Winter Mooring

As the weather is generally more unsettled during the winter in the Mediterranean it is not particularly enjoyable sailing, so we intend to spend the next few months in Sicily.

It was another sunny day but there was some strong wind and rain forecast in a couple of days so we decided to head to Marina di Ragusa where we planned to spend the winter (yes, we definitely had a confirmed booking for this marina and even paid a deposit and received the contract). We left Siracusa anchorage after a lovely few days and headed approximately 25 miles south down the coast to Marzamemi, there were light winds from the northeast enabling us to sail, almost in the right direction, with the foresail only.

We moored in Marina di Marzamemi for the night, it was a small harbour where everyone was so friendly, (this even extended to communal showers), but there was certainly no bright lights so we spent a quiet night aboard ZigZag.

The following day we departed the marina and continued 35 miles around the coast to Marina di Ragusa. There was a lot of swell as we left the harbour which increased as we passed around the bottom southeast tip of the island, the waves and current running against us were again making us ‘rock and roll’.

It’s difficult to capture the swell on camera.

Once we were around the corner the sea calmed down, and with no wind, we ended up motoring all the way. We passed Sailing Yacht ‘A’ which was anchored just off the coast, at 468 ft long and 328 ft high, it is the worlds biggest sailing ship. German built for a Russian billionaire, it has a top speed of 21 knots. Certainly a very unique design which may not be to everyone’s taste!

We had booked a berth in Porto Turistico which is a good protected marina where the boat will stay over the winter months. We arrived and got ourselves securely moored up before the sun set.

The marina holds 700 boats, many of which are occupied by ‘liveaboards’. There is a really good community with various events organised and ‘happy hours’ to meet everyone. Many people have wintered here for several years which is a really good recommendation. We arrived prior to any lockdown restrictions, the shops and bars around the marina were open as usual and social events were allowed.

It is perfectly situated on the southern most tip of Sicily, and surrounded by miles of sandy beaches to both the east and west, the small town of Marina di Ragusa is just a short walk along the promenade and buses run to all the major cities.

We look forward to exploring the area over the coming months and Ziggy is looking forward to a well earned rest.