Sailing with the Treleavens

Ian suggests we shower on our way into the port of Amalfi and Pip
disappears, sometime later she peers out the port hole and all we hear is, holy shit!!!

Nesting in the valley between enormous mountains strait out of the sea is Amalfi looking very colourful as the sun goes down. Over head we can see Ravello perched high on a cliff with grape and lemon vines crossing the rugged mountain sides. Pastel coloured houses and the gold and green tiled dome of Saint Andrea Church all set behind a small port full of fishing boats, yachts tying up to the wall, ferries coming and going and then they squeeze in the super yachts.

We are lucky to get a place on the wall and are soon cocooned between the fishing boat St Andrea a 82 footer Dufour 'Wild Salmon'. As it happens before we leave Ian has the boat listed for sale. Next to come in is the big one, a 130 foot 'mini ship' with 10 staff and wouldn't you know it, off get just one couple. We are happy as it makes a great surge breaker.

The weather is now perfect, so we have decided to slow down and enjoy this part of Italy. The sea is flat and occasionally if we are lucky we get to sail in 12 knots, just a light breeze. A local phenomenon happens here in the evenings, and for a very short time black clouds form and it pours with
rain.

The evening is spent sitting in the square pigging out on the very best Italian ice cream.
Next day we cruise slowly up the Amalfi coast to Positano in perfect
conditions. Rugged towering mountains overhead with a road clinging to the face, in and out of tunnels you can hear the buses horns who take up the whole road on the corners. Hotels, mansions restaurants, dot the coast and with the bougainvillea in full bloom it's an amazing sight.

Positano in all its glory but one thing I am glad of is we are on boat. In awe of the setting we lunch on board and just admire the scenery. Time to tackle the tourists and heat of the day to explore this car less sea locked village. Climbing the only stairway in, we pass the usual tourist shops full of blue and yellow china and lemon scented candles all set under a cooling archway of bougainvillea. Ian passes the restaurant that ripped him off last year and still mutters 'I will get you one day'.

Back at the boat we all fall into the sea, what a relief. On our way to Capri for the night we can see a lot of yachts anchored off an island so we detour to have a look. The whole island is owned by the late Rudolf Nureyov, not a bad summer vacation with its one burnt orange mansion and chapel.

Capri, and we are turned away as its Saturday night and we haven't booked. This is a first for us and our small 50 footer and Aussie flag don't help. Back to the main land to find a bay on the Sorrento Peninsula for the night under huge cliffs and anchor taking a line ashore. Kevin takes the rope ashore and lassoes a rock with a lot of difficulty but it makes for a few laughs back at the boat. The sound of falling rocks is a bit airy but with no one in sight and birds circling the cliffs it is nature at its best.

Crossing back to Capri to the western side, we anchor in Picola in view of the Faraglioni Rocks. Surrounded by fast cruisers and super yachts by the dozen we spend the day swimming and lying around doing what Italians from Rome and Naples do best.

Time to take up our reserved spot in the Capri Marina and along with every size boat imaginable, this is better than any boat show. Not a very big marina and fast ferries by the minute coming and going makes it quite a circus on arrival, fenders out we are squizzed in.

Joining the rich and famous for the evening in Capri we soon join the slow walk parade, people looking at people, and admire the shops and have drinks in the square.

Leaving for the island of Procida 15 miles away we stop at the Blue Grotto and see if they will take us off our boat and into the grotto. I had never visualised that the opening was so small. A big fat Italian, once chef in Sydney, with a big g'day, rows us in his small boat to the entrance. Sitting on the floor I have a very secure feeling that if he fits, so do we. In the grotto it is a beautiful blue and he sings Volare (Nel Blu Di Pinto Di Blu), pity all 5 small boats in the grotto don't sing the same tune.

Procida and Ischia are both popular resort islands with thermal pools. At Ischia we swim beneath Roman Castles in emerald water and a night at St Antonio where the movie The Talented Mr Ripply was filmed. The islands of the Golf de Napoli are a beautiful cruising ground and we could spend more time here.

Before I have even time for a thermal swim, we are off as there is a breezeto catch, all roads lead to Rome. On the way to the island of Ponza we stopfor lunch at the island of Ventetene, once known as Devil Island for its prison, and also a place for exiled Roman emperor's wives. The water is so clear we anchor over huge bolder rocks and watch the anchor disappear. Justwhen you need a little help to get the anchor out the yacht won't go into neutral. With 3 'experts' on board we determine the gear cable has broken.
With Kevin stationed in the 'engine room', hand on gearbox and many relayed instructions we get under way.

Onto the Island of Ponza and we are in for a big surprise. Competing with Sydney harbour, and it's not the wine over lunch, we sight a whale. A whale in the Tyrrhenian Sea, is it possible? I can assure you all 5 of us where watching as it spouted and the big tail went up in the air giving us something we will never forget.

