Wednesday the 30th of April Just before sunrise I was able to contact the Italian boat (Velenosa) and rendezvous to pass the Messina strait in company. It was an easy passage through the notorious waters, but the turbulent current was still evident and I was glad I did not have to traverse this stretch in [...]
Tuesday the 29th of April Most of the day was taken up playing tourist in Tropea, a spectacular town accessible by climbing a long stairway from the marina. The evening was spent hunting for some EP 90 oil to lubricate the propeller shaft (lo and behold, the staff at Delta Italia hadn’t bothered to top [...]
My main concern for this next leg (over 160NM) was obtaining a good weather forecast. The last time I’d had Internet access was just before my departure from Fiumicino and I was not comfortable remaining ignorant of the long-term weather trends. I resolved to make a short (2 hour) stop at Capri which I felt [...]
Saturday the 26th of April In stark contrast to the previous leg, Saturday was not the best of days to go sailing. The wind had turned and the swell had grown considerably (Force 6 on the nose is never pleasant) but there was no other option given the schedule I’d set myself. My entire trip [...]
Friday the 25th of April Effortless sailing to Ventotene, though the wind did get somewhat boisterous upon arrival. I made for the old port (originally carved out of the bedrock by the Romans) and moored bow-to to the quay. I don’t even try to berth stern-to with Eileen of Avoca. The slightest breeze makes maneuvering [...]
Thursday the 24th of April At first light I cast off to brave the persistent swell at the entrance to Fiumicino. With considerable trepidation I watched the sets of breakers and timed my exit. The rain from earlier in the week had swollen the current, steepening the oncoming swell. I didn’t want to be in [...]
Tuesday the 22nd and Wednesday the 23rd of April Eileen of Avoca was ready to go, but a heavy swell made exiting Fiumicino (a distributary branch of the Tiber River) dangerous if not impossible (see photo). I spent the next couple of days preparing for my trip, stocking up on delectable local produce and reconnoitering [...]
Sunday the 20th of April Late afternoon start for the 1500km drive to Rome. Monday the 21st of April Arrived by 6am and attempted to sleep in the car waiting for Delta Italia to open (no easy feat in a Fiat 600 unless you are a contortionist on Valium). Eileen of Avoca was still in [...]
