Sardinia via East Coast - Up Memory Lane

We are just past Capo Comino at 1900H when we see an anchorage tucked in behind a rocky reef extending a long way out.  Soon the anchor goes down in just over 5m and 500m off the long golden sandy beach.  As the light fades on the tranquil evening, we enjoy the rugged and beautiful landscape around us, absorbing the stillness and watching the sky change from vivid blue to pink, then fade into darkness.  A wind change coming off the land wafts the delicious fragrance of baked ancient mountains and pine forests, the scorched remnants of the day just past.

We sleep soundly suspended on a turquoise shimmering world and awake to a myriad of golden prisms arranging themselves in the blue crystal sea.  Soon the warming day sends a rolly motion into our heavenly spot so we move on, not wanting to spoil the memory of this place the way we have experienced it.

Its not long before we are sailing on the wind in a gentle 7 knot breeze, not quite laying our destination but we are in no hurry.  The coastline unfolds in front of us its golden ribbons of sandy beaches stretching away into the distance.  Each headland proudly displays an ancient stone watchtower and eventually we spot the beautiful old town of La Caletta, white chalky mountains behind the stone fortress on top of a small hill in the foreground.   All this is new territory to us - so wild, rugged and so lovely.

The breeze strengthens and draws us northwards until we spot La Tavola, fly through the passage, then past the cardinal marker at the southern entrance to Olbia Harbour.  About ready to stop for the day we try out the anchorage behind Isla di Figarolo (over an uncharted reef... woops 4 m under the keel and big lumpy rocks) then into the little bay behind.  Pippy's attempt to get the anchor into a tiny patch of clear sand misses as the bow gets blown off and we hook up in some weed, sliding along and not setting.  Up comes the anchor with a struggle, followed by embarassment due to the huge chunk of bright emerald green poseidon weed (roots and all) we have pulled up.  This weed is much prized for its ecological value and we do not attempt another shot at it, rather continuing on to a favourite spot we know about just a bit further up the coast past Capo Figari.

Cala di Volpe - superyacht hangout territory.  A great sandy anchorage and wonderful shelter.  We discovered this anchorage the last time we passaged southwards down this coast in September 2012. We had it pretty much to ourselves then.  Today its packed with superyachts but there is still room for us amongst the smaller yachts.  A very tepid swim times two or three follow, braced with beer and chippies on deck as we watch the passing parade of tenders heading in to the hotel on the shore.  

A very quick debate over getting the dinghy pumped and it and outboard commissioned follows, but we agree we are happy to sit and relax for the moment.  Well mostly relax that is, except for the time when we have to hold on to something so we don't get tipped off our seats by the wake from some tenders going ridiculously fast and close to us.

Trapani, Palermo, Erice

On Friday morning 5 July, we leave the Egadi Islands for Trapani 10 miles across to mainland Sicily.  Its been a windy night on a lee shore and our neighbours at anchor report having a worrying time with not much room under their keel.  

The ferry towers over us in the haulout bay...

Richard has not been well again and finds the business of mooring the boat on arrival quite a strain, bringing on the back pain again with a vengeance, especially as we have to move the boat three times in the space of a few hours, starting off in the haul-out bay, next to a huge ferry on the hard stand.  

The engineer comes on board and diagnoses a problem with the fuel injectors, demonstrating to us the fuel squirting out of them.  We are moved to a spot nearby, only to find ourselves down wind of the yard with gritty black dirt landing on the boat.  Within ten minutes the decks are filthy and Pippy starts to cry.  (It always works!)  In this busy harbour the powers that be find us a more suitable spot and we end the day in a very tight, shallow marina berth, where we will stay for the next five nights while the fuel injectors are taken out and serviced yet again.  

It is very costly and disappointing that we paid for this work to be done in Malta and it obviously has not been done properly. There was nothing wrong with them before we had them checked there.  We contact and advise Charlie Vela, Malta Yacht Services the mechanic who did the work of the problem we are having.  Sadly his behaviour brings the marine service industry in Malta into disrepute.  Most operators there are honest and efficient.

