After two and a half months at Portorosa in the North of Sicily, we finally got the call from Carlo that the work was done.  Dragonfly's old teak had been stripped and replaced after 19 years of service.  This was never going to be a small job but as expected with an old boat, there were issues and delays. The deck hardware backplates had corroded and required removal and replacement, necessitating extensive removal of interior panels.

Dragonfly now needed to return to her annual mooring back in the south of Sicily at Ragusa. Julia couldn't leave the kids so I managed to persuade our great friend Jan to help with the mission.  Despite the delays and a few changed flights we eventually arrived in Sicily on the 7th and 8th of December -Jan flying in from Brussels and myself from Warsaw.

The plan was to retrace our route from a few months earlier, however it now being December we were anticipating changeable weather. We also had some serious time constrains so needed to manage the journey of 170nm in four days.

On arrival I was relieved to find Carlo and his team at Teakmarine.it had done a fantastic job!  The work was flawless and made our 2006 Jeaneau look and feel brand new.  The new teak is much thicker than the original and is from better quality, mature seasoned stock -hopefully good for the next 20 years.

While in Portorosa we also had some other jobs done. The exhaust elbow that had only just been welded up was showing another pin hole leak and the boat smelled slightly of exhaust. This was welded up by Michele.  He also serviced the engine and outboard.  I'd asked him to replace the fuel gauge/sender as this was not showing a reading. I turns out I just needed to hold down a switch beside the gauge and it powers up the sensor -a free fix!

Around midday on Monday Jan arrived and we were ready to set off. Unfortunately we had been wedged into the mooring by a large catamaran but the marina staff managed to make just enough space for us to squeeze through, then we were on our way.

Day one saw perfect sailing conditions as we tried to approach the Straits and tick about 5 hours off our itinerary.  Unfortunately many of the marinas were closed for the winter so we couldn't stay at Dello Stretto and anchoring was not advised on the Navily forecast. We took the safest option and found a berth in Milazzo. Only two hours of sailing but no bad thing to have an easy start/shake down sail.

We moored up on the outer pontoon at Milazzo Marina del Nettuno, then went to explore the town.

Sicily is wonderfully empty in December but many of the restaurants and bars remain open.

The next morning we set off for Catania at first light.  The forecast was for warm calm conditions with very little wind.

This was my third time passing through the Straits of Messina.  It's always busy with shipping and changing currents but we kept a good lookout and motored through without drama.

The landscape around Taormina is breathtaking however we had no time to stop and explore.  We maintained schedule with good accuracy as we were under motor and autopilot. We pulled in to Catania at about 6.30pm.

Plenty of time to polish and wax the coachroof sides. But still too lazy to stow away the fenders!

Motoring past Etna on a glassy sea as the sun sets. A pod of dolphins appeared but sadly didn't give chase.

We found a berth at Circolo Nautico (the large icon above), a vast improvement on Blu Marine where we stayed last time.  I was keen to arrive before 7pm as there was a shop I was keen for us to visit. Three month earlier, while exploring Catania, I had spotted an antique mercury mirror in a gilded frame -ideal to replace the unwanted widescreen TV in in the saloon!  I had already reserved it -I just hoped it would fit.

It's our plan to make Dragonfly feel like a home from home. We never did this with Bumblebee as we did not expect to own her for ten years.  With this in mind we bought some small, affordable paintings in auction and had them shipped to Portorosa.  Annoyingly they got held up at customs and arrived after our departure! I'm still trying to work out how to retrieve them.

We wandered around exploring Catania. Approaching via a different street to my previous visit revealed the city in a totally different light. It appeared clean, grand and welcoming!  We discovered a great little seafood restaurant and returned to Dragonfly completely exhausted after a long (if not tough) day.

A light breakfast and coffee before heading off.

Motoring out of Catania on Wednesday mid-morning on another calm sunny day, we realised there would be no prospect of sailing again on this trip.  Quite ironic as we brought wet weather gear and harnesses expecting foul conditions!

Fuel was beginning to be a bit of an issue with all the motoring.  We were told there was no fuel to be had at Catania and warned our next destination, Marzamemi would be much the same.  After many calls we persuaded the fuel dock at Syracuse to open for us. We would have to take a detour and wait a couple of hours but we had no other options.

