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A (socially distanced) Cruise Malta to the Italian Adriatic coast

Lionel Hoare

15E Having wintered Alcyone in Malta, we were Porto Civitanova restricted to breaking out of Maltese quarantine in October and staying in Italian waters. Although unusual to launch in October, immediately Pescara Vieste Tremiti Islands wondering where to lay up, it was great to be able to get afloat and explore new waters. Bari While travel between the UK and was ITALY still allowed, Charles Fowle and I flew to Malta 40N Otranto on 6 October. Entry into Italy from Malta was permitted, only if armed with a negative Covid test, taken less than 72 hours prior to arrival. The test was easily arranged; but results were only

Catania promised within 72 hours, which could have been Syracuse Alcyone of awkward and did cause anxiety. After taking the Apuldram swab test and having seen a little of Valletta and Grand Soleil 46.3 Mdina, we left Malta at dusk on 7 October in MALTA Valletta somewhat boisterous conditions. It was a lively reach in 25-30 knots of wind. The decks needed the wash they received. What a joy not to be cold at night in such conditions! A careful watch was required as there was a fair bit of traffic and avoiding action was needed on a couple of occasions. The wind dropped and reefs were shaken out in the early hours. By dawn the motor was on, near the south east corner of . The anchor went down off Syracuse in time for breakfast, after covering 84nm. No test results came through, so we couldn’t go ashore; which was not too depressing as I had been there twice last year. A sunny day was enjoyed aboard and much needed sleep appreciated. The following day lunch was taken at anchor off Augusta, before motoring on to to meet a third crew member, Edward Baxter. After a desperate plea, the swab test result was received shortly after we had made up in Catania, so we could disembark. Rarely do I welcome a ‘negative’ result on my CV. In the event, our anxiety was misplaced and Lionel 156 A (socially distanced) Cruise the entry formalities could not have been easier, Club Nautico handling it all themselves. The long haul across the toe of Italy (150nm) began after breakfast in beautiful sunny conditions with a tail wind. For a while we goose-winged with the genoa poled out; but that didn’t last long. The log reads ‘An extraordinary sail; all wind directions and every wind strength from 0-20 kts. Some great sailing; but too much motoring’. There was a beautiful sunset over Etna before a clear, starry night, with Mars casting a reflection on the water Sunset on Etna until the moon rose. After 24 hours we stopped for a swim before making up in Crotone in time for Sunday lunch. The pilot book states: Crotone;‘ once esteemed for its beautiful women, its art and its wonderful architecture, today has virtually nothing to show of its ancient glory.’ I can testify that the pilot book is correct! The town was deserted on a Sunday; but we did eventually find a reasonable lunch. The locals came out for their passaggiata in the evening. A disappointing dinner was made depressing by speakers playing an endless circuit of ABBA. Fair weather left us and a soggy Monday was spent in ‘Grotone’, as we came to call it, trying to avoid heavy rain. It was a fetch in a nasty swell, before having to motor for more than half of the 70nm across the instep, the Bay of , to on the southern-most point of the heel of Italy. ‘Massive thunder and lightning; but luckily not over us, as we walked to a fine dinner in Leuca.’ Leuca offers a convenient marina in a beautiful setting; but is otherwise an unremarkable town; except for a yacht wrecked on the rocks outside and Mussolini’s

157 Lionel Hoare staircase, a ceremonial gateway (folly) of 286 steps up to a basilica, from whence we could see across to the Greek islands and . Otranto was reached the next afternoon, after gybing downwind in calm seas and sunshine. We hoped we were in time to see the mosaic floor in the Cathedral and the frescos in the chapel of St Peter but it was not to be. We made up thrice; on the town pontoon, the yacht club pontoon and the harbour wall and from each, in no uncertain terms, despite much pleading, we were told to move. By the time we had anchored it was getting dark and no one had the appetite to extract, inflate and launch the dinghy. Luckily, there was a good supper on board and it was a calm night; before a fresh tailwind took us quickly to Brindisi under genoa only. One of those great sails, when we were egging the speed on, up to 10 knots plus, in the gusts. The industrial approach is not at all attractive in the rain; however things improve once through the narrow entrance into the old harbour and Alcyone was made up Virgil’s Steps beneath Virgil’s Steps at the end of the Appian Way. After a long day of motoring, mostly in sunshine, Bari was approached in light drizzle. Having called to enquire about a berth, I was impressed by the efficiency of Marina Ranieri in sending a link on WhatsApp to a form of all the necessary detail as we approached, which took little time to complete. I was somewhat less impressed when it took half an hour to input the same information manually on arrival. What do the Italians do with all their copies of passports, boat registrations and insurance policies? Having greatly enjoyed their company on the north coast of Sicily last year, it was good to be back among the Normans again; Bari Cathedral one can get over-Baroqued! The 158 A (socially distanced) Cruise

Cathedral and the Basilica of San Nicola were both stunning and the latter offered the added bonus of being able to provide my wish list to Father Christmas in person; for there he lies. A further 55nm under power took us to Vieste. The log book reads ‘Refuelled and watered; not difficult, as we were moored on the fuel berth overnight. No wind. Motor. Sun. Fois Gras for lunch. Dolphins seen p.m. Very attractive approach to Vieste.’ Here we saw our last Norman churches in the beautiful old town, spectacularly set on a promontory, right on the spur of Italy. The word ‘chilly’ starts to appear in the log book from Sunday 18 Basilica San Nicola, Bari October, as a northerly airstream began to establish itself. It was warm enough by late afternoon when we picked up a mooring between San Domino and San Nicola in the beautiful Tremiti Islands for one crew member to swim ashore to explore San Domino, which he found to be rather grubby, whilst the other two raised a glass to the sun setting on the citadel on San Nicola. Luckily it was a flat sea and a still night.

Sunset on San Nicola 159 Lionel Hoare

A beautiful sunrise enhanced our departure for a day of motoring the 60nm to Pescara. Pescara is an uninspiring modern town; having successively been destroyed by the Lombards, the Normans, the Venetians, The Kingdom of , the Ottomans, the Austrians, the French and then by massive bombing from the allies in the war. We dined well. Heading north from Pescara there was much snow on mountains behind an attractive fertile coastline and it was chilly in the morning. Another day of motoring on a flat calm sea, in sunshine, saw us in Porto Civitanova. I had intended to lay up the following day in Ancona; but was told that they had no room, ashore or afloat. Civitanova was more accommodating and the boat was lifted in the morning Snow on the Apennines of 22 October. We took the train to Bologna and flew home to two weeks of isolation; restrictions having been imposed half way through our cruise; despite lower infection rates in Italy than in the UK. It was rather more of a delivery trip than a leisurely cruise, 680nm were covered in two weeks; but memorable moments, afloat and ashore, made it enjoyable Out, with a very clean bottom! nonetheless. No burgees were seen. Other than some locals out at weekends, we saw no one else cruising these waters. Ashore, we had to be masked at all times and distancing was not difficult; because bars and restaurants were largely deserted. I hope pandemics permit longer, more leisurely and sociable sailing in the Adriatic next year.

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