Sundowner II log – 2006 update 25 - Vulcano – Gaeta


With the weather conditions permitting a safe anchorage we enjoyed a few days exploring the island and a couple of beachside bars. Although there were boats of many nationalities there wasn’t much interaction so we enjoyed our own company which was cool. Early one morning we packed our rucksacks with lunch, flasks or tea and litres of water for the trek up the hot steep and dusty trail to the top of the volcano where we arrived approximately one hour later! And after enjoying a rest, a cup of tea and the spectacular views of the chain of islands we brought it all back down again and were met by an official demanding payment for the walk we had just taken so we negotiated half payment which he deposited into his pocket.
Saturday 29th July
With Sicily just over 20 miles south we up anchored, we motored out and down the west coast then through large patches of pumice stone floating all around and with an increase of wind sailed into the sand dune protected anchorage of Tindari, we were now on the north coast of Sicily.


Sunday 30th July
The morning brought strong winds enough to drag our anchor a bit, it would have been quite safe to re-position but we were short of fuel and water and the marina of Portorosa was just over a mile away across the heavy seas causing concern for the small amount of diesel slopping around in the tank because sailing off the lee shore or sailing into the rocky harbour entrance would have been pretty impossible had the engine stopped. All would have been ok if a motor boat had not tried to cut in front of us as we made our turn across the waves into the small harbour entrance which was being washed over with the tall breaking seas. Luckily he backed off at the last moment and followed us in waving an apology. Fuelled up we organised a berth and at 60 Euros a night not bad in the height of the season. But with all the berths having large wooden poles to go between and to tie up to it would have been better to have been a bit more honest with the width of our boat as we had to remove the fenders to enable us to squeeze in much to the amusement of the marina staff. We indulged ourselves in the luxury of the marina with its fresh water and bars and with the chandlery being surprisingly cheap we now have a deck shower. We also took a bus trip to suss out Messina confirming all we had been told with all its numerous ferries, shipping and whirlpools so we will be taking the westerly route next year around Sicily.


Wednesday 2nd August
We squeezed out of our berth and headed back north and within the hour we were sailing with plenty of wind but the wrong seas making it uncomfortable. We passed the east coast of Vulcano with the intention of returning to the anchorage of Porto Ponente but once outside after struggling around the northern point we found it was empty with waves sweeping in so we back tracked and anchored on the other side in Porto di Levante which was very deep and rocky with just a shallow perimeter but with fingers crossed the anchor held, we just hoped we would be able to get it back up and out from amongst the rocks in the morning. We apologised for being a bit too close to a couple in a neighbouring boat but Fran and Sue who live and sail from Sicily were ok. It’s a small world as Sue’s mother lived in our home town of Yeovil! We even kept an eye on their boat as they went ashore for the evening. There was some entertainment later when a group of lads in a boat just behind us, annoyed at the huge motorboat in the middle of the bay with its loud constant generator, trained their laser torches at the occupants who were sat around their large dining table on the aft deck.


Thursday 3rd August
With a westerly wind we attempted to sail up the west coast of Lipari the sheltered east coast the obvious choice but we did manage to sail between an outlying large rock and steep shoreline as we rounded the headland under double reefed genoa. We anchored outside the harbour in Salina and a while later our Sicilian friends arrived and we all went ashore to a small town where they had first met 20 years ago when it was just a small fishing village. After a great meal and plenty of happy juice we returned to our boats but not before running out of fuel in our dinghy after underestimating the distance to the town, Dennis also left a flip flop on the beach. Earlier on the charter boats had turned up late and having anchored proceeded to tie themselves to the rocks on the shoreline of the anchorage which caused a bit of mayhem in the small hours when the wind picked up with everyone swinging to new positions on their anchors – well everyone that wasn’t tied to the shoreline that is.


