Expanding Our Horizons: What we have Learned Sailing The Mediterranean

Our team at Dockwa is stoked to be collaborating with the Salty Dawgs Sailing Association (SDSA) to share monthly cruising tales in The Running Fix Newsletter! 

After years of dreaming and detours, Shiera Brady and the crew of SV Gémeaux have finally made it to the Mediterranean—and it’s been everything they imagined and more. With sprawling coastlines, unpredictable winds, and a mix of serene anchorages and bustling marinas, the Med has challenged them, taught them, and rewarded them in equal measure. From dodging sudden gusts in Corsica to docking beneath ancient cliffs, this vast sea is an adventure playground like no other. Join Shiera and her crew as they explore the rich history, mouthwatering cuisine, and breathtaking landscapes that make sailing the Mediterranean an experience of a lifetime.

Expanding Our Horizons: What we have Learned Sailing The Med 
By Shiera Brady on SV Gemeaux 

Sailing in the Med has always been in our plan. Originally, we thought we’d buy a boat in France, then we found Gémeaux in the Caribbean. Covid foiled plans to ship her to the Med so we gained more experience through three SDSA rallies to the Caribbean and the Bahamas, and an OCC rally around South and Central America. After four years and a lot of inspiration from friends like fellow Salty Dawg members on SV Raven, we were ready to cross the Atlantic. 

2024 marks our third season here and we’ve learned A LOT! First, the Mediterranean is huge—from one end to the other would be like sailing across the U.S. and somehow the islands are always bigger than they look on a map. It took us six weeks (at a pretty fast clip via the major western Mediterranean island groups), to reach our winter port in southwest Sicily, 1000 miles from the Straits of Gibraltar. That little island ball off the boot of Italy has 620 miles of coastline! 

Some say the Med stands for Motor Every Day—so many days with no wind or wind right on the nose. When there is wind, frequent changes in direction and speed create a very confused sea state with short, tall wind chop. Named winds like the Mistral that blows cold air from the Alps and the Sirocco that covers your boat in Saharan dirt become essential vocabulary. We find ourselves, more than ever, allowing greater flexibility and always a Plan B through D, as forecasted conditions in the Med seem to change constantly. Recently, we anchored in a small inlet off the French island of Corsica where winds were forecasted to be less than 10k. Just as we were serving dinner, the wind gusted over 35k. It settled back down, but at 2am the wind crept back up, forcing us for the first time ever to move anchorages in the middle of the night. 

I like to think that Med mooring and tying to shore have just made us better sailors, and not just enriched our salty language. Certainly, it has opened up more possibilities for docking in front of lively city promenades and anchoring in some stunning bays. We do tend to stay in marinas more often than ever, mostly because of the access to see so many attractions onshore or to travel inland on Europe’s remarkable train system. In this region where land is limited, the mooring system of tying stern to the dock with two bow lines tethered to the bottom of the sea, allows marinas and city docks to maximize every inch of precious space. Good fenders are a must! When I need some peace and quiet, however, nothing is better than dropping the hook and backing into a little cove as our 200-ft floating stern line keeps us firmly attached to the shoreline. Early in the season, before the charter boats arrived, we had the perfect occasion to hone our skills in a secluded Croatian inlet that was once a submarine base. Having added a laser range finder to our tool kit(!), we confirmed the distance to shore, found the ideal rock to tie to, and voilà, our own private swimming hole and a beautiful backyard! 

Sailing is difficult, weather is unpredictable, and there are boats everywhere, so why come? The Mediterranean is breathtakingly beautiful, packed with history and culture, and it’s an epicurean dream. You have a front-row seat to natural sea arches, forts and ruins perched on cliffs, castles overlooking turquoise waters, and charming seaside ports. Island after island boasts natural parks, hiking, and miles of swimming. At this very moment, we are anchored at the base of the French Calanques of Marseilles, gorgeous fjord-like inlets that offer 100+ hiking trails, family-run restaurants, and your choice of water sports. Our next major stop is Barcelona, where we’ve secured marina space to give us great access to explore Gaudi architecture and the Catalan culture, nap, and then return for one of those 10pm Spanish dinners. With any luck, we’ll be able to take in some of the competitions of the America’s Cup or at least say ciao to Luna Rossa, the Italian team who will be at the same marina. 

So go get a passerelle, order all those European courtesy flags, learn to say please and thank you in all the countries on your itinerary, and get ready for a geography and history education of a lifetime while you eat some of the best food on the planet!

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