Ponza's small fishing harbour is a beautiful sight full of moored yachts. With limited control Ian once again anchors in the front row much to the amazement of Geoff and Kevin.

The restaurant EEA is a great find and with restaurants booked out 4 days in advance on Ponza we get a table. We leave the order to the waitress and are served tuna carpaccio, octopus salad, gorgonzola zucchini roulade, red prawns, marinated anchovies, eggplant mozzarella tomato stack, followed by fresh fish and tuna with rosemary olive tapenade. A fantastic meal, in fact the best ashore this year.

Back at the yacht we opened the last bottle of Limoncello, Geoff threw the top over the side, and we proceeded to drink the contents.

With sore heads the next morning we set off on the 60 miles to Rome where our guests are to leave us.
 

Mount Etna was a great sight as we approached in the early morning red sunrise, but soon disappeared behind cloud. Apparently it is not visible very often so we were spoiled, as it clouded over after we anchored. We enter past Cape Andrea and into San Andrea Cove to find the small bays beneath Taormina are not suitable for anchorage, as the tourists boats have taken over, so we head south and find a much bigger and very calm bay at
Porto Naxos.

We have read that Taormina is the most beautiful town in Italy and with some frustration with the local transport we find our way up the hill. Perched on a rocky bluff we enter the main street of Corso Umberto to find Antique shops, designer wear, coffee shops filled with marzipan fruits and delicious pastries. Beautiful mixes of old grey stone and modern stainless steel and over head there is a mix of very old wrought iron balconies, iron clocks and carvings.

Time to just sit and take in the atmosphere with a delicious cappuccino and almond biscuit doing what Italians do best, passing the time, day dreaming. It's now very hot and we decline seeing the Greco Roman Theatre in favour of a Sicilian Pizza and cold Sicilian beer. We love the excuse for a siesta in the afternoon and back at the Cadiz, we are out for the count.

Giving up on the public transport we have learnt to pay up and take taxis. Ristorante Da Nino is well worth the expense and a delicious fish meal of small red prawns, steamed mussels, sword fish, tomato and eggplant pasta and to finish pistachio gelato.

Leaving the next morning we sight another Australian flag and find Terry and Christine Moran on their Lagoon 440 catamaran. It's really a small world when you know they are in the Mediterranean and you wake to find them anchored beside you.

On the move we are heading north now through the narrow Strait of Messina where Italy kicked Sicily into the sea. We are wing and wing, blowing 20 knots and don't miss a beat holding onto that beer and campari and soda. It's very narrow with lots of ferries, overflows and whirl pools in different areas.

The Mediterranean is a beautiful blue and its decisions!! decisions!!  Which way to go east or west? Sardinia or west coast of Italy? The west coast wins via the Aeolian Islands and back to the coast of Italy to Tropea, Amafi Coast then Capri.
We arrive at the island of Vulcano and anchor on the west side, climb to the smoking crater and down to a  sulphuric mud bath with a swim in the bubbling hot sea, all too good. Kevin finds out that wearing shoes is a good idea when bursts of steam suddenly appear from the ground.

Lipari Marina and we have to get all the black sand out of the dinghy, wash cloths and wash ash off the boat from the volcano which is constantly spewing out smoke and ash, another excuse for a siesta and into the village for dinner. The village comes alive with teenagers parading the latest clothes and boys with there black glossy hair all spiked up, young children playing ball in the square with coke cans and locals just doing the every day things.
Dinner is local caper and anchovy pasta, sword fish, stuffed sardines and zucchini flowers.
Our trip home in the dinghy across the bay is not exactly what you would call safety at sea but we have had a wonderful time shopping and if you could just see the 5 of us!!

On the move again and pass the island of Panarea and we could imagine renting a villa on this exclusive island for a few weeks. Stromboli, the oldest light house in the world, is alive, puffing smoke with lava running down the side, very black one side, green on the other and wild yellow flowers, a wonderful contrast.

A right hand turn back to the coast of Italy to Tropea and a very gentle sail all afternoon. Tropea with its cliff top houses and the only white sand beach we have seen in along time. This is Onion Country and Ian is giving me a hard time because all we have come for is the onion jam. This is a very pleasant marina and Pip and I have had a wonderful morning swim beneath the cliff houses.

Another Aussie yacht 'Caperata' pulls in beside us with Mike Edgar and Jacqueline Woodhead from South Australia and their big Alsatian dog Texas. There yacht came over on the Dock Express, a purpose built moving floating dock and now here for 2 years. All Texas wanted to do was get ashore after holding himself for the whole of their overnight sail.

We leave Tropea with onions of course, onion chilli jam, pickled onions and onions hanging in the yacht, and yes we are all still friends.

Leaving at midday in a thunder storm we set the sails and head for the Amalfi Coast 130 miles away. One other thing that we acquired was more $4 red wine and by lunch time we are a pretty happy bunch. One thing about our vintage, we had the best of music and we rock 'n' roll our sailing miles away.

