The horn blows to thank and say goodbye to Ennio, Andrea and Vasco, with Michele, Giorgione Turi and the whole staff of Cantiere delle Marche, who have come to say goodbye too. The horn, blowing, also marks the beginning of a cruise which will end the half of october, well after almost 5000 miles and a long series of isles, bays, anchorages, shelters and, few, very few harbours and marinas.

With real “explorer” style, we have been sailing following our instinct and our desire of novelty, rather than a predetermined path. After releasing the ropes, from the quay of Ancona shipyard, we turn the bow north, toward Venice lagoon. “Vitadimare3” leaves behind itself a white and clean wake, while the lights of the port slowly get lost in the haze of an end of June warm night.

Once we have performed the routine checks and after a quick glance to the camera’s monitor in the engine room, I finally enjoy such a special moment following the navigation from the wheelhouse, while our shipowner is finishing his dinner. This is the start of a navigation that has allowed us to reach seven different nations in the Mediterranean Sea in just three months.

A fair and thrilling cruising most of the time, that sometimes has become challenging and tricky because of the bad weather conditions. Articulated in a succession of anchorages, moorings stern-to with ropes into amazing forests and bays far from the usual summer destinations. Coves with no name and ravines that only few fishermans are used to haunt and where we have often seen some people staring at us astonished to see such a big “beast” anchored there, where just the local small boats usually are. With the boat perfectly handling in narrow spaces, facilitated by the Bow and Stern thrusters, but mostly, from the indipendent rudders and their great efficiency, we have never been in trouble manouvering in close quarters. Those machinery and the other equipments make the conduction of the Darwin Class 86 safe and pleasant, even for those with little experience, in handling this 240 tons “baby”. The unbelievble range given by the 46.000 liters of fuel, allowed us to spend all the season, with no queues or stops at the fuel quay, with only one refuel made at the beginning of the cruise.

A careful planning and a large stock of food and drinks, together with tons of materials for the regular maintenance, granted us a smooth cruise with no surprises or inconventients, avoiding also enforced stops and ensuring the necessary peacefullness to the shipowner in order to deeply enjoy his holidays. Even if still new and st her first cruise, Vitadimare3 behaved very well and, during the after-sale check made the first days of august, the “Claim” list counted just few and not important items, such as the adjustment of a wardrobe door or a spot light fixing or the trimming of fresh water gauges Even in this occasion Cantiere delle Marche has proved us its seriousness and reliability, supplying all the necessery assistance and, although the shipyard was closed for summer holidays, its technical staff intervened quickly and in just two days we headed out at sea.

Istria, Croazia, Montenegro, Greece, Tremiti, Eolie, Pontine, Sardinia and Corse, Costa Azzurra have been some of our stops: almost 5000 miles in about three months. A distance equal to once and a half the Atlantic Ocean, from Gibilterra to Antigua plus half of the retourn. These the miles traveled in Mediterranean Sea by Vitadimare3 during its first summer cruise. The first model of Darwin Class 86 had definitively left its “nest” and it is ready to give great emotions to whom sails it.

“molla a prua, molla a poppa!”... the summer has began.