Nimrod Oceanlord

Finally, our first trip out to the boat since last October! The flight was delayed but nothing could diminish our excitement of seeing Nimrod again. Liz has been working in Verona this week so she flew into Naples as well. We decided to hire a car this time as the taxi is about €70 each way and the hire cost is about the same for the whole weekend. It was lashing down with rain Friday evening so, despite not knowing the area Jo went in search of a supermarket. Thank goodness for satnav! There was an Auchan supermarket about 5 miles from the airport in the less salubrious part of Naples. It would have been impossible to find even though you can see it from the main road. The area is knee deep in rubbish with prostitutes on street corners, trying to stay warm and dry but not quite managing it. I’m not sure I’ve been on a supermarket run before and been offered extras like this! Back to the airport to pick up Liz and then onto the marina. They have obviously had as much rain as we have had in the UK as one of the roads down to the marina was flooded so we turned round – a flooded engine in a hire car in the middle of nowhere at 10pm was not a good idea!

Although the marina at Castellamare Di Stabia is very well maintained, there isn’t a webcam like there was in Alghero so we have no way of knowing what is happening whilst we are in the UK. I know we couldn’t actually do anything if something was amiss when she was in Sardinia, but at least we could see her. To be fair, we met up with Marika from the marina at the London Boat Show recently and she told us that she regularly sent the harbourmaster down to the boat to check her. The Mistral winds don’t really sweep through the Bay of Naples either and I suspect the UK has had much stronger winds this winter so we shouldn’t worry but it’s hard not to! In fact, the bay seems to be quite sheltered generally as you need to get well out into the bay to catch the wind. We needn’t have worried. Nimmie was safe and sound. We put the heating on and hunkered down to watch a programme on Italy on the TV via the iPad with some cheese and a bottle of wine!

Pictures of the Alps on the flight over and a snow capped Mount Vesuvius this morning!

It seems odd that a year ago we had settled in Alghero and getting our heads around what we needed to do to keep Nimmie safe over the winter with huge surges and high winds. Last year we bought sturdy springs and even sturdier ropes, took anything down that might get damaged and generally worried about leaving our pride and joy nearly a thousand miles away. This year, it feels almost normal. We spent Saturday going through our list (of course we have a list for winterisation!) and got her ready for her first winter in the Bay of Naples before flying home today. Although they get strong winds there, the harbour is fairly sheltered so the surge shouldn’t be too bad and we are on a finger pontoon, amazingly, so we are able to tie her up as you would in the UK. In addition, there is no one next to us so we have been able to attach lines across to the next pontoon to stop her from being pushed against the wooden pontoon when the wind blows from the SW. It seems that the prevailing wind in winter months is the Tramontana, which is a northerly wind but not as strong as the Mistral that gave us winds of over 54 knots in Alghero. One of the pictures shows the marina plan.

Even so, we have prepared for strong winds and have taken down the spray hood, bimini and genoa to reduce the amount of windage that could put a lot of pressure and strain on her. We also washed the genoa sheets (ropes) and furling line as these get very salty over the course of a season. These were done in a bucket whereas our other sheets (aka bedding!) were washed in the marina laundrette. Bliss to have one at the end of the pontoon rather than having to carry our washing into town.

The marina itself is large and fairly self sufficient although it doesn’t have any shops as yet – the recession of 2008 put paid to that for a while – so we think we have found somewhere that we feel comfortable leaving her. There isn’t a webcam to log onto like in Alghero so we won’t know how she is doing unless we get a phone call from the marina! It does have a stunning backdrop of Mount Vesuvius and even a swimming pool and a helicopter pad!

Another glorious but windless morning greeted us on Thursday so we motored over to Procida, an island just outside the Bay of Naples and very close to Ischia. By 1100 the sky had clouded over so sunbathing was out for the first time this holiday! It was around 20nm from Sorrento so we anchored in the Cala di Corricella for lunch. Ingrid, Jan Olav and Liz went off to explore the town of Procida whilst Jo stayed on board to keep an eye on things as we had anchored as close to the breakwaters as we dared but there wasn’t really much room if we dragged at all.

After they returned, we then motored round to Chaiolella on the south western corner as there was an anchorage near there but it was very open to the swell and any wash from passing ferries so we continued round to the north side to Marina Grande. For once the marina lived up to its name as it was fairly large, accommodating several hundred boats but without hot showers and decent toilets. It was, though, very close to the other side of Procida town. We had a lovely meal – about half the price of what we paid in Amalfi and Capri – in a local restaurant that was empty when we arrived around 2030 but busy by the time we left at 2200.

