We’re on our
way to Greece and will be safely tucked into yet another beautiful anchorage by
this evening. We had planned on spending
a few more days in Italy with our first stop in the Aeolian Islands at the
lovely little port town of Salina, known particularly for its many excellent restaurants. We had
timed our transit through this chain of volcanic islands, with the hope of
seeing a night-time eruption of an active volcano on the island of Stromboli.
The following day, we had planned a stop in Taormina, one of the most
breathtaking towns in Sicily, perched high on the edge of a cliff above the
sea. From this town, there are often great
views of smoke pouring from Mt. Etna which last erupted in January 2012.
But, with
our first really bad weather forecast of the trip – 30 to 35 knot winds and 9
to 12 foot seas lasting for 3-4 days, we decided it would be best to move on
quickly (“quickly” being a relative term considering the speed of the Andrea
Cay is 10 knots/hour). After 3 days and
2 nights at sea, we will have traveled another 500 miles when we reach the
Ionian Islands later today, where hopefully we will continue to be blessed with
perfect weather.
Our crew
transition has been surprisingly swift and painless. Sean Allen, who had captained the boat when
it was first built (along with his one-time-partner-in crime, Neil), was here
within 36 hours of Mike and Lori’s departure.
Sean was able to get quick permission to come and fill in temporarily as
a “relief” captain (or maybe I should say a “rescue” captain) from the owners
of several properties he manages. More
importantly, he got permission from his girlfriend, Linda (a professional chef
and caterer)! It has taken John very
little time to bring Sean back up to speed on all the wheel-house computers and
navigation systems, as well as the motors, pumps, fuel transfer system, and all
the other complex equipment in the engine room.
We have
hired a new crew who will arrive Sept. 3 for a two month engagement. John and Sharon (otherwise known as Joc and
Shaz), are from New Zealand and Australia, respectively, and have done
extensive cruising in the Med.
Wild life sighting
Aeolian Island
Welcoming Sean
Sunrise
Sunset
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