Friday 4th August
With an early morning of thunder and lightening we headed north east, we thought we would try the anchorage on Panarea of Punta Milazzese and with impressive seas coming from behind and sideways had an exciting sail surrounded by the multicoloured volcanic islands nearby. We then nearly got wiped out by a crazy motorboat who, with empty seas, powered across our bows creating a wash twice as large as the waves mother nature was providing – oh well. We were anchored and settled by midday with a swim and well needed sleep, later whilst enjoying a wake up ciggy Dennis was amused as the small locals happily chatted while their small motor boats drifted alongside Sundowner in the now familiar fashion knowing they would eventually move again before they hit the shore only with shock to realise it was Sundowner moving not them - we were dragging our anchor and when checked with a snorkel we could see in the sand below how someone had picked up our chain with their anchor tripping ours which was then unable to reset in the sandy rocky bottom. But once we had repositioned and it was reset it held through a long dark windy night, thunder and lightening adding to the gloom. Not that we were gloomy as there was plenty to keep us occupied as unattended boats crept towards the rocks and their crews struggled from the shore.
Saturday 5th August
With a cup tea at 5 we set off north at 6 past Stromboli with a wave goodbye for now. We learnt later that the previous day in Palinuro where we had cleaned the boat they had twisters and water spouts and forty boats needed help. It was a hot crossing back to the mainland with bits of sailing we later learnt we had missed Tropea which is supposed to be rather nice and is famous for its onions - maybe next year. We ended up in Vibo Valentia checked out the harbour but found it was perfectly good anchored off the beach outside and swam, relaxed and had an early night in the safe surroundings. Taking the dinghy in the morning into the marina which has a friendly reputation we had coffee at their café but were totally ignored, we did discover that our friend Rob that we had previously met in Gaeta was moored in the marina but was suffering from food poisoning so we set off and bought provisions and a hammock. This provided great amusement to all and sundry when we were trying to erect it in the afternoon and when we were struggling a lad with his friends on a small motor boat came across to help us, mission completed we swam to their boat for some melon which funnily enough was exactly what Dennis was thinking of as he admired the girls in their Italian swimsuits. Off course the nice empty shoreline couldn’t be complete without the arrival of the obligatory large catamaran anchored a couple of boat lengths away and when the wind changed in the small hours he was only a boat length ahead so we up anchored before any more increase in wind and entered the harbour. Dennis jumping ashore to tie up was stopped by a shriek from Sandra as she flicked the hugest cockroach off the deck where it had flown, Dennis did a similar trick back to the boat and we left before the two approaching security guards could have a word so we returned to the anchorage. The following morning the anchor numptie apologised and we had a lovely sail along the coast just for the fun of it, we were half hoping to go ashore where the British had landed before defeating the French in a battle in the Napoleonic wars but it has changed a bit in a couple of hundred years. We returned to the anchorage which is when Rob and his guests arrived rafting up to us and an impromptu floating party ensued carried on in the town later with pizza.


Wednesday 9th August
Moving on up the coast the wind increased as we tried to round Cape di Bonifati so we slipped into the protected harbour of Cetraro with its free transit wall. Well free to most as there was an enterprising gent who came each morning after ten and relieved the innocent of 20 Euros which he pocketed and left. Berthed stern too and without a boarding plank we had difficulty getting ashore but a kind French couple let us pass over their boat sampling their wine on the way, their ship’s cat was a character trying to leap through Sandra’s galley hatch as she cooked. He had done it before on an unmanned and locked up boat which caused a bit of problem and upset their passage plans a bit. Mooring in this way had its bonus as in the evening there was a fashion show on the quay and Dennis was pleased as we were right behind the changing rooms. After much time at peace it is difficult to get amongst others again especially when they run their generator on deck at midnight two metres from your pillow. It’s a shame things have to turn nasty before peace is resumed.
Friday 11th August
Whilst leaving we managed to pick up a large cable with our anchor and as we were pondering our dilemma a large yacht lifted the same cable freeing ours which was nice. They were still on the bow scratching their heads as we left. On our way to Sapri we crossed our southerly path we had taken to Stromboli. It was nice to be back at anchor at Sapri but the swell was uncomfortable and after an unsuccessful visit to the harbour for fuel and maybe a wall to tie up to we re-anchored behind the breakwater.
Sunday 13th August
We stayed an extra night as the weather calmed and with an early start we plodded along the familiar barren but quite beautiful coast we visited a small inlet on Punta Iscoletti but luckily moved on as when we rounded the point and headed along the coast we were met with an horizon black and full of storm cloud we managed to drop the anchor off the beach of Camerota as the storm hit. We didn’t enter the harbour as other boats were doing causing mayhem in the strong winds and torrential rain, once again the expensive wet weather gear proving its worth as Dennis helmed. The water was pouring down the mountains and over the beach and a river of exploding fresh water filling the bay. The coast road was full of cars nose to tail with headlights on shining in the sudden afternoon dark. Once again an anchor numptie arrived and had to be dissuaded from anchoring ahead of us in stormy winds, later he moved back into the unsafe harbour to leave us in peace for the night. With the storm passed it was a peaceful night with a bottle of wine.