Approaching Grand Harbour and waiting on the quay in the hopes we were in the right place.

All went to plan and we set off from Syracuse with a full belly of fuel but heading into the darkness with 3 hours still ahead of us.  Jan was kitted out like a pro, including proper sailing shoes. After badly stubbing my toe and bleeding over the new teak I'm inclined to buy a pair myself.  That evening we discovered how useful the radar overlay on the plotter is for spotting little fishing boats and even buoys on a very dark night.

Our destination for Wednesday night was Marina di Marzamemi. We had been warned in Catania to approach the entrance on the starboard side as the channel is silted up. Useful info as our radio was somehow failing to transmit as we reached the entrance and the marina staff were slightly panicked that we arrived without being guided in.  

Another beautiful day on Thursday as we rounded the South-Eastern corner of Sicily and reached Marina de Ragusa perfectly on time for Jan to jump on a bus and make his flight.

It's a pleasure to see our AIS location being updated on Marine Traffic. It seems we often get frozen in the middle of the sea for weeks at a time!  Here we're also hammering along at 8.5 kts.  This speed is quite comfortable without over-working the engine given a flat sea. We push the revs a bit higher higher every couple of hours to clear out carbon build up in the exhaust and turbo.

With Dragonfly back at her annual mooring and Jan on his way to the airport, I spent Thursday evening running through a check list of jobs, fixes and cleaning before turning in for an early night. Friday morning saw me catch the first bus to Catania and on my way to the UK for the weekend (stopping over in Rome) before joining back up with Julia and the kids in Warsaw.  We will be returning to Dragonfly around March next year with the kids for a whole summer at sea!

So it has finally happened.. we have sold Bumblebee.
It's possible to get attached to things like cars, houses and boats -they have character, keep us safe and together we experience life's wonders.  Bumblebee is even more than this. Julia and I learned to sail on her and spent a summer exploring the Med, with friends joining us along the way. This was ten years ago. The six months together at sea strengthened our relationship and once back on dry land Julia agreed to marry me. Our honeymoon was spent on Bumblebee exploring the Balearics.  Years later our children's first experience of sailing was on this wonderful boat.  She has a very special place in our hearts and it was going to be difficult to say goodbye.

With Bumblebee under offer, I flew out to Valencia alone with a day spare to clean and check everything was in order. The following day I would meet up with Paco our broker, Jesús her new owner and his sailing instructor friend as advisor. The following morning I would fly back to Warsaw.

I gave the deck a thorough wash and scrub as a thunderstorm built around me.  Once the rain came I headed down below deck to tackle a few jobs.  First was to service the forward head which was not drawing water to flush.  Upon replacing the seals I discovered this unfortunate fish had perished inside the valve.  With that sorted I then reattached the engine inspection cover strut which the mechanic had removed.  I also removed and cleaned the log wheel but would later realise I cleaned the obsolete old one by mistake.  One shower drain pump needed replacing but the part was out if stock at the chandlery.  Other that this she was in fine shape and with a calm sunny day forecast for tomorrow I had no concerns about the sea trial the next day.

On Tuesday morning we all met onboard and cast off for the South Marina, about 45 mins away.  All went well and we lifted her for a hull inspection that also confirmed no nasties.

Smiles all round so we lifted her back into the water and returned to her berth to complete the paperwork.  I was then alone to lock up and say goodbye to Bumblebee for the last time.  I took my time and thanked her for all the wonderful memories.  Feeling emotional I walked back to my hotel.

I spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying Valencia, knowing that our regular visits to this wonderful city were at an end. I had a fantastic meal at Casa Montana and was delighted to sit next to the same Dutch couple who were beside me at La Sastrería the night before, their kids, the same age as Z & T, tucked up nearby but monitored on camera.

Not my hotel but I dropped in to see why it's over ten times the price.

The next few posts cover a ten day trip with Zefi (5) & Theo (3) onboard plus Peter and Brigida as we sail with the kids for the first time. The aim is to deliver Dragonfly from the South to the North of Sicily where she will receive a new teak deck.

From the Strait of Messina we sailed and motored for about 4 hours to the island of Vulcano -famous for it's active volcano, black sand and sulphurous hot springs.  We had visited the island ten years earlier and even had Peter with us that time too.  On arrival we considered anchoring but the steep drop off makes it tricky, instead we chose to take a mooring buoy. A lucky choice as we would see gusts of 34 kts the next morning.  The marinero managing the mooring advised us of strong winds coming but we planned to be in Portorossa marina on the mainland within 48 hours when the wind was expected.