On Friday morning, again the sun shone but no wind to speak of, so we set off in our final leg back to Marina di Stabia. We had arranged for the local boatyard to come to our mooring in the afternoon to quote on replacing all the caulking on our teak deck. It is the black silicone sealant that seals the gap between the strips of teak. Over the course of the summer it had turned to something akin to tar in that it had started to melt and getting very messy. We have yet to see what the quote will be.

After refuelling the boat for the winter (as it stops condensation forming in the fuel tank) and mooring Nimrod in her new berth, we did a few jobs to prepare her for the winter. We then decided to try a local restaurant that was only a stone’s throw from the marina but is a 15 minute walk away because of the railway track. The restaurant is obviously well known locally and we were the only tourists in there. We had huge slabs of steak with a very nice but relatively cheap bottle of wine. Jan Olav had a pizza and a large beer – his portion of the bill came to less than €10! On the way out Ingrid asked for their takeaway menu but they misunderstood and provided us with a driver back to the marina!

Pictures of lunch stop looking at the south side of Procida, Procida marina and one of the steaks we had last night!

It was another glorious day in Cápri on Tuesday morning but after a leisurely morning we set sail around 1100 – there’s a theme starting to form I think – and made our way to Amalfi. We found a bit of wind for a couple of hours and then, as predicted, it died so we motored the rest of the way. We arrived in Amalfi around 1600 to find a cruise liner and the tall ship from Capri. A young guy in a rib came out to greet us and quoted us €50 for the night. This is not a bad price for around here so we agreed.

Jo had hurt her back again a couple of days before and the long walk on Cápri seemed to have exacerbated it so it was now agony. Consequently, after a short walk into town, she retired back to the boat and missed the rest of the evening. The town is lovely but not as smart as Cápri but very picturesque. The marina is tiny though so you can see how it would be very crowded in summer. The others went for yet another lovely meal in town.

The following morning, Jo’s birthday, was another glorious day and after a birthday breakfast in a local restaurant we set sail for Sorrento. However, as there was no wind again, we motored the whole way apart from a 10 minute spell when we thought we might get a bit of afternoon breeze. So we took our time and motored down the famous Amalfi coast with its cliff top houses and sheer sides. Arriving in Sorrento we weren’t sure about the depths as the pilot book talks of anything between 1 and 3 metres. However, a new breakwater has been built as well as a new visitors’ pontoon that can take superyachts so we figured that we were ok! It’s also a ferry port inside the harbour and they seemed to be disgorging passengers every ten minutes – extraordinary given that it is late October.

Off this evening for a meal in town but not before a celebratory glass or two of bubbly! Pictures of us and Nimmie in Amalfi, Amalfi town and the last three are of Sorrento.

Yesterday we had a lazy morning as Ingrid and Jan Olav had a long day getting to us. We left Stabia around 1100 to sail over to the Island of Cápri approx 20nm away. The forecast was for a F4 from the S/SE but we were in the shadow of the mountains so we motored for the first hour. Then the wind kicked in and we had a great sail over to the island. We had intended to anchor off the NE corner but it was quite deep so we would have had a lot of chain out or we would have been too close to the rocks. There was one yacht in the perfect spot so we decided to go into the marina. It is renowned to be expensive as it’s a celebrity location with designer shops and gorgeous views. We were hoping that it is late enough in the season to be affordable. The wind was still quite strong as we entered the harbour so it was fun getting past all the other boats who had ‘popped in’ for Sunday lunch. All was going well and we were coming stern to between two boats and we picked up the lazy line only to find that it was stuck under a rock and wouldn’t budge! Those of you who have had the privilege of mooring stern to will know that if you don’t get the lazy line on quickly, you can drift easily. Added to that, some locals decided to help so mayhem ensured until we got them off the boat and sorted ourselves out.

Cápri has been inhabited for millennia and was ruled by the Greeks until Emperor Augustus swapped Ischia for Cápri. Tiberius ended his days here and through the centuries many celebrities have stayed on the island including Oscar Wilde, Jackie Onassis, Somerset Vaughan and Rita Heyworth. It has also been a haven for artists and writers. You can see why with its gorgeous vistas and light. Whilst the harbour area is very touristy, you can catch the furniculare up to the town proper which we did in the evening. We had a great, if expensive, meal at La Capannania. The town is full of exquisite shops down little alleyways and you can imagine this place in Roman or medieval times.

