Month: May 2025 (Page 2 of 2)

It started to roll in Dwejra Bay and it was time to move down to Sliema Creek on the northeast side of the main island of Malta. It was a great downwind, jib-only sail. Friends came out by dinghy to help us tie up bow and stern to the moorings (free unless needed by owner) and we settled in, saying hello to the crowd from Monastir that had come in before us. Nick, Mark, Sarah, and Meghan were on their way to the Royal Malta Yacht Club for drinks, so we decided to tag along. The yacht club wasn’t the best, but the drinks were cold, and the ride over was incredibly picturesque.

Of course, coming back to Sliema meant shopping for the boat at the chandlery Gauci Borda (including lugging our dead starter battery there for disposal), and groceries at Welbees and Lidl. As much as I enjoyed shopping and eating locally and seasonally in Tunisia, it was nice to have a much broader selection back in Malta, not the least of which is being able to buy mortadella and bacon!

Unfortunately weather was coming, and that’s never a good situation for us. The moorings we use in the creek are privately owned, and owners have the right to ask us to move whenever they like. While the tour boats are normally moored stern-to against the public dock, during bad weather they come out to their moorings. We thought we were off the hook, only to be told to move just hours before weather was about to roll in. Luckily, Trip had time to jump in a dinghy with Reiss and go suss out our new location. With some careful threading of multiple floats and dinghies, and the usual multiple friends to assist, we tied up to our new spot (which was actually better).

With longer passages (more than one day), it can be hard to time your arrival. Of course we arrived back to Malta at midnight. We had been assured that the entrance to Dwejra Bay, on the Maltese island of Gozo, at night was not difficult if it was clear and still, so of course it was blowing 20 knots and cloudy. Even so, visibility wasn’t bad as I stood on the bow and communicated with Trip as we came in. Luckily there were only a few boats in the anchorage and they were all well lit, so it was easy to find a place to set the anchor. With the strong wind, the anchor set immediately. We got ourselves organized, had a drink, and went to bed for a lovely, long sleep.

The next morning we got up and celebrated Trip’s birthday from the day before (spent doing what he loves best, sailing) with a big breakfast and lots of coffee. Fellow cruiser Sarah and her crew Meghan turned up and we all piled into our dinghy for a ride up the coast. Conditions were calm, so we putted along looking at the rock outcroppings, and looking for the secret entrance to the inland sea. Luckily we spotted a tour boat coming out, and headed through the opening till it opened up into a clearing with boat houses and a bar. We sat down and enjoyed a little bit of lunch and a drink (celebrating Trip’s birthday again of course).

Trip took the dinghy back to the anchorage while Sarah, Meghan, and I, hiked back to the bay, where Trip picked us up afterwards. I managed to get some great ‘poor man drone shots’ from the cliff of the boat in the bay.

So many of the cats captured our hearts while we were in Tunisia, but there was no one quite as unusual as Stella. Stella is roughly six years old. Her territory is Quay 5 in the Monastir Marina, and she picks a new boat every winter season to grace with her presence. We were lucky enough to be one of those boats this year. (She also picked us last October).

I wouldn’t say she ‘helps’ in the galley, but she always lets me know she’s ready for chicken.

She was in no hurry to get off the boat when we were leaving. Customs had done their final review, and the marineros had cast us off. I had to pick her up and leave her on a neighboring boat or she would have been a Malta kitty. Tempting as that was, she really is a Monastir Marina cat and we don’t feel it would be fair to take her away from her home.

She supervises all the boat projects like fixing the outboard.

Usually elegant, every once in a while she goes spread eagle while napping.

It’s hard work sharing space when we have other human company on board.

I never understood this pose as it looked so uncomfortable, but I guess she’s in a good position to spot any chicken I might have in the galley.

Not sure if this was a ‘time out’ in the dinghy or if she thought it would be her new home.

We miss her and we look forward to seeing her when we get back to Monastir in the fall. Maybe we’ll get lucky and she’ll pick us again!

