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Firstly congratulations on giving yourself permission to be curious, try something different and hoist up your sails.
When playing in the elements, there are always surprises, so when it comes to arranging logistics, embrace a mindset of flexibility. There can only be certainty around where/location or when/date you will join (hop on), but not both.
The coasts and islands where we plan to sail are very well connected by flights, ferries as well as buses. As a start, message us with your thinking. We've done heaps of travel and are more than happy to support as "travel agents" in the planning.
Depending on where you are joining from, the first step would be to book the long haul flight into one of the main airports in Europe that is convenient and economical for you. Once in Europe, hopping around is fairly easy and economical with many options for flights, ferries and buses.
Given the dynamic pricing for flights, booking in advance is recommended for any long haul flights. However, booking in advance is not recommended for intra-Europe flights as there is little to no dynamic pricing and it allows for flexibility. Some sites for booking flights:
There are many ferry lines operating in the area. Booking in advance is not recommended for ferries as there is no dynamic pricing and it allows for flexibility. Some sites for booking ferries:
Destinations on mainlands and islands are also well connected by buses. Booking in advance is not recommended for buses as there is no dynamic pricing and it allows for flexibility. Some sites for booking buses:
We refrain from sending long pdf documents about boats and sailing for you to read and be tested on. Instead we keep things simple and share with you the important bits and go through the rest in more detail once you're aboard.
Be flexible. The weather around the Mediterranean sea during the northern hemisphere summer is generally sunny. However, the wind direction and strength can vary significantly. When playing in the elements, the weather gods call the shots. We will follow the forecast and sail with the wind. Safety of the crew and boat take priority. With this said, typically a forecast of three days out is fairly accurate. As it gets closer, we will have greater certainty around the weather and where the boat will be, which means plans for meeting up with B’leve can be firmed up (e.g., flight, ferry, bus, taxi, rental car, etc. ).
Sailing plans. After your arrival, we will take a closer look at the forecast and the sailing plans.
Pack soft and light. Think backpack, duffle bag. Wheelie and hard bags/suitcases don’t fit well on boats.
Consume utilities mindfully. Expect to consume power and water differently than you would on land. Power...B’leve is equipped with a robust power generation, storage and distribution system. Bring your phones, headphones, tablets and laptops. There is both 12-volt DC power and 230-volt AC power on the boat to charge such devises. However, leave appliances such as blow dryers and hair straighteners on land and embrace a natural look instead. Water...B’leve has water tanks, which we try to fill up wherever we can find good quality water and economically priced. Unfortunately, finding good quality water sometimes can be a challenge. Hence, we apply a high sense of mindfulness to the water consumption aboard. We use the sea to cool down and take showers using the deck shower to have a quick rinse. Every few days or so, if we are looking to wash hair and soap up, we use sea water shampoo. We trap water in the galley sink to reuse for rinsing dishes and washing hands. There are other ways we have adopted for conserving water, which we will share with you once aboard.
Put nothing that hasn’t come out of your body down the toilets (or heads as they’re called on boats). The only things that should be clogging our heads are great food, drink and fantastic memories. Boat toilets are always a topic of curiosity when chatting with those who live on land. We’ll give you a detailed rundown once you’re aboard.
Further boat specifics including safety. We will cover further boat specifics including safety in greater detail as part of the welcoming tour once you’re aboard. We don’t expect you to remember everything that will be covered in the welcoming tour, but we do expect you to always ask questions when uncertain about something on the boat, or something not looking/feeling right. There is no ego on B’leve. Always ask!!! We are all continuously learning.
$$$...On a boat there are the ongoing costs (e.g.,maintenance, insurance, safety, dingy, bedding and other onboard equipment) and the daily costs during time aboard (e.g. groceries, consumables, going out for meals/drinks, land attractions, gas/diesel, water, marina/port, customs, taxes, transit log fees, etc.). We will chat through these as we're planning with you.
Food. We’ll plan to do a mix of eating breakfasts and lunches aboard and dinners ashore where possible. We can plan a food menu and do a shop the day you arrive or before.
Activities. As far as activities go, you can choose to do as much as or as little as you wish to. All up to you. Examples are sup’ing, swimming, snorkeling, wind sports (weather permitting), exploring the local history (this part of the world is so ancient and offers so much to learn!!!), hanging out/chilling, reading, reviewing weather and planning for the following days.
Take care of B’leve as if she was yours. She is our home and will be yours while you’re aboard so treat her with mindfulness, kindness and respect.
Extend respect beyond B’leve to our wider neighborhood made up of other sailing boats and people on quaysides/moorings/marinas/restaurants/shops etc. Approach any cultural differences with curiosity and kindness. B’leve will continue to play in these waters for a long while after your departure, so we certainly don’t want her to be known as “the mean kid on the block”.
With a moving sailboat, given the uncertainty around the elements, there can only be certainty around where/location or when/date, but not both.
This is different from on land accommodation arrangements where there can be certainty around both, location and dates. This is why you won't find a typical accommodation availability calendar/diary on this site.
Have a look at the sailing map. Pick a place OR a date (for hopping on and off) that aligns with B’leve sailing plans. Message us!
- Ble(rina)(Ste)ve
- B for being (at anchor), immersing in the present
- ' for exploring the beauty of it all, while in between 'enjoying the being' and 'gathering the courage and leaving'
- leve for leaving (and off to sailing), moving on (from anchor), all endings are new beginnings, everything is in a state of impermanence (like the weather - wind, swell, tide, sun and rain)
- B’leve for believe, the foundation of our behaving and becoming - believe, behave, become
Oh and our fellow dinghy/tender crew member is called Spinacher. Why?
- Bleri’s sister Olta nicknamed us as Popeye and Olive Oyl a long while back. She never gave an explanation for why 😅 Maybe because we love sailing and Bleri LOVEs olive oil 🤷🏼♀️ Maybe one day she’ll tell us.
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