Sailing from Palermo to Palma - 2

Departing the Bay of Palermo

The arrival of September is almost akin to a gate closing in the Mediterranean, Tyrrhenian and Ionian Seas; the weather becomes unpredictable and storms become more frequent, and increasingly violent. At this time of year, examination of the forecasts and route planning are key to a safe passage. We delayed our departure a little longer, to let some wind blow through. Mid Friday morning, I decided to set myself my first test of seamanship; making a batch of crème caramels in the galley. While it was easy to begin with, obviously fishing a bain marie from a hot oven in a lively sea has its interesting points.

Just after midday we motored out of the Bay of Palermo, and were not surprised when we passed Capo Gallo to find winds which were not favourable to our intended course. This was in fact expected, and forecasted, and we beat our way out to the island of Ustica accompanied by a pod of small eager dolphins. We tacked just to the south of Ustica just before 1800 hours.

Lighthouse marking the western point of the Bay of Palermo at Capo Gallo

Our new course would keep our track a good safe distance seaward of the north west of coast of Sicily, and was sufficiently far enough north for us to take early advantage of the expected lift in the wind. By sunset, thunder clouds had begun to develop and roll in towards the Sicilian coast. Heavy gusts of wind preceded the cloud systems, however we avoided much of the rain which was destined for the shore. The wind increased continually through the night, and coupled with the sea state, the conditions provided a challenging environment for preparing food and indeed eating it. Needless to say there were a few casualties, who found life difficult, but a small few did enjoy the lasagne which was hastily portioned out into bowls and passed around on deck.

Approaching Ustica on port tack

There was only a few percent of the moon visible and this thin crescent set early in evening. Without the normal illumination from the moon the night was very dark and sinister. The night was made even darker by the low dense cloud cover, but gradually the clouds began to light up. At the helm, as the wind passed your face, you could feel the rapid changes in temperature giving some indicqtion the air was highly charged. From midnight to 4 a.m. the sky was continually alight with flashes of lightning, as the thunder clouds all around Fenix released their charge, sometimes with extremely dramatic effects. A phenomenon which never ceases to amaze me, and this night was no exception, is that you go an entire day and not see a ship. However, in stark contrast at night you may sight many ships and vessels, as you monitor the horizon, and closely follow their respective courses.

The next 12 hours on Saturday 11th proved to be slightly windier than forecast, and we made good progress towards Sardinia, the eastern coast of which we finally sighted at about 1 p.m. Lunch was a minimalist affair in the circumstances, and wedges of monreale bread filled with salami, cheese and tomato were well received by those that wished to partake in that feast on deck. Some did not.

Fenix beating into the setting sun as the wind moderated

By 1600 hours spirits on board began to improve because the wind had moderated, and begun to move into the north as it was forecasted to do. We had intended to pass close enough to Sardinia to update our weather forecast, and our course closed in upon the Isola Dei Cavoli, and the Golfo Di Cagliari. The news was good and we continued our way along the southern Sardininan coast parting with it just after midnight.

All hands were on deck for dinner at 1900 hours, which commenced with a large platter of prosciutto, brescaola, capocollo, and various salamis, served with olive oil and bread. Technically, because we had passed a headland, and not wanting to offend the sea gods and the deity of the headland (a close and revered relation), we opened a bottle of wine to procure further good fortune and ward off evil spirits. A Sicilian chardonnay produced by Planeta was sourced from the chiller for this purpose.

A more leisurely approach towards the south western tip of Sardinia

The main course was an epicurean affair, preparations for which had commenced two hours earlier with the production of the tomato and vegetable sauce. Four onions and three cloves of garlic were cooked in olive oil salt and pepper. To this was added a thinly sliced red pepper, pomodorini, about seven salad chopped tomatoes, a thinly sliced bulb of fennel, a tin of tomatoes and half a tin of tomato concentrate. This melange was cooked for an hour, and then blended and left to stand. At the same time the onions were being chopped, two bulbous Sicilian aubergines were thickly sliced and sprinkled with salt. After an hour they were washed and patted dry, and placed into a hot oven with olive oil and seal salt. The accompanying sauce and side dishes prepared, attention was turned to the fresh ravioli filled with ricotta, speck and radiccio. Dinning was al fresco, and all the crew were served with a bowl of ravioli, topped with tomato and vegetable sauce, roasted aubergine, and grated pecorino and parsley to garnish. All bowls were returned to the galley both empty and spotlessly clean as we advanced towards Cabo Spartivento and Cabo Teulada, and a glorious sunset. Only 275 nautical miles remained to Cabo Blanco on the south eastern corner of Mallorca.

A computer generated chart with overlay for Saturday 12th September at midnight