POSTCARD FROM LEONIE
Passage from Gaeta to Isola di Procida
a Canadian couple cruising the Med with their white cat, Scurvy, who they took for walks on a lead. On leaving Gaeta we had a great
sail, with Leonie, weighing in at nearly seven tons, reaching speeds of 7knots. As we reached the far side of the Gulf of Gaeta the volcano Mount Vesuvius loomed in the distance. Consulting our Italian cruising
pilot we read of an anchorage in the pretty harbour on the south side of the Isola di Pro- cida. We were waved in to a tight bows-to mooring, just managing to squeeze between a classic yacht and the slipway by, presumably, the harbour master who then demanded 35 Euros. He refused to budge on the price so we left and anchored for free just outside the breakwater, where we still enjoyed great views of the colourful town and hilltop fort. The next day proved our most
eventful so far as our engine conked out off the Amalfi Coast and we were towed to Capri by the Italian Coastguard.
It had been playing up since we left Menton and Carl did everything he could to fix it but new things kept going wrong. It was 22 years old and had done who knows how many miles. Our insurance company sent a surveyor from Naples to come
and investigate. He declared it a write-off and said it was broken due to wear and tear, which the insurers don’t pay out for. The crank shaft had broken due to the oil pump packing up. We had no choice but to order a new Beta engine from the UK. We were stuck on Capri waiting for it for three weeks, which is quite
Coastguard towing Leonie to Capri
ironic as at 130 Euros a night it is possibly the most expensive port in the Med and we are on a shoestring budget!
The port gave us a discount of more than 50 per cent but it was still a lot of money. My wonderful and generous mum and dad came to our financial rescue and it is because of their help we are able to continue this trip. Our new shiny, red
engine finally arrived and so far has got us 150miles away from Capri with no problems. It’s such a relief to have a reliable engine. Capri is a stupidly expensive place; it’s sold its soul to mass tourism with cruise ships unloading hundreds of American and Chinese/ Japanese passengers on its shores every day. After being there for
a couple of weeks we needed to do some washing so took it to the laundrette where they wanted to charge 3 Euros per item, which would have cost us about 200 Euros. Carl told the woman she was crazy. He had steam coming out of his ears. We discovered Capri’s secret – the slopes of Monte Solaro which
Right:New Beta engine arrives, Capri
Leonie at Marina
Grande, Capri
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