July 11th, 2012

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Wednesday July 11 in Syracuse, Sicily

Wednesday, July 11th, 2012

I left Rocella Ionica yesterday at noon and arrived here at 1 p.m. Not bad for  96 nautical miles, as the crow flies, but sail boats have to tack against the wind and I must have covered over 110/120 miles. Practically sailed the whole way. At midnight the wind changed to a reach from the tacking I had done earlier. I ended up with two reefs in the main and just the little storm jib, doing 5 knots.  Lots of fishing boats and rotating red and white lights on the end of their nets. But practically no commercial vessel to be seen.

Syracuse is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles. Paul stopped here on his way to Rome after they had wintered on Malta, after the shipwreck. I might do his voyage  in reverse. I am thinking of heading for Valetta tomorrow and then possibly stop in Tunis. My only hesitation is the unusual high temperatures. It was over 40 degrees centigrade again this afternoon. This morning it had cooled off so that I needed to put on a t-shirt.It is too hot to cook, so, I am on a salad diet.

I just nearly choked when I heard what the moorage costs, 46 euroes about $65… That is more than double what I paid in the previous Italian ports except the one in Sta Maria de Leuca, where it was 31 euroes. I will try see the Greek amphitheater from 450 B.C. Syracuse was founded by the Corinthians and at one time its population was over 300,000. It played a very important role in the Greek and Roman cultures. Then I will either anchor out in the bay here or do an other overnighter. You should try watch the sky before sun rise in the area where the sun rises. I think it is Venus and Mars or Mercury who are in a straight vertical line and both are very bright.

I just found ou today that the article in Wooden Boat Magazine’s Sept/Oct issue, about Botters, will be a cover page article. You have got to read it. WB did a great job putting my information together. Back in 2004 an article I wrote about the “Groote Beer” for Spiegel der Zeilvaart also made their front cover.