[Rhodes22-list] Med Sailing, Leaving Barcelona

[C. Robert Lester]

Safe Travels...Chris & Alice!!

-----Original Message-----
From: Rhodes22-list [mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On Behalf Of Chris Geankoplis
Sent: Wednesday, July 4, 2018 3:37 AM
To: The Rhodes 22 Email List <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Med Sailing, Leaving Barcelona

It has been a while so here is an update.  Having jumped through (or
around) all the hoops involved is simply sailing a small boat in the Med we are ready to go.  Just have to provision and top off the tanks and we head north and east to the French border 90 miles up the coast.  From the border to Marseille is 150 miles and then to the border with Italy another 125 miles.  We are planning on about 3 weeks for this portion of the trip.
Lots to see and do.

 The prevailing winds are Southerlies up the Spanish coast then switching to mostly Northwesterlies in the Gulf of Lyon.  There is a strong NW wind with katabatic effects called the Mistral.  This can come up very suddenly and go from nothing to gale force in 20 minutes, gotta watch out for that one.  Fortunately we will be in close to the coast so the seas should not be too big and there are a number of marinas to duck into.

>From the Italian coast to the island of Elba is about 200 miles and then down the coast of Italy stopping at the offshore islands along the way to Naples, about 270 miles and then on down to the southern coast of Sicily at
Ragussa for another 350 miles.   For the Italian coast portion we are
planning to spend about 6 weeks or so.  Having sailed the Italian portion
50 years ago, I expect things have changed.  Should be a great sail.

The winds once past Elba or a bit south are generally light NW winds in the summer but with a modifying influence of land/sea breezes.  The southern coast south of Naples does not have a lot of natural harbors, mostly open coast.  There have been a number of marinas that have been build over the last couple of decades so if necessary we can find shelter if something comes up since we can't beach the boat and pull it above the high water mark like my first trip.


Looks like we have the insurance problem taken care of, the trailer has been processed and "destroyed".  My "competency" certificate is now in my possession and the boat is equipped with the required safety equipment.....including a "mirror" and a rope "five times the length of the vessel"; good to know (grin).

We have really enjoyed our time here north of Barcelona in Matero, and the enforced leisurely pace while we waited for the bureaucracy to grind (us?) slowly to completion.  Well worth the wait.  Now we shall see what is next instore for us.  Meltemi, no problem, bureaucracy not so much.

Chris & Alice
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