….

…. Makes this…! (plus 3 huge fillets still in the fridge.)

It was also a good morning for our astro-navigator. The sextant comes out at about 7am. Prep work is already done for the stars we are going to use. In 10 minutes Jonny shot Capella, Dubhe (in Ursa Major,) Pollux, (one the Gemini twins,) Spica (constellation of Virgo,) Sirius (Big Dog) and (for good measure,) Jupiter with yours truly taking the times. Calculations done, he finished with a satisfying 5-sided polygon surrounding our position.

So we’re sure about where we are.

Aye, aye.

Peter and crew

Noon Position  23 deg. 52’ N. 036 deg. 52’  W.

Course  –  258 Degrees   Speed –    10 Knots        Day’s Run –  246 Miles

Weather –   Clear and sunny.

Wind  –   2 -4 knots  Variable

Timoneer coming off a surf at 14 knots.

Because of the weather we haven’t fished for over 2 days. That changed yesterday and the action started shortly after lunch when we got 2 strikes on the lines at once. Andre stopped the boat as Jonny and I made a dash for the rods at the stern. One managed to jump off the hook but we landed a fat Skipjack tuna of about 10-11 kilos. Fileted 30 minutes later, he is now relaxing in the fridge in preparation for a little sashimi this evening. At five o’clock one of the lines went racing and this time Jonny pulled in a mahi-mahi. Satisfactory afternoon.

Jonny’s mahi-mahi

Later on, after sunset, in the pitch darkness and waiting for the moon to rise, a ‘blip’ appeared on the radar.  The AIS revealed it to be the 80,000 ton crude oil carrier African Spirit en route to Nova Scotia. The radar predicted its CPA (closest point of approach) to be less than 2 miles so we slowed to let him pass in front at about 3 miles. Just as well!  Richard did a little research on the ship and discovered that it reputedly ran down a British 40 foot racing yacht while on a voyage to Cape Verde Islands in 2011. The story is inconclusive, but they did pick up the 2 crew members from the water and deliver them to land.

This morning we had the most glorious dawn on the trip so far. It’s a beautiful day now and suddenly everyone is volunteering for deck work and washing off the encrusted salt from earlier this week.

Tonight at 1700 we will be 1400 miles from Antigua which is half-way from our departure point, Arrecife. That coincides with ‘happy hour.’ Good timing!

All best from,

Peter and crew

Noon Position  24 deg 51’N. 032 deg 35’W

Course  –  260Degrees   Speed –   10 Knots        Day’s Run –  270 Miles

Weather –   Clearing finally

Wind  –   15 knots from   South

We have had some fairly robust weather, including 12 hours of lightning on Monday night, rain of biblical proportions and a couple of very fast days.

This chart shows the weather situation developing on Tuesday morning, 3 days out of the Canaries. Our choice had been to head way south to avoid the worst (a lot more miles) or use the helpful, but strong SE winds. We chose the latter route and had some very exciting sailing.  Using only a reefed genoa (or sometimes just the staysail,) and the mizzen sail, for 2 days we surfed some big Atlantic seas at speeds up to 15 knots. Actually, the highest recorded surf was 15.9 knots. In 2 days we covered 545 miles.  Soups and stews were the order of the day as working below (and particularly in the galley) was challenging!

I had hoped to skirt around the north of the system to keep the wind behind us and avoid the headwinds further south. What happened was that the area of no wind expanded and enveloped us and we are now motoring in the light and variable conditions which stretch for hundreds of miles.

Time to get the lines out again!

Peter and crew

Noon Position  27deg. 30’ N 23deg. 40’  W

Course  –  210Degrees   Speed –    12Knots        Day’s Run –   285 Miles

Weather –   Cloudy with few sunny intervals.

Wind  –  34 knots from    ENE

Timoneer crew, having toured the moonscape that is Lanzarote, departed the marina in Arrecife early on Saturday morning; only to find the channel completely blocked by a dredger manoeuvering around in front of us.  Slightly bewildered as to why the marina control had not informed us, we waited 15 minutes in the narrow exit thankful that the wind was fairly calm.  The crew on the dredger were obviously stressed with all the running around and shouting that we could see and hear. Eventually, they managed to pull over to the side and we were able to pass and  head out to sea.

