FINAL PREPARATIONS AND SETTING SAILS

On 2 April 2024, the Sailing Marlin adventure begins. It goes far beyond a holiday on a sailboat and becomes a way of life on board. Living together in a tiny space, being close to nature and leaving everyday life and the comfort zone behind are the pillars that make this trip interesting and exciting.

With ten days to go, we were in full preparation mode. We had an extensive list of installation projects and upgrades to the boat that needed to be completed on time. Tasks such as fitting two extra water tanks and rebuilding the anchor box lid took longer than expected. Constant teamwork was essential to avoid falling behind.

The preparations were so intensive that we had little time to assimilate and mentally prepare ourselves for the changes that would really take place after leaving Aprilia Marittima (Italy).

Because of the tides, we had to leave the harbour at 6am to have enough depth and avoid hitting the bottom. The tides have always been an important factor to take into account when entering and leaving this marina with our boat.

The day of departure was full of emotions. On the one hand, conversations and farewells with family members. On the other hand, a feeling of happiness to have arrived at the long-awaited day and to be able to share it with family, friends and other followers through a livestream.

It was a cool spring morning. The route began, as usual, by motor, crossing the Laguna di Marano for about an hour. On the way to sea we followed tradition and gave a drink to the God of the seas Neptune, asking him to protect us during the trip and that the challenges would not let us stop along the way. A few minutes later, in the middle of the canal, the engine stopped. Joseph had to investigate quickly. Fortunately, he knew it was simply a build-up of air in the engine hoses, which was easy to fix. Within minutes we were back on course. When we reached the exit of the harbour, things calmed down, we switched off the engine and started to sail.

After about six and a half hours we reached our first destination in Croatia, the town of Umag. We wanted to buy the annual navigation permit for Croatia, but unfortunately it was already closed. Due to our fatigue and dizziness after the first crossing, we decided to take it easy and spend the night in Umag. We took the opportunity to rest and take in everything that had happened. The next day we sailed a few miles despite the headwind. We bought the permit and continued our journey towards our next destination, Cala Dalja, which we already knew.

Some of the questions people asked us before we left were “Aren’t you afraid?”, “Are you sure about the life in such a small space?”. Although we respect the sea and understand the risks of being in direct contact with nature, we are not afraid of this new lifestyle, otherwise we would never have started this adventure. We have confidence in our abilities, in the boat’s equipment and in our stability as a couple. We also know that if things do not go as planned, we can always change course and find the right direction.