SV Ostinato: Slips for €1750 a night

June 23 we stayed more than a week in Crotone waiting for winds that would carry us south and then north west through the Messina Straits. There was lots of company, including a few from Marina di Ragusa, which resulted in a memorable birthday celebration! The crews from Dakini and Ostinato walked to pick up the crew of Tetamanu in the yard where it was undergoing a new paint job. I had cleaned up for the occasion. Out of my usual garb of sun protection pants and long sleeve shirts. I found a silk sleeveless blouse and my dress up pants hiding in the closet, added some earrings and chucked the usual Tevas for some sweet little sandals that hadn't seen the light of day in a couple of years. It was my birthday so why not?! We walked about halfway before the "sweet little sandals" disintegrated. First the right one, immediately followed by the left. Dear Helen took charge and left the boys to babysit me while she went on to the Tetamanu in search of its crew and shoes. She successfully returned with both and we were on our way. For such a rocky start, the rest of the evening was perfect. Our reservations were at a tiny 7 table restaurant where we were the first to arrive and close to the last to leave. All except King and Marcel ordered the tapas plates which delivered wave after wave of small plates brimming with tastes from the kitchen that kept coming long after any of us had room for more.....but, of course, that didn't stop us. Somehow, we were even talked into dessert. After dinner, the party relocated a few feet out the door to an open air bar to listen to a band, drink a little prosecco and dance with my "best buddy" in my borrowed shoes. A perfect night. Thank you Helen, Marcel, Jessica, Roy and King for wonderful birthday memories.

The tapas just kept coming

June 28 - At last, the day arrived that promised a tiny window of soft winds, if not winds from our needed direction and, after one last gellato (you never know when you will find another), we were off. A jump down the coast to Roccella and then, bright and early the following morning, we were off to Reggio Calabria, our last stop before heading through the Straits. The early morning winds were light as we motored down the coast but when we reached the SE end of Italy and turned NW it began to slowly build. By the time we reached Reggio Colabria the wind was blowing 20+ knots, on the nose. King pointed Ostinato into the marina hoping the breakwater would provide the much needed calm waters but found the little relief as the waves from the wind was replaced by the chop from ferries whizzing in and out of the port. Only one of the two marinas answered our call. It was, of course the one closest to the ferries. Between the chop and the wind we knew it would be dicey. The one marina staff on duty took our port stern line and pulled with everything he had as Ostinato was blown down the dock into a row of inflatable runabouts from Malta. Lazy lines became twisted leaving King and the poor dock hand with no relief until I was finally able to get the port bow secured. The marinaro finally got the line on the dock secured and the guys that had been lounging in the inflatables had at last begun pushing off and finally, I assume to protect his life and property, offered to come aboard to assist. And then...... all was calm. For this joy, they wanted €120 a night for the wide girl, however, King worked them down to €90. Sorry I was too busy to take pictures of the arrival. We will laugh about it in 20 years or so....and we were a bit sorry we couldn't stay longer. We learned after the fact the local museum holds the Raice Bronze statutes. Maybe on the way back......

June 30 - King timed our motor through the straits of Messina for tides and we soon realized that the trip up to

Anchored off the Island of Panarea

Reggio Calabria the day before had been the worst of it. There was little traffic and, while what wind there was continued on our nose, it was an easy transition. Once we popped out the other side, all previous plans for the day were scrapped and we headed WNW to the Aeolian Islands. Three quiet days were spent at anchor in isolated Panarea, with the volcano island of Stomboli Island sitting to our north. No wind, calm seas and clear blue water. Perfect. On the fourth day, we decided it was time for a change of scenery and cruised over to Vulcano where every charter boat in the Med seemed to appear each night about sundown.

Mud baths on Volcano

We joined Southern Cross
to celebrate July 4

Besides the crowded anchorage, there was a distinct smell of sulfur in the air. Phew! The source ....a mud bath just off the anchorage.....men and women standing ankle deep in the warm, odoriferous, dark chocolate mud covering themselves from head to toe, reportedly for therapeutic relief....No part of my body hurt enough to make me want to join them. The grocery was located and we loaded up on fresh fruits and veggies as we prepared to explore the other islands. However, boat plans are always fluid and these were changed quickly as Lee and Joe on Southern Cross sailed into Vulcano's anchorage. And then, of course, we couldn't leave the next day, Southern Cross is an American boat and it was the 4th of July! While no one could scare up any fireworks we celebrated in the American way with burgers and sides.

Entrepreneurs on the tiny isle of Volcano

Is that steam or clouds off the top of Stomboli?

