Well, we got out of the boatyard early Friday and motored up to Comino for a long weekend of relaxation . We anchored in a very cute rocky cove for two nights. Several caves all around the edges.

Great at night with only 2 or 3 other boats. Unfortunately, daytime boats of all shapes and sizes were in and out all day. The water ended up like a washing machine. Many of the ferries were full of people who would come in at 10 knots and huge wakes.

This video will give you and idea of the area above the water. https://youtu.be/o5i17iWcPF0

This second video is taken in the water swimming around the caves and rather long.https://youtu.be/5nApyllM2l4

Sunday we moved to a beach on the east coast of Gozo.

A gorgeous bay and lovely afternoon weather. Hew had his first flipper swim of the year and helping me to do some prop and shaft cleaning. https://youtu.be/Xx72dwRg6VQ

We had a nice afternoon but when the wind changed and increased we decided we would try for Dwerja bay. We had loved Dwerja last time we had been there. There were no boats this time but a very mixed chop all night. The swell outside was SW, then sometime during the night it changed to a northerly swell. The wind stayed NW and did not move to the East as the forecast

Anyway, we got going in the morning and motored to a bay on the SE corner of Malta. A quick 20 mile trip from one end the country to the other. Another beautiful bay with sun, swimming and lazing about.

Around 5 pm the wind started to increase and was tending easterly. The forecast was for 20kts so we decided to go hop into Grand Harbour at Rinella Bay.

Fireworks and Jazz

When we got back to Grand Harbour we found Rinella Bay was closed for the day due to a big fireworks display. This was the eve of Independence Day. So after a discussion with the water police, we anchored very near to the southern breakwater light. Any area closer to the bay was full.

The real bonus was that we got a fireworks display. We were also next to a ferry playing jazz with a Sax player on board. A lovely evening full of music. They love fireworks here and the display went on for over an hour and a half.

Many of the boats left about midnight. When the Easterly finally arrived around at 2 am, and the holding where we were was not great. We shifted further into the bay despite the fact that the bay was closed by Mariners Notice until 7 am. We then fell into bed again and woke at 6 to find another yacht had moved into the Bay with us. Shortly after two motorboats arrived, and then a continuous stream of yachts and launches.

Independence Day

The day was nice but overcast. The bay contained the fireworks barges from the night before full of empty containers and a lastng aroma of gunpowder. A boat with two friendly water police turned up about 10 to tell us and another yacht to shift so the tug and barges could get out. They were ready now!!

The water police left, we shifted and the barges hadn’t moved in about an hour. By this time another 7 or 8 yachts had all anchored in the gaps. The tug driver had an argument with one motorboat that would not shift. Then the other catamaran tried to shift but the motorboat had anchored over their lines so they couldn’t. Next, the cops turned up. The the motorboat owner still tried to argue his case. Next the water police told him to move or get fined. This was followed by much arm-waving and yelling then finally he left the bay.

The tug got 2 of 3 barges away. Then the first of two refueling boats arrived for the fuel wharf which was now very close to us. We managed to inch forward until the fuel boats moored then sat back and relaxed. We were assuming the rest of the day should be fairly calm. Not so – another tanker arrived to park nose to tail with the first. This guy wanted three boats including us to move to give him room. Again we pulled forward, two other boats shifted and then we settled back for a rest. Everyone in the bay seemed to be enjoying themselves.

During the time near the wharf, we also had an instructor taking/teaching RIB driving using us for a mark. Nice guy and fairly easy-going on students. Here everyone with an outboard over 30hp has to have a license issued by the coastguard. In Italy it is 40hp.

Around 4 pm we headed back to the boatyard expecting this to be the last week. We were again hoping that the rigging would be there all and all the other gremlins would be fixed. We await tomorrow with fairly low expectations.

Next Blog:https://kiwiflyingfish.com/2021/09/malta-air-show-and-hotel-juliana/