At 07.20 on 5th July we lifted anchor after a very calm night and began motoring 15 N miles east on a flat calm sea to the Messina Straits.

 

The humidity has been  extremely high over the past two days with a constant veil of haze wrapped around the high mountains of the North coast of Sicily.

As we past Milazzo town we got our first glimpse of the very unusual sight of a ‘Swordfishing’ boat,  a strange and practical design which has evolved around the Messina Straits.

 

In June and September the Sword fish and tunny migrate through the straits and we have obviously caught the end of the season. Apparently the swordfish ‘sleep’ or rest on the surface of the water and so historically the fishing boats had tall lookout masts and extended bows to spot the fish and creep over it with the bow before the actual boat got near.

 

Today the sight of the modern day boat is quite something. The masts extend, we judged about 80ft high with the helmsman and spotter controlling the boat from the top.

The boat itself looked around a 35-40 ft but the incredible bow extended a further 50 ft over the water complete with a narrow railed walkway for a person to move along.

We saw a fisherman readying at the bow but the harpoon wasn’t used and the fish survived another day.

 

Later in the Straits we saw three more boats which we photographed but the enormous bowsprits are hidden somewhat as they merge with the coastline behind.

 

As we entered the north mouth of the Straits we saw strange whirlpools and eddies---fine on a calm day but we wouldn’t fancy it on a rough forecast. The turbulence is mainly caused by the difference between the warmer , less salty Tyrrhenian sea flowing to/from the Ionian sea.

 

We motor sailed through the Straits and out into the Ionian once again and began sailing south down the East coast of Sicily. After 55 N miles we arrived at Taormina and the ‘Taormina Roads’ an elevated sophisticated resort perched on the majestic hills near to Etna.   The small groups of ageing Sicilian architecture mixed with mainly sympathetic new builds sit on the vertical cliffs and perch on peaks. Stunningly beautiful from the sea, complete with huge superyachts anchored in the coves at the foot of the cliffs and adjacent tiny beaches.

 

We continued another nautical mile before anchoring in the bay of the resort town of Schiso.  We didnt go ashore but the town seemed to be full on tourism, mass market, fun, but quite different to the adjacent Taormina.

 

Photos of----

Messina Straits,

Swordfishing  boat

Taormina.

 

Love to all

 

Tina and Tony x x x