Company was gone, the boat had a new coat of bottom paint, the other haul out projects were done, the boat was back in the water, and we were ready to start the new season with a sail to Malta. And just like that, things went wrong. Most were small, but it was particularly frustrating to suddenly find fuel leaking from the dinghy outboard. Trip managed to source a small piece of fuel hose from a local supplier at the last second to bypass the leaking valve, but why do all these things have to happen when you’re ready to go?

We planned on an early morning departure, hearing that Customs can wreak havoc with plans otherwise. We visited the Garde Nationale (Coast Guard) the day before, and checked in with the Port Police and Customs. I did my final round of cat feedings at 5 AM, and by 6 we were back at the Port Police office, only to be told that they didn’t have our paperwork. So it was back to the Garde Nationale, where the same guy from the day before made us fill out the paperwork again and bring it back to the other side of the marina. Luckily the rest of the procedure went smoothly (people have reported Customs making an absolute mess of their boats leaving and asking for bribes), and we were soon casting off lines. Of course Stella was on board with no intention to leave, so I had to gently move her onto a neighboring boat as we backed out the slip (whispering promises to see her in the fall when we come back). And we were out.

We had much more wind than anticipated, and wound up having a lovely sail to Malta.

The vast majority of cats in Tunisia do not get veterinary care as it’s simply too expensive, especially for street cats. Kittens are particularly vulnerable and life can be cruel. One of the kittens from outside the bathroom had started to get a wonky eye, so I’d stop by to wipe the crust off and apply eyedrops to him.

What we didn’t know was that he didn’t have the regular eye infection, but a very serious case of kitten flu. Despite our attempts to give him extra tasty food, he stopped eating and got very, very ill. Fellow cruisers whose boat was near the bathroom jumped into action and took him to the vet, where he was diagnosed with the flu. They were given a heap of pills (antibiotics and steroids) and eyedrops and nasal sprays to treat him. Not being cat people, they were a little bit at a loss, so a few of us would stop by to help administer the drugs while they kept him comfortable. And they were so, so, so patient, feeding him chicken broth by dropper since he had no sense of smell and therefore no sense of appetite. He was doing okay for a few days, but then he got incredibly lethargic and stopped responding to the treatment. Back to the vet again.

This time the vet kept him for five days, putting him on a nebulizer and getting him stable again. When he came back he was finally doing better, eating on his own and putting on weight again. Then more bad news – the kittens were no longer welcome in their home in front of the bathroom and someone boxed them up and dumped them outside the local supermarket where strays are often left. Our cruising friends found him, brought him back to the marina, and we moved him to a safe place out of sight. A local friend who is looking after him asked what his name was and our friends said: ‘we call him Puppy because we like dogs more than cats.’ And with that the name Puppy stuck. I’m happy to report Puppy is doing much better these days. Despite how sick he was and the fact that he’s no longer with his siblings, he’s got a new family to hang out with and living a pretty good life for a cat in Tunisia.

After Madeleine and Erin flew home, we needed to sail the two miles down to Port de Peche to haul the boat and do some routine maintenance before we could start the season. We had already been down to the boatyard so we knew what to expect, but it was still a bit nerve wracking.

Port de Peche is a boatyard for Tunisian fishing boats. There is nothing fancy about it, but it doesn’t stop the fanciest yacht in Tunisia from going in if they need work done. See those straps above? It was scary to think of those ratty things lifting Kalyra, but they lift boats four times our size easily (only two out of the three sets were needed to lift us out).

Sketchy as it looks, the yard guys know what they’re doing.

Just look at the size of the fishing boats in the yard. We’re puny in comparison.

Aymen, the lift driver. We’re hoping to visit his olive farm when we come back in the fall.

Leila and one of her offspring. The yard has many a boat dog, and unfortunately Leila has sent many a boater to the hospital with a bite. Our friends introduced us to her early on, and I brought treats and salami for them daily, so they kind of became our boat guard dogs.

