Life On Sail

  July  2025 overview After the major standing rigging overhaul—the biggest renovation yet—our spending has settled back to a "normal" range of around €3,000. Well, not exactly "normal," since our friends and son arrived in early July, inflating costs a bit. Hoping we can keep things steady in August. Total spending reached  €2891  for the month. July 2025 details This month's highlights: - Friends arrived in Sardinia—great to have them aboard!   - Our son joined us for just under a month.   - Celebrated our son’s birthday in style!   - X5 new camera potentially lost (not counted in the budget). I’ll cover this from a separate personal account, possibly using referral gains from earlier this year. Still TBD.   July 2025 vs Budget With six months into our sabbatical,  we’ve spent a bit more than 81% of our total budget,  leaving  €19830  for the remaining six to seven months.   Repairs and Maintenance Bu...

  We visited Talamone, a 13th century village in Tuscany.   After the visit, we were off for a good-wind-day, roaring at 4,6 knots speeding cruise for 4h. Then the wind stopped abruptly when we arrived... We did 20 nautical miles today!

  2h navigation in the morning and we were at Castiglione della Pescaia. We just had a short stop over in this beautiful Tuscany medieval town. Too bad the castle is private so you cant visit. We went back to the boat and continued the journey. Here is the vlog of the Castiglione stop And here is the vlog of the Talamone stop the next morning.

 After 32 nm and 7 hours, we hit the Italian coastline. Took the easy route—North Corsica instead of the long haul from Sardinia to Sicily—to keep things chill. As we near bigger cities, our son’s departure looms. Gonna miss him on this boat. I miss my 360 camera, but I have my usually streak of bad luck.  The UPS parcel seems to be lost somewhere... the tracking number doesnt seem to work...  Not sure if the parcel will ever reach destination.   

  Not much wind, a lot of engine but only 2h+ navigation. We hope to get a berth tomorrow at the port but they haven't replied us. There is going to be a lot of wind, so we'd better find a shelter. In the meantime we are mooring in front of the city. I'm disappointed that Napoleon's house is closed for renovation... We came all this way and cannot visit it! The next day the port called and we got a spot, just right when we could hear thunder and the rain pouring.  However it's not the old port within the old city, but the new port 2 km away.  But it's still nice to get a shelter, although it's not the cheapest one. It was 95 euros for the night.  More expensive than Porto Vecchio. It's the most expensive port we have been to.  But it allowed us to visiti the city, surrounded by fortresses and home to Napoleon's exile house between 1814 and 1815.  Not sure if it's the absence of the 360 camera or else, but I am getting less views on my shorts on...

  This trip marks the beginning of our "international" sailing adventures.  My happy because it finally means a bit of discovery, although we have been to Italy before, it will still be a bit of discovery as we have done a tiny part of it. Especially for Nico who hasnt been to many Italian trips with me and my son.  I m also sad and stressed because of my Insta360 camera situation.  I can't properly record my daily vlogs and I have to deal with the follow-up of the return...  I'm trying to put that in the back of my mind and enjoy our first day at Marciana Marina.  We are mooring at the port! Tomorrow we'll visit the village then be on our way to Portoferraio, the main city of Elba. 

 We don't get to spend time with our son very often since he studies in Paris' vicinity while we are either in Hong Kong or traveling.  So getting to spend weeks with him this summer is really something meaningful for us.  Unfortunately he sees it differently as he would have preferred staying at his own apartment.  Far away for the traveling tornado. He doesnt like traveling although we got him traveling since his youngest age.  Anyway, today was a day dedicated to him.  BUT, we got busy... and kind of neglected him a big part of the day after lunch time.  We still went for Mexican food, one of his favorite, although the Corsican was far from authentic.  We ate so much that he went for a nap right after. Nico was into his DIY activities.  And I was deep into the after sales frustration, having to deal with my long-awaited 360 cam that didnt work at all.  Now that I have received my camera, there is nothing keeping us in France... The on...

  We came back to Bastia to get my new X5 360 camera...

  Just a one-hour navigation to Borgo, full steam ahead with the wind howling!  Nobody dared leave the port today—boats were practically dancing with each other at the marina. Once we got out to open water, though, the gusts calmed down a bit, surprisingly.  We're sticking around here until my new Insta360 cam arrives, but shipping to Corsica? Let’s just say it’s proving to be quite the adventure!

We finally arrived at Bastia Port! Nico was busy changing the oil today while we tackled laundry duty.  This afternoon, we found a cinema showing subtitled movies—score! Sadly, it was Superman, not exactly my top pick, but it felt so good to sit in a theater with a bag of popcorn, just like old times in Hong Kong. A little dose of normalcy goes a long way!

