LE NOSTRE CROCIERE: MEDITERRANEAN: Graham Johnson's dream the first step (from 20 October to 22 November 2020)

MALTA : before departure

Traveled Itinerary

Graham Johnson made the first leg of his round-the-world sailing boat trip from October 20 to November 22 in the Mediterranean, starting from Malta and arriving in Gibraltar. Highlights of the cruise Boat: WESTERLY Oceanmaster 48 from 1990 Departure from Malta on 20 October 2020, after some maintenance works, arriving in Gibraltar on 22 November; summary of the path: Valletta - Porto Palo - Syracuse - Aci Trezza - Giardini di Naxos - Vulcano - Cala Aligusta (Teulada) - Carloforte - Denia - Alicante - Tabarca - Gibraltar.

Altogether 1400 miles of which I had the pleasure of participating for about 1000 miles. - 10 berths on the quay in the port - 5 anchorages in the harbor

from19 to 22 Octobre: before my arrival

participants: Graham, Wanda, Ulisse and behind me

WANDAUS in the harbor

on the quay in Ortigia

Goodbye Syracuse

preparation for crossings in the Mediterranean

on the quay in the port of Aci Trezza

the wrath of the Cyclops Polyphemus for the blindness of Ulysses

Polyphemus took his revenge with Ulysses on board making us run aground in the point indicated by the buoy

In the port of Aci Trezza the automatic pilot is reactivated thanks to the intervention of Gesué, an excellent technician, who also contributes to the arrangement of the on-board electronics and the water heater; only the solar panels are not activated due to the lack of charge controllers

in the bay of Giardini di Naxos with Etna now behind

Taormina front of us

baths in Giardini di Naxos

the bay of Giardini Naxos view from Taormina

through the palms Etna between clouds and first snow

street and little street in Taormina in time of Covid

Castelmola on the left Taormina on the right

Panoramic views from Castelmola

Ulisse chez Turrisi

Giardini Naxos - Volcano the first hard sailing in the strait of Messina

Strait of Messina Calabrian coast

Strait of Messina Sicilian coast

In the night from 1 to 2 October we crossed the Strait of Messina. The counter-current was so strong that, with the engine at 1800 rpm, the boat forward instead of backing away: Graham could not believe his eyes thought was haywire gps. Then with a 2500 rpm engine we were able to move at 2 knots right in the very center.

at 9 am on November 2nd we enter the bay of the western port of Vulcano where we allow two days of tourism. Follow photos

shots visiting Vulcano

Vulcan extreme south of Sardinia

Salina on the right Panarea between the two Stromboli

Lipari, Vulcano goodbye

Alicudi and Filicudi

Alicudi goodbye Sicily

sunset in the Mediterranean

Cape Teulada

Cala Aligusta: Night at anchor without waves but with gusts above 40 knots

extreme south Sant'Antioco: the bull, the cow and the calf

In Carloforte, among the Tabarchini, relax before tackling a demanding navigation

shots visiting Carloforte

Carloforte - Denia: prelude to Atlantic navigations

"dolce far niente" in navigation

we eat fresh tuna now

Cap Negre

photos of Denia follow

Gallery under the fortress of Denia

Last step in the Mediterranean

Benidorm

Port of Alicante

photos of Alicante

Nueva Tabarca twinned with Carloforte

from the Genoese colony of the island of Tabarca on the Tunisian coast a large part was transferred to Carloforte another part to Alicante on the Piana island which then took the name of Nuova Tabarca