We travel in the same unhurried tradition of seafarers, moved by the wind, fated by weather and humbled by the distance between one shore and another.
Each port is a chapter. Each collaboration, a new voice joining the chorus that sings our collective story. The route is planned and also open, because the sea has its own intentions and we have learned to listen.
Below you will find our path. The ports we have known and the ones still waiting for us on the horizon. Follow along, find us in your harbor, or simply watch from wherever you are as the poem continues to write itself.
We are glad you are here.
Where we began. The city of layers — ancient stone, living noise, and Portfolio resting on The Tiber River. Waiting to start our collective tale. Ketil is buzzing with the history of it all.
A volcanic island in the Tyrrhenian. We are in awe of the adventure, our future and the open waters. The boat is running smoothly and we are nesting. Looking at the old cities from this view is a gift.
Clifftop town above the Bay of Naples. The first time Hala ever saw a pod of dolphins 🐬! They swam and danced with the boat for a bit. A wild blessing for Portfolio's journey.
Stars low and close. The boat finding its way south in the dark. We got to see Stromboli erupting at night!! 🌋
Ancient fortress at the tip of the boot. Waiting to pass through the Strait of Messina. We now have a new dinghy motor as well. Sad for the future buff rowing arms.
A brief pause along the Calabrian coast. Trying and failing to repair the water boiler, but hey we did laundry!
Where the Adriatic opens into the Ionian. Finally we exported the boat in time. We can relax and make plans for the route with spaciousness. Sleeping off anchor in a quiet bay for a few days. Ketil watching fish jump about the water. His mom texting us imploring him to catch fish for dinner. Hala making soup against her will, but damn does it taste good.
Albania's oldest city, but feels like it is still being built. A massive shipping port lacking any coziness. We rent a car and do chores. They drive wild here. We are happy for heat and power. Ben, our first Residency Artist, boarded Portfolio here for a week long residency!! We pick him up in Tiranë. Excited to activate Portfolio for other artists and friends.
Floating still in a sheltered bay. The mountains rising directly from the sea, unhurried and enormous.
A medieval walled city at the end of an inland sea. The walls climb the mountain. The cat population is legendary. Ben pets as many cats as he can and even holds a few. Sunrise hike to the top of the city walls on Spring Equinox. Lots of making and thinking aboard the ship.
Sleeping off anchor watching limestone walls that meet the Adriatic. Swimming in the cold sea, walking through the old city, getting dramatic drone shots of the boat and dinghy rides into the old port. Ben's final port of call for his Residency.
Returned to the bay of mountains and still water. Watched the snow capped mountains melt away. Anchored next to quiet monasteries where the monk sang to gulls every sunset. Spring came into the present moment.
Moved south through the Ionian islands. The Corinth Canal was closed for restoration, so we sailed around the far western edge of Greece's mainland. Anchored in many coves and around stunning islands. Hala hosted her nephew for a week in Mykonos. Spent a week in Crete. Sailed East. Hope came aboard and experienced many small Greek Islands.
Moving slowly south along the Turkish coast. Bodrum, Knidos, into the heat of summer. The sea flat and brilliant in every direction. Falling in love with Turkish cats and learning that Turkey is an expensive place to be on a boat.
Full boat residency — Estelle and Matthew both joined here. Kos through Symi and Panormitis to Rhodes — ancient monuments, deep harbor coves, the southernmost edge of our Greece. Then west through Chalki, Tilos, the small islands.
East to Astypalea. The Shipwreck of Olympia. Koufonisia. Then a long twenty-hour sail back west past Naxos and Paros to Palaia Fokaia. Back to Athens where Estelle disembarked. Then an epic sail through the Corinth Canal for Hala's birthday. We learned the complexities of how to enter a busy canal works.
Galaxidi, the Venetian port at Nafpaktos. The Blue Caves of Zakynthos. Out through Kefalonia — where we checked out of Greece for the last time. A fifty-hour crossing south to Sicily. Crew sleeping in shifts. Swimming in 3km deep ocean water. Residents getting to experience the magic of night sailing. Matthew spent hours alone in darkness on deck recording.
Said goodbye to Matthew. The day after Annie joined in Syracuse and Michael in Malta. Sailed from Syracuse to Marzamemi. Sailing into Valletta, one of Ketil's longest held dreams. We heard "the most fortified city in all of Europe" uttered from his mouth more than once. Back to Sicily saying goodbye to Annie & Michael. Sailing north through the Strait of Messina to Milazzo. Hosting Ketil's sister and kids for a sail by Stromboli, Lipari and its castle, the full Aeolian arc. Cefalu, Palermo. West to Marettimo at the very tip of Sicily.
Sylvia joined here. A crossing east to Solanas. South past the Madonna del Naufrago underwater statue, Stagno di Notteri with its flamingos, into Cagliari. After saying goodbye to Sylvia, Hala and Ketil went from Carloforte on the island of San Pietro towards Spain, a thirty-hour crossing west. Just the two, sleeping in shifts and thankful the sea was calm and the wind was to our back.
Karlis, Toúchef and Charles came aboard. Palma. Port d'Andratx. The narrow inlet at Cala Deia. Watched the solar eclipse from the water at Cova de Sa Sal on August 12th 🌑. Around the island east — Portocolom, Cala Magraner, Canyamel, Port d'Alcudia. A crossing north to end the season.
Portfolio rests in Barcelona. The boat is out of the water. Six months, one sea, countless ports. Portfolio sailed over 4,250 nautical miles. Averaging 5 hours of sailing everyday for 6 months. We'll be back.