When land disappears, everything revolves around the boat, the sea and its crew; the rest matters little. Shifts, meals, sailing manoeuvres, sunrises and sunsets follow one another in a continuous rhythm, and you end up transforming yourself into a trail of foam that, like an intangible thread, connects new spaces and explores new sensations.

L’incontro
It is a Sunday in late November when we meet in Gibraltar; we begin to get to know each other as future crew members and familiarise ourselves with Ironbarque, a steel boat, a Challenge 72. A beautiful lady, majestic at 22 metres, which has been neglected over the last year but is clamouring for its glorious past. I am immediately certain that our friends at Oxygene Sail will give her an equally bright future from here on out.

The route and preparations in port
The destination is Fiumicino, about 1,000 nautical miles away. There are eight of us, all with significant sailing experience and a strong team spirit. It is precisely this combination that allows us to check all the necessary aspects for safe sailing in about two days of intense work. We have to check all the systems: water, diesel, gas, check the on-board equipment, check the rigging, the wheelhouse, the electronic instruments, the charts and, last but not least, the documentation. Some of us deal with the paperwork and others wash the deck, but we are all, as they say, “on the ball”, smiling as much as we need to and eager to set sail. The mood is high, we are confident that we will be able to get everything we need for the crossing sorted out, and our personalities, although already cohesive, are still unknown in many ways.

The Crew
Tommy
The commodore of Oxygene is the logistician, and he moves like a true commander. He calls loudly when he wants someone, and there is always someone who answers him (quote from De Gregori). His job is to liaise between big and small problems, and he is always available for human interaction.

Daniele
The man with golden hands. Having recently joined Oxygene’s dream team, he is the one who solves mechanical, electrical and hydraulic problems… small and large, and even those so big that there is a risk of not being able to start.

GibboneThe sailor cook, but above all an extraordinary man. Capable in any situation of preparing a hot and tasty (indeed delicious) meal, always with a joke at the ready, he appears to be a real pirate, but you only need to talk to him for half a second to discover that he has an extra-large heart.

GipoA blend of humour, cynicism, competence and consideration for others. A person who is always present when needed and absent when they feel like it.

Franco (left) e Thomas (right)Franco is the fisherman. Few words and a lot of practicality, one of those who knows life but you have to like him because he may not necessarily want to tell you about it.
Thomas could be the man from Monte… remember him? Dark glasses, ready for action and able to listen and say what needs to be said when necessary. I really like his style!

SandroSly, often smiling and always ready with a kind word. Seeing him at shift change always gives me the energy I need to face even the darkest nights.

CarloThat’s what I’m writing about. I love being here because in one fell swoop I find my past, my present and my future. I love the sea, music and animals.

Giulia,
Giulia was also with us in Gibraltar, a talented woman of the sea whom we all owe thanks for her professionalism and promptness in dealing with every kind of problem. Unfortunately, she had to return just before departure.

StartingWe have worked hard and now everything is ready! After the test run in front of the port of Gibraltar, a check of the engine fluid levels and the last shopping trip, we are ready to go. At 3 p.m. on Wednesday 26 November, we cast off and set sail. The joy and satisfaction of the whole crew is palpable, and here we are! We begin to remove the fenders and stow the mooring lines; we are at sea, we are the sea!

The shifts
There will be 3 hours at the helm/navigation and 6 hours of rest. The shift on the boat is like a giant hourglass where the crew runs from one side to the other, passing through the bottleneck that we could call the companionway.
The shift does not discriminate, because when it is your turn, you must be there, out of respect for the boat, the crew, the captain, but above all, yourself. If you do it, do it well!

The mealGibbone, as I was saying, is a sort of giant octopus who, while telling unspeakable stories, prepares delicious food with kindness and care. The dishes are always varied, we alternate carbohydrates with proteins, there is no shortage of fruit and vegetables, a ham (it will have a short but intense life) follows us from Gibraltar, strongly desired by Gipo, chocolate, coffee in abundance, Tommaso’s soups (not very popular, to be honest), fruit and coffee killers. Honestly, I eat better here than at home. Special guests are the two tuna we caught while trolling (go Franchino!!!), expertly cleaned and filleted by our chef, who becomes a little irascible at that moment, which, considering the goodness of his dishes, we readily forgive him for.

SailingWe are on course! From Gibraltar to Fiumicino, 1,000 nautical miles passing south of Sardinia. There is not much wind, so we are forced to use the engine often, which, with a little care (it had been dormant for a long time…), becomes a gentle background sound to any activity on board. Every opportunity is a good opportunity to try to hoist the mainsail, the jib and the staysail, but considering the route and the speed we have to maintain, we are often forced to desist. Our manoeuvres are fluid, Ironbarque is large but not complicated; of course, so far we have had little wind… we’ll see how we fare in less comfortable situations.

The weatherWindy had told us things much worse than what we actually found. It seemed we would have to face a very strong south-westerly wind, but gradually this hypothesis faded into a breeze/fresh wind of just over 10 knots, often unsuitable for the course we had to follow. We hope for stronger winds, but not too strong, because at sea, as always, ‘it’s better to be safe than sorry’. We receive daily updates thanks to a satellite connection that Tommaso, the captain, checks every day, because without a signal, weather apps don’t work. We keep a close eye on the barometer and often look up at the clouds and smell the air. Our eyes scan the cumulonimbus clouds and the horizon, then lose themselves among the stars at night. We are alert and relaxed at the same time; a wonderful combination, because I believe that alternating moments of celebration with moments of extreme concentration is a great gift for everyone. Here on Ironbarque, it is a fact.

We Navigate!A relentless rhythm between the horizon and the sky. Check the compass during the day and the stars at night, cover up in the evening and stay in your T-shirt during the day. Trim the sails, check the engine, change shifts and then go to bed, but not before tasting Gibbone’s latest delicacy. Check the miles, check the bilge, fill the tank for the day, take the ship’s position and, if necessary, empty the grey water. Dolphins, no! Pilot whales!!!
Run to the deck and let out some of the mainsail to see if it helps. The engine is running smoothly… let it run! Who left the autoclave on??? The miles pass by in a straight line, as if we had always been here keeping the waves company; we cover about 140/160 nautical miles in 24 hours… Such beauty in our eyes and in our hearts! Two yellowfin tuna decide to come on board with us! The fight is intense considering their weight of just under 20 kilos and the hand line (without a rod) that Franchino uses in collaboration with Gibbone to hoist them on board.
But as always, we are efficient and little is stolen from our daily mileage, while our galley smiles along with the whole crew. Then the wind picks up and Ironbarque leaves us all speechless! A 40-tonne boat that, with 16/18 knots of wind, reaches a speed of 10 knots upwind… are you kidding me? Tommaso and Daniele look at each other with satisfaction, Gipo recalculates the estimated time of arrival; we’re flying!!!!!

Sardinia South passageIt is our gateway to home. In the distance, Capo Teulada welcomes us, near San Pietro and Sant’ Antioco, a beautiful area, less famous but certainly more authentic than many other places in northern Sardinia. We are all happy and excited, also because after four days offline, we are now stealing the signal from the coast, which is about 25 miles away at its closest point. It is incredible to see how dependent we have become on the little black brick (mobile phone) that had left us to our emotions for a while. But the boat continues on its tireless course and even this flash of connection becomes a memory: we are once again the crew, the sea, Ironbarque and the weather. The usual four when you sail!

The final stretchWe feel at home, but in reality we are still 200 miles from Fiumicino, and here once again I realize how everything is relative. The shifts follow one another, the wind is still unpredictable and the engine continues its song, which has now become a mantra. The exact day of arrival begins to take shape, and as time passes, the time is also defined. We then move on to the preparations; we will have to pass “the bar”, a phenomenon whereby, with waves forming and the shallow waters in front of the entrance to the Fiumicino canal port, there is a risk of touching the bottom.
We feel a mixture of concern and enthusiasm, and perhaps this is the only moment of disharmony among the crew. Some are eager and want to prepare the boat in advance, while others are already looking forward to a spritz at the harbour bar. But IronCrew (!) once again finds its balance, and whether we steer or not, we will arrive at… Fiumicino 😉

Let’s party!We celebrate because we have arrived, because there are people waiting for us with smiles on their faces, because Ironbarque is beautiful, indeed gorgeous, we celebrate because there is a bar and a restaurant waiting for us, we celebrate because together we always have fun. The mooring manoeuvre is a mixture of a greeting, a story, a welcome for those arriving and those waiting: it’s home! Children, parents, friends arrive, those we have never seen before and those we haven’t seen for a while. Ironbarque, the beautiful lady, has something for everyone. We say goodbye, but only pretend, because by now our bond is stronger than the time that has passed and will pass.
See you next time, guys, we’ll always be IronCrew!!!

Carlo Boscia

Do you like Ironbarque?
Did you know that it will be the boat that Katabasis Freediving and Sailing will use in collaboration with Oxygene Sail for the 2026 cruises, which will take place in August from the 2nd to the 8th and from the 9th to the 15th? On board, we will be offering sailing lessons, whale watching and, of course, lots of freediving near Stintino and Asinara.
Check out the link and jump on board!