Malta Bound

We left Chania on the Saturday as I wanted to get a jump start into the leg and get back out to at least the far North west point of Crete and stop there overnight before starting the leg proper. There was a window of northerlies coming and we needed to be in that window because just after the weather was predicted to get up and the wind get pretty strong so we needed to be in Malta by Wednesday night.

The other thing to consider was the fuel situation, where we only had around 55 hrs of motoring in a Full tank and this had to be stretched out over the predicted three to four day journey.

We beat up the coast and found it hard going and then found that the only anchorage up the top of the North West end was full and we had to make for Gramvousa which was totally on the nose so the engine had to be started to get us there by dark. We made it in there just on dark and anchored there for what was a restless night as there was a swell rolling in and the boat was side on to it.

The next day we were off west bound and got the Gennaker up and looking good.

But the predicted Northerly never came and the wind dropped right off. The motor was run again as we did have to keep making progress with the coming weather in mind. It was to be a balancing act, keeping the boat going at a steady rate but bearing in mind the use of Fuel as well.

The closer we got to Malta, the more the wind was on the nose and we were playing the shifts when they were there.

10 miles out and there was a wall of Commercial Ships at anchor to contend with, not all of them showing up on the AIS.

Once through them and making for the entrance to Msida marina it was getting onto what I thought was 5.30 am, timed just right for the sun coming up. But there was no sign of the Sun and it was still dark. It was about then that I realized we had gone through a Time zone getting here and it was still only 4.30 am, so had to slow the boat up even more. Time taken for the trip was 69 hrs.

Just outside the Marina were some moorings so we grabbed one of those and tried to get a couple of hours sleep.

We glided into the Marina, trying to get hold of someone on the VHF, but once again no answer. So I started down one of the alleys to find a berth and low and behold the Marina attendants showed up and showed us to a Berth. There was a bit of a breeze by now but we managed to get in the tight position of the berth they had given us. Once tied up and settled, we were then told that we had to move as the berth we were on was booked and we had to go to another berth, yet another example of great organization!

We went on the Topless double decker bus around the island which was a great day out and a good way to see the Island and its Historical buildings.

                                                            Malta Fishing Village

                                                                    Maltese Falcon

 It was hot as buggery by the time we got back so it was off to the Air-conditioned Royal Malta Yacht Club for a beer or two.

                                          

The next day after fueling up, the decision was made to keep moving and it was up to the Blue Lagoon for the day. Finding a place to anchor a 13.5 meter Yacht around there wasn’t easy as every man and his dog along with what ever means of taking to the water was there, it was party Central. We ended up anchored in Blue Lagoon itself, in an area that I didn’t find out till the next day, was reserved for the Commercial Boats and about 10pm, we heard it before we saw it, a large one came around the corner and into the bay and picked up a mooring right beside us.

The Music was pumping and there were people jumping into the water swimming. Some swam over to us to say Gidday and they were great, all Italian teenagers having a ball.

The next morning, after clearing out through Customs at the Gozo Island Marina, we headed back to the mayhem at the Blue lagoon. But by now it was crazy with all manner of Sea going objects flying about and trying to squeeze in to the area. We had a quick swim trying to avoid the Jellyfish that were around and it was out of there as the wash from all the mayhem was unbelievable.

We squeezed in to one of the neighbouring bays and spent the day relaxing getting ready for the sail up to Sicily in the next morning.

Sicily

It was off to Sicily and at first the wind was looking favourable and the gennaker was up and flying. Then the wind dropped and it was on the nose (again!) The wind built through the day to the point we had the Main and Genoa reefed at 26 knts.

It took 6.5 hrs to get there and the boat topped out at 12.2 knts-the fastest yet!:) When we arrived at Porto Palo, there was little shelter from the wind so we headed for Marzamemi instead. This is a small town with what seemed like nothing happening at all. There seemed to be nothing open, was it a Desert Town? It came to us that it was Siesta Time, something that is still taken quite seriously in this part of Italy. The place was dead from 1.30-5 pm. Something that still amuses me as to this time old tradition and how it still prevails nowadays.

