He double-checked the map, “I wondered what the heck I had stumbled upon,” says Giles. As he cruised closer to the bay, he noticed that the beach was full of naked people living in tents. Giles was making his ascent up the mainland towards Alicante, and since there was no wind, he sailed into the Cala de San Pedro bay, lured ashore by its calm and crystal clear waters. Stumbling Upon A Secret Andalusian Bay: No Access Via Car On a whim, he gave one month’s notice on his rental property, moved out of his apartment, and sailed from England through the Mediterranean, on his first solo voyage. Giles made a shrewd move and sold the Verl 900 for a grand total of $10,000, doubling his money, which allowed him to invest in a Moody 346 for $30,000, a robust sailboat designed for bluewater offshore, which would enable him to travel anywhere in the world, which suits his “ebb and flow” adventurous spirit. I learned to sell the hard way, trust me. “No course or video prepares you as much as real-life experiences. It wasn’t long before he scratched his Verl 900 on the dock, grounded the keel on the seabed, and caught the vessel’s mooring ropes around the propeller, ending in an emergency rescue by the Cardiff Harbour Master. And when he wasn’t out on his boat, he learned by watching YouTube sailing blogs.

Luckily, the boatyard sailed it back to Cardiff for a measly sum of a bottle of rum. Running before he can walk is in Gile’s nature and he learned to sail the hard way in the Bristol Channel which has the second highest tides in the world, and one of the most challenging cruising environments in Europe. Nick Giles had never sailed before he bought his first boat-a 30ft Verl 900 for $5000 back in 2015 in Wales. Image via Nick Giles, his Moody 346 far right. Nick Giles tells us about a secret bay he discovered on a solo voyage around Europe – a trip he set upon during lockdown.Ībove: View of Cala de San Pedro. Life on a boat gives you access to some of the most secluded areas of the world that cannot be reached by foot or car.

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