39.05.043N 17.07.923E

Finally the weather changed and there was an opportunity to head for Crotone.

The weather hadn’t really listened to the forecast, so we didn’t get quite as much wind as we were expecting. This meant we had to motor all the way. We finally got a bit more wind in the last few hours of our trip, and motor sailed with our genoa out.

We had arranged with the boat yard owner to moor up on the wall of the commercial harbour, outside the boat yard. As we were approaching we were called on the VHF by the coast guard who wanted to know what we were doing. They told us we could not moor on the wall. We tried explaining it was all arranged, but they didn’t understand us. Eventually Stephen told them he had to go as he was manoeuvring and couldn’t talk on the VHF.

Soon after we were tied up the Coast Guard came round in a car asking for our papers. We managed to explain what was happening and everything was sorted out and they went away happy.