Trip and Rosje working on getting the prop shaft out to replace the dripless shaft bellows.

Look at the supports for the boat – a few logs and barrels, unlike the jackstands you’d see back home. It all works, I guess.

One of our neighbors – the pirate ship that goes out to Kuriat Island.

We were lucky enough to have a tasty restaurant in the boatyard, including regional specialties (this was meat simmering in tomato sauce and harissa for hours on end).

The old and new dripless shaft bellows.

We nearly caught the davits on this monster sailboat as we were leaving. Luckily I spotted it and the yard guys were able to avoid taking her down (I doubt our insurance would have been happy with that mishap).

One of the fishing boats in the process of being sanded down before a new coat of paint. I found the different colors beautiful and was disappointed it was going to be painted over (practical, though, that it would be).

Trip in his happy place as the work finished and we prepped to be launched again.

I’ve always wanted linen sheets, but refused to pay the price (they can be $500 per set). Another cruiser heard me talking about them, and suggested I have some made in Tunisia. I had been to the seamstress Faten with friend Janine, who was having her wedding dress tailored. Faten assured me she could make the sheets, and told me what specific fabric to ask for (linen is called kamraya in Tunisian). Janine and I took the train out to the town of Sahline to visit the fabric stores. After lots of searching, I had just given up when I found exactly what I wanted at the last store. A beautiful shade of green/blue, I bought 10 meters for only 140 dinar ($42). Linen at home would be at least $20 a yard so this was a huge bargain. Though she had to buy a little more to make the pillows, Faten made two sets of sheets for the boat – one for each cabin. And the added bonus was that I discovered that the mattresses are the same shape, simply reversed, so I can turn the aft cabin sheets upside down and use them in our cabin if I want. Faten did a lovely job, I can’t wait to have her do more for us in the fall when we come back.

I have a special place in my heart for cats, and the Mediterranean has been an incredible place to spend time with them. Little did I know I’d go in over my head in Tunisia.

The marina is home to several collections of cats in different locations and over time you get to know them and sometimes give them names. One of the local cruisers got involved and started a local TNR (TrapNeuterReturn) program which I joined. I’d meet up with Jude, grab a couple of cat carriers and go ‘hunting’. We were after the females not yet or newly pregnant, and taking them to a local vet who would sterilize them. We’d also collect problematic toms that were spraying cruisers’ boats (the smell of a male cat can be horrifying gross) or otherwise causing a nuisance. The locals and some of the cruisers thought we were crazy, but after a while most came to understand the difference we’re trying to make. A healthy cat population will keep rodents and roaches under control, as well as keep problematic cats at bay. And a cute cat population will be another attraction for the tourists who are there on holiday.

There’s lots of challenges:

• We’re only there temporarily. Jude has now moved on, but we’ll be back in the fall. Luckily there are local business owners who feed the cats and look after them, as well as two expats (Catherine and Vaughn) who have taken on the TNR program in force.
• It’s not expensive by western standards to sterilize a cat in Tunisia ($25 USD per male and $30 per female), but it does add up, so donations are always sought after.
• Of course we’re also feeding the cats. Most of us simply build that into our daily budgets.
• It’s a marina and we’re near the water. Cats, especially curious kittens, fall in. We’ve rescued our fair share, but one of the marineros told us he pulled three dead kittens out of the water one week.
• Not everyone likes the cats. In the past people have poisoned them, boxed them up and moved them to other locations, and there are even cullings. It’s not a pretty world here sometimes.
• We look after the cats, but there are also dogs. Luckily other cruisers have made it their mission to feed and look after the dogs.

Here are some of my furry friends and their stories:

Stella – She was my first. She ‘adopted’ us and moved onto the boat when we first arrived, and didn’t leave till we did. She gets her own post.

The Bathroom Orphans – This collection of orphaned kittens lived outside the cruisers’ bathroom for months. They’re adorable and everyone looked after them, keeping them fed and cuddled and well cared for. Unfortunately marina management was not thrilled with their presence and they were scooped up and dumped outside a local supermarket. One of them was brought back because he was sick and needed to be nursed, the rest seem to be doing okay, and we see them periodically outside the market (luckily the locals are looking after the cats there).

