Marina Life

Marina di Ragusa was very busy with many more boats and cruisers than last year. Although some people had already left their boat and gone home for Christmas, lots of our old friends were still there. It was lovely to reunite with them and also meet new friends.

The weather was a little changeable so we made the most of the sunny days to complete the outside jobs to prepare the boat for the winter…. we had a long list of jobs to do and it obviously took a lot of contemplation and planning of which to do first.

We had to wash all of the salt off the boat, ropes, sails, anchor and chain. The ropes and genoa were removed, the dinghy and paddle board were washed and deflated, the outboard engine was flushed through and all were stowed away.

There were a couple of rainy days when we Autumn cleaned the inside of the boat and Paul prepared the engine for the winter and changed the oil.

We investigated the leak where rain was seeping into the boat behind the galley and found that it was coming from a fault in the deck drain. This was fixed temporarily to stop any more rain coming through but further, more invasive, work is required for a permanent resolution.

Of course, it is not all work and no play! In between the jobs we managed to find time to socialise and it didn’t take us long to get back into marina life. It all started with ‘welcome back’ boat parties.

We joined in with a barbecue and pot luck party on the main pontoon.

It was a lovely warm sunny day but got quite chilly after the sun went down so the barbecue was reinvented as a fire to keep us warm. The party continued into the evening toasting marshmallows and pineapple on the fire…along with lots of wine. (Luckily we didn’t set the wooden pontoon alight!)

To work off the food and drink over indulgences we did a few early morning walks along the coast to Punta Secca. It is a lovely walk on the beach and we could see the lighthouse on the headland in the distance as we set off.

There’s lots to see on the way, we passed the site of some old Roman ruins. The authorities are battling against erosion to prevent them tumbling into the sea.

It was good to see that the random broken statues were still there from last year.

The tide was quite high and we had to take our shoes off to paddle through some sections.

Eventually we arrived at the lighthouse and small harbour.

We continued around the corner and were very pleased to see that the cafes were open, Covid rules have been relaxed since we last visited when everything was closed! We stopped at the waterfront cafe for breakfast overlooking the beach and Montalbano’s house.

It is great to be back at MdR, there is always something going on, whether it is the locals participating in a (very serious) fishing competition, tennis and boule on the beach or yoga classes. (No, I still haven’t convinced Paul to put on yoga pants and join in!).

Whatever the weather had been like, most days ended with a lovely sunset and some interesting cloud formations.