Stuck in Siracusa

Siracusa, Sicily Italy

A cruiser’s life is all about the weather. We often have to wait for a better weather window in order to get where we want to go. Since we have no real schedule, a day here, two days there, is really no big deal. But when days become a week or more, even the most relaxed cruisers get anxious to move.

We came into Siracusa, Sicily on Saturday evening with the plan to leave Monday on an overnight passage to Crotone on the south coast of Italy. There are definitely worse places to be stuck than Siracusa. The anchorage is large, fairly protected with good holding. The view from the harbor is beautiful. There are plenty of sights to see on land. The new town has most anything you might need. And the old town is quaint with interesting shops and restaurants, and an excellent outdoor market.

Well Monday’s forecast didn’t work. Tuesday came and went. Wednesday was a bust. By Thursday we had 20+ knot winds and 30+ knot gusts in the anchorage. One minute it was calm, the next minute Berkeley East healed hard, the next she was spinning around like a top.

But at least BE was staying put. We saw several boats drag their anchors, even a 240-foot super yacht made an unplanned change in position. Most everyone stayed on their boats, making a run for shore during the calm periods and rushing back before the wind came up again. One poor couple went ashore but stayed there for most the day and their boat drug its anchor at least a mile, nearly hitting the super yacht. The Guardia Costa finally towed the boat to shallower water, far away from where it was originally anchored.

That is every cruiser’s nightmare, to come back from shore to find that your boat is not where you left it.

Things are calmer this morning and it looks like we will be lifting the anchor at first light tomorrow…weather permitting.

Previous Comments

18 May 2012

Linda Dawkins

Wow. Your story brings back memories for me.