Friday 25 May
Syracusa to Roccella Ionica

We left Syracusa at 6.45 a.m. for a 13 hour trip across to the toe of Italy and (sort of) across the Messina straits. For the first 7 hours the sea was quite uncomfortable but at almost 2 p.m. the sea flattened off completely and the rest of the trip was very nice and every so often we were accompanied by dolphins. Roccella Ionica is in the process of being made into a proper marina with help from the Italian government but in the meantime there was very litte there but a spot on the pontoon which was just right for us and very cheap as no electricity or water but we had only the intention of staying the night anyway.

Fishermen leaving Rocella Ionica

Saturday 26 - Sunday 27
Rocella Ionica to Lefkas
 

We could not have been any luckier with the weather as the sea was perfectly calm and it was a beautiful day - if endless. By 9 p.m it was completely dark, which was a little spooky, and my first watch until midnight. Unfortunately the starboard propshaft had started to clatter almost as soon as we left Rocella Ionica so a bit too noisy to sleep in our cabin so the Captain slept on the seat next to me which was comforting. I saw absolutely nothing except a few stars and the path of the moon for a little while but it had gone again by midnight and it was a very long three hours. Then the Captain's turn and apart from the fact that he is incapable of sitting still and he kept getting his torch out to write things down I actually slept too. My turn again and this time I was kept amused by a massive display of lightning going on to the north of us fortunately, and a few ships that crossed our path and we finally made it to Lefkas Town just before 11 a.m. (Greek time so now 2 hours ahead of the UK) and the whole trip took 25 hours - so we were very pleased. Lefkas Marina is enormous and full of charter boats and the town has everything we need. We know the weather at home has been fantastic but we were treated here to a storm shortly after we arrived and then again - but an amazing rainbow at the end of it - and the rain washed all the salt off the boat.

We have decided to worry about the propshaft when we get to Athens for the summer months as we will only do short trips from now on but we have had a visit from an electrician today as problems again with the batteries - we definitely need two new ones, possibly six - at a price. The Captain has decided its the only way so we will wait here until Wednesday as they have to come from Athens. There are worse places to have to wait and then hopefully we will continue to visit some more of the Ionian Islands.

Thursday 24 May
Syracusa - still

Going back into the water on board

At last back on the boat and although the Captain isnt convinced the shipyard did much to solve our problems we are going to carry on to Roccella Ionica on the mainland early tomorrow for a crossing of about 12 hours. We had six nights in a lovely hotel, converted barns which were a farm originally and I dont think we have stayed anywhere where the staff have been so friendly and helpful.So we are very ready to go again. We had an interesting return to the water (and in fact the lift out too) as for the first time ever, and Sequel is now very experienced at being taken in and out, we remained on the boat - strictly against any health and safety regulations. Usually we have to scramble off at the last moment before coming out and vice versa going in - I have to be sure to be wearing shorts otherwise it is very undignified.

 

Kaol Ishka Hotel

 

And after six days on land Sequel is yet again covered in fecking (thank you Mrs Brown) Libyan dust/sand - amazing how it travels so far. So Lady Muck has been busy inside and has also managed to produce a number of very colourful vinklekleins to hang out to dry and the Captain is busy with his hose! We had great fun shopping in the market for provisions this morning and my Italian is coming on very well - seems a bit of a shame that I am going to have to start learning Greek next. But very excited now about next part of the adventure and we hope to cross from mainland Italy to Lefkas on Saturday - about 26 hours.

Monday 21 

Chelsea! Chelsea! 

We watched the second half of the game in a bar in Siracusa with another couple from our hotel, and he was another Spurs supporter.  And what a result - so exciting! So sorry Tottenham but really only yourselves to blame.

Had a great day yesterday and drove to Mt Etna,  A-maz-ing! Still quite a bit of snow around and the contrast with the black made the landscape even more interesting.  We were at nearly 3000M, which isnt great for me, but Bruce was very attentive, holding my hand very tightly as we walked around quite a narrow edge of a crater. It wasn't until later that I worked out that actually he didn't like it very much!

We walked right round this crater

No news of Sequel's repairs yet and we are happy not to return her to the water until Thursday maybe as the forecast is for very strong winds for the next few days, but then after that there should be at least four clear days with little wind and hopefully we will make some progress.

Saturday 19 May
Siracusa

Buying fresh anchovies

We have been in Siracusa since Tuesday.  We left Ragusa early on Tuesday morning in quite a choppy sea because of the previous days' wind but with the wind behind us we made good progress and arrived at Marina Yachting by 4 p.m.  We were given an excellent spot right by the marina office and the old town of Ortiga, perfect for eating out and the best market we have come across full of fresh fruit and an incredible selection of fresh fish.  

