38 15 33N 15 43 25E 

17 May, at anchor outside Scilla, Calabria

Yesterday we left Taormina at 5 in the morning in order to be able to pass through the famous/infamous Messina Strait.

With help of Windy and an App showing currents in the straight we managed to find a perfect window.

After 4 hours we reached the strait and got permission from Messina VTS (Vessel Traffic Service, VHF 16) to proceed. 

We motor sailed through the straight reaching Scilla on the mainland, Calabria, in 7 hours. A perfect sunny day.

Leaving Taormina. Beautiful scary Etna.

This is Scilla. A  very pittoresk little village just after the strait.

Lot of action today. Sea is totally calm. And there are quite a few of these spectacular fishing boats out today trying to catch sword fish.

A sad story. It's mating season now and they should have been protected during this time. Instead the hunt down the couples because they don't leave each other while mating. Means if they catch one they will also catch the other one. And this bay is a mating ground.