Huey, Dewey, and Louie – We accidentally took their mom, Possum, to be sterilized, not knowing that she was still nursing them. The owners of the café where the feline family lives were happy anyway, as she was getting pregnant every four months and things were out of control. Sterilizations for females are done on their sides, so they can go back to nursing right after the surgery. (The vet takes them in the morning and we bring them back in the afternoon to their kittens, who were four weeks old at the very youngest.)

Huey today. He still lives outside Café Marrakech with his mom and brother Dewey.

Dewey – He’s our local trouble maker, as he keeps falling into the water and needing to be rescued. Though now he’s gone from wrapped-like-a-baby-burrito-resuscitation, to shaking off the water and heading towards anything to eat.

Louie – We thought we had lost this little guy. He fell in when he was still tiny and swallowed a lot of water. We rescued him, but he disappeared a few days later and we feared the worst. Later, I found him living out back behind the marina with a different pack of cats. Much more feral and all of the socialization is gone, but he looks healthy so I’m happy for him.

Frankie – Short for Frankenstein as he looks like two different breeds of cats mashed together. Someone had the audacity to pour oil or boiling water on him and his back was a horrible mess for some time. We took him to the vet to get him treated (and sterilized) and he’s recovered well. For a big tom, he’s not a threat to any of the other cats.

Marrakech Mama – Someone dumped this beautiful cat behind the café, she birthed her litter of kittens, and never left. We lined a plastic bin with towels and brought her food and water every day. She was lucky to be in a quiet place to raise her kittens. The box is now gone and I hope the family does okay.

Nugget – He showed up with three other siblings, all orphans after their mother was hit by a car. The kittens were really sickly. They were riddled with ringworm and the usual kitten ailments. I don’t know if the other three survived, they simply disappeared (never a good sign for a sick cat). Nugget, however, made it through all his sickness and now hangs behind Café Cappucino.

Moo – We’re not always very creative with names. Trip called him Moo because he looks like a cow with his black and white coloring. He’s one of the few kittens that likes to cuddle, and it’s fun to have him on your lap while you’re sipping a cappucino at the café. It’s a good thing we left when we did. The night before our departure he figured out how to jump on board and invited himself down into the cabin.

Scared Mama – Again, not so creative with names. She’s a beautiful tabby, but she’s super skittish and won’t let us touch her. She was a great mom to six kittens (including the adopted black one in the picture), but unfortunately she was raising them in a very vulnerable place and all the kittens were killed by either toms or stray dogs.

Bruno – Named for the captain of the Newcastle Football Club (he was being socialized with friends the night their team won the cup, so the kitten took on the captain’s name). We had to rescue him as his siblings were either adopted or killed by a local tom. I was in the process of slowly moving him out back behind the café when he disappeared one night. Cute healthy kittens have a habit of getting picked up and taken home by strangers. I hope he’s happy wherever he wound up.

Bad Ears – This scruffy tom makes me sad and happy all at once. He’s got a horrible infection behind his ears and he’s obviously been in a lot of fights, but he’s scrappy. He always turns out for the Sunday BBQ and I make sure he gets something good to eat. (Odds are he was Bruno’s father).

Mama Cappuccino – The owners of Café Cappuccino let this beautiful mom nurse and raise her kittens in their storage unit behind the café. Whenever I was out back, I would love it when the door was open and we could see the kittens. They were born just a day or two after we came back to Monastir, the first litter I was around from birth.

Zitouna (Olive in Tunisian) – One of Mama Cappuccino’s litter. The future princess of the café along with her brother Anter (from an earlier litter).

These are just a few of my furry friends. Trip would jokingly tell you they take up too much of my time, but he knows that they make me smile and allow me to believe I’m making someone’s lives just a little bit better than I found them. Enjoy.