It seems that everyone in Sicily knows someone that you need to help you and the marina man just happened to know the agent for the passarelle whom he contacted and who arrived promptly on Wednesday morning and by lunch time it was fixed - at a price, of course.  Thats the good news.  The less good news is that we are still hearing a banging sound from the starboard prop shaft and the Captain is not happy with it.  So the agent for the passarelle just happened to know the man who runs the shipyard just around the headland who paid us a visit.  He suggested we might have picked up a fishing line round the propeller so we spent Thursday morning waiting for a diver to tell us that we hadn't - at a price - and then we arranged for Sequel to come out of the water at the shipyard on Friday morning. The engineering manager at the shipyard doesn't seem to think there is a problem with the bearings on the propshaft but thinks the propellers need balancing - so that is being done, although Bruce is not convinced and we are hoping that the boat will go back in the water early next week.  In the meantime we are staying in a great hotel about 2km from Ortiga and have hired a car. As a fellow Brit said this morning 'so you've been forced into some sightseeing' and I did think I might loose the will to live half way round the archeological museum this morning. So many pots.  We plan to visit Mt Etna tomorrow.  The weather is lovely - about 23 degrees but a chilly wind - and all being well we will cross to the mainland towards the end of next week and possibly from there to Cephalonia before too long. 

Time now to go and find somewhere, other than the hotel room, to watch the footie - Bruce seems to think a lot of Italians support Chelsea, only problem is I will be watching with someone who may just want Bayern Munich to win and if they do he might just have to walk the plank.

Back to Malta and then Sicily

Waiting for Sequel to go back in the water - boat next to us being moved

Malta

Thursday 10 May  Arrived back in Malta 25 minutes early and a fanfare from RyanAir. Hot and sunny 26 degrees. Managed to find the boatyard this time without driving round Valetta at least twice and also found a very dirty boat covered in sand from Libya apparently. Set to almost straight away to get the worst off for an 8 a.m. return to the water on Friday. Spent the night in a '4 star' hotel on the waterfront with terrific views and from where we could also see Sequel but cant think of another single redeeming feature - although the Captain thought the foyer was good.

Friday 11  Up bright and early and back to the boatyard exactly at 8 a.m. At 11 a.m. Sequel was put back in the water. Apart from waiting sometime there were one or two hiccups - they had to move the boat next to us first to get us out and then when finally in the water the hoist strap got stuck around the starboard stabilizer. So much so that the hoist driver borrowed Heather's goggles, stripped off and got in the water to untangle it. I quite enjoyed that bit. And then of course he needed a towel!

 

We left the yard and went to the marina just across from the yard but around the headland where they found us a berth for the night and I set to again cleaning the inside which was as dirty as the outside and the Captain was also busy......

Not surprisingly - it no longer is - the forecast for Sunday and Monday is for very strong winds, possibly force 7, so we determined to leave Malta on Saturday and head back to Marina di Ragusa in Sicily to sit out the wind there. Spent another night in the lovely hotel.

Saturday 12  Left Malta at approximately 9.45 a.m. and had a lovely trip back to Sicily. Beautiful day, light winds and the Captain thoroughly enjoyed negotiating some very large tankers. I just sat in the sun for seven hours - very happy - and now a bit pink. Arrived in Marina di Ragusa at about 5 p.m. - very welcoming and a lovely big space just for us. But as always there is a problem - this time the passarelle (i.e. the gangplank that gets us off the boat) doesnt work. The Captain has done a lot of head scratching. Lots of Brits here - not sure whether that is good or bad - although one of them did find a long plank of wood so we have been able to get off the boat - its too far to jump and as my family know, I dont do jumping.

Sunday 13

Its windy. And the Captain is still scratching his head having checked every fuse on the boat etc etc. We are thinking of sawing the plank of wood in two and taking it with us when we leave. Next stop Siracusa - possibly on Tuesday. Its even windier now.

Ionian sea

Aegean sea

                 
May 2012
Malta to the Ionian and Aegean Seas - seriously on our way to Turkey now

We return to Malta on Thursday 10 May and Sequel returns to the water early on Friday morning.  We plan to spend the weekend preparing the boat and testing the engines before setting off back to Sicily and Marina di Ragusa all being well, and weather permitting, of course, on Monday 14.  We plan to visit Siracusa and then it will be decision time again as to which route we take across to the Greek islands.

In an effort to be a little bit more organised with our dates we have today booked return flights from Athens on June 27 with a view to returning on 5 September and spending approximately four more weeks visiting the Greek islands en route to Kos for the winter in early October.