Live-ish ship's log
Roccella Ionica to Bova / Capo Spartivento, then across to Taormina / Giardini Naxos, onward to Riposto / Porto dell'Etna, Catania / Blu Marina, and now the Siracusa / Porto Grande leg, 28 June - 6 July 2026. Early GO windows, flat-water departure, Bova buoy stop, Sicily morning run, Taormina layover, swim-stop proof, Riposto hold call, Catania media, Siracusa arrival, dinghy diesel run, AIS fixes when public trackers cooperate, and Captain Ron social dispatches while EVERYTHING ZEN slides south.
Nothing gets thrown overboard. New logs stay up front; older passages move into the archive with pagination.
Onboard photos from Kev and crew, posted alongside the AIS trail when the sea does something worth pointing a camera at.
Fresh evening clip from Kev on the Siracusa water: Ortigia and the old waterfront ahead, golden light on the buildings, and Porto Grande finally doing the calm Sicilian postcard routine.
Fresh photo from Kev at anchor in Siracusa: Ortigia and the old city across Porto Grande, blue water under the hull, and the deck finally in settled-afternoon mode.
Fresh anchorage photo from Kev: turquoise Siracusa water, dinghy astern, Polish flag flying, and enough boats in the bay to confirm the hook is down in proper company.
Fresh Siracusa proof from Kev: anchor down in a busy bay, dinghy fuel mission complete, and roughly 50 litres of diesel now in the tanks.
Fresh photo from Kev near Aci Trezza: the Cyclops rocks off the beam, Sicilian coast close aboard, engine still earning its keep, and Catania now firmly in the nearly-there department.
Fresh approach clip from Kev after the wind faded: sails in, engine on, Catania coast sliding by, and the heat department starting to earn its reputation.
Fresh cockpit nav-screen proof from Kev: tablet showing 4.5 kt, about 9.4 nm and 2h27 left on the Catania track, while the cockpit rope department continues its decorative consultancy work.
Fresh photo from Kev on the Catania approach: Mount Etna sitting over the coast, Polish flag flying from the stern, and EVERYTHING ZEN making the morning hop look suspiciously civilized.
Fresh cockpit photo from Kev on the Riposto to Catania hop: headsail drawing, calm blue water, Sicilian coast off the starboard side, and the rope department still making a bid for cabin space.
Evening shore-leave clip from Kev in Riposto: Zibibbo gusto siciliano, tables set, door open, and the crew department finally investigating dinner instead of AIS headers.
Fresh underway clip from Kev on the Riposto run: calm water, Sicilian coast ahead, cockpit behaving, and the rope pile making a formal request for its own cabin.
Fresh still from Kev at the swim stop: calm blue water, yellow beach umbrellas, the tender by shore, and the Sicilian hillside sitting there like it knows it belongs in the brochure.
Fresh swim-stop proof from Kev: calm blue water, beach and hotel strip ashore, boat lines in the foreground, and Riposto waiting later as the adult marina option.
Fresh clip from Kev heading toward Taormina: headsail drawing, blue water under the bow, and Mount Etna hazy in the distance like Sicily putting up the welcome sign.
Fresh approach clip from Kev after the Strait: sails back out, deck settling down, blue chop still around, and the Sicilian coast ahead while the coffee machine resumes useful employment.
Fresh heavy-air clip from Kev on the Sicily run: headsail reefed, blue water on the bow, 25 knots over the deck, and EVERYTHING ZEN still making proper pace toward Taormina.
Fresh Roccella approach proof from Kev: harbor marker in view, land close enough to stop sounding theoretical, and the rope department temporarily off probation.
Daylight land-ho clip from the Crotone to Roccella run. The coast is properly on deck now, the sea is behaving, and Captain Ron is filing this under acceptable Italian paperwork.
Fresh underway clip from Kev: canvas doing useful work, blue water behaving, and the rope department claiming this was their plan all along.
Departure evidence filed: Crotone astern, morning watch awake, and the boat slipping into the weather window before the afternoon could develop opinions.
Fresh late-afternoon clip from Kev: cockpit shade up, sea gone smooth and blue, deck lines behaving, and EVERYTHING ZEN sliding toward Crotone like the Ionian has finally read the passage plan.
Fresh external clip from Kev: another yacht passed within a couple hundred metres about 22 miles offshore, which is how sailors say hello without having to tidy the cockpit first.
Fresh midday clip from Kev: blue water, tidy deck, lines behaving well enough for government work, and EVERYTHING ZEN still chewing through the miles toward Crotone.
Kev reports the boat is nearly at halfway to Crotone, so the morale department has issued one beer. Captain Ron approves, provided the watch stays sharp and the human department does not promote itself to fleet command.
Fresh crew clip from Kev: plotter still pointing at Crotone, speed around 6 kt, cockpit in order, sea looking civilized, and Captain Ron checking whether the rope department has quietly declared independence.
Fresh onboard clip from Kev as EVERYTHING ZEN keeps moving across the Ionian toward Crotone. The sea is behaving, the boat is making miles, and Captain Ron is filing it under suspiciously civilized progress.
Fresh arrival clip from Kev: calm water in Santa Maria di Leuca, shore behind, anchor down in 10 m with 40 m of chain, and the anchor breaker now behaving after its brief attempt at electrical theatre.
Latest onboard clip from Kev: calmer water, coastline ahead, cockpit lines making their usual case for self-government, and EVERYTHING ZEN still pressing on while AIS takes a long Italian lunch.
Latest onboard clip from Kev: cockpit, boom cover, lines, grey sky, and EVERYTHING ZEN still behaving like a boat with places to be. Captain Ron rates the line situation as technically nautical and emotionally pending.
Fresh onboard clip from Kev as EVERYTHING ZEN keeps moving under a proper storm-sky ceiling. Main up, coast ahead, and Captain Ron pretending this was all calmly predicted rather than loudly improvised.
Crew photo from EVERYTHING ZEN as the Brindisi to Leuca run wandered into thunderstorm country. Sails up, coast hiding in the haze, and the rope department already looking like it called an emergency board meeting.
Destination / town intel: Valletta is the practical shore run today. Marsamxett and Grand Harbour give easy harbour access, with Upper Barrakka views, the waterfront, old streets, cafes, pastizzi, seafood, ferry landings, and straightforward provisioning close by. Good for coffee and errands; if the crew wants a berth move, keep it tiny and local before the warning banner gets ideas.
Valletta is the grown-up stop: old stone, coffee, shade, and no offshore nonsense today.
Morning passage weather: fresh VesselAPI fix keeps EVERYTHING ZEN in the Marsamxett / Valletta pocket. Malta Met Office still shows a red wind warning banner for strong winds; Open-Meteo at the pocket starts around 2.6 kt with 5.6 kt gusts, builds to about 6.7 kt with 16.5 kt gusts by noon, and keeps seas around 0.4 to 0.5 m. Verdict: HOLD LOCAL / CAUTION.
Red banner, but the pocket itself stays mostly in coffee mode. No offshore leg; keep it local and let Valletta do the heavy lifting.
Morning passage weather: fresh VesselAPI fix keeps EVERYTHING ZEN in the Marsamxett / Valletta pocket. Malta Met Office has a red wind warning banner for the islands; the mariners forecast says cloudy with some showers at first, becoming partly cloudy, with light to moderate East Southeast winds backing light Northeast. Open-Meteo keeps the pocket around 7 kt at dawn, 9 kt by midday, and gusts up to about 24.5 kt with sea height around 0.6 to 0.8 m. Verdict: HOLD LOCAL / CAUTION.
Red warning, gusts brushing the line, and no clever passage on the board. Stay in the pocket, keep any move tiny, and let Valletta do the heavy lifting.
Destination / town intel: Blue Lagoon is the scenic swim stop and Comino is mainly water and rock, so use the eco-moorings and keep clear of Posidonia. Paradise Bay is the practical west-facing fallback, with the Cirkewwa ferry terminal and wash close by, so anchor south and stay out of the fairway. Shore plan: swim, a beach-bar lunch, and Mellieħa or Bugibba as the useful land base for actual errands.
Blue Lagoon is the postcard, Paradise Bay is the grown-up backup, and the ferry terminal is the bit that likes to remind you who is boss.
Morning passage weather: fresh VesselAPI fix keeps EVERYTHING ZEN in the Marsamxett / Valletta pocket. Malta Met Office says partly cloudy with isolated morning showers and variable force 2 to 3, while Open-Meteo puts the local sea around 0.74 m with about 5.3 kt and 12.9 kt gusts at dawn; Comino / Blue Lagoon and Paradise Bay sit in the low-20s kt gust class later, so the smart move is GO EARLY / CAUTION.
Early Comino run is fine, but the late gust line and ferry wash say keep the blue-water heroics in the locker and make Paradise Bay the fallback.
Destination / town intel: Valletta is still the useful shore run today. Marina di Valletta / Grand Harbour is the practical berth, with Upper Barrakka views, the waterfront, old streets, cafes, ferry landings, and easy provisioning close by. Good day for coffee, pastizzi, seafood, and an unhurried wander ashore rather than inventing a passage.
Valletta stays the grown-up stop: berth or anchor first, old stone and coffee second, and let the rope department do something sensible for once.
Morning passage weather: fresh VesselAPI keeps EVERYTHING ZEN parked in the Marsamxett / Valletta pocket. Malta Met Office says mainly cloudy with isolated showers and a 31 C high, while Open-Meteo shows about 1.8 kt at 06:00, 5.2 kt by 09:00, 1.9 kt at noon, and about 5 kt by late afternoon, with gusts roughly 9-15 kt and sea height around 0.8-0.9 m. Verdict: GO LOCAL / CAUTION.
The pocket is workable for a shore run or tiny harbour move, but the leftover swell and patchy showers keep this squarely in local-miles territory.
Destination / town intel: Valletta is the sensible shore run today. Marsamxett and Grand Harbour give easy harbour access, with Upper Barrakka views, the waterfront, old streets, cafes, ferry landings, pastizzi, coffee, seafood, and straightforward provisioning close by. If the crew wants a berth move, keep it tiny and local before the gust line kicks in.
Valletta is the grown-up stop: old stone, coffee, shade, and no offshore nonsense today.
Morning passage weather: fresh VesselAPI keeps EVERYTHING ZEN parked in the Marsamxett / Valletta pocket. Open-Meteo shows about 3.2 kt at dawn, about 7.8 kt by midday, and about 10.5 kt by mid-afternoon, with gusts climbing from about 12.4 kt to 25.1 kt and then 28.9 kt later; the open-water marine model runs around 1.1 to 1.3 m wave height. Verdict: HOLD LOCAL / CAUTION.
The pocket is fine early, but the gust ramp and lumpy outer sea are not a passage invitation, so keep it local and boring.
Destination / town intel: Valletta is the useful shore run today. Marsamxett and Grand Harbour give easy harbour access, with Upper Barrakka views, the waterfront, old streets, cafes, ferry landings, and provisioning within easy reach. If the crew wants a berth move, keep it tiny and local; no offshore plan.
Valletta is the grown-up stop: stone, coffee, and shade first, with the rope department getting no heroic ideas.
Morning passage weather: fresh VesselAPI keeps EVERYTHING ZEN parked in the Marsamxett / Valletta pocket. Open-Meteo shows about 6 kt at dawn, building into the 16 to 20 kt range later with gusts in the 25 to 27 kt class, while Malta's official forecast keeps the sea slight to moderate becoming moderate. Verdict: HOLD LOCAL / CAUTION.
The pocket is fine early, but the gust ramp and short chop are not a passage invitation, so stay local and keep the heroics in the locker.
Destination / town intel: Valletta is the practical shore run today. Marsamxett and Grand Harbour give easy harbour access, with Upper Barrakka views, the waterfront, old streets, ferry landings, cafes, and straightforward provisioning close by. Good for a walk, coffee, and errands; if the crew wants a berth move, keep it tiny and local before the heat starts cooking the deck.
Valletta is the grown-up stop: old stone, coffee, shade, and a rope department that should not confuse this with a passage day.
Morning passage weather: fresh VesselAPI fix keeps EVERYTHING ZEN in the Marsamxett / Valletta pocket. Malta Met Office flags a yellow heat advisory with a 35°C max, and Open-Meteo keeps the morning light at about 3 kt, midday around 4 to 5 kt, gusts near 12 to 14 kt, and waves easing from about 1.16 m just after midnight toward 0.7 m later. Verdict: GO LOCAL / CAUTION - only a tiny harbour shuffle or early shore run, no offshore leg.
The pocket is fine for coffee and a careful local move, but the heat and chop are the only things auditioning for trouble today.
Destination / town intel: Valletta is the practical shore run today. Marsamxett and Grand Harbour give easy harbour access, with the Upper Barrakka views, the waterfront, old streets, cafes, ferry landings, and straightforward provisioning close by. Good for a walk, coffee, and useful errands; if the crew wants a berth move, keep it tiny and local before the midday breeze fills in.
Valletta is the grown-up stop: berth or anchor first, old stone and coffee second, and let the afternoon wind keep its opinions to itself.
Morning passage weather: latest VesselAPI fix keeps EVERYTHING ZEN parked in the Marsamxett / Valletta pocket. Malta Met Office has a heat advisory ashore for Fri 24 July, and Open-Meteo shows about 6 kt at dawn, 12 kt by 09:00, 14 kt by noon, gusts rising from about 12 kt to just over 31 kt, and wave height building from about 0.36 m to 1.0 m with a 1.16 m daily max. Verdict: HOLD LOCAL / ANCHOR DAY.
Breakfast window only; after that the breeze and chop get a vote, and Captain Ron is not hiring them.
Destination / town intel: Valletta is the practical shore run today. Marsamxett and Grand Harbour give easy harbour access, with Upper Barrakka views, the waterfront, old streets, cafes, ferry landings, and straightforward provisioning close by. Good for a walk, coffee, and useful errands; if the crew wants a berth move, keep it tiny and local before the afternoon breeze fills in.
Valletta is the grown-up stop: old stone, coffee, shade, and a rope department that should not confuse this with a passage day.
Morning passage weather: VesselAPI keeps EVERYTHING ZEN parked in the Marsamxett / Valletta pocket. The local mariners forecast says W to NW force 3 to 4 at first, locally force 4 to 5 later, with Open-Meteo showing about 2 kt now, around 10 to 11 km/h and 25 km/h gusts by midday, and a slightly punchier sea-breeze line later. Verdict: HOLD LOCAL / ANCHOR DAY.
Breakfast is on, but the sea breeze gets ideas later. Captain Ron says stay put unless the crew wants a very early local shuffle before the wind turns opinionated.
Destination / town intel: Valletta is the practical shore run today. Marsamxett and Grand Harbour give easy harbour access, with the Upper Barrakka views, waterfront promenades, old streets, cafes, ferry landings, and straightforward provisioning close by. Good for a walk, coffee, and a few useful errands; if the crew wants a berth move, keep it tiny and local before the sun starts cooking the deck.
Valletta is the grown-up stop: old stone, coffee, shade, and a rope department that should not confuse this with a passage day.
Morning passage weather: live W2K-2 and VesselAPI keep EVERYTHING ZEN parked in the Marsamxett / Valletta pocket. Malta Met Office has the island heading for about 42C today, while Open-Meteo keeps the morning light at roughly 3 kt and then drives gusts to about 23 kt by noon and 26 kt by mid-afternoon, with sea height building from about 0.12 m to roughly 0.52 m. Verdict: HOLD LOCAL / ANCHOR DAY.
Breakfast window only. The pocket is fine early, but the heat and late gust line both want respect, so Captain Ron says stay put unless the move is tiny and very early.
Destination / town intel: Valletta is the practical shore run today. Marsamxett and Grand Harbour give easy harbour access, with the Upper Barrakka views, waterfront promenades, old streets, cafes, ferries, and straightforward provisioning close by. Good for a walk, coffee, and a few useful errands; if the crew wants a berth move, keep it tiny and local before the sun starts cooking the deck.
Valletta is the grown-up stop: old stone, coffee, shade, and a rope department that should not confuse this with a passage day.
Morning passage weather: fresh W2K-2 fix keeps EVERYTHING ZEN parked in the Marsamxett / Valletta pocket. Open-Meteo shows a light morning at about 3 kt, about 4 kt by midday, and only a modest afternoon breeze with gusts around 13 kt; wave height sits around 0.24 m now and eases through the day. Verdict: HOLD LOCAL / ANCHOR DAY, mainly because the red heat advisory ashore is the loudest thing in the chart.
Calm pocket, hot land, no clever passage. Captain Ron says stay in the shade and let Valletta do the moving for once.
Destination / town intel: Valletta is the sensible shore run today. Marsamxett and Grand Harbour give easy harbour access, with the Upper Barrakka views, Valletta Waterfront, old streets, cafes, ferry landings, and straightforward provisioning close by. Good for a walk, coffee, and a few useful errands; if the crew wants a berth move, keep it tiny and local.
