After a month in Portugal at Marina de Lagos, getting ourselves and the boat ready for our adventure, we slipped our lines at 13:00 hrs on 1st July 2012. We were slowly heading for the Greek Islands. And I mean slowly.
Stop Press Arrived at Gouvia Marina, Corfu, Greece at 09:30 hrs on 14th June 2018. This was 5 years 11 months and 13 days since departing Marina de Lagos.
We flew home from Gibraltar on 3rd October 2012 to spend the winter in the UK. We returned on 10th April 2013 to resume our travels and sailed from La Linea in thick fog, crossing from the Atlantic into the Mediterranean as we rounded Europa Point.
San Antonio - arrived - 07/07/13 - departed - 15/07/13 Cala Torrida - arrived - 15/07/13 - departed - 18/07/13 Cala Yondal - arrived - 18/07/13 - departed - 19/07/13 Ibiza Town - arrived - 19/07/13 - departed - 21/07/13 Cala Llonga - arrived - 21/07/13 - departed - 22/07/13 Cala del Lleo - arrived - 22/07/13 - departed - 23/07/13 Cala Portinax - arrived - 23/07/13 - departed - 26/07/13 San Antonio - arrived - 26/07/13 - departed - 31/07/13 Marina San Antonio - arrived 31/07/13 - departed - 04/08/13 San Antonio - arrived 04/08/13 - departed - 07/08/13 Marina San Antonio - arrived 07/08/13 - departed - 12/08/13 San Antonio - arrived 12/08/13 - departed - 16/08/13 Marina San Antonio - arrived 16/08/13 - departed - 19/08/13 Cala Torrida - arrived 19/08/13 - departed - 21/08/13 Marina San Antonio - arrived 21/08/13 - departed - 08/09/13 (professional skippers Ramon and Kenneth took Comino to Malta) Following the death of Nicki's father whilst we were in Ibiza, we returned to the UK for the funeral. Two professional skippers took Comino from Ibiza directly to Malta for us. They departed on 8th September 2013. Having watched them leave, we travelled to Valencia for some quiet time in a hotel before flying to Malta on 10th September. Comino arrived safe and sound on 14th September 2013. We didn't sail again that year; just spent time with our ever expanding circle of good friends, whilst living on the boat. We flew out of Malta on 18th December for the UK, leaving Comino in Msida Marina.
We arrived back on 5th April 2014 to resume our adventure. The plan was to stay in and around Malta for the season, which we did, enjoying many trips to amazing anchorages around the island, plus a sail over to Sicily and back.
We flew home from Malta on 9th December 2014 to spend another winter in the UK, with Comino tucked up in Msida Marina once more.
We came back on 30th May 2015 and again stayed around the Maltese Islands for the whole season, with another sail to Sicily.
Msida - departed 26/06/15
"Sicily again"
Marina de Ragusa - arrived 26/06/15 - departed 29/06/15
"Back to Malta"
Msida - arrived 29/06/15
We departed Malta early to see our son off to Uni, leaving on 10th September 2015.
Starting in March 2016, I worked for the Royal International Air Tattoo. My contract finished at the end of July, so we left for Malta on 4th August. We only had two months on the boat and departed Malta on 1st October 2016.
The decision was taken to see our son right through his first year of Uni and therefore we both temporarily came out of retirement for 2017. Nicki went back the school where she had been an HLTA to become a specialist mentor and I took a years contract with the Royal International Air Tattoo.
On 7th May 2017 Comino was lifted at Manoel Island Boatyard and placed on the hard in their storage area. The plan was to leave her there for a year, after which we would re-launch and head for Greece.
Comino was re-launched on 11th April 2018. I departed Malta on 10th June with Alfred Mifsud as crew, heading for Corfu. It took four days, including two overnight passages.
Msida - departed 10/06/18
"Sicily enroute to Greece"
Syracuse - arrived 10/06/18 - departed 11/06/18
"Stopping in Italy"
Crotone - arrived 12/06/18 - departed 13/06/18
"Greece at last - Corfu"
Gouvia Marina - Corfu - arrived 14/06/18 (Nicki arrived by air 18/06/18)
We returned to the UK on 6th August 2018 to avoid the height of the Charter and Flotilla season, coming back on 14th September until 17th October. On 24th April 2019 we returned to Corfu for nine days until 2nd May and then flew back again on 31st May.
"We sailed to"
Garistas Bay - Corfu Town Kalami - NW Corfu Vido Island Lakka - Paxos
We returned to the UK on 31st July 2019.
Then back again in Corfu from 9th September to 7th October.
We didn't travel to the boat at all during 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
We had booked to be on the boat from 27th August 2021 to 4th October 2021, but I broke my foot in an accident. Therefore, we only managed a short stay on Comino, with no sailing, from 4th October to 22nd October.
In 2022, with the Brexit 90 day in a rolling 180 days rule now applicable, we travelled to the boat three times for a total of 82 days.
Arrived - 06/05/22 - Departed 16/05/22 = 11 days
Arrived 13/06/22 - Departed 25/07/22 = 43 days
Arrived 30/08/22 - Departed 26/09/22 = 28 days
"We sailed to"
Kalami - NW Corfu Lakka - Paxos Two Rock Bay - Mainland Preveza Marina - Mainland Lefkas Marina - Lefkas Abelike Bay - Meganisi Palairos - Mainland Sivota - Mainland Kassiopi - NW Corfu
For the 2023 season our time in Greece was as follows:
Arrived - 08/05/23 - Departed 19/05/23 = 12 days
Arrived 05/06/23 - Departed 19/07/23 = 45 days
Arrived 24/09/22 - Departed 22/10/23 = 29 days
"We moved to Lefkas and sailed to"
Lakka - Paxos Two Rock Bay - Mainland Preveza - Mainland Lefkas Marina - Lefkas Abelike Bay - Meganisi Palerios - Mainland x 2 Nidri - Lefkas x 2
We'd spent 86 days in Greece out of the previous 180 days, making us BREXIT compliant.
THATS IT FOR NOW
Our adventures will be updated when we return to the boat in 2024.