Wow… finally!!!
After months of preparation — and a couple more weeks of pure chaos — the big moment arrived.
On Sunday, August 10th at 07:05, we flicked on the AIS, fired up the engines, and slipped the lines from our berth at Marina Sant’ Andrea… for the very last time.

We eased out of the lagoon of Grado, motored into the Adriatic, and — unusually for such a calm, sunny day — even managed to set sail! The spinnaker carried us gently along at a sweet 5–6 knots. And just when we thought life couldn’t get better, Joe spotted what we all assumed was a dolphin gliding beside the boat.

Except… this “dolphin” never surfaced to breathe. And on closer look, it wasn’t a dolphin at all. It was a 1.5–2 meter yellowfin tuna! I know — it sounds impossible. That’s what we thought, too! But there it was: the largest tuna I’ve ever seen, very much alive, in the northern Adriatic… and pacing a sailboat!

For me, it felt like the perfect omen from Neptune himself — a sign as rare and unexpected as this very journey sometimes seemed. Honestly, there were days I thought making this trip (again) was just as unlikely as sailing alongside a tuna. Yet here we are.

Our first leg was a gentle hop down just south of Rovinj for the night, before catching a full-blown Bora the next day — gusting 35 knots — to the bay of Banjole/Fašker, a place we’ve stopped many times before. The wind gave us a perfect chance to test the new genoa, and what can I say… Captain Mark has done it again. By re-rigging our Nautitech to fly a genoa instead of the self-tacking jib, he’s turned her into a whole new animal under sail. This was no small feat — sourcing parts, mounting new rails on the roof, even arranging for two sails from South Africa. (Why two? Ah… that’s a story we hope to share somewhere mid-Atlantic!)

We made landfall safe and sound at our first holiday stop, the five of us plus the ever-lovely Laura, who’s quickly proven herself an absolute gem — especially while Mark and I were still “shaking down” the boat. When she asked if a friend could join, we happily agreed. Jonas arrived in Pula, stepped aboard, and passed the ultimate test by instantly knowing who Asa Vermette was.

So we’ve spent a few days swimming, grabbing the last bits and pieces, and simply arriving on Akuna. Nothing more… and nothing less.

And now — today — we set off on our first two-night passage down the Adriatic. Off we go!