Sardinia – Reggio Calabria
From Sardinia through the Straight of Messina.
After spending a few days in Sardinia, it was time to leave the Italian island world behind and set course for the mainland. We had plenty of diesel on board because one thing was clear: we would need to motor a lot.
|
August 24th-27th, 2024: Sardinia > Reggio Calabria Originally, we had planned to visit both Sicily and the Aeolian Islands. However, once again fleeing from an approaching storm and feeling the pressure of time due to booked flights from Greece, we set sail on Thursday afternoon despite the forecasted light winds. The first 48 hours were relatively uneventful with little waves and wind. It was incredible to be so far from land and have a partially almost glassy sea around us. We were prepared for little wind, but unfortunately, we were surprised by even calmer conditions than expected. |
We appreciated the moments when we could sail without the engine even more. Our highlight was definitely on Day 3 when we could finally see land.
Sicily is known for its trawlers and sometimes kilometer-long trawl nets. These are particularly prevalent in the south of the island. This is one of the reasons why we opted for the northern route through the Strait of Messina, passing by the Aeolian Islands. When we passed them early in the morning, we were especially sad to have to skip them. However, arriving at the port before the storm was more important to us. The sunset that evening was all the more remarkable. We took advantage of light winds and an almost glassy sea for a sundowner between the Aeolian Islands and Sicily. What an ending to such a long crossing.
On the last day, we checked in at 06:30 on VHF Channel 10 to pass through the Strait of Messina from north to south. Nearly two hours later, we reached the end of the Traffic Separation Zone and set course westward towards Reggio Calabria.
|
|
