Lipari- fish, birds, storm.

May 17, 2014 We are in Lipari the largest of the Lipari Islands. Getting here was difficult,

We left Sardegna early Wednesday with good wind (NNW 15kts) and sailed through 58 hours alternating shifts between Eric and myself every 4 hours throughout the nights.  The tedium was interrupted soon after dinner on Thursday evening when a 5-6 kilo Tuna grabbed one of the lures.

Eric jumped into action. I reeled in the fish while he secured the second line, furled the jib,  put on his shoes and cleared the lines from the cockpit.  He took the rod and I recovered the gaff hook and lunged at the fish as Eric pulled it near. In a minute or two Eric killed the fish, reset the jib (wing on wing), and turned on the autopilot.  Thus, when order was so effortlessly restored, it seemed as if nothing had happened, except for the fish.

Early the next evening, after I had turned the fish into steaks, roasts and sashimi

and we had lunched on seared ahi and sashimi with soya sauce, wasabi and ginger, we arrived in Lipari, an Aeolian Island, after nearly outrunning a rather violent thunderstorm. I think Aeolus the Greek god described in the Odyssey may have had a hand in it.  I was at the wheel at the time, and Eric sleeping below.

About 20 NM North of the islands the storm appeared to be catching up with us. We were wing on wing doing 9 plus knots.  But it soon overtook us leaving little choice but to turn into the howling wind and take a reef. I called for help from Eric who had only just retired from his 4 hour watch at 5am. He woke and scrambled to the deck to take charge at the close sound of thunder, high winds, and the chattering of hail. The reef was taken, and we rode out the storm, once a bang and soon a whimper.

Twice during this crossing from Sardegna we were boarded by the tiniest birds, many miles from shore, appearing exhausted, so much so that Anna was moved to provide a sip of water to one who seemed to understand her intent as she whistled softly; it dipped its tiny beak into the red plastic cup filled with water that Anna had tipped toward the bird.

 Soon the bird disappeared only to return an hour later.  Once more in only a few moments it left forever.

RETURN TO THE DECAMERON 

AFTER CLICKING "NEWER POST" BELOW