Easter Refurbishment

Starting Easter Sunday March 31st, Sea of Joy enjoyed two weeks of intensive maintenance, a lot of refurbishment work was done mostly with friendly help from Guiseppe Incorvaia and his crew from Oceania Shipyard in Licata, Sicily:

• she got fresh antifouling Trilux 33
• her Maxprop was cleaned and fully greased
• new anodes for protection were installed
• new waterpump for her watercooled fridge
• new navigation, anchor and deck lights based on LED
• new firmware was installed on most of her electronic devices
• a new ultrasonic log was installed (Airmar CS 4500)
• active Automatic Identification System (AIS) for additional safety with CPA alarm and SAR function including additional GPS-Antenna, 
• a new Navtex-antenna was installed
• new seacock and blackwater Y-Valve were installed
• both toilets were serviced
• a new propeller shaft seal was installed
• motor oil, oil filter and diesel filter were changed
• and finally: a new deck paint!
• the UV-protection of her genua was repaired in Trapani by Mr. Lombardo

On route to Trapani I visited Marsala, the Phoenician settlement at Morzia, and the beautiful temples of Segesta and Selinunte.

In Licata I met a lot of nice and helpful people:

• Gaby and Gerald from S/Y VivaMare
• Erika and Manfred from S/Y Motu
• Anne und Willi from S/K Leev Linda
• Heidi and Herbert from S/Y Albatros
• Gaby and Willi from S/Y Capella
• and last not least Maria Sitibondo, who celebrated her 30th birthday with a nice party

A short sea-trial proved S/Y Sea of Joy ready for her cruises in 2013!

South Coast Calabria, then round Sicily

We started our last cruise with an experienced crew on September 23rd 2012: Christian Singer, Gerhard Rothfuss und Gerhard Westphal. In the evening we anchored  west of the port of Scoglitti and had a wonderful fish dinner at the famous Sakello. 
Next day we hoisted our red Blister and rounded Capo Passero with 9 kn speed. We moored in Syracusa and had dinner at Taverna Sveva. Early next morning we set sail northeast in the direction of Calabria, Capo Spartivento. The wind turned and became weaker, so we finally moored next noon in Bocche Gallipari, where Gerhard Westphal cooked his legendary potato gulasch. 
On the 28th we turned west and had a smooth sailing to Taormina until 04:00 early morning. We had luck and fetched a buoy in splendid Mazzaro Bay near the famous cable car. A visit to the ancient town and a good dinner at Al Duomo ended a nice resting day in beautiful surroundings. Next day, after Christian left us to fly back to Vienna, we hoisted our blister again and sailed straight through Messina Strait with considerable speed. 
Rounding Capo Pelloro the wind became stronger, so we had to change to 2nd reef main sail and genua. Finally after rounding Capo Milazzo we moored in Porto Rosa. Next day we sailed west in strong winds and partly heavy rain to Mondelo Bay, where we anchored in the early morning. After some hours sleep we continued to Trapani, where we moored early evening at Vento Maestrale.
Next morning we started with strong winds and heavy seas along the south coast of Sicily to Sciacca, where we moored at the pontoon of our friends of Lega Navale and hat a tradtional fish dinner at Il Faro. The next day brought us to San Leone, where my crew visited Agrigento. On our last day we sailed back to Licata and on October 5th 2012 we made Sea of Joy ready for winter and flew back home.

This cruise took 11 days with 123 hours sailing a distance of 664 sm. You may download our track in gpx-format or view it directly on Google Maps.

Isole Aegidi and two times Malta plus Syracusa

On August 18th 2012 our friends Gusti and Richard Stastny arrived in Palermo and next morning we sailed west to Trapani, having a swim at Capo Le Vito enroute, and moored at Vento Maestrale in Trapani harbor. We had good dinner at Al Muro and then a nice evening walk along the northern town wall. 

In the next three days we explored the Egadian Islands: first we rounded and anchored at Levanzo, then Marettimo and finally Favignana and enjoyed the clear waters and impressive views. 



On August 23rd we set sail along the south coast of Sicily to Sciacca, where we moored at Lega Navale, had a steep walk up to the top of Sciacca, where we had a very good dinner at Il Grappolo. 


