Sailing in the Mediterranean and Beyond

Sailing Sardinia and Italy

Right now I am living out adventures Sailing in the Mediterranean. Here is a past episode on Sardinia and Italy first published on March 21 2013

In this podcast I talk about the summer of 1999 where I continued my journey through the Mediterranean by launching my boat in Santa Pola Spain sailing through the Balearics to Ibiza Mallorca Minorca over to Corsica and Sardinia then across to Italy making a stop at the delightful island of Ponza.

Let's talk about putting together a group of people to buy a canal barge somewhere in Europe so that we can sail the French German and Dutch canals. If interested drop me an e-mail I am just in the planning stages right now but it's something I want to do in the next two or three years.

Last weekend I took a trip to southern Utah to the town of St. George we were hiking in Snow Canyon State Park and I took a few photographs to share with you.

Snow_Canyon_State_Park_March_2013_near_St_George_UT_USA_Petrified_Sand_Dunes_Trail

Snow Canyon State Park March 2013 near St George UT USA Petrified Sand Dunes Trail

 

 

Snow_Canyon_State_Park_March_2013_near_St_George_UT_USA_Petrified_Sand_Dunes_Trail

Snow Canyon State Park March 2013 near St George UT USA Petrified Sand Dunes Trail

Snow Canyon State Park March 2013 near St George UT USA Petrified Sand Dunes Trail

Snow Canyon State Park March 2013 near St George UT USA Petrified Sand Dunes Trail

Man_in_Rock_St_George_UT

 

Snow Canyon State Park March 2013 near St George UT USA Petrified Sand Dunes Trail

Snow Canyon State Park March 2013 near St George UT USA Petrified Sand Dunes Trail

Snow Canyon State Park March 2013 near St George UT USA

 

Hiking_Trail_Near_St_George_UT

Climbing_Wall_Near_St_George_UT_USA

Hiking_Trail_Near_St_George_UT

Hiking_Trail_Near_St_George_UT

Snow Canyon State Park March 2013 near St George UT USA

Snow Canyon State Park March 2013 near St George UT USA Petrified Sand Dunes Trail

 

Funny_Sculpture_Near_Enterprise_UT

 

Funny_Sculpture_Near_Enterprise_UT

Sailing Sardinia and Italy

Right now I am living out adventures Sailing in the Mediterranean. Here is a past episode on Sardinia and Italy first published on March 21 2013

In this podcast I talk about the summer of 1999 where I continued my journey through the Mediterranean by launching my boat in Santa Pola Spain sailing through the Balearics to Ibiza Mallorca Minorca over to Corsica and Sardinia then across to Italy making a stop at the delightful island of Ponza.

Let's talk about putting together a group of people to buy a canal barge somewhere in Europe so that we can sail the French German and Dutch canals. If interested drop me an e-mail I am just in the planning stages right now but it's something I want to do in the next two or three years.

Last weekend I took a trip to southern Utah to the town of St. George we were hiking in Snow Canyon State Park and I took a few photographs to share with you.

 

 

Snow Canyon State Park March 2013 near St George UT USA Petrified Sand Dunes Trail

 

 

 

 

 

While I am out making memories here is a past episode from March 1 2013

This makes it easy and fun! Thanks for the letters. Today I answer the following letters ( I have taken off any personal information and just republished the letters below). Keep them coming!

BTW I mentioned the wonderful weather routing free service that Herb Hilgenberg, SOUTH BOUND II has offered for many years for those sailors crossing the Atlantic. Here is his web page.

http://www3.sympatico.ca/hehilgen/vax498.htm

 

---------------------

Jules and I love your casts, we come from Australia

We are thinking of buying a boat in the Med. We are wondering in your experience how much of the asked price we could expect to pay. We are especially interested considering the financial state of the Eurozone. Eventually we are planning to leave the Med via the straits of Gibraltar , across the Atlantic, through the Caribbean ,out the Panama , across the Pacific and home to Australia, we may detour via New Zealand . We have been planning now for 2 years and figure the end of this year/early 2013 will be time to go. We are aware entering the Med in February means it is reasonably cold ~ will this make dealing with brokers and vendors more difficult? Any thoughts you have would brighten our day and help our retirement. Look forward to your next cast.....

Cheers from hot and sunny Australia.

Hi Franz,

I´m a guy in my mid 40 s, living in a little harbour town (Dragør), just outside Copenhagen, Denmark.