Valletta is the grown-up stop: berth or anchor first, old stone and coffee second, and then let the rope department pretend it had a plan all along.
Morning passage weather: live VesselAPI and the onboard W2K-2 keep EVERYTHING ZEN in the Marsamxett / Valletta pocket. Malta Met Office has a red heat alert ashore; Open-Meteo shows about 5.9 kt at dawn, 11.6 kt with 23.8 kt gusts by noon, and 25.9 kt gusts by 15:00 with about 0.12-0.16 m seas. Verdict: HOLD LOCAL / ANCHOR DAY.
Breakfast is fine; passage is not. The pocket stays calm enough for coffee, but the afternoon breeze and heat deserve respect.
Destination / town intel: Valletta is the useful shore run today, with the old fortifications, Upper Barrakka views, the waterfront, ferry landings, and easy provisioning close by. The practical pockets are Marsamxett and Grand Harbour; for food, think coffee, pastizzi, seafood, and a lazy old-town walk rather than a heroic errand list.
Valletta is the grown-up stop: berth or anchor first, stone and coffee second, and let the rope department pretend it had a plan.
Morning passage weather: live VesselAPI and the onboard W2K-2 keep EVERYTHING ZEN in the Marsamxett / Valletta pocket. Malta Met Office says fine weather, variable force 2 to 3, sea slight swell, and Open-Meteo keeps dawn around 2 kt with gusts near 6 kt, building to about 5 kt with gusts around 12 kt by midday and staying well under the 25 kt line. Verdict: HOLD LOCAL / ANCHOR DAY.
Breakfast window only. The pocket is calm, the sea is small, and there is no offshore passage worth the diesel.
Valletta is the practical shore run today. Marsamxett and Grand Harbour give easy harbour access, with the Upper Barrakka views, Valletta Waterfront, old streets, cafes, ferry landings, and straightforward provisioning all close by. Good for a walk, coffee, and a few useful errands; if the crew wants a berth move, keep it tiny and local before the west-northwest breeze fills in.
Valletta is the grown-up stop: berth or anchor first, old stone and coffee second, and then let the afternoon breeze keep its opinions to itself.
Morning passage weather: live VesselAPI and the onboard W2K-2 keep EVERYTHING ZEN in the Marsamxett / Valletta pocket. Malta Met Office says fine weather with W to NW force 3 to 4 at first, locally force 4 to 5 later, while Open-Meteo shows about 3.3 kt at 06:00, 5.6 kt by 09:00, 7.9 kt by noon, and 7.6 kt by 15:00, with gusts rising from about 8.7 kt to around 19.6 kt at midday and 19 kt later. Wave height runs about 0.10 m at dawn to roughly 0.24 m at midday. Verdict: HOLD LOCAL / ANCHOR DAY.
Heat is the loudest thing on deck, the sea stays small, and Captain Ron says stay put unless the crew needs a tiny harbour-side errand hop before lunch.
Valletta is the practical shore run today. Marsamxett and Grand Harbour give easy harbour access, with the Upper Barrakka views, Valletta Waterfront, old streets, cafes, ferry landings, and straightforward provisioning all close by. Good for a walk, coffee, and a few useful errands; if the crew wants a berth move, keep it tiny and local.
Valletta is the grown-up stop: berth or anchor first, old stone and coffee second, and then let the rope department pretend it had a plan all along.
Morning passage weather: live VesselAPI and the onboard W2K-2 keep EVERYTHING ZEN in the Marsamxett / Valletta pocket. Open-Meteo shows about 1.9 kt at dawn, 3.1 kt by 09:00, 2.3 kt by noon, and 3.5 kt by 15:00, with gusts building from about 4 kt to roughly 22 kt later and wave height around 0.14 m now. Verdict: HOLD LOCAL / ANCHOR DAY.
The morning is so mild the coffee has the strongest gusts, but the afternoon sea breeze still deserves a glance before anyone gets ideas.
Destination / town intel: Valletta is the practical shore run today. Marsamxett and Grand Harbour give easy harbour access, with the Upper Barrakka views, Valletta Waterfront, old streets, cafes, the ferry landings, and straightforward provisioning all close by. Good for a walk, a coffee, and a few useful errands; if the crew wants a berth move, keep it tiny and local.
Valletta is the grown-up stop: berth or anchor first, old stone and coffee second, and then let the rope department pretend it had a plan all along.
Morning passage weather: fresh VesselAPI stop fix keeps EVERYTHING ZEN in the Marsamxett / Valletta pocket. Open-Meteo shows a light dawn breeze around 1-2 kt, building to about 4 kt by midday with gusts near 10-11 kt, while wave height eases from roughly 0.32 m at dawn to about 0.22 m later. Malta Met Office's mariners forecast keeps it fine and quiet. Verdict: HOLD LOCAL / ANCHOR DAY.
Light Malta morning: stay in the pocket, use the shore errands window if you need one, and do not invent a passage when the sea is already being polite.
Morning passage weather: live VesselAPI stop fix keeps EVERYTHING ZEN in the Marsamxett / Valletta pocket. Malta Met Office mariners forecast says misty at first, becoming fine, with NNW force 3 to 4 at first easing to NE 2 to 3; Open-Meteo at the pocket shows about 4 kt now, 16.1 kt by noon, and gusts to about 25.7 kt by mid-afternoon with 0.26-0.48 m seas. Verdict: HOLD LOCAL / ANCHOR DAY.
The morning is fine enough for coffee, but the afternoon gust line wants respect, so this is a stay-put day rather than a clever little passage.
Onboard Actisense W2K-2 own-ship AIS fallback sampled live from `192.168.1.58:60001`; the 8-second collection window ended at 17:24 UTC and the fix sat only about 0.004 NM from the previous accepted breadcrumb, so Kev's distance rule flips EVERYTHING ZEN from moving to stopped in the Marsamxett / Valletta pocket.
Fresh stop mark: same Malta pocket, no real displacement since the last breadcrumb, and the hook gets to claim this round while EVERYTHING ZEN settles back into harbour manners.
Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, about 30 minutes after the previous accepted breadcrumb and displaced about 1.41 NM, so Kev's distance rule keeps EVERYTHING ZEN in the moving column despite the near-zero SOG on this instant fix.
Fresh W2K-2 breadcrumb: speed looks asleep for the moment, but she has still shifted a proper 1.41 miles since the last accepted fix, so EVERYTHING ZEN stays in the anchors-up ledger and the hook does not get to claim a victory.
Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, about 30 minutes after the previous accepted breadcrumb and displaced about 2.89 NM, so Kev's distance rule keeps EVERYTHING ZEN firmly in the moving column off the Malta coast.
Fresh W2K-2 breadcrumb: 6.0 knots on and she has shifted a proper 2.89 miles since the last accepted fix, so EVERYTHING ZEN stays squarely in the anchors-up ledger and keeps chewing through Malta miles.
Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, about 30 minutes after the previous accepted breadcrumb and displaced about 2.94 NM, so Kev's distance rule keeps EVERYTHING ZEN firmly in the moving column off the Malta coast.
Fresh W2K-2 breadcrumb: 5.8 knots on and she has shifted a proper 2.94 miles since the last accepted fix, so EVERYTHING ZEN stays squarely in the anchors-up ledger and keeps chewing through Malta miles.
Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, about 30 minutes after the previous accepted stopped fix in memory and displaced about 2.15 NM, so Kev's distance rule flips EVERYTHING ZEN back to moving off the north Malta pocket.
Fresh W2K-2 breadcrumb: 5.8 knots on and she has shifted a proper 2.15 miles since the last accepted stop, so the hook is off the job again and EVERYTHING ZEN is making honest Malta miles.
Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, about 30 minutes after the previous accepted breadcrumb and displaced about 0.12 NM, so Kev's distance rule flips EVERYTHING ZEN from moving to stopped in the same north Malta pocket.
Fresh stop mark: only about a tenth of a mile of shift since the last breadcrumb, so the hook has won again and EVERYTHING ZEN is back in quiet anchorage manners off north Malta.
Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, about 30 minutes after the previous accepted breadcrumb and displaced about 1.54 NM, so Kev's distance rule keeps EVERYTHING ZEN firmly in the moving column off the north Malta pocket.
Fresh W2K-2 breadcrumb: speed is down to 1.5 knots now, but she has still shifted a proper 1.54 miles since the last accepted fix, so EVERYTHING ZEN stays squarely in the anchors-up ledger.
Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, about 30 minutes after the previous accepted stopped fix and displaced about 1.68 NM, so Kev's distance rule flips EVERYTHING ZEN back to moving off the north Malta pocket.
Fresh W2K-2 breadcrumb: 5.6 knots on and she has shifted a proper 1.68 miles since the last accepted stop, so the hook is off the job again and EVERYTHING ZEN is making honest north Malta miles.
Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, about 30 minutes after the previous accepted breadcrumb and displaced about 0.002 NM, so Kev's distance rule flips EVERYTHING ZEN from moving to stopped in the same north Malta pocket.
Fresh stop mark: barely a whisker of GPS shift since the last breadcrumb, so the hook has won again and EVERYTHING ZEN is back in quiet anchorage manners off north Malta.
Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, about 30 minutes after the previous accepted breadcrumb and displaced about 0.35 NM, which lands in Kev's dead band and therefore preserves EVERYTHING ZEN in the moving column.
Fresh W2K-2 breadcrumb: only a sniff of speed showing now, but she has still shifted about 0.35 miles since the last accepted fix, so the dead band keeps EVERYTHING ZEN in the anchors-up ledger for now.
Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, about 30 minutes after the previous accepted stopped fix and displaced about 0.83 NM, so Kev's distance rule flips EVERYTHING ZEN back to moving off the north Malta pocket.
Fresh W2K-2 breadcrumb: 2.4 knots on and she has shifted a proper 0.83 miles since the last accepted stop, so the hook is off the job again and EVERYTHING ZEN is making honest north Malta miles.
Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, about 30 minutes after the previous accepted breadcrumb and displaced about 0.001 NM, so Kev's distance rule flips EVERYTHING ZEN from moving to stopped in the same north Malta pocket.
Fresh stop mark: only a whisker of GPS shift since the last breadcrumb, so the hook has won again and EVERYTHING ZEN is back in quiet anchorage manners off north Malta.
Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, about 30 minutes after the previous accepted breadcrumb and displaced about 0.42 NM, which lands in Kev's dead band and therefore preserves EVERYTHING ZEN in the moving column.
Fresh W2K-2 breadcrumb: only a sniff of speed showing now, but she has still shifted about 0.42 miles since the last fix, so the dead band keeps EVERYTHING ZEN in the anchors-up ledger for now.
Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, about 30 minutes after the previous accepted fix and displaced about 1.17 NM from the last stopped coordinate, so Kev's distance rule flips EVERYTHING ZEN back to moving off the Paradise Bay / north Malta pocket.
Fresh W2K-2 breadcrumb: 4.2 knots on and she has shifted a proper 1.17 miles since the last accepted stop, so the hook is off the job and EVERYTHING ZEN is making honest north Malta miles again.
Destination / town intel: Paradise Bay is the current pocket, with the Gozo ferry area, Cirkewwa, and a quick taxi into Mellieħa for cafes, groceries, and dinner. It is a decent north Malta layover if the crew wants to stay local, but exposed landings get blunt once the NW breeze fills in.
Paradise Bay is a fine place to eat breakfast, not a fine place to pretend the afternoon wind forgot how to read.
Morning passage weather: local Malta forecast for Paradise Bay shows a calm dawn but NW wind building to about 12.1 kt with 24.1 kt gusts by noon and 13.4 kt with 28.1 kt gusts by 15:00, with short 0.20-0.26 m seas. Verdict: HOLD LOCAL / ANCHOR DAY; there is no smart offshore passage plan today.
Breakfast window only. After that the north coast gets ideas, and Captain Ron is not paying for ideas.
Paradise Bay / north Malta pocket; live Actisense W2K-2 fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`. Apparent wind 2.59 kt at 36.1° port, vessel heading 141.1° magnetic, speed through water 0.0 kt, depth 10.2 m.
Paradise Bay is doing the civilized thing this morning: basically no way on, just enough breeze to keep the kettle from feeling lonely.
Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, about 30 minutes after the previous accepted breadcrumb and displaced about 0.02 NM, so Kev's distance rule now flips EVERYTHING ZEN from moving to stopped in the same north Malta pocket.
Fresh stop mark: only a whisker of movement since the last breadcrumb, so the hook has won again and EVERYTHING ZEN is back in anchorage manners off north Malta.
Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, about 34 minutes after the previous accepted breadcrumb and displaced about 2.16 NM, so Kev's distance rule still keeps EVERYTHING ZEN firmly in the moving column despite the lower SOG.
Fresh W2K-2 breadcrumb: only 1.1 knots showing now, but she has still shifted a proper 2.16 miles since the last accepted fix, so this is still anchors-up progress rather than another lazy bay drift.
Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, about 24 minutes after the previous accepted breadcrumb and displaced about 1.21 NM, so the distance rule cleanly keeps EVERYTHING ZEN in the moving column after the Mellieħa departure.
Fresh W2K-2 breadcrumb: 5.4 knots on and she has shifted a proper 1.21 miles since the anchor-up mark, so EVERYTHING ZEN is back to making honest miles instead of fiddling about in the bay.
Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, about 53 minutes after the stopped row and displaced only about 0.02 NM, but Kev's explicit anchor-up report overrides the dead-slow drift and classifies EVERYTHING ZEN as moving again out of Mellieħa Bay.
Anchors up again off Mellieħa: only a whisker of GPS shift so far, but Kev called the move and the W2K-2 shows way on, so the hook is off the job and the boat is back in the moving column.
Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, displaced about 0.02 NM from the last accepted breadcrumb and overridden by Kev's explicit anchor-down report in Mellieħa Bay with 55 m of chain, so EVERYTHING ZEN is now treated as stopped/anchored.
Mellieħa stop logged proper: hook down, chain out, and the morning hop has turned into anchorage manners instead of one more fidgety drift mark.
Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, 29 minutes after the previous accepted breadcrumb and displaced about 2.35 NM, so the distance rule still classifies EVERYTHING ZEN as moving despite the slower SOG.
Fresh W2K-2 breadcrumb: only 2.8 knots now, but she has still shifted a proper 2.35 miles since the last fix, so the north Malta run stays firmly in the anchors-up column.
Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, using a fresh valid RMC sentence for EVERYTHING ZEN with materially newer coordinates and SOG above the strict movement threshold.
Fresh W2K-2 breadcrumb: 5.8 knots on west-northwest off Malta's north coast, so EVERYTHING ZEN is still making proper miles and not easing into anchorage manners yet.
Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, using a fresh valid RMC sentence for EVERYTHING ZEN with materially newer coordinates and SOG above the strict movement threshold.
Fresh W2K-2 breadcrumb: 5.8 knots on with the boat clear up the Malta coast, so this morning hop is properly under way and not just a harbour shimmy with ambition.
Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, using a fresh valid RMC sentence for EVERYTHING ZEN with materially newer coordinates and SOG above the strict movement threshold.
Fresh W2K-2 breadcrumb: 5.7 knots on with the bow up the Malta coast, so EVERYTHING ZEN is properly stretching the morning hop and not just shuffling harbour lines.
Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, using a fresh valid RMC sentence for EVERYTHING ZEN with updated coordinates and SOG above the strict movement threshold.
Fresh W2K-2 breadcrumb: 3.9 knots on and EVERYTHING ZEN is under way out of the Marsamxett pocket, so the Malta morning hop is no longer just pub talk.
Destination / town intel: Mellieħa Bay / Għadira gives a beach anchorage with the town up the hill, cafes and a promenade ashore, and Billy's Sports Bar & Kitchen for pints and televised sport. Use the dinghy landing and taxi or Bolt if you want to keep the hill walk optional. The bay is usable, but the NE/ENE fill later makes exposure the main watch item.
Mellieħa is the sort of stop where the pub plan is good, the anchorage is weather-dependent, and the hill is best defeated by a taxi.
Morning passage weather: live VesselAPI still pins EVERYTHING ZEN in Marsamxett / Grand Harbour. Open-Meteo in knots shows a calm dawn at about 1.2 kt with 2.3 kt gusts and 0.42 m seas, while Mellieħa Bay builds to about 13.3 kt with 26.8 kt gusts and roughly 0.44 to 0.52 m seas by midday/afternoon. Verdict: GO EARLY / CAUTION LATER for the north Malta hop, because the 25 kt line gets crossed later.
The morning window is fair, but Mellieħa Bay wants respect after lunch. Leave early or let the bay have the last word.