We aimed to the west and threaded our way through the other islands, north of Fuerteventura and Tenerife, then turning to port and leaving La Palma to starboard.  By 10 am on Sunday the last of the archipelago silhouettes were receding in the distance. A lonely turtle passed us going the opposite direction and we will not see more islands for a while.

We continued towards the west yesterday and last night. The conditions were not ideal with a relatively light wind astern and a fair bit of rolling causing some old repairs in the luff of the mainsail to re-open. Andre and Mani spent 4 hours on the boom patching and sewing to prevent it worsening.  Later, we decided to furl the sail as a wind increase was forecast.  Now, on the morning of the 3rd day, we have gybed to the south and are having a great broad reach with the mizzen and genoa in 30 – 35 knts of wind and a big quartering sea.  Reggae music and humming along is emanating from the galley and lunch is imminent!

Aye aye,

Peter and crew

Noon Position  31deg 48’N. 10deg 54’ W.

Course  –  220Degrees   Speed –    11.5Knots        Day’s Run –   240 Miles

Weather –   Cloudy, Sunny intervals.  Mild and getting warmer!

Wind  –   20knots from    NNW

Timoneer left Gibraltar on Sunday evening. We waited an extra 24 hours after re-fuelling to allow for an ugly old sea caused by recent southerly gales to dissipate before we continued into the Atlantic.  This short stop also gave us a chance to visit the area around Tarifa. A place many of us have passed dozens of times and only seen from the Straits.  Our guide for the day was Ray Dwyer, ex-captain of Surama and local resident for many years. Andre took the opportunity to hone his kite-boarding skills while the rest of the shore party had lunch at the Hurricane Hotel.

Yesterday’s big excitement was a close encounter with 2 large sperm whales crossing in front of us. So close, in fact, to necessitate an emergency stop! They dived in front of us and that was the last we saw of them. It’s always wonderful to see these majestic creatures at sea.

We are now 24 hours from Arrecife in Lanzarote.  The winds, which were light for the first 36 hours, began to increase to a useable strength yesterday evening.  Some nice motor-sailing on a beam reach for a while.  More recently the breeze has veered to the NNW which is more difficult for us to keep good pressure in the sails.  This looks set to continue until tomorrow when we will break the journey for a couple of days.

Still no success with the fishing!

Peter and crew.

After a few days relaxing in Palma, Mrs G on her mobility scooter and me on a bike, we headed into the old town of Palma to explore the sights and try and find some more baskets like the one she had bought in Soller. After cruising around the shops for a while the battery on the scooter started playing up and we only just managed to get it to the taxi rank and head back to the boat.

The next day Bob, Mo, John, Linda, Joanne and John arrived at Palma airport and went to Timoneer to join Mrs G for a late lunch. We then all went by taxi to check out the sights of old town Palma. This time Mrs G’s scooter behaved. After viewing a couple of Gaudi buildings we then headed through the old narrow streets to the gothic cathredral which was started in 1229.  After all this thirsty walking we stopped at Hotel Cort for a glass of local wine and to see the sea urchin lamp which Linda had spotted in a NY publication. We then headed back to Timoneer for  the evening.

Friday morning some guests went walking to find a local café before returning for breakfast. We then headed out and anchored off Illetas to stay out of the swell. Some went swimming and John had a go on the SUP and provided the rest with some entertainment as he struggled with the chop in the bay. After lunch we upped anchor and motored around past the huge houses of Andratx, past the impressive coastline north of Dragonera Island to the dock at Soller Port.

After breakfast the guests caught the tram and Mrs G and I went by taxi to Soller town for the Saturday market which is set up in the streets. The ladies had a great time looking at all the crafts and jewelry stands while I introduced the men to what the locals drink, a carajillo con amazonas which is an espresso with sweet Mallorcan rum. They then went on to buy local olives, cheese, sausage and almonds. The market started to get busy as the first train load of tourists arrived from Palma. We then headed back to Timoneer for lunch, after which Phil took the guests for a drive to the pretty mountain villages of Deia and Valldemossa and then to the Lafiore glass factory. In the evening the guests kindly took us all out for a very nice evening at the restaurant Sa Barca.