Found your web, twitter and podcast accounts just 3 weeks ago and have had you in my ears, around bedtime, ever since.

I just love it - Thank you.

Last year my family and I, bought a Jeanneau 32 sun odyssey and that is probably the best thing we ever did.

We are planning - or talking about planning - a one year trip to the Med. and therefore we ran into your sites. The only challenge we have is our jobs, house, cars and our kids school (8 and 12 years old).

We are a bit uncertain if we should take the cannals down Europe (germany - France), or take the long way around Denmark, down the English Cannal and pass the Bay of Biscay, and into the Med. from the Atlantic (Gibraltar).

Bay of Biscay has a very bad reputation here in Denmark.

I know it´s not your in your back yard, but do you have some advice or just a comment on which choice to prefer?

I´m sure we will find a solution.

I told my wife and kids that, if we sail to the Med. we have to meet up with a nice and very skilled sailor from America, called Franz. (just for a hello and maybe a little chat)

Franz, if your by any chance loose your navigation or unexpectedly turn your boat the "wrong" direction and end up in Dragør near Copenhagen, let me have the honor to welcome you with a cold danish beer (Carlsberg) and a hot meal.

I guarantee you a friendly "danish style" and not a heavy, bureaucratic and arrogant "Croatian style" (- he he, you must have been unlucky.)

Thank you so much for your podcasts etc. - hang in there......PLEASE.

I heard the last one last night - what do you expect me to do tonight???

I might go through your video´s. Only have seen one so far (My double Anchoring Video)- Very good and informativ, also an issue that I have thought a lot about. Still never sleept a hole night anchored.

(You are welcome to use any of this as you´r pleased –

Excuse my english - my danish should be a lot better.

Can`t wait for the next podcast.

Best regards

Ricky

Thanks Franz, that was terrific. I am listening to your Travelexchange stories now as well. You have so much on the go that I wonder if you might be better off combining these two podcasts on one site.

I was amazed to hear that your sails have lasted 20 years, so I guess it pays to baby them as you do by wrapping them up and keeping them out of the big winds. Pryde makes good sails I guess. I have a video called Heavy Weather Sailing where Neil Pryde and a bunch of other big name experts give tips on sail handling in storms. It is probably too large for me to upload on my slow connection but i can give it a try if you are interested.

BTW the local pronunciation for Newfoundland is a little tricky, so of course you didn't get it right. It is best achieved if you rhyme it with the word "Understand".

Just say 'Understand-Newfen-land' or Newfen-land-Understand. If the words rhyme then you will be spot on.

I like the traditional style of the BCC and was considering the similar Nor'sea 27 aft cockpit as my first boat. I have never been aboard one but my buddy says they are very sturdy and capable of crossing oceans. I will put a few pics in case you are unfamiliar.

There is a laid up and disused Cape George Cutter 36 nearby that I am making inquiries into and that too is a nice boat but it may be too large for my needs. My buddy recommended the much cheaper Cape Dory 26 or 28 & says it is very seaworthy as well, but I just cant seem to stomach the interior of those. It looks like a camper van inside , whereas the Norsea 27 looks like a downsized traditional ship.

I would ultimately like to sail to the Med, and the Caribbean so do you have any recommendations for a blue water passage-maker.

Take care

J

While I am out making memories here is a past episode from March 1 2013

This makes it easy and fun! Thanks for the letters. Today I answer the following letters ( I have taken off any personal information and just republished the letters below). Keep them coming!

BTW I mentioned the wonderful weather routing free service that Herb Hilgenberg, SOUTH BOUND II has offered for many years for those sailors crossing the Atlantic. Here is his web page.

http://www3.sympatico.ca/hehilgen/vax498.htm

 

---------------------

Jules and I love your casts, we come from Australia

We are thinking of buying a boat in the Med. We are wondering in your experience how much of the asked price we could expect to pay. We are especially interested considering the financial state of the Eurozone. Eventually we are planning to leave the Med via the straits of Gibraltar , across the Atlantic, through the Caribbean ,out the Panama , across the Pacific and home to Australia, we may detour via New Zealand . We have been planning now for 2 years and figure the end of this year/early 2013 will be time to go. We are aware entering the Med in February means it is reasonably cold ~ will this make dealing with brokers and vendors more difficult? Any thoughts you have would brighten our day and help our retirement. Look forward to your next cast.....

Cheers from hot and sunny Australia.

Hi Franz,

I´m a guy in my mid 40 s, living in a little harbour town (Dragør), just outside Copenhagen, Denmark.