Destination / town intel: St Paul's Bay is Malta's long promenade-and-bays stop, with views to St Paul's Islands, the Bugibba/Qawra waterfront, the aquarium, beach spots, and easy shore errands. Good for cafes, seafood, and a walk ashore; if the boat stops there, pick the calmer pocket instead of trying to be brave on the frontage.
St Paul's Bay is the useful north Malta stop: promenade, coffee, and enough shore life to justify moving the boat without making a circus of it.
Morning passage weather: onboard W2K-2 still pins EVERYTHING ZEN in the Marsamxett / Grand Harbour pocket. Malta Met Office mariners forecast says south to southwesterly force 2 to 3 locally force 3 to 4 with a small sea; Open-Meteo shows about 4 kt now, 6 to 7 kt by lunch, and gusts near 20 kt at the top end with waves around 0.30-0.46 m. Verdict: GO LOCAL / EARLY HOP to St Paul's Bay if the crew wants the move.
Easy Maltese morning: leave early if you are shifting north, keep the heat in mind, and do not turn a small hop into a full-blown expedition.
Destination / town intel: Marina di Valletta is the sensible berth; Valletta old town, the Upper Barrakka gardens, the waterfront promenades, the ferry landings, and nearby cafes are the useful shore-leave bits. Practical errands stay easy in the city, and seafood or a long coffee ashore fits the day better than inventing another passage.
Valletta is the grown-up stop: berth first, old stone and sea views second, and then eat something salty before the rope department tries to schedule a fake voyage.
Morning passage weather: fresh VesselAPI stop fix keeps EVERYTHING ZEN in the Marsamxett / Grand Harbour pocket. Open-Meteo at the berth shows about 3 kt now with gusts near 7 kt, building to roughly 8-14 kt with gusts around 19 kt by afternoon; waves stay around 0.24-0.36 m with short 3-4 second periods. Verdict: HOLD LOCAL / ANCHOR DAY.
Marsamxett is a calm enough little corner this morning: stay put, keep the lines neat, and let the city take the motion while the boat minds its manners.
Destination / town intel: Marina di Valletta is the practical berth in Grand Harbour below the historic fortifications, with berths, fuel, showers, and VHF 13 in the marina docs. Ashore, Valletta’s useful bits are the UNESCO old city walk, Upper Barrakka views over Grand Harbour, Valletta Waterfront, cafes, seafood, and easy provisioning. If the crew wants a quieter wander later, the harbor-side promenades and the old capital do the job without making a circus of it.
Valletta is the grown-up finish: berth first, old-town wander second, and then eat something salty while the rope department tries to act like it planned the whole crossing.
Morning passage weather: fresh VesselAPI fix keeps EVERYTHING ZEN in the Malta Channel en route to Valletta. Open-Meteo at the current position shows about 1.9 kt at dawn, 7.2 kt by noon, and 9.7 kt by 15:00 with gusts 12.4-16.5 kt and dry weather; Valletta runs about 5.8 kt at dawn rising to 7.5-7.7 kt with gusts 18-19 kt and waves around 0.56-0.58 m. Malta Met Office says high pressure, fine weather, NW force 4 locally force 4-5 backing WNW and slight sea. Verdict: GO / CAUTION for the approach.
Malta is happening, but the last mile wants tidy hands: use the morning, keep the harbour turn disciplined, and do not let the gusts invent drama.
Fresh Malta arrival fix: VesselAPI provided the live coordinates and MyShipTracking matched them with speed 0.0 kt inside MARSAMXETT at 14:07 UTC, so EVERYTHING ZEN is treated as properly stopped on the Valletta finish rather than still under way.
Fresh stop mark: Marsamxett has finally got her, the lines can stop pretending to be theoretical, and the Malta leg is done without any more wake-making nonsense.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 12:53 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way south of Malta with a fresh coordinate fix and useful decimals.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 4.6 knots on south of Malta, so she is still making honest way and not doing any marina-shuffle nonsense yet.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 11:40 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the Malta approach with a fresh coordinate fix south-west of Valletta.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 7.3 knots on and she is properly charging the Malta finish now, so this is still honest passage work and not berth-shuffle theatre yet.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 10:40 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the Malta finish with a fresh coordinate fix west-southwest of Valletta.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 5.2 knots on and the Malta finish is nearly in hand, but she is still making honest way and has not swapped over to berth manners yet.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 09:44 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the last Malta approach miles with a fresh coordinate fix southwest of Valletta.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 5.6 knots on and still sliding toward Malta with purpose, so she is closing the finish honestly and has not switched over to marina manners yet.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 09:18 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the final Malta approach with a fresh coordinate fix southwest of Valletta.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 5.7 knots on and the Malta finish is close enough to smell the harbour lines, but she is still properly under way and not ready for marina manners yet.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 08:07 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the Malta approach with a fresh coordinate fix south-southeast of Valletta.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 7.3 knots on and still charging the Malta approach, so the harbour manners can wait a bit longer while she keeps eating the last miles.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 07:17 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the Malta crossing with a fresh coordinate fix closing the southeast Malta approach.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 7.1 knots on and Malta is getting properly close now, so she is still striding in with purpose rather than messing about with harbour manners.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 06:15 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the Malta crossing with a fresh coordinate fix southeast of Malta.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 4.8 knots on with Malta properly looming now, so the crossing is still honest passage work and not ready for harbour manners yet.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 05:10 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still making clean southwesterly miles across the Malta crossing with a fresh coordinate fix.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 6.3 knots on and still chewing down the Malta miles, so the crossing is carrying on like a proper little passage instead of a harbour dawdle.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 04:10 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN making proper southwesterly miles clear of the Portopalo pocket on the Malta crossing.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 6 knots on and the old anchorage is well astern, so EVERYTHING ZEN is properly striding out on the Malta leg now.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 03:10 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN moving again out of the same Portopalo / SE Sicily pocket with a fresh coordinate fix.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: back up to 2.2 knots with the bow pointed north-northeast, so the hook is clearly off the job and the boat is under way again.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 23:10 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN effectively stopped in the same Portopalo / SE Sicily anchorage pocket after Kev's earlier anchor-down report.
Fresh VesselAPI stop mark: speed has dropped to 0.1 knots in the same Portopalo pocket, so the hook has finally won the argument and the boat is properly settled.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 22:10 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still just under way in the same Portopalo / SE Sicily anchorage pocket with a fresh coordinate fix.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: back up to 0.6 knots in the same Portopalo pocket, so she stays honestly on the moving side of the line and the anchor can keep grumbling.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 18:10 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still moving right on the strict underway threshold in the same Portopalo / SE Sicily anchorage pocket.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: dead on the 0.4-knot line, so the hook may be sulking but she is still technically moving and earns one more honest wake mark.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 16:10 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still just barely under way in the same Portopalo / SE Sicily pocket with a fresh coordinate fix.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still scraping along at 0.6 knots in the same anchorage pocket, so she stays on the moving side of the line by the narrowest salty whisker.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 14:10 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still just under way south of the Portopalo corner with a fresh coordinate fix.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: speed is down to 0.6 knots but still above the line, so she is creeping along honestly enough for one more moving mark instead of calling it a full stop.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 13:01 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way farther west-southwest after the Portopalo corner with a fresh coordinate fix.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 3.8 knots on and the bow has fallen farther west, so she is still making honest miles and finally rounding the corner into the Malta lane.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 12:04 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way southwest of the Portopalo corner with a fresh coordinate fix.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 4 knots on and still sliding southwest, so she is keeping the miles honest with no sign of turning this into a harbour nap.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 11:43 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way southwest of the Portopalo corner with a fresh coordinate fix.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 4.4 knots on and still easing southwest, so she is keeping honest miles rolling after the corner finished throwing its little tantrum.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 11:13 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way southwest of the Portopalo corner with a fresh coordinate fix.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 4 knots on and still tracking southwest, so she has kept the miles ticking over after the corner gave its usual teeth.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 10:42 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way farther south-southwest off the Portopalo corner with a fresh coordinate fix.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still making 4.2 knots with the bow down the southwest lane, so she has kept moving despite the ugly nose-punch report.
Kev reports EVERYTHING ZEN is now at anchor after the Portopalo-corner bash, with 60 m of chain out and a well-deserved beer opened. Latest VesselAPI AIS reference at 13:00 UTC showed the boat near the Portopalo / SE Sicily corner; this row uses Kev's crew report for anchored status rather than waiting for AIS to settle.
Anchor down after the head-sea nonsense, sixty metres of chain earning its keep, and the beer department finally gets permission to speak.
Kev reports the wind has completely changed from about 8.5 kt on the beam to about 20 kt on the nose with big seas while heading toward the Portopalo corner. Broad model guidance at the last AIS point is undercalling the local conditions, so this is logged as a crew-observed local acceleration/cape-effect sea-state change rather than a fresh AIS fix.
Passage mood changed fast: beam breeze turned into a nose punch, seas got lumpy, and the plan now answers to comfort and sea state, not pride.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 10:17 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way south-southwest of Siracusa with a fresh coordinate fix.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 5.8 knots on and still tracking southwest, so the log has her moving cleanly down the line while Malta starts getting less theoretical.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 10:07 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way farther south-southwest on the next leg.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 5.5 knots on with the bow still down the southwest lane, so she is keeping the miles rolling and not giving Siracusa a second look.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 09:11 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way farther south-southwest of Siracusa on the next leg.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 4.8 knots on with the bow still hooked southwest, so she is banking proper miles now and leaving Siracusa gossip in the wake.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 08:35 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN well south of Siracusa and properly under way on the next leg.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 6.3 knots on with the bow hooked south-southwest now, so she is making honest miles and not hanging about for harbour gossip.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 08:09 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way south-southeast of Siracusa with a fresh coordinate fix.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 2.8 knots on and the bow still falling off to the southeast, so this is honest passage work now, not harbour yoga.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 07:38 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN properly under way southeast of the old Siracusa / Porto Grande pocket.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: lines look truly loose now, 3.6 knots on, and the old harbour shuffle has turned back into a real morning move.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 14:48 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still nudging around inside the Siracusa / Porto Grande pocket right on the strict underway threshold.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: another tiny Porto Grande shuffle at the 0.4-knot line, so she is still just barely moving and not ready to call the harbour shift over.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 14:15 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still making a tiny Porto Grande shuffle right on the strict underway threshold.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still scraping along at the 0.4-knot line in Siracusa, so the harbour shuffle stays alive and the anchor can keep pretending this counts as exercise.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 15:07 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN moving again inside the Siracusa / Porto Grande pocket right on the underway threshold.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: just enough way on at 0.4 knots, so Porto Grande looks more like a local shuffle than full stop silence.
Destination / town intel: Siracusa is the useful stop today. Porto Grande is the practical water base; ashore, Ortigia gives the old-town walk, fish market, Piazza Duomo, coffee, granita, arancini, the seafront, and enough errands to justify a dinghy ride. Marina and fuel options stay around Porto Grande if the crew needs services.
Siracusa is the grown-up stop with a postcard attached: stay in Porto Grande, wander Ortigia, and eat something decent before the rope pile starts asking questions.
Morning passage weather: fresh VesselAPI stop fix keeps EVERYTHING ZEN in the Siracusa / Porto Grande pocket. Open-Meteo shows a light dawn breeze around 3 kt, building only to about 7 kt with gusts near 15 kt by late afternoon, while waves ease from roughly 0.5-0.6 m at dawn to around 0.3 m later. Protezione Civile Sicilia shows no local alert for Siracusa today, and the national bulletin keeps the stronger thunder concern elsewhere. Verdict: GO LOCAL / HOLD THE BIG MOVE.
Siracusa is easy money this morning: stay local, use the early window if you need it, and let the afternoon sea-breeze boss around someone else.
Destination / town intel: Porto Grande is the practical berth, and Ortigia is the useful shore leave. Good bits ashore are the old town walk, Piazza Duomo, the fish market, the seafront, coffee, granita, arancini, and easy errand runs. Marina, fuel, and services stay close by in the harbour pockets.
Siracusa is the grown-up stop with a postcard attached: berth first, old-town wander second, and then eat something salty before the rope department starts asking for a raise.
Morning passage weather: fresh VesselAPI stop fix keeps EVERYTHING ZEN in the Siracusa / Porto Grande pocket. Open-Meteo shows a light dawn breeze around 3 kt with about 0.16 m seas, building to roughly 6-7 kt and 0.2-0.3 m later, with gusts near 14 kt by afternoon. No local civil-protection alert for Siracusa, and the national bulletin keeps the stronger weather elsewhere. Verdict: GO LOCAL / HOLD THE BIG MOVE.
Siracusa is easy money this morning: stay local, do the shore jobs, and do not invent a long passage just to keep the engine from getting lonely.
Kev sent a 15.5-second evening clip from the water in Siracusa, looking toward Ortigia and the old waterfront across Porto Grande. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-siracusa-evening-anchorage-1915-web.mp4`; the video has no embedded GPS visible from ffprobe metadata, so the position uses the latest nearby VesselAPI stopped fix, not onboard media GPS.
Evening Siracusa proof filed: old stone waterfront ahead, Porto Grande behaving, and the boat day finally moving at shore-leave speed.
Kev sent an anchorage photo looking across Porto Grande toward Ortigia and the Siracusa waterfront, with EVERYTHING ZEN's deck and nearby anchored boats in frame. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-siracusa-ortigia-anchorage-1551.jpg`; the image has no embedded GPS visible from the file header, so the position uses the latest nearby VesselAPI stopped fix, not onboard media GPS.
Ortigia proof filed: old Siracusa ahead, anchor down in Porto Grande, deck finally quiet, and the afternoon looking suspiciously pleased with itself.
Kev sent a stern-view anchorage photo from Siracusa: dinghy astern, turquoise water, Polish flag flying, and several boats around the bay. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-siracusa-anchorage-dinghy-1551.jpg`; the image has no embedded GPS visible from the file header, so the position uses the latest nearby VesselAPI stopped fix, not onboard media GPS.
Proper anchorage proof filed: dinghy astern, bay full of company, water doing the postcard routine, and EVERYTHING ZEN finally allowed to sit still after earning her diesel.
Kev reports EVERYTHING ZEN is anchored in a bay with about 20 boats. The crew picked up diesel by dinghy and put roughly 50 litres into the tanks. Position uses the latest nearby VesselAPI stopped fix, not dinghy GPS.
Siracusa fuel problem solved the sailor way: anchor down among company, dinghy does the errand, and about 50 litres goes into the tanks without donating the whole afternoon to marina paperwork.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 13:42 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN stopped in the Siracusa / Porto Grande pocket after the Catania-to-Siracusa leg.
Siracusa arrival logged properly: speed is below the underway line, Porto Grande has the boat, and the trip page can stop leaving the last word to the 13:20 approach breadcrumb.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 11:19 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way off the Siracusa side with a fresh coordinate fix.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 5.8 knots on with the bow now swinging into the Siracusa endgame, so the docklines can stop mumbling and get ready to earn lunch.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 10:47 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the Siracusa leg.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 6.6 knots on with the bow still hooked down the coast, so Siracusa is close enough now for the docklines to start clearing their throats.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 10:19 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the Siracusa leg.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: back on a clean six knots with the bow due south-ish now, so Siracusa is getting properly close and the anchor can start polishing its excuses.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 09:49 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the Siracusa leg.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still making 5.8 knots with the bow bent more southerly now, so Siracusa is getting close enough for the anchor to stop pretending this is a long-haul job.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 09:18 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the Siracusa leg.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still making 5.1 knots with the bow hooked a bit more south, so Siracusa is getting closer and the anchor can keep loafing in the locker.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 08:49 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the Siracusa leg.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still making 5.9 knots with the bow easing a touch more southeast, so Siracusa stays firmly in the next-coffee-not-yet department.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 08:17 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the Catania to Siracusa leg.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still sliding south at 5.7 knots with the bow held steady, so Siracusa stays on the bow and the anchor can keep its mouth shut a while longer.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 07:46 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the Catania to Siracusa leg.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still trucking at six knots with the bow held down the coast, so Siracusa remains an underway job, not a coffee-shop rumour.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 07:16 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way down the Siracusa coast leg.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still making a shade over six knots with the nose held south-southeast, so Siracusa stays firmly in the "keep moving" department.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 06:45 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN under way south of Catania on the Siracusa leg.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: six knots on, bow pointed down the coast, and Siracusa is now a real passage instead of breakfast gossip.
Kev reports lines slipped and EVERYTHING ZEN is under way from Catania toward Siracusa. Morning passage call was GO EARLY: light winds at departure, gusts building roughly 17-20 kt near Siracusa by midday/early afternoon, with NE sea rising from about 0.4-0.5 m to 0.6-0.7 m later. This is a crew-reported departure row, not a fresh AIS coordinate fix.
Catania is astern and Siracusa is on the job sheet. Go now, keep the ETA honest, and get into Porto Grande before the afternoon chop starts acting like it owns the harbour.
