Plans for Summer 2024?

It’s already mid-April, and people are asking questions…

Are we going to be sailing soon? Yes! We are currently finishing up small maintenance tasks on Sabática as well as waiting for a good patch of weather, but we hope to set sail for our new season within a couple of weeks. Woohoo! 

Where do we plan to go this season? Well, we have an overall plan that sounds something like this… Upon leaving Licata, head west around Sicily (which we’ve never done before) and visit the Aeolian islands just north of Sicily (which we’ve also never been to). There are seven main islands to chose from – Lipari, Vulcano, Salina, Stromboli, Filicudi, Alicudi and Panarea. Then, return to the beautiful Calabrian coast and reach the Bay of Naples (like we did last year), but then continue further north. We want to visit the Pontine Islands (which include Ponza), the island of Elba, and any others on our way as far north as the Cinque Terre. Then heading back south, we want to take in the French island of Corsica, then return to Italian waters by visiting the large island of Sardinia. Finally, we want to make our way west to the Spanish Balearic Islands and reach the southeastern coast of Spain where Sabática will rest next winter. Our exact movements and routes will, of course, be driven largely by the weather. We all know by now that things never go exactly according to plan. But, it’s still good to have one. 😉

If you’re a visual person like me, this map might be helpful:

Are we having any visitors this year? Of course! We love sharing our adventures with family and friends, and this summer we’re excited to have several repeat customers who will bring with them a few newbies. It’s good to know that we must be doing something right if people are keen to return to Sabática. 🙂

Do we have any new goals for this year? Yes. We are goal-driven people, so what would a sailing season be without some new targets to up our game?

• Sail more. So last summer, we definitely used our sails way more than the summer before. However, more often than not we had places to be and people to collect or drop off. So, we largely motor-sailed. The addition of the sails to motors made us more fuel efficient and just that bit faster. This year, because we have fewer groups of visitors coming aboard, we have more free time and more flexibility in our movements. That means, we’re hoping to just use our sails and go with the wind. It will take longer to get places, but the peace and quiet without engines is what sailing is all about. Not to mention being even more fuel efficient.
• Do overnight crossings ourselves. Last summer, we did not do any overnight crossings. We did get up before dawn for a long day once or twice, but we were able to avoid any crossings that were too long. The summer before that, we did do a couple of overnight crossings, but only when we had Conor’s sister, Cuala, and her husband, Olivier, onboard with us. They are both very experienced sailors, and we managed through the nights by taking various shifts in pairs. I will admit to not loving overnight crossings, mainly because I don’t function well without sleep. However, this is the year. You may have noticed the long open water distance between Sardinia and the Balearic Islands. If we decide to take that on, it will be somewhere around a 30 hour trek. I feel like to up my game as a sailor, I need to do this. Conor would likely sleep on deck during my shift(s), and he’s procured walkie talkies to make the situation easier and safer so one of us could be inside the boat yet still in communication. This will be our big feat for the summer, so we shall see! 

As always, please stay tuned for our sailing adventures, travel explorations, and life musings. I promise to keep my posts more up-to-date once we hit the high seas!