07/04/2020
In the morning we continued our sail journey to the Aeolian Islands.
We arrived in the city of Lipari in the afternoon. We looked around the bay in front of the city, the anchorage didn’t seem safe in the manic boat traffic which constantly made large waves. Every 20 minutes, a hydrofoil, an hourly large ferry, or a monster cargo ship came past which moved the anchor further down. They created huge waves in the bay and moved the ships in the harbour and on anchors like toys… Finally, out of all the many small floating piers, we chose Porto Salvora. At the end of this, we asked for a place to get the waves from the bow.
We arranged everything nicely on the boat and then would have gone to look around when an 80-foot motorboat started to “squeeze” between us and a two masted wooden sailboat! The captain pressed down on the gas, with others yelling instructions from the shore. We had already tied all our fenders to this side, and with one buffer in our hand we were
stuck by the side of the ship, and we certainly had to hold on tight and yell more than once, otherwise our ship would have been shattered. In the end, the stipulation ended successfully and without damage. We were a little tired, but at least we didn’t have to worry about someone tying up next to us in our absence. (There was no more space on our other side, we were the last on the 4-berth pier.)
I went with the tender to the other end of the village, where Domi refilled the diving tank in a diving centre. We didn’t even go out with the kids; they say it’s not safe to leave the boat alone here. And we really wanted to walk. While we waited, we looked around and people watched. There was a large dinghy that turned 3-4 times and constantly carried another dose of sailors ashore. Each time, the men sang Italian hits with gusto to the great delight of those on the shore. There were also small boats from sailboats, but everyone just unloaded their passengers and had already turned back.
Meanwhile, the grey skies gathered diligently over the island. After we secured the diving bottle on the boat, we set off for an evening walk into town. It was a cosy, nice little town with alleys, lots of kittens, and people walking around. There were hardly any guests in the restaurants, several people sat in small cafes. On the way back we bought some vegetables and fruit (already missing) and some good Sicilian red wine. We looked at where we could go shopping tomorrow, and not far from the harbour we also noted a fish shop.
Shortly after we got back on the boat, the wind became stronger and thundered. Then the sky turned, and an amazing amount of rain fell. It also washed the “dust” of the road off the boat nicely.
Even the next morning, sunshine and rain alternated every quarter of an hour. As soon as the deluge seemed to be finally over, we set off for shopping. Kati and Domi went ahead and quickly bought some fish and lots of fruit. By now, Boróka had also woken up and we continued our journey to the grocery store together. On average, we go shopping once a month (great shopping). It’s not that simple because you can’t find a store with the right selection everywhere, you have to get to the ship, and packing is a separate story. If we are at anchor, we do this in the fender, in several rounds, if at the shore, then on foot, by car, or we ask for “boat delivery” in the shop. The store said they could unfortunately only ship the next day, so we were prepared to go to the ship in 4-5 rounds with the packages from the store, taking turns.
Our shopping list is still under development but has already done us a good service. The children also deftly helped us to collect and pack things. Oh, and of course all this in a mask! Poor Kati struggled the most, but she was very adept. We also bought lactose-free milk and butter. Not much more expensive than regular. There was also an abundant selection of gluten-free products. I still had a few items on my list, but our basket was already overflowing and Domi was in line at the checkout. Here, to our great delight, they offered to deliver the packages to the ship! Therefore, we walked empty-handed towards the harbour in the scorching sunshine. Ten minutes after us, the packages also arrived, and packing and taking notes of how much and where we put it could begin. I don’t even remember how long it took; I just know it was too late for us to head for Panaera.
We dismantled the sail and sailed comfortably (a little slower due to the many algae that had moved to the bottom of the ship in Sukosani Bay) to the seemingly sympathetic… Bay of Panaera that we looked at on the map. We were able to arrive around 5-6 in the evening and we found a great place among plenty of boats on the outer edge of the bay. We bumped into the dinghy and went to the beach in the evening.
7/7/2020 Panaera-Stromboli
This morning we hiked for a little while on the rocks rising above our berth. Remains of a Bronze Age village were found on top of the protruding cliffs. The view was breath-taking. We had a minor accident at the beginning of our outing. After dragging the dinghy (bocit) ashore and embarking on the steep paved road uphill, we couldn’t find our little Osmo packet camera. I ran back, hoping if it had fallen out at the shore, but unfortunately, I couldn’t find it anywhere… I headed for the sea where we landed and saw it a few feet down at the bottom of the sea. We tried to wash the sand out of it and wash the saltwater off of it. But it’s not waterproof. We put it in rice and vacuumed it. We kept it like this for 3 days. We did hope, but in vain, it could no longer be saved.