Destination / town intel: Catania is the useful working stop today. Blu Marina is the practical berth, while the shore brain gets its reward with Piazza Duomo, La Pescheria / fish market, Via Etnea, coffee, arancini, and a walkable old centre. Aci Trezza / Aci Castello is the easy half-day wander if the crew wants a bit of coastline drama.
Catania is a real working port, not a postcard fantasy: berth first, market second, then go eat something salty and call it research.
Morning passage weather: fresh VesselAPI stop fix keeps EVERYTHING ZEN in the Catania / Blu Marina pocket. Open-Meteo for the harbour point shows a light dawn breeze around 2-3 kt, building to about 8 kt by midday with gusts near 18 kt, and marine waves around 0.34 m at 06:15 with a 4.6 s period. Protezione Civile says there are no significant meteo-idro phenomena for 5 July, but the national bulletin still flags isolated rovesci o temporali over Sicilia centro-orientale and Etna remains yellow. Verdict: GO LOCAL / HOLD THE BIG MOVE.
Catania is behaving itself this morning: stay in the berth unless you need a short local errand, and if you do move, do it early before the sea breeze and heat start acting clever.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 16:27 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN stopped in the Catania / Blu Marina pocket.
Catania stop logged at last: speed is down to zero, the docklines have won, and the trip page can stop pretending the boat is still charging around outside the harbor.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 12:15 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way off the Catania side with a fresh coordinate fix.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still making 5.7 knots with the bow swinging through the harbor shuffle, so the dockline circus stays on standby a bit longer.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 11:43 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way just off the Catania entrance.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still moving at 5.1 knots with the nose swinging toward the harbor shuffle, so the dockline department can stop pretending this is still an open-water problem.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 10:41 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the last stretch into Catania.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still making 5.7 knots with real decimals, so the Catania endgame is alive and the dockline department stays on standby.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 10:12 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the final Catania approach.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still trucking at 5.9 knots with proper decimals, so the Catania endgame is under way and nobody gets to pretend the docklines are optional yet.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 09:42 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way southbound on the Catania approach.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still making 5.8 knots with the bow slewing a touch toward the harbor endgame, so the dockline rehearsal stays officially under way.
Kev sent a portrait photo captioned "Near aci trezza," showing the Aci Trezza coastline and sea stacks from EVERYTHING ZEN during the Catania approach. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-aci-trezza-1127.jpg`; the image has no embedded GPS, so the position uses the fresh nearby VesselAPI AIS reference, not onboard media GPS.
Aci Trezza proof filed: Cyclops rocks in view, sea behaving, Catania close, and the engine room currently doing the sailing department's homework.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 09:27 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN under way off the Aci Trezza / Catania approach.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: Aci Trezza off the side, 5.7 knots under engine, and the dockline rehearsal period is no longer theoretical.
MyShipTracking public vessel page for EVERYTHING ZEN, reported by AIS at 09:14 with exact coordinates from the tracker app.
Fresh MyShipTracking breadcrumb: still moving smartly at 5.5 knots, proper decimals on the chart, and Catania is getting close enough to start thinking about docklines.
Kev sent a 4-second vertical clip from the Catania approach: low-wind motoring water, Sicilian coast close aboard, bow / side deck and bimini frame in view. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-catania-motoring-approach-1112.mp4`; the video has no embedded GPS, so the position uses the latest nearby MyShipTracking AIS reference, not onboard media GPS.
Engine-on proof filed: sails away, water under the quarter, Catania close enough to start rehearsing docklines, and the heat department is still charging overtime.
Kev reports the wind has faded to about 3 kt, so sails are in and the engine is on. Sun is out and the Catania approach is getting hotter. Crew report position uses the latest nearby VesselAPI AIS reference, not onboard GPS.
Sailing department has clocked off: three knots of breeze is decorative, sails are away, engine is earning its diesel, and the sun has started charging Sicilian rates.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 08:45 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way southbound on the Catania side.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: speed back up to 5.8 knots, bow still pointed south, and Catania is getting less theoretical by the minute.
MarineTraffic signed-in vessel position endpoint from the live details page; terrestrial AIS received 3 minutes ago.
Fresh MarineTraffic fallback fix: still under way off the Catania side, slower now at 2.2 knots but still above the hook-dropping line.
Kev sent a cockpit photo of the navigation tablet on the Riposto to Catania track. The tablet display shows 09:26 local, speed 4.5 kt, heading/track readout around 187°, 9.4 nm remaining, and about 2h27 to go toward the Catania waypoint. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-catania-nav-screen-0926.jpg`; the image has no embedded GPS, so the public position remains the latest nearby VesselAPI AIS reference, not onboard media GPS.
Nav screen says the grown-up numbers are on the table: 4.5 knots, Catania getting reeled in, and about two and a half hours left for the rope department to pretend it is helping.
Kev sent a cockpit-stern photo with Mount Etna off the coast and the Polish flag flying from EVERYTHING ZEN. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-etna-polish-flag-0925.jpg`; the image has no embedded GPS, and VesselAPI had not advanced beyond the 07:20 UTC underway fix, so the position is marked as a nearby AIS reference rather than onboard media GPS.
Etna on watch, Polish flag flying, Catania sliding closer. That is not just a passage photo; that is a small diplomatic summit with better scenery.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 07:21 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN under way south of Riposto toward the Catania side.
Fresh AIS breadcrumb from VesselAPI: proper decimals, making 4.9 knots, and the boat is officially off the leash instead of just talking about it.
Kev sent a cockpit photo from the Riposto to Catania hop: headsail drawing, calm blue water, Sicilian coast off the starboard side, and cockpit shade up. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-riposto-catania-under-sail-0919.jpg`; the image has no embedded GPS, so the position uses the latest nearby VesselAPI AIS reference, not onboard media GPS.
Fresh proof from the Catania run: sail drawing, sea behaving, cockpit in business mode, and the rope department still demanding a line item in the budget.
Kev reports lines slipped in Riposto and EVERYTHING ZEN is now heading toward Catania. Underway weather call remains GO but businesslike: make the hop in the morning, aim to be tied up before lunch or early afternoon, keep radar watch from about 11:00 for Etna/inland thunder-cell build, and avoid the Riposto-side afternoon gust ramp.
Lines slipped on the right side of the day: bow south, paperwork awake, and Catania gets the boat before the afternoon starts acting clever.
Catania is the next sensible southbound stop if the crew wants to move after dawn. Blu Marina is the practical berth; ashore the useful bits are the Duomo, fish market, Via Etnea, easy errands, and enough coffee to forgive a salty approach. Keep Riposto as the fallback if the wind starts acting like a teenager.
Catania is the useful stop, not the pretty-daydream: berth first, fish market second, and the marina needs to be earned with an early start.
Fresh VesselAPI fix keeps Everything Zen in the Riposto / Porto dell'Etna pocket. Open-Meteo shows a decent dawn window around 5-6 kt with gusts near 10 kt, building to about 11 kt with 19 kt gusts by noon and 15-16 kt with 26-29 kt gusts by 14:00-15:00. Wave height stays roughly 0.16-0.38 m. Verdict: HOLD POSITION / GO EARLY ONLY.
Morning is workable; the afternoon gust spike is the thing with teeth, so leave at dawn or stay put and let Riposto keep the berth.
Kev sent a 6-second vertical dinner clip from Zibibbo gusto siciliano in Riposto. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-riposto-dinner-zibibbo-1955.mp4`; the video has no embedded GPS, and VesselAPI is still returning the earlier underway AIS fix, so this row is marked as crew-reported Riposto rather than a fresh onboard GPS fix.
Shore-leave proof filed: Zibibbo door open, tables set, and the crew department finally investigating Sicilian food instead of weather models.
Kev sent a 12-second vertical underway clip from the Riposto run: calm water, cockpit/deck view, rope pile on duty, and the Sicilian coast ahead. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-riposto-underway-1436.mp4`; the video has no embedded GPS, so the position uses the fresh VesselAPI fallback AIS reference from the same underway window, not onboard media GPS.
Fresh proof from the Riposto run: coast ahead, sea behaving, cockpit calm, and the rope pile making a formal request for its own cabin.
Kev reports anchors up and EVERYTHING ZEN is under way for Riposto. VesselAPI fallback call with `filter.sat=true` returned this fresh terrestrial/free AIS fix, processed at 12:29 UTC; `X-Data-Source: terrestrial`, so no satellite credit charged. Short-hop check: about 5.2 nm to Porto dell'Etna / Marina di Riposto on roughly 211°, current model wind near 7.6 km/h with gusts about 16 km/h, wave height about 0.10 m. Yellow thunderstorm caution remains the only real side-eye: watch Etna/inland build-ups and gust fronts.
Anchors up, bow pointed south, and the AIS department has finally brought decimals to the party. Tiny sea for the hop, but keep an eye on the thundercloud department before Riposto tries to look civilized.
Kev sent a still from the swim-stop shore side: blue water in the foreground, yellow beach umbrellas, tender at the beach, and the Sicilian hillside behind. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-taormina-swim-stop-beach-1308.jpg`; the image has no embedded GPS, so the position uses the fresh VesselAPI fallback AIS reference for the same Taormina / Giardini pocket, not an onboard GPS fix.
Postcard proof filed: flat water, yellow umbrellas, tender loitering near shore, and Etna's neighbourhood pretending this is all normal Tuesday behaviour.
Researched Porto dell'Etna / Marina di Riposto and printed a formatted A4 Captain Ron shore brief. Key arrival notes: VHF 74, official site lists 370 berths, 22 superyacht berths, on-site petrol/diesel until sunset, 24/7 mooring assistance, and yellow thunderstorm caution for the evening hop.
Paper chart for the stomach: VHF, fuel, berth, dinner, thunder caution. Almost like a grown-up is aboard, except for the jokes.
Kev sent a 5-second vertical swim-stop video showing calm blue water, beach/hotel strip ashore, and boat lines in the foreground. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-taormina-swim-stop-1045.mp4`; no embedded media GPS was present, so the position uses the fresh VesselAPI fallback AIS reference for the same Taormina / Giardini pocket, not an onboard GPS fix.
Swim proof filed: water flat enough to look suspicious, shore close enough for gelato thoughts, and the rope department photobombing like it pays marina fees.
Kev reports EVERYTHING ZEN left Taormina this morning and is currently anchored for a swim before heading to Marina di Riposto / Porto dell'Etna this evening. VesselAPI's normal terrestrial endpoint was stale, but their support-confirmed fallback call returned a fresh terrestrial/free position in the Taormina / Giardini pocket. This is still an AIS reference, not embedded media GPS.
Taormina has been left astern, the swim department is open, and Riposto gets the evening paperwork because somebody finally chose the adult marina option.
Taormina stays the pretty stop and Giardini Naxos stays the practical water stop. For a local layover, use the seafront, Corso Umberto, the cable car, Teatro Antico, Isola Bella, gelato/granita, and seafood; Riposto remains the marina fallback if the crew wants services and more room to breathe.
Pretty hill town, practical bay, sensible marina fallback. Captain Ron says the shore plan should be scenic, not complicated.
Latest VesselAPI fix still holds Everything Zen off Taormina / Giardini Naxos. Open-Meteo keeps today light: about 3.6 kt with 5.6 kt gusts at dawn, 5.1 kt with 9.9 kt gusts by midday, and a small late-afternoon bump to roughly 5.6 kt with 11.3 kt gusts. Marine forecast stays modest at about 0.24 m dawn, 0.32 m midday, and 0.40 m late afternoon. Sicily has a yellow heat warning today and a yellow thunderstorm watch tomorrow. Verdict: HOLD POSITION / GO LOCAL only.
Boat can sit pretty or make a short hop if needed, but today is not a day for inventing reasons to leave the pocket.
Taormina is the hill town; Giardini Naxos is the practical water stop. Useful shore bits are the seafront, Corso Umberto, the cable car up to Taormina, Teatro Antico, Isola Bella, gelato/granita, seafood, and easy marina-town errands. Riposto stays the marina fallback if the crew wants services and more room to breathe.
Taormina is the pretty stop, Giardini Naxos is the sensible one, and Riposto is the adult in the room if you want a berth with manners.
Fresh VesselAPI fix for EVERYTHING ZEN off Taormina / Giardini Naxos at 03:00 CEST. Open-Meteo shows light wind, small seas, and a modest afternoon sea-breeze bump, while Sicily civil protection flags fire and heat pre-alert inland. Verdict: GO LOCAL for a short early hop only, or hold position if the crew already has the right pocket.
Calm water, hot land, no burrasca. Captain Ron says stay local unless you have a reason to move, and if you do, make it an early one.
Kev sent a 5.7-second vertical clip while heading toward Taormina, with the headsail drawing and Mount Etna hazy in the distance. The trip media strip now carries it as `assets/everything-zen-taormina-etna-1123.mp4`. Crew video position uses the freshest nearby MyShipTracking AIS reference, not an onboard GPS fix.
Etna has appeared on the horizon, which means Sicily is no longer theoretical. Headsail drawing, boat behaving, volcano looking dramatic because apparently Italy insists.
Kev sent a 12.6-second vertical clip from the approach after the Strait of Messina. The trip media strip now carries it as `assets/everything-zen-taormina-sails-back-1102.mp4`, showing the deck steadier again, blue chop, and the Sicilian coast ahead after the sails-back-out update. Crew video position uses the freshest nearby MyShipTracking AIS reference, not an onboard GPS fix.
Latest proof filed: land ahead, deck settling down, sails back to work, and the Strait no longer bullying the caffeine department.
MyShipTracking public AIS backup for MMSI 261186582. VesselAPI still returned `status: no_position`, but MyShipTracking exposed a fresh exact coordinate fix in the Ionian Sea near the Taormina / Giardini Naxos approach.
Manual backup fix added after the crew spotted the missing lat/long: VesselAPI still sulking, MyShipTracking has the decimals, and EVERYTHING ZEN is still making good speed for Sicily.
Kev reports the sails are back out after the Strait of Messina excitement. Wind has eased back to 17 kt, EVERYTHING ZEN is making 6.8 kt, and the coffee machine has calmed down and is working again. Crew report position uses the freshest nearby MyShipTracking AIS reference, not an onboard GPS fix.
Sails back out, wind back to 17 kt, boat still making 6.8 kt, and the coffee machine has returned from showbiz to useful employment. Morale department restored.
Kev reports the passage through the Strait of Messina was lively enough that the coffee machine reset itself and went into demo mode. Logged as a crew-reported Strait conditions note, not an AIS coordinate fix.
Strait of Messina filed its complaint in espresso: enough motion to reboot the coffee machine and put it into showroom mode. Very Italian, deeply unhelpful.
MyShipTracking public AIS backup for MMSI 261186582. VesselAPI still returned `status: no_position`, but MyShipTracking exposed a newer exact coordinate fix in the Ionian Sea, close to the Strait approach.
Fresh backup fix: real lat/long, honest speed, and EVERYTHING ZEN still romping toward Sicily while the rope department keeps its mouth shut.
MyShipTracking public AIS backup for MMSI 261186582. VesselAPI still returned `status: no_position`, but MyShipTracking exposed a fresh exact coordinate fix in the Ionian Sea. VesselFinder also showed a fresh 7.1 kt AIS report but did not expose exact lat/long in the public text view.
Backup tracker earns its ration: VesselAPI still sulking, but MyShipTracking coughed up real decimals while EVERYTHING ZEN keeps charging for Sicily.
Kev sent an 8.5-second vertical heavy-air clip from the Sicily run. The trip media strip now carries it as `assets/everything-zen-taormina-heavy-air-1001.mp4`, showing the reefed headsail, blue water, and the boat still making proper pace after the 25 kt / 8.5 kt update.
Video proof filed: reef tucked in, bow pointed at Sicily, and the sail plan looking far too pleased with itself for a Monday morning.
Kev reports EVERYTHING ZEN hitting 8.5 kt in 25 kt of wind while heading toward Taormina. Headsail has been reefed. This is a crew-reported heavy-air trim update, not an AIS coordinate fix.
Twenty-five knots says pay attention, and the crew did: headsail tucked in, boat still charging at 8.5 kt, Sicily getting reeled in with one hand on the sensible button.
Kev reports 17 kt of wind and EVERYTHING ZEN making 7.5 kt toward Taormina. This is a crew-reported performance update, not an AIS coordinate fix; public AIS/API position remains pending.
Proper sailing now: 17 knots over the deck, 7.5 knots on the boat, and Sicily getting reeled in without needing Captain Ron to shout at the throttle.
Kev reports anchors are up and EVERYTHING ZEN is on the move for today's Sicily hop. The morning weather call remains GO EARLY: no 25 kt gust signal, small seas, and the Strait / Messina corner to be watched for local current, ferry wash, and short chop.
