After a whirlwind city detour, we were back where we belong – on Kora, and on the sea. Landing in Lamezia just before 11am, we quickly shifted gears. Karen dashed off to restock provisions while Doug handled marina checkout. A little after noon, we had left the dock and were already slicing through the blue toward Calabria, in a little bit of a daze, feeling the fatigue of our fast-paced Berlin detour.
The coastline eased us back into boat life – low-slung towns clinging to the mountains, the shimmering water below, and that unmistakable southern Italian light. We barely moved, letting the gentle rhythm of the boat do the work.
We paused for the night at an anchorage in Scilla, staged well to pass through the Strait of Messina the next day. Scilla is a picturesque town steeped in legend. In Greek mythology, Scylla, the fearsome sea monster said to dwell in the cliffs here, guarded one side of the Strait of Messina, while Charybdis, a deadly whirlpool, menaced sailors from the other. To ancient mariners, navigating these waters meant passing between two monstrous dangers. As we prepared for our own crossing, it was easy to see how these swirling currents inspired myth.
Just before sundown, the sky put on a show, washing the sea in gold and crimson. Too tired to cook, we settled for grilled cheese and tuna sandwiches and quickly headed to bed.
The narrow channel through the Strait of Messina separates mainland Italy from the island of Sicily and is just 1.9 miles (3.1 km) wide at its slimmest point. It might look tame on a map, but sailing through the Strait of Messina requires precision, timing, and respect. We hit it just right!
Thanks to well-timed planning, the current carried us forward like a sling, pushing Kora to speeds of nearly 10 knots – a huge boost from our usual 5-6 knots!!! In the opposite direction, we’d have been clawing through the water. The Strait is known for fast tidal flows, eddy currents, and the occasional whirlpool (you can even see the swirl in our video). It’s a meeting point of two seas – the Tyrrhenian to the north, the Ionian to the south – so waters get choppy, restless, and occasionally unpredictable.
We pulled into a lovely mooring field in Reggio Calabria called Nautica Mediterranea – Campo Boe. (A borrowed aerial photo of the mooring field is seen above as the featured image.) Oscar, we missed you here – this was your chance for a mooring ball adventure! Karen missed it too, to be fair, fast asleep as Doug single-handedly ran the operation with the help of two wonderful marineros. The service here was impeccable. They greeted us with smiles, guided us in, and offered dinghy service to and from shore – whether for a beach visit, a grocery run, or dinner at their lovely family-run restaurant.
With the promise of a full-sized grocery store on offer (we’ve been shopping at essentially corner stores for the past several weeks), we headed off shortly after arriving for the 1km walk to the local mall and returned laden with supplies. But no need to hike back; the marinero picked us up right at the shops and zipped us back to Kora. Such a blessing!!! Later, we returned to shore for dinner – and what a feast it was. Swordfish, mussels, and a sweet finale of berry cheesecake and panna cotta, enjoyed under a warm Calabrian sky. A perfect setting to quietly celebrate our silver wedding anniversary a few days early, knowing we’d likely be at sea when the official day arrived.
That night, the strong swirling currents reminded us just how close we still were to the Strait of Messina. Around 4am, we were jolted awake by the unmistakable thud-thud-thud of the mooring ball – now wedged between our twin hulls – slamming against the boat.
Engines fired up quickly. With some swift maneuvering, we managed to quickly dislodge it, but the ball relocated to floating about a meter off midship on our port side. Unfortunately, the calm didn’t last. Not long after, it began drifting again and resumed its assault, this time from a new angle. Once again, careful adjustments helped us break free.
It was an unusual, restless night to say the least – another lesson in the unpredictable forces at play near the Strait, where currents, wind, and tide don’t always agree. Shortly after first light, we decided not to tempt fate with a third round. Lines were untied, and Kora was off once more.
Don’t worry, Oscar – this kind of mooring ball mischief isn’t typical. The boat typically orients with the wind and is thus pushed off the ball by the wind. It was just the wild currents near the Strait that were overriding the wind this night! Aunty Karen still swears they’re her favorite way to dock!