Monday 14th August
Once again coastal cruising taking the opportunity to photograph familiar places such as mouse and bear island. For some unknown reason Dennis has spent most of the summer being Mister Moody and it came to fruition while the crossing the bay on a beautiful day a motor boat headed towards us from astern and was shooed away by the grumpy helmsman only to realise too late it was possibly a boat out of Gaeta just passing by to say a friendly hello miles from home. We stopped for fuel at the lovely town of Acciaroli the nice guy at the fuel station was amused at our method of dealing with the Italian of queue jumping as we berthed - basically who dares wins. The transit quay was free and he insisted we stay but as it was early we pressed on with a promise to return next year. On our way south we had encountered difficulty rounding Punta Licosa in the semi dark and it was fascinating to see it in daylight having to head far out to sea passing numerous boats and yachts at anchor in the shallow and rocky waters. After rounding the point we passed and watched the swell crashing ashore where we had hoped to anchor off San Marco di Castellabate so we moved on to Agropoli where from outside the harbour entrance we could see it was as full as could be expected in August but a little further down in the corner of the bay was a beach with water four metres deep to anchor in and protected by the high land - perfect. On the second evening we took the dinghy inside the harbour to get a pizza and turning inside found there was an anchorage where boats were quietly settled, we recognized a boat with an Australian couple aboard who we had met in Capri nearly a month before. So we helped them lighten their boat by drinking some of their grape juice as they told us how when they were against the wall a charter boat had slipped its anchor and the chain wrapped around their prop causing some damage. The sunsets were spectacular setting behind Capri thirty miles away on the horizon.


Thursday 17th August
Sailing off our anchor at eight the next morning by 8-45 the cruising chute was up in the decreasing wind and back down again by 9-05 so we closed into the coast past Paestum and then a small river outlet which was the Fiume (River) Sele. We stopped a fisherman in his rowing boat and asked him if it was possible to enter and he thought we should check it out with our dinghy. So we anchored outside and checked the entrance with the lead line and found a comfortable 2.5 metres inside. Taking a curved course Sundowner entered and anchored fore and aft. The rowing boat came across and it turned that the guy was not a fisherman at all but on holiday in his camper van with his wife and didn’t even have a fishing rod. He was nicknamed the Capitan and we went ashore to the campsite on the opposite bank where we were welcomed by the owner with a beer and a promise of pizza later and use of their water tap. The owner had lived in Belgium and she cooked fantastic greasy chips. We sat with the Capitan and his wife watching the sun go down from his vantage point right on the shore and were told we couldn’t leave until we had met their daughter who they had just phoned to get her to come down from Napoli to meet us at the weekend. Luciana turned out to be another diamond and she drove us around so we could stock up our stores and find an internet point which we did only to find that Virgin had once again cancelled our e mail address this time permanently – a situation we have since remedied by using an e mail address through our website. In the meantime Luciana let us use her e mail address. It was a great four days in the quiet river with friends and a bar ashore we even managed a 3.5 mile trip up river in the dinghy. We did wonder how long we would be there as over the weekend waves were blocking the river mouth.



Monday 21st August
With a smooth sea and a sad wave of farewell we exited the river and headed towards Amalfi where just outside the wind swept along the coast at 30 knots so rather than risk entering the harbour we went with the wind sailing fully reefed until we rounded a headland and anchored off a beach in the lee of the cape surprising the cavorting couples in their secluded spot.
Tuesday 22nd August
We passed Amalfi again with the coast bathed in sunshine and swept by a slight breeze it was time to turn the corner back into uncivilisation and the Gulf of Naples with its swarms of power mad macho Speedos. After passing between Capri and the Mainland we went inside the bay and found an anchorage outside Marina di Equa but the wind came up perfectly at 4 o’clock so we hoisted sails and headed across the bay, not a very good choice and the sun is sure to die when the sun sets then crossing the busy shipping and ferry lanes in the dark can be quite unnerving and add a few large fishing boats and its sheer terror. At one stage it seemed as if a small town was moving towards us which it was only it was a cruise ship. Just before eleven we managed to enter the small Gulf of Pozzuoli and anchor in the quiet outside the marina at Nisida which is overlooked by a prison that holds all the young unwanted street urchins from Naples, information we could have done without.


Wednesday 23rd August
In the calm of the bay we changed the engine oil and fuelled up at the marina and then skirted the bay and entering Pozzuoli itself for a look as we had stayed in the town ten years previous. Out of the bay around the corner we found a lovely peaceful anchorage opposite the island of Procida. The previous charted harbour was packed full of local boats with their home made buoys.
Thursday 24th August
After a peaceful night we set off early passing behind a fishing fleet and to steer clear of the fishing vessels we kept just 100 metres off all along the coast where we could see numerous pony and traps racing along the sandy beaches we even called in at the unfinished marina built by Francis Ford Coppola’s brother, it is so silted up that even we grounded, the new Holiday Inn looking forlorn amongst the dereliction. It was a great feeling as we beat into the wind across the Gulf of Gaeta the hours tacking giving us time to reflect and coming to the conclusion why would anybody want to leave this beautiful place with its friendly locals.