5th and 6th April - Cagliari (Sardinia) to Palermo (Sicily)

Posted at 1:11 PM, Thursday, April 6, 2006

Sardinia to Sicily

We awoke late in Cagliari to an overcast sky and some gusting breeze from the SE.  Not the wind direction we want as that’s the direction we wish to take!

The same breeze built as we just tied up to take on fuel in the inner harbour and it effectively pinned us against the jetty and delayed our ultimate departure to 1100.

If any else stop sin Cagliari – be aware only one fuel jetty services leisure boats and accordingly has pump nozzles small enough to use.  Ii is on the port hand side when going up harbour in the Nuovo Bacino di Ponente.  Cost 240 EU for 180 litres.

We motor sailed for the first 25 miles to clear the bay and after a further period with no wind, we saw it building again from the SW – perfect to help us along our 90 degree course to the top end of Sicily some 200 miles away.

By mid afternoon Sardinia was disappearing behind us and the breeze had strengthened to 20 knots.  Swagman swept along on a tight reach and by nightfall with gusts reaching 25 knots and a sizeable swell, we decided to reduce sail area and tucked in a first reef.

Absolutely brillaint sail.  Big seas foaming and breaking from behnid, boat topping 10 knots but just powering along.  Lots of bright phosphorescent jeelys pouring out behing our wake and also lighting up in the breaking wave tops.  Spary like machine gun bullets on deck and spray hood.  Super. 

In the early hours of the next day we put in the second reef and rolled in some headsail as gusts frequently hit the high twenties.  A great night sail but not the best for sleeping as we rocked and crashed along  – but we did maintain speeds of 8 to 9.5 knots and gobbled up the miles.

The stronger winds were still blowing as we overlapped the western most tip of Sicily – still 30 miles south of us – at dawn.  The first weather forecast receipted gave us a gale warning and influenced us to angle further south and close the coast at Palermo.  We were unsure if the gale they referred to was the weather we lived with last night – but it seemed sensible not to take the risk.  If the gale was to come in from the NE as they predicted, Palermo made a good bolt hole.

The second forecast we got at 0930 had been moderated to strong wind / thunderstorms of F6, but we continued to close the coast as the newly predicted wind direction was from the SW.  Our choices on closing Palermo are now to either go in if it is too bad, or reach along the northern coastline taking some protection from the land.

I’m typing this with us some 25 miles off Palermo and will upload when closer in.  The wind is still 23 knots and we’ve shaken out the first reef – and are still making 8.5 knots boat speed.

Now in sight of the coast and secured internet conection.  The third forecast is now saying the gale is still on, but now coming from the NW.  Do wish they’d make up their minds.  The breeze has freshened again, now 25 knots from the west – so they may have it right.

So we’ve now elected to go into Palermo – now 10 miles off our nose – and have a run ashore and a long nights (unrocking) sleep.  We’ll possibly day sail tomorrow if the weather permits, the 100 miles along the north coast to the head of the Massina Straights (remember Gun of Naverone anyone?) where we’ll stop again so we can transit the straights in daylight hours – hopefully Saturday.

Cheers

John