Anchored off Isola Favignana
27th August
After the mad dash to finish off everything in Cagliari and ready ourselves for the crossing it was good to sit back and relax a while as we slowly made our way down Cagliari Bay playing around with sail configurations to try and get the best from the light winds from astern. Turns out we should have just motored for a couple of hours to give us more wind later on.....
So we'd just set up the main on a preventer with the genny out goosewinged. Suddenly, the wind backed 90 degrees and increased from F3 to F5 in an instant. Ooh we thought, this is better. And on the wind increased up to F7 with Emerald thumping into the building seas at 8 knots. It wasn't very comfortable. We got down to 3 reefs and a scrap of genny and were still doing over 7 knots.

The only fish we're likely to catch this year. Two decided to throw themselves onto the deck, unfortunately we didn't know they were there until morning by which time they were dead.Felt a bit sad that they'd flopped themselves to death there. I think it's a flying fish
The wind eased a little so we shook out a reef but unfortunately the main halyard caught around a mast step. So it was down with the main, free it and main up again. Not fun whilst bouncing around. I was keen to keep going as fast as possible as I really wasn't enjoying myself out there. The wind stayed strong until close to midnight, as it dropped we were left with a lumpy sea and sails slatting about and eventually we were struggling to do 2 knots. Our friends a couple of hours ahead kept the wind for a few hours longer, hence we should have motored instead of faffing trying to sail in light winds at the start. Ah the benefit of hindsight!

Pleased the crossing is almost over
Morning couldn't come too soon and the sight of Isola Marettimo the outer of the Egadi islands was really pleasing. There was no wind but we must have had some tide as we were doing 7.5kt with the engine at 1800 revs which normally gives us about 5.5kt. As we approached Favignana the wind increased a little - typical as we were nearly there. A big dolphin was splashing about feeding but didn't come to play.

The only highlight of our trip - we passed 8000nm sailed in Emerald since we've owned her
We anchored west of Punta Longa in a rocky seabed with patches of sand. The first attempt found us with the anchor snagged on a rock which we didn't find out until later on.. We were pooped but better to sort it now than at 3am in the dark. So we found a bigger patch of sand which the anchor buryed itself nicely into. Time for bed!