We were planning to leave around midday but wanted to explore the place a bit more. We walked through town and made our way to the south side of the island and walked to the SE corner to one of the grottoes and also a Arco Naturale – a magnificent natural arch. The whole walk was long but spectacular. By 1230 we needed to make a decision to return to the boat and leave or stop, have lunch and stay another night. You can guess which way we decided! On the way back to the boat, we bumped into some old friends of Ingrid’s who by chance had come over from Naples for the day! Of course we then had to have a drink with them so it was quite a liquid sort of day. After they left to catch their ferry, we wandered along the harbour wall to gaze at a tall ship that was anchored outside. Luckily, we had planned on Chicken Tagine for dinner on board so no one needed to get off the boat again which was just as well! So, it looks like it will be Amalfi tomorrow but who knows….

Pictures of Cápri, our walk and the tall ship.

We have finally arrived at our home for the next 12 months in the Marina di Stabia – the largest marina in the Med apparently. Room for 685 boats, it is not yet full but quite stylish with a yacht club, a swimming pool, laundrette and showers that work! It is also in a beautiful location under the majestic Mount Vesuvius. We went into town last night to find somewhere to eat and did so but only after 90 minutes of searching! The marina is situated on the outskirts of town in a fairly derelict part of town that would have been redeveloped if the recession hadn’t hit. By accident we found a good but quirky restaurant that was family run with good food and cheap local wine – perfect!

Today, Liz and I prepared for our new guests by finding the local supermarket whilst Jase and Lee went to Pompeii for the day. It’s only a 40 minute walk away so it seemed daft for them not to go there on their last day. We said goodbye to them this evening and we are very grateful for helping us to safely move Nimmie from Alghero to Naples.

We have now greeted our new guests, Ingrid and Jan Olav – Liz’s cousins, from Norway who had a convoluted journey via Amsterdam and Milan to get here! We look forward to planning our next week’s itinerary over dinner tonight at the yacht club.

So, having decided to leave Formia, we had a 7 hour sail to Sant’Angelo on the south side of Ischia. This island is just off the Gulf of Naples so we figured we could then spend the day on Thursday exploring the place and have a day sail to Castellamare di Stabia – Nimmie’s home for the next 12 months. The sail was fantastic with the wind on the quarter but the sea was very lumpy with waves anything between one and three metres high. Nimmie, as usual, took it in her stride. Then around 2130 the wind suddenly, moves round to the east where it stayed for the rest of the evening.

Ischia is another volcanic island that’s about 4 miles long. We decided to go to the south of the island as there was an anchorage there just outside the marina. When we got there the swell had moved round and was coming from the south so anchoring would not have been pleasant. Instead, we went into the marina and found ourselves to be the only visitor again! After a whisky nightcap, we fell into bed around 0130 tired but pleased.

The next morning the port authority turned up at 1000 and we paid for one night. €65 for water and electricity but no showers or toilets as it was a new marina – well, probably two years ago but things seem to move slowly out here! We then had a delightful day exploring the charming and picturesque town and surrounding area. It is renowned for its thermal springs that have been used since Roman times and has quite a Greek feel to the place with its whitewashed buildings and holiday atmosphere. One of the thermal springs, Terme Cavascura, was set in a gorge several kilometres from the town and it was a bit of an obstacle course to get there, going past refuse, old tyres and other household items that had been dumped. Not very appealing and the baths themselves looked in need of a good clean. Luckily, the staff were on their lunch break so we had a quick look round and went on our way. The town is sort of pedestrianised with only scooters and golf buggies allowed on the narrow, windy and hilly streets. These, though, suddenly appear out of nowhere, scattering the tourists as if it’s a local pastime.

We then walked back to the black, volcanic beach to have a beer and find the thermal sauna. This was being dismantled despite the large number of tourists – obviously, things are taken down for the winter irrespective of whether there is any money to be made! We then walked west out of town for about an hour to some natural springs that were in Sorgeto Bay down a steep cliff that had steps built down to it. It was pretty packed but free so we had a good soak before catching a water taxi back to the harbour and Nimmie. After a shower on board we ventured back into town to find somewhere to eat. Lee had spotted a nice looking pizzeria down a side street. We had very good pizzas washed down with a litre of the local vino and fell into bed by 2100! We had planned to leave around midday on the Friday but another port authority official came by at 1030 demanding another night’s money as, apparently, the day before was only for the night we arrived despite us saying that we had arrived at 0600. You would have thought they would have cut us some slack in the off season. Eventually, we got her down to €50 for the second night but it somewhat soured our experience. The trick is to follow the Italian way and leave before 1000 as this seems to be when the authorities come round for their money! We didn’t want to run off without paying as we might want to come back and also because they could easily report us to the coastguard. It did seem very officious and not very accommodating. Apparently, they charge €200 per night in high season! Welcome to the Amalfi Coast!

Pictures of Sant’Angelo and the thermal springs. Oh and Lee, Jase and Liz having a well earnt beer!