The following morning we tore ourselves away, heading west toward Stromboli, known as the "lighthouse of the Mediterranean". I was ready to see a live volcano! King was not so excited but he humors me, so off we went. The anchor was put down off the north coast in 25 feet along with 50 other yachts of all shapes and sizes. Our plan was to depart at 0300, cruise over to the northwest side to see the lava bubbling and after we had ooood and ahaaaaed sufficiently, sail north to the just south of the Italian Amalfi coast. I had expected it would be a bit busy based on all of the yachts in the anchorage, but no.....we were the only silly people up at that hour. Not a breath of air so we motored to the tip of the NW corner of the island and then down to the SW tip ..... nada...not even a glow. The volcano apparently had the good sense not to get up that early. Disappointed, I reluctantly agreed that it was a bust and began wondering what I would need to do to repay King for the 0300 wake-up call. It was time to head north but just as we once again arrived at the NW tip of the island, I did a last glance up and WHOA a flash of red lava spewed skyward! Only once more did we see the lava shoot skyward before we were out of range but that was enough. All that excitement, while everyone else slept. No payback necessary! Right King? (No Sue) No pictures. You will just have to take my word for it......

We waited for nightfall in Stromboli to see the lava flow

caves dotted Capo Palinuro

Under a bright sun and little wind the day took us to Capo Palinuro where we anchored in Iscoletti, part of a National Park. Only a handful of yachts were anchored in the large bay making it a no drama event to locate a spot, in reasonable depths, for the night. The water was warm, the landscape breathtaking and the winds were quiet making this the perfect place stay for a bit to make plans for where we would pick up our next guests. Each day, someone would row by to wave and say "hello" to see if we were really from America. At last a plan was hatched for our next month of sailing. We would rendezvous with our guests in Salerno or Agropoli and, depending on weather at the time move up or down the Italian coast. We had plenty of time before their arrival so up the coast we would go to check it out.

Th anchorage in Iscoletti was our favorite of the summer

July 8 - Next stop: Acciaroli. Its busy in Italy in July so by the time we took on fuel, all the slips were taken. While we were looking forward to a night of air conditioning it was no problem, out to the anchorage.....a much better idea anyway. We joined a Scottish yacht in the anchorage that was coming from the north. After quick intros, it was agreed we would get together the next afternoon to exchange information on anchorages. At least that was the plan, until the Coasta Guardia came by the following morning and told us we could only anchor at night, not during the day......During the day we could go into the marina and tie up for free. I'm still a bit confused but that's what we did.... No marina staff around so Jean and Jim went in by dinghy to help with lazy lines and then we did the same for them when they arrived. This worked fine until about 1800 when the marina guys came around to collect the slip fee for the night. They confirmed that we could stay during the day for no charge but if we wanted to spend the night it would be €80........back to the anchorage both yachts went. We had so looked forward to air conditioning that night. Before we got kicked out of the anchorage again the next morning both Ostinato and Corrina Lynn were on their way; one heading north, the other south. Almost forgot to mention that Jim and Jean's home town in Scotland is a sister city to Lanark, Florida, only a few miles from our home. Such a small world.

Front row seats for the beach soccer game

First stop was only a few hours up the coast in Agropoli where we had hoped to find an anchorage that would enable us to spend a day visiting the ruins at Paestum. No anchorage was found that we would be comfortable leaving Ostinato alone for the day and it was high season making marina space a premium so it was on to Salerno, to where Jim and Jeab had anchored a few days before. As we came in, I noted a crowd of people sitting on bleachers just off the beach. Taking a peak through the binoculars told me people were packed in tight waiting for whatever was to come. Oh please don't be a rock concert. No problems with music its just that they tend to go on till 4 a.m.! No rock concert. A soccer game......on the beach? Yes! The best part was between games the crowd was entertained with a "mine sniffing dog". We sat on the sugar scoops with wine and cheese and I, with my binoculars, gave a blow by blow (pun intended) of the dog's display of talents. We were close enough to hear the announcer give introductions and an on going commentary on what was happening. We understood nothing but every few minutes we would hear him exclaim "I don't know!" in English. Yes, we are easily entertained.

Salermo looked much prettier at night

There were anchorages to the north to explore so up came the anchor and we headed NW in light winds up the beautiful Almafi coastline. Picture steep mountains with roads hanging off the edges daring anyone to drive too fast and tiny storybook villages dotting the coast line. Mega yachts were the word of the day. For a lark, King checked with a marina in Capri to see if room was available for the Ostinato. The response was "maybe" check with us when you arrive. The price? A mere €1750 for the night! No....you didn't hear that wrong. We skimmed past Capri on to an anchorage in Miseno just west of Naples.....with a view of Capri that was just fine.

