REAL LIFE ‘The harbour wall was doing nothing to break the southerly surge’

Sitting onboard Gianti in the safety and comfort of Marina di Cala del Sole in Licata, Sicily, I pondered the last three years of sailing. There have been some memorable events, including the times I’ve flapped about in the cockpit, desperately trying to figure out what to do.

Before leaving the UK, the prospect of contending with a big storm, catastrophic rigging or engine failure would have seemed far more anxiety-inducing than sitting comfortably and securely in a marina in the Mediterranean. However, in a strange twist, the latter scenario was the most stressful situation I’d faced during my three-year absence.

We’d chosen Sicily as our 2019 winter base, with a plan to cruise the Greek Islands