Sunday 14^th June – On Passage

37:26.290N 15:24.107E

Today we enjoyed another quiet breakfast in the cockpit with hot sun beating down.  After breakfast Richard made several trips ashore to fill up the water tank (negotiating with the fishermen for the tap) whilst I tidied down below ready for passage.

We have decided to move on north through the Straits of Messina to visit the Isole Eolie (Aeolian Islands).  The Strait of Messina is infamous, having a reputation for strong winds, tides and whirlpools, so we have decided to minimise the risk and go up there when the forecast is for little or no wind (at last we have a quiet window, we have had the wind against us for some time), and accept that we motor all the way.

This evening after dinner we set off, saying goodbye to Anna and Charlie on Star Dance.  On the way out of the harbour, my fisherman friend came past and waved us off too.

We were expecting a quiet and uneventful passage but we had a fairly inauspicious start.  As dusk was falling we found ourselves going over an unlit fishing net and quickly knocked off the engine but seemed to drift on past.  We very carefully made way to see if anything was caught but we were fine.  Whilst we were checking things out a fishing boat changed course towards us, presumably the owner concerned about his net.  Fortunately all seemed OK and we each headed on.

Shortly after this we were joined by several pods of dolphins as we made our way north; they were very friendly and were played around the bows.  When one pod got bored it seemed only a short time before we were joined by another.

The rest of the evening was quite busy keeping an eye out for fishing boats and other shipping.