After a late and big breakfast a little maths in the morning as well as plenty of reading was our contribution to school today. We seem to have got into a rather unhealthy habit of having sweets with maths. Initially this was mini smarties to use as counters as Esmé loves using manipulatives. Next AJ said he should have some too but preferred Haribo which are much bigger so we needed some comparison of size and negotiation on how many questions needed to be completed to earn a sweet. Then somehow today the Haribo became manipulatives as AJ made greater than and less than equations out of them despite his current topic being Mass and Volume! Learning really is everywhere!Next up was showers for all and then filling up the water tanks, having a large late lunch and generally getting the boat ready for our overnight passage to get us to the Messina Straits ready for a morning passage through them. Deciding on a setting off time was a bit tricky as really we could have left at about 7pm and still made it in time to catch the north going tide (yes, there is SOME tide in the Mediterranean) however the Marina check out time was supposed to be 2pm and although they were being quite laid back about us delaying our departure a little while we didn't want to push our luck too much. In addition to this we needed to fuel up and so we had agreed to meet the guy on the fuel dock at 4pm.
The fuel was an eye watering 1.69 Euros but we topped up the tanks regardless as we always like to have full tanks before a big trip. By 4:30pm we were motoring out of the marina into a waveless sea although there was some light swell that caused us to rock and roll. Sometimes I think back to when we bought Laurin and saw a video of her sailing... she was rocking and rolling then and I wonder if perhaps we should have taken more notice and bought a different boat, particularly as I am prone to seasickness (although it is largely under control now). But then I think of how her layout down below has meant that we could do this liveaboard life on a boat that is under 10m. Being under 10m was something that was important to us as we wanted to keep costs low, and also to have a boat that we thought the kids could contribute to the sailing on too! The loads on our lines are relatively light in comparison to many of our friends boats and so our kids can do most jobs (on the odd occasion that they are so inclined)!
We fully expected to be motoring all the way and this was absolutely the case, but because of this we were making good time in the flat calm and very quickly we realised we were going to be early and punching tide going up towards the Straits. We are respectful of the Messina Straits and would rather motor the whole way in flat calm rather than risk a wind over tide situation in that narrow gap so in reality punching the tide was not a big problem as the sea state would still be calm. It was a peaceful night where we carefully planned our watches around both being rested and awake for when we approached the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS).
Friday 17th August 2018
Messina is quite busy and you need to radio Messina TTS to ask permission to enter, and then again if you want to cross. After dodging a few ferries and remembering the weirdness of AIS showing the train ferry going backwards across the straits (the ferry travels in either direction) we were approaching the "roundabout" where we would cross the shipping lanes. I radioed the TSS and asked permission to cross, also letting them know that Wildest Dreams were with us as they don't have an AIS transmitter. We were given permission but asked to keep an eye out for the cargo ship travelling north to south so we began the crossing with Wildest Dreams hot on our heels. I had a bit of a nervous moment monitoring the cargo ship's progress as the AIS wouldn't give an accurate CPA (closest point of approach) due to a bend in the shipping lane just before it would reach us. Patrick was much more laid back and although in these situations I know he has a much better positional awareness which I take some comfort in, I also need to be happy that we won't be run down!
Once we were on the Sicilian side of the Straits Patrick went back below to get some more sleep whilst Esmé and I dodged and marvelled at the Sword fishing boats. These are amazing contraptions where the captain steers the boat from the top of a mast whilst a guy on a stupendously long bowsprit (up to 15m long.... longer even than the boat) waits to harpoon unsuspecting swordfish sleeping on the surface of the water.
Very soon we were approaching the end of the Straits, watching our speed do crazy things and the water bubbling and swirling before we turned to port and headed for Milazzo. At this point we actually managed to sail for an hour or so and were really looking forward to anchoring up, having a swim and generally relaxing. Unfortunately it wasn't to be. By this time Wildest Dreams were ahead of us and as we approached Milazzo they radioed us to ask advice about alternative anchorages as they had tried a number of times and dragged. We looked at an anchorage a mile north of Milazzo but that looked too small and deep.... ok for a lunchtime swim but no good for overnight. Patrick's suggestion of trying south of the harbour entrance was met with objections due to swell from the many incoming ferries, including the very fast Hydrofoil. Perhaps we should have actually gone and tried it but in my tired state, and wanting to get somewhere before nightfall I suggested to go the extra 20 miles to Vulcano where we were planning on going the next day anyway. By this time it was 1pm and our ETA at the anchorage in the north east of Vulcano was 5pm, later than I would have liked to get to a potentially crowded anchorage.... Patrick and I were both feeling uneasy but unsure of a better option.
As we motored up there (there was now wind, but bang on the nose) we became aware of the vast amounts of boats out there, from tiny ribs, to yachts, tripper boats, large motor yachts and the super fast Hydrofoil. Not only did this mean that I really had to have my wits about me with regards to keeping watch, but also we became even more concerned about if we would find space to anchor. I had already discounted the 2 bays on the south of Vulcano due to Cruising Association reports that they were only really suitable for lunchtime stops due to being exposed and having lots of swell. As we passed these Patrick was horrified to see them absolutely packed and it was with trepidation that we approached our chosen anchorage. By this time tempers were getting frayed as we tried desperately to find somewhere we could drop the hook, already accepting that boats were so close together that we would be having another sleepless night where one of us would be on anchor watch at all times. In the end it was just too busy. Absolutely nowhere to go. In desperation Wildest Dreams tried round the corner (which was much too deep) and I messaged our good friends on Soledad who I knew had cruised this area earlier in the month, asking for suggestions. Luckily Maria replied quickly that there was an anchorage on the north east coast of Lipari that was big and beautiful. It was another hour or so away.... on we went!
As we approached we could see a field of masts in this anchorage too and we tried a place closer to the town but ruled it out as we'd be blown onto rocks if the wind changed. On to the field of masts we did find good holding in sand in 3 to 5 metres of water. Would have been perfect if not for the incessant pitching and rolling caused by swell from the many ferries, speed boats and tripper boats. It was uncomfortable to do much other than sleep but at least it was a place to stop.... the view wasn't to shabby either as we looked across at Stromboli with it's plume of smoke indicating that this volcano isn't quite sleeping!
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