Sailing across an ocean is an adventure of a lifetime. Being able to harness the wind and current to get to a destination is something everybody should experience at least once. I’ve taken many new crew members on my sailboats before on long ocean passages, and for the most part, they all enjoyed them. Some even have gone out and made a career out of sailing. Although finding the right boat and Captain is where it can get a little tricky. In this article, I will tell you my secrets on finding these opportunities to have fun and stay safe.Continue reading
yachting
Malta to Sicily: Another Boat to Hitch
Uh-oh, it’s the same old tale from a couple of weeks ago! But this time, I’m dockwalking to hitchhike a yacht from Malta to Sicily, mainland Italy, or France. I want to attend the HitchGathering in Saint-Laurent-du-Pape (yes, it’s a mouthful) in France this year. I’m using this cardboard hitchhiking sign to start conversations with people in the marina of Valetta where I arrived. To be honest, I’m not sure if I’m at the correct marina. Malta has a gazillion marinas and it’s impossible to visit all of them in person and walk around. Not all employees of marinas areContinue reading
Ultimate Hitchselfie on Gozo! (Malta)
I’ve always wanted to take a hashtag hitchselfie like this! This happened on the outskirts of Victoria on the island of Gozo in Malta. Yep, that red car stopped right when I was taking this picture. That’s why I look so distracted. I was also torn between talking to the driver first and picking up my camera first. I chose my camera and then made a run for the car. The guy made a nice drive around Marsalforn and invited me for some guitar playing at his house before dropping me at Ramla Bay to go swimming. I hope IContinue reading
Yacht Hitchhiking Finale: Arriving in Valletta, Malta from Corfu, Greece
Two and a half days on a yacht gives you plenty of time to contemplate your next moves. That’s exactly what I’ve been doing on the boat. The first day on a boat is always a little awkward because you don’t have the sea legs yet. But one can become accustomed to it quite rapidly. We had a prediction of zero wind, but in the end, we sailed most of the journey. My captains/drivers had three days to arrive in Malta because they had a meetup with their child. That’s why they had stocked up on enough fuel. We couldContinue reading
Valetta: An Epic Hitch-Sailing Arrival in Malta
WE ARRIVED IN VALETTA!! It was an exciting 2,5 days hitchhiking the yacht of these two lovely people from Lebanon and the USA. They picked me up from the marina in Corfu and we sailed all the way to the capital of this small island nation: Malta. I’m very happy to have found them before I might have given up on the whole boat hitchhiking thing. And it was a great way to start learning more about sea sailing and a good test on whether I like being on boats for a long time. The verdict is that I freakingContinue reading
Success at the Marina: I’ve Found a Boat to Malta!
Today is a good day! Six days and six nights after beginning the quest for a boat to hitchhike to Italy, I’ve found a boat with a Lebanese-American couple headed directly to Malta! Freaking Malta! For context: Malta is my target destination all along. I just asked for boats to Italy because I thought it would be a lower bar to pass. Gouvia Marina on Corfu (Greece) has been a success! I will meet the couple again at 22:00 tonight to also sleep on their boat. At 8:00 tomorrow we should set sail with the boat “Boysterous” 😀 if there areContinue reading
Gouvia Marina in Corfu, Greece: Sailing Sunsets, Sunrises
D-Marin, which I call “Gouvia Marina” has been my home for almost a week now. I’ve experienced the sunrise and sunset for so many days. Witnessing these daily events here is still so spectacular when you notice that the density of masts resembles a forest. Sometimes, I forget that I’m already on a tiny island in Greece. Corfu feels like the mainland now. My rhythm each day has been as follows: wake up on the deck of the motor yacht. Don’t worry, the owner suggested this to me for finding a boat hitch, so I have their permission. After awaking,Continue reading
Boat Hitchhiking 101: Dockwalking
Dockwalking: many people do it in a more advanced way than I do in order to go boat hitchhiking. They print out copies of their CV, wow! I just carry a hitchhiking sign with my destination and my not-so-secret weapon: a smile. And patience… for the love of God, you need a lot of patience. [update 2020: I have embraced technology. I have a very nice profile on CrewBay and Find a Crew profile now. If you’re a boat owner, make sure to star my profile!] But I keep singing: I’m sittin’ on the dock of the bay watching the tideContinue reading