Jozefina and Theodore delighted in the black sand and stinky sulphurous air!

We swam on the beach and explored the town for a while before returning to collect warmer layers for the evening.  The beach was buzzing with mosquitos so on our return with the dinghy we tied up in the harbour. We had a delicious supper ashore then returned to Dragonfly for the night.  In the morning we woke to heavy skies and waited out a thunderstorm safely attached to out mooring buoy while others tended to their anchors.

The island looked a bit different after a torrential downpour!

We explored the other beach on the West coast, it was just 5 minutes away.  Then we headed back to the boat at about 3pm to set sail for the mainland. Our destination was Portorosso Marina at Tonnarella where we would meet Carlo and leave Dragonfly with him for the next two months. She was booked in to have her teak deck stripped and replaced with new wood. This was the entire purpose of our trip north and the end was within sight.

Throughout this trip the kids had been fantastic.  We had no idea what to expect from them but with plans to live on the boat for a few months next years we were relieved that they took to sailing so well.  I think on Bumblebee they might've gone a little crazy with the lack of space but on Dragonfly they could spread out and enjoy different areas of the boat, interact, explore and even be alone.

The crossing back was peaceful and calm despite the storms forecast to arrive soon.

We left Dragonfly on the 2nd of October in the hands of Carlo and Spartivento Marina at Portorosso.  This is a strange place, half abandoned with derelict buildings but operating as a busy charter base.  We will return at the end of December, hopefully to a gleaming new 10mm teak deck.  Many of the deck fitting will be removed and reinstalled for the work so I hope nothing leaks.  We have also entrusted some engine and outboard maintenance to a colleague of Carlo, plus the fuel gauge repair, dinghy fix and bimini stitching.  If all is carried out as intended, we will have a fully operational Sun Odyssey 49 DS and will endeavour to keep her that way.

We motored passed Toarmina at about 9am on the 28th, then cut the fuel line and let the sails do their work. We traversed across the Strait close hauled on a port tack, neatly avoiding the shipping lane. We then motored up the East channel, close in to the mainland coast until we reached Marina Del Stretto in Villa San Giovanni.

There was a classic car show that day within the marina -lots of Ferraris, classic Fiats and other exotic vehicles.

The town had little to offer but we found an open restaurant for a late breakfast and explored the waterfront. 

Zefi and Theodore are growing up so fast -I can literally see them grow each day!

I can't quite remember but I think we returned to the boat still full from lunch and had a quiet evening with a film.

The next day our plan was to exit the Strait and sail West to Vulcano, one of the Aeolian Islands.  We knew there would be a head wind and some waves but the reality was a bit more than we bargained for.  We were reassured to be joined by another sailing boat making the journey but our concerns grew when we noticed them filming Dragonfly lurching over the waves!  We were making very slow progress despite Julia doing some expert helming through the chop.  The other boat had enough and turned back toward Messina and it wasn't long before we gave up too.

Keeping close to the Sicilian coast, we retreated back into the Strait and out of the waves.  Approaching Messina we found a recommended anchorage on the Navily app and stopped there for lunch.

The conditions here were very calm so we planned to stay the night. It looks idyllic in the photo above but actually it was a pretty run down bit of coastline with most places closed for the end of the season.  Never the less we found a cafe for coffee and pastries, had a lovely swim and chilled on the beach.

In the evening we walked along the coastal road to see the church and beyond. Struggling to find an open restaurant we ended up eating pizza in a rather bleak establishment.  That night on anchor was rocky and the noise from the furled mainsail banging inside the mast was deafening. I was on deck in the small hours adjusting lines trying to quiet things down.  In future the trick might be to slacken off the mainsail halyard so the furled sail sags into the mast -obviously remembering to tighten off before hoisting the sail again or it will do some damage.  I had concerns about the tidal current and the anchor holding so set an anchor alarm. As you can see we had nothing to worry about:

Moody skies towards the mainland.

It's not always laughter and hugs but I'll post photos that make it feel that way,  Photographs help to forget as well as remember!