Its been a big day for us and a pizza off the boat is called for, just a short stroll a couple of blocks away to the railway station.  It is delicious - best pizza ever, but Richard has acute pain now and struggles to walk back to the boat.  He collapses against a building, on a street corner, almost home, one arm across Pippy's shoulder. Pippy has an arm around him and grabs his backpack in left hand as he gasps in agony and a shadow of movement reveals a huge negro guy walking around the corner behind us and taking a very interested look at Richard's backpack which Pippy clutches, returning the look with a glare as he moves on, glancing over his shoulder. He was probably just concerned, but has copped the look from Pippy so keeps on going and soon two young guys come along and help walk us back to the boat, but it is a stark reminder of how vulnerable we are.  It could have been very different. We are grateful for the kindness of the local people of Trapani. Back on the boat Richard feels better quite quickly and is soon fast asleep leaving Pippy awake and having an anxiety attack. Obviously the treatment on Richard's back in Malta has not been a success.... what now?  

Palermo

We had planned a bus trip to Palermo the next morning and surprisingly Richard says he is fine on waking, so off we go, a short walk from the marina and we catch a very comfortable bus for the 1 hour trip to Palermo where its easy to jump on a double decker bus and spend the day in relaxed style.  This has been a much dreamed of visit and it does not disappoint. 

The stunning hilltop Abbey at Monreale is our first choice. 

It is Saturday morning so it is being decorated for a wedding and the flowers are gorgeous, the view over Palermo surreal. 

We never get tired of the sight of wonderful produce...

On to the street market where sounds of opera being sung float from a nearby church - the soloist preparing for yet another wedding - a lovely rendition of Ave Maria mingles with purchases of Sicilian black currants and red carpet being laid through the narrow street for the bride.  Theatro Massimo sadly is closed but we see it from the outside which is really something. Sitting on the open top of the bus gives us a good view as we take in the sights and sounds of this wonderful city in a whistle stop tour.

Mt Erice

Red kite in residence

Sunday is probably not the best time to visit the ancient village on the top of this mountain. 

It is deserted when we arrive early afternoon, quite impressed with the fifteen minute cable car ride to the top and the views along the coast from there, not to mention the red kite which we spy while leaning over the edge and looking down. 

We are hot, hungry and tired, - a little grumpy - and the deserted town makes us wonder what we are going to do for refreshments, however we do eventually find ourselves a sandwich and a drink in the one cafe which appears to be open for business.

The views from up here are wonderful and the gardens deliciously cool to wander in.


Later in the day the town starts to buzz and people arrive in droves on the cable car. We sure got our timing wrong here as are tired and ready to quit for the day.

The ancient streets wind their way through the village and keep its secrets safe, however the recorded history of the temple at the very peak of the mountain speaks for itself.  The origins of Erice go back to when the cults of the Greek Goddess Aphrodite and Roman goddess Venice Ericina were celebrated in the temple at the very top … passing sailors would reach for the Goddess through sexual rites with hierodule priestesses housed in the temple.  

We wander around the site trying to imagine the goings on then head down through the lovely ancient village, before boarding the cable car to return to the bottom.

Tomorrow we will hopefully have some news on the fuel injectors and be able to move on.

Selinunte to Egadi Islands, Sicily

Selinunte Temples from the Anchorage

Monday 1 July 2013 


Sciacca looks very inviting when we surface the next morning after our vigorous sail for 7 hours from Agrigento, but in the end Selinunte is where we spend the night.

The guy on the phone is calling the taxi, the others are helping...

Sciacca is a lovely old town perched up on the nearby hill. There are typical buildings around the harbour, with a supermarket and Guardia Costiera immediately over the road which are great for stocking up and checking in - and we each do separately to save time.  Pippy soon returns to the boat with some shopping and a plan to go back for more later, and Richard acquires our Officio Circondariale Marittimo - our official document for the boat allowing us to navigate in Italian waters. We were planning to do this paperwork in Trapani so feel ahead of the game.  But wait.... we are not quite finished.  Now we have to go and get a stampa from the local Polizia Commisariato which we are told, is some distance away.