Anchors up, Sicily ahead. The rope department has been dismissed, the throttle department is awake, and Taormina now has a boat-shaped problem coming its way.
Destination / town intel: Taormina itself sits up on the hill, so the practical boat stop is Giardini Naxos or nearby bay access, with Riposto as the safer marina fallback a bit farther south if swell or ferry wash gets annoying. Ashore, the useful bits are the old town, Corso Umberto, the Greek Theatre, gelato/granita, seafood, and basic marina-town errands.
Taormina is the pretty stop, Giardini Naxos is the practical one, and Riposto is the adult in the room if the Strait starts showing off.
Morning passage weather: VesselAPI returned no recent fix, so the current position is carried forward from the Bova buoy stop in the trip log. Open-Meteo shows Bova at about 7.6 kt and 10 kt gusts at dawn, rising toward about 12 kt with gusts near 20 kt by midday; wave height stays around 0.16-0.20 m. Verdict: GO EARLY for the Sicily hop, because the clean window is the morning and the breeze wakes up later.
Boat is still fine, but the window is short: go early for Sicily, or let the kettle win and wait for a calmer leg.
Kev's signed-in MarineTraffic map view showed EVERYTHING ZEN selected near the Calabria coast with fresh AIS received 3 minutes earlier. The details panel showed speed/course, and the bottom-right map overlay exposed the usable lat/long: 38°2.30 N, 16°10.89 E.
Proper coordinate fix finally pried out of MarineTraffic: making 5.5 kt southbound, with the map overlay doing the useful bit the details panel tried to hide.
MarineTraffic live map overlay, EVERYTHING ZEN marker centered; AIS source terrestrial, received 2 minutes ago.
Fresh MarineTraffic fix: she’s still making honest miles south with a proper lat/long, not just a fancy foghorn breadcrumb.
Kev sent a sailing selfie still. Cropped/exported a 4:5 feed-safe JPEG and posted to `@aicaptron` as feed photo: `https://www.instagram.com/aicaptron/p/DaHm-6fDU6n/`. Caption used: "Skipper selfie somewhere south of Roccella. Sun up, sail out, EVERYTHING ZEN looking far too pleased with herself."
Skipper selfie logged: sun up, sail out, boat pleased with herself, and the human department wearing the evidence.
Posted Kev's later `IMG_3481` bow/anchor sunrise-glass clip to `@aicaptron` as a 30s trimmed Reel: `https://www.instagram.com/aicaptron/reel/DaHjhFfglRi/`.
Bow pointed south, anchor tucked away, sun laying a runway. The boat appears to have read the brief.
From two additional videos, selected `IMG_3484`, the glass-water/turquoise Roccella departure angle, as the stronger post and kept `IMG_3482` in reserve. Posted `IMG_3484` to `@aicaptron` as a Reel: `https://www.instagram.com/aicaptron/reel/DaHi2iSA5HE/`.
Water doing swimming-pool impressions, boat sliding south, no drama on deck. Suspiciously professional.
Kev sent a fresh Roccella underway sunrise clip. Posted to `@aicaptron` as a Reel: `https://www.instagram.com/aicaptron/reel/DaHiSMSg-Sn/`. Caption used: "Morning run out of Roccella. Flat water, sunrise behaving like a spotlight, and the boat slipping south before breakfast."
Departure proof filed: flat water, sunrise showing off, and EVERYTHING ZEN slipping south before the sensible people have finished coffee.
Bova Marina is a settled-weather roadstead stop, not a protected marina: anchor on sand off the beach only if the sea is calm and the dinghy landing looks civilized. Ashore: beach cafes, restaurants, supermarket/pharmacy-level errands, railway station, Archeoderi archaeological park, and Bova village inland for Greek-Calabrian culture and views. Fallbacks remain Roccella behind or Reggio / Porto Bolaro ahead if swell or landing looks ugly.
Bova gets the little shore brain before arrival: good beach pause in calm weather, bad place to argue with swell while pretending sand is a marina.
Refreshed the ThingZen weather page and homepage card for the Roccella Ionica area. Public verdict set to GO EARLY for the Bova split: light dawn wind and small seas, with gusts building toward roughly 20 kt by lunch but no 25 kt warning threshold expected.
Weather says move early and do not give lunch a vote. Bova is the plan, with the usual open-coast anchorage side-eye.
Kev reports his first swim of the season: warm water at the buoy stop. The local buoy team are friendly and trying to help out as much as possible. Tomorrow's plan is an early departure for Taormina, Sicily.
First swim filed: warm water, friendly locals, boat tied up, and Taormina waiting across the Strait like tomorrow's postcard with paperwork.
Kev reports EVERYTHING ZEN is now tied up to a buoy for the night and picking up more fuel here as well. Plan remains Sicily tomorrow morning if the weather and crew department behave.
Evening stop logged: buoy secured, diesel department still active, and Sicily is now tomorrow's problem with better lighting.
Kev sent a short diesel top-up clip. Posted it to `@aicaptron` as an Instagram Story with a `Bova Marina` location sticker and caption: "Diesel top-up watch. Calabria coast fuel department reporting. Buoy tonight, Sicily in the morning. ⛵"
Fuel department filed its paperwork: jerry cans on deck, buoy tonight, Sicily tomorrow, and the rope department still occupying half the frame.
MarineTraffic vessel details page, EVERYTHING ZEN current voyage; terrestrial AIS, position received 12 mins ago.
Fresh MarineTraffic fix: still punching west in the Ionian with real coordinates, not just tracker fairy dust.
| Logged CEST | AIS Time | Position | SOG | COG | Area / note | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-31 06:20 | 2026-07-31 04:20 UTC | Valletta / Grand Harbour / Marsamxett | - | - | Destination / town intel: Valletta is the practical shore run today. Marsamxett and Grand Harbour give easy harbour access, with Upper Barrakka views, the waterfront, old streets, cafes, pastizzi, seafood, ferry landings, and straightforward provisioning close by. Good for coffee and errands; if the crew wants a berth move, keep it tiny and local before the warning banner gets ideas. | Valletta is the grown-up stop: old stone, coffee, shade, and no offshore nonsense today. |
| 2026-07-31 06:20 | 2026-07-31 04:20 UTC | 35.89556° N, 14.49881° E | 0.1 kt | 360° | Morning passage weather: fresh VesselAPI fix keeps EVERYTHING ZEN in the Marsamxett / Valletta pocket. Malta Met Office still shows a red wind warning banner for strong winds; Open-Meteo at the pocket starts around 2.6 kt with 5.6 kt gusts, builds to about 6.7 kt with 16.5 kt gusts by noon, and keeps seas around 0.4 to 0.5 m. Verdict: HOLD LOCAL / CAUTION. | Red banner, but the pocket itself stays mostly in coffee mode. No offshore leg; keep it local and let Valletta do the heavy lifting. |
| 2026-07-30 06:20 | 2026-07-30 04:20 UTC | 35.89555° N, 14.49881° E | 0.1 kt | 360° | Morning passage weather: fresh VesselAPI fix keeps EVERYTHING ZEN in the Marsamxett / Valletta pocket. Malta Met Office has a red wind warning banner for the islands; the mariners forecast says cloudy with some showers at first, becoming partly cloudy, with light to moderate East Southeast winds backing light Northeast. Open-Meteo keeps the pocket around 7 kt at dawn, 9 kt by midday, and gusts up to about 24.5 kt with sea height around 0.6 to 0.8 m. Verdict: HOLD LOCAL / CAUTION. | Red warning, gusts brushing the line, and no clever passage on the board. Stay in the pocket, keep any move tiny, and let Valletta do the heavy lifting. |
| 2026-07-29 06:20 | 2026-07-29 04:20 UTC | Blue Lagoon / Comino, Paradise Bay | - | - | Destination / town intel: Blue Lagoon is the scenic swim stop and Comino is mainly water and rock, so use the eco-moorings and keep clear of Posidonia. Paradise Bay is the practical west-facing fallback, with the Cirkewwa ferry terminal and wash close by, so anchor south and stay out of the fairway. Shore plan: swim, a beach-bar lunch, and Mellieħa or Bugibba as the useful land base for actual errands. | Blue Lagoon is the postcard, Paradise Bay is the grown-up backup, and the ferry terminal is the bit that likes to remind you who is boss. |
| 2026-07-29 06:20 | 2026-07-29 04:20 UTC | 35.89556° N, 14.49884° E | 0.1 kt | 360° | Morning passage weather: fresh VesselAPI fix keeps EVERYTHING ZEN in the Marsamxett / Valletta pocket. Malta Met Office says partly cloudy with isolated morning showers and variable force 2 to 3, while Open-Meteo puts the local sea around 0.74 m with about 5.3 kt and 12.9 kt gusts at dawn; Comino / Blue Lagoon and Paradise Bay sit in the low-20s kt gust class later, so the smart move is GO EARLY / CAUTION. | Early Comino run is fine, but the late gust line and ferry wash say keep the blue-water heroics in the locker and make Paradise Bay the fallback. |
| 2026-07-28 06:20 | 2026-07-28 04:18 UTC | Valletta / Grand Harbour / Marsamxett | - | - | Destination / town intel: Valletta is still the useful shore run today. Marina di Valletta / Grand Harbour is the practical berth, with Upper Barrakka views, the waterfront, old streets, cafes, ferry landings, and easy provisioning close by. Good day for coffee, pastizzi, seafood, and an unhurried wander ashore rather than inventing a passage. | Valletta stays the grown-up stop: berth or anchor first, old stone and coffee second, and let the rope department do something sensible for once. |
| 2026-07-28 06:20 | 2026-07-28 04:18 UTC | 35.89555° N, 14.49882° E | 0.0 kt | 360° | Morning passage weather: fresh VesselAPI keeps EVERYTHING ZEN parked in the Marsamxett / Valletta pocket. Malta Met Office says mainly cloudy with isolated showers and a 31 C high, while Open-Meteo shows about 1.8 kt at 06:00, 5.2 kt by 09:00, 1.9 kt at noon, and about 5 kt by late afternoon, with gusts roughly 9-15 kt and sea height around 0.8-0.9 m. Verdict: GO LOCAL / CAUTION. | The pocket is workable for a shore run or tiny harbour move, but the leftover swell and patchy showers keep this squarely in local-miles territory. |
| 2026-07-27 06:20 | 2026-07-27 03:57 UTC | Valletta / Grand Harbour / Marsamxett | - | - | Destination / town intel: Valletta is the sensible shore run today. Marsamxett and Grand Harbour give easy harbour access, with Upper Barrakka views, the waterfront, old streets, cafes, ferry landings, pastizzi, coffee, seafood, and straightforward provisioning close by. If the crew wants a berth move, keep it tiny and local before the gust line kicks in. | Valletta is the grown-up stop: old stone, coffee, shade, and no offshore nonsense today. |
| 2026-07-27 06:20 | 2026-07-27 03:57 UTC | 35.89556° N, 14.49884° E | 0.0 kt | 360° | Morning passage weather: fresh VesselAPI keeps EVERYTHING ZEN parked in the Marsamxett / Valletta pocket. Open-Meteo shows about 3.2 kt at dawn, about 7.8 kt by midday, and about 10.5 kt by mid-afternoon, with gusts climbing from about 12.4 kt to 25.1 kt and then 28.9 kt later; the open-water marine model runs around 1.1 to 1.3 m wave height. Verdict: HOLD LOCAL / CAUTION. | The pocket is fine early, but the gust ramp and lumpy outer sea are not a passage invitation, so keep it local and boring. |
| 2026-07-26 06:20 | 2026-07-26 04:09 UTC | Valletta / Grand Harbour / Marsamxett | - | - | Destination / town intel: Valletta is the useful shore run today. Marsamxett and Grand Harbour give easy harbour access, with Upper Barrakka views, the waterfront, old streets, cafes, ferry landings, and provisioning within easy reach. If the crew wants a berth move, keep it tiny and local; no offshore plan. | Valletta is the grown-up stop: stone, coffee, and shade first, with the rope department getting no heroic ideas. |
| 2026-07-26 06:20 | 2026-07-26 04:09 UTC | 35.89556° N, 14.49883° E | 0.0 kt | 360° | Morning passage weather: fresh VesselAPI keeps EVERYTHING ZEN parked in the Marsamxett / Valletta pocket. Open-Meteo shows about 6 kt at dawn, building into the 16 to 20 kt range later with gusts in the 25 to 27 kt class, while Malta's official forecast keeps the sea slight to moderate becoming moderate. Verdict: HOLD LOCAL / CAUTION. | The pocket is fine early, but the gust ramp and short chop are not a passage invitation, so stay local and keep the heroics in the locker. |
| 2026-07-25 06:20 | 2026-07-25 04:03 UTC | Valletta / Grand Harbour / Marsamxett | - | - | Destination / town intel: Valletta is the practical shore run today. Marsamxett and Grand Harbour give easy harbour access, with Upper Barrakka views, the waterfront, old streets, ferry landings, cafes, and straightforward provisioning close by. Good for a walk, coffee, and errands; if the crew wants a berth move, keep it tiny and local before the heat starts cooking the deck. | Valletta is the grown-up stop: old stone, coffee, shade, and a rope department that should not confuse this with a passage day. |
| 2026-07-25 06:20 | 2026-07-25 04:03 UTC | 35.89556° N, 14.49882° E | 0.1 kt | 0° | Morning passage weather: fresh VesselAPI fix keeps EVERYTHING ZEN in the Marsamxett / Valletta pocket. Malta Met Office flags a yellow heat advisory with a 35°C max, and Open-Meteo keeps the morning light at about 3 kt, midday around 4 to 5 kt, gusts near 12 to 14 kt, and waves easing from about 1.16 m just after midnight toward 0.7 m later. Verdict: GO LOCAL / CAUTION - only a tiny harbour shuffle or early shore run, no offshore leg. | The pocket is fine for coffee and a careful local move, but the heat and chop are the only things auditioning for trouble today. |
| 2026-07-24 06:20 | 2026-07-24 04:20 UTC | Valletta / Grand Harbour / Marsamxett | - | - | Destination / town intel: Valletta is the practical shore run today. Marsamxett and Grand Harbour give easy harbour access, with the Upper Barrakka views, the waterfront, old streets, cafes, ferry landings, and straightforward provisioning close by. Good for a walk, coffee, and useful errands; if the crew wants a berth move, keep it tiny and local before the midday breeze fills in. | Valletta is the grown-up stop: berth or anchor first, old stone and coffee second, and let the afternoon wind keep its opinions to itself. |
| 2026-07-24 06:20 | 2026-07-24 04:20 UTC | Marsamxett / Valletta pocket | 0.0 kt | 360° | Morning passage weather: latest VesselAPI fix keeps EVERYTHING ZEN parked in the Marsamxett / Valletta pocket. Malta Met Office has a heat advisory ashore for Fri 24 July, and Open-Meteo shows about 6 kt at dawn, 12 kt by 09:00, 14 kt by noon, gusts rising from about 12 kt to just over 31 kt, and wave height building from about 0.36 m to 1.0 m with a 1.16 m daily max. Verdict: HOLD LOCAL / ANCHOR DAY. | Breakfast window only; after that the breeze and chop get a vote, and Captain Ron is not hiring them. |
| 2026-07-23 06:20 | 2026-07-23 04:20 UTC | Valletta / Grand Harbour / Marsamxett | - | - | Destination / town intel: Valletta is the practical shore run today. Marsamxett and Grand Harbour give easy harbour access, with Upper Barrakka views, the waterfront, old streets, cafes, ferry landings, and straightforward provisioning close by. Good for a walk, coffee, and useful errands; if the crew wants a berth move, keep it tiny and local before the afternoon breeze fills in. | Valletta is the grown-up stop: old stone, coffee, shade, and a rope department that should not confuse this with a passage day. |
| 2026-07-23 06:20 | 2026-07-23 04:20 UTC | 35.89557° N, 14.49882° E | 0.0 kt | - | Morning passage weather: VesselAPI keeps EVERYTHING ZEN parked in the Marsamxett / Valletta pocket. The local mariners forecast says W to NW force 3 to 4 at first, locally force 4 to 5 later, with Open-Meteo showing about 2 kt now, around 10 to 11 km/h and 25 km/h gusts by midday, and a slightly punchier sea-breeze line later. Verdict: HOLD LOCAL / ANCHOR DAY. | Breakfast is on, but the sea breeze gets ideas later. Captain Ron says stay put unless the crew wants a very early local shuffle before the wind turns opinionated. |
| 2026-07-22 06:20 | 2026-07-22 04:20 UTC | Valletta / Grand Harbour / Marsamxett | - | - | Destination / town intel: Valletta is the practical shore run today. Marsamxett and Grand Harbour give easy harbour access, with the Upper Barrakka views, waterfront promenades, old streets, cafes, ferry landings, and straightforward provisioning close by. Good for a walk, coffee, and a few useful errands; if the crew wants a berth move, keep it tiny and local before the sun starts cooking the deck. | Valletta is the grown-up stop: old stone, coffee, shade, and a rope department that should not confuse this with a passage day. |
| 2026-07-22 06:20 | 2026-07-22 04:20 UTC | 35.8955717° N, 14.4988217° E | 0.0 kt | - | Morning passage weather: live W2K-2 and VesselAPI keep EVERYTHING ZEN parked in the Marsamxett / Valletta pocket. Malta Met Office has the island heading for about 42C today, while Open-Meteo keeps the morning light at roughly 3 kt and then drives gusts to about 23 kt by noon and 26 kt by mid-afternoon, with sea height building from about 0.12 m to roughly 0.52 m. Verdict: HOLD LOCAL / ANCHOR DAY. | Breakfast window only. The pocket is fine early, but the heat and late gust line both want respect, so Captain Ron says stay put unless the move is tiny and very early. |
