Treleavens' Travels

by Andrea Treleaven on 20 Apr 2004 Yes, the Treleavens have left sunny Sydney for freezing cold Rome, to continue their European cruise. Max 'Cyclone' Ryan has joined them for a few weeks, so will also figure in these annals.

This is the first installment since their return and we will bring you updates as we receive them.

Porto D’Ischia 19/04/2004

After a great morning of sailing, 40 miles from the island of Isola Ponza to Isola Ischia, we have had lunch on the quay a glass of wine, then back to the boat for the siesta time zone.

It’s not exactly Med cruising as we are a month too early and still very cold and wet.

We arrived in Rome on the 6th April to relaunch our yacht in the Fiumicino Canal.

It’s 10 degrees, but we press on and paint the bottom with the help of Max Ryan, who has joined us for eight weeks.

The wintering over in the canal has worked out very well, costing us only $250 a month, a haul out charge, and the best part was the boat was still there after five months!

While the boat is out of the water, you can work on it yourself which is unusual, and Fulvio, the yard owner, was very helpful.

Easter Eggs are a very big thing here and we saw the biggest one we have ever seen at our favourite café in Fiumicino.

The canal is very dirty and as soon as we were in the water and the draw bridges opened, we motored three miles down the coast to Porto Turistico Di Roma – Ostia.

In the Port, life has gone on with lots of live-aboards. The winter has been especially cold with snow on the decks, very wet and dirty oil all over the boats from the Tiber River. The up side was the camaraderie they all had, and the facilities ashore of marble washrooms and laundry were of a high standard.

Ian and Max re-ran all the halyards, sails and covers that we removed when we hauled out, an excellent move when we saw all the oil and dirt on yachts that stayed in the marina.

Ants in his pants Max wants to move on, and the weather forecast looks horrible, but we compromise and motor south, punching into the breeze 30 miles to Porta Nettuna, a very nice fishing village with a very good marina.

As weather goes, its shit, and we have to sit it out for three days. Ants in his pants Max decides enough is enough, so flies to Croatia to visit a friend, and will rejoin us in Capri.

We loved Nettuno, a holiday resort for Italians. We discovered a local bar that made their own wine, no labels and bring your own bottle, wouldn’t suit Bucko (Andrew Buckland)?

We make the most of the bad weather, and as the saying goes in the Med, it’s great or ugly. It’s now the 17th and looks good to sail to Ponza, wind in the right quarter, cold but sunny.

With the water now crystal blue, we have a great sail 40 miles to the Island of Ponza. The Port of Ponza is a picturesque fishing village with its lime wash assorted pastel coloured castle and buildings.

A very sleepy island in winter, but vibrant in summer, especially for diving, but we are a month too early. We stay the night on the hydrofoil wharf and get moved very early next morning, but as it turns out, they do us a favour and we have a great sail to the island of Ischia 45 miles away, doing 9 knots.

We passed the island of Ventotene, which was once a penal colony and the place Nero’s wife was banished for being a bad wife. Eventually she beheaded, her head given to the mistress.

Can’t give Ian any ideas so we sailed past!

Ischia port is a delightful but small bay/inlet harbour, but can’t imagine what it’s like in high season, accommodating ferries, hydrofoils, fishing fleets and yachts. Low season $90 high season $260 if you can get a berth.

Tomorrow we move on to Capri.

Our plan for the next seven months is the West coasts of Italy, Sicily, Tunisa, Crete, Greek Islands, Turkey and Croatia. Many friends are joining us as we go.

We now have internet aboard the boat while we are in Italy and hopefully we will be able to negotiate the same in other countries.

With my Musto bear suit (fleecy lined one piece suit) on, we are sailing south in search of better weather.


Andrea and Ian