The washing is out on the rails drying and we have been up to the harbour office to pay our dues. There are so few visitors in this little harbour that we were given a special price and they have given us the water and electricity for free! The shops are also open on a Sunday so we have been able to buy the few missing items. Here we will also fill fuel before heading off to visit the shores and make our way down the coast.

A sleepy and pleasant town that has obviously tried to attract the sailing world from the evidence of a hugh travelling crane and a well installed harbour. However the attempt has not succeeded and the crane is not used and the hard standing has become a car park! It is a pity as it is a lovely corner of Italy away from the tourists and the people are very helpful.

By 06h30 we were under way and heading further South. Our first destination was Capri but at 08h30 it was still shrouded in mist and there was not much to be seen so we carried on. At long last we had some breeze so we were able to hoist the sails and sailed for 2 hours on a flat calm sea but then again it dropped and we were forced to continue under engine. Svein put the time to use by painting the hatches with the second coat and also repairing some of the holes in the netting. We motored for the rest of the day and finally decided to stop in Camerota for the night (our second harbour since we have left) so that we could fill water. We docked in Camerota at 20h30. The first thing we did was have a very long hot shower – bliss. The washing was also put in to soak and we dined on Italian cheese and homemade bread whilst using Skype to catch-up with the family.

One of the Flegree islands it rivals Capri with its lush vegetation. Although visited by many tourists it is not as well known as Capri so had kept its charm. Made up of craters and ancient lava flows it is also known for its hot water springs and thermal baths. Some famous Europeans travelers passed through not least Ibsen wrote “Peer Gynt “ here. After having explored the town a little on the previous evening we found food shops and plenty of shoe shops but no repair shops or chandlers so it was Svein’s intention to set out the next morning, in the dinghy, to go to the harbor and solve our problem. However on waking up he found that our dinghy had gone. Fortunately he spotted it against the causeway to the castle so we woke Anelo who kindly went and fetched it for us. If they had not been there a very early morning swim had been the only alternative. Needless to say the dinghy is now attached to the davits and lifted every evening as we are taking no more chances!
Once everything was back to normal Svein went off to the harbour and fortunately found the Volvo dealer. He used his network and found an alternator in Rome (the only one in Italy) and arranged for it to be sent to Naples and then brought over to Ischia by ferry the next day. At least that was the problem solved and we just had to wait for it to arrive. It really changes not having to look at one’s watch all the time and just taking things as they come.
Anelo left this morning to continue their route. Late afternoon we took the dinghy and crossed to the harbour to fetch the alternator. Eventually the electrician arrived with the alternator and it was just a question of mounting the cooling fan and we could be on our way. On the way back Svein dropped me off in the town to do some food shopping and we met up later and got back to the boat around 20h00 – too late to install the alternator so we decided to spend another day in Ischia and fix the alternator in the morning. We used the evening to catch up on emails.
We decided to use the waiting time to spruce up the boat. Svein had already prepared and painted the hatches on the crossing from Ponza to Ischia but they still needed a second coat and Caryn was very anxious to make the lazy bag /jack for the mizzen. We had come across (in a bin) some ideal material in Macinaggio that was sufficient for the mizzen and to replace the main sail lazy bag that is looking very sorry for itself.
Early the next morning Svein had installed the alternator and it was time to attack the lazy bag. A long process and the sewing machine also decided to play up but by late afternoon we had the new lazy bag installed on the mizzen and we were ready to go.

We left Ponza in the early morning with the repaired alternator installed and set out on the next stage of the journey but after one hour Svein realized that the repair had melted and we were not charging from the engine – an expensive repair that has forced us to change our plans and head for Ischia to try and find a replacement. We arrived in Ischia in the late afternoon and anchored under the Aragonese castle in the Castello d’Ischia – A truly idyllic anchorage with clear blue water and beautiful scenery. It was not long before we were in the water cooling off as the temperatures have started to get serious and we have seen 40C on the cockpit thermometer. Anelo arrived just after us and anchored in the same bay.