July 13 - The grib files were beginning to turn from light greens to smatterings of red and yellow indicating it was time to snuggle up to a dock. It just so happened that a marina in the cove we had been hanging out in was perfect. We could even see a big hole beside another catamaran where we would fit! King made the trip in by dinghy and closed the deal for 3 nights. Several dock hands were waiting for our arrival. As I attempted to hand one of them a line I had prepared they shook thei

Marina Piccola

r heads no, and jumped from the dock onto our sugar scoop. He gently moved me out of the way so they could commence with tying Ostinato securely to the dock. It was over in a flash! There I stood in my heavy gloves, used to handle the big muddy mooring lines, without a drop of mud on me anywhere! I could get use to this. We were plugged in and closed up with the air conditioner on before you could say "Bob's your uncle". Welcome to Nautica Marina Piccola! We used our time here to catch up on laundry and attempt to clean up a bit in preparation for company. I hate to say it but without the air conditioning, I was ready just to be embarrassed......A small area in the "storage room" was set free to be used for luggage and the head was dutifully cleaned. If space in their luggage allows, our next guests will bring in a part that will allow King to make the guest head electric! I know everyone that has used the head from hell will be saying "yippee" to hear that news. This is their 2nd visit so there is incentive to find luggage space.

After all our chores were completed, we decided it was time to visit Capri. Since the marina's were a bit steep, they ferry sounded like a good alternative and Naples was just a short bus/train ride away. Off we went with water, snacks, and umbrellas, ready for a day of chumming with the rich and famous. We purchased our bus ticket at the Tobacci store and arrived at the stop to a waiting bus. "Yes" the driver could take us to the train for Napoli. It was apparently his break so we sat and chatted for a bit. He has a sister is in Tampa, son's in PA and Virginia. He will be going to his son's wedding in Sept. in Manassa, VA where the son owns Tony's Pizzeria. This was all done with pantomime and Google Translate since his English was as bad as our Italian. When we go up the U.S. east coast in a couple of years we will definitely go to Tony's Pizzeria for a slice. Finally, it was time to go. The driver called King up before our stop to make sure he understood how to get to the
train station. Lovely.....I think the bus drivers in Malta need to come to Italy for retraining. The train was also sitting awaiting our arrival. Perfect day! Or so it seemed, until we arrived at the end of the line and found the heavens had opened pouring down buckets of rain that left rivers running in the stone streets ankle deep. We had 30 minutes to reach the ferry. Off we flew, wading through
puddles, dogging cars and motorcycles, and occasionally finding refuge under a awning for a few minutes respite while King checked directions. The heat of the morning quickly changed to a chill as our shoes and pants soaked up the rain. WAIT! This was not fun! Did I really want to tramp around Capri all day in the rain. King said it was my decision but never make it there if we didn't go now and I said "Nope". So, we found a little cafe, ordered cappuccinos and a pastry (the world always looks better with a sweet roll) and re-planned the day. A little lunch (yes, I know we were just eating sweet rolls but it was almost lunch time), a museum, maybe a fort, veggie stall shopping and then back to Ostinato......and that's exactly what we did....with a wedding added for good measure.

The ceilings in the Certosa....spectacular!

We found a church to tour to give us time to dry off out of the rain. A wedding was being prepared so.....we stayed to watch the bride walk down the aisle. We weren't invited to the reception so lunch was next on the agenda. A small restaurant was found down an alley near the church. Its handwritten menu for the day was scribbled on a paper pinned to the wall. The owner came to take our order as we stood trying to make out the offerings and once he realized we were Americanos he read us the menu, doing his best to give us an idea of the offerings. Lots of pasta and potatoes. Large plates of wonderful comfort food and a carafe of wine poured from a 5 gallon jug warmed us up and gave us time to dry out a bit more....all for €13. And then, the sun

The balcony was so small
you had to climb over the table

came out. Off to St. Elmos Castle and a walk around the museum the Certosa (Charterhouse) next door. On the way home, the train came alive with a guitarist and tambourine player. Even King dug into his pockets to give the guys a tip. The transfer from the train back to the bus became a bit dicey but people stepped up to help us out each step, walking us to the bus stop, assuring us we were on the right bus and making sure we got off became a bus wide affair. Even a final sprint to a 2nd bus to carry us the final block was managed by a fellow passenger as he ran for the bus and kept motioning for us to follow. Too late to cook! King treated to a gourmet dinner where we sat on the balcony sipping wine and recounting our adventures of the day.

This would be as close as we would get to the Isle of Capri today.....

All public transportation should have entertainment!