The next morning we made a second attempt to reach the islands. True to the forecast, the waves had vanished vernight and we were treated to a calm relaxing crossing. We tried to sail a few times but without the engine we just couldn't find enough speed.  On the plotter and AIS the Strait looks hectic and intense but in reality it was simple.

Since our refit we transmit as well as receive AIS. This is great for safety as we are visible to other boats. Frustratingly it takes ages for the Marine Traffic app to update our location. I think we are still stuck in the location above!

Julia on the helm while I check for dolphins :)

Day 5 of our 10 day trip.

Peter and Brigida flew in to Catania close to midnight on the 26th of September and met us on Dragonfly at Blu Marina, inside Catania harbour.  Zefi and Theo were delighted to discover we had guests the next morning. After breakfast we se off to explore Catania.

The kids by this point had been eaten alive by mosquitos -evil ones that targeted their hands and feet.  We had plug-in repellents, deet and anti-histamine cream but these few days were highlighted by squeals of frustration at painfully itchy bites. I would often wake at night to their buzzing and hunt down the horrible things around the cabin.

Ashore we found a wonderful antique shop with a stunning 1820's mercury mirror in a Sicilian gilt empire frame.  It had a crack in the glass but could be a perfect replacement for the widescreen tv that dominates the saloon.  We might have to stop in again on our way back down in December.  We love watching films but prefer a projector and screen that can be stashed away most of the time.

We were still dodging thunderstorms and managed to buy raincoats for Julia and myself but failed to find anything for the kids.  For this same reason I left my Leica onboard -a decision I later regretted as we stumbled upon a buzzing street market.  Perhaps the difference in photos from camera vs phone is obvious, if not, the camera ones are often posted with a black frame.  In the old town square we found a wonderful traditional cafe serving delicious pastries with the grumpiest waitress!

Being a Saturday, the fish market was in full swing. We were late but there was still a chaotic energy as market stalls tried to sell the last of their produce.  People bustled in every direction while we tried not to lose the children.  Peter bought a round of oysters while Zefi turned her nose up at the sight of anything slimy!  The variety seafood, meat and fresh produce was amazing.

Peter and Brigida brought along colouring books and pencils for the kids, which Zefi can be seen carrying with her everywhere.

Heavily laden with lots of fresh food, we headed back to the boat.  We cast off from the marina in Catania mid-afternoon on the 27th with the aim of anchoring below Taormina.  We wanted to make good progress so we could spend a couple of days in the Aeolian Islands.

Sporting our new waterproofs -these were bought just in time as we were about to hit some severe rain!  It's hard to show with a photo but the sky went black and visibility dropped to about 50 meters.  It was forecast to clear by the evening so while the others were snug down below, myself and Peter were battered by the elements. Eventually we  decided to forego our planned anchorage by Taormina and seek shelter in the closer marina at Riposto, beside Mt Etna.  As expected we arrived at the marina as the skies cleared and a beautiful evening lay ahead of us.

We dined onboard after a wander around Riposto and picking up a couple of nice bottles of wine.  The next morning we refuelled and set off again.  Our fuel usage relies on a bit of maths and guess work as our fuel gauge needs to be repaired.  It turned out we had used half of our 240l tank since leaving Malta and covering 185 NM. This was expected as the winds had not been very favourable and the engine had done a lot of work.  We have two full fuel canisters in the forward locker so running out was not a worry.

Soon we will figure out how to post screenshots with our progress track but for now we are still getting used to the new chart plotter.  The log began at zero with the refit in Malta so shows exactly how far we have travelled.

These guys like to have a proper breakfast together each morning to start the day!

We set off past Toarmina on our way towards the Strait, plotting a course for the tip of the mainland to make use of the favourable sailing conditions and to keep clear of the shipping channels.  The kids were delighted to briefly spot dolphins then Theodore snoozed while Zefi busied herself with a photoshoot for her toys.

With ten days of sailing ahead of us we set off from Warsaw to Catania with Jozefina and Theodore.  This would be their first proper sailing experience and with big plans for the future -there was a lot riding on us all enjoying a safe trip.

The plan was to sail Dragonfly from her annual mooring at Ragusa, all the way up to Tonnarella in the north where she would stay on her own for 2 months to have her teak deck replaced by Carlo and his team at Teacmarine.it.  At first glance the wood looks fine but on closer inspection 19 years of use has taken it's toll with hundreds of visible sanded screw heads, caulking coming free and the wood thinning.  We found Ragusa quite thin on  marine services so hoped that the north would provided mechanics and electricians for a few of the other maintenance jobs.

