Sail, Savour & Sightseeing

Many years ago I had some very important trainings in systemic consulting and coaching. So now it was a great pleasure for me to have my former teachers Hella and Axel Exner on board of Sea of Joy. They arrived on Saturday 8th of June 2013 and we had an exceptional dinner at Hosteria L'Oste e il Sacrestano. On Sunday morning we had fog, but at noon we were able to start with no wind motoring to San Leone, where we moored at Mediteraneo Yacht Club and had dinner with a lot of antipasto di mare at Il Pescatore.

Next day we started with a forecast of 4 Bft from northwest, but we had to motor until 13:00 local time. Then the wind got very strong and we had to tack until we reached Sciacca at 7 Bft with very high waves, so that some of my crew had to use the bucket onroute. In Sciacca we recovered at Lega Navale and walked around the city next day and had dinner at AlFaro.

On Wednesday 12th we rented a car and went to Caltabellotta, where we had a wonderful lunch at Petra Relais Ristorante in beautiful surroundings. Then we went to Eraclea Minoa and visited the Greek settlement.





Last we visited Castello Incantato, where Filippo Bentivegna created his magic world of 3000 stone heads.

Thursday we motored with no wind to San Leone, where we visited Agrigento and had a fine dinner at Expanificio. Friday we motored again with no wind back to Licata and enjoyed a simple, but very good pizza at LaBriglia. Saturday 15th we went by rental car to Modica and Ragusa, where we had lunch at IlBarocco and attended a wedding ceremony in Cattedrale di San Giorgo. We closed our trip worthily with another exceptional dinner at Hosteria L'Oste e il Sacrestano.



We sailed 113sm in 20 hours. You may download our track in gpx-format or view it directly on Google Maps.

Short Trip to Tunisia

Weather was not so good - a lot of waves and wind, but with my experienced long-time crew Gusti and Richard Stastny we took advantage of a small weather window with north easterly winds Force 5. We started at 22:15 local time on Sunday 26th April 2013 and sailed directly to Port Yasmine / Hammamet, where we declared entry and moored at 08:00 on Tuesday 28th. It was rather cold, wind was good and we were lucky, because the wind turned and got stronger after our arrival. In the evening we went to Hammamet by Taxi, visited the Medina and had diner at La BelleVue restaurant with very good briq.






Next day we went to Karthago by Bus and visited there all important sites, finally proceeding to Sidi Bou Said, where we went up to the lighthouse and down to the marina. A very good fish dinner we enjoyed again in Hammamet at Chez Anchour.







Thursday 30th we went by bus again to Tunis to visit the famous Bardo museum with its beautiful Roman mosaics and the large Medina.






On Friday we sailed with some wind from south east to Monastir, where we moored and met Anne and Willi from S/K Leev Linda and Heidi and Herbert from S/Y Albatros.




Next day we took a taxi to Souuse, where we visited the new museum (even better than Bardo) and the beautiful Medina with its ribat and mosque. Back to Monastir we mixed with local people and took the train.


Sunday we visited Monastir, got some provisions and had a good, halal and very atmospheric dinner at DarChakra near the mosque.



Monday, June 3rd, good wind conditions opened for the next 30 hours, so we bunkerd diesel (0,5 Eur per litre), declared exit and set sail for Marsala, where we moored after 26 hours of cold, but easy and enjoyable sailing, right in time for a tasting session of Marsala wines at Cantine Florio.
Next day we sailed to Sciacca and had a very good fish dinner at AlFaro.

On Thursday 6th we sailed from Sciacca to San Leone. When the wind got very strong from east, we decided to take shelter at Porto Empedocle. But the transit pontoon inside the harbor was fully occupied. We were able to go alongside an old fishing boat and nice fishermen sold us very fresh shrimp, which we cooked in olive oil with garlic and savoured on board during the storm.

Friday, June 7th we reached our destination and moored again securely in Marina Cala del Sole in Licata, where we shared the rest of our shrimps with Erika and Manfred from S/Y Motu in the evening.
For the season it was much to cold and windy, but We enjoyed this challenging cruise very much.

We sailed 483 sm in 84 hours. You may download our track in gpx-format or view it directly on Google Maps.

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.