The snacks & drinks concession
on Isloa di Procida

July 17 - Ostinato headed southwest to Isloa di Procida which is part of the Flegree Islands in the Gulf of Naples. We anchored in Neptune's Kingdom Marine Reserve, one of the many regulated park areas along Italy's coast. Loved the name. This was the farthest north we would travel this season. We pictured a beautiful cove with a few other cruisers swinging on their anchor......what we got was a gazillion power boats and jet skis, loud music and huge wakes. It was like Memorial Day at Dog Island on steroids. There was even a boat parade. It was Sunday! Every boater in Naples was out in force. By 6 pm all the little boats had vanished but it took another 2 hours for the chop on the water to calm down.

Every powerboat in Naples joined us in Isloa di Procida ........with their boom boxes

Tight quarters in the anchorage in Capri

Since we didn't make the Isle of Capri by Ferry, King was bound and determined to get me there so we sailed south to Italy's most famous island where we anchored near Isola Faraglioni on the SE corner in 45 feet. A bit deep for us but the anchor dug in well. While it was a lovely anchorage with large rocks jutting skyward, the only way ashore was to tie the dinghy up to a very questionable ladder, hike over rocks, vertically up the hillside until you reached a paved path and then climb another 500 feet to the top. The return trip would be in the dark. I decided I really didn't want to go that badly. After hauling anchor the next morning, we headed to the north side to see how close we could get to the Blue Lagoon. Unfortunately, the fumes from the ferries and tour boats was so overwhelming, we decided "enough". Time to go south.....to the stunning Amalfi coast where we anchored in a small cove just past the marina in 15 feet of clear royal blue water. It was pizza night! A stroll around town and dinner in one of the prettiest spots in the Med - pizza in an outdoor restaurant on the square followed by gelato. Perfect. We returned to Ostinato to find we had been joined by two mega yachts. Nice company.

Dinner on Amalfi

The Amalfi coast in all its splendor

After dinner, we finally settled on the itinerary for Kate and Jay's visit. Not a day too soon since they would arrive in 2 days! While the north has all the well known cities and sites, the southern part of Italy has been the easy cruising and the beautiful anchorages. That's what we want to share.....weather permitting.

Paestum, an often overlooked site was well worth the visit

July 20-25 We skipped Salerno on the way south and headed directly for Agropoli. This time we had a reservation. Our arrival was a day early so we could visit Paestum, a somewhat off the beaten track Greek city founded in the 6th century BC! Its always an adventure using the bus system in a new city and Agropoli was no different. We walked through the city to where our scary GPS, Gladys, insisted was the location of the closest bus stop. A bus finally appeared but wouldn't let us on without a ticket. Where to buy a ticket...."The bar" said the driver, pointing off to the road we had just walked. Neither of us recalled seeing a bar but off we tramped.
Inquiries were made along the way. No one knew where to purchase bus tickets close by......Back we went. Gladys gave more directions....we followed like lemmings finally locating a Tobacci store to purchase our ticket and get new directions to another stop. We both were in desperate need of showers by this point but "oh well". The ruins were more spectacular than we had even hoped with 3 huge doric temples dedicated to Athene, Apollo and Neptune. The site was big and included a nice museum..... where we found Kate and Jay strolling around..... in the air conditioning. no way we could of planned that if we had tried.

Aaaaaah

The next morning we loaded on suitcases, filled water tanks, picked up fresh bread, reluctantly killed the air conditioner and cast off. No wind but beautiful, clear skies and short jumps. The first night was spent in Acciaroli (at the dock this time). King installed the electric head in the cool air conditioning while Kate, Jay and I explored the shops. This was followed by 2 beautiful nights in the Cilento and Diano Valley National Park, the anchorage that we had visited 2 weeks earlier. Kate and Jay seemed to love it there as much as we did. Nothing to do but swim, eat, drink a bit of vino, Italiano of course, and swim and eat some more. Ahaaaaaa.

We did a lot of aaaaaha days

On to Sapri for Kate and Jay's last night. King couldn't get the marina to respond so we opted for a slip on the "summer pontoons". We have made better decisions in our life but it was cheap, we could plug in and getting baggage off would be easier tied to a dock vs into the dinghy....or so that was the thought. As with many small towns on the Italian coast, Sapri was having a festival. Carnival rides, puppet shows, lots of gelatto....which, of course, we sampled. and then there was the band.....which started about midnight and blasted until the wee hours of the morning. That, however, was minor to the roll coming onto shore that caused Ostinato's lines to jerk and slap against the hull all night. The last time Jay and Kate visited was when we were in London. They didn't get much sleep their last night on board there either......that was Lazy Tern's fault......but we won't get into that.

Now, what will we do with the rest of our summer?