The Marina Office is very helpful in calling us a taxi and giving us directions.  The price is negotiated as Euro 15 there and back.  There are no buses.  The taxi soon arrives - a bus which could carry 8 people!  On we go up to the top of the hill and along the ridge looking out over the Sicilian Channel, until finally on the outskirts of town we arrive at a very official looking building, where we wait, and wait, and finally after about half an hour we are escorted into see a uniformed guy who looks at our brand new document and his eyes light up with joy as he advises us we have to go to Agrigento to get the stampa... no no no... not here!!  We tentatively ask if we can do it in Trapani (its where we are going) and he raises a finger at us and says No!  Agrigento!!  Okay we say. No problem!  He looks very happy again and off we go in the Euro 15 taxi back to the boat where we then find out it is not E30 for the night's berthage as first told, but E45.  

Suddenly that anchorage at Selinunte we read about in the Pilot Book is looking very inviting and soon we are on our way.  The wind is gone and there is not a breath of air as we motor for a short time and drop anchor in sight of the acropolis and ancient temples which were once the site of a large city dating back to 600BC.  As the sun goes down in the still afternoon, we enjoy a swim and a cold beer and contemplate the invasion by Hannibal in 409BC which destroyed the city.

The view from the dining room is not bad!...

This open roads anchorage would only be good in these calm conditions. 

The next morning the wind is looking quite promising for us to strike out for the north western tip of Sicily and our next destination which we hope will be the Egadi Islands. 

At some stage during the day the wind swings around behind us and even Pippy is forced to admit that the spinnaker would be a good idea.  Richard immediately gets that look on his face like when he is about to get a gelato ice cream, and the big bag comes out. Some time during our many conversations and beers with Marcus the Irish Sailor with an identical boat to ours, we discussed the dangers of using the spinnaker pole while short handed, and possibly trying our spinnaker without the pole like an a-symetrical gennaker. Marcus is the lucky owner of a purpose made gennaker which he swears by.

We are in the money as Richard fixes the bow attachment...

Today we have the ideal conditions for this and soon Richard has it all rigged up and we hoist without any problems.  Soon we are enjoying an additional 1-2 knots which is great in the light wind and opposing current we are experiencing today.  We get a good three to four hours out of the spennaker.

Our arrival into Cala Rosso on Favignana Island is a lovely surprise as we round the eastern tip of the island and suddenly find ourselves in an enclosed bay of crystal clear turquoise waters on a sandy bottom.  In no time the anchor is down and we are over the side.  This swim gets ten out of ten and lifts our spirits with a feeling that we are cruising at last.  The low cliffs surrounding the bay have curious linear structures built into them which look man made, but possibly caused by erosion.

Grandpa Fish

...and Pippy

It had to be too good to be true and it was.  Just before sundown the Park Rangers come alongside and advise us we cannot anchor there but can go on a buoy for which they touch us up for Euro 25 for the night on the mooring. We should have seen that coming, but never mind, it was a lovely spot to be.  There is a very strong drive now the protect the marine environment from the damage done by anchors on Poseidon grass, which we are very aware of and never anchor on grass for this reason.  We do support this especially when we see anchors being lifted with great clumps of green healthy grass, and roots tangled in them. This damage is unsustainable.

The next morning we head into the harbour of Favignana, to anchor close to the old Tuna processing factory and find out more about the Egadi Islands and where we can and cannot go.  

It is a lovely small town - charming with the holiday season in full swing and families making the most of their holiday break. We imagine ourselves being here with our own families and miss them at times like this. 

We love strolling through and soaking up the atmosphere.

However Richard has more serious things on his mind namely the splattering of some sort of oily fluid under the engine which he is wiping up each time we run the motor.  We will have to take a short service stop in Trapani, which is annoying as we paid quite a lot of money to have all the engine checked over and serviced up to date by Charlie Vela in Malta. Something is not right.

