Arrival Siracusa

Mor Toad / Moy Toad
David and Jocelyn Fawcett
Wed 11 Oct 2017 15:11
37:03.63N
15:16.79E

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Yes we did get a sail not a lot of wind but no swell and a gentle 3 knots with the main one side and the gib the other. Fortunately we had no deadline. Thin haze so not too hot either.

On the chart above you can see we past a bay with a lot of ships at anchor - this was Augusta - an oil refinery port and chemical complex - so quite industrial.

We eventually arrived at Siracusa to start off with a lot of very uninspiring apartment blocks on shore ( apparently the place bombed badly twice during the Second World War so presumably these are post war blocks) . However as we got further along the coast and turned into the bay around a peninsula some lovely pale yellow buildings , a castle and lighthouse on the headland and this apparently is the old town - Ortega.

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According to the Italian Waters Pilot guide it is "a delightful warren of alleys and staircases between baroque limestone mansions ( many now apartments) . It was once the most powerful city- state of Magna Graecia , rivalling even Athens in power. Founded in 734BC. by colonists from Corinth and became the largest fortified city of The Greek world containing half a million people and a great fleet."

Definitely need to read more on the history before we start exploring for a couple of days.

We are anchored In a very large bay along with several other yachts plenty of space and tonight we shall stay here. One reason being still problems with the aft heads and now David and Andrew into serious mode to sort out.

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It would seem as I finish today's blog that this may well have been achieved. Fingers crossed


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