Update from the crew of Artemis
06 November 2010
Trip so far:-138 days on the go - now finished for this year
Time offBad Weather days 28days (since we hit the Med we have had 15 days bad weather)
Days off Rest/Repairs 10 days
3649 Kn miles todate
99 ports visited only 3 ports would not visit again and would avoid Italy
Estimated miles still to go 1200 - found Winter berth for Artemis on Gaeta (Italy)
The crew of Artemis have made the decision that it is not possible to reach Cyprus before the winter sets in and also be back to fly back to UK on the 17th December for our Xmas break. We are now starting to look at a "winter berth" for Artemis.
Since we started back on our trip on the 14th October there have been gale warnings every day on the Channel 16, we where only back on the go 3 days when we had to stop again because of thunderstorms. There were thunderstorms all across Central Med for two weeks, the thunderstorm was tracking South East so we managed to only loss four days non sailing. We listen to the gale warnings everyday and it is now in front of us now moving South East, but as one storm leaves central med another comes along. Channel 16, stopped the announcements for one gale and now there is a new one, this time the winds are from the South East so impossible for us to sail.
We are so frustrated as we are so disappointed that we are not going to get Artemis to Cyprus this year and need to stop bashing ourselves up about it as it is out of our control, if it is not gales then it is wind on the nose. You wouldn't believe we could be so unlucky with the wind direction when we entered the med, heading east all we got was Easterlies, when we turned to head North towards France and Italy and all we got is Northerlies and once we crossed around Italy and now heading South all we are getting Southerlies. There is not a word that can describe the frustration, anger we are feeling in the last two weeks as we have had two good days with the wind in the right direction and one of those days we really shouldn't have sailed as it was strong winds.
We have enjoyed the trip so much but with the weather/wind direction it is getting us down and Italy has not being a very friendly place. When we had a shit day, we are used to going ashore where we are able to unwind have a beer, have a look walk around the town but Italy is not like that the marinas are like large leisure facilities in the middle of no where. Un fortunately we have found that the smaller harbours turn you away and one actually said "Only Italian boats" and the harbour was empty and there was a gale under way outside not very good seamanship. If you call on VHF they say there is no room, so we have no choice but to go to larger marinas.
We have felt so at home on Artemis, eating and cooking whatever we wish as you know we love to cook, it is just like home from home. Nothing has been a problem living aboard now nearly five months. We also have so many lovely memories of France and Spain and friendly people for it all to be spoilt by the Italian coast. We both feel that we seem to be an inconvenience to these marinas arriving and expecting to stay for the night. There have been only three places where they have been chatty towards us and helpful, including this marina "Base Nautica Flavio Giovia"at Gaeta. We have been really surprised this place and town is lovely and the write up in the pilot book sounded good "a family run business", the staff helpful and friendly so we have decided to leave Artemis here and not go on any further. We were not planning to come here so it was destiny that brought us here to find a nice place to end our journey.
That's all we can say for now, looking forward to going back to Cyprus on Monday, it will be a long day. Our journey starts with a bus outside the marina from Gaeta to Formia. Then a train Formia to Rome, then second train to the airport in Rome. First flight from Rome to Athens 0725am then second flight to Cyprus hopefully arriving at 1415pm. Our good friend Campbell is picking us up looking forward to seeing them again and all our friends and neighbors in Cyprus.
Watch this space for the second part of the trip starting the end of March 2011. This time we will be able to enjoy the Greek Islands with no deadlines when we need to get to Cyprus and enjoy the warm sunshine and hopefully not so much wind.
Janey & Neville