The Blog
The latest from Talata SailingAfter 30 years in the corporate world we decided to stop living at work and to start to work at living.
Together we’ve sailed over the past 11 years, chartering boats in the Med, Caribbean and Asia and now on our own sailing trimaran TALATA! This blog follows our experiences after turning our backs on careers and land life, buying a boat and jumping into full time sailing life!
The latest post
10 Reasons to Sail Albania
1. Out of Schengen This will be the main incentive for most cruisers who come to Albania. If your boat is non-EU VAT paid, you can reset the 18 month clock with a stop in Albania. If you are non-Schengen passport holders, you can use Albania as a base to extend your...
All our posts
6 Beautiful Anchorages in Albania
Butrint Bay This one is not in any pilot book nor on Navily App. It is our favourite and we returned here several times. Only 9NM from Saranda or...
Sardinia: Giant’s Tomb, Mountain views & Wild Horses
The turn off from the SS125 is easy to miss. It’s a small dirt road turning right with a sign pointing to Tomba di Gigante. Within a few minutes...
Sardinia: Nature, Culture & Local Producers
The Parteolla, located in the south-eastern area of Sardinia, is partly mountainous and partly flat and cultivable. The territory and the...
Best shops for Provisioning in Cagliari
A stop in the Sardinian city of Cagliari is a great opportunity to provision. The quality of local and seasonal produce is expectedly fantastic but...
Reasons for choosing a Neel 47
The two groups the above question comes from most often are: Multihull devotees already interested in the Neel 47 and looking for some reassurance...
Retrospective and Statistics 2020
Summary Log Distance covered: 2’709 nautical miles (approx. 5000 km) Countries: 8 Anchored: 65 days Moored: 5 days Docked: Due to covid...
Winter Sailing in the Med – Sardinia
To Sail or not to Sail Sailors in the Mediterranean typically do one of two things once October comes around: put their boat on the hard in a...
Biggest Differences in Life as a Full-time Cruiser
Well, surprise revelation: it’s not all pink champagne at a rosy sunset. In the run up to changing our lifestyle we were afraid we might get bored -...
The Knives are Out
You know how when you’re on land and get dragged into Leroy Merlin for the 42nd time? You know how when the skipper needs some stainless for a tiny...
Solar Protection – Sun Shades on a Boat
Keeping us cool is only the tip of the iceberg, you also want to avoid the boat insides getting overheated. Too much heat is obviously no good for...
Top Tips to Beat the Heat on a Boat
1. Side or top hatches These should open outwards with the outside of the pane to stern and inside pane facing the bow. When on anchor, in most...
Foraging Cactus for Nopales
With all the dried beans we’re carrying onboard, I’m always looking for new recipes and anyway, we just LOVE beans in all their forms. Who doesn’t!...
Sail anywhere? Whenever you want?
As I write this, we’re locked down on our 47ft boat in a marina on the Algarve. All recreational navigation at sea is forbidden and other modes of...
Reducing risk before living the dream
Sure, to be a successful world cruiser you need to be comfortable living with factors that are uncertain and unknown. You have to be flexible...
Clam Dunk
Locals are always keen to share their favourite specialities and often we’ve had people at next-door tables share tips on how best to savour what...
Our first passage on Neel 47
After much delay, at the end of November 2019, the next step in our adventure came true. We moved aboard our NEEL 47 in La Rochelle, France! But...
Boat Naming: Ceremony and Ritual
The custom and ceremony of naming a boat is shrouded in ritual, coated with doses of superstition, fun and reverence for the sea and the sailors...
In search of an Alibi
There’s a place we go every time we’re in La Rochelle. Many of you have turned away after the first couple of steps. The dark doorway leads to a...
What it’s like: Crossing the Atlantic Ocean
With 200’000 nautical miles in his wake, René is a proven master of the knowledge and skills needed to train and qualify skippers as he's done for...