Skip to main content
Sicily Flotilla Cruise Tale: aka a Blog Delayed
The Sicily Flotilla Cruise with Colgate Sailing Adventures began in the Puerto Rosa Marina at Sail Italia along the north coast of Sicily. 20 NM due north lay the Aeolian Islands. After boarding our catamarans we gathered for a very fine opening night dinner at the Plaza restaurant, arranged by Heather. This was our first opportunity to get to know each other.
Amazing Food and Wines Throughout the Cruise
We consumed many appetizers, vegetable combinations and pasta dishes before the seafood entrees were served. And our meal was greatly enhanced by some of the best Sicilian wines with the minerality of Mt Etna. Those of us still able, followed up with pistachio cannelloni and biscotti.
Day 1 – Isla de Volcano
The following morning everyone was up early and itching to get underway. For this Sicily Flotilla Cruise, checkouts were completed the afternoon before. One by one we dropped our lines and motored out to assemble offshore for our motor trip to Isla de Volcano. On the Hakuna Matata we were the only boat with a theme song playing during the departure. We also had developed a special themed drink the evening
before, a Campari fizz variant known as the Latta Matata.
Volcanic Black Sand Beach on Volcano’s West Coast
Avoiding all the crunchy bits along the west coast of the volcano, we anchored for the first night of our Sicily flotilla cruise in a very crowded, generous harbor at the NW corner of the island. The beach was a lovely volcanic black sand which of course got into and on everything. Four of us from our boat took our dinghy over to the beach for a hike across the peninsula to see the sulfur pools.
Swimming and Hiking – What a View!
George and Susan swam out into the bay where the warm sulfurous fumes bubbled up around them. The most ambitious group of from this Colgate Sailing Adventures Sicily Flotilla Cruise (Sylvia, Mike and Linda) hiked to the volcano’s top. What a view! Beautiful photos of the caldera and a few selfie/hero shots.
Dinner at a Local Restaurant with Great Seafood
After a nap +/- back at the boats, we shared predinner cocktails, then dinghied over to the dock for the walk into town. Most groups made it to town for dinner. A local woman directed us to a great restaurant next to a patisserie where we were the only non-Vulcans in the place. Taking the proprietors advice, we shared the seafood platter of the
day – swordfish, swordfish rolls, stuffed squid and what looked like baby lobsters all grilled to perfection. This was accompanied by grilled veggies, pastas and the last bottle of Hiera locally grown red wine.
Day 2 – Funiculi
Monday morning we awoke to find ourselves completely becalmed. Looking down 10 meters through crystal clear water at the rocky bottom, a few small fish swam by. Excited to explore our next destination of this Sicily flotilla cruise, we weighed anchor and motored out of the harbor. Off the island we took turns at the helm practicing out motor steering skills. With some effort due to salty reefing lines we raised our mainsails for a motor sail to Funiculi, “The Magic Island”.
Otto, the Autopilot Did the Steering
Today we had breakfast underway, with Otto the auto pilot doing most of the steering. Everyone had become accustomed to steampot espresso and stout crusty bread with prime olive oil. After shutting down Otto, we picked up a mooring in Funiculi. A guy named Massimo ran both the marina and water taxi service. Most of us rode into town, to climb the hill to prehistoric ruins amidst lots of stones on the plateau. A few hikers climbed the other, taller hill to visit a closed church which must be where they kept the magic. That evening, we all gathered to dine together at a seaside restaurant before taking the water taxi ride back to our Sicily flotilla cruise boats.
Day 3 – Sailing to Salina
0830 we dropped our moorings and exited the harbor in light winds of 8-13 knots. Raising our sails we enjoyed a broad reach towards Salina to the east with a following sea. As the breeze freshened to 10-15 knots a huge catamaran ferry was kind enough to pass behind us at high speed.
Good Winds – Great Sailing!
Today we elected to sail as much as possible as it looked to be the only Sicily flotilla cruise day with favorable winds that week. A weather advisory predicted a storm off to the north with rain eventually moving away. Hakuna Matata made 7 knots SOG in 15-17 knot winds from the west. After jibing every 30 minutes or so, at 1030 we decided to sail 1 NM further north to clear the eastern corner of Salina. Our new heading was 310 degrees, 6.2 knots SOG, with true winds of 15-16 knots, 2 NM off the NW corner of Salina. At 1120, due N of the NE corner of Salina, we changed to 125 degrees, reaching 8.5 knots
SOG, in 19 knots of true wind. By noon the wind was 20-23 knots from the SE as we lay west of the island.
Tour to a Fun Winery Resort
Heather arranged 2 buses to take us on a winery tour near the light house. The family run winery was visually appealing, more of a resort with a pool and spa. We tasted 3 variations of white wine all from the same grape variety under different conditions with strikingly different results. The town of Salina boasts a long pedestrian mall near the waterfront with many fine shops and restaurants. The cat park was perhaps the most memorable feature. Everyone seemed to find a good spot for dinner that eve.
Day 4 – Stromboli
In the morning, one by one we released our mooring lines and proceeded out of the harbor to regroup around the submerged top of a volcano just 8 meters below the surface. I guess in a calm sea the mountain top is visible but despite a dedicated search we saw it only on our instruments. We then motored 25 NM to Stromboli to see the active volcano as we neared the end of our Sicily flotilla cruise. We watched it erupt about every 15 min with a puff of smoke and ash visible from 15 miles away. Upon arrival in Stromboli we each picked up a mooring ball, then took a water taxi into town.
Off to See the Caldera at Sunset
16 of us elected to join a 3 pm guided hike up the side of the volcano to see the caldera at sunset. As it was a serious hike a few of us had to rent hiking boots to manage it. It took 2.5 hours to reach the viewing area just before sunset. After dark you can seen the magma flung upwards in a fiery shower each time a bolus of gas erupts through it from below. It is a spectacular fireworks show.
The rest of the flotilla took an evening motor boat ride to see the eruption from the water. After the show we brave climbers wound our way back down the mountain trail with headlamps visible from the boats below. At 2330 we enjoyed a late dinner with cocktails aboard our boats for the weary hikers.
Day 4 – Lipari
Friday AM we released our mooring balls and set off for Lipari on a bluebird morning with calm seas. Our initial destination was the NE corner where there is a natural harbor to drop a hook and swim or snorkel off an old quarry in clear water. We passed a few fishing boats along the way. The water was warm making for a nice swim but also pretty sterile except for a few minnows, one small crab and a jelly fish drifting over the rocks. We regrouped then motored to a very nice marina at the town of Lipari for a low windage uneventful med moor.
What a Wonderful Sicily Flotilla Group
Heather arranged a group cocktail party on the lead boat attended by all in our official bright lemon yellow polo shirts. The group photos were recorded as we enjoyed Nate’s special rum punch and each crews’ best appetizer efforts. After the party most of us took a taxi or van into town to explore and enjoy a delicious dinner ashore.
Day 5 – back to Puerta Rosa
Some slept in while most of us went to find coffee and pastries for a typical Sicilian breakfast. At 1100 we departed Lipari on a lovely morning motor cruise back to Puerta Rosa. Friday evening the final Colgate Sailing Adventures flotilla cruise group dinner was held at a winery, a 30 minute motor coach ride away. Some might suggest that again too much food and drink was served but it all seemed about right to me. A good time was had by all.
Our Fleet for the Week
We sailed on a fleet of catamarans booked through Sunsail and The Moorings. More great Offshore Sailing School, Colgate Sailing Adventure flotilla cruises are coming up.
Check out the next flotilla cruises, and don’t miss the next adventure – cruising with Offshore Sailing School in the most beautiful parts of the world!
