Season 2023 Kickoff!

We’ve just left our safe haven of Licata, Sicily to begin our new sailing season. We were a bit sad to leave, largely for the familiar setting, the routines we’d established, and the wonderful community that was now dispersing. We’re heading back out into the unknown…

I have to submit a side note here on the Licata marina community – What a fabulous group of friendly, helpful, and sociable people from all over the world! There was a large contingency from the Netherlands and Germany, then a sprinkling of others from all over – France, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Poland, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Russia, Australia, Brazil, and even a few from the US. Thank you to everyone for your friendship and camaraderie. And, for coming to our aid with answers, tools, or random gear! We certainly hope to meet you again out there on the high seas!

Our dear friends, Ava and David, came from the Netherlands to kick off our new season just as they did last year. They arrived in Licata and we set sail for Marina di Ragusa to the east, about a 5 hour trip. Weather conditions were not great, nor were they going to be for the rest of the week, so we stayed in Marina di Ragusa, rented a car, and explored inland. We finally got to see some towns we’d been wanting to see in southeast Sicily – Ragusa Ibla, Modica, and Noto – as well as enjoy hiking through a nature preserve along the coast and exploring an archeological site. We also paid a visit to the sail loft that is making our new head sail to see how things were going. It *might* be ready in another ten days, but at least we got to see the fabric colors and see how the seamstresses work, which was interesting.

Marina di Ragusa – This is a nice, clean, lively village on the sea about a half hour drive from the actual city of Ragusa. The marina is very nice with super helpful staff and lots of good restaurants, bars, and shops nearby.

Ragusa – The origins of this hilltop city date back to somewhere between 2000-1000 BC, and the history is much like the rest of Sicily – run by Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, then Normans. It then became part of the Kingdom of Sicily in the 12th century. After the large earthquake of 1693, the city was rebuilt but into two areas. Some locals rebuilt on what is now Ragusa Ibla, the old Baroque town, while others built in a newer more modern area now called Ragusa Superiore, which is higher up the hill. They remained separate cities until they merged in 1927. We spent our day in the old town area with its churches, gardens and views.

Modica – This beautiful old Baroque town was founded in a similar time as Ragusa and remained the County of Modica’s capital until the 19th century when it was folded into the province of Ragusa. Its cathedral sits in the “valley” while all the buildings were built up the hills from it. We called it the “city of stairs.” It is also famous for its unique chocolate, made with only cocoa and sugar in a cold process (so it remains quite grainy).

Noto – Noto is yet another really beautiful Baroque city. We were here only briefly but would definitely go back. Church after church after church and pretty streets and squares. Reminded me of a little Palermo. You think if you’ve seen one Baroque church you’ve seen them all, but then each new one continues to surprise you with something new.

Cava d’Ispica – This archeological site near Modica contains ancient cave dwellings and burial sites carved into a mountain. It sits in a 13 km long river valley. Unfortunately, the caves were closed, but we were able to see the catacombs (dating back to the 4th century) and an ancient Greek gymnasium/school site (about 300 BCE).

Vendicari Reserve – This wildlife preserve is quite extensive and offers hiking, beaches, bird watching, and exploration. It is also supposed to have an important archaeological, anthropological and cultural heritage, but we did not manage to see these areas. It’s not incredibly clear how to find the entrances nor how to stay on trails once inside, but we still enjoyed our explorations and beautiful views.

OneSail – A sail loft is somewhere where sails are manufactured, repaired or stored. You need a lot of floor space to lay out sail material so the pieces can be sewn together. It was neat to see this in action! OneSail is based in Marina di Ragusa.

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We are excited to have a full season of family and friends coming to visit and share in the sailing experience. The general plan is to spend a little more time in Sicily, then Malta, then the southwest coast of Italy (Amalfi Coast), then the western half of Greece. Plans can change daily, so our “go with the flow” caps are back on! For example, as Ava and David left for home and Conor and I were checking out of Marina di Ragusa, we learned that the dredging efforts to deepen the marina entrance were stepping up. Boats were now only allowed to pass through before 6:30am and after 7:30pm. Ok! So, we left at 6am and used the full day to cruise our way up to Siracusa, about a 9 hour trip. We finally got to test out our new anchor – rock solid! – and settle in to a nice anchorage. Now we’re just waiting for my dad and dear friend to arrive tomorrow. Can’t wait!

Stay tuned for a whole new season of blog posts to include travels, boating experiences, and musings!