And so, finally we were in the Med again. A great feeling after so many years in foreign waters. As soon as we left the Suez canal we raised our sails and headed for Crete, but the wind took us north and eventually we had to start the engine to go west. After 2 days motoring we could sail again and slowly we advanced against the wind and arrived to Iera Petra on Crete after 5 days and 500 NM. The real distance “as the crow flies” is 400.

Greece, Crete:

Now there was only one problem. We could not enter the harbour and we could not go ashore. Greece, and most other countries, had introduced strict rules for yachts at sea because of Covid. I talked to the Coast Guard in Iera Petra on the radio and they said we could anchor 100m from the shoreline for a maximum of 48 hours. They even sent me an e-mail  informing us that we had to have an agent to take care of our requirements. Very polite, but they didn’t mention the fact that the “agent” charged 150€ for his service and that they did not have water good enough to drink. They also didn’t mention the terrible swell where they wanted us to anchor.

It’s strange that a proud sea nation like Greece can treat visiting yachts so badly. But we were not the only ones. Through various networks we got reports from all over the world about cruisers who had been stopped from coming into ports or marinas – and some were in a really bad state: low on water, food, diesel and in need of repairs for sails, rudders and motors; elderly single handers who had beenat sea a long time and boats with children, like us).

From Ierapetra we motored against the strong westerly wind first to Kalio Limenes where we spent one night and then to Ormos Loutro. A fantastic little bay with a beach and hotels around it. But totally empty. No tourists.

It would have been nice to be able to visit Crete more in detail but the government would not let us. Instead we set sails again, this time for Sicily, about 500 NM. The forecast promised plenty of wind. Two days of good sailing and two more days of very light winds with motorsailing and we arrived to Licata on the south coast of Sicily.

Italy, Sicily:

We needed water most of all as we had not been able to fill our tanks since Port Ghalib in Egypt 3 weeks earlier. We also wanted to buy food and diesel that would last until we reached our next stop, Gibraltar, 1000 NM west of Sicily. A long trip that would take more than a week.

As we came into the harbour, the Coast Guard told us to go into the marina and a marinero would show us where to tie up. He put us alongside a lonely pontoon with no other boats and then gave us a notice to read in Englih. Once again, we were not allowed to go ashore but worse, there was no diesel. The good news was that a Health Inspector would come and after that we would be able to go ashore. We waited and we waited, but nothing happened that day.

The next day I started sending e-mails to the Marina asking where the inspector was, who would assist us with provisions and where we could get diesel if not in the Marina? None of my questions were answered, instead I was instructed to translate the shopping list into Italian and send it via WhatsApp directly to the supermarket. Impossible, no one on the boat speaks Italian and still no Inspector and we could still not go ashore.

Now I got really irritated. I sent an e-mail to the Coast Guard with complaints about the situation, and copies to the Swedish Consulate in Palermo and the Swedish Foreign Ministry in Stockholm. Two hours later the Coast Guard arrived with our food and told us that we would get diesel the next day in jerrycans, which we also did. Water was available on the pontoon and included in the Marina fee, 75€/day! Covid is expensive.

We never saw any inspectors and we were never allowed to go ashore. Italian chaos I would say. I wonder if my e-mail to the Coast Guard had any effect. Maybe it did!

On to Gibraltar:

Now there was only one leg left to sail and we would be out of the Med and in to the Atlantic. But not an easy voyage. Long (1000 NM), very unpredictable winds with many calms. I sent an e-mail to the port in Gibraltar before we left to announce our arrival and they answered that I must have a confirmed booking in a marina to be allowed into the harbour. I mailed Queensway Marina but they were full, and then I gave up and we left Sicily.

The weather forecast was not good but acceptable, at least to begin with. First no wind, then strong wind from behind and then after two days wind that forced us to head north. After 3 days we anchored west of Cape Spartivento on the south coast of Sardinia. Here we could stay and wait for better winds.

After three days of anchoring on the coast of Sardinia the weather forecast finally promised better winds. We could now continue towards Gibraltar, 700 NM west. First day, good sailing, then motoring in calm for a day and then strong winds from behind. 140 NM/day for two days. After 1000 NM from Sicily we were finally in Gibraltar. 12 days at sea including 3 days anchoring on the coast of Sardinia.

