Sundowner II log – 2009 update 31 – Scoglitti to Malta


4th Aug 2008
Well 8 very hot days later we finally leave the beach footie lively local bar and safe although smelly harbour.

There was a bit of disappointment when the international beach football didn’t include France and we couldn’t fly our Eric the King tricola in full view of the stadium on the beach only meters away. Most evenings we couldn’t resist the friendly company and music at the terrace bar of the hotel Gabbiana which we later renamed the around the clock bar as one Sunday morning we stopped for an early refreshment then proceeded to follow the shade around the six sided bar until evening. The energetic young staff and locals play in a beach football league during the summer evenings starting in the cool at 10 pm, we joined them one night and they couldn’t believe we had actually walked the 2 km along the coastline and arrived carrying beer and chips only a matter of minutes after they had left on their scooters. Being the holiday season there was music in the square most nights, wobbly dancing in flip flops can be quite amusing especially when Sazza tries to involve the local constabulary. She was obviously forgiven, as when we were filling the water tanks on the day of departure while in conversation with the Guardia they said how they had never spoken to an Inglese with such perfect Italian - impressed.
Sundowner took us out of the snug harbour and along the coast where we anchored outside the unfinished Marina di Ragusa once again scrubbing the hulls ready for the crossing. Just before 6 the wind still blowing fair the decision was made, main and genoa hoisted and we headed southwards with the accompaniment of football chants from a group of happy young lads on a pedalo a fine way to leave the lands of calcio. We sailed the 15 hour crossing through the dark night, tight into the variable S/E wind sometimes down to a walking pace 2.5 knots and at most 4 in a rough sea but according to Sandra an enjoyable crossing all the same we also had the added adrenalin of the numerous shipping.
5th Aug 2008


There is always a buzz about seeing new lands appear on the horizon in the morning and these islands particularly so, being in the centre of the Mediterranean and so important in human history even having temples older than our local Stonehenge. With Gozo being the closest of the islands we headed for the main harbour of Mgarr which was full and even though it was 9 o’clock in the morning there was no response on the radio, we drifted around and Sandra recognised a yacht as being Wacky Wacky and Andy the owner we had last seen three years previously back in Sardinia.

We spent a few days in the harbour and drooled over the baked beans, cheddar cheese, HP sauce, peanut butter and PG tips tea bags in the local shop. We ended the first day with beer and chips content in a safe inexpensive harbour with all its luxuries of showers and fresh water. The harbour seemed a bit exposed for wintering so with time on our hands we spent a few weeks exploring checking out anchorages and supplies before the arrival of our mate Geordie Dave and Lyndsey.
One of our main concerns now was where to winter Sundowner and our by now major lack of finance the main marinas in Valletta either full or expensive and with too many rules. Whilst anchored in St Julian’s bay we were fortunate to make acquaintance with Manuel on his self-built 40ft Warram catamaran out of his home port of Marsascala

on the south east of Malta where he got us a mooring to use and introduced us to a multitude of friends and this became our base, also the local bars with their big screens convenient as the football season had started. A short run south we sheltered from some strong winds in the bay of Marsaxlokk with a huge container port and tucked up in the north east corner, it’s small fishing harbour outside of which we regularly anchored in only 1.5 meters of water rowing the short distance ashore to the numerous bar restaurants.


Diesel and good fresh water are pretty difficult to obtain in Malta but we were lucky after a friendly chat to be allowed to fuel up at the fisherman’s quay and use our hose to fill our water tanks much better than dinghying ashore with the German cans. Just around the corner is the island’s large gas depot with a small sandy beach we anchored off and landed the dinghy loaded with all of our by now empty gas bottles, we were pleasantly surprised to pay only a fifth of the normal rate - ten euros for the lot.
We got a taxi to the airport for Dave’s 3am arrival, he didn’t so we did the same the next morning and after watching the sun come up over a few drinks it all went downhill from there, we just weren’t up for it and Dave will agree it would have been far better to have booked a room locally and to have come on a few day trips which we do hope he does in the future cos he’s a mate. We did at times have some fun though like when we went into the Grande harbour marina and were asked why we had tied to the large private berth and not radioed in before hand but even though they were full they did find us a spot at a reasonable price - we perhaps should have told them we were a catamaran but the friendly English guy who helped us squeeze in next to him was ok, it was funny listening to the security guard around midnight asking on his walkie talkie where the catamaran had come from. It will be a long time before we have friends aboard for any length of time unless they want to actually stay aboard and live as we do, we just can’t afford it. Well it was only a matter of six days before some did, Lee and Jan arrived and stayed for 11 days of sailing and anchoring in storm swept bays as the weather changed but it was fun in a way with some magical moments and Jan realised her dream of a sailing holiday. After a night settling in we headed north gently sailing around the main harbour in Valetta with all it’s historic forts and cities even taking the short cut sailing out and between the old bridge pillars all of which we found out later was totally illegal as you must have your engine running at all times - oops. In the beautiful small bay of St Maria on the middle island of Comino we tied to Giovanni’s large buoy he said we could use adding some extra ropes and an anchor due to the forecast not being particularly good. The wind rising and all the other boats leaving should have given a bit of a clue but we just thought they were day trippers and it was a lovely spot just off the beach and even though we were basically trapped for two days we still managed walks ashore and had most of the island and the bay to ourselves.

