Under way, eventually (a 1200+ Nm cruise around Italy)

[MapisM]

Where am I

Nope turned our to be a Tesco Carrier bag - fully open.

That must have been slightly disappointing, I suppose.
You would have avoided most of the fatigue by disengaging the gear upon the "catch", though.
I mean, the bag itself surely was unable to swim like a marlin and pull out most of your line...
So, I suppose the reason for what happened is that you kept going at 6kts or whatever - not a good idea!

Anyway, just to try to go back o/t, I uploaded to the PC some hundreds of pics from the camera.
Geez, it will take me ages to sort them... A job for when I'll have some more time to kill after arriving in CF!

BUT, in the meantime I thought that this shot taken just an hour ago is good for a "Where am I", because the place is rather peculiar and unique.
It takes a bit of knowledge of Sicilian coasts, though - which AFAIK is not widespread here in the asylum.
Any takers for the virtual cigar?

 

[petem]

Re: Where am I

P, is that an Apreamare in the middle? I do like them (they remind me of Gozo)!

 

[Garold]

Re: Where am I

That must have been slightly disappointing, I suppose.
You would have avoided most of the fatigue by disengaging the gear upon the "catch", though.
I mean, the bag itself surely was unable to swim like a marlin and pull out most of your line...
So, I suppose the reason for what happened is that you kept going at 6kts or whatever - not a good idea!

Anyway, just to try to go back o/t, I uploaded to the PC some hundreds of pics from the camera.
Geez, it will take me ages to sort them... A job for when I'll have some more time to kill after arriving in CF!

BUT, in the meantime I thought that this shot taken just an hour ago is good for a "Where am I", because the place is rather peculiar and unique.
It takes a bit of knowledge of Sicilian coasts, though - which AFAIK is not widespread here in the asylum.
Any takers for the virtual cigar?

Capo San Vito?

Maybe.

Garold

 

[scubaman]

Re: Where am I

That must have been slightly disappointing, I suppose.
You would have avoided most of the fatigue by disengaging the gear upon the "catch", though.
I mean, the bag itself surely was unable to swim like a marlin and pull out most of your line...
So, I suppose the reason for what happened is that you kept going at 6kts or whatever - not a good idea!

Anyway, just to try to go back o/t, I uploaded to the PC some hundreds of pics from the camera.
Geez, it will take me ages to sort them... A job for when I'll have some more time to kill after arriving in CF!

BUT, in the meantime I thought that this shot taken just an hour ago is good for a "Where am I", because the place is rather peculiar and unique.
It takes a bit of knowledge of Sicilian coasts, though - which AFAIK is not widespread here in the asylum.
Any takers for the virtual cigar?

I have absolutely no idea, but that's a pretty decent pic, P!

 

[oceanfroggie]

Re: Where am I

Stunning photo

 

[MapisM]

Re: Where am I

Capo San Vito?

Blimey, that's a hole in one!
And here I was, thinking that I should have spilled the beans myself, eventually.
Have you been here?
A nice place in many ways, with some great diving spots and a gorgeous mountain background, but a bit crowded for my tastes.
In fact, being easily reachable from both Palermo and Trapani, it's a pretty popular destination also for the locals.
Otoh, the waters are as clear as they can get, also inside the harbor - and I'm used to VERY clear waters, in Sardinia!
That is hardly surprising though, considering the geography of the cape, which extends a fair bit north of the main Sicily coastline.
Click here to get the idea...

 

[PowerYachtBlog]

Re: Where am I

P, is that an Apreamare in the middle? I do like them (they remind me of Gozo)!

It is an Apreamare, and they have nothing to do with Gozo, the second larges and sister island of Malta.
I think it was MBY which invented all this absorb non sense in the first boat review they did about the Apreamare range around the late nineties.

Gozzo is a an Italian term for fishing boats or boats, and they have two distinct designs the Sorrento Gozzo (Naples area) and the Ligure one (of the Genoa Savona area).. The Gozzo Sorentino had a more rounded stern as infact is the designs of the Apreamare ones. https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gozzo_(barca)

Malta also had its Gozzo's (fishing boats) with two particular designs the Kajjik (squared flat stern) and the Luzzu (with the stern very similar to the front). The Kajjiks tend to be of smaller dimensions up to 20 feet and the Luzzu used to go up to 30 feet in the traditional days altough sometimes you can find larger examples of both.

 

[MapisM]

Re: Where am I

P, is that an Apreamare in the middle? I do like them (they remind me of Gozo)!

Yes she is. I can't share your appreciation, though.
In a sense, they are a sort of precursor to the latest trend of swift trawlers, navettas, etc., targeted to folks who like the idea of a "proper" boat but still want to cruise fast - hence needing, essentially, a planing hull.
And the results are not exactly overwhelming.
Earlier in this very trip, I've been moored near an Aprea 16, which back in her days has been the flagship of the yard.
When the owner told me about some of the troubles he had with her and her engines (the very first CR version of MAN V8), I was shocked... :ambivalence:
Besides, there's only one way to describe the idea of dressing with a lot of external wooden panel a boat which is actually 100% plastic from a structural viewpoint, and it's "silly", imho!

PS: I didn't see PYB post before writing mine, but he's 100% right. Worth adding only that the true/traditional "gozzo" is strictly a single engine, low power, pure D boat. The actual hulls of Apreas (as well as Menorquins, just to name another wannabe boat) has nothing to see with a "gozzo" anymore.

 

[AndieMac]

Re: Where am I

Anyway, just to try to go back o/t.......

Good luck with that, MapisM threads rarely stay on track for long, making very entertaining reading

Btw, excellent last photo!

