May 25, 2006
Hi from Tapestry,
Yesterday we left Volcano at first light and headed across the straits of
Messina toward Bagnara Calabra where there was a small harbor. It was an
unusual day; east wind, west wind, light wind heavy wind, headwind, tailwind,
you name it, we had some of it. Fortunately, we were able to sail most of the
way. The town was unspectacular in that it was filled with litter and even the
water was laden with debris. We rafted off another Nauticat, a 38 from Germany
named Samba, which was tied to the wall. Perhaps the most interesting thing
about the harbor was several sword fishing boats which are moored there. They
are boats about 40 feet long with a 50 foot tower and a 30 foot bow sprit.
Observers climb to the top to search for swordfish, which lie on the surface.
They look terribly precarious, but the fish they catch is prized here and brings
a good price. Julie and I bought some fresh small sea perch from a fisherman at
the dock. We wanted two but he insisted we take a kilo, which was six. We ate
them all; they were delicious.
This morning we were again off at six. We woke at around 5, however as the
sound of roaring waves filled the cabin. It sounded as if huge waves were
breaking over the 40 foot wall behind us. There was a thud followed by a
whoosh. When I got up, spray was falling into the cockpit and onto the dinghy.
Just beneath the surface of the water there were pipes connected with the ocean
side of the wall. When a wave struck it on the outside a burst of air and a
spray of water burst forth under Tapestry, causing spray. We left on time,
happy to be away from our wet mooring.
Six foot waves greeted us on the sea side of the harbor but we plunged
through and things were more calm in deeper water. The two most famous hazards
of the strait mentioned by Homer in the Odyssey are Scilla and Charybdis.
Scilla is the name of a town just south of where we docked for the night.
Scilla was, according to Homer, called "the render" It was a twelve
legged six headed monster that hung from the cliffs and sucked up dolphin and
swordfish from the water, along with sailors from ships.. Charybdis was
"the sucker down." We slipped by Scilla without incident and
Charybdis didn't raise her ugly head either. Actually, some think that the
Odyssey is written as a kind of mariner's guide to the Mediterranean as it was
known in the second century, B.C.
It is believed that Scilla is a reference to waterspouts that frequent the area.
Charybdis is a whirlpool on the Sicily side of the strait. It is interesting
that during spring tides sailing yachts can be spun around by the whirlpool. In
1784 an earthquake changed the underwater structure of the area and the
"sucker down" is not nearly as potent as it used to be. Boats don't
disappear today.
As we entered the Strait, the winds picked up from the North, behind us, and we
raised sail. By the time we had passed Messina it was nearly a gale, steady at
25 and rising momentarily to over 35. We sailed under a full main and surfed
down the building waves. It was fun. After Messina we continued on another 25
miles to Taormina Roads where we are anchored. It is in this stretch where the
Cyclops hurled rocks at Odysseus and his crew after they tried to steal his
sheep. There is supposed to be a lovely Greek Theater here at Taormina, perched
on the cliff top. It holds fifteen thousand people and a stage whisper can be
heard by everyone. Perhaps later we will go ashore and, wary of any Cyclops
descendants, look for the theater. We will also check out the town which has
been extolled by poets and writers for its beauty since the Sixth Century B.C.;
Among those who loved this place are D.H. Lawrence and Gothe. More later. All
the best. Hank and JulieP.S. Late this afternoon, after exploring some
sea level caves in the dinghy,
we found a spot on the beach and took the dinghy to shore. Julie went for a run
and I walked, briefly up a rugged trail, to the top of the cliff. When we again
found each other, Julie had discovered a "polo speedo" where they sold
fresh hot rotisserie chicken, Wegman style, at a roadside stand. We bought
some, along with (would you believe) French fries! Back on the boat we gnawed
the bones and enjoyed a quiet evening, occasionally glimpsing the nearby snow
capped and smoking Mt. Etna. H.