The two aft cabins on Dragonfly have a clever trick of becoming one by simply removing and stashing the dividing wall. This gives a huge 4m wide bed -space for a whole family to sleep.

We spend the first night on our berth in Ragusa to acclimatise Zefi and Theo to their new surroundings. We gathered a few bits and bobs from the nearby chandlery and some basic rations from a deli and mini market -hoping to soon be in Syracuse with a bit more choice of shops.

The town and marina at Marina De Ragusa is spread out and requires a lot of walking. We haven't yet fallen in love with the place but really liked the restaurants within the marina especially Fresco and the pizza restaurant on the roof.

Being late September, the weather was changeable and a thunderstorm never felt far away. We anchored for our second night midway between Ragusa and Syracuse in a bay called Portopalo.  That night we saw a big electrical storm in the distance, the Windy app showed Malta in the eye of the storm while Dragonfly rocked a bit on anchor a long way away.

On day 3 we set sail for Syracuse. We actually motored most of the way there as the wind was not in our favour -this was a problem throughout the trip as our destination and the prevailing winds were at odds with each other.  Julia and I have been to Syracuse before and absolutely love the place. Sadly we would only be there for one night and would have enjoyed more time.

We anchored in the Grand Harbour and took the tender ashore next to a tiny beach. Julia and the kids swam while I took a table at the bar and ordered some drinks.  We had quite a shopping list as Dragonfly was missing a few essentials. We love Sicilian ceramics so we 'invested' in some beautiful hand painted plates and bowls. With luck, the next shop we found had almost everything else we needed; pots and pans, cooking utensils, pillows etc.. Dragging heavy bags and tired children we were lucky to find a lovely little restaurant close by to the dinghy. They even sold their own olive oil -the only thing left on our list!

With the children onboard and fast changing weather we tried to keep each day down to about 3 or 4 hours of sailing. We needed to keep moving as our friends Peter and Brigida were joining us in Catania for the week to come.  The wind was not ideal but the sea was very calm and our journey took little effort. Zefi and Theo were very happy painting and playing.  We tried to save films on the laptop for when we were mooring so they would be happily occupied down below.

As we approached Catania we were treated to stunning views of Etna emerging through the clearing clouds.

We reached Catania and booked a berth at Blu Marins via the Navily app -this app didn't exist when we sailed ten years ago but I wish it had. It has details, prices, reviews, forecasts etc.. for every marina and anchorage. You can book through the app and keep your boat documents uploaded for easy access by the marinas.  Blu Marine turned out to be basic and very tired, luckily the app prepared us for this -much like Catania itself which presentsa a visceral experience of faded grandeur.  While the town is busy, tired and dirty we soon discovered Catania for what it is -a fascinating town with a rich history. But not great for feeding tired children early in the evening!

Eventually we found an open restaurant with boardgames and chips so the kids were happy.  We explored a bit then took a taxi back to Dragonfly as the roads crossings were dangerous.  With children soon asleep we awaited Peter and Brigida's arrival.

On the 19th of June we left Zefi and Theo with their grandparents for 4 days and flew out to Malta to collect our new boat.  It had been 4 months since viewing and buying her, in that time quite a lot of refitting had taken place and I was anxious to inspect the work. Our berth was waiting in Sicily and we only had a 2 day window to cross so I was relived that Sebastian from Malta Yacht Solutions was managing everything.

Upon arrival all was looking ship-shape. We met the installers who had been doing the work and sorted one or two last minute jobs. Daniel the previous owner came by to check everything was OK.  We had hauled out two big carry on bags with all sorts of useful bits & pieces; bed linen, rugs, cushions, coffee kit etc.. once unpacked she started to feel like a home. 

The next morning was spend hunting down a chandlery and buying a few essentials; mooring springs and lines, cleaning stuff etc..

An important task for day 2 was the renaming ceremony. You have to be very careful renaming a boat to avoid incurring the wrath of Poseidon and damning you vessel.  Luckily Sophia offered to help us with the proceedings, pointing out that this was an auspicious point in the calendar, being the day of the summer solstice and the year of the Dragonfly!  Frankincense was burnt, libations of the finest fizz offered to the four winds, words were said and Dragonfly came into being! 

