Best Laid Plans Are Written In Sand

As we bid a sad farewell to our son and daughter-in-law, it was time to start making our way north for the arrival of my sister and brother-in-law.  They were not due to join us for a few more days, and our goal was to get to a marina just outside the Rome airport (which was still quite far from where we currently were).  We left the town of Cetara on the Amalfi Coast and headed 7 hours north to the island of Procida, outside of the Naples area.  It was a cloudy and overcast day, and by the time we selected our spot in the busy anchorage, it was pretty late in the day.  The surrounding town was very nice, but the anchorage was very rolly with local boat traffic.  It had been a long day, and we were both feeling kind of blah, so neither of us felt like taking the dinghy into town to explore.  This, of course, would be a decision we would kind of regret later.  Oh well, we can always go back later or next year.  Little did we know, our plans in the sand were about to begin their slow erosion.

Beautiful island of Procida
Dramatic cliffside monastery on the island
Our passage to Procida from the Amalfi coast. 37 Nautical miles.

The following day was going to be a really long one, so we were underway by 7:00 a.m.  We were headed to the island of Ponza.  It took us nearly 9 hours to arrive at our next destination.  This island had a great looking town on one end and sheer rock cliffs on the other.  Thankfully it was a much bigger anchorage than the one we were in the night before, and we quickly selected our spot.  For those of you that know me well, I like a respectable amount of space between me and my neighbors and usually choose the most remote area (which also means we get some really amazing backdrops….in this case, the towering cliffs behind us).  Once again, there was a lot of powerboat traffic making for a very rolly anchorage.  Sadly, we really had no desire to head into town after our long day.  I guess after a few weeks of milling through very crowded towns bustling with tourists, we really needed some quiet downtime and solitude.  So, another island has been added to our “must return to” and explore list.  Darn!  Another island we have to make our way back to….haha.

Next stop – the island of Ponza
Ponza makes a perfect stopover enroute northwards to Rome. 51 NM from Procida

On the third day, we made the decision to get all the way to Fiumicino, Rome.  We had a reservation in a marina the following night, so we put in a request for an additional night tonight.  This was going to be a very long passage, and we would be racing sunset.  Once again, we got underway early in the morning.  About half way through our nearly 12 hour passage, we heard back from the marina….there was no room at the inn tonight.  Uh oh.  That was a serious miscalculation!  We were along the coast of mainland Italy, in an area where marinas and safe anchorages were few and far between.  Dan searched incessantly for options as we continued our way north.  No luck.  Finally he found a possibility.  About a half hour north of our intended destination, Ostia Marina, was an area where a breakwater had been constructed for a new marina that was never completed.  Never completed, as in the only thing there was a very nice breakwater with great holding in mud….that’s it.  The sun was very low on the horizon, and the race was on to get in before it completely set.  There was only one other boat in the anchorage as we rounded the corner.  The bay was surrounded by these very interesting “houses” on stilts which gave the whole place a bit of a creepy vibe.  We were soon greeted by a resident swan looking for handouts.  I threw him some toasted bread.  He was obviously well trained as he would tap his bill on our swim step to ask for more.

Dropping anchor at sunset after a long day sailing from Ponza to Ostia (near Rome airport)
65 nautical miles and 12 hours on passage
Swan greeting party

The next day we headed into the marina to get the boat ready for Kim and Don’s arrival.  Once we had Kim and Don on board, we got them settled in for the day before our departure the following day.  The weather the next day was cool and cloudy with very little wind.  We got underway fairly early for our 4 1/2 hour journey.  Unfortunately, the winds were calm which meant no sailing.  We anchored off the town of Santa Marinella.  We enjoyed some swimming before heading in to explore the small town.  Since it was now September, we carefully watching the weather multiple times a day.  It was becoming very evident that transition season had arrived early, and it did not look pretty.  We were carefully plotting our destinations to try and show our guests as much as possible.  Our plan….make our way up the western side of Italy, cross over to the island of Elba, and then head over to the eastern side of Corsica.

New guests joined us in Rome! Welcome Kim and Don!
First anchor drop with Don and Kim
Obligatory “Anchor beer” – an important ritual on Zoe!
Out and about in Santa Marinella

Our next destination was 6 1/2 hours away, so we got an early start once again.  Today was sunny and hot with very little wind….no sailing again.  We arrived in Porto Ercole.  We secured an awesome spot below some towering rock cliffs, very close to the town.  No one really felt like swimming, so we took the dinghy into town to walk the waterfront and surrounding town.  It wasn’t long before we had seen all there was to see.  This would be an early night since we were headed to the island of Elba the next day, and this would be close to a 10 hour passage.  Our guests were awesome troopers given the very long passages we were making each day.  As I said, transition season was upon us, and the weather was getting more and more questionable.  We still felt that we had our window to get to Elba, wait out some strong winds, and then head to Corsica.  The west side of Corsica was looking uglier and uglier with high winds and seas (not overly unusual), but the east side still showed some pockets of fair weather (notice I did not say great weather!).  Our plan was to leave the anchorage at 6 a.m.  At 2 a.m., Dan and I woke to the boat pitching around violently as large swell came rolling into our little nook.  To make matters worse, we were on a lee shore close to the rocks (if the anchor let loose, we would crash into the rocks).  Did I mention there was thunder and lightning as well?  At 3 a.m., I attempted to lift the anchor in 3 foot swells and white caps.  It was pitch black, so I had to try and use a flashlight in order to keep track of the position on our anchor chain and anchor.

