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When we first planned this Mediterranean cruise we had decided that a visit to Sicily would not be complete without a visit to Inspector Montalbano's house. For the cognoscenti of a certain age and disposition Salvo Montalbano is THE Italian detective hero for fat middle aged men who dream of sharing delicious beachside lunches with Italian beauties. (He is not young, he is beefy and bald, but women love him). So it was with some excitement that we weighed anchor at Taormina and headed to Ragusa, which is the real town used for Montalbano’s fictional city of Vigata.

The August Bank Holiday Weekend (23rd-26th August 2019) will see the return of the much loved “most sociable yacht rally in the world”. After years of using Marina Smir on Morocco’s Mediterranean coast the large number of boats arriving together (up to 50) and management issues at Marina Smir made that destination unfeasible. Luckily six months ago a brand new marina was inaugurated in Tanger. Tanja Bay Marina has agreed to host the rally.

After our volcanic fireworks and overnight stay at the anchorage at Stromboli we headed for a two night stay at Lipari island south of Stromboli and just north of the Isola di Vulcano. It's a delightful spot with lots of lovely restaurants and cultural attractions. I guess the fact that it doesn't have an airport subjects it to less tourist pressure.

We had stood on the edge of the Isola di Vulcano crater to admire the steam and hydrogen sulphide gas emanating from its guts but it seemed a timid volcano. From the top of the crater we had spied the much more active eruptions of Stromboli some 25 nM to the north. So after two nights at the western anchorage we heaved anchor in the early evening with the intention of sailing to and drifting off the western coast of Stromboli to see and hear Stromboli's throaty eruptions.

We sailed along the eastern coast of Sardinia and past the Costa Smeralda, the playground of the rich and powerful. Size does matter here as each super yacht we saw grew in size and opulence. The great thing is that once past this area there are lots of free and well protected anchorages for those who can’t engage in the “mine is bigger and better than yours” game!

Since my last article we have cruised around Ibiza, Mallorca, Menorca, Sardinia and now we are anchored near the ancient port of Syracuse. A lot has happened but it's time to reflect on the experience and to tell you about my favourite ports and anchorages so far.

It's 20:15 on the 4th Aug, our position is 38deg 04.01 N 00deg 03.0W which corresponds to 78nM south west of Ibiza. I'm writing this as we motor in nil wind expecting to arrive in Ibiza in the early morning. We left Gibraltar at 10:45 on the 1st Aug. Just our luck that on the day of our departure the wind in the Strait of Gibraltar flipped to a cool and humid easterly. The moment we turned left at Europa Point to head for the Balearics we were enveloped in a thick sea fog that condensed on everything and made the atmosphere so cool that we had to don wet weather gear. Luckily Citadel is equipped with radar and AIS but that does not mean that your most useful tool, the mark 1 eyeball, should be retired. Not everything shows up on radar especially other small craft constructed in non-metallic materials. Two hours into the trip we had a shock when we came within a few meters of a large RHIB lurking in the fog no doubt waiting to unload its cargo of Moroccan cannabis onto a Spanish beach . A few seconds after they appeared they disappeared into the fog to the evident relief of both crews. Criminals don't like to be disturbed!

The July BoatBid auction will run from the 13th to the 17th July 2018 .

Steve Black Boatshed Texas: “My 16’ Old Town Canoe with a Lean Green Lehr
propane gas outboard motor, perfect for Boatshed Texas media crew to go shoot photos & video of prospective listings (my favourite part of the business ;)

Boatshed have already sold hundreds of house boats in the UK and France. This month the Boatshed Data-Feed technology has been plugged into Rightmove.co.uk so we can find folks looking for a boat as an alternative to a house.

As one of the largest international yacht brokers in the world, Boatshed is well known for selling just about any and all types of boats: sail or motor; compact or super-sized; budget or expensive; inland or ocean going, since 2001 we have dealt with everything that floats. In order to provide the very best service to our customers we have over the years developed a handful of specialist Boatshed brands which focus on the marketing and sale of certain specific types of boats;

9 Months Alone At Sea, 30,000 Miles Non-Stop, No Modern Technology, Southern Ocean!

The April BoatBid auction will run from the 13th to the 17th April.

The February BoatBid auction is open.

February BoatBid - Catalogue Published

On Wednesday 3rd January 2018 the Gibraltar Chronicle carried a story headlined “Top life-saving award for local pensioner”. It was a heart warming story but dig deeper and there was a catalog of appalling errors and poor seamanship waiting to be discovered. Let us learn something from these shortcomings.

February BoatBid - Entries Close 31/12/2017

Entries Close 24th December.

December Boatbid - Place Your Bid!

December BoatBid - A Preview