Moondancerx's BIG adventure

Looks like the documents are in Istanbul and may very well make it to Gocek today. All being well we will leave Gocek early in the morning. We're all very ready to leave. Not that this is not a lovely place, but we have all felt captive by the circumstances. This not being our boat, we have not been able to use it to go exploring the islands which I am sure are very beautiful. As I said before the local people are very nice to us. Last night we were treated to dinner out by the Agency we are all working for as an apology for the extended delays. We had dinner at a new outdoor restaurant on the beach by the marina. The food was excellent. The Turks eat a style of food called Meses (not sure of that spelling), but it basically is a variety of small starters which you eat with bread. I think I could reproduce some of them. They were excellent. Everything was so good and we were very pleased to be able to spend the money with them as they have been so kind to us during our s...

Well that was the best communication I've had with Tony in almost a week. I didnt bring my own computer to Gocek and have only been able to use someone elses to check my e-mails. Today I have it for as long as I want so here I am. Sorry, no pictures, not that I haven't taken them, I've taken lots but cannot download them into this computer. I arrived in Dalaman last Monday at about 2.00pm expecting to go to Gocek, TurkMarina and board a 50' Beneteau Oceanis to help bring the boat back to Malta. The reason I wanted to do this trip is that I wanted the experience on the 50 footer for possible future work as a Charter skipper. I started by trip from Malta at about 01.30am Monday morning - took 3 flights - all with the worst landings I've experienced to date - and arrived 13 hours later. Which was alright until I got here and found that the boat was actually on the hard in the boat yard having been there for a year without anyone paying attention to her. The yard p...

Well,here is sit broken hearted.....It seem's quite strange not having Nancy around.She has been gone almost a week but it feels like much longer.Funny how you take things for granted untill there gone! Nancy is in Turkey waiting to bring a 50 ft Beneteau Oceanis back to Malta. They have had problems with paperwork so it's taking a bit longer than planned. I just received a text from her and she say's all is well and that Turkey is a wonderful place. I think I have lost a few pounds already. Beans on toast is no match for Nancy's culinary delights. Oh that reminds me I have a pressy coming back from Turkey "Turkish delight" yum! Meanwhile back at the ranch. I have been busy with some charters and helping my friend get his boats ready for the season. Yesterday we had 17 sailboats doing a charter for a Russian company. I had 5 guests onboard a Bavaria 36. The wind was 25 gusting 32. I thought they would postpone the event, but no. By the time we reached St Paul...

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Sorry, no post for quite awhile. Tony and I have been very busy with establishing ourselves here in Malta. We know that we will be here for this summer season. Tony is working sporadically now with a couple of prominent charter companies here, and is also going through an Instructor's course so that he can teach sailing at a recreational level through the biggest sailing school in Malta. I've also been putting the word around that I am available - I know that it will be harder for me to find work in that field as it is quite male dominated, but I'll keep trying, and who knows when the season picks up and the companies run out of male skippers and can't find a chimpanzee to skipper a boat - maybe they'll consider trusting a woman with 30,000 ocean miles under her keel. What I have been doing is making things for boats. This is always a good standby for me to earn money and I do find it quite satisfying. So alongside the sail making, boat canvas sewing etc. I ha...

First sail with Moondancer's cruising chute. What fun that was. Putting it up Tony was almost hoisted up into the air. As soon as the chute filled we shot forward and had a romping sail. My daughter Mary and her son Mission at a few days old, living in Victoria BC, Canada. Wilfred Pirotta is a diver, who still works under boats replacing zincs, cleaning bottoms etc. even though he's in his 70's now. He carries his tank and equipment on this motor scooter which he bought a long time ago. The scooter still advertises the previous owners, Thomas Smith, Admiralty chart agents in Malta. He never bothered to take the name off. I saw him later in the day after he had finished his dive and asked his name. I told him I would put him on the blog. He gave me his professional card and said that though he knew nothing about computers, perhaps his sister who lives in Canada would be able to see him. We went to an exhibition of art by Wayne Attwood, a fellow sailor who has been tr...

I've been looking forward to posting this particular blog for quite some time now. Yesterday Steve, the Royal Yachting Association examiner came back to our boat and spent the day with us. While Tony went out to get us some pastizzi (savoury Maltese heart attack pastries) we got the theory part of the exam out of the way, which I pretty much aced - which was a great relief to me, because then it was all down to the sailing skills and piloting - no electronics allowed. Tony was my crew and Steve told Tony that he was not to help me in any way to make any decisions, just to crew. It turned into a blustery day with the wind between 20 - 25kn. Given the wind direction we basically sailed downwind for a couple of hours with me navigating using running fixes to find a spot that Steve marked on the chart. I found it and he was satisfied with my effort and asked me to head for another place. There was alot of jibing - all controlled I'm pleased to say. It was a bit rolly as the ...