The Black Sea Cruising Guide Gets a Good Review

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The Black Sea book coverHappy 2013! We’ve been busy in the off-season with various writing projects, including another book, this one about Sierra Leone, edited by David, and contributions to a NatGeo blog on global lake topics written by Lisa.

See our updated Publications page for links to books, blogs, and articles about our sailing adventures aboard Gyatso and other topics of interest to us.

We’re also starting to see reviews of The Black Sea cruising guide and receive feedback from cruising sailors who have used it.

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Final Leg for 2012: Southern Italy to Sicily

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Photo: Sunset Siracusa Grand Harbor. Credit: L. Borre.

Sunset over the anchorage in Siracusa Grand Harbor

We sailed from Southern Italy to Sicily for the final leg of our 2012 cruise in the Mediterranean, arriving in Marina di Ragusa on 19 September. The voyage took us from Santa Maria de Leuca on the heel of Italy, across the Gulf of Taranto to Crotone, along the sole of the boot to Rocella Ionica, across the Gulf of Squilace to Riposto, Sicily and then south to Siracusa (see map).

We visited many of the same ports this year as when we were headed east in 2009 (see Logbook Archive for Southern Italy and Sicily). Siracusa was at the top of the list of places we wanted to visit again, so we were thrilled to have another week in scenic Grand Harbor. Late in the season, it’s a gathering place for migrating cruisers headed to their winter berths. We anchored in the company of several American-flagged boats and others passed through on their way to Malta, Tunisia, or like us, to Marina di Ragusa in Sicily. Continue reading →

At anchor in Lakka, Paxos

Gyatso in Italia…Again

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A southerly breeze carried us to the “heel of the boot” of Italy on Monday. We’re in Santa Maria de Leuca, a small summer resort town that is in the process of closing down for the season. A tall white lighthouse marking the Cape beams its light above the harbor at night. After sailing 160 miles in four days, we were ready for a lay day or two while waiting for the winds to become more favorable for crossing the Gulf of Taranto to the “sole of the boot.” Continue reading →

“The Black Sea” cruising guide now available in North America

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We have good news for those of you who have been asking where to buy The Black Sea cruising guide that we wrote. The guide is now available in North America from the following distributors: Landfall Navigation, Maryland Nautical and The Nautical Mind.

The book was published in April 2012 as a joint venture between the RCC Pilotage Foundation and Imray (both based in the UK) and is also available for purchase through their websites.

A list of suggested reading is provided in The Black Sea. For anyone interested in further reading on the topic, you can find these titles and more in the Gyatso Bookstore hosted by Amazon Associates.

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Back in Annapolis, Gyatso Awaits our Return to Greece

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We arrived back in Annapolis just over a week ago after leaving Gyatso berthed in Preveza, Greece. We flew back to the states from Rome, so our journey home involved an overnight ferry ride to Italy, a brief stay in Bari and the fast train to Rome — a mini travel adventure in itself. We stayed a night at a hotel near the historic district in Bari and spent two days wandering the narrow alleyways, visiting the impressive cathedrals and getting our fill of the Puglia region’s culinary treats, including olives, seafood and pasta. Their gelato wasn’t too bad either! It was a nice way to break-up the long trip home. Continue reading →

Galaxidhi shuttered up

Passage through the Gulf of Corinth in Greece

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An easterly wind carried us through the Corinth Canal to Galaxidhi, the same port we visited three years ago. The wind shifted to the west the following day, so we waited for it to drop before continuing westward to pass under the Rion bridge and into the Gulf of Patras.We spent five days catching up on some work we brought along, taking leisurely strolls through town and enjoying seafood dinners in the local taverna. Continue reading →

Mediterranean Monk Seal Pays a Visit in Kithnos

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Mediterranean Monk Seal (Photo by the International Fund for Animal Welfare)

We had a surprise visitor to Gyatso after dinner last night: an endangered marine mammal rarely seen in the Aegean Sea. We had just returned from one of the local tavernas ashore: cuttlefish in wine sauce for David and a hearty vegetable soup for me. It was already dark, the only light coming from the street lamps on the quay where we were rafted off the British yacht, Stratagem. Luckily, I had only a sip of ouzo to drink before dinner with neighbors Sandra and Ray, or I might not have believed my eyes. Continue reading →