Season`s End

Jack Tar`s crew are now at home in Noosa. After several weeks in Siracusa in Sicily, which we loved, we had a lovely sail across the strait to the Maltese island of Gozo and spent a few days in the marina at Mgarr. Then on to Valletta, the capital of the main island, Malta. There we berthed at the marina at Manoel Island in Marsamxett Harbour and completed preparations for leaving the yacht for the winter. On lifting the yacht from the water we confirmed our suspicions that the bottom was completely fouled with growth indicating a failure of the Hempel paint applied by the boatyard in Greece less than six months earlier. Now it is time to think about plans for 2011, and our return to Malta about mid April. We wish you all a happy festive season and fair winds and following seas for the new year.

Cathedral, old town Siracus

Roman theatre, Siracusa

Greek theatre, Siracusa, with the harbour in the distance

Lunch aboard, Siracusa

Siracusa market

Siracusa

Piazza, Siracusa

Berthed at town quay, Siracusa

Approaching Gozo

View from berth, Mgarr marina, Gozo

Mgarr marina berth

Gozo countryside

Temple predating pyramids by 500 years

Mgarr harbour

Mgarr church scene

Entering Marsamxett Harbour

View from Manoel Is berth

Valletta

Valletta

Grand Harbour Valletta

Grand Harbour

Commencing the lift

A nervous time

Safer, but still nervous

Growth on the hull!

On the hardstand

Ciao

This post comes to you from Siracusa in Sicily. Since last posting we have covered a lot of ground, seen wonderful things and places, had a few adventures in the weather, such as 35 kts on the nose, and had just a great time. From Brindisi we sailed around the foot of italy and north through the Strait of Messina to the Aeolian islands in the shadow of Stromboli, before a long hop further north to the spectacular island of Ponza south of Rome and west of Napoli. From there we island hopped to Napoli where Jools ans Al joined, and then south again along the coast and across to Sicily and via beautiful Taormina to Siracusa. When in Otranto, on the heel, we managed to tangle our transom gantry on the rig of an adjacent yacht when leaving the berth and so it now is somewhat misshapen. Most of the damage was to the Skippers pride. Dobie and Carolyn are now with us for a few days before we head off to Malta where we plan to leave the boat for the winter.

Brindisi, the steps at the end of the Appian Way

Brindisi

Gallipoli on the inside of the heel

Lipari island near Stromboli

Ponza where we were windbound for a while

Ponza fishing boats

Ventotene old harbour which the Romans carved from the rock

The fortress above our anchorage at Ischia island

Vesuvius from the marina near Napoli

Our marina at Sorrento

Marina at Capri at Eu 200 a night

Amalfi harbour

Our berth at Amalfi

Positano by bus from Amalfi Maratea

Tropea

Greek theatre at Taormina

Castelmola above Taormina

Taormina

Approaching the berth in Siracusa

Ventotene again

Ventotene

Return to Italy

A brief post from Brindisi on the heel of Italy. Our route from Zadar took us to Skradin in the Krka national park up a narrow estuary past the town of Sibinek and a series of waterfalls. Very pretty. Then to Privic, a small island where the locals played dangerous games with the departing ferry. Next saw the islands of Vis and Lastovo before a long crossing in a great breeze to Italy. We arrived at Barletta but were kicked out by the Guardia Costieri as it was a commercial port. This proved a bonus as Trani, the next port close by was a delight. Then on to Bari where Michael departed and Monopoli where we were entertained by a seafood festival.


Sibinek

krka falls

Krka

Privic

Privic

Vis

Sundowners at Vis

Trani

Trani

Berth in the old port Bari

Momopoli

Monopoli

Monopoli

Monopoli