There is a famous expression that I just made up:  “When two sailors get together, great winds blow.” And boy did Craig and I blow! (wait, that sounds wrong…)

I’ve known Craig – a Tasmanian – for at least 10 years now, but we’ve not spent much time together aside from bar-hopping in Hong Kong with mutual friends, but like pasta to pesto, Esodo keeps bringing people together.

I didn’t even know Craig was a sailor until he boarded my boat, but I’m thankful that he was because we sailed in the strongest winds I’ve yet encountered. Despite being on the leeward – on the eastern coast of Sardinia – we were facing 48kn winds from a Mistral howling in from the west (as they always do). Esodo almost broached 2ice but we managed to avoid a truly calamitous outcome. Phew….

We sailed every day during the 5 days Craig was onboard – so much so that we only have posey heroic sailing shots for this posting. When we weren’t sailing I was cleaning up mysterious coffee stains on the floor and chastising Craig over transgressions in dishwashing, which seems to be a common issue among Esodo guests.

We sailed up to hoity toity Porto Cervo, founded by the Aga Khan – however it has long since slid into a putrified play ground for Super Yachts, high class whores, compulsive shoppers, wannabes and still more whores… so obviously we had a great time there!! We danced and drank to sunrise in clubs called Soto Vento and Billionaire and we paddle boarded among bikini strewn Super Yachts asking them if they had “seen our lost dog”…our ruse to steal beautiful women from the super rich. Unfortunately we lost our paddle one drunken night and had to give up the scam. Paddle board was renamed just “board”

Porto Cervo wanted 320 Euros to dock for a night so we free-anchored the first night off the spectacular 2000 Euro a night Hotel Cala Di Volpe where we paid 45 Euro per drink (the hotel is outstanding despite the rip-off prices). I don’t have a tender so we hitched rides with Super Yacht owners on their not so dingy dinghies – including one belonging to a Saudi hot-shot on a 300 million Euro goliath. He still won’t return our text messages offering to sail on Esodo with the little people.

Our second night we took a mooring ball in the Porto Cervo proper – 140 Euro for a ball (buoy). Trust me, that was cheap compared to the 500-euro-a-night-ball option in Cala De Volpe around the corner. Note to self: buy big balls and then retire! I SAID BIG BALLS!

Esodo is the greatest investment I’ve made in my life. It creates the most valuable product we have – experiences. I figured out a few years ago that the material world is ultimately empty and will leave you feeling alone in the end. What I learned is that there are two great investments in life, yourself and other people. That’s it! Esodo is a magic machine that brings my friends and family together and creates experiences. Those experiences strengthen friendships and deepen our place in the world and the universe. It’s that simple.

I had a great time with Craig and despite his slightly criminal behavior with the washing up in the galley he has three things going for him: he is not Australian, he is a great sailor, and a true mensch among men. I rate Craig an embarrassingly boring 10 and look forward to sailing together with him again next summer.

Below is a wonderful little video Craig shot of our 48kn wind sail.

Captain Awesome, Bonifaco, Corsica, Aug, 2015.