Tuesday May 5th 2015. Marina di Ragusa, Sicily

Weather like this made it easy to farewell Sydney for 5 months.

Perfect Spring day at Overways

Thought we really had continued endless summer when our first day in UK was 20 degrees C and blue skies, but just to remind us why we still don’t savour the delights of English living, April showers and plunging temperatures convinced us returning to Sicily was the right decision.

So, on Monday 27th April we landed in Comiso, just half an hour taxi ride from Marina di Ragusa. Greeted by Anne and Stephen, who had looked after Exotica beautifully all winter, we were delighted to be back on board.

Exotica after 7 months

A strong, chilly norwesterly blew for 3 days, but the marina hummed with “liveaboards”

Marina di Ragusa town

who had been here all winter and returned owners, like us, commissioning their boats and making plans for 2015 cruising and enjoying this lovely seaside resort. Yachties meet every Tuesday and Friday evening in a local bar, we gained lots of helpful information and met many who plan a similar cruising ground to us.

We were advised to wash down our forestay and mast to get rid of the Sahara sand blown in by wind and rain over the winter so on a calm morning Julie was belted onto the forestay in the Bosun’s chair and sent aloft with hose attached. Don’t know quite how high it is but a magnificent view, the tragedy is J’s camera was out of battery and Terry was too anxious to take his eyes off her to get a photo from the deck, so we sadly have no photographic proof!

The decks have been scrubbed and have 3 coats of oil, they look like new. The engine tested and boat provisioned. It’s 30 degrees C and we leave at 06.00 tomorrow for Malta