On the way to Amalfi after a beautiful roast of lamb for dinner, we stop at the small village of Palinuro for a short sleep and swim, the best of the season. It was recommended by an Italian sailing couple and I must say our best source of information is still just chatting to our fellow yachties.
 

Let's set the scene entering Venice. A narrow canal and very busy, ocean liners, ferries, super yachts, small craft and lots of markers leading the way but no such thing as port and starboard. My eyes are popping out of my head not to miss anything or should I say miss everything. Anyway Ian says take the wheel thinking he has to check the navigation charts and all we hear from the galley is cup of tea?? . Strange how when something tricky or maybe embarrassing is going to happen it's either I need to go to the toilet or a cup of tea.

We don't tie up to the poles, it's too choppy and uncomfortable but theirs a yacht club marina in view of Piazza San Marco and if someone is away and you talk sweetly they will let you use someone's berth, for a fee naturally. We are lucky and stay 4 nights rafted to another yacht.

Being cheeky and naivety on our side we cross the Grand Canal in our rubber dinghy and join all the gondoliers in the canal and see what happens. To our surprise it's no problem and we join the queues of gondolas up the canals and under the Rialto and The Bridge of Sighs. Piano accordion playing 'doing it my way" and a wedding, we are taking photos of them and they are taking
photos of us. It's all very friendly and they couldn't have been nicer to us, giving us directions which way to go. An afternoon we will never forget.

Venice is still romantic and by ferry for the night we join the swarming tourists. The second night we are here the square is flooded and this happens 250 days a year due to sinking of the square and the invasion of the sea at high tide. Parts of the city are now being drained and new piles and retaining walls put in, but it's a big area and progress slow. This is done by driving in steel piles around an area and then draining that area.

Penny has her car here so we take a day trip inland to see Lake Garda and Verona. Romeo and Juliet's balcony get a brief look as the first Italian shops this season are more interesting.  We are not used to the fast highways and very please to get back to the boat.

Pip and Geoff Lavis and Kevin Horne have joined us and will be onboard for 3 weeks. The day they arrived we have a weather change and its now blowing from the north and its 20degrees. Repeating our experience up the canals we must very look very silly crossing the Grand Canal, the free board is nil and giving way to huge ships, it's a wet experience but once in the canals its great once again.

We have 220 miles to our first stop to the outer most island of Croatia Vis and will cross back to Brindisi Italy from here. All rugged up and looking
like we are about to enter the Sydney Hobart its cold but with wind on our aft quarter we are on the fast highway south down the Adriatic. A lot of texting from mobiles is going on, a few lies are told, but all we get back is, Bastards.

Komiza on Vis is a delightful fishing port and obviously very popular with the charter yachts as they squeeze us in. Only opened to the public since 1989 the island is unspoilt with very clear water. We manage a very fresh swim and dinner ashore of grilled scampi and at the next table are a group of Aussies from Melbourne including Barry Jones the politician, also here on a charter yacht.

During the night the Bora blows 50 knots and thankfully we are tied up to the village wall with all the charter yachts. Next morning nothing keeps Geoff, Kevin and Ian in port and the only yacht to pull out is us. On the horizon it looks ugly and breaking but we reef down and sail on, its only 160 miles to go. I just keep taking my sea pills but Pip loves this stuff. A mishap with the dinghy and with the call 'all hands on deck' we retrieve the dinghy and outboard but luckily only the fuel tank and oars are gone. With not a lot of sleep that night and the auto pilot working very hard, Cadiz sailed very well in the lumpy sea but thankfully we are going with the wind
not against it.

Getting closer to Brindisi Italy, at night, we are back in the shipping
lanes and Geoff, Pip and Kevin have a quick lesson on the Radar and make sure we are not on any collision course. After a very rough night we come around the corner into the calm waters of Brindisi Harbour at 0600 hrs to the start of the 100 mile Brindisi - Corfu Yacht race. A fleet of 60 yachts from modern 80 footers to cruising 30 footers will have a fast ride in the tough conditions we had just experienced.

A day to provision and a welcome lunch ashore of Puglia ear pasta with sea food, washed down with a cold beer and local wine.

No time to enjoy the country side we are off again before night fall to catch the last of this front from the north to get us around the heel and under the sole of the boot into the Ionian Sea. The wind is turning to the south in a few days and that doesn't suit us. Hopefully hot weather from the African coast will come with this wind.

Sicily here we come, 250 miles and now a very pleasant motor-sail to Taormina Sicily, taking two nights and one day. Time to catch up on sleep, read and eat. Local produce is at its best and enjoying olive bread made with whole olives, gorgonzola that just melts in the mouth, cherry tomatoes that are like bunches of grapes, and yes wines at $5.00 a bottle. So much for Geoff saying he didn't drink at sea!!

We have sailed 620 miles, had the company of lots of dolphins and coming into the coast of Sicily at day break, a perfect view of snow capped, smoking Mount Etna.