Bit of a tough day. We had 59 miles to make and knew it was going to be motoring into it. Choppy wind over current conditions with late afternoon thunderstorms made for an uncomfortable ride and gusty conditions.

Our day was peachy by comparison to the German boat that ran over fishing nets some ways before Ragusa, in the middle of a thunderstorm. We could not understand why they were slowly tacking into 25 knots and rain until they got to the harbour entrance. We were well impressed by these “real sailors”!

Finally, after five days of “fixing your boat in exotic places”, we did a bit of touristing this afternoon.

We knew there were thunderstorms coming but still procrastinated getting back to the boat so got a bit damp as the rain started just before we made it back.

A whole day of absolutely zero wind conditions. Glassed out sea and apparent wind == VMG. Used the conditions to wash the boat, inside and out, do laundry and make water.

Picked up our stern lines in the dark this morning and got underway at dawn, 7am. We have 200nm to go by tomorrow evening when we aim to overnight in the vicinity of Bovalina Marina. On Wednesday we will sail the remaining 80nm to Syracusa in Sicily where we will stay a few days while the unsettled weather sorts itself out.

At the moment it is windstill with a messy NNW swell, so we are motoring with three reefs in the main. ETA Bovalina Marina is around 1600 tomorrow at current progress.