Passage to Riposto Sicily

Persevere
Pat and Bruce
Mon 30 May 2011 18:39

37:43.85N 15:12.58E

 

30 May 2011

 

Morning comes quietly and damp but it’s time to leave at 07:00.  Simple to depart with three on board, no running around letting lines go.  Out of Corfu we head north around the island and then make our way west.  The remnants of the previous days wind left some large rolls but not too bad.  Of course motoring was required.  We got the mainsail out after two hours once we turned west.  Hoping to reduce the rolling but not much.  The wind did pick up however and the headsail came out and the engine was turned off.  Good speed with hourly logs showing 6 – 9 knots.  But after 5 hours we lost almost all the wind and the engine was back on with a little main out.  Full main would just slam back and forth with the rolls.

 

So 270 miles for the full trip to Sicily, dodging a few cargo ships and tankers.  Not much action until a thump in the night.  We hit something in the dark but not that bad.  But a vibration in the prop started.  Thinking about it we kept going since the speed was good and the vibration was manageable.

 

Morning came and the seas flattened and the sky became hazy.  Still very calm overall and it can be bad along this stretch of coast.  Southern Italy coast here is little developed and lack any real industry.  Cheaper labor in other developing countries stifled the remaining industry.  However this part has large sandy beaches, just no tourist or hotels to make a living out of it.

 

We crossed the southern portion of the Straits of Messina without any real wind but did pick up a favorable one knot current pushing us to Riposto.

 

Entering the marina we went straight to the fishing boat fuel dock to fill the tanks, 332 liters at 1.51 Euro per liter ($8.40 per gallon).  With fueling done, over to the berth, tied up, quick confirmation of travel arrangements for Fergus.  Quick trip up the mast for Fergus to change the burned out steaming light and a diver came right over to check the boat bottom and propeller.  Some scratches on the hull from probably some branches of fishing net equipment.  Nothing obvious with the propeller.  That done off for a beer.  Nice sitting below Mt Etna which belched a bit two weeks prior. 

 

Overall the trip took 36 hours and 45 minutes including the refueling.  Distance was 272 NM and average speed was 7.5 knots.