That evening we were treated to a delicious supper at Sophia and Dom's house in their beautiful Maltese home.  They are currently fixing up a cottage in Hindon so we look forward to seeing more of them soon!

The next morning we set off at the crack of dawn towards Sicily.  Dragonfly's longer waterline means she can cruise a good 3 knots faster than Bumblebee was able. Punching our new details into the plotter app shaved an 11 hour crossing down to 7!  The app also warned us of very little wind so we would be motor sailing at best.

After an uneventful but relaxed crossing (mostly spent improvising mooring line splices) we reached Sicily and Dragonfly's new home at Marina de Ragusa.  This is a new marina and appears very well kept. Julia went to explore the beach and I looked up the local chandlery to buy a 16amp shore power adapter -without which we would be without air con.  This is a good moment to mention just how thrilled we are with Dragonfly. She is quite a bit larger than our old boat but handles easily in marinas thanks to her bow thruster. Air con is a game changer, as is the pneumatic passerelle. In-mast reefing makes sail handing so much simpler and new electronics give us all the info and stats we could ever want!

I've recently rekindled my love of 35mm film photography. This post is a mix of digital and analog photos, maybe you can see the difference?

Dragonfly by day and night:

We were ahead of schedule and keen to get back to the kids/relieve my parents so we booked onto an earlier Sunday flight and said farewell to Dragonfly -see you again in September..

It's now June 2025 and there's quite a lot of updating needed for this blog... and a lot more activity on the way!
We have exciting plans set in place to move to Warsaw in Poland for six or seven months. We will live with Julia's mum and the focus will be on improving Zefi and Theo's Polish. Then come early spring we will set sail for the Adriatic, with the kids for up to 5 months of adventure before returning to normal life in the UK.
We have been blessed with the most amazing weather so far this spring -making good use of our new swimming pool. We will all miss it while we're away but it's been 10 years since our last sailing adventure and we're getting itchy feet.

In our last post there was a line that read; "I confess that I have developed a wandering eye for for 15 metre boats with navy blue hulls.." This has in fact manifested more than I could have imagined. Long story short, say hello to Dragonfly our trusty stead for the next chapter of our ongoing adventure!

She is a Jeaneau Sun Odyssey 49 DS from 2006.  Julia and I really like the warm traditional interiors and built quality of the early 2000's production boats. Being closely related to our Beneteau, there are lots of familiar features and fittings.  She is the perfect size for our family of four plus a few friends.  Being of a similar vintage to Bumblebee means that inevitably some refitting would be required.  This has been taken care of in the form of an electronics fit out with B&G kit, all new standing and running rigging, new batteries and in the coming month a new teak deck.  Having owned Bumblebee for ten years without really planning to, we have decided to do all the work needed asap and enjoy Dragonfly for the next ten years in excellent shape. Also sailing with our children onboard really changes our priorities and responsibilities.

We visited Malta back in February to meet her and fell in love with the stunning architecture around Valetta. We were there for just 24 hours so barely had time to explore. We now have flights booked to return in two weeks time-which will be 5 months since visiting. Thats how long it takes to buy a boat, complete all the surveys, and refit the rigging and electronics!  The next post will be our maiden voyage across to her new home in Sicily.

The rigging was 19 years old so despite a satisfactory up-mast survey a complete replacement was ordered to comply with our insurance but most importantly to be safe sailing with children.  While the mast was down it made sense to update all the wiring, instruments and radar.

We had in and out of water surveys conducted. Worrying moisture levels were detected but fortunately were easily rectified.  Below the starboard helm controls are being installed.

We have just returned from a 5 night visit to Valencia over half term with Zefi and Theo aboard Bumblebee.  This was a trip to test the water -sleeping onboard but securely fastened to our pontoon in the marina.  Jozefina is now 4 years and 4 months old, Theodore is a month away from turning 3. We are hoping to instil a excitement for boats without taking too many risks.

The kids were ok on the flight so the captain invited then to come and inspect the cockpit.

The kids arrived completely over excited just in time for bedtime.

We had no intention to sail straight away but instead wanted to show the kids around the wonderful city of Valencia.  We sipped through the private gate to oggle at the beautiful super yachts.