In the morning we left Soller and headed further along the coast to Sa Calobra where we dropped anchor and all the guests went ashore and walked the path around the coast and through a tunnel to get to the beach. After a swim they returned to Timoneer and then Phil met them ashore with the van and drove them to Cala Tuent for a Sunday lunch at restaurant Es Vergeret where from all accounts they enjoyed very good paella looking down on the bay of Tuent.  Timoneer then motored into the bay and anchored below the restaurant adding to the occasion for all the diners above. Once the guests were back onboard we continued North East past the mountains and rounded Cape Formentor anchoring out of the swell off the Formentor Hotel for the night.

Restaurant Es Vergeret at Cala Tuent

Monday the weather was not so nice and we motored across the North of Mallorca and all the way down the East coast and anchored on the South off Colonia St. Jordi by Playa Es Trenc. It was raining so the guests enjoyed a movie.

Phil met the guest ashore Tuesday morning and drove them to Can Feliu vineyard at Porreres where our Timoneer wine was made. They spent the afternoon with Carlos having a lovely meal and tasting wine. On their return to Timoneer some went ashore for a swim.

We thought we had a good spot out of the swell but early morning we started to roll so we headed off and had breakfast underway and dropped anchor in the calm of Palmanova Bay where the guests had a lot more success on the SUP’s. John managed to show them up this time. After lunch we headed back to Palma and tied up to the dock. Then the rain came and put a stop on any plans we had to go ashore.

Thursday morning the rain had cleared so I drove all the guests to Olivar Market where Bob found the seafood hall and did as the locals did and had oysters and cava. Meanwhile the ladies were looking for gifts to take home. There is plenty to look at and experience in this massive market. After an hour there we headed back to the boat to pack the drinks and salads in the van and off we drove to Alaro to Phil and Anne’s “Goat House”. The roads just keep getting narrower and the dry stone walls on either side go for miles. At the bottom of their property some got in to a 4WD to get up the last few hundred meters while the rest of us walked. Phil cooked up his usual superb deboned lamb legs on the BBQ and also fresh sardines, very Mallorcan. He also had a fantastic lamb curry in the poiki pot, letting his African side coming out. After a great afternoon in the countryside overlooking the village of Alaro we wound our way back down the hill and back to Palma. For the guest, sadly, this was time to pack their bags ready for their early departure in the morning. These guests have to be the biggest jigsaw puzzle addicts we have had onboard. They successfully finished 4 and left one half complete.

Alaro Village from the Goat House

A fun week was had by all where hopefully they got a little taste of what draws so many foreigners to Mallorca and why plenty now call it home. At 6:30 Friday morning we arrived at Palma airport in the dark for Mrs G and her guests to start their trip home.

After breakfast we started dismantling the yacht ready for the next round of maintenance in the shipyard. We will be in the shipyard until mid-November then off to the Caribbean.

Mrs G and her friends Bruce and Marcia, Ted and Clair, and Frank and Cricket all made their connecting flight in Frankfurt but then got separated in Palma airport and we lost Frank and Cricket. Eventually they came through half an hour after the others and we got them back to Timoneer in Palma harbour for a late lunch and relaxing afternoon onboard.

In the morning Phil and Richard took them for a tour of Palma, including Plaza Major, the massive Olivar fresh market and the crowded beach of Playa de Palma and back around the coast to Portixol. Meanwhile we moved Timoneer and anchored off Illetas and went by tender to pick them up from Puerto Portals marina. After lunch, some enjoyed a swim from the yacht while others enjoyed a book, a jigsaw puzzle or a nap for the afternoon.

After breakfast the next morning we ran them ashore on Bendinat beach and Phil met them in the van and took them for another tour inland to an old finca for lunch. They were then met by the crew in Andratx and taken out to Timoneer. While the guests were ashore we had moved Timoneer to the town of Port d’Andratx where we anchored below the homes of Europes rich and famous.

Monday morning we motored in flat calm conditions inside Dragonera Island around the western corner of Mallorca. A year ago there was a massive fire in this area that was out of control for over a week and at its peak had over 20 aircraft fighting it. There were still the remains of some charred trees but now most of it has low greenery growing where there had been forests. Even so it is still an incredible coastline of cliffs and mountains. We followed the coast NE until we reached our lunch spot at Foradada point. Jellyfish ruined my first choice but eventually we found an anchoring spot without them and enjoyed a swim in the clear blue sea with the bottom visible 70’ (20m) below us. After lunch we continued along the coast past Cala Deia to the marina in Soller Port. Some of the guest’s went ashore shopping while others relaxed onboard. In the evening a bar came to life off the stern of the boat.