The cable car ride up to Erice at the top of the mountain beside Trapani looks interesting.

Leaking Fuel Injectors on Volvo engine... What was the problem?

There is nothing wrong with them but we have our fuel injectors checked and calibrated in Malta, by Charlie Vella,Yacht Services Ltd to make sure they are in top working order in preparation for our Atlantic crossing. 

The engine is performing okay on our crossing to Sicily, but there appears to be a strange smell at times, noticed more by Pippy than Cap'n Buck who was not very well and had been having medical treatment in Malta for acute back pain.

On arrival in the Egadi Islands Capn Buck notices fluid in the engine tray which he thinks may be oil.  We agree we have to go into Trapani and have the engine checked.  Trapani Boat Services fit us into a very busy harbour and diagnose leaking fuel injectors.  They say the injectors have to go off to Bosch to find out what is wrong with them.  It is Friday so we are up for several days of expensive marina fees to sort this out.

We write an email to Charlie Vella, Yacht Services Ltd, Malta, advising that we are having a problem with the work he has done.

Once we have the injectors re-installed and the problem diagnosed we send our report to Yacht Services Malta as follows:  

New washer installed

Faulty washers

Dear Charlie

"The injectors have been re-installed and checked and are running OK at this stage. There is no leaking from the injectors as before.

We have been working with Trapani Boat Services, .... The following comments are.... after discussion with Bosch once the injectors were serviced by them.

Diagnosis of Problem:  Fuel was leaking from the injector body.  The problem was solved by Bosch Assistance, specialist injector engineers in Marsala.

Note:  Injectors installed in engine are not Bosch – they are Japanese.  This is normal for Volvo to use Japanese injectors - but you used the wrong washers for these injectors.  

The fault was caused by the following:

1.       Bosch state that the injectors were incorrectly assembled in Malta due to incorrect copper washers being used – two holes not four as required, causing fuel to build up under pressure and leak.

2.       The injectors were not polished at all when serviced in Malta.  This is standard procedure when servicing – injectors were polished in Marsala by Bosch Assistance, specialist injector engineers. Cost 390 Euro."

(The word polished may not be correct, but there is a process which should happen to prepare the surface before re-installing and this had not done been at all. Maybe they should be cleaned... could have been lost in translation.)

We request our money back from Yacht Services Ltd:

"Charlie please can you refund us for the work you have done incorrectly which has caused us considerable expense.  ..."

Following below is the reply from Yacht Services Ltd Malta, basically telling us to get lost.

Unfortunately this is the way things sometimes work in the Med with less than acceptable quality of work.  Once you move on there is no guarantee for work done, even if it is done badly as in this case.  At no time do we get any kind of apology or concern expressed by Charlie Vella.

However, perhaps the following comments from Mr Vella are correct?  We would be very interested to hear any comments from people who think they may know the answer.

...

The injectors in question were serviced according to all Bosch requirements and were supplied with new washers as required.

I would like to comment on the assertions made by the Italian in the following manner;

1] It is not true what he said that the washers supplied were not correct. In fact there are two types and both fit this engine. It does not make any difference whether they have two holes or four holes since the back leakage is minimal.

2] It is true that the injectors were not polished, since the injectors do not have any parts that need polishing. Instead there are a number of procedures that have to be done during the repair process. It is obvious that our work was done as per Bosch specs since no one queried the performance of the engine in any way or form.

3] Finally the leak as claimed is surely from the return of the injectors AND NOT FROM WITHIN THE INJECTORS. The procedure to replace or just tighten the return upper nut does not entail removing the injectors from their place, but is done on site. A job which normally takes about thirty minutes.

Should you need further clarification on the matter do not hesitate to contact me through Mr Charles Vella.

Well, we are the big losers in all of this argument and Cap'n Buck is eventually diagnosed with a very large kidney stone which has been the cause of his acute pain.  He is now back in good health again having been hospitalised and treated in Palma.  

We do feel aggrieved at the way we have been treated.  We had put a lot of work Charlie Vella's way and he benefited from our referrals big time.  Nice one thanks.