Showing posts with label Castellammare di Stabia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Castellammare di Stabia. Show all posts

Monday, August 22, 2011

Climbing Mount Faito

As I had some time on my hands I went ashore for a walk, in flip-flops. I ended up to the cable car and bought a ticket to go up to the top of Mount Faito. While waiting for the scheduled ascent I had an Italian Peroni beer at the station bar. Finally the car came and we inserted ourselves into the "bubble". People could only stand and I was clever enough to go stand in the aft so I could get a good photo shooting view.
Castellammare di Stabia

View over Bay of Napoli

It exactly 8 minutes to get up to the top at the speed of 7.5m/s according to the data placard in the station. The placard was not far away from the truth as the ascent was quite rapid and it seemed we were on top in no time.

More higher

M/y Indian Empress in Marina di Stabia

I disembarked the car and walked about the premises, I must say it was a bit disappointing. The top was covered in high pine trees and there were a few restaurants and souvenir shops. I took to walking along a path that advertised a restaurant but as I git further on it the path was siding with big satellite dishes and some utility buildings. I never saw the restaurant as a hole in the fence leading downhill caught my attention... 

View from the top towards Mount Vesuvius

Flora - thistles

I took off my flip flops as they seemed more slippery on the cover of pine needles on the sandy ground. And so I was surfing downwards for some good photo angles. I was looking back and saw myself about a hundred meters from the fence and the ground appeared soft and sandy so climbing would be hard. I turned my back on the top and started my descent towards civilization.

Way down

The only living things I met 

The going was easy as the slope was not too steep at first and I was frequently crossing over the road that was going up to the top (or down to Castellammare di Stabia). Then I came to such steep places that I could not think of trying going down without climbing gear and I did not think my toes and fingers were enough. The bare rock was really sharp and not really suitable for barefoot wandering either. So, I had to double back to the road and I started walking.

It's a long road...

Sometimes I went straight down through the bush

I walked and walked, at times I came across breathtaking vistas and I took some great shots but the sun was going down and I was not even near the town yet. There was not much choice and I kept on plodding downnwards along the road. The sun went down and it became dark. very dark as there was no street lights. I could still see the road from the ambient light from the sky and the town below me.

Someone before me had had beer on their trip

View from about midway

Some hour after sunset I started passing houses at a more frequent interval. I was entering town. I managed to find myself to the main road of Castellammare di Stabia that led to Marina di Stabia. At this time my feet were rather sore not to say in the least and I was lucky the flip flops had held together. I arrived to the Marina gate around 2300hrs and they were of course locked and closed. I had no other solution so I climbed over the gate, whatever the consequences. I needed a shower and some rest.

Marina di Stabia

Bay of Napoli

I arrive dthe ship a few minutes later and I found Anil, Andrei and some other crew sitting on the jetty discussing. I sat down for awhile and had some water after a long time. It had taken me 4 hrs to come down by foot. Some excursion...

Hot and sweaty

Coming to town

Friday, July 08, 2011

Castellammare di Stabia - Valletta

On the 7th early morning we hoisted anchor and set course for Valletta, Malta for a little downtime. More maintenance and jobs to be done as usual. My old Bosun once said: "the work is never completed on a ship" and he was right to his words, once you get to one end you can start anew from the other.

Last view of Capri 

Our route took us by Capri Island down South along the Italian boot in the Tyrrhenian Sea and through the Strait of Messina. We pass there during night time and there is a small "S" curve to do at the narrowest point. The whole Strait is VTS controlled and separated by a TSS so there is very little cowboys mixing the pack so to speak. However when we round the"S" we encounter some weird currents and we have to keep a close look at the autopilot lest it would lose the plot.

View over Valletta

After the Strait we are already in the Ionian Sea, we sail around around the boot, Sicily, and there we were at Malta. The ancient massive fortifications of Malta are still impressive to look at. We make the approach towards Manoel Island and it always looks to me like we are sailing into solid bedrock until the channel opening is discerned and one can see that there is more to it than the wall. This time though we make a compass swing before we enter.