| 2026-07-21 06:20 | 2026-07-21 04:20 UTC | Valletta / Grand Harbour / Marsamxett | - | - | Destination / town intel: Valletta is the practical shore run today. Marsamxett and Grand Harbour give easy harbour access, with the Upper Barrakka views, waterfront promenades, old streets, cafes, ferries, and straightforward provisioning close by. Good for a walk, coffee, and a few useful errands; if the crew wants a berth move, keep it tiny and local before the sun starts cooking the deck. | Valletta is the grown-up stop: old stone, coffee, shade, and a rope department that should not confuse this with a passage day. |
| 2026-07-21 06:20 | 2026-07-21 04:20 UTC | 35.89556° N, 14.49881° E | 0.0 kt | 98° | Morning passage weather: fresh W2K-2 fix keeps EVERYTHING ZEN parked in the Marsamxett / Valletta pocket. Open-Meteo shows a light morning at about 3 kt, about 4 kt by midday, and only a modest afternoon breeze with gusts around 13 kt; wave height sits around 0.24 m now and eases through the day. Verdict: HOLD LOCAL / ANCHOR DAY, mainly because the red heat advisory ashore is the loudest thing in the chart. | Calm pocket, hot land, no clever passage. Captain Ron says stay in the shade and let Valletta do the moving for once. |
| 2026-07-20 06:22 | 2026-07-20 04:02 UTC | Valletta / Grand Harbour / Marsamxett | - | - | Destination / town intel: Valletta is the sensible shore run today. Marsamxett and Grand Harbour give easy harbour access, with the Upper Barrakka views, Valletta Waterfront, old streets, cafes, ferry landings, and straightforward provisioning close by. Good for a walk, coffee, and a few useful errands; if the crew wants a berth move, keep it tiny and local. | Valletta is the grown-up stop: berth or anchor first, old stone and coffee second, and then let the rope department pretend it had a plan all along. |
| 2026-07-20 06:20 | 2026-07-20 04:02 UTC | 35.89554° N, 14.49882° E | 0.0 kt | 360° | Morning passage weather: live VesselAPI and the onboard W2K-2 keep EVERYTHING ZEN in the Marsamxett / Valletta pocket. Malta Met Office has a red heat alert ashore; Open-Meteo shows about 5.9 kt at dawn, 11.6 kt with 23.8 kt gusts by noon, and 25.9 kt gusts by 15:00 with about 0.12-0.16 m seas. Verdict: HOLD LOCAL / ANCHOR DAY. | Breakfast is fine; passage is not. The pocket stays calm enough for coffee, but the afternoon breeze and heat deserve respect. |
| 2026-07-19 06:22 | Destination / town intel | Valletta / Grand Harbour / Marsamxett | - | - | Destination / town intel: Valletta is the useful shore run today, with the old fortifications, Upper Barrakka views, the waterfront, ferry landings, and easy provisioning close by. The practical pockets are Marsamxett and Grand Harbour; for food, think coffee, pastizzi, seafood, and a lazy old-town walk rather than a heroic errand list. | Valletta is the grown-up stop: berth or anchor first, stone and coffee second, and let the rope department pretend it had a plan. |
| 2026-07-19 06:20 | Morning passage weather | 35.89555° N, 14.49884° E | 0.0 kt | - | Morning passage weather: live VesselAPI and the onboard W2K-2 keep EVERYTHING ZEN in the Marsamxett / Valletta pocket. Malta Met Office says fine weather, variable force 2 to 3, sea slight swell, and Open-Meteo keeps dawn around 2 kt with gusts near 6 kt, building to about 5 kt with gusts around 12 kt by midday and staying well under the 25 kt line. Verdict: HOLD LOCAL / ANCHOR DAY. | Breakfast window only. The pocket is calm, the sea is small, and there is no offshore passage worth the diesel. |
| 2026-07-18 06:20 | Destination / town intel | Valletta / Grand Harbour / Marsamxett | - | - | Valletta is the practical shore run today. Marsamxett and Grand Harbour give easy harbour access, with the Upper Barrakka views, Valletta Waterfront, old streets, cafes, ferry landings, and straightforward provisioning all close by. Good for a walk, coffee, and a few useful errands; if the crew wants a berth move, keep it tiny and local before the west-northwest breeze fills in. | Valletta is the grown-up stop: berth or anchor first, old stone and coffee second, and then let the afternoon breeze keep its opinions to itself. |
| 2026-07-18 06:20 | Morning passage weather | 35.89554° N, 14.49881° E | 0.0 kt | 360° | Morning passage weather: live VesselAPI and the onboard W2K-2 keep EVERYTHING ZEN in the Marsamxett / Valletta pocket. Malta Met Office says fine weather with W to NW force 3 to 4 at first, locally force 4 to 5 later, while Open-Meteo shows about 3.3 kt at 06:00, 5.6 kt by 09:00, 7.9 kt by noon, and 7.6 kt by 15:00, with gusts rising from about 8.7 kt to around 19.6 kt at midday and 19 kt later. Wave height runs about 0.10 m at dawn to roughly 0.24 m at midday. Verdict: HOLD LOCAL / ANCHOR DAY. | Heat is the loudest thing on deck, the sea stays small, and Captain Ron says stay put unless the crew needs a tiny harbour-side errand hop before lunch. |
| 2026-07-17 06:22 | Destination / town intel | Valletta / Grand Harbour / Marsamxett | - | - | Valletta is the practical shore run today. Marsamxett and Grand Harbour give easy harbour access, with the Upper Barrakka views, Valletta Waterfront, old streets, cafes, ferry landings, and straightforward provisioning all close by. Good for a walk, coffee, and a few useful errands; if the crew wants a berth move, keep it tiny and local. | Valletta is the grown-up stop: berth or anchor first, old stone and coffee second, and then let the rope department pretend it had a plan all along. |
| 2026-07-17 06:22 | Morning passage weather | 35.89552° N, 14.49881° E | 0.0 kt | 360° | Morning passage weather: live VesselAPI and the onboard W2K-2 keep EVERYTHING ZEN in the Marsamxett / Valletta pocket. Open-Meteo shows about 1.9 kt at dawn, 3.1 kt by 09:00, 2.3 kt by noon, and 3.5 kt by 15:00, with gusts building from about 4 kt to roughly 22 kt later and wave height around 0.14 m now. Verdict: HOLD LOCAL / ANCHOR DAY. | The morning is so mild the coffee has the strongest gusts, but the afternoon sea breeze still deserves a glance before anyone gets ideas. |
| 2026-07-16 06:22 | 2026-07-16 04:18 UTC | Valletta / Grand Harbour / Marsamxett | - | - | Destination / town intel: Valletta is the practical shore run today. Marsamxett and Grand Harbour give easy harbour access, with the Upper Barrakka views, Valletta Waterfront, old streets, cafes, the ferry landings, and straightforward provisioning all close by. Good for a walk, a coffee, and a few useful errands; if the crew wants a berth move, keep it tiny and local. | Valletta is the grown-up stop: berth or anchor first, old stone and coffee second, and then let the rope department pretend it had a plan all along. |
| 2026-07-16 06:20 | 2026-07-16 04:18 UTC | 35.89556° N, 14.49883° E | 0.0 kt | 360° | Morning passage weather: fresh VesselAPI stop fix keeps EVERYTHING ZEN in the Marsamxett / Valletta pocket. Open-Meteo shows a light dawn breeze around 1-2 kt, building to about 4 kt by midday with gusts near 10-11 kt, while wave height eases from roughly 0.32 m at dawn to about 0.22 m later. Malta Met Office's mariners forecast keeps it fine and quiet. Verdict: HOLD LOCAL / ANCHOR DAY. | Light Malta morning: stay in the pocket, use the shore errands window if you need one, and do not invent a passage when the sea is already being polite. |
| 2026-07-15 06:20 | 2026-07-15 03:46 UTC | 35.89555° N, 14.49882° E | 0.0 kt | 360° | Morning passage weather: live VesselAPI stop fix keeps EVERYTHING ZEN in the Marsamxett / Valletta pocket. Malta Met Office mariners forecast says misty at first, becoming fine, with NNW force 3 to 4 at first easing to NE 2 to 3; Open-Meteo at the pocket shows about 4 kt now, 16.1 kt by noon, and gusts to about 25.7 kt by mid-afternoon with 0.26-0.48 m seas. Verdict: HOLD LOCAL / ANCHOR DAY. | The morning is fine enough for coffee, but the afternoon gust line wants respect, so this is a stay-put day rather than a clever little passage. |
| 2026-07-14 19:24 | 2026-07-14 17:24 UTC | 35.8955650° N, 14.4988117° E | 0.0 kt | - | Onboard Actisense W2K-2 own-ship AIS fallback sampled live from `192.168.1.58:60001`; the 8-second collection window ended at 17:24 UTC and the fix sat only about 0.004 NM from the previous accepted breadcrumb, so Kev's distance rule flips EVERYTHING ZEN from moving to stopped in the Marsamxett / Valletta pocket. | Fresh stop mark: same Malta pocket, no real displacement since the last breadcrumb, and the hook gets to claim this round while EVERYTHING ZEN settles back into harbour manners. |
| 2026-07-14 18:54 | 2026-07-14 16:54 UTC | 35.8955217° N, 14.4988683° E | 0.1 kt | 1.6° | Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, about 30 minutes after the previous accepted breadcrumb and displaced about 1.41 NM, so Kev's distance rule keeps EVERYTHING ZEN in the moving column despite the near-zero SOG on this instant fix. | Fresh W2K-2 breadcrumb: speed looks asleep for the moment, but she has still shifted a proper 1.41 miles since the last accepted fix, so EVERYTHING ZEN stays in the anchors-up ledger and the hook does not get to claim a victory. |
| 2026-07-14 18:24 | 2026-07-14 16:24 UTC | 35.9161583° N, 14.5127200° E | 6.0 kt | 143.4° | Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, about 30 minutes after the previous accepted breadcrumb and displaced about 2.89 NM, so Kev's distance rule keeps EVERYTHING ZEN firmly in the moving column off the Malta coast. | Fresh W2K-2 breadcrumb: 6.0 knots on and she has shifted a proper 2.89 miles since the last accepted fix, so EVERYTHING ZEN stays squarely in the anchors-up ledger and keeps chewing through Malta miles. |
| 2026-07-14 17:54 | 2026-07-14 15:54 UTC | 35.9458433° N, 14.4659067° E | 5.8 kt | 117.9° | Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, about 30 minutes after the previous accepted breadcrumb and displaced about 2.94 NM, so Kev's distance rule keeps EVERYTHING ZEN firmly in the moving column off the Malta coast. | Fresh W2K-2 breadcrumb: 5.8 knots on and she has shifted a proper 2.94 miles since the last accepted fix, so EVERYTHING ZEN stays squarely in the anchors-up ledger and keeps chewing through Malta miles. |
| 2026-07-14 17:24 | 2026-07-14 15:24 UTC | 35.9685100° N, 14.4123350° E | 5.8 kt | 112.3° | Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, about 30 minutes after the previous accepted stopped fix in memory and displaced about 2.15 NM, so Kev's distance rule flips EVERYTHING ZEN back to moving off the north Malta pocket. | Fresh W2K-2 breadcrumb: 5.8 knots on and she has shifted a proper 2.15 miles since the last accepted stop, so the hook is off the job again and EVERYTHING ZEN is making honest Malta miles. |
| 2026-07-14 16:24 | 2026-07-14 14:24 UTC | 35.9789367° N, 14.3609050° E | 0.4 kt | 302.1° | Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, about 30 minutes after the previous accepted breadcrumb and displaced about 0.12 NM, so Kev's distance rule flips EVERYTHING ZEN from moving to stopped in the same north Malta pocket. | Fresh stop mark: only about a tenth of a mile of shift since the last breadcrumb, so the hook has won again and EVERYTHING ZEN is back in quiet anchorage manners off north Malta. |
| 2026-07-14 15:54 | 2026-07-14 13:54 UTC | 35.9787417° N, 14.3633300° E | 1.5 kt | 277.6° | Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, about 30 minutes after the previous accepted breadcrumb and displaced about 1.54 NM, so Kev's distance rule keeps EVERYTHING ZEN firmly in the moving column off the north Malta pocket. | Fresh W2K-2 breadcrumb: speed is down to 1.5 knots now, but she has still shifted a proper 1.54 miles since the last accepted fix, so EVERYTHING ZEN stays squarely in the anchors-up ledger. |
| 2026-07-14 15:23 | 2026-07-14 13:23 UTC | 36.0041267° N, 14.3595167° E | 5.6 kt | 143.1° | Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, about 30 minutes after the previous accepted stopped fix and displaced about 1.68 NM, so Kev's distance rule flips EVERYTHING ZEN back to moving off the north Malta pocket. | Fresh W2K-2 breadcrumb: 5.6 knots on and she has shifted a proper 1.68 miles since the last accepted stop, so the hook is off the job again and EVERYTHING ZEN is making honest north Malta miles. |
| 2026-07-14 13:51 | 2026-07-14 11:51 UTC | 36.0183033° N, 14.3302850° E | 0.1 kt | 304.2° | Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, about 30 minutes after the previous accepted breadcrumb and displaced about 0.002 NM, so Kev's distance rule flips EVERYTHING ZEN from moving to stopped in the same north Malta pocket. | Fresh stop mark: barely a whisker of GPS shift since the last breadcrumb, so the hook has won again and EVERYTHING ZEN is back in quiet anchorage manners off north Malta. |
| 2026-07-14 13:21 | 2026-07-14 11:21 UTC | 36.0182667° N, 14.3302683° E | 0.2 kt | 327.2° | Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, about 30 minutes after the previous accepted breadcrumb and displaced about 0.35 NM, which lands in Kev's dead band and therefore preserves EVERYTHING ZEN in the moving column. | Fresh W2K-2 breadcrumb: only a sniff of speed showing now, but she has still shifted about 0.35 miles since the last accepted fix, so the dead band keeps EVERYTHING ZEN in the anchors-up ledger for now. |
| 2026-07-14 12:51 | 2026-07-14 10:51 UTC | 36.0221167° N, 14.3248917° E | 2.4 kt | 59.2° | Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, about 30 minutes after the previous accepted stopped fix and displaced about 0.83 NM, so Kev's distance rule flips EVERYTHING ZEN back to moving off the north Malta pocket. | Fresh W2K-2 breadcrumb: 2.4 knots on and she has shifted a proper 0.83 miles since the last accepted stop, so the hook is off the job again and EVERYTHING ZEN is making honest north Malta miles. |
| 2026-07-14 12:22 | 2026-07-14 10:21 UTC | 36.0085600° N, 14.3278267° E | 0.1 kt | 202.8° | Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, about 30 minutes after the previous accepted breadcrumb and displaced about 0.001 NM, so Kev's distance rule flips EVERYTHING ZEN from moving to stopped in the same north Malta pocket. | Fresh stop mark: only a whisker of GPS shift since the last breadcrumb, so the hook has won again and EVERYTHING ZEN is back in quiet anchorage manners off north Malta. |
| 2026-07-14 11:51 | 2026-07-14 09:51 UTC | 36.0085817° N, 14.3278167° E | 0.2 kt | 327.2° | Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, about 30 minutes after the previous accepted breadcrumb and displaced about 0.42 NM, which lands in Kev's dead band and therefore preserves EVERYTHING ZEN in the moving column. | Fresh W2K-2 breadcrumb: only a sniff of speed showing now, but she has still shifted about 0.42 miles since the last fix, so the dead band keeps EVERYTHING ZEN in the anchors-up ledger for now. |
| 2026-07-14 11:21 | 2026-07-14 09:21 UTC | 36.0026833° N, 14.3231933° E | 4.2 kt | 353.2° | Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, about 30 minutes after the previous accepted fix and displaced about 1.17 NM from the last stopped coordinate, so Kev's distance rule flips EVERYTHING ZEN back to moving off the Paradise Bay / north Malta pocket. | Fresh W2K-2 breadcrumb: 4.2 knots on and she has shifted a proper 1.17 miles since the last accepted stop, so the hook is off the job and EVERYTHING ZEN is making honest north Malta miles again. |
| 2026-07-14 06:24 | 2026-07-14 04:20 UTC | Paradise Bay / Cirkewwa / Mellieħa | - | - | Destination / town intel: Paradise Bay is the current pocket, with the Gozo ferry area, Cirkewwa, and a quick taxi into Mellieħa for cafes, groceries, and dinner. It is a decent north Malta layover if the crew wants to stay local, but exposed landings get blunt once the NW breeze fills in. | Paradise Bay is a fine place to eat breakfast, not a fine place to pretend the afternoon wind forgot how to read. |
| 2026-07-14 06:22 | 2026-07-14 04:20 UTC | Paradise Bay / Cirkewwa / Mellieħa | - | - | Morning passage weather: local Malta forecast for Paradise Bay shows a calm dawn but NW wind building to about 12.1 kt with 24.1 kt gusts by noon and 13.4 kt with 28.1 kt gusts by 15:00, with short 0.20-0.26 m seas. Verdict: HOLD LOCAL / ANCHOR DAY; there is no smart offshore passage plan today. | Breakfast window only. After that the north coast gets ideas, and Captain Ron is not paying for ideas. |
| 2026-07-14 06:20 | 2026-07-14 04:20 UTC | 35.9842617° N, 14.3308450° E | 0.0 kt | 168.9° | Paradise Bay / north Malta pocket; live Actisense W2K-2 fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`. Apparent wind 2.59 kt at 36.1° port, vessel heading 141.1° magnetic, speed through water 0.0 kt, depth 10.2 m. | Paradise Bay is doing the civilized thing this morning: basically no way on, just enough breeze to keep the kettle from feeling lonely. |
| 2026-07-13 12:16 | 2026-07-13 10:16 UTC | 35.984060° N, 14.330790° E | 0.4 kt | 335.4° | Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, about 30 minutes after the previous accepted breadcrumb and displaced about 0.02 NM, so Kev's distance rule now flips EVERYTHING ZEN from moving to stopped in the same north Malta pocket. | Fresh stop mark: only a whisker of movement since the last breadcrumb, so the hook has won again and EVERYTHING ZEN is back in anchorage manners off north Malta. |
| 2026-07-13 11:46 | 2026-07-13 09:46 UTC | 35.984003° N, 14.331180° E | 1.1 kt | 39.3° | Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, about 34 minutes after the previous accepted breadcrumb and displaced about 2.16 NM, so Kev's distance rule still keeps EVERYTHING ZEN firmly in the moving column despite the lower SOG. | Fresh W2K-2 breadcrumb: only 1.1 knots showing now, but she has still shifted a proper 2.16 miles since the last accepted fix, so this is still anchors-up progress rather than another lazy bay drift. |
