Back to Pula, 25-26 June 2024

After almost three weeks wandering around the North Western coast of Italian Adriatic I was left with the task of bringing back Belisama from Rimini to Pula. Seventy-five miles, all together, so not such a big deal. Except that the weather forecast was most unclear...

Out of Rimini marina, waiting on anchor for a favourable weather window...

In theory, it is a a simple task to plan a cruise given the performance of the weather forecast nowadays. Except that they still have problems to take into account the very low scale coastal effects!

To Rimini, 22-24 June 2024

On 22 June, with no wind, we left our marina in Cesenatico at 10am, as our place was already reserved for the next boat. So we anchored in the outer harbour for lunch and then, benefiting from a nascent sea breeze, we set sail for Rimini, our final Italian stopover in these three weeks of Italian sailing. On the way, we're sailing with a traditional Trabaccolo under standing lug sail (the sail is always on the same side of the mast when tacking or gybing), which is making good speed under sail.

Trabaccolo, the traditional trade ship of the Adriatic under standing lug sail

We were going 4 knots under mains sail and genoa with 4 m/s side winds, and he was not giving-up to us!

A day in San Marino, 23 June

Belisama is safely in the Marina of Rimini and we take advantage of one non-sunny day to explore the countryside around, and in particular, the Republic of San Marino, 10 km away from Rimini. It is the fifth smallest country in the world (61 sq km). It claims to be the world's oldest republic, founded on September 3, 301 AD, by a Christian stonemason named Marinus. 

View of the Republic of San Marino and watchtower 1 from watchtower 2

But a day in San Marino is worth the visit as it has a lot to offer...

Sirocco in Cervia and Cesenatico, 20 & 21 June

Both Cervia and Cesenatico, a few miles apart on the Adriatic coast south of Ravenna have in common to be fully devoted to fisheries. We are currently experiencing sirocco wind, bringing Sahara sand and resulting in a hazy weather, very hot and humid! 

Trabaccolo traditional coastal trade boats in the Leonardo Da Vinci Cesenatico canal

These two towns offer an authentic experience of life on the Adriatic coast, a little off the tourist trail. We are no longer in touristy Venice or pre-medieval Ravenna, but in an Italy of busy fishermen, with a brilliant past and a present not less. It's refreshing to stroll through the historic centres at aperitif time, when the day doesn't start until after 5pm! So we sail the few miles between the tourist ports at the hottest time of the day, arriving around 3pm, when it is end of siesta time in the marinas, and leaving around 5pm to visit the towns. Perfect timing.

A day in Ravenna, 19 June 2024

Ravenna was the capital of the Western Roman Empire from 402 to 476 AD. This transition period marked the Roman empire's adaptation to increasing pressures from Germanic tribes (Ostrogots) and internal strife. Under the rule of emperors like Honorius and later the Ostrogothic king Theodoric the Great, Ravenna became a center of political and military activity, basically the centre of the Western world. 

Theodora, wife of the Emperor Justinan I

We visited 5 of the 8 sites in Ravenna inscribed on the UNESCOWorld Heritage list, all more interesting than one another.

Chioggia to Ravenna, 15-16 June 2024

To sail from Chioggia to Ravenna, we need to go around the Po delta, a 52 nm ride heading South-East for the first part, then South-West for the last part. Following the passage of a low-pressure system during our stay in Venice, we are currently experiencing a regime of solar winds alternating between land breezes in the morning and sea breezes in the afternoon. 

In order to take advantage of the best winds, we decide to set off at two in the morning, at the start of the land breeze, which should blow us easily to the south-east. And indeed the breeze picks up, between 8 and 10 m/s, and we are making between 8 and 9 knots downwind under spinnaker. We end up dropping the spinnaker as the boat becomes increasingly unstable as the land breeze builds. 

After gybing as we pass the Po delta, we continue south-west towards Ravenna. And that's when the genoa halyard breaks...

Chioggia, the Venice of the poor, 14 & 15 June

 Chioggia is located 25 km south of Venice, at the southern entrance of the Venice Lagoon. It was famous in the Middle Ages for the high quality of the salt it produced in large quantities. At that time, salt was the basis for preserving food and was so precious that it was considered currency. At the end of the 14th century, this led to the Chioggia War, in which Venice and Genoa fought for control of the town. Chioggia became a city controlled by Venice. 

It is really worth a stopover for visiting, and we happened to be there for the annual middle-age festival in the third weekend of June!