Athens to Alicante - passage plan

[lurob]

We're in the final stages of passage planning our delivery trip from Athens to Lossiemouth (NE Scotland). Leg 1 is Athens to Alicante (via Str of Messina, Sardinia, Balearics). Any recommendations re places to avoid? (We had planned to stopover briefly in Reggio di Calabria & Palermo but, after reading reports on the net of rat infestations, are now considering alternatives). We leave Kalamaki 6 May, planning to arrive Alicante 20/21 May so it will be quite a dash.

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[GAJ]

Eleven hundred miles in a couple of weeks won't leave much time to stop anywhere!

We did the trip from Ionian to Menorca last year and, by the way, there are those little rodent buggers everywhere.Take precautions and hope for the best. You can buy glue traps in Greece which when baited with a lump of chocolate seem to do the job, buy some before you leave Athens.

I hope the Corinth Canal isn't shut for repairs for ten days as it was when we were making the passage from the Aegean to the Ionian!

Our route was Sivota to Reggio, which is a dump but you can re-supply up there. 30 euros a night for a 12mt boat.

We stopped at Portarosa Marina, a mere 50E a night in the first week in May.

Cefalu...free and you can get fuel and water off the quay.Short walk into town for provisions.

Palermo, an open sewer with plenty of bag snatchers about, but an excellent chandlery near the marina. Price in the marina, 120Euro's a night in May, yes 120!! but you do get water and electricity thrown in along with Mafia neighbours in shiny suits sporting bulging shoulder holsters etc.

Cabo St. Vito. Safe and a good point to head off to Sardinia, great take away pizza place just off the beach, you have to walk past it to get into town. The rate was 40E per night but just argue with the pontoon owners and get it down to 20E or so.

The West side of Sardinia can be VERY wild during and after a Mistral so watch the weather carefully.The residual swell lasts for at least two days after a blow. Listen out on VHF 68 for the 'Metal Micky' recorded forecast. This is transmitted in Italian and English continuously. If you have Navtex the French forecast is very good and the 5 day from Hamburg on SSB gives a good overall view although not at a local level.

If you go Westabout Sardinia, Villasimious is cheap and the first harbour but when we were there the reef off the entrance was no longer marked with the beacon that was supposed to be there. Provisions are difficult to obtain.

Cagliari is a commercial harbour but if you tuck into the right as you enter the harbour there are some pontoons, negotiate the price, we paid 15E per night.You can get everything you need there.

Carloforte is a good stop over before going to the Balearics. A free anchorage and a choice of marinas. Good for provisions and safe as houses, we had a week of NW gales there at the end of May and didn't drag the anchor at all.

Mahon is good and safe but can be expensive alongside. There is an anchorage just on the Std. side when entering the harbour but it is a long way from the shops etc. Better to call Ribera De Pueto on VHF 16 and book a berth stern to or on a mooring buoy, depending upon the size of your wallet!

From there on West I haven't had any experince for the last ten years so I can't help you there.

Good luck
Graham









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[lurob]

Thanks for all the advice, Graham, most helpful.

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