 We will be staying in Bastia until I receive my new Insta360 X5 camera.  The first night mooring nearby the marina was horrific because of the swell.  I couldn't sleep.  But it was just a little glimpse onto what was to come the next day.  With a little sleep but a lot of excitement getting to the shore, we thoroughly enjoyed our little excursion into Bastia.  It is really a charming city. Colorful streets, total quietness despite us visiting on a Saturday.  It's high up secluded in its citadel towering the port.  It's definitely in my top 3 cities now along with Hyeres and Bonifacio.  You can visit it all within a day.  It is now our 3rd day here and I guess we might stick around until Tuesday... Hopefully I receive my camera by then.  It is highly time for us to move forward to Italy! Here is a glimpse of Bastia

 Another long navigation today, cruising at a steady 4.4 knots—not too bad, covering 28NM in 6h30. Unfortunately, the marina in Bastia is fully booked this weekend, so we might need to head out tomorrow to avoid the heavy swell expected tonight in the area. Good news is, we’ve secured a berth for Monday, so we’ll be back then!

 We’re thrilled to share Vogue, our Bénéteau Oceanis 40 CC Clipper, center cockpit, on YouTube! Our goal was to drop one video a month, but June threw us a curveball—parents visiting, then friends and our son joining for the Sardinian leg of our journey. It was a whirlwind!  Still, we managed to hustle and release Part 1 of our boat presentation, showcasing *Vogue*’s sleek exterior with pride. Check it out, and stay tuned for more as we sail toward Bastia! Watch the video here below:   Part 2 of Vogue’s YouTube showcase is coming … whenever we can make it happen! Don’t expect our usual polished structure—this time, it’ll be a bit raw.  With the boat constantly in a state of organized chaos, finding the perfect moment to film clean clips is tricky. But that’s life on board! Stay tuned for more of our Bénéteau Oceanis 40 CC Clipper adventures as we sail toward Bastia.

We rose early today, spurred by the wind kicking up sooner than expected. With 6 knots of breeze, we covered 22 nautical miles in just over 7 hours, cruising at an average of 3 knots until the wind faded.  Arriving earlier than yesterday, we hit the shops in Bastia and scored some delicious Myrte sausages—authentic Corsican goodness! Can’t wait to savor these local treats. I have order another new insta X5 camera. It will be a bit different from my dual lense ONERs but since I never change the lenses anyways, I decided to change to a full 360 cam. 

We set sail with just 4 knots of wind but still covered 19 nautical miles in nearly 7 hours, bringing us closer to Bastia. Fingers crossed for better winds tomorrow, but we’ll see what the sea has in store! On board, we keep things fun with a daily card game to decide who’s stuck with dish duty. It’s a blast, and with a one-in-three chance to dodge washing dishes twice a day, I’m loving the odds!

 Today, we sailed 19.6 nautical miles in 6 hours, riding the breeze until the wind completely died down. Our day kicked off with a grocery run before we explored the charming village of Porto Vecchio.  Our goal is to reach the North of Corsica in order to cross to the Italian sea without having a 24h navigation. We wrapped up at a stunning beach, but disaster struck—I accidentally dunked my Insta360 camera in the water with the lid open, and it’s officially toast. Ouch! No more capturing our sailing adventures the way I love to.  Stay tuned for what’s next, even if it’s without my trusty camera!

  We were to rush to Porto Vecchio for the National Day's firework... We planned to leave our mooring spot at 1 p.m., just as the wind was expected to pick up. But, as fate would have it, things didn’t go as planned. At lunchtime, our mooring neighbor’s boat drifted behind us. Nico dove into the water to secure it to our boat, with help from nearby neighbors. Another dinghy even joined in, searching for the boat’s owners. After tracking down their phone number, I tried calling, but got no response.  Frustrated, we decided to anchor their boat ourselves so we could leave. Just as we started, the owners finally returned.  When we finally set sail, more problems arose: the mainsail wouldn’t unfurl, the autopilot failed, and Porto Vecchio Port informed us they had no berth available. It felt like the day couldn’t get any worse.  But it did. Arriving at 6 p.m., we rowed our dinghy to the port, only to be denied docking because we lacked an engine—too risky for their narro...

 Nothing is happening as planned.  We woke up early morning as the plan was to reach the middle of the Corsican coast with the wind we had today. Knowing the next day wouldnt be the right type of wind.  But as we were navigating, it started raining, and we could hear the thunder forming afar.  In the end we aborted today's 10h navigation to reach Porto Novo after only 3 hours.  There was no wind.  Wind is to pick up, but only in the afternoon. And by the time we'd leave, we would never reach Bastia for the 14th of July!! We wanted to see the drone show and the firworks displayed for the National day.  Instead we'll stick to Porto Vecchio, which we already visited while our parents came to visit.  But the firework will be launched from the port so it's not bad for us. 

