Gulet anchored off the Straits for lunch |
The narrow
straits, full of eddies and whirlpools, do set up an unusual current – one
minute it was with us and the next against.
(Check the unusual tide chart of the area). We easily crossed the shipping lanes,
fortunately deserted on a Sunday, to hug the east coast or Italy’s big
toe. It was an exhilarating ride,
especially dodging those big car ferries connecting Sicily to the
mainland. One sight that added a further
sense of fantasy to the “Straits experience” was the strange swordfish fishing
boats. We saw two, remarkably dexterous,
darting around what remains of Charybdis (that whirlpool!). These boats are controlled from a high tower
where the driver sits to spot fish. A
crewman stands on a very long bowsprit (sometimes longer than the boat itself)
with a harpoon. One can’t help but
wonder what Ulysses would have made of them.
Sadly, the Cap’n refused to cross back over the shipping lanes and
bastardi (no, tidal eddies not the Cap’n!) for a decent photo…...
Swordfishing boat |
And so it
was, we floated in relatively calm waters for three days and two nights. Once out of Italy’s land mass we did pick up
a decent breeze that lasted through both nights – more or less. As luck would have it, we had the Tyrrhenian
Sea to ourselves with only a little passing traffic, mostly in the
distance.
Bastardi in action - on a good day! |
We were ever so pleased to finally make our port of entry, Pylos, in the sheltered natural harbour of Navarino Bay.
From:
Isole Vulcano, Italy Lat/Long: 38:24.897N 14:56.739E Date/Time: 21/07/13: 0730
To:
Pylos, Greece Lat/Long:
36:55.324N 21:42.073E Date/Time:
23/07/13: 1500Time Taken: 357nm (55.5hrs) Distance (this year): 1777nm (283hrs)
Distance Total (since 2008): 12602nm Weather: NW 10-12kts avg;
Fastest Speed: 7.5kts; few clouds at night and hazy during day; full moon
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