To Sicily

Fire-fighting sea-plane at Syracuse Our passage to Barcelona will be split into several segments with suitable rest and restocking between each. First a long 2 night passage from Greece to Sicily, then along the south coast of Sicily followed by an overnight hop to Sardinia. Around the south coast of Sardinia and jump to Menorca. From Menorca to Mallorca where we plan to stay a few weeks and finally to Barcelona.

On the 19th August there was a viable weather window so we left Ithica on the 1st leg to Syracuse Sicily, after having a refreshing swim and cleaning the propeller. We covered the 318 miles in just under 47 hours spanning two nights at sea. For the first two thirds of the passage the wind was force 4 to 6 and the sea was confused and uncomfortable with two metre waves then the wind dropped and the sea settled. Nevertheless we managed to sail without engine for 66% of the passage. On the first evening we were visited by a group of dolphins who put on an impressive display leaping and playing around the boat. In the early hours of the 21st we could see a large ship lit up like a city visible from 12 miles away, when we were close enough we could see 2 vertical red lights indicating a vessel Not Under Command i.e. drifting. We anchored in the harbour at Syracuse just after 10:00 on the 21st.

Space ship? The lovely quay at Syracuse is being redeveloped and is hideous, there is also a new marina being built but the anchorage was quiet, very few other boats. We stayed 6 days during which we took the dinghy ashore, did laundry and re-provisioned. On the second evening Tan nearly caused a accident, she was showering naked on the transom when a powerboat with 2 couples aboard saw her, the male driver did a double-take and swung around our boat looking at Tan and not where they were going and almost collided with another powerboat – not bad for a granny! On the 25th small sea-planes fighting a bush fire on the coast and were scooping water very close to our boat, it was quite a display.

On the 27th August with full fuel and water tanks we left Syracuse on the relatively short hop (30 miles) to Capo Passero on SE tip of Sicily. On the chart, there is a restricted area marked near to Capo Passero, it is reserved for fish farming and is marked by three huge floating domes which look like something from outer-space. August is a month long festival here with a different concert every night – some good, some bad but they all ended at midnight – civilised. We stayed four nights before the wind backed to the NE which would make this anchorage uncomfortable.

Intense storms On the 31st August we started an 18 hour passage of 97 miles along the south coast of Sicily to Porto Empedocle arriving at 2.a.m. on the 1st September. Just after midnight, whilst Tan was on watch the starboard navigation light went out almost causing a collision with a small trawler. I was able to go out on deck and fix it. Typically we don’t like to arrive at our destination in the dark but we had been here before and knew it was reasonably well lit. We motor-sailed most of the way and had to effect a repair to the mainsheet outhaul (rope) while under way. Several large dolphins crossed our path but didn’t come to play. The inner harbour is being redeveloped and looks like a building site so we were unable to get fuel or water but did get ashore for some shopping.

Next day we did a much shorter hop (30 miles) along the south coast of Sicily to Sciacca passing lovely almost deserted beaches and the huge open-air amphitheatre at Capo Bianco along the way. We spent three nights at the “Club Navale” marina, rested and restocked before a hard slog to windward on the next leg along the south coast to Mazaro del Valo where we anchored outside the harbour. Mazaro is a busy trawler port but is a good place to wait for suitable weather for the crossing to Sardinia. According to Tan “this place has not improved, I had hoped to find that the music bar had been closed down”. While waiting for the right winds I had to carry out a bucket overboard rescue hampered by the fact that Tan had shaving cream everywhere on the transom and on Sunday evening there was a guy standing on the outer breakwater serenading a young woman with a saxophone – romantic!

Sardinia

We started the overnight passage to Villasimius, Sardinia at 7a.m. on the 8th September and completed the 198 mile crossing in 31 and a half hours of which 17 hours was under sail. It was a very uncomfortable journey across a “tumble-drier” sea arriving just before the thunderstormsm the first rain we have seen in a very long time. We like Villasimius and anchored outside the marina for 2 nights then moved into the marina for fuel, water and electricity.

Meteogram - midway between Pollenca and Barcelona The weather has become very unsettled with many storm fronts passing through but on the 12th September it looked like there was an opportunity to cross to Menorca. Our plan was to do 45 miles round the south coast of Sardinia and if reasonable to then continue to Menorca. The journey to Malfatano was uneventful and we anchored in the east bay just before 6 in the evening. This is not a port, just a pretty deserted bay surrounded by jagged rocks. After a swim, shower and a nice meal and armed with an updated GRIB (weather) forecast we decided to continue and do the 2 night passage to Menorca so at 20:40 we weighed anchor.

Menorca

This was supposed to have been a nice calm crossing in a short weather window arriving before the next storm-front but it didn’t work out that way. The seas were heavier, the wind stronger and the storm-front moved faster than predicted. On the 2nd night at about 05:00 the radar showed a storm forming a spiral ahead of us. The spiral collapsed in on itself creating a thunder squall 9 miles wide directly ahead of us. The lightening was spectacular, the wind gusted 38 knots (gale force 8) and the rain was torrential but the boat handled well. During the day we went through two more thunderstorms, much less severe, and arrived at Fornells, Menorca where we picked up a buoy .

There were more storms and rain next day so we stayed aboard and rested. We like Fornells and stayed for six days, recovering and going ashore for walks and shopping. We discovered that Jeff and Anne from North Wales who we met in Soller a couple of years ago were on a nearby buoy but we didn’t get chance to get together before they left due to the weather and only had a brief chat with them.

Mallorca

With full water and fuel tanks we departed on the 20th September for Pollenca, Mallorca. The 58 mile journey took just exactly 10 hours and was yet another hard slog with the sea state worse than forecast. We love Pollenca and had some great times with Mike & Chris and with Nick & Marlene enjoying meals together and catching up on their news - thanks to Nick and Marlene for the Red Cross parcel! We stayed in the North of Mallorca for a month alternating between Pollenca bay, Cala Murta, Cala es Calo and Aucanada. It was nice to meet old friends and to be in a familiar surroundings although it rained a lot. I also replaced the seal and bearing on the engine sea-water pump which had been leaking.

We are due back in Barcelona by the 25th November so I have been keeping a check on the 7 day forecast for suitable weather. There have been NE gales from the Gulf de Lion for several days but the forecast looked good for the 19th with SW force 4 to 6 followed 2 days later by another storm front from the NW. So on the 19th we started the final passage back to Barcelona. Dissapoiningly the forecast was wrong yet again, the wind was behind as predicted but the sea-state was uncomfortable yet again and the wind increased to 36 knots (gale force 8). We were under sail for 5 hours and recorded a maximum speed of 9.7 knots through the water but when the wind increased I furled the sail and used the engine. Tan did a sterling job cooking a hot meal in very difficult conditions, it became impossible to sleep and Tan spent the night on the cockpit wedged in with pillows – some retirement this. The 126 mile journey took just over 17 hours but we are delighted to be back in Barcelona.

The "Castle" Porto Pollenca, Mallorca