Planning
Sicily – June: Friday, June 8th – Sunday, June 17, 2012. One Week Bareboat Sailing Adventure
Our next trip will be to Sicily. We will be sailing out of Tropea on the mainland of Italy and be on the boats for 7 days and 7 nights. We will spend the first night after our arrival in Tropea, do some sightseeing and have dinner together as a group. Our last day and night will be spent in Taormina on the eastern side of the island on a hill overlooking the Sea and Mt Etna the rest of the days will be spent on the boats.
Things to Consider: We will be chartering the best of the best yachts. The charter company provides excellent service and quick response to any issues that may arise. You can skipper your own yacht, go with another passenger who is a skipper or have a skipper for your boat provided by the charter company. A lot of our guests like to hire a skipper because it relieves them of the responsibility and work and the skipper can act as a guide too. If you wish to be skipper be aware that we are being required to proved proof of sailing experience. This can be a simple as a keelboat sailing class but you must have the sticker. It no longer works to have 20 years of experience and a sailboat of your own, you must have those stickers. I found they were easy to get if you ever took the classes, even 20 years later. Otherwise, put the gal or guy with the sticker in the skipper slot.
Provisioning: We love to provision the boat ourselves because we love to shop in the local village open-air market, butcher shops, bakeries, and grocery stores. You also will have the option of having the charter company provision the yacht. We generally eat out most evenings so we only provision for breakfast, lunch and cocktail hour. You can easily find bread, lunch meats, cheese, juices, eggs, milk, fruit and vegetables in every village or harbor. The grocery stores generally have beer, wine and liquor like they do in most US grocery stores.
What to Bring: Sunscreen, your favorite coffee if you prefer, coffee filters and a drip cone, tuna fish, zip lock bags, foul weather gear jacket, light weight jacket, visors or hat, sweatshirt, bathing suits, personal flashlight and camera.
What’s Provided: Pots, pans, dishes cutlery, cutting boards, dishes, coffee makers, cleaning supplies, toilet paper, paper towels, towels, sheets, pillows and blankets. Hand held compass, navigation tools, binoculars, charts, and cruising guide. Of course there is a complete electronic nav station and with all charts up-loaded but we love the fun of “double checking” it’s directions.
Double Up? Costs will be per boat with separate price for accommodations, transfers and some dinners. If you choose to double up or not, decide how you would like to split up the cost on your own boat. Some folks divide by the number of people and some divide by the number of cabins. The bunks are spacious but intimate. Hotel prices are based on double occupancy. If you wish single occupancy, please let me know and I will give you a price.
Day 1, June 8th
You will be met at the airport and whisked away to our beautiful accommodations in Tropea for dinner and a good nights rest. Visit the town, the local sites, shop for provisions and wander around. We have dinner together before we retire to our hotel.
Board our Boats
Day 2 – Saturday, June 9: Board the Boats and receive our briefing. We will get tips from the locals on where to go, what to watch out for, what not to miss and local knowledge of the waters.
Days 3 – 8. June 10 – 15th At Sea. Check out the cruising area highlights: Sailing Around Sicily – The Beautiful Aeolian Islands, Sicily Yacht Charter and Why Sail Sicily .
Day 8 June 15th - Friday : Return to Port and spend the night on the boat
Day 9, June 16th - Saturday. We will be whisked our way for a day and night in Taormina. This charming village on the Eastern side of the island, on a hill overlooking the Sea and Mt Etna is a not to be missed destination. We will have a tour, Sicilian cooking class and a group dinner before retiring to our hotel. See “Visiting Beautiful Taormina”Day 10, June 17th - Sunday: Depart (or stay longer on your own and tour the island)