From Sciacca we sailed to San Leone, where we visited Valle dei Tempi in Agrigento in the evening and had fish at Il Pescatore in San Leone. Next morning my daughter Sophie left us to fly back home via Catania and we continued futher east to our home port of Licata. From Licata we crossed the Straits of Sicily to Gozo, where we moored at Mgarr Marina and had dinner at it-Tmun. Next day we continued to Msida Creek in Malta, where we bunkered diesel and then moored at Grand Harbour Marina, visited Valetta and had dinner at Ambrosia.  


Next day we rounded the southern coast of Malta, then sailed north along the west coast and anchored in The Blue lagoon. August 29th we crossed back to Sicily, rounded Capo Passero and dropped anchor there in the north east bay. Next day we continued north to Syracusa, where we moored at Marina Yachting and had  a traditional dinner at Vite e Vitello. After a nice sailing north via Brucoli we moored again in Catania harbor at at Diporto Nautico Etneo and had a leisurely dinner in the backstreets of catania at Metro.


Next day Gusti and Richard left for Austria and my new crew boarded: Aaron Kaplan, Christian Proschinger and Stefan Lenzhofer from cert.at . We visited Catania town and had a welcome dinner at Osteria Antica. On  September 2nd we started from Catania and sailed in rather strong winds via Brucoli to Syracusa. 

Next day we endured severe thunderstorms, so we stayed in Syracusa at Marina Yachting. On September 4th we sailed across the Straits of Sicily to the Blue Lagoon, where we dropped anchor at 03:00 in the morning. 

After a good sleep and some bathing we sailed south on the west side of Malta, rounded the bay of Marsaxlokk and moored again in Grand Harbour Marina between Senglea and Vittoriosa. Next day we bunkered diesel in Msida and sailed back to Licata, where our cruise ended on September 7th 2012.


This cruise took 17 days with 154 hours sailing a distance of 736sm. You may download our track in gpx-format or view it directly on Google Maps.

Catania Tropea Lipari Palermo

My next crew Shirani and Kurt arrived August 4th 2012 evening, and we went to the fishmarket for the traditional dinner at Osteria Antica. Next morning we sailed north to Taormina and anchored again south of the railway station. From Taormina we sailed north tacking through Messina Strait and finally moored at a bouy near the harbor of Scilla and visited impressive Castello Ruffo. 

Next day we continued further north, rounded Capo Vaticano and moored at Tropea Marina. In the evening we climbed up to the old City and enjoyed the medieval buildings, bought the famous red onions, and had a late and traditional dinner at Osteria del Pescatore. On August 8th with weak northerly winds we sailed west to Stromboli, where we looked at the vulcano late at night and anchored as usual northeast of the village. Next day we sailed via a swimming-stop at Panarea to Lipari, where we anchored south of the city, visited the castle, and had dinner at Kasbah. In the morning we continued to Vulcano, and moored at Marina Nautico Levante. 

Late afternoon we climbed up to the crater, smelled sulfur, and looked over all Aeolian Islands from the summit. I ruined my boots on the hot surface, but made it back to our boat finally. On July 11th we sailed southeast to Milazzo and moored at Marina Nettuno, where my old crew left and my daughter Sophie came on board and we had a welcome dinner at Al Bagatto. 

Next day westerly winds brought us back to Stromboli, where we joined an excursion to the summit of the vulcano in the evening. After a 4 hours climb we looked down in the glowing crater, experienced smashing explosions and rains of vulcanic ash. Climbing down through fields of ash, which was like skiing in snow, we arrived on board after midnight. We motored to our usual viewing place at the foot of Sciara del Fueco and enjoyed some more explosions with a good glas of Nero d'Avola. After some sleep at anchor north of Stromboli village we spent a day of rest at anchor in Zimari Bay south of Panarea. 

After sunset we anchored east of Marina Corta, Lipari and had a good dinner at Kasbah. Early on August 16th we sailed west to Palermo and spent the night at anchor in Mondello Bay. Next day afternoon we moored in Palermo at SalPancore and had dinner at Cibus, 

After a day visiting the markets and sights of Palermo we waited for two more crew-members to continue our cruise.





This cruise took 13 days with 83 hours sailing a distance of 375sm. You may download our track in gpx-format or view it directly on Google Maps.