It was another week to remind ourselves that we are doing this out of choice not obligation. A dramatic night in the windy passage between Corsica and Sardinia, taught us some good lessons, and put the breaks on any overconfidence that might have been creeping in.

We were the only visitors to the village and he and his wife are the only residents, having moved there from the central Sardinian mountains forty five years previously, to complete his national service. He never left. Despite it only being 1030 in the morning, Enrico offered us a chilled vermentino from a jug, and some delicious sweet biscuits.

Initially we chose four things to spend money on, to make the cruising we intended to do, more enjoyable. In this video we explain what we have done and try to provide the rationale around our choices.

A round up of Traditional Maritime News that we have stumbled across during the last week.

MATILDA’s shakedown passage from Le Lavandou to Corsica in 20-30 knots. Loving and learning along the way.

It was a little tense but not unpleasant sailing and after a few hours we popped out of the murk to a starlit sky and a building North Easter. We could just lay the Ile Pomegues off Marseille and the 1970’s S&S design began to live up to her reputation as a windward wizard