In all, we spent 9 days in Malta. Besides playing tourist, we spent time provisioning and buying needed boat parts, as Malta was known for its large selection of imported food products and well-stocked chandleries. With lots of history in Malta we easily could have stayed longer, but when we received the favorable weather window from Phil�s brother, our weatherman, it was time to start our journey across the Western Mediterranean. We departed Malta at 4 am on Tuesday, August 12, bound for Monastir, Tunisia, 191 nautical miles away. We were suppose to have winds SE 10 to 15 knots soon after leaving Malta, but they never materialized until 17 hours later. Instead, we motored most of the day with little to no wind. Once the winds did arrive, we had a great sail the rest of the way to Monastir, sailing on a reach with slight seas. Only upon our approach to Monastir did the winds increase to 20 knots with seas 3 feet. We arrived in Tunisia Wednesday afternoon, 36 hours after departing Malta. After mooring the boat at Marina Cap Monastir, we were warmly welcomed into the country by the Tunisian officials.
Monastir, a beach town with a population of 72,000, was located along the eastern coastline of Tunisia. We chose Monastir as our port of entry due to its marina being near the center of town and its accessibility for inland tours into southern Tunisia. On our way into town we walked by two of Monastir�s main sites: the Bourguiba Mausoleum and the ribat. |