We wandered the beautiful old streets, explored the amazing playgrounds, splashed around in the waves and found a fun Japanese restaurant.

We took them to the Oceanarium to see the beluga whales.

There were one or two thunderstorms that struck while we were sleeping safely inside. The noise of the rain was deafening and as we soon discovered was just a precursor of what was to come a few days later.

After a couple of days we felt brave enough to slip our mooring and set out to sea.  We gently motored out of the marina and out into the bay.  We had the good fortune of being recommended a wonderful mechanic called Joaquin who had tackled all the engine issues from our previous trip. We had a new heat exchanger, and internal exhaust. The boat had been lifted out, anifouled and a new shaft seal set in place.  The engine received a thorough service and clean.  Robin and Lily had borrowed Bumblebee in August to sail to Ibiza so we knew everything was working as it should.  Except with boats there is always something.. at the moment it's the anchor windlass that refuses to work. Luckily we had no need to anchor on this short trip.

The weather was mild and the was absolutely no wind -perfect for Zefi and Theo's first outing.

Already feeling comfortable with the kids on board I confess that I have developed a wandering eye for for 15 metre boats with navy blue hulls..

Kids don't enjoy food markets quite as much as Julia and I.

Our second day on the water saw perfect conditions -a flat sea, some sun and a gentle breeze.

I think it's safe to say the kids found their sea legs. They just about understand when it's ok to mess around and when we're being serious.  I can't wait to get them out to the islands to swim from the boat and explore in the tender. Happy times ahead!

Once again we gave Bumblebee a very thorough clean and scrub and said goodbye until next time.

Just days after flying home to England, Valencia was hit with a devastating weather event.  Huge quantities of rain caused flash floods and widespread destruction.  The images coming through are heartbreaking and the death toll currently stands at 200 but is increasing. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected.  We are not too concerned about Bumblebee and it is too soon to ask anyone to inspect her but our friend with a boat nearby says she is ok.  After a massive flood in 1957 the Turia river which flowed through Valencia was rerouted around the city.  The old river bed became a lush green park and the new channel was built 3 miles south.  This rerouting saved the old city from disaster in these last few days but transferred the flooding to the southern neighbourhoods.

Bumblebee's berth is ringed in red showing how the north marina and old town were spared from the flood waters. As far as I know the old riverbed, now Turia park is unaffected by the flood water, more than can be said for the southern districts.

I'm writing this on the 4th of November 2024.  I will back date the entry to 30th August 2022 for continuity.  Quite a lot has happened since our last post; Covid, moving out of London and down to Wiltshire -however bigger than all that is the arrival of these two:

Introducing Jozefina and Theodore, two big reasons why time on Bumblebee and even posting about her has become near impossible!  In the is photo Zefi is 2 years old and Theodore is just 6 months. The only way we could contemplate seeing Bumblebee was to rent a villa near the marina at Santa Eularia with our friends Peter, Mills and Paulina and ask Robin and Lily to sail over on Bumblebee from the mainland. We also had Amy, our nanny with us to lighten the load.

Flying with small kids is exhausting but it was great to touch down back in Ibiza after all the madness of Covid.

We collected our hire car and drove 45 mins or so to Can Dimitri -our beautiful home in the hills for the next ten days.

On day one we visited Las Salinas and had lunch by the beach. We witnessed a yacht similar to Bumblebee break through the line of swim buoys and drift right up onto the rocky shore where it was tossed about by the waves. We thought it was abandoned until a naked man leapt up on deck from below and tried in vain to prevent disaster. 

We met up with Robin and Lily on our second day. I was a bit nervous for their crossing to Ibiza as Bumblebee had been stationary for 3 years of babies and pandemic except for a short trip to the nearby port for a lift out and bottom clean by a hired mechanic.

They arrived safely and enjoyed a few days anchoring around the local bays. The boat looked great on the outside but inside there was trouble brewing.  We had a berth booked for ten days at Santa Eularia but spent most of our time exploring the island by car with the babies and our friends, as well as making the most of our lovely pool.  We've got some priceless photos and videos of the kids but they are naked half the time so I'll be careful what I expose to the world wide web!