The next day it was up to Siracusa, where we anchored in the Grand Harbour. I got the service on the engine done which was a challenge as no-one spoke English. There were a lot of hand signals going on and it looked a bit like Charades but we got there in the end and the Siracusa Tech did a great job.

We met two other Kiwi couples  here in the Bay, both had flown up the same time as us to Croatia and had bought second hand Beneteaus  to take back to NZ. 
One couple were James Barclay and partner Karen Campbell from Auckland and the other couple were Kerry and Jan Mair who actually designed and built our Manson Supreme Anchor we have on board. Kerry and Jan had done numerous trips around the world in their boat, including one down to Antarica and they had a wealth of knowledge.

 It was great to catch up with some fellow Kiwis and we had some good nights discussing all the problems in the world (Haha) over a few drinks.

After three days in Siracusa, it was off to Catania, where we were picking up our daughter Sharna. She had just been on a 45 day Contiki of Europe and she was dead on her feet when we met her t the Airport. She is now going through Detox and rehab with Mum and Dad!

Going up through the Massina Entance/channel, it gets pretty hairy with the wind funneling down through here and we had several reefs in before we got into Reggio Marina just before the Massina Entance.

We were barely in port more than 10 minutes and there was a guy introducing himself to us. It was Saverio, who is famous in Yachting Books for being the local  Taxi driver, sometime Ormeggiatori, fixer and supplier of Liquid victuals and morning Croissants. He had us in his taxi and round to his house before we knew what was happening. There was a beer chucked into my hand and a Wine for Shelly. We were told to sit down and relax and then he started bringing out the samples of Food and Beverages, from Home made Cheeses and Meats to Wines and Beers.

After a bit of well humoured haggling we were off back to the Marina, but not before he called into one of the local Pizzeria outlets to drop off some wine. He came back out with a Free Pizza for us. This whole time he has a cigarette in his mouth while talking/driving/singing and passing insults to other Motorists!

                                                           Shopping off Saverio!

                                                          What a character J

The next morning we motored through the Entrance as there was no wind. I would say it wouldn’t be a nice place to come through when the wind was up as the water fair rips through the barely 1 mile wide entrance and the currents are huge and the water was disturbed even without wind.

We saw one of the Sword Fishing boats that work the area. They have amazingly tall Crows nests for getting up and viewing the Fish, and the Skipper steers the boat from up there. An electric winch gets him up and down.

The  Bow spirit that would be 50 ft long so that the harpoonist can get out and over the top of the sleeping Swordfish. Apparently they sleep on top of the water while migrating through this area.

After clearing Messiana, we made for Vulcano, one of the Island off the north coast of Sicily. It is an active Volcano and there is steam coming form her all the time. People flock here to bathe in the Mud pools. It smelt like Rotorua. We spent the night here and explored the Island before heading over to Lipari where a lot of the Big boats hang out. Lovely little town with great restaurants.

                                                                    Vulcano Island

                                                                   The Mud pools

We are heading back to Cefaro now and will work our way along the coast of Sicily before heading up to Sardinia, which will be another overnight sail. Here’s hoping the wind comes to the party!

Mooring Mediterranean Style

One of the things that first struck me with a challenge when we got up here in the Med was the way they park the boats in at marinas and onto Quays.

Unlike NZ, they look to jam as many boats into an area as possible and so there are no fingers such as NZ to glide into and tie up along side.

It takes a bit of practice and especially in a cross wind, and to top it off and make it harder for myself, (and Shelly!) I opted not to have a Bow thruster on the boat. A 13.5 meter boat that’s 1.5 meters high out of the water tends to attract a bit of wind and you get one chance at it.

