Sommerzeit und alle wollen segeln? Wir nicht!

Summertime – everyone's sailing? Not us.

Why we go ashore just when the crowds set sail – a brief glimpse into the lives of holiday sailors, crowded anchorages, summer heat and life as a long-distance crew in the Mediterranean.

Text: Christian / Pictures & short films: Carola

During our sailing trip so far, we have encountered three main types of sailors:

The Long-distance sailorswho live on the boat for months or years.
The Holiday or charter sailors,who usually rent a boat for one to two weeks or own one themselves.
The weekend sailors, mostly locals who spend their days off on the water.

At first look, they all have something in common: they travel from A to B, head for anchorages and harbours – sailors, in other words. But over time, we have realised that the difference lies in the details.

Life on board, but not a permanent holiday

We ourselves have largely relocated our lives to the boat. This means that we travel for weeks and months, slowly exploring new areas and allowing ourselves to wait for good weather windows.

We appreciate quiet bays, little noise, and no party atmosphere. Just like you like to have peace and quiet at home. Because our everyday life on board does not consist of sunbathing and cocktails, but of everyday things such as trip planning, research, wind and weather checks, laundry, shopping, repairs, and boat maintenance, etc. True to the well-known slogan: "There is always something to do" „Es gibt immer was zu tun.“

Anchored alone in a bay near Meganisi 🇬🇷

Hand washing – anchored off Corsica 🇫🇷

Working on the engine at high temperatures

We usually need two shopping trolleys when we are out for a longer period of time.

Holiday hustle and bustle meets everyday sailing life

We often experience the behaviour of charter or weekend crews quite differently:
The long-awaited holiday begins with great anticipation, but also time pressure. As much as possible needs to be seen and experienced in a short period of time. The planned trip must go ahead, regardless of wind conditions.

During peak season, when many people are travelling at the same time, this leads to noticeable unrest in anchorages and harbours. Boats are constantly coming and going, the distances between anchors are often tight, and it is not uncommon for people to lack experience in anchoring manoeuvres.

For us, this means thinking for others, being careful so that no ‘anchor salad’ develops and our Schwoik circle remains free.

And when every boat has found its place in the evening, the festivities often continue with music, alcohol and loud conversations until late into the night. Added to this is the booming music from beach bars and discos near the shore.

The music comes from the beach – anchored off Montenegro 🇲🇪

Paxos 🇬🇷 – this is just a small selection of the boats moored here.

At anchor off Panarea 🇮🇹 – lots of boats are bustling about here

Holiday mode vs. long-term living

We know that not everyone can plan their holidays freely and in the off-season. That's understandable. But this hustle and bustle simply doesn't fit in with our lifestyle. After all, you don't want that at home either. So why on a boat?

Heat build-up below deck when summer becomes a test of endurance

In addition to the rush of holidaymakers, there is another factor to consider during the Mediterranean summer months of July and August: the heat.

Last year, we experienced first-hand what it means when the thermometer doesn't drop below 30 degrees for weeks on end, day or night. It's bearable for a week. Or even two or three. But for months? That really takes its toll.

Many long-distance sailors we met along the way share these experiences.

The heat makes you very tired and wears you out.

The fan became my niece's best friend when she visited in June/July 2024.

My nieces are struggling with the heat.

Our conclusion: summer break on land

So why endure the crowds and heat when life is much better further north, at home, where the temperatures are pleasant?

This summer, we therefore made a conscious decision to take a break from sailing. Segelpause entschieden.

Instead of heat build-up and anchor chaos: visiting family, meeting friends, recharging our batteries. And so far, this decision feels absolutely right, with no hint of regret.