On the way over to Ibiza Robin realised the boat was taking on water and we narrowed it down to a couple of sources. One was the seal at the back of the impeller housing.  I had a vague memory of this happening before and used this helpful blog to cast my mind back to setting sail from Greece years earlier when the same problem appeared and the solution was found. A trip the the chandlery and all was well. The other ingress was more substantial and harder to rectify.

We also noticed a blackening of the green engine paint. I hoped this might just be dust from a belt on it's way out... sadly it wasn't.  Here are some pics of us all having a lovely time before I go into the problems we were about to face.

Jozefina and Theodore had their first experience of Bumblebee, albeit safely tied up in the marina. They didn't seam too fussed!  We went out for a couple of short day sails but couldn't leave the kids for too long.  Down below we were still taking on water -quite a lot of salt water.  It turned out the mechanic who moved the boat a few weeks earlier hadn't opened the seacock that lubricates the prop shaft with seawater. This had damaged the seal and meant water entered whenever the propeller turned.  The only fix was to lift the boat, decouple the shaft from the gear box and replace the seal. This is something I did when we first bought Bumblebee so I knew what was involved but any job like this is eye-wateringly expensive on the islands.

This was not the only issue we were dealing with. The black sooty buildup, hot engine compartment and gassy fumes confirmed there was an internal exhaust leak.  Looking back at these photos I remember replacing the air filter as it had disintegrated.  Obviously that wasn't going to fix the problem.  We found a Volvo Penta mechanic and had them inspect the boat.  They discovered the exhaust was leaking from the elbow of the heat exchanger which was corroded and needed replacing. The internal exhaust pipe was also leaking.  He advised we best not move the boat but that was not an option -she had to get back to her home berth in Valencia and we also had to get home.  I explained that I would allow no-one to spend extended time below amongst the fumes and he begrudgingly agreed that we might just manage the 12 hours back to the mainland without catastrophe.  We still had a few days to enjoy our holiday before Peter and Mills had to leave and Julia and Amy would fly back with the babies at which time I would return on Bumblebee with Paulina.

We had a few classic Ibiza days -eating, swimming, exploring etc... wonderful stuff!  We met up with John and hatched a plan to sail around the island to St Antonio, as a suitable setting off point. John's friends Jack aka Captain Jack volunteered to help Paulina and myself with the crossing.  We had fantastic conditions as we circumnavigated and pulled into one of our favourite calas for a dip at half way.  The engine problems were not going away but also easy enough to ignore for the time being.

We had our final dinner by Sunset Asharam and the next morning set sail for Valencia.

The wind picked up and we had favourable currents so made good time. The most extraordinary thing happened as we were half way into the trip. A whale appeared beside us, seeming to almost doze on the surface but clearly a whale of some sort with great blasts of breath from it's blowhole.  We think it might be a humpback whale but were unaware they could be expected in the Med -either way we were totally awestruck by this remarkable encounter.

Soon followed by a school of dolphins!

We made it to Valencia as the sun was setting. Jack had been good company on the crossing, as had Paulina until sea-sickness struck hard and she was in a miserable state.  Even back on shore she felt awful and we desperately tried to find an open tapas bar to get some food inside her.  We all stayed on the boat that night and very early the following morning Paulina caught a flight home and Jack caught the ferry back to Ibiza.  I had been insistent on all of us staying on deck for the crossing to avoid the fumes below.  I was avoiding thoughts of the water we were taking on during the passage as there was little I could do about it. While under sail I kept the engine in reverse and this reduced the seepage through the shaft seal. The bilge was not straining hard so I left any inspections until the following morning.  The engine was quite dirty and sooty as could be expected.  I used our large oil pump to remove a quantity of seawater from from the engine sump,  battery trays and a few other awkward spots.  I did a thorough rinse and deep clean of all traces of salt and satisfied myself that no water was entering now the prop shaft was still.  I would go on to find a fantastic mechanic called Joaquin who replaced, fixed and cleaned the heat exchanger and many other parts of the engine and prop assembly.

I was now alone with the monstrous task of tidying, cleaning, packing away and leaving Bumblebee for an unknown length of time.  With the kids so young, I wasn't sure when we would be back.  I made an early start by taking down the sails at very first light when the air was still and the heat was manageable.  Then I spent the day working through my list of chores:

By the end of the day I had things under control and waved goodbye to a squeaky clean Bumblebee.

This felt like a very well deserved beer.