Sail for the Mediterranean

Setting sail for the Mediterranean in 1992 was a completely unknown venture for me and my husband Jimmy. True, we had been sailing for many years, but never for more than a few weeks at a time. Live-aboard cruising is a different matter altogether. We knew no one else doing the same thing, and were totally dependent on books to guide us. But though there were books on selling-up-and-sailing the oceans, and books about sailing in the Mediterranean, there was very little on making preparations for cruising there. So having spent three years reading everything we could find, we then spent the next six years discovering from bitter experience all the things our reading had missed out.
I felt that a book specifically designed to help people who were setting sail for the Mediterranean for the first time was badly needed. More and more people seemed to be heading that way (all in the same state of ignorance as we had been), and I found my notes in such demand that I could hardly keep up with the photocopying. The only answer seemed to be to write the book myself - so here it is. It's not intended to be an everything you need to know' type of book. The aim is to supplement other books, not to replace them, and I have concentrated on three types of information:
1 Things that are specific to the Mediterranean.
2 Things that we had to learn the hard way.
3 Things that we see other yachts having constant problems with.

Contents
Acknowledgements
Regional map
Introduction
1 Initial Planning and Preparation
Setting the scene
Why the Med?
Is it for you?
Routes to and from the Mediterranean
Time-scale planning
Sell up or not?
Experience and qualifications
Costs
2 Choosing and Buying a Yacht
Type of yacht
On deck
Below deck
Age, condition and equipment
Purchase and insurance
Where to buy
3 Modifying Your Yacht
Getting aboard from the quay
Getting aboard from the water
Anchors and windlasses
Deck and cockpit modifications
Keeping cool
Engine, power supply and electrics
Domestic systems
Stowage
4 Equipping Your Yacht
Safety equipment
Deck equipment
Cockpit locker
Engine, spares and tool kit
Radio, navigation and electrics
Domestics and galley
Boob
Documents, stationery, etc
Personal gear
5 Leaving Home
Leaving your property empty
Leaving your car
Cats and dogs
Medical matters
Finance
Leaving family and friends
Mobile communications for the uninitiated
Dealing with your mail
6 Final Preparations
Planning your departure
Finishing the work
Stowing your gear
Getting off and away!
7 The Voyage to the Mediterranean
The Atlantic route
French canals - general information
The main French canals
The Camargue and the Canal-du-Rhone-a-Sete
The Canal-du-Midi route
8 Mediterranean Cruising
Grounds
General information
The mainland coast of the Western Mediterranean Basin
The islands of the Western Mediterranean
The Eastern Mediterranean
The Eastern Adriatic
Greece
The Aegean
Turkey
Moving between cruising grounds
9 Life in the Mediterranean
Formalities, facilities and food
General points about Mediterranean countries
Learning languages
Visits home
Visitors
Overwintering
10 Living on Board
Anchoring and mooring
Life at anchor
Maps
The Mediterranean Sea
1 Routes to the Mediterranean
2 Canal du Midi route
Life at sea
Various problems
Weather forecasts
Conclusions
Appendices
Appendix 1
Packing and Modifications List
Safety equipment
Deck and cockpit locker
Engine and electrics
Interior yacht equipment
Domestic equipment
Galley equipment
Food and drink
Papers
Appendix 2
Books
Pilotage books
Recommended tides
Appendix 3
Useful Addresses
Appendix 4
Weather Forecasts
Appendix 5
Abbreviations and Conversions
Index
3 Western Mediterranean
4 Eastern Mediterranean