 I don't know whether it was the heat or exhaustion.  But a week after healing from our last heatstroke, I was sick again this morning. I didn't feel like doing anything but sleep.  And I had a strong gut feeling I didn't want to stay in Sardinia after one week there.  I am not a big fan of swimning in crystal clear water. Once in a while is great. But just going from beach to beach is exhausting for me.  Nico proposed some hiking trails but same there, after seing the bigger mountains in Corsica, everything in Sardinia looked less appealing.  Since our son is staying with us, I thought it'd be more fun if we could reach the Eastern coast of Italy sooner.  Initially we were to navigate down to the mid coast of Sardinia before heading back up to Corsica, in order to reach continental Italy.  But we decided we'd head back today.  I slept right after waking up...  Our son had to cook lunch. And we left after lunch.  The boys had to han...

 This morning, we took Matt to the bus station in Palau as he was having an early plane to Berlin.  We took advantage of waking up in the wee hours to do the laundry and go to the market while the rest of the boys were sleeping.  We went island hopping again to have one last memorable water fun before everyone is off this afternoon.  We had lunch and another bday cake for Caro this time! Yesterday was H centric because I didn't explain properly it was 2 birthdays... they understood it was 2 candles...  After we dropped off Enzo and Caro, we headed back with our son to a creek for a peaceful mooring. 

 In the morning, while the kids were sleeping, we went out and about the tiny city of Maddalena. In the 19th century it was called the little Paris so much it was animated and cosmopolitan.  Maddalena is also where Napoleon Bonapart, as a lieutenant-colonel, experienced his first defeat when France tried to get this island from the Italians.  We didn't stay long, here is a little video montage of our stop over: 11 am is when you are asked to leave the harbor. Maddalena is the most expensive marina we've stayed at so far.  The facilities are minimal. Electricity and water. It was 86 euros for a 12m sailboat (40ft).  The shower and toilets close at 8:30 pm! And you have to pay extra.  We went island hopping in the afternoon, trying to find the perfect creek.  It's Matt's last night with us, the boys took over the navigation on the way back to Palau.  We took advantage of everyone being gathered to celebrate ahead of time, Caroline and our son's bday...

 We were supposed to pick up everyone, son and friends, at Palau on the evening 8 July.  However, we were stuck for 2 days in the same creek because of the strong wind gusts.  So on the morning of 9 July, we woke up early and took a 2h30 ride to head to Palau.  The Palau harbor master didn't let us touch and go to pick up everyone.  I had to row to the dock to get everyone and their luggage.  But all went fine and we headed straight away to our creek hopping adventures.   We stayed at the main island of Maddalena this evening, and had our first Sardinian meal there.  We tried the local Fregola del mare specialty, little tiny pasta that looks like miniature gnocchis.  And the seada, which is a cheese and honey pastry. 

 We have few days to kill before we can pick up our son and our friends in Sardinia.  We have bought a week permit to access the Maddalena infamous archipelago.  The permit is 40% cheaper for sailboat! And it's 5% cheaper if you book online.  However we were never checked during our stay by the coastal guards, even if they passed by several times.  We did go island hopping, trying the check the Spiaggia Rosa on our way. This beach is supposed to be pink but it's not anymore.  You cannot access it anymore, you can only see it from afar.  We also tried to go see the Tahiti of Sardinia. But there were too many people.  We saw it from afar and it was a bit tiny and disappointing in my opinion.  We ended up mooring at Caprera, an island connecte to the main island of Maddalena. 

In the morning, we had a little dip before we were off to Sardinia!  Sardinia is so close, after 2 hours were were already in Italian water. It ewas just 12 nautical miles apart. 

 This morning, we met up with Colas at the marina to head to the island.  Once at Lavezzi, the boys had a dip, snorkling along the rocks.   We had lunch on the boat and had a final dip before heading back to Bonifacio.  Colas had a full 360 degree view of life onboard.  The services at Bonifacio port are top notch.  There are seasonal personnel helping with filling up the gas tank.  Personnel to pick-up our friend from the boat to take him to the dock.  And personnel to help you dock while you fill-up your water tanks for free.  I will definitely miss Bonifacio! Once our friend dropped off, we headed to the same mooring we did few weeks ago.  The Piana/Sperone area, where water height reaches your hip. 

Finally Colas has arrived his Corsican house.  We were also ready at the marina, ready for a relaxing day out of the boat.  We had a delicious lunch with his parents and family before we went for a ridw to see the black pigs.  We came back and chilled in the pool for hours. It was already time to head back to the boat! We'll see Colas tomororow on our boat. We are going back to Lavezzi.  Despite having is holiday home here in Corsica, Colas never went to the island.  Tomorrow will be the perfect occasion.  In the meantime, we are enjoy the festival of light in medieval Bonifacio.  It only lasts 3 nights during which the city's fortifications and buildings are illuminated by light animations and music.  What a treat to end this perfect day!

  We went back to Bonifacio for a one-last-time mooring!  We can't get enough of this Fjord like marina entrance! Video of what it's like to moor there.  You can the benefit of the port, safety and facilities, but without the high price tag.  Mooring at the bay within the port is 25 euros, while docking at the port is 70 euros.  But you can get access to water for free, you just need to call up the harbor master.