Foradada Point

Tuesday some of the guests caught the old tram inland through the orange groves and peoples back gardens to  the pretty little town Soller. Phil drove Mrs G and Frank there and then they continued up into the mountains to Deia and Valldemossa and then to the Lafiore glass factory before taking the tunnel back through the mountains to the port.

Sometime during the night the dock area turned into a parking area for a load of camper vans and trucks. It turned out to be the support vehicles for a movie that was being filmed in the area. It was an international movie about zombies called Return of Generation Z. We left the dock and continued along the coast to a very pretty little bay called Cala Tuent. The plan was to stop here for a swim and lunch but we got asked to move on as the movie was about to begin shooting in that bay. So we went on a few miles to Cala de La Calobra which is a very popular tourist destination during the day but by early evening it was a very peaceful and beautiful spot for us to light up a BBQ onboard. The cloud that had been around in the afternoon cleared up and we could see the mountain tops inland and the setting sun out to sea.

Departing Sa Calobra

Departing Sa Calobra

Mallorca’s highest mountain Puig Mayor 4,740’ (1445m)

We had breakfast underway on Thursday and continued under the high cliffs of this spectacular coastline until we reached Cala Figuera where we anchored for a swim in the most amazing blue water. After lunch we continued East rounding the cliffs of Cape Formentor 650’ (200m) below the lighthouse. We anchored north of La Fortaleza for the last night of the trip.

Cala Figuera

Friday morning we moved Timoneer in to the shallow bay of Pollensa where we ran the guests ashore and Phil drove them the 40 minutes to the airport. Mrs G stayed with Timoneer and we motored the 75 nm back to Palma and for the first time all week we encountered wind and swell. We tied up in Palma around 6pm.

Palma Cathedral

On meeting Arthur and Page at Nice airport, it was a 10 minute taxi ride back to Nice Port where Timoneer was moored. After a freshening up and lunch they went for a walk along the Promenade des Anglais, Nice’s waterfront, and then through some of the old town and climbed the hill above the port for views over all of Nice from the waterfall.

Old Town Nice

After a much needed good nights sleep we left and went for a sail and had lunch underway. The swell picked up and we were left with few options to get away from it. We stopped at Theoule-sur-Mer which provided a calm anchorage and a small protected beach ashore. We stayed here for the night and Page went for a run in the morning and Arthur a swim. We then sailed to Baie de Bougnon where Arthur and Page enjoyed some time on the beach and we got buzzed by jet skis. The wind picked up to 25 knots and we motored into it to St Tropez. It made for an interesting docking there and 100’s of people watching. It was amazing how much more crowded it was compared to June. The guests battled the crowds for a while before returning to Timoneer for dinner and then heading out again after for a wander through St Tropezs narrow alleyways.

St Tropez

Page went for a run in the morning and then after breakfast they went wandering some more. Jonny then drove Timoneer off the dock and we headed to Agay where Arthur and Page had a go on the SUP’s and paddled ashore. Unfortunately, after an hour of lying on the beach, one of the boards decided to pop, with the noise of it giving everyone in the area a fright. This turned out to be a manufacturing flaw and we have now been given a new one.  After rescuing Page from the beach we headed off to dock in Cannes where they enjoyed a walk past the festival center checking out the stars hand prints in the pavement and along the beach past all the fancy beach clubs and crowded public parts of the beach. After dinner they enjoyed the narrow streets of old Cannes.

Friday morning we headed back to Theoule-sur-Mer and found a great little beach around the point with caves and cliff jumpers. Arthur and Page spent the morning there and then we headed to Antibes in the afternoon where we were mobbed by sailing dinghies when we dropped anchor. They explored ashore before returning to Timoneer for dinner.

Villefranche

After Page’s morning run we moved to Villefranche. We ran Arthur and Page to Nice port in the tender and they caught the bus to Eze Village where they wandered its maze of narrow alleyways and took in the incredible view from the Exotic Garden. They then walked down the 700m (2,300 feet) to the sea at Eze-sur-Mer and caught the train back to Villefranche. They then had a well deserved swim before going ashore to Restaurant Loco Loco for moules et des frites (mussles and fries).

