Having seen the two magnificent temple sites of Selinunte and Agrigento, it was time to move to the heart of Magna Graecia, to Syracuse. With its fertile hinterland which provided ample resources, Syracuse was one of the most powerful Greek city states with its own fleet and army. It was not by chance that Archimedes took residence here.
First ray of light at 5.09 am just behind Gela on the way from Sciacca to Syracuse. We left Sciacca at 11.30 pm to take advantage of the lull in the winds after midnight. The aim was to get into calmer waters on Sicily's east coast where Mount Etna would shield us from the westerly winds.
The winds at 6 am today. Glad we took the decision yesterday to sail during the night. Holding a steady course of 118 all night, we managed to escape most of the winds and surfed on the waves which hit us on starboard aft. The AFAET was elegantly gliding through the night.
The shore lights of Agrigento where we visited the Temple Valley in the afternoon. It looked so distant even though we were only a few miles out
Jupiter and Saturn were guiding us the whole night. When writing my blog about star based navigation earlier in June, I was not fully aware how dominant these two planets were in the night sky. The fact that I could see the four Jupiter moons with my Swiss Army binoculars fascinates me every single time. In fact, the resolution of our binoculars is better than the telescope that Galileo Galilei used when he discovered these moons. The only thing you need is a dark sky with no light pollution.
Of course, we also used the AFAET's modern navigation tools. It would be crazy not to do so. But following the stars achieved last night the same results. No wonder the mariners named all the planets and constellations in the night sky.
We sailed without interruption the whole night. Just after 5 am we discovered the first blue hues on the eastern sky. 45 minutes later, the whole sky had turned yellow and the sun was just moving over the horizon hiding behind a morning cloud. At 6.15 am, as predicted by our weather app, the sun broke through. What a sight.
On time at 06.15 am - the sun is never late
Three minutes later, the sun majestically rose over the horizon - a new day commenced - and we were part of it. In the far distance, we saw fishing boats going after their business. Our skipper Nikos told me what they were doing - being a fisherman himself during the winter, he knew just by looking at them.
Less than half an hour later, the sun bathed the AFAET in a warm morning glow - time for coffee! We kept on sailing. ETA at the south-east corner of Sicily was at 1 pm
To secure the strategically important south-east corner of the island, the Spanish built the Forte di Capopassero on the small island protruding into the sea. It was time for a short break after 13.5 hours of sailing
Dropping anchor in a turquoise sea is always an unforgettable pleasure
View from the cliffs on Forte di Capopassero - the western part of the small island is a long sand beach full of local motor yachts with locals swimming in the turquoise waters
Sadly, the fortress was closed albeit it looked well restored. It even had an elevator for wheel chairs! Maybe another EU project that was well intended but with insufficient money to maintain the investment? Who knows... After a short break it was time to set sail again - we are off to Syracuse.
This photo is from Google Map but we all hope that the town looks as beautiful as on this picture. We will know in two hours. Dinner will be on the AFAET but desert and drinks in town. A topic for tomorrow though.