Straits of Messina Southbound - any advice

[Richard10002]

Will be doing this for the first time tomorrow night - leaving Vulcano around 2200 local, ( to arrive at the start of the Straits at around 0500 local 9th August, which I hope is 4h30m after HW Gibraltar.

I'm presuming we need to stay a bit offshore to avoid the whirlpools, and keep away from the Non IMO Approved TSZ which runs down the middle.

Any advice would be welcome, particularly as the approach will be in darkness and the first bit may be darkness/twilight.

Many Thanks

Richard

 

[stevebirch2002]

The only time I went through was from the other way! All in total darkness and only thing we had to look out for were the Tuna boats with very tall lookout masts and incredibly long bowsprits where they can spear the big ones. We started from Crotone and called in to Palermo. Didnt see any whirlpools and the current was nothing like the tides we have in the UK.

 

[Oliveoyl]

Popeye's experience this year:

Tuesday April 10 - 19:15, call from Popeye, Sirius had just emerged from the Messsina straits. They'd gone in with 2 knots of favourable current, no wind, and maintained 8 knots throughout.No signs of monsters, whirlpools à la Odysseus, apparently the Alderney race is much more scary! Once through the straits, and turning NE-ish, were able to cut the engine and hoist the sails. Morale seemed good on board, and a a spag bol was being prepared. Only cloud on the horizon was the diminishing beer stock. Signs of mutiny in the hours to come? ETA Corfu the small hours Friday morning

 

[jimbaerselman]

Whirpools are trivial compard to CI and north Brittany tides and eddies. Don't worry about them. Ferries across the straits and sword fishing vessels are your main threats!

 

[wingdiver]

When we came through this time last year heading North, there were a couple of patches of water that looked really flat among the slight sea. Hit the edge of one of these and got turned around 45 degrees by the swirl. This was on the Sicily side. To be honest though, the current there isn't horrendous but does tend to go Northwards. The main problem we had was the fact that there were so many ferries etc going across.

 

[cynthia]

When we went through last year, southbound, the wind was 5kts at the top of the strait as we crossed from Sicily but this rose to 48 knots before we even got as far as Reggio. It was afternoon, mind, so maybe your timing is better. Having surfed down the strait we turned the corner towards the foot of Italy. Once heading north, and in the lee of the land, the wind dropped to 10kts.
I would suggest you go through without the sails up!

 

[Richard10002]

Thanks to all. Looks like it may not be as difficult as the pilot books suggest, and I'm hoping that at 5am or 6am there wont be so many ferries.

Sails down, (just a reefed main), would be normal for this trip as the wind has either been on the nose, or light up the chuff.

We plan to head for Toarmina or Naxos as our back up anchorages, but we hope to get into a marina at Riposto or Catania to top up with fuel and water, have a bit of R & R, and get Janet on a plane on Saturday am. May head for Syracusa if we dont like/feel comfortable with any of the above.

Hoping to do a retrospective blog of the trip when we get to Malta - some interesting and useful stuff to add to what the pilot books say.

Thanks again

Richard

Thanks again

Richard

 

[jimbaerselman]

[ QUOTE ]
Toarmina or Naxos as our back up anchorages

[/ QUOTE ] The Taormina coves/anchorages are pretty cramped this time of year, cluttered with quite a lot of small boats and temporary moorings. Naxos OK though.

 

[Richard10002]

Relatively straightforward in the event - no currents/tide to speak of, (maybe a knot or 2), and no whirlpools. few ships converging, few ferries at messina, but no big deal.

Thanks for all the advice - If you've sailed off the UK, (bardsey and South Stack come to mind), it was a piece of cake).

Most difficult thing was staying awake from 11pm on Wenesday to 2pm Thursday, (wouldnt have been fair to leave janet on watch with me asleep in relatively busy waters.

Went round Taormina and naxos as a recce in case we couldnt get into Riposto, (Marina D'ell Etna - of which more later!). Not busy at all.... plenty of space in the bay, including under the headland. Lots at less than 8m and plenty of Sand. The coves are now prohibited in terms of anchoring.

Got into Riposto, so having a bit of R&R before going back to the anchor at either Taormina or Syracusa.