View from Eze Village over Cap Ferrat

Sunday we took a slow cruise around the coast of Cap Ferrat checking out some of the Meds most expensive real estate. In the bay there were some of the worlds most expensive yachts including the 115m (377 foot) motor yacht Luna. We continued around the coast to Monaco and due to the depth there we could not anchor. We launched the tender, said our farewells and took the guests ashore to their hotel to finish off a great trip.

Once the tender was back onboard we headed off for the 370nm trip to Palma. Along the coast we had lovely conditions and then we headed out in to a mistral and had 35-40 knots of breeze and seas to go with it.  The wind angle opened up a bit and we had a cracking sailing through the night. Not a lot of sleep was had due to the big seas.  We entered the calm of Mahon harbour on Menorca Island and motored the 3nm to its head. This is an amazing natural harbour and has a lot of fortifications from various periods of its long history. We didn’t stop as we still had another 12 hours to Palma. Arriving around 11pm we dropped the anchor in Palma bay and had a good nights sleep before heading in and on to the dock in the morning.

We left from Genoa with Mrs Gosnell and Robin onboard for the 80nm trip down to Livorno harbour. The trip down was uneventful with no fish and no wind. Once in Livorno harbour we then ran aground being guided to our berth by marina staff. After a lot of trying we were eventually pulled off the mud by 2 pilot boats and berthed on a commercial dock for the night. The next day we were guided into the Benetti shipyard marina where Cheryl and Stephen joined Timoneer. After lunch I went to the Pisa airport to meet Leslie and Jack. Meanwhile the rest of the guests went exploring the canals of Livorno’s old town by tender.

Sunday morning I went and picked up a rental van and we loaded it up with the mobility scooter and wheelchair, the guests and Jordi as my navigator. After a drive by the Italian naval academy in Livorno, we headed out into the beautiful Tuscan countryside past fields of sunflowers. We arrived at La Locanda del Toscano, an agriturismo restaurant, surrounded by vineyards and farmland. Here we indulged in many courses made from produce from farms in the local area. The friendliness of this family run place made for a very memorable meal. While we still could move, we all got back in the van and drove to Pisa and joined the crowds viewing the leaning tower. It is incredible that it still stands and also that such an amazing structure was built as a bell tower. We then headed back to Timoneer for a very light dinner.

At La Locanda del Toscana

Torre di Pisa

In the morning we left before breakfast for the 45nm journey to Elba Island. We tied up in Portoferraia  by the old town walls. Some of the guests went wandering the streets of the old town before the afternoon heat forced them back to the aircon. In the evening the town comes alive when they block out the traffic and a market sets up all around the harbour. One of the reasons Elba became famous was because Napoleon was held here. In the town was his winter house and further out was his summer estate which the guests went and checked out by taxi. On their return we headed around the East side of the island past the old iron mines and dropped anchor for a swim in the beautiful clear waters off Ortano before then heading into Porto Azzurra for the night. This turned out to be a shoppers paradise both in the evening markets and during the day. The guests had a great time shopping in the morning.

Porto Azzurra

Wednesday we left and found an anchorage in Golfo Stella on the south side of Elba where we stopped for lunch. The wind started to pick up so we tried to go for a sail but the wind did not continue to strengthen and we gave up and went and anchored in Golfo della Lacona.

Fort near Porto Azzura

We left Elba Thursday morning and motored across to the Tuscan coast and anchored for lunch and a swim south of Cala di Forno. We got the stand up paddleboards (SUP’s) out and Robin and Stephen had a go. We then moved on down the coast to Tallamone where some of the guests climbed the castle in the small village. There were a lot of kite and wind surfers here and the breeze filled in nicely for a sail across the bay to Santo Stefano. We went stern to the town dock and had some religious ceremony taking place on the breakwater dock beside us. It seemed quite odd and disrespectful that there were guys standing around in their Speedos behind this ceremony and then we realized that the water polo court was behind the breakwater.

This guy was at the religious ceremony

After a quick shopping trip for sunglasses Friday morning we headed off to Giglio Island. This island was made famous 2 years ago after an Italian captain hit the rocks there sinking the Costa Concordia cruise ship with the loss of 32 lives. It was refloated and towed to Genoa 2 weeks before we arrived. There is still a lot of work going on there to remove all the structures used in the salvage. All the guests went ashore for lunch at the La Margherita restaurant. Some then went up to Giglio Castle, a village on top of the island. They returned with bottles of Asonica Passito, a locally produced desert wine which was pretty tasty. We motored back to the mainland and anchored off Argentario. It was a beautiful evening and we had a BBQ on the back of Timoneer and enjoyed the sunset. Some even saw the “green flash”. The swell changed and we had to run a stern anchor out in the last of the daylight which enable us to have a good night’s sleep without rolling.

