On August 18th we left Torre Annunziata with the goal of reaching Salerno by the 22nd since I had to be in Barletta by the 24th to pick up my EU passport. We sailed past the Amalfi Coast. It’s beautiful, but so full of boats speeding by that it’s hard to enjoy it. We found a spacious bay to anchor just off Salerno, we were there for 8 days (well, I was in Barletta from the 22nd to the 25th…).
John and I liked Salerno. A big enough city to have amenities, but still holding a small city vibe. It has an extensive coastline, so we’d come ashore at different points, depending on where we wanted to go.
We replenished supplies, including propane and decided to wait out for predicted winds and rain at “our spot.”
Mother Nature had other plans… When the winds started the anchor dragged and we decided we’d be better off at a marina given the weather, and we needed fresh water as well. I called around and came to an agreement with a gentleman. However, once inside the harbor, when I called – as agreed – to advise of our arrival another guy answers and keeps insisting that it wasn’t their marina I’d contacted (I called using the “recent calls” log, so it was) He finally said they didn’t have a spot.
Meanwhile, we’re in the harbor, tight quarters, windy, Lady Cindy isn’t easy to maneuver at slow speed. As I’m giving John the news about the marina, a group of men see us struggling a bit and offer us to side moor at their location (they rent boats and I’m sure they knew there wouldn’t be business with the coming weather).
Side mooring in that weather was a challenge, too. The swells pushed the boat against the mooring quite a bit.
However, shortly after arriving John also discovered that the engine’s water pump needed repairs. After some research, the best option was to order a pump via Amazon and have it delivered to a locker the next day.
The Universe is taking care of us. We had a safe spot for the winds and rain, we were able to replace the water pump, refilled the water tanks, did laundry and grocery shopping. We gave the owner a monetary thank you, but it was a fraction of what the marina would have cost (BTW, after we’d docked I received a call from the guy that insisted it wasn’t their marina I had called acknowledging that I’d talked to someone else in their office…)
Today we are under sail, surrounded by blue water and clear skies, heading south toward Sicily, with plans to stop by Stromboli Island where there is an active volcano that John is very keen on seeing.
Thankyou for all the news much more comprehensive than John’s letters sadly he is not the best communicator in the world. I worry about him when it goes quiet. It sounds like quite an adventure ups and downs all the time good job John is so handy with mechanics and electrics. I can imagine your frustration with the second man another jobs worth!! Look forward to meeting you someday too x