With excitement buzzing and family en route, we gave Kora her pre-guest glow-up – teak oiled, gleaming stainless steel, and decks scrubbed until they sparkled. Civitavecchia gave us a warm welcome too, with a stroll down the seafront promenade and a peek at Forte Michelangelo, named after Michelangelo, who designed the upper part of...

We’re enjoying our last two nights in Tuscany, nestled into a cove on the Monte Argentario Peninsula, in a little place called Il Caruso. The views are spectacular, but with a heat wave rolling into Italy, the temperatures are climbing, so we’re spending plenty of time leaping in and out of the water to...

A milestone for the crew of Kora – Doug officially felt relaxed enough to leave the boat at anchor UNATTENDED!!! Mark the date! We zipped to shore while anchored at Giglio Campese on the Isola del Giglio for some well-earned adventure and pizza… not because we were out of food (despite the 7 unexpected nights...

So… we were headed to charming Porto Azzurro on the east side of Elba. But … plot twist … the marina canceled our reservation. Apparently, no room at the inn for catamarans! Winds weren’t playing nice in that area for anchoring either, so we bailed and tucked into Pozzarello on the mainland near Santa Stefana. Tried calling a few marinas between Talamone...

Sailing counterclockwise around Elba, we’ve found ourselves tucked into one of its many scenic gulfs, Golfo della Lacona, a tranquil bay on the island’s southern coast. The journey here was incredible! As we sailed along the coast, the views were breathtaking – turquoise waters lapping golden beaches, pine forests stretching down to the shore, and steep...

After a string of lively ports and coastal stretches, we set our sights on something a little more serene. Elba Island, the largest island in the Tuscan Archipelago, nestled in the Tyrrhenian Sea between mainland Italy and Corsica. We arrived in Portoferraio, the main port and historical heart of Elba Island, expecting to be overwhelmed by...

Docked at the T-dock of Livorno’s free port, we found ourselves right in the heart of the action and it didn’t take long to fall for this smaller, quieter cross between Venice and Milan. We wandered past the striking Monument of the Four Moors, a dramatic nod to Livorno’s seafaring legacy – built in...

Today we said a heartfelt addio, amico mio to Buzz, who’s been more than just crew these past weeks. Joining us for a second summer aboard Kora (last year through Spain and Portugal), he brought not only his steady hands and sailing know-how, but friendship, laughter, and true companionship. We’ll miss him deeply, and...

We sailed toward the famed jewel of the Italian Riviera – Portofino, with its pastel buildings curving around a sapphire cove and bobbing superyachts crowding the harbor like paparazzi at a red carpet. Tempting as it was, the harbor was jammed, so we made the sailor’s call: a respectful glide-by and onward to the...

Arriving in Genoa, we were greeted not by the historic heart of the city but by a marina near the airport, thanks to fully booked berths closer to the old town. No complaints, though: wide Med mooring spots, super helpful marineros who ferried the slime lines to the bow by tender, and a very...