Found your web, twitter and podcast accounts just 3 weeks ago and have had you in my ears, around bedtime, ever since.

I just love it - Thank you.

Last year my family and I, bought a Jeanneau 32 sun odyssey and that is probably the best thing we ever did.

We are planning - or talking about planning - a one year trip to the Med. and therefore we ran into your sites. The only challenge we have is our jobs, house, cars and our kids school (8 and 12 years old).

We are a bit uncertain if we should take the cannals down Europe (germany - France), or take the long way around Denmark, down the English Cannal and pass the Bay of Biscay, and into the Med. from the Atlantic (Gibraltar).

Bay of Biscay has a very bad reputation here in Denmark.

I know it´s not your in your back yard, but do you have some advice or just a comment on which choice to prefer?

I´m sure we will find a solution.

I told my wife and kids that, if we sail to the Med. we have to meet up with a nice and very skilled sailor from America, called Franz. (just for a hello and maybe a little chat)

Franz, if your by any chance loose your navigation or unexpectedly turn your boat the "wrong" direction and end up in Dragør near Copenhagen, let me have the honor to welcome you with a cold danish beer (Carlsberg) and a hot meal.

I guarantee you a friendly "danish style" and not a heavy, bureaucratic and arrogant "Croatian style" (- he he, you must have been unlucky.)

Thank you so much for your podcasts etc. - hang in there......PLEASE.

I heard the last one last night - what do you expect me to do tonight???

I might go through your video´s. Only have seen one so far (My double Anchoring Video)- Very good and informativ, also an issue that I have thought a lot about. Still never sleept a hole night anchored.

(You are welcome to use any of this as you´r pleased –

Excuse my english - my danish should be a lot better.

Can`t wait for the next podcast.

Best regards

Ricky

Thanks Franz, that was terrific. I am listening to your Travelexchange stories now as well. You have so much on the go that I wonder if you m...

Going from Dreamer to Sailor

I am out sailing here is my story published first on Oct 18 2012

This is the story of how I went from being a dreamer of being a sailor as a child in landlocked Utah to realizing my dream and becoming a sailor with my boat in the Mediterranean.

Going from Dreamer to Sailor

I am out sailing here is my story published first on Oct 18 2012

This is the story of how I went from being a dreamer of being a sailor as a child in landlocked Utah to realizing my dream and becoming a sailor with my boat in the Mediterranean.

Sailing in Croatia and Montenegro. rewind episode

I will be back at the end of this summer it will be interesting to see the changes this episode was first published on Sept 18, 2012

Sailing in the Mediterranean Episode 2, 2012 summer sail Croatia, Montenegro, Albania

Summer 2012 sail

This is the first of several episodes that talk about my summer sail from Croatia to Turkey. This podcast covers Croatia Montenegro and Albania

 

If you have some good sailing or travel stories to tell please contact me and I would enjoy conducting an interview via Skype you can reach me at [email protected]

Also consider purchasing my books on Amazon

And

Bareboat Yacht Chartering in Turkey 2012

Sailing in Croatia and Montenegro. rewind episode

I will be back at the end of this summer it will be interesting to see the changes this episode was first published on Sept 18, 2012

Sailing in the Mediterranean Episode 2, 2012 summer sail Croatia, Montenegro, Albania

Summer 2012 sail

This is the first of several episodes that talk about my summer sail from Croatia to Turkey. This podcast covers Croatia Montenegro and Albania

 

If you have some good sailing or travel stories to tell please contact me and I would enjoy conducting an interview via Skype you can reach me at [email protected]

Also consider purchasing my books on Amazon

And

Bareboat Yacht Chartering in Turkey 2012

Sailing in the Mediterranean Episode 3,Interview with sailor Andrew Vik published originally on Sept 12, 2012

 

I conducted this interview with Andrew Vik . I am looking for other sailors to interview if you have any ideas please contact me! [email protected]

Also check out my books:

 

 

Also consider purchasing my books on Amazon

And

Bareboat Yacht Chartering in Turkey 2012

Sailing in the Mediterranean Episode 3,Interview with sailor Andrew Vik published originally on Sept 12, 2012

 

I conducted this interview with Andrew Vik . I am looking for other sailors to interview if you have any ideas please contact me! [email protected]

Also check out my books:

 

 

Also consider purchasing my books on Amazon

And

Bareboat Yacht Chartering in Turkey 2012