It was a relief to get underway at 6 am and head off to Isola Filicudi, our first stop in the Aeolian Islands. We had the usual mix of motoring, sailing, and motor sailing as the breeze waxed and waned and changed direction. The islands were steep and deep, with rocky slopes and sparse vegetation. The first one we sailed by was called Alicudi and we read that there were no cars, only mules for transportation there.
The anchorage just south of Capo Granziano on Filicudi island where we stopped, was all rock. It seemed very sketchy especially when the charter fleet showed up and hemmed our boats in. We re anchored once to get more space around us (happy that we could retrieve the anchor without fouling it on the rocks), and then ¾ of the boats left anyway to stay on the mooring buoys over night that were off the little village. We had considered this option if it looked like the wind was going to be a problem, but it ended up being fine. Still, it wasn’t worth spending another day there so we made plans to drop a day hook off the South Western end of the island so we could snorkel around caves and possibly an impressive pinnacle that was there, and then head over to the island of Salina. The water was very clear and the tall pinnacle was dramatic. There wasn’t much to see by way of sea life though and the breeze was picking up, so when the charter boats arrived it was time to move on.
It appeared that the charter guests were having a ball. They made 2 or 3 stops a day at different area’s/islands, swam and snorkeled in the clear warm water, returned to moorings or a berth nearly every night, and went ashore for 1-2 meals a day. They didn’t seem concerned with boat system failures, anchoring “their house” in the safest place, or the costs of berthing/mooring and dinning out..for 1 to 2 weeks a year cruising was awesome! While we were also enjoying the beautiful water, stunning views, wandering around ancient towns/cities, interactions with the locals, interesting foods, diverse cultures, and starry nights on the trampoline, between the boat system issues (Charging/battery bank and water maker being the big concerns), contrary weather, and sketchy anchorages, there was a lot more anxiety and fatigue than we had anticipated. That said, the good stuff was really good, and we reminded ourselves to thoroughly enjoy the good stuff!
The anchorage that we headed to on the NE side of Salina was not as advertised. It was listed on Navily (a website with mooring/anchorage and marina information), as having a sandy bottom, but it was rock again. There was a NW wind due that evening so we continued on to the NE end of Lipari island at Porticello, a common name in these parts. Lipari was the largest and most populated island in the Aeolian group. The anchorage off the defunct pumice mine was both interesting and pretty. Anchoring in the clear water in 12 feet on pumice sand meant for a good few night’s sleep. Sandy and Doug found room to anchor in a picturesque cove on Salina, and sailed down the next afternoon.
We spent 3 nights there in the end, enjoying morning paddle boarding, snorkeling, hiking ashore, and boat jobs (bottom cleaning, ongoing charging system trouble shooting, cleaning). It was here that we were introduced to a fantastic local dish which we called “Italian Nacho’s”, (but went by Pane Insalata or something similar). It was a specialty served at Mr Baffo’s, which was a food truck that was permanently “parked” at the beach head. The dish was composed of a base of crunchy seasoned dry bread pieces, and covered in chunks of mozzarella, onions, pickled eggplant, tuna, anchovies, potato’s, capers, sun-dried tomato’s, with a generous dousing of fragrant olive oil. It went well with the local Sicilian beer and was both delicious and siesta-inducing!