Thursday, July 07, 2011

Cruising Italian riviera

On the 30th we depart Castellammare di Stabia for Naples. It don't take us many hours before reaching there and we anchor off "Molo Luise" (Mergellina Sannazzaro), the local yachting mafia's marina. They claim we could come alongside but all publications we have suggests a maximum length of 70m and I'm also agreeing seeing the small rathole and how packed it is with yachts. 

"Molo Luise" (Google satellite)

San Martino National Museum in Naples

The Borgo Marinari Fort in Naples

Naples city view

Later in the evening we heave up anchor and sail down South to anchor off Capri Island. Due to the weather we do it on the South side of the Island at the Marina Piccola.

Cruising points (Google maps)

The 1st is spent at Capri Island, the swell could be quite rough at times and we roll as we don't have zero speed stabilizers. Capri is historically renowned for Caesar Tiberius who lived in Villa Jovis for 10 years in political exile from Rome. Tiberius was said to have had wild debaucheries going on Capri but nowadays these stories are regarded by many modern historians merely as slander. We are also joined by 3 other yachts, m/y Glaze, m/y Odessa and m/y Capri that are following us. Surprisingly they are all Captained by US nationals.

Li Galli Islands (Google satellite)

Li Galli Islands 

On the 2nd we sail to Li Galli Island (or Gallos, or Le Sirenuse) where according to legends several sirens were said to have inhabited the islands, the most famous of whom were Parthenope, Leucosia, and Ligeia. One of them played the lyre, another sang, and another played the flute. They are mentioned in the 1st century B.C by Strabo. 

Capri Island 

Local cruise ferry for the masses, they seemed to have a very good time with music and everything 

On the 3rd we sail back to Capri Island and anchor in front of the Marina Piccola. The historian and Greek geographer Strabo thought that Capri broke off from the mainland. His theory has been confirmed recently, both from geologic findings that link the island with the Sorrento Peninsula and from archaeological discoveries.

Positano 

On the 4th we sail from Capri Island to Positano, after that we shift to Nerano. In Nerano there is an excellent restaurant worth visiting called "Quattro Passi". For the evening we sail in front of Naples and by midnight we are back at Capri Island.

Nerano 

The 5th we stay anchored off Capri Island. To give a picture how people (or yachts) are charged I could mention that a Doctor's visit onboard to look at a sprained ankle cost 300€, without medication.

IE in front of Capri Island 

On the 6th we sail to anchor in front of Sorrento and by afternoon we anchor in front of Naples. I might add that the cliffs of Sorrento were holed by caves like an Edam cheese, quite quaint actually. Perhaps natural formed caves that had been additionally carved up by people. For the evening we go and anchor in front of Castellammare di Stabia. There is transport for the crew to go ashore but nobody has any interest to go.

Sorrento 

Sorrento 

Islet in front of Marina di Stabia

Next morning we heave up anchor and set sail for Valletta, Malta for some downtime.



Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Valencia - Castellammare di Stabia

Having our business in Valencia concluded we leave on the 27th for Italy for our next engagement. The weather is fine and we embark pilot as usual and clear the "S" bend without any hitches. Soon we are on the high seas setting engines on cruising speed and heading for Italian riviera. The trip is uneventful and we make good speed for our ETA.

Castellammare di Stabia (by Google satellite)

On the 29th morning we arrive Castellammare di Stabia roads and wait for pilot. He eventually embarks and we proceed inside the port. There we make to the jetty on the East side of the harbor. The pilot assures us there is 5m water at the end of the mole. We make sb side to as to make sure there is no possibility of damage to our propellers. 

The outer breakwater and ferry jetty

After making fast the provisions circus starts with several trucks bringing in water, soft drinks, bonded stores, fruits, meat, vegetables, frozen stores etc. We make a chain and everybody pitches in so the galley is soon piled up ceiling high with crates and the Chef's are busy sorting it out and stowing their fridges and freezers.

Our jetty from the outside

Entrance to harbor and Mount Vesuvius in the distance

Having the practical issues dealt with I leave the ship late afternoon to nip into historical Pompeii for some sightseeing before nightfall. The roads in Castellammare di Stabia is full of rubbish, eventually it turns out that the rubbish collectors are on strike. Sounds a bit like my time in Greece.

Castle overlooking Castellammare di Stabia