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| Vos et ipsam civitatem benedicimus (We bless you and your city) – at the gates of the harbour at Messina |
At 2pm sharp (right after my traditional 2nd afternoon catnap), all four yachts in our new flotilla lined up and headed past the harbour gates. We turned right, then followed the Straits of Messina south to the Ionian Sea.
A 40 foot catamaran travels faster than a 35 foot monohull in general, so staying within sight of the others by evening soon became a challenge.
We could see the pinpricks of their mast lights against the dark sky. From time to time, the Can Opener would chat with Sottos on the VHF.
While the winds always stayed between 20 and 30 knots on this leg of the journey, the memory of the gale was still fresh in our minds. Sometimes wondering what will happen next can be as nearly as tiring as actually facing challenging weather conditions.
It was good to know that friends were nearby.
It took us nearly two days to cross the Ionian – we arrived Patras in the middle morning of the second day.
We had finally reached Greece!
–Captain Cat
(transcribed by the Can Opener)
The Cruising Kitty 