Fancy sailing at Christmas? Not unless it is in the Caribbean

I have always loved Christmas. I get a kick out of everything, from Frank Sinatra singing “Jingle Bells” to making a huge roast and eating far too much Christmas pudding.

Since Sunpenny released “A Whisper on the Mediterranean”, in September, I have had people asking me about our Christmas experiences when sailing. I am afraid to admit that we did not have any! The Mediterranean in winter is just about as bleak as the English coast and, for us, not very inviting. We are fair-weather sailors definitely. In fact, if Guido cannot set sail dressed in nothing more than a pair of beach shorts he is not a happy man. Although summer evenings on the Med can be quite fresh, especially during night sails, the days are scorchingly hot, just as skipper Guido likes it.

In early September this year we were invited by friends to go with them to the Isle of Wight on their power boat. As we sped out of Port Solent Marina, on a day so grey that sea and sky were the same glowering pewter, I repressed a snigger as I watched Guido’s face. We got thoroughly soaked with freezing spray and by the time we reached the Isle of Wight, all we wanted was a hot chocolate to warm us up. We actually had a brilliant weekend and the sun came out the following day but Guido will not be swayed. No power boats for him and no cold, damp conditions unless absolutely unavoidable.

Our Christmas is usually spent in our home in Tuscany. We light a big fire, which adds a glow to the room and is very handy for cooking meat and chestnuts, or for making the best garlic bread ever; toasting some bread, rubbing it with raw garlic, a sprinkle of salt and a liberal splash of olive oil. We eat a mixture of Italian traditional food and English goodies, if my parents come to visit with a case full of my favourite treats, mince pies and Christmas pudding,. An Italian Christmas lunch is an experience for the stout of heart. I remember my dismay on the first Christmas I spent here when my skirt, which had been loose before lunch, was so tight after three courses that I had to undo a button and we were only half way through! Here is what most Italian families sit down to; mixed crostini, tortellini in meat broth, pasta with a rich meat sauce, boiled meats with homemade mayonnaise, a variety of roast meats with potatoes and salad and then, just when you really cannot eat another morsel, on come the many different desserts to try – pantone, pandoro, panforte, ricciarelli …

However, returning to the question of a Christmas aboard, which would probably have been very good for us, as it would not have been easy to prepare all those different dishes in the tiny galley and so would have saved our waistlines, the closest we came to it was the first year we bought our second sailing boat. Euriklea was in the pretty port of Santa Marinella, north of Rome, when we bought her. I was so in love with her that I encouraged Guido to take us to the boat every weekend when James had finished school. She was a Contest 40, sturdy and graceful with curving lines that looked like a smile bobbing on the water.

Inside, her woodwork shone with a mellow, honey glow and her compact galley was a dream to cook in, with so many small handy features to help the cook. I particularly loved the bread board which was a huge slab of wood that pulled out from above the drawers and could be reached from the table nook without anyone needing to stand up. I am easily pleased, maybe, but this boat was so cute!

In the winter though she was cold. We drove there on a blustery weekend in late December and I remember chatting on about calling friends and organising a New Year party onboard. When we arrived and started to stow our gear, I began to have second thoughts. I quickly turned on the small electric heater, grateful that we were not planning to do any sailing and could happily use the port’s electricity and water supplies. The boat soon began to warm up but no one felt like eating because the rough sea was causing the harbour waters to be choppy too and Euriklea was tugging restlessly at her moorings. James looked green and when our friends arrived for lunch they too quickly began to feel sea-sick. In the end I gave up on the idea of cooking and we went out to a nice restaurant, which did not move, and talked about holidays in some sunny spot. In fact, we were so taken with these sun-filled dreams that two weeks later our friends and us were holidaying in South Africa.

Christmas and boats are always tied in my mind because it was at Christmas time that we heard the wonderful news that our offer for our first boat “Whisper” had been accepted. That was our best Christmas present ever I think!

So, whatever you are planning for Christmas this year, I hope you will have a joyful one and that the New Year will bring new adventure and much happiness.