However, during Roy’s early morning watch, the wind backed to westerly and a countercurrent developed, just to add insult to injury, slowing us down as we could no longer motor-sail.
By 0700, Elaine spotted land ahoy and by 0945 we were anchored off a long golden sandy beach in the village of Porto Taverna. Conspicuously absent were the multi-dwelling buildings; replaced with single-dwelling homes dotted down the hillsides and bordering the shoreline. Based on the price we paid for a very tasty lunch at the 12.1 restaurant, a rather strange name, it was a very affluent area and the beaches were packed with Italians; it was, once again, a case of spot the foreigner. We were definitely starting to wonder if Italians work at all.
Once we had data connectivity again, we also discovered the reason for the terrible sea state we had encountered in relatively light winds; there were two low pressures weather systems developing to the north and the south of us. That, of course, also meant we wouldn’t be going any further for the next few days.
Our challenge, however, is staying in an area where beach access is prohibited. In fact, beaching the dinghy anywhere in this large bay is now illegal, based on new laws that have been implemented recently. They have two dinghy pick up / drop off lanes, but that’s it. So, both tired after our 3-hour watch schedule overnight and after trying to have a nap, unsuccessfully, Elaine wasn’t in the mood for this nonsense and certainly was not taking no for an answer; we asked the speedboat rental company if we could hire one of their moorings for a few hours. Voila! For €5 we tied up the dinghy and they took us to shore and back, after we’d enjoyed lunch and a nice walk on the beach to stretch our legs. It was the most ridiculous situation, though, given the number of yachts anchored here, all facing the same problem.
It’s fair to say, it is becoming increasingly frustrating dealing with the issue of getting shore access, which has plagued us all through Italy, with the exception of the marina in Syracuse, Sicily, and the little Yacht Club in Naples. This is exacerbated by the fact that we can only anchor in areas designated as Zone C, which generally don’t have shore access; anchoring anywhere else comes with hefty fines. We’re sailing vast distances every day and then struggle to get ashore to enjoy the destination we’ve arrived at. They’re making it as difficult and challenging as possible, especially since, additionally, there are no dinghy docks anywhere, no room in the marinas for transient yachts, nowhere to drop off garbage, etc, leading us to believe Italy really don’t want cruisers in their country; we’re simply not welcome. Let’s hope Spain is more accommodating!
As our day drew to a close, a shower, a light dinner of bacon on freshly baked soda bread and bed, followed in quick succession.