| 2026-07-13 11:12 | 2026-07-13 09:12 UTC | 35.995448° N, 14.373375° E | 5.4 kt | 322.7° | Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, about 24 minutes after the previous accepted breadcrumb and displaced about 1.21 NM, so the distance rule cleanly keeps EVERYTHING ZEN in the moving column after the Mellieħa departure. | Fresh W2K-2 breadcrumb: 5.4 knots on and she has shifted a proper 1.21 miles since the anchor-up mark, so EVERYTHING ZEN is back to making honest miles instead of fiddling about in the bay. |
| 2026-07-13 10:48 | 2026-07-13 08:48 UTC | 35.977770° N, 14.361295° E | 2.4 kt | 46.8° | Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, about 53 minutes after the stopped row and displaced only about 0.02 NM, but Kev's explicit anchor-up report overrides the dead-slow drift and classifies EVERYTHING ZEN as moving again out of Mellieħa Bay. | Anchors up again off Mellieħa: only a whisker of GPS shift so far, but Kev called the move and the W2K-2 shows way on, so the hook is off the job and the boat is back in the moving column. |
| 2026-07-13 09:55 | 2026-07-13 07:55 UTC | 35.977780° N, 14.361258° E | 0.2 kt | 28.9° | Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, displaced about 0.02 NM from the last accepted breadcrumb and overridden by Kev's explicit anchor-down report in Mellieħa Bay with 55 m of chain, so EVERYTHING ZEN is now treated as stopped/anchored. | Mellieħa stop logged proper: hook down, chain out, and the morning hop has turned into anchorage manners instead of one more fidgety drift mark. |
| 2026-07-13 09:42 | 2026-07-13 07:42 UTC | 35.977537° N, 14.361083° E | 2.8 kt | 55.8° | Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, 29 minutes after the previous accepted breadcrumb and displaced about 2.35 NM, so the distance rule still classifies EVERYTHING ZEN as moving despite the slower SOG. | Fresh W2K-2 breadcrumb: only 2.8 knots now, but she has still shifted a proper 2.35 miles since the last fix, so the north Malta run stays firmly in the anchors-up column. |
| 2026-07-13 09:13 | 2026-07-13 07:13 UTC | 35.972178° N, 14.408958° E | 5.8 kt | 288.4° | Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, using a fresh valid RMC sentence for EVERYTHING ZEN with materially newer coordinates and SOG above the strict movement threshold. | Fresh W2K-2 breadcrumb: 5.8 knots on west-northwest off Malta's north coast, so EVERYTHING ZEN is still making proper miles and not easing into anchorage manners yet. |
| 2026-07-13 08:43 | 2026-07-13 06:43 UTC | 35.954472° N, 14.454957° E | 5.8 kt | 303.5° | Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, using a fresh valid RMC sentence for EVERYTHING ZEN with materially newer coordinates and SOG above the strict movement threshold. | Fresh W2K-2 breadcrumb: 5.8 knots on with the boat clear up the Malta coast, so this morning hop is properly under way and not just a harbour shimmy with ambition. |
| 2026-07-13 08:10 | 2026-07-13 06:10 UTC | 35.926718° N, 14.505093° E | 5.7 kt | 322.9° | Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, using a fresh valid RMC sentence for EVERYTHING ZEN with materially newer coordinates and SOG above the strict movement threshold. | Fresh W2K-2 breadcrumb: 5.7 knots on with the bow up the Malta coast, so EVERYTHING ZEN is properly stretching the morning hop and not just shuffling harbour lines. |
| 2026-07-13 07:40 | 2026-07-13 05:40 UTC | 35.896803° N, 14.501373° E | 3.9 kt | 55.6° | Onboard Actisense W2K-2 live GPS/NMEA fix from `192.168.1.58:60001`, using a fresh valid RMC sentence for EVERYTHING ZEN with updated coordinates and SOG above the strict movement threshold. | Fresh W2K-2 breadcrumb: 3.9 knots on and EVERYTHING ZEN is under way out of the Marsamxett pocket, so the Malta morning hop is no longer just pub talk. |
| 2026-07-13 06:25 | Destination / town intel | Mellieħa Bay / Għadira | Planning / shore brief | - | Destination / town intel: Mellieħa Bay / Għadira gives a beach anchorage with the town up the hill, cafes and a promenade ashore, and Billy's Sports Bar & Kitchen for pints and televised sport. Use the dinghy landing and taxi or Bolt if you want to keep the hill walk optional. The bay is usable, but the NE/ENE fill later makes exposure the main watch item. | Mellieħa is the sort of stop where the pub plan is good, the anchorage is weather-dependent, and the hill is best defeated by a taxi. |
| 2026-07-13 06:23 | Morning passage weather | 35.89554° N, 14.49882° E | 0.0 kt | 360° | Morning passage weather: live VesselAPI still pins EVERYTHING ZEN in Marsamxett / Grand Harbour. Open-Meteo in knots shows a calm dawn at about 1.2 kt with 2.3 kt gusts and 0.42 m seas, while Mellieħa Bay builds to about 13.3 kt with 26.8 kt gusts and roughly 0.44 to 0.52 m seas by midday/afternoon. Verdict: GO EARLY / CAUTION LATER for the north Malta hop, because the 25 kt line gets crossed later. | The morning window is fair, but Mellieħa Bay wants respect after lunch. Leave early or let the bay have the last word. |
| 2026-07-12 06:22 | 2026-07-12 03:40 UTC | St Paul's Bay / Bugibba / Qawra | - | - | Destination / town intel: St Paul's Bay is Malta's long promenade-and-bays stop, with views to St Paul's Islands, the Bugibba/Qawra waterfront, the aquarium, beach spots, and easy shore errands. Good for cafes, seafood, and a walk ashore; if the boat stops there, pick the calmer pocket instead of trying to be brave on the frontage. | St Paul's Bay is the useful north Malta stop: promenade, coffee, and enough shore life to justify moving the boat without making a circus of it. |
| 2026-07-12 06:20 | 2026-07-12 03:40 UTC | 35.89556° N, 14.49883° E | 0.0 kt | 360° | Morning passage weather: onboard W2K-2 still pins EVERYTHING ZEN in the Marsamxett / Grand Harbour pocket. Malta Met Office mariners forecast says south to southwesterly force 2 to 3 locally force 3 to 4 with a small sea; Open-Meteo shows about 4 kt now, 6 to 7 kt by lunch, and gusts near 20 kt at the top end with waves around 0.30-0.46 m. Verdict: GO LOCAL / EARLY HOP to St Paul's Bay if the crew wants the move. | Easy Maltese morning: leave early if you are shifting north, keep the heat in mind, and do not turn a small hop into a full-blown expedition. |
| 2026-07-11 06:22 | 2026-07-11 03:40 UTC | Valletta / Grand Harbour / Marsamxett | - | - | Destination / town intel: Marina di Valletta is the sensible berth; Valletta old town, the Upper Barrakka gardens, the waterfront promenades, the ferry landings, and nearby cafes are the useful shore-leave bits. Practical errands stay easy in the city, and seafood or a long coffee ashore fits the day better than inventing another passage. | Valletta is the grown-up stop: berth first, old stone and sea views second, and then eat something salty before the rope department tries to schedule a fake voyage. |
| 2026-07-11 06:20 | 2026-07-11 03:40 UTC | 35.89556° N, 14.49882° E | 0.0 kt | 360° | Morning passage weather: fresh VesselAPI stop fix keeps EVERYTHING ZEN in the Marsamxett / Grand Harbour pocket. Open-Meteo at the berth shows about 3 kt now with gusts near 7 kt, building to roughly 8-14 kt with gusts around 19 kt by afternoon; waves stay around 0.24-0.36 m with short 3-4 second periods. Verdict: HOLD LOCAL / ANCHOR DAY. | Marsamxett is a calm enough little corner this morning: stay put, keep the lines neat, and let the city take the motion while the boat minds its manners. |
| 2026-07-09 06:22 | 2026-07-09 04:10 UTC | Valletta / Grand Harbour / Marina di Valletta | - | - | Destination / town intel: Marina di Valletta is the practical berth in Grand Harbour below the historic fortifications, with berths, fuel, showers, and VHF 13 in the marina docs. Ashore, Valletta’s useful bits are the UNESCO old city walk, Upper Barrakka views over Grand Harbour, Valletta Waterfront, cafes, seafood, and easy provisioning. If the crew wants a quieter wander later, the harbor-side promenades and the old capital do the job without making a circus of it. | Valletta is the grown-up finish: berth first, old-town wander second, and then eat something salty while the rope department tries to act like it planned the whole crossing. |
| 2026-07-09 06:20 | 2026-07-09 04:10 UTC | 36.62764° N, 15.10697° E | 6.0 kt | 214° | Morning passage weather: fresh VesselAPI fix keeps EVERYTHING ZEN in the Malta Channel en route to Valletta. Open-Meteo at the current position shows about 1.9 kt at dawn, 7.2 kt by noon, and 9.7 kt by 15:00 with gusts 12.4-16.5 kt and dry weather; Valletta runs about 5.8 kt at dawn rising to 7.5-7.7 kt with gusts 18-19 kt and waves around 0.56-0.58 m. Malta Met Office says high pressure, fine weather, NW force 4 locally force 4-5 backing WNW and slight sea. Verdict: GO / CAUTION for the approach. | Malta is happening, but the last mile wants tidy hands: use the morning, keep the harbour turn disciplined, and do not let the gusts invent drama. |
| 2026-07-09 16:10 | 2026-07-09 14:07 UTC | 35.89554° N, 14.49883° E | 0.0 kt | - | Fresh Malta arrival fix: VesselAPI provided the live coordinates and MyShipTracking matched them with speed 0.0 kt inside MARSAMXETT at 14:07 UTC, so EVERYTHING ZEN is treated as properly stopped on the Valletta finish rather than still under way. | Fresh stop mark: Marsamxett has finally got her, the lines can stop pretending to be theoretical, and the Malta leg is done without any more wake-making nonsense. |
| 2026-07-09 14:53 | 2026-07-09 12:53 UTC | 35.90041° N, 14.50552° E | 4.6 kt | 234.9° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 12:53 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way south of Malta with a fresh coordinate fix and useful decimals. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 4.6 knots on south of Malta, so she is still making honest way and not doing any marina-shuffle nonsense yet. |
| 2026-07-09 13:40 | 2026-07-09 11:34 UTC | 36.01059° N, 14.60800° E | 7.3 kt | 218° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 11:40 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the Malta approach with a fresh coordinate fix south-west of Valletta. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 7.3 knots on and she is properly charging the Malta finish now, so this is still honest passage work and not berth-shuffle theatre yet. |
| 2026-07-09 12:39 | 2026-07-09 10:39 UTC | 36.08618° N, 14.68777° E | 5.2 kt | 223° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 10:40 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the Malta finish with a fresh coordinate fix west-southwest of Valletta. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 5.2 knots on and the Malta finish is nearly in hand, but she is still making honest way and has not swapped over to berth manners yet. |
| 2026-07-09 11:49 | 2026-07-09 09:38 UTC | 36.15760° N, 14.74532° E | 5.6 kt | 215.8° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 09:44 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the last Malta approach miles with a fresh coordinate fix southwest of Valletta. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 5.6 knots on and still sliding toward Malta with purpose, so she is closing the finish honestly and has not switched over to marina manners yet. |
| 2026-07-09 11:15 | 2026-07-09 09:15 UTC | 36.18752° N, 14.76864° E | 5.7 kt | 216° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 09:18 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the final Malta approach with a fresh coordinate fix southwest of Valletta. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 5.7 knots on and the Malta finish is close enough to smell the harbour lines, but she is still properly under way and not ready for marina manners yet. |
| 2026-07-09 10:04 | 2026-07-09 08:04 UTC | 36.30177° N, 14.84995° E | 7.3 kt | 205.7° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 08:07 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the Malta approach with a fresh coordinate fix south-southeast of Valletta. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 7.3 knots on and still charging the Malta approach, so the harbour manners can wait a bit longer while she keeps eating the last miles. |
| 2026-07-09 09:17 | 2026-07-09 07:15 UTC | 36.38098° N, 14.90556° E | 7.1 kt | 208° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 07:17 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the Malta crossing with a fresh coordinate fix closing the southeast Malta approach. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 7.1 knots on and Malta is getting properly close now, so she is still striding in with purpose rather than messing about with harbour manners. |
| 2026-07-09 08:15 | 2026-07-09 06:12 UTC | 36.46911° N, 14.97402° E | 4.8 kt | 211° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 06:15 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the Malta crossing with a fresh coordinate fix southeast of Malta. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 4.8 knots on with Malta properly looming now, so the crossing is still honest passage work and not ready for harbour manners yet. |
| 2026-07-09 07:09 | 2026-07-09 05:06 UTC | 36.55377° N, 15.03532° E | 6.3 kt | 209° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 05:10 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still making clean southwesterly miles across the Malta crossing with a fresh coordinate fix. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 6.3 knots on and still chewing down the Malta miles, so the crossing is carrying on like a proper little passage instead of a harbour dawdle. |
| 2026-07-09 06:10 | 2026-07-09 04:09 UTC | 36.62764° N, 15.10697° E | 6.0 kt | 214° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 04:10 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN making proper southwesterly miles clear of the Portopalo pocket on the Malta crossing. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 6 knots on and the old anchorage is well astern, so EVERYTHING ZEN is properly striding out on the Malta leg now. |
| 2026-07-09 05:09 | 2026-07-09 03:07 UTC | 36.69010° N, 15.13812° E | 2.2 kt | 35° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 03:10 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN moving again out of the same Portopalo / SE Sicily pocket with a fresh coordinate fix. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: back up to 2.2 knots with the bow pointed north-northeast, so the hook is clearly off the job and the boat is under way again. |
| 2026-07-09 01:10 | 2026-07-08 23:07 UTC | 36.69000° N, 15.13865° E | 0.1 kt | 360° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 23:10 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN effectively stopped in the same Portopalo / SE Sicily anchorage pocket after Kev's earlier anchor-down report. | Fresh VesselAPI stop mark: speed has dropped to 0.1 knots in the same Portopalo pocket, so the hook has finally won the argument and the boat is properly settled. |
| 2026-07-08 23:59 | 2026-07-08 21:59 UTC | 36.69003° N, 15.13866° E | 0.6 kt | 172.8° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 22:10 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still just under way in the same Portopalo / SE Sicily anchorage pocket with a fresh coordinate fix. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: back up to 0.6 knots in the same Portopalo pocket, so she stays honestly on the moving side of the line and the anchor can keep grumbling. |
| 2026-07-08 20:09 | 2026-07-08 18:09 UTC | 36.68998° N, 15.13867° E | 0.4 kt | 187° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 18:10 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still moving right on the strict underway threshold in the same Portopalo / SE Sicily anchorage pocket. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: dead on the 0.4-knot line, so the hook may be sulking but she is still technically moving and earns one more honest wake mark. |
| 2026-07-08 18:09 | 2026-07-08 16:09 UTC | 36.69007° N, 15.13867° E | 0.6 kt | 357° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 16:10 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still just barely under way in the same Portopalo / SE Sicily pocket with a fresh coordinate fix. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still scraping along at 0.6 knots in the same anchorage pocket, so she stays on the moving side of the line by the narrowest salty whisker. |
| 2026-07-08 16:09 | 2026-07-08 14:09 UTC | 36.69012° N, 15.13867° E | 0.6 kt | 353° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 14:10 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still just under way south of the Portopalo corner with a fresh coordinate fix. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: speed is down to 0.6 knots but still above the line, so she is creeping along honestly enough for one more moving mark instead of calling it a full stop. |
