Limerence Update #66

May 2005 - June 2005

Roma Italy to Sicily

Friday is supposed to be an unlucky day for sailors to start a journey, but the weather was good, so we set out from Roma on May 20^th.  We motor sailed downwind 65 miles to Isola Ponza, the largest island in an archipelago of five volcanic crests. The seas didn’t look bad, but we had a surprisingly lumpy ride. Doug always feels good underway, but I took a Sturgeron tablet to ease the twinges I get of sea sickness. I tend to feel anxious when we first start cruising. I know it is irrational but I just can’t help it. It was a relieved feeling to drop anchor ten hours later in Cala Inferno – just a mile from Ponza harbor. The evening started out calm, but that night we were awakened at 1am by fierce northerly wind gusts which lasted for two hours. Our anchor held, but the anchorage was bouncy so we decided to move the next morning.

Isola Ponza city harbor	Cave grotto in Ponza	Ponza approach - Lighthouse

The Pontine Islands rise like spires almost a thousand feet and sit northwest of Naples Italy. Augustus built a villa there in 313BC and years later it became an island of exile. The islands are very popular in the summer because they are so close to Roma. Since we were pre-season, we had no problem anchoring right in front of the small city harbor of Ponza. It was fun to deploy the dinghy and go into the small picturesque village for lunch. Many of the shops and cafes are still sprucing up for tourist season. The water temperature was 70 degrees, so a bit cold for swimming. Around the coast the rock pinnacles and cliffs have been eroded into fantastic shapes – twisted and compressed by the wind and sea. We took several long dinghy rides to explore. We were thrilled when Pina Colada - Matthew and Pauline, good friends from Roma, surprised us by pulling into the anchorage!  We hosted our first cocktail party of the season at anchor!

 After the weekend we motor sailed twenty miles for the Island of Ventotene which used to be a penal settlement. Under Mussolini, non-fascists were incarcerated here. It’s a tiny place which we found very authentic. We sat in an outdoor café and aroused the interest of a few local men. Soon we were chatting in broken Italian and sharing a beer. One of the old fellows was named “Benito” and bragged about his restaurant. It was a nice experience to be the only tourists on the island. The weather was great so we left early the next day for the Isle of Capri – the pearl of the Bay of Naples.

Isle of Capri	Il Solitario Restaurant	Capri Marina Grande

Many cruisers avoid Capri because it is so popular it tends to be overrun with tourists. It is also quite expensive. Well, what the heck. It was our 21^st wedding anniversary and what better place to go than the sybaritic paradise of Capri?  The Emperor Augustus called the island the City of Sweet Idleness, so Capri has a reputation for decadent self-indulgence. The lush gardens, massive cliffs of limestone pockmarked by caves and fissures, and stunning vistas of the Mediterranean charmed us. Every day we took the funicular up the mountain from the harbor to the village of Capri. The people-watching is the best we’ve experienced! The designer shops and cafes and restaurants are engulfed with a lemony fragrance that Capri is noted for. To top it off, there was a sailing yacht regatta so the harbor was full of huge colorful yachts, sponsors and crew. We had a great stay in Capri. 

Sometime during this period, we got an email from our friends Sarah and Tom on Precept. They described how much they liked Siracusa Sicily, so after a drinking a bottle of wine, we decided to make that a stop on our way around the “boot” of Italy. It isn’t far out of our way, and would give us a chance to see Sicily and compare it with the mainland.  

From Capri, we motor sailed 60 miles to rugged Capo Palinuro and anchored in a quiet bay in the lee of the capo for the night. It was raining lightly when we dropped anchor in front of a tiny deserted campground. We are generally cruising with the engine on and the sails up whenever possible. Most sailors will tell you that the wind is often “on the nose”. Very frustrating sailing!

After a quiet night, we motor sailed twenty miles across the Golfo di Policastro to the village of Maratea. The small fishing hamlet sits under a white statue of Christ on the bluff, with arms outstretched. You can’t miss it! After waiting two hours for the fuel dock to open, we took on diesel fuel and settled into a slip for the night. It was raining lightly off and on. Maratea is a very cute spot with several tiny cafes and restaurants and a grocery store. We had a lovely one night stay with dinner at an elegant restaurant overlooking the harbor.

Tropea Italy	Village of Tropea

A full day of traveling took us to Cetraro which is a non-descript unfinished marina with no services. We tied up to a concrete wall for the night as it’s the only place to stop along this coast. It rained again that evening and we didn’t venture from the boat. A local guy showed up to take our lines and then asked for a $10E tip for helping us. We had heard about this guy. Yes, we were wimps and paid the dude. After all, we were helping the local economy!

The next day we moved south to Tropea. It is a charming pastel colored city with houses that cling to the tops of the cliff. Tropea sits 25 miles north of the Straits of Messina which divide mainland Italy from Sicily. We settled into the beautiful new marina and unloaded our folding bicycles for the first time! The city is straight up the mountain, 200 steps, so we had to take a cab there. (My knees can’t take the walking)  There is a beach road that goes for miles and gave us plenty of biking exercise. 

The first morning in port we were awakened at 5am by a huge storm. The winds howled over 40 knots and rain with hail pummeled our decks. The boats surged and rolled in the maelstrom. We have detailed weather reports we access with GPRS/3G which is a cell phone linkup to our computer. It has a PCMI card dedicated for this service. The storm cell that hit us for an hour was clearly visible on our infra-red satellite picture. Doug has created “links” to various weather websites that you can see on the left hand side of our home webpage. See picture below. 

We spent a few days resting in Tropea, doing our laundry, enjoying the busy little town, and shopping for groceries. Unfortunately Doug injured his shoulder when he stumbled up some crooked stairs in a restaurant. He has been nursing shoulder pain since a ski fall at Campo Felice in February, and now wrenched it again. So, he is wearing an arm sling and took strong pain killers for a few days. We carry a large medical bag on board and I finally got to use the sling I packed! We also refer to the Merck Medical Manual for diagnoses. 

Making a passage through the Messina Straits requires some planning. It is important to watch the weather and tides. We planned to get up early and go through with the southerly filling tide. If you have the wind or the tide against you, it is a very rough slow trip. There is also a lot of ship traffic in the Straits and you need to be alert and on the watch. Good visibility and calm weather is a plus. We knew we couldn’t make it in one day from Tropea, so we decided to stop at a harbor called Bagnara Calabra. The tough fishing port lies just five miles from the entrance to the Messina Straits. We were shocked that we were the only sailboat there. Entering any harbor is always strange as we cast about for a place to tie up. We have charts and guidebooks which help a lot. Upon entering Bagnara Calabra, one of the fishermen helped us with our lines as he pointed out a spot on the concrete wall. We tied up against the rough wall looming five feet above our deck and covered with piles of fishing nets. 

In Bagnara, we got our first close-up look at sword fishing boats. The boats are so strange looking with 100’ tall mast-platforms from which the Captain drives. Then, off the bow of the boat is a huge 50’ bowsprit which is a look out position. Swordfish rest on the surface in calm seas, and that’s when the fishing fleet goes out in pursuit. Seeing these boats made our stay tied to a rough wall worth it! Also, there was a friendly little pizza joint which we enjoyed. Unfortunately it morphed into a noisy disco at 11pm, and we got very little sleep as the pounding noise shook our boat from across the harbor. 

Up before dawn on Friday morning we motored in lumpy seas to the entrance of the Straits of Messina. We had a computer report that gave us the timing of the tides to the moment. Several ships passed us as we entered the Straits, and soon we were flying along at nearly eight knots! Good timing and nice calm weather! In the narrowest part of the Straits near the harbor of Messina, we saw 27 ships. We had to divert for one ferry, but didn’t have a problem tracking the direction of the traffic. Our destination was Catania Sicily, a twelve hour day south. We were exhausted when we pulled into a slip in the grimy industrial harbor after 5pm. It was a relief to tie up at the friendly Nautico Marina. We were satisfied with our accomplishment and felt happy to be through the Straits, and in Sicily!! We ate dinner on board and left the next morning for Siracusa. In every harbor we have noticed lots of jellyfish in the water.

Doug nursing his shoulder	Ships pass in Messina Straits	Jellyfish everywhere!

We left in late morning thinking the 30 mile jaunt down to Siracusa would be relatively easy. That didn’t happen. It was a tormenting experience clawing our way south with the wind and currents against us. The waves grew to about a meter and occasionally washed over the decks of Limerence as we crashed along hobby horse style without the sails up. A sailboat struggling through oncoming waves and wind is a very inelegant sight. Finally when we turned slightly more south and could raise a sail, we had some relief. Then the skies darkened, the wind shifted, and it started to rain!  Finally, after 6pm we pulled into the harbor of picturesque Siracusa. After driving Limerence around in circles, a marina employee finally directed us to a mooring and took our lines.

Siracusa Sicily and public docks	Fishing boats share our marina

The newer part of the city is connected to an island making up the old town called, Ortigia. It is a higgly-piggly warren of cobblestone alleys and ancient buildings. This was once the powerful city-state of Magna Graecia, rivaling Athens. The Athenians attacked the colony in 415 BC and were defeated. Thus, began the great period of Siracusan power under Dionysius the Elder and Dionysius I. The Romans conquered Siracusa several hundred years later. Finally, the city was bombed during WWII by both the Germans and the Allies! Despite all this destruction, there are extensive remains of the old Greek city and a well-preserved amphitheatre. We rode our bikes a half hour up to the site and toured it. They are currently using the amphitheatre for Greek plays!

Duomo Cathedral	Detail on Duomo

We took a slip in Siracusa at Marina Yachting and settled in for a week of vacation. We’ve had a few sunny days and several rainy days with north winds, so we can’t move onto mainland Italy yet. It has been a pleasure to explore this very scenic city. The morning vegetable and fish market is the best. Six days a week the vendors fill a corner of old town with fresh produce and huge displays of fresh fish. It is colorful and busy!  

Next, we intend to go northwest to the back side of the mainland and make a few stops as we cruise to Dubrovnik Croatia We’ll leave Siracusa at midnight and make the 95 mile run to Roccella Ionica hoping to arrive in late afternoon.

 Fair winds friends,

 Doug and Judy 

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