Strait of Gibraltar:

From Egypt we had now sailed 2000 NM. Half way home. That felt nice. Also, we were now in waters that we had sailed before. For me it was the third time through the strait of Gibraltar on my own boat. The Atlantic coast of Europe felt like home waters. We all hoped very much that Covid restrictions would be lifted so that we could visit some of the places on our way home that we had found to like on earlier voyages. We had now been on the boat for 40 days without being permitted to go ashore anywhere. Not nice.

We arrived to Gibraltar early in the morning but we had seen the famous rock coming closer and closer during the night. This was the third time I passed through the strait of Gibraltar on my own boat. 

Portugal:

From Gibraltar we had very strong wind from behind all day. 30 knots (15 m/s) average and up to 40 knots short periods of time. Late afternoon the wind ceased to moderate 20 knots and life became a little more relaxed on board.

The next day we had good sailing almost all the way up to the Algarve coast of Portugal. A few hours of motoring by the end of the day and we could anchor on the north side of Culatra Island. We hoped we would be able to get some food there and also needed to service the reefing system of the main sail. 

We were getting low on food. No fruit, no bread, no fresh vegetables. Only dry food, so I asked the Maritime Police in Culatra on the radio if they could help us. They gave me a telephone number for a local shop and I phoned. Yes, he would be able to help us. Send me your shopping list by e-mail, he said. Ok, what is your e-mail adress, I replied. He sent it as a text message but the message was unreadable. I phoned him again and asked him to spell the adress on the phone but it seemed that he could not spell in English. Then he asked his wife and she said the address was wrong so he gave me a new address, and so on. It took several hours just to get the address right so I could send him the shopping list. I asked him if he could fix this the next day and if we could pay by card and he said yes.

We were worried about staying too long because the weather forecast promised strong northerly wind and we wanted to be in Cascais by that time. So, when I didn’t hear anything from him by noon the next day, I called the local shop again and he said I would have to wait one more day. Not possible because of the weather situation I said, we have to leave today. You promised to deliver today, remember? Apparently he did not remember anything so we had to leave without any food.

We left the Algarve coast by motor, rounded the magnificent cape of Saint Vincet and turned north.

Two days later after burning a lot of diesel we arrived to Cascais. Once again I talked to the Maritime Police and they had to contact the Port Authority to give me permission to go to the marina fuel dock the next day. I told them we needed food and they gave me a telephone number for a company that charged 275€ for delivering food to the boat. Too much for our budget. I called the Maritime Police again and reminded them of the fact that we had been 40 days at sea, had no fresh food and a 12 year old girl on board. They could not help me.

We did get help though, from fellow sailors. First a motorboat came out from the marina and handed us two bags of bread and sardines, no charge. Then somebody called us on the VHF and offered to go shopping for us. He could deliver to the boat while we were filling diesel at the fuel dock. Perfect. The next day he handed over some 10 bags of food and now we were ready to continue north.

Seven years ago we sailed in these waters on our way south and now we had crossed that track. We had sailed around the world. 

Spain:

We continued motoring up along the coast 220 NM to Bayona in Spain. Here we made a stop for the night and managed to get diesel and water without any problems with the authorities. I called the marina on the phone and they said we were welcome to go to the fuel dock at once if we wanted to, but not to go ashore. We had now been on the boat for 45 days. 

North to France:

From Bayona we continued north along the coast all day and night, past Cape Finistere and out into the Bay of Biscay. We could now sail north in quite strong wind from the north east. The next day the wind turned to true north and we had to alter our course to north east. Not good but still better than motoring. On the morning of the fourth day, 450 NM from Bayona, we took a mooring in the harbour of Audierne, south of Brest.

Finally, after 54 days at sea we arrived in Cherbourg and were at last allowed to go ashore.

Johan and Tove Kjellander
S/Y Bird of Passage 
http://www.toan.se/

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The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of Noonsite.com or World Cruising Club.