Last night I watched the sun setting across Corfu and this morning saw the first wisps of grey night cloud being ushered out by the dawn. It’s been a long night sail heading up the coast of Albania.. but at least we’re sailing.

After waiting almost a week to get on board, there were a few more delays to endure, as we bobbed on the water in sight of the boatyard, while engineers fixed bits and pieces and checked an engine issue.

We all breathed a sigh of relief when we set sail and an anchorage on the island of Paxos was not a disappointment. Swimming was a must. And the crystal clear water was a refreshing temperature!

Another engine issue and the need for some medical advice for one of us, took us to a little marina tucked below the walls of the fortress at Corfu town. Our boat had a great view of the marine traffic in and out of the port and all the antics of boats attempting to slide into moorings. Our one night stay turned into two, but by now we’d become accustomed to delays…

The route up to the town took us through a tunnel in the fortress wall and through the ancient cobbled routes to the moat and gatehouse. There was just one route in and out, and this became a bit of an issue the next day when the carnival arrived in town.

Two of us had headed out into the town and been told by the woman at the gatehouse it would be closed from 13.30… we were a bit bemused, but we made sure we headed back by 12.30. The streets were packed and the road we needed to cross was lined with police and roped off. We could hear the sound of a marching band and flashes of uniformed red and gold jackets passing by – it seemed the parade had already started. Squeezing through the throng lining the road, I ducked under the rope and was glared at by a policeman.

“We need to cross the road,” I said.

“Get behind the rope,” he said sternly.

“But we have to get to our boat,” I said. He was not amused.

“Behind the rope!” He insisted, and I imagined him reaching for his gun.

I ducked back under and pushed through the crowd and back to the path behind, but now my crew-mate was nowhere to be seen. I tried calling and sending a message – no answer! What else could go wrong? Suddenly, to my relief, she appeared and we decided to try to cross the road further up.. We had no idea how long the marching bands and colourfully dressed paraders would continue. Finding a way to the edge of the road which wasn’t roped off, we spotted a gap in the parade and with no police nearby we ran across to the other side, fearing a shout from a policeman at any moment! Now we just had to get through the gate into the fortress. Two smartly dressed men standing in front of the gate told us the castle was closed.

“But we have to get to our boat,” we pleaded. They just shrugged. Through the bars of the closed gates two or three people were watching the parade from the other side and taking pictures.

“They told us one o’clock I said and it’s only 12.30!” Suddenly the woman who had let us out spotted us and the gate opened an inch.. she nodded and let us in. The parade must have started earlier than she’d expected. We crossed the moat, relieved to be reunited with our boat, which was waiting patiently as usual!

Our engine finally fixed, we decided to make up for lost time by sailing all the way to Montenegro in one hop – a 23 hour journey if we stayed on course.

Night sails can be wonderful and peaceful and we settled into our midnight watch in the light of the moon. But it wasn’t long before clouds appeared and an electric storm flickered in the distance.

The wind picked up, switched direction and suddenly it was raining and we needed to drop our sail! It’s amazing how quickly things can change on a boat from complete serenity to frantic activity. The next few hours we stared at lights from yachts, fishing boats and cruise ships, working out their direction and taking care to avoid them, while keeping ourselves on course. In between we made tea and hunted out cookies and crisps – it turns out night watches make you hungry! And there’s never a dull moment, even with an auto pilot.

As dawn broke the other watch woke and I fell into bed. We were still some hours from our destination before the ragged mountains of Albania, would give way to the tree-lined bays of Montenegro. Thankfully, I had no idea how much our patience would be tested again later that day…