Returning to the hiking trip. We continued up the steep road which you can see from our anchored bay. Then we walked higher, between the cacti and the olive trees. In the distance, towards the top of the mountain, we heard a cock crowing, which we had heard on the boat before, we just didn’t know from where. The protruding rocks which encircle the bay narrowed here, and one could see the sea and the bays on either side. It was very funny to the right, a mass of rounded stones actually looked like pebbles from above lying on the shore. At the end of the cliff, were the remains of the walls of the village buildings. The threshold stone also rested nicely by each house. Before we even saw the nameplate, we imagined what the rest of the houses might have been like that year. Everyone said what they thought it would be like, and then we entered the little house from our imagination through the threshold. It was an exciting game. 20 meters away we could see the reconstructed drawings. Domi made drone recordings during this time. We descended from the cliffs because it was starting to get very hot and new boats looking to anchor had arrived too, so it was better to be “home” and watch.
In the afternoon we headed to Stromboli, the bay was already too crowded anyway, and watching the volcano promised to be an exciting event. As we approached, it became increasingly apparent when there were outbursts. At this time, a dark cloud of smoke burst vertically into the sky, then nicely dispersed, and then turned into a dark horizontal strip of smoke that stretched long in the sky.
Meanwhile, I had dinner with the family, a hot/cold fried chicken sandwich for lunch, which everyone asked for and received. Tomorrow’s bread is baked in the bread oven, chia seeds, oatmeal, hmm… I hope it will be delicious. Go for the kettle too. While toasting the sandwich, some suspected that the volcano was giving off a burning smell, but then I reassured everyone that it was only the sandwich fried crispy. 🙂
The houses on the side of the hill can now be made out and some greenery can also be seen in the upper third of the island. And at the bottom of the lava flow in the forbidden zone, where it is forbidden to enter according to the map, a large motor yacht stands… we pulled out to the edge in the meantime.
The sun went down. Dreamy lights. Stromboli ejects lava and smoke at regular intervals. The lava sometimes falls down the hillside, beautiful – fireworks atmosphere at a stronger outburst. In the middle of the big side waves, we try to take photos and videos. The ship is swaying with everyone in a life jacket, Domi’s incredibly diverse attention is trying to reduce the ship’s movement, watch the ships sail, film, watch the kids and enjoy the view of the volcano in the dark and figure out where to spend the night…. We were a little tired, but it was a great experience! Domi has been watching the weather and cameras for days to get there in good time. The mountain was cloudy for two days before we came, and we probably wouldn’t have seen anything if we had come then.
However, it was too late when we set off to look for an anchorage. High traffic and unknown terrain. In advance, of course, we assessed the possibilities, where there is an anchorage, what is written about it, etc. Marine traffic shows where ships usually go and, on the radar it shows where the ships are, and of course we look.
I am grateful that the corners of the buoy field were illuminated, and a reflective stripe was glued to the buoys, so it was easier to spot. Fishermen’s marker buoys are often almost impossible to see in the dark. Luckily, we haven’t got caught up in any on our trip so far. There are bigger ones that the radar indicates, but it’s not always best when it flashes. Those marked with a small flag are easier to spot during the day.
Eventually we found a large area in front of the buoy field where we could anchor. For the second time, the ship was caught by the anchor. The ground may have been stony.
We unpacked and sat in the bow of the ship with a glass of white wine to greet the rise of the moon, which at first glance looked like glowing lava.
7/8/2020
It was exciting to see the black shore in the morning with the red umbrellas. At the top of the mountain clouds formed. The sun shone on the city and the coast. From a blue fishing boat, the fisherman offered fish early in the morning among the anchored boats. One pink jellyfish appears at times, but there aren’t many fortunately.
Now came the news that our ordered package had arrived at the port of Palermo. We set off straight for Fillicudi Island. A little wind blows, the 1-2 meter flatter waves rock the boat from a pleasant direction. Unfortunately, the algae that settled in the bottom of the ship in Sukosani Bay in 3 months significantly reduces the speed of the boat. If we have some time and suitable terrain, we’ll see how easy it is to get rid of it.
We arrived on the island in the evening, with an 80 m long boat. She was also anchored; we were also looking for a suitable place at the other end of the bay. There are quite large rocks on the ground, but Domi looked at the anchor with a mask, and the situation was good. It dug itself nicely into the ground. Everybody was so tired. And now there is sleep.