Co-captain Robyn has the watch
Co captain Dan demonstrating how passage naps are the best
Nice view of a cliffside fortress from our anchorage near Porto Ercole
Tender ride to town for some exploration

The seas were choppy with 3 foot swell but no wind once we rounded the peninsula from the bay.  We enjoyed the sunrise and some much  needed coffee.  The afternoon winds made their arrival allowing us to actually sail the back half of our journey to Elba.  As we approached the harbor of Portoferraio, we entered the freeway of very large ferries and cruise ships coming and going.  Before long, we were tied up on the city quay right in front of the old town and all the hustle and bustle of a busy tourist town.  Our first adventure was to rent a car and go explore the area, including Napoleon Bonaparte’s villa where he had been exiled.  Tourist season was in full bloom and everything was very busy.  We decided to head up into a mountaintop town.  Heavy, dark clouds were rolling in which were limiting what we could do and see.  Unfortunately, we did have an “exciting” moment as we rounded a corner, in the heart of town, where it narrowed to one lane of traffic for cars going in both directions.  While Dan tried to avoid the concrete planters on one side, a young guy came around the corner (not really hugging his side) and we scraped down each other’s side.  Well, that put a huge damper on everyone’s mood.  We also wandered a huge fortress with great views overlooking the island and sea.  After exploring the area for a couple of days, we were ready to get underway.  Our plan was to head over to an anchorage about an hour away on Elba.  The seas were calm, but the skies were threatening with thunderstorms.  Our plan was to stage at the anchorage before crossing over to the island of Corsica.  More wicked weather was coming, so we were keeping a close eye on things.  Best laid plans…..

Time to get hunkered down…the wind is on it’s way
This spot will do quite nicely- Portoferraio on the island of Elba
City gates near the boat
Wet day view from Zoe
Napoloeon’s first residence
Two Arizona Cardinals fans in Italy getting ready for the game!

We found a nice spot in the anchorage and got settled in.  There was enough wind to keep the water moving at a pretty good clip.  We dropped the dinghy to go over to the beach bars and some cool looking hikes.  As Dan was motoring about checking the engine, it quit.  There was no getting it started.  He ended up rowing back to Zoe where he and Don set about trying to fix it.  No such luck….it was a goner.  This now meant we were trapped on the boat.  Trying to row 4 people on our dinghy (we were not close to shore or town) in windy conditions was not going to end well.  Without a dinghy, this also meant we were stuck going to marinas unless we fixed it.  We made arrangements to go back to Portoferraio where there was a marina with trades to work on boats.  The following morning we made sure they had room for us to come in early.  They told us they did.  The wind was now picking up and clouds were rumbling with thunder and lightning.  Once again, we navigated the gauntlet of cruise ships and ferries.  We hovered outside the marina trying to reach them.  The winds were already 18 knots.  That’s going to making docking an adventure.  When we finally reached someone at the marina, they said they had no room for us!  What?!?  Dan quickly scrambled and managed to get us a spot back on the wall we had just left the day before.  OMG….we were trapped on Elba!  Long story short….no one could fix the dinghy.  The weather around Corsica got worse, so we wouldn’t be going there, and the seas to get back to mainland Italy were not pretty.  We settled into our new home for a few days to wait out the weather.  Apparently this weather hell was going to be our new norm for the remainder of our time.  Our plans in the sand were now eroding more quickly.

Uh oh – outboard issues. Is it the fuel line or something worse?
Rain rain and more rain!!!
Napoleons’ second residence – much grander in scale
Bedroom in the Palace
Elba has it’s charms

We finally got our weather window to make our way to mainland Italy (Corsica continued to look worse and worst).  It was a very cloudy, cold, and long day.  After a 7 hour passage, we rode the swells into a marina in Rosignano, Italy.  Since we were tracking yet another weather system, we made the decision to come in to a marina and use it as our base to explore on land for a bit.  Our best laid sailing plans were being blown up left and right with weather systems.  So, when life hands you lemons…

The water became an incredible share of blue as we drew close to Rosignano

The marina was amazing.  We were safely tucked up deep in the marina where there were numerous shops and restaurants.  The surrounding area had many beach bars, restaurants and a nice long boardwalk along the sea.  I could definitely enjoy hanging here for a while….which we did.  I will close this here since it’s getting rather long.  Our next episode will take you on our land adventures in Tuscany, so I hope you will stay tuned!

Making the most of September weather!
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