Onboard the Andrea Cay: Our wine personalities must not be as charming as we thought...

OK… John and I are really beginning to think we have a serious personality problem right now (… no comments from our children, please). Our crew is deserting us. Harold bailed in Halifax, Ed in the Azores, and Neil and Howard in Malaga. And yesterday, Mike and Lori jumped ship. We have chained Peter and Carol to the boat, although her leash is long enough to allow her to bring wine to John and Peter on the top deck, and for both of them to get to the bridge table. After weeks of childish games such as chickenfoot, oh hell, slapjack, war and go fish, John and I have undertaken the daunting task of teaching Carol and Peter bridge. It’s too early to gage our success, but I am happy to report that retired accountant Carol can now count the points in her hand without using her fingers or a calculator. (Side memo to Howard: don’t worry, we’re still playing gin, too!)

Our weather has continued to be perfect. Light winds, 80 degree temperatures during the day, no humidity, and cool at night. We have had incredibly beautiful anchorages the last few days and have dined on the aft deck and the fly bridge as we have watched some stunning sunsets.

We left Alghero and have been working our way across the northern tip of Sardinia. We have spent several days in the Maddalena Islands, which include a national park, several scenic little villages and some of the best beaches in the region.

The Mediterranean water is much warmer than we had anticipated and the four of us have been doing “exercise” swims at least every day. Of course Carol is exercising enough for all of us – swimming, biking in the bowels of the boat (boring…), and getting Peter to drive her to shore for an additional run. I have to say, she makes the rest of us feel like slugs!