Tue 9 June to Sat 20 June Ostia (Rome) - Porto di Tropea
Spellbinder
Mon 22 Jun 2009 12:58
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The crew change at Porto di Roma went as planned
with farewells to George and Phillip and a welcome to Keith & Sheila and
Eric. We had time to visit Rome and guided by Keith and Sheila, old Rome hands,
we visited most of the major sites and marvelled at the structures and
organisation of ancient Rome. On Thursday 11 June we set sail for Isola Ponza in
the Pontine islands on one of the best sailing days of the cruise so far.
Spellbinder romped south under main and boomed out genoa in a steady NNW F4
sometimes touching F5. The destination was an anchorage in the Cala Inferno
where we were surprised to find the bows of a sunken ship sticking up in a
corner of the bay. We were more surprised the following morning to have a polite
rap on the hull to be shown the bows of a small tanker coming straight for
us. It seems the Cala Inferno is now a point for taking fuel onto the island and
we had chosen a bad night to be there. Never mind, it was all amicably resolved
and gave us the opportunity to move anchorage nearer Ponza harbour to land there
and do a little sightseeing on an island were Augustus built a villa and to
which Caligula's demented brothers and sister Agrippina were exiled. Our next
destination was Isola Ventotene where Spellbinder berthed in the Cala Rossana
after another passage under the motor in no wind. Ventotene's Roman harbour and
pretty village had not yet been overrun by the annual rush of tourists and was
voted the gem of the Pontine islands. Saturday 13 June saw Spellbinder anchored
in a bay on the south coast of Isola d'Ischia just to the west of the Punta
Sant'Angelo. The problem with the Isola di Ischia is its closeness to Naples and
its popularity with motorboat owners who rush out on day trips at weekends. In
retrospect, this bay was not a good choice to anchor although the holding was
good on sand. In no wind and the intermittent wash from passing ferries, ships
and fast motor-boats we spent a rolly night there. A bonus was a fireworks
display ashore. Weighing anchor late the next morning we were met by the
astonishing sight of an armada of motorboats, white water foaming at their
bows, racing each other out of Naples to bag the best anchoring spots in
the bay. As our course for Amalfi was directly across their path it took some
nerve to stand on and trust their owners knew the rule of the road. To their
credit they all did and collisions were avoided allowing Spellbinder to
motor-sail in light winds to Amalfi avoiding expensive and crowded Capri. A
pity, but Amalfi more than made up for it with a coastline that is truly
magnificent. Spellbinder was intercepted by a RIB off the harbour driven by
a man in multi-coloured shades and blonde hair who hitched his boat onto
Spellbinder and climbed aboard. He tried to seize the wheel to "take us to a
berth" but was repulsed by the skipper muttering
"insurance". It soon became evident why he wanted to do this as we
proceeded through a narrow gap in a crowded marina to one of
his berths near to the rocky beach. No-one in their right mind could have
believed Spellbinder would fit in, but she did! We were shoehorned
into a cramped berth in the centre of Amalfi nestling on the edge of towering
cliffs in the most spectacular setting. After viewing this attractive and
colourful town with its great maritime past Spellbinder moved to anchor in
Erchie bay just to the east of Capo d'Orso. This was comfortable with good
holding and we were kept entertained by the sight of a barge laying pipes and
large concrete blocks to one side of the bay. A swim was enjoyed and a
trip ashore elicited some enquiries as to who we were from friendly locals
who clearly were unused to foreigners landing there. So, on Tuesday 16 June we
sailed the short distance to Salerno where we bade a sad farewell to Sheila
whose work and family commitments forced a return home. Salerno lacked a certain
charm but once we had berthed ourselves on a private pontoon and got to know
Carlo the manager it proved an enjoyable stop and we were to enjoy a
magnificent, typically Italian dinner in a restaurant close to the port. On 17
June three men in a boat set sail, or rather motor-sail in light
winds towards a lovely bay to the SE of Capo Palinuro. Here we found a
quiet anchorage for the night under the stars before leaving the next
morning, after a swim, for the pretty harbour of Maratea,
the outstretched arms of a statue of the Christ high on the hill
behind. The harbour is well organised and welcoming and 2km away Maratea
provides provisioning opportunities including supermarket, fruit and vegetable
stalls and a butcher.We had the good fortune of meeting Enrico Mattanotti at
Maratea who Keith had known when Enrico was Commander Standing Naval Force
Meditteranean patrolling the Adriatic in the aftermath of the Bosnian war. At
this time the weather forecasts were predicting gales to the north and west of
Sardinia and Corsica and a severe gale to the north of the Balearic islands
as a cold front swept across the Meditteranean. So, we left Maratea the
following afternoon for an overnight passage to Porto di Tropea some thirty
miles north of the straits of Messina. The passage was a gentle motor-sail
in light winds under the stars to the smart marina of Tropea that lived up to
its claim as the prettiest town on the whole of the southern Tyrrhenian coast.
We spent three nights there to allow the worst of the cold front
accompanied by thunder and lightning to pass through. On Tuesday Spellbinder
sails for Reggio Calabria and the next crew change where Keith sadly returns
home and Charles and John join for the final leg to
Corfu.
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