 

[Garold]

Re: Where am I

Blimey, that's a hole in one!
And here I was, thinking that I should have spilled the beans myself, eventually.
Have you been here?
A nice place in many ways, with some great diving spots and a gorgeous mountain background, but a bit crowded for my tastes.
In fact, being easily reachable from both Palermo and Trapani, it's a pretty popular destination also for the locals.
Otoh, the waters are as clear as they can get, also inside the harbor - and I'm used to VERY clear waters, in Sardinia!
That is hardly surprising though, considering the geography of the cape, which extends a fair bit north of the main Sicily coastline.
Click here to get the idea...

We were there for a week about a month ago, heading in the opposite direction to you.

We initially planned to stay only a day or two, but the wind direction and the pleasant informal nature of the harbour prompted a longer stay.

Good luck with your upcoming longer passage.

Just by the by, we noticed regular (one or two a day) naval type vessels (large and small) heading from that area across to SE Sardinia (and vice versa), so I doubt that you’ll be alone out there.

Garold.

Ps. After reading your many posts about the place, we spent an earlier week (early June) in Carloforte town/harbour and really enjoyed the experience. I know that we should have explored more but we were happy in and around the town and harbour.

 

[MapisM]

Re: Where am I

Ps. After reading your many posts about the place, we spent an earlier week (early June) in Carloforte town/harbour and really enjoyed the experience. I know that we should have explored more but we were happy in and around the town and harbour.

Pity that I wasn't there yet.
It's always a pleasure to support forumites who dare exploring the dark side of Sardinia...
If and when you'll pass there again, gimme a shout.
Among other reasons, the higher fridge capacity for the white and bubble selection was one of the key factors in the boat choice! :encouragement:

 

[MapisM]

Job done!

Well, almost.
After a very early wake up call in Aegadian archipelago, we are now in Capo Sperone - which should say something to those who have been in CF.
For all others, just 15 Nm or so from the berth that our new toy can start calling her home.
We thought that we deserved one last night at anchor, also because the spot is exactly along the route...

A 206Nm open passage, made in 9.5 hours at a rather relaxed pace, with sea conditions which were possibly the best we ever came across.
So much so, that we don't have one drop of salt water anywhere onboard!
Oh, and the flat sea allowed us to see 5 schools of dolphins, 4 turtles, and a couple of animals resembling small whales, whose exact specie will not be easy to identify, because we only spotted them for a few seconds before they went down - not enough to take any pic...
But fwiw, they had a speckled back of a light brown color, with a fin not much different from a large dolphin.
The tail also had a dolphin-like shape, but pretty sure they weren't dolphins, because aside from the unusual back, they were at least 3m long, if not 4.

Anyhow, apologies for having been a bit lazy with the updates after the Croatian part of the trip - we've been a bit busy for various reasons, after crossing back to Italy. I will put together a more decent summary asap, but don't hold your breath.
Between the dinners with CF friends and the trips with them on the new toy, also the next days are likely to be pretty busy...
Hard job, I know. But someone's got to do it!

 

[Cheery]

Re: Job done!

Possibly pilot whales?

 

[MapisM]

Re: Job done!

Possibly pilot whales?

If the images I found by googling for them are anything to go by, I don't think so.
Their back is in fact much darker compared to the couple we came across, which as I said was a sort of light brown, almost cream color.
And with an irregular pattern too - I called it "speckled", but TBH I'm not sure it's the right word...

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Re: Job done!

Well, almost.
After a very early wake up call in Aegadian archipelago, we are now in Capo Sperone - which should say something to those who have been in CF.
For all others, just 15 Nm or so from the berth that our new toy can start calling her home

Many congratulations on making it nearly home P. You must be very pleased with yourself and the DP. The weather must be calm if you can anchor overnight at Sperone. Every time I went there it was blowing half a gale!

 

[MapisM]

Re: Job done!

Many congratulations on making it nearly home P. You must be very pleased with yourself and the DP. The weather must be calm if you can anchor overnight at Sperone. Every time I went there it was blowing half a gale!

Yup, we almost can't believe to have made it without any noticeable issues.
The most annoying thing was in fact the new water softener installation, which for reasons too long to explain (and not so interesting!) had cut the cold water supply to the transom shower, which was therefore too hot to be of any use.
Otoh, I found a solution before jrudge joined us, and he kindly offered to bring the bits I needed from the UK.
So, I bought on Amazon a couple of connectors and a one way valve, had them delivered to him, and right after his arrival the problem was fixed...
Forum power at its best! (thanks again, J)

PS: ref. Capo Sperone, it is actually blowing some unpredicted northerly wind as I'm writing, but not too bad.
In fact, the plain vanilla 25Kg Delta seems to be doing its job nicely.
I just hope that by tomorrow morning we will not have been dragged back to Sicily...!

 

[MapisM]

Re: Job done!

Well, the good news is that the anchor held, and we woke up pretty much in the same place!

Oh, and apropos of the place where we are now considering ourselves already at home, here's a couple of pics from yesterday evening.
The first shows in the background (left to right):
Cape Teulada (the southernmost point of Sardinia), Vitello and Vacca (Calf and Cow, literally) islands, and Toro (Bull) island.
The second shows the bay where we are anchored.

 

[scubaman]

Doesn’t look bad at all, quite the opposite, in fact. Many congratulations on completing the epic ‘delivery trip’! Good to hear that the DP gave a solid performance. Looking forward to reading some statistic of the trip?

 

[oceanfroggie]

Congrats on completing your awesome adventure. :encouragement: I'm sure you will remember this trip fondly for many years to come. Best wishes and joyful cruising from your new home port. It's been an epic read for us.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Re: Job done!

Blimey I've never seen it that calm there!