L:  I promised you the warts and all truth of the trip…

Let’s set the scene - if is now day 8 at sea from Albania. The diversion was one that we really had to make to avoid the post-Brexit rules of UK residents travelling in th EU/Schengen zone. In truth, this totally compromised our plan that was to leave Greece and head North into Italy, pick up the dog, and then casually cruise the European coastline. Instead, having stamped out of Schengen via Albania, with the wind unusually light, in a non-seasonal direction and time against us we have ended up heading West - passing South of Sardinia , passing through the Balearics and up towards Barcelona. We have missed Italy and France altogether.

By any measure and even with good conditions, the passage is quite a long one. With the winds as they are, we have ended up largely motoring to the South of Sardinia. From here, the wind has picked up, turned onto our nose and generated a bit of sea state. Motoring would be slow, inefficient and really uncomfortable (a sailing boat much prefers to sail,). So since Sardinia we have been beating into wind (largely in the wrong direction). This has been a 24 hr slog so far and we are only just half way between Sardinia and the Balearics as the crow flies. We have at least another 3 days before we see Barcelona.

Almost by definition, you cannot associate type 2 fun during the activity itself. I wonder how much distance will be required before this particular experience can be looked back on with any humour or affection. There will certainly need to be some strong talk of “champagne, down wind sailing”, food, drink and sleep to convince me to resaddle this horse! Indeed, right now, I am beginning to wonder whether extended, upwind, offshore sailing should be banned under the Geneva convention.

Everyone is tired. Sleeping on the off-watch is almost impossible. When you do nod off, time is invariably short until the next sail change is required or some other situation arises that requires the intervention of all/both parties. Everyone on board is trying to find their own space or exercise their own free will!

There is something so unappealing about your bunk - everything is slightly damp and sticky with salt. It is hot and airless. The new mattresses are simply not working out - unsupportive and making my lower back scream. All of our clothes (of which we have relatively few) are salt ridden and so do not dry out - there is simply no point in changing into a new set because within seconds they are as gross as those that you have just discarded.

And the boat is in a mess. Living life at an angle is not conducive to tidying. The drains are close to the waterline which means that in a heel they can be higher than the sinks. This means that if anyone does bother to wash up, they are invariably doing it in the dirty drains water from yesterday.

But that is not the worst part. No - the noise and movement of the boat is relentless. That is the drip of water on the forehead….. Every creak, groan and crash resounds and echoes through your mind. Is that the keel failing or just the sound of a sheet groaning under load? In truth, I have no idea what the sound of a keel failing is (or even if there is a sound!) let alone tell the difference from a cupboard door groaning under the flex of woodwork. 

And I can assure you that while lying in a damp, sticky, uncomfortable bunk unable to sleep, all of those sounds and movements are unnatural, assessed and reassessed and the situation “catastrophised”.

I think this is probably type 2 fun and we will, at some point, wake from a drunken stupor and think fondly on “that passage from Sardinia”. Right now though, a good sentence of solitary confinement does sound appealing.

The kids are actually doing great. J seems to be in his element - riding the motions of the boat and the situation fuelling his tireless inquisitive energy. He is perky, engaged and has his lovely twinkle in his eye. S is digging into her learning - particularly taken with subtraction and time-telling at the moment (330miles in total minus 120 travelled = 4 more days at sea?). Moments of combined play (Lego or settling in to listen to Treasure island on Yoto) are satisfying to see even if they do, invariably end with a need for a little “lone time”. Siblings…..

We are also very lucky to have V on board with her experience. She has an incomprehensible ability to read and interpret the weather information (no - that arrow on the grib file clearly showing a 10kt Westerly will actually be a 20kt Northerly….) and an enviable ability to place perspective around each of the sounds and motions of the boat.

We’ll get there. We’ll be fine. We’ll deserve a bit of R&R time in port while we collect the dog and make some repairs to Canopus (might need to lift out the water to replace the stern gland). France and Italy will still be there on the way back (in fact Spring/early Summer may be a better time to visit). As V keeps saying, we just need to take this one watch at a time.

Oh look the wind has just turned so we are heading in the wrong direction again. Was that last smash the keel or my head against the bulkhead?

Let’s have another coffee, do a sunrise deck check and contemplate….

Sleep well.

L