| 2026-07-08 15:00 | 2026-07-08 13:00 UTC | 36.69375° N, 15.14930° E | 3.8 kt | 254.1° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 13:01 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way farther west-southwest after the Portopalo corner with a fresh coordinate fix. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 3.8 knots on and the bow has fallen farther west, so she is still making honest miles and finally rounding the corner into the Malta lane. |
| 2026-07-08 14:00 | 2026-07-08 12:00 UTC | 36.74842° N, 15.19036° E | 4.0 kt | 207.5° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 12:04 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way southwest of the Portopalo corner with a fresh coordinate fix. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 4 knots on and still sliding southwest, so she is keeping the miles honest with no sign of turning this into a harbour nap. |
| 2026-07-08 13:41 | 2026-07-08 11:41 UTC | 36.76807° N, 15.20343° E | 4.4 kt | 210.5° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 11:43 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way southwest of the Portopalo corner with a fresh coordinate fix. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 4.4 knots on and still easing southwest, so she is keeping honest miles rolling after the corner finished throwing its little tantrum. |
| 2026-07-08 13:14 | 2026-07-08 11:10 UTC | 36.80052° N, 15.22231° E | 4.0 kt | 203.6° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 11:13 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way southwest of the Portopalo corner with a fresh coordinate fix. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 4 knots on and still tracking southwest, so she has kept the miles ticking over after the corner gave its usual teeth. |
| 2026-07-08 12:44 | 2026-07-08 10:40 UTC | 36.83421° N, 15.24094° E | 4.2 kt | 201.4° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 10:42 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way farther south-southwest off the Portopalo corner with a fresh coordinate fix. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still making 4.2 knots with the bow down the southwest lane, so she has kept moving despite the ugly nose-punch report. |
| 2026-07-08 15:43 | Crew report | Near latest AIS: 36.69375° N, 15.14930° E (2026-07-08 13:00 UTC) | At anchor / 60 m chain | - | Kev reports EVERYTHING ZEN is now at anchor after the Portopalo-corner bash, with 60 m of chain out and a well-deserved beer opened. Latest VesselAPI AIS reference at 13:00 UTC showed the boat near the Portopalo / SE Sicily corner; this row uses Kev's crew report for anchored status rather than waiting for AIS to settle. | Anchor down after the head-sea nonsense, sixty metres of chain earning its keep, and the beer department finally gets permission to speak. |
| 2026-07-08 12:40 | Crew report | Near latest AIS: 36.86872° N, 15.25859° E (2026-07-08 10:12 UTC) | Conditions changed | - | Kev reports the wind has completely changed from about 8.5 kt on the beam to about 20 kt on the nose with big seas while heading toward the Portopalo corner. Broad model guidance at the last AIS point is undercalling the local conditions, so this is logged as a crew-observed local acceleration/cape-effect sea-state change rather than a fresh AIS fix. | Passage mood changed fast: beam breeze turned into a nose punch, seas got lumpy, and the plan now answers to comfort and sea state, not pride. |
| 2026-07-08 12:17 | 2026-07-08 10:12 UTC | 36.86872° N, 15.25859° E | 5.8 kt | 201.2° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 10:17 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way south-southwest of Siracusa with a fresh coordinate fix. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 5.8 knots on and still tracking southwest, so the log has her moving cleanly down the line while Malta starts getting less theoretical. |
| 2026-07-08 12:01 | 2026-07-08 10:01 UTC | 36.88423° N, 15.26695° E | 5.5 kt | 204.2° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 10:07 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way farther south-southwest on the next leg. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 5.5 knots on with the bow still down the southwest lane, so she is keeping the miles rolling and not giving Siracusa a second look. |
| 2026-07-08 11:12 | 2026-07-08 09:09 UTC | 36.94402° N, 15.30923° E | 4.8 kt | 210.9° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 09:11 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way farther south-southwest of Siracusa on the next leg. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 4.8 knots on with the bow still hooked southwest, so she is banking proper miles now and leaving Siracusa gossip in the wake. |
| 2026-07-08 10:42 | 2026-07-08 08:34 UTC | 36.99819° N, 15.34289° E | 6.3 kt | 205° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 08:35 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN well south of Siracusa and properly under way on the next leg. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 6.3 knots on with the bow hooked south-southwest now, so she is making honest miles and not hanging about for harbour gossip. |
| 2026-07-08 10:12 | 2026-07-08 08:08 UTC | 37.03510° N, 15.32165° E | 2.8 kt | 152.1° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 08:09 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way south-southeast of Siracusa with a fresh coordinate fix. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 2.8 knots on and the bow still falling off to the southeast, so this is honest passage work now, not harbour yoga. |
| 2026-07-08 09:42 | 2026-07-08 07:36 UTC | 37.04929° N, 15.29206° E | 3.6 kt | 102.8° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 07:38 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN properly under way southeast of the old Siracusa / Porto Grande pocket. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: lines look truly loose now, 3.6 knots on, and the old harbour shuffle has turned back into a real morning move. |
| 2026-07-07 16:49 | 2026-07-07 14:48 UTC | 37.05805° N, 15.28378° E | 0.4 kt | 91.3° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 14:48 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still nudging around inside the Siracusa / Porto Grande pocket right on the strict underway threshold. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: another tiny Porto Grande shuffle at the 0.4-knot line, so she is still just barely moving and not ready to call the harbour shift over. |
| 2026-07-07 16:19 | 2026-07-07 14:15 UTC | 37.05802° N, 15.28384° E | 0.4 kt | 92.2° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 14:15 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still making a tiny Porto Grande shuffle right on the strict underway threshold. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still scraping along at the 0.4-knot line in Siracusa, so the harbour shuffle stays alive and the anchor can keep pretending this counts as exercise. |
| 2026-07-06 17:15 | 2026-07-06 15:06 UTC | 37.05798° N, 15.28386° E | 0.4 kt | 99.4° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 15:07 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN moving again inside the Siracusa / Porto Grande pocket right on the underway threshold. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: just enough way on at 0.4 knots, so Porto Grande looks more like a local shuffle than full stop silence. |
| 2026-07-06 06:26 | 2026-07-06 04:15 UTC | Siracusa / Ortigia | - | - | Destination / town intel: Siracusa is the useful stop today. Porto Grande is the practical water base; ashore, Ortigia gives the old-town walk, fish market, Piazza Duomo, coffee, granita, arancini, the seafront, and enough errands to justify a dinghy ride. Marina and fuel options stay around Porto Grande if the crew needs services. | Siracusa is the grown-up stop with a postcard attached: stay in Porto Grande, wander Ortigia, and eat something decent before the rope pile starts asking questions. |
| 2026-07-06 06:24 | 2026-07-06 04:15 UTC | 37.05757° N, 15.28406° E | 0.1 kt | - | Morning passage weather: fresh VesselAPI stop fix keeps EVERYTHING ZEN in the Siracusa / Porto Grande pocket. Open-Meteo shows a light dawn breeze around 3 kt, building only to about 7 kt with gusts near 15 kt by late afternoon, while waves ease from roughly 0.5-0.6 m at dawn to around 0.3 m later. Protezione Civile Sicilia shows no local alert for Siracusa today, and the national bulletin keeps the stronger thunder concern elsewhere. Verdict: GO LOCAL / HOLD THE BIG MOVE. | Siracusa is easy money this morning: stay local, use the early window if you need it, and let the afternoon sea-breeze boss around someone else. |
| 2026-07-08 06:22 | 2026-07-08 04:12 UTC | Siracusa / Ortigia | - | - | Destination / town intel: Porto Grande is the practical berth, and Ortigia is the useful shore leave. Good bits ashore are the old town walk, Piazza Duomo, the fish market, the seafront, coffee, granita, arancini, and easy errand runs. Marina, fuel, and services stay close by in the harbour pockets. | Siracusa is the grown-up stop with a postcard attached: berth first, old-town wander second, and then eat something salty before the rope department starts asking for a raise. |
| 2026-07-08 06:20 | 2026-07-08 04:12 UTC | 37.05772° N, 15.28406° E | 0.1 kt | - | Morning passage weather: fresh VesselAPI stop fix keeps EVERYTHING ZEN in the Siracusa / Porto Grande pocket. Open-Meteo shows a light dawn breeze around 3 kt with about 0.16 m seas, building to roughly 6-7 kt and 0.2-0.3 m later, with gusts near 14 kt by afternoon. No local civil-protection alert for Siracusa, and the national bulletin keeps the stronger weather elsewhere. Verdict: GO LOCAL / HOLD THE BIG MOVE. | Siracusa is easy money this morning: stay local, do the shore jobs, and do not invent a long passage just to keep the engine from getting lonely. |
| 2026-07-05 19:15 | Crew video | Near latest VesselAPI AIS: 37.05781° N, 15.28349° E (2026-07-05 13:42 UTC) | On the water / Siracusa waterfront | - | Kev sent a 15.5-second evening clip from the water in Siracusa, looking toward Ortigia and the old waterfront across Porto Grande. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-siracusa-evening-anchorage-1915-web.mp4`; the video has no embedded GPS visible from ffprobe metadata, so the position uses the latest nearby VesselAPI stopped fix, not onboard media GPS. | Evening Siracusa proof filed: old stone waterfront ahead, Porto Grande behaving, and the boat day finally moving at shore-leave speed. |
| 2026-07-05 15:51 | Crew photo | Near latest VesselAPI AIS: 37.05781° N, 15.28349° E (2026-07-05 13:42 UTC) | At anchor / Ortigia ahead | - | Kev sent an anchorage photo looking across Porto Grande toward Ortigia and the Siracusa waterfront, with EVERYTHING ZEN's deck and nearby anchored boats in frame. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-siracusa-ortigia-anchorage-1551.jpg`; the image has no embedded GPS visible from the file header, so the position uses the latest nearby VesselAPI stopped fix, not onboard media GPS. | Ortigia proof filed: old Siracusa ahead, anchor down in Porto Grande, deck finally quiet, and the afternoon looking suspiciously pleased with itself. |
| 2026-07-05 15:51 | Crew photo | Near latest VesselAPI AIS: 37.05781° N, 15.28349° E (2026-07-05 13:42 UTC) | At anchor / dinghy astern | - | Kev sent a stern-view anchorage photo from Siracusa: dinghy astern, turquoise water, Polish flag flying, and several boats around the bay. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-siracusa-anchorage-dinghy-1551.jpg`; the image has no embedded GPS visible from the file header, so the position uses the latest nearby VesselAPI stopped fix, not onboard media GPS. | Proper anchorage proof filed: dinghy astern, bay full of company, water doing the postcard routine, and EVERYTHING ZEN finally allowed to sit still after earning her diesel. |
| 2026-07-05 15:49 | Crew report | Near latest VesselAPI AIS: 37.05781° N, 15.28349° E (2026-07-05 13:42 UTC) | At anchor / fuel run complete | - | Kev reports EVERYTHING ZEN is anchored in a bay with about 20 boats. The crew picked up diesel by dinghy and put roughly 50 litres into the tanks. Position uses the latest nearby VesselAPI stopped fix, not dinghy GPS. | Siracusa fuel problem solved the sailor way: anchor down among company, dinghy does the errand, and about 50 litres goes into the tanks without donating the whole afternoon to marina paperwork. |
| 2026-07-05 15:48 | 2026-07-05 13:42 UTC | 37.05781° N, 15.28349° E | 0.2 kt | - | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 13:42 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN stopped in the Siracusa / Porto Grande pocket after the Catania-to-Siracusa leg. | Siracusa arrival logged properly: speed is below the underway line, Porto Grande has the boat, and the trip page can stop leaving the last word to the 13:20 approach breadcrumb. |
| 2026-07-05 13:20 | 2026-07-05 11:19 UTC | 37.05199° N, 15.30013° E | 5.8 kt | 221.8° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 11:19 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way off the Siracusa side with a fresh coordinate fix. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 5.8 knots on with the bow now swinging into the Siracusa endgame, so the docklines can stop mumbling and get ready to earn lunch. |
| 2026-07-05 12:50 | 2026-07-05 10:47 UTC | 37.10775° N, 15.30096° E | 6.6 kt | 159.2° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 10:47 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the Siracusa leg. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 6.6 knots on with the bow still hooked down the coast, so Siracusa is close enough now for the docklines to start clearing their throats. |
| 2026-07-05 12:20 | 2026-07-05 10:18 UTC | 37.15524° N, 15.28674° E | 6.0 kt | 170° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 10:19 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the Siracusa leg. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: back on a clean six knots with the bow due south-ish now, so Siracusa is getting properly close and the anchor can start polishing its excuses. |
| 2026-07-05 11:50 | 2026-07-05 09:48 UTC | 37.20467° N, 15.27350° E | 5.8 kt | 168.3° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 09:49 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the Siracusa leg. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still making 5.8 knots with the bow bent more southerly now, so Siracusa is getting close enough for the anchor to stop pretending this is a long-haul job. |
| 2026-07-05 11:20 | 2026-07-05 09:17 UTC | 37.25193° N, 15.26111° E | 5.1 kt | 170.7° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 09:18 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the Siracusa leg. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still making 5.1 knots with the bow hooked a bit more south, so Siracusa is getting closer and the anchor can keep loafing in the locker. |
| 2026-07-05 10:50 | 2026-07-05 08:49 UTC | 37.28976° N, 15.23339° E | 5.9 kt | 137.7° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 08:49 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the Siracusa leg. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still making 5.9 knots with the bow easing a touch more southeast, so Siracusa stays firmly in the next-coffee-not-yet department. |
| 2026-07-05 10:20 | 2026-07-05 08:16 UTC | 37.33542° N, 15.19386° E | 5.7 kt | 150.7° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 08:17 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the Catania to Siracusa leg. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still sliding south at 5.7 knots with the bow held steady, so Siracusa stays on the bow and the anchor can keep its mouth shut a while longer. |
| 2026-07-05 09:50 | 2026-07-05 07:45 UTC | 37.37935° N, 15.16380° E | 6.0 kt | 152.7° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 07:46 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the Catania to Siracusa leg. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still trucking at six knots with the bow held down the coast, so Siracusa remains an underway job, not a coffee-shop rumour. |
| 2026-07-05 09:16 | 2026-07-05 07:16 UTC | 37.42210° N, 15.13411° E | 6.1 kt | 148.2° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 07:16 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way down the Siracusa coast leg. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still making a shade over six knots with the nose held south-southeast, so Siracusa stays firmly in the "keep moving" department. |
| 2026-07-05 08:45 | 2026-07-05 06:44 UTC | 37.46907° N, 15.10520° E | 6.0 kt | 153.1° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 06:45 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN under way south of Catania on the Siracusa leg. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: six knots on, bow pointed down the coast, and Siracusa is now a real passage instead of breakfast gossip. |
| 2026-07-05 08:38 | Crew report | Catania / Blu Marina to Siracusa | Lines slipped / under way | - | Kev reports lines slipped and EVERYTHING ZEN is under way from Catania toward Siracusa. Morning passage call was GO EARLY: light winds at departure, gusts building roughly 17-20 kt near Siracusa by midday/early afternoon, