Arrived in Malta!
Current Position: 35 54.41 N 014 30.48 E Click to view map.
Distance sailed since last post: 179 nautical miles. View the map of our voyage track here
Once we escaped from Port de Peche, we then did a 3-day tour of the south, including the Sahara Desert, with 7 other sailors, previously of Marina di Ragusa. We will do a full post on that, with pictures, in due course.
Then we picked up our outside table (late, again) and some upholstery, (also a day overdue), and departed for Malta.
We had a fast reach across, averaging 7kts to arrive 26 hours later at Mgarra, in Gozo. We anchored just outside the harbour, checked in with customs, and then took a taxi for a quick tour of the Citadel, and the Ggigantija Temples – the oldest stone structures in the world, older even than Stonehenge and the Pyramids by several hundreds of years. On getting back, we moved East a mile to get away from the busy harbour entrance and settled down for the night.
Today we then did a circumnavigation of Gozo, calling in at Dwerja bay and the Blue Window (a rock bridge).
We looked in at the Blue Lagoon, but it looked a bit busy, so we then moved south to St. Paul’s bay. There we managed to snag some free internet, and downloaded the weather.
Unfortunately the winds are due to disappear during the week, and then change direction. That means that if we want to get to Greece, we need to be going now, or risk getting stuck in Malta for an indefinite time. Since what we have seen of Malta so far is not that inspiring, we decided to up anchor and move down to Valetta, with the plan of setting off for Greece by Monday morning.
We went into Sliema creek and have tied up against the wall, just under a sign that says no unauthorised moorings. Well, we will risk it for the night.
Again I managed to snag some free internet, so here I am updating things. However, no pictures yet. They will follow 🙂
Always nice to read your postings, looking forward to the pictures 🙂
XOXO
Julie
WE were not very impressed by Malta either. All very rocky. The bank ate our debit card. Luckily it was a weekday, so we got it back.
Love, Mum