Not wanting to chance our luck too much it was a very early morning departure in a slight lull in the wind when we left, the large seas pretty impressive in the half dark on our way downwind the short distance to Mgarr for a couple days back into the land of the living and chips. We had hoped to enter the small cala of Mgarr Ix-Ini where we had tied up to the wall previously,

and see our friends in the bar at the end but the sea was too rough and in the wrong direction but just right for Dwerja bay on the north west of Gozo so we sailed close to the tall cliffs and around even calling Xlendi for a look on the way. Dwerja was everything we had been told it would be even better as it was deserted. We even managed to take the dinghy around the corner through the cliffs and into the small inland sea. With the wind due to change making the bay dangerous in the morning we sailed around and into the small harbour of Marsalforn not realising we had gone into a similar trap as Dwerja and had a rather restless night with waves crashing into and onto the shore of the bay which we were close to. As the bay was full of buoys we had been unable to anchor so we selected and tied to a few, most of which held with the anchor always ready through the long night. The exit early next morning was an adrenalin filled time, up and over the large head seas before the turn clearing the head land and down the coast heading for Valetta but as the following sea and wind continued to increase the decision was made to turn for the shelter of Mgarr the clear blue water and sand bottom just outside the harbour making a prefect anchorage under the shelter of the hill.
The wind changed and swept in from the east so we up anchored and headed to the sheltered N/W coast - it wasn’t, unable to return we had to spend 7 hours motor sailing right down the barren coast passing the Dingli cliffs on the way. We had to confidently explain to Lee and Jan that stopping the engine to refill the seawater filter was normal as was the wearing of lifejackets. Once the engine was stopped it was amazing how a calm took over as the speed dropped down to 2 knots as we gently rose up then back down the large waves the wind coming over the cliffs and down powering the small reefed genoa. Another time or longer trip it might have been nice to have raised the main but we still had to turn the corner into the winds and possible head seas also the less time we had to spend at sea the better and if things went pear shaped the next stop was Africa. After the turn the conditions were surprisingly ok and as we turned again for the final run to the harbour entrance our course took us north east right along the path of the moon beam - magical. Arriving at Marsaxlokk well past midnight threading through the moored fishing fleet we did apologise for our lack of judgement but it all added to the experience and the other alterative of going into Mgarr harbour banging around as we had seen the other yachts doing would not have been fun, it also meant we had sailed circumnavigating both the islands and the other island Comino we had done on foot.
Our friend Giovanni introduced us to a boatyard nearby just up from St Thomas bay and we agreed to stay the winter the only problem we would have to take down the mast to enable us to be trailered the 2km along the main road up from the bay. Well we planned every detail for over a week then one morning tied to the small breakwater and slowly went through the procedure but in the space of a crazy 20 seconds everything went wrong a rope snagged as the mast was partly lowered then the wake of a passing fishing boat sent Sundowner rocking, a shroud pin parted and the whole lot came crashing down the top landing on the breakwater. We were so lucky with only minimal damage caused but our pride and confidence were smashed to bits.
Oct 9th 2008.
Bobbing up and down on the mooring buoy boat bound for at least another day when the swell from the easterly wind blowing directly into the harbour may settle down it’ll be a time for reflection after what now seems a long year or two especially after yesterdays calamities.
Jan 28th 2009.


After one aborted attempt we eventually were trailered up from St Thomas’s bay the 2 km to the boat yard,

which is in fact part of a working farm and we can still see the sea from the deck with our morning cuppa.

It is so good to be amongst such practical and resourceful people; since we arrived in Malta we’ve met nothing but friendship and helpfulness to a humbling degree we were even offered a harbour side large house to use for free but with so much work planned on Sundowner it was easier to live onboard with electric supplied also a shower and toilet close by all at a fraction of the costly marinas. Malta also has a passion for football especially United who would have guessed? Ha ha.