Sunset

In the morning Robin and Stephen had another go at the SUP’s and got the knack of it. We got underway, fishing lines out, and headed for Civitavecchia 40nm down the coast. We didn’t catch any fish. It seems harder and harder to get fish in the Med. On the approach to the harbour we were passed by a massive ferry doing 20 knots. We then followed it in to the harbour past 3 cruise ships and finally made our way to our dock. Civitavecchia is the main cruise ship dock for Rome. Some guests went wandering and found the evening market along the seafront. Italy is known for its leather and Robin couldn’t walk by a lovely leather jacket.

Sunday morning and Jack decided a day of rest was required before the big trip home. The rest of the guests headed off with a driver to Rome and spent the day seeing the sights and shopping. On returning it was time to try and fit all their purchases of the trip in their suitcases ready to depart in the morning.

It was quite a different trip starting in a shipyard, finishing in a commercial harbour and a lot of beautiful places along the way. Stephen and Cheryl were first off at 4:30am and then Robin at 11:30. After lunch we took Mrs Gosnell, Jack and Leslie to the airport to start their journey back to Nantucket.

After nine days in the shipyard in La Ciotat, France doing maintenance we sailed overnight to the beautiful old seaside town of San Remo. In its heyday it must have been a stunning place as there are so many beautiful old buildings. Silvia, Philip and Fryda arrived by train and spent the afternoon exploring San Remo. Thursday morning Philip and Fryda caught the bus and walked up the hill to Bussana Vecchia. This is a small village that was destroyed by an earthquake. In the 1960’s artists slowly started arriving and setting up in the ruins. Now there is a whole colony of artists living there. We picked up Philip and Fryda back down at the beach after their walk and motored to Imperia. In the evening the guests enjoyed an excellent seafood meal at Ristorante La Ruota while watching the sunset.

The Casino in San Remo

Imperia

Friday brought no wind and flat seas as we motored the 60 nm to Santa Margherita. We had the fishing lines out but no luck. Santa Margherita is surrounded by beautiful green hills and is a lovely spot. Saturday morning Silvia, Philip and Fryda walked to Porto Fino 5km away and had lunch there. Meanwhile I went to Genoa airport to meet Mrs Gosnell and Robin. Unfortunately 1 bag didn’t arrive and caused an already long trip to be longer. Luckily the bag turned up later that evening.  Silvia caught the ferry back from Porto Fino and Philip and Fryda attempted a hike through the hills back to S. Margherita but ran into a wild boar and decided to go back via the road instead.

Porto Fino

Sunday some of the guests went to an Italian church service and then they all went by taxi to Agriturismo Il Monte for a character filled experience and a lovely home cooked Italian lunch in the hills. Everybody had a quiet Sunday evening onboard Timoneer.

In the morning we got going early and had breakfast underway. We anchored off Levanto, a town just north of the Cinque Terre National park, as we cannot enter the waters off the park. Silvia, Robin, Philip and Fryda caught the train to the next village and spent the day walking parts of the famous coastal track and exploring some of the 5 villages. Mrs Gosnell enjoyed a day of relaxation onboard. Due to a swell picking up we motored back to Santa Margherita to the relative calmness of the marina.

Tuesday morning Philip and Fryda caught the train back down to Cinque Terra to walk and explore more. The others enjoyed a relaxing day in Santa Margherita.

In the morning the guests went for a dinghy ride along the coast to Porto Fino and checked out the shops there. Meanwhile we left the marina and waited off Porto Fino for them. We continued north around the headland and anchored off the town of Camogli for lunch. The swell did its best to spoil lunch but we managed it with the use of the engine and thrusters. The guests went ashore and had a look around and really enjoyed it. We then headed to Genoa and tied up with our stern to bars and restaurants which the guests looked around after dinner.

Camogli

After breakfast Thursday morning Silvia, Philip and Fryda headed home after a good taste of what Liguria has on offer.