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.