From now on we are only four in the boat since our crew Babis S. flew to Athens from Tunis airport via Roma.

20^th July 2009

An early start visiting the authorities to stamp our passports. We unberthed and sailed north with main up and engine.

Εάν ποτέ επισκεφθείτε την Τυνισία με ''βάρκα'' να έχετε αρκετά ούζα ή τσίπουρα ή ακόμη και μπύρες...βοηθάνε στα πάντα! είναι σαν να είσαστε σε Club Med και τα χρησιμοποιείτε σαν beads.

Tuna fish nets seem a big pain...all around the coast of Tunisia we have met so many of them and lots of fishing boats. Remember we had caught a palm tree together with some tuna buoys just before arriving Hamaμmet. This morning (20/07/09 11:30) we picked up a black jerrycan, the sea was calm with a lot of swell from yesterdays NW heavy weather so it was easy to dive to see if we had lines around the rudder and/or the propeller but luckily we had just hit the plastic jerry can.

13:00 bread baked on board yesterday night with some Citterio salami and pecorino, beer and cokes for lunch. 

We are now about 20nmiles north of the Tunisian coast and we have entered the shipping separation zone. Up to now we have seen a big tanker heading east and two frigates (most likely Tunisian as you can imagine warships do not send AIS  signals) heading to Bizerte. We just passed another sailing boat going parallel to our course and we have another sailing boat about 2nm on our starboard stern, seems they are going to Sardegna too. Tonight it is going to be fun, we will be watching those guys if they are too close and the radar will be working all night.

Christiana shouted ''a turtle a turtle'', she was very slowly swimming on the surface and for few minutes we could see her brown colour, the kids loved it.

16:20 the sea is quiet with the swell decreasing and some wind from the NNE making 6,8kts. We have met five ships 

We saw with the binoculars all of them and the one called ‘’Καπετάν Μιχάλης we called him on the vhf, said hello asked him the weather, they asked us where we are heading to and  wished το each other a nice trip. The other one was called New Alliance and a big reefer of Seatrade Co. fully loaded and we assumed with bananas and pineapples. Yam Yam!! A VLCC just passed westbound about 5nm from our starboard and a Huyndai huge container vessel few miles astern.

We have created a file with pictures of ''Ships we meet'' and when will get to an internet we will publish some. So we have passed the fear of tuna nets and now have entered the shipping lane, Michalis loves checking the traffic! He is an expert by now on A.I.S., radar nad the plotter. There is a big cruise ship far away moving eastwards. 

17:25 The children declared hungry so we baked pizzas. 

Christiana went to sleep so she gets some rest for the night watch. We are 88nm from Capo Carbonara ...by reading the chart I dream of a good carbonara !!!  If the Famels are reading they know what I mean.

We are now making 8kts sometimes plus and the wind is up from our starboard, hoping the wind either remains same or veers to the east.

We will say good bye now it is 20:15 Greek time, we will send pictures tomorrow after our arrival.

We send you our Warmest Regards

S/Y ARMENISTIS