The first sequence of events once approaching the Marina is to try and raise someone on the VHF, which I am beginning to realize they have some sort of affliction to. Probably 80 % of the time, no one has answered for various reasons from-“the Office isn’t open, its siesta time” to “My Brothers got my hand held and he’s coming back later sometime”

Anyway, once the boat is prepared,  you usually motor in to a Marina and either someone from the marina staff or an obliging Boatie that’s already in there will help you with the berthage, hopefully.

Once you have found the gap you have to back your 4.38 meter wide boat into, which is usually smaller than the boat, you have to verify where the wind is coming from and decide which way to attack it.

There are mainly two styles of Moorings-Anchors out or Front Mooring lines that you have to pick up.

The first one is a matter of dropping your anchor, roughly four times the length of your boat DIRECTLY out from your berthage and paying this out while reversing back to the dock and rear lines attached to the boat .

I emphasize directly as you see boats coming in at all sorts of angles and laying their anchors over the top of others resulting in a bloody headache when you go to leave. This is something you have to watch when you are sitting in a Mooring and a new boat arrives to go next to you, sometimes it pays to get up the front and indicate to them where your anchor is.

The second, and most common I have found so far is the Front mooring line format.

You have to have your boat ready, that means rear safety lines down, rear mooring lines on the cleats and ready to chuck ashore and someone, in our case, poor old Shelly ready with the boat hook to pick up the Front lines. They are usually covered in Mud, Barnacles or a bloody Mussel farm attached, so gloves are a must!

These front mooring lines are attached to a large mooring in the water out in front of the Berthage with lines trailing back to the Jetty.

Once you have backed into the gap and stopped just prior to the Jetty, trying not to demolish the neighbouring boats on the way in, The windward front line(always the windward, made that mistake once)  from the Jetty has to be picked up and carried hand over hand to the front of the boat, whilst pulling all the slack out of the line to get the front line to the Mooring tight to the front Cleat on the boat. This isn’t always easy when you have another boat sitting 3 thousands of an inch beside you with fenders to contend with as well.

This has to be done pretty quick so the wind doesn’t grab the front of the boat and start pushing the front down wind. So you have to contend with a heavy slimy line covered in Barnacles, the wind and a Skipper yelling at you to hurry up while he is at the helm struggling with the rear lines and chatting to the person ashore. Meanwhile the front of the boat is sailing off because the Skipper didn’t want a Bow Thruster!

Anyone feeling sorry for Shelly yet?

Note: these lines are some of the cleanest we have come across!

                                 Front Mooring Lines attached with trailing line back to the Dock

 At the stern of the boat, the Rear lines have to be thrown ashore once you have established a desired gap way from the dock. A lot of boats, especially charter boats have big fenders over the stern as well as they just keep going until the dock stops them!

The rear lines, once again windward one first, are looped through the Dock ring and passed back to the person on the back of the boat and these have to be tied off on both rear points. Once you have your Windward line attached, it pays to motor forward and helm to wind. This helps hold the Bow into the wind while the Bowlines are being attached. The Stern Lee Line can now be attached.

                 Permanents have 'shock absorbers' on their rear lines for Ferry Wash etc

You always have to have a certain gap between the stern and the dock and this depends on the length of your Boarding plank or ‘Passerelle’

          Your gang plank should have wheels fitted to help ride the moving boat

It takes a bit of practice, and Thank God we have Fenders as I’ve made them work for their money believe me. We got 6 with the boat and were advised to get another 2 so we had 4 aside, sometimes you could do with 24!

But we have managed to get through so far with out any Insurance claims so must be doing something half right .

But it's something that has to be taken into consideration when cruising the Med and also making sure you have enough Beer in the Fridge after you are in, as you’ll feel like you’ve earnt it by then, especially when its just yourself and the Wife on board.

…At this stage I express my gratitude to my ever suffering wife who has to handle the front lines, considering she’s had no experience with berthing boats any where let alone up here. She’s had to learn fast.

Any way, Cheers!

The Journey so far

As of today, this is the route/journey we have taken since leaving Split in Croatia 7th May this year, just on 1500 miles under the boat and a heck of a lot more to come