Six months sailing the Mediterranean aboard Oriens.

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This summer, a friend and I bought Oriens, a 35-foot ketch, and sailed her across the Mediterranean from April through September. We started on the coast of France, worked our way down through Italy, and finished in Greece, where she's now wintering in Messolonghi. We came into it with more enthusiasm than experience and learned as we went: navigating, handling weather, anchoring, fixing whatever broke, and living aboard full time. Over the course of the summer, friends and family flew out to join us for different legs of the trip, and the boat was rarely without a full crew. Along the way I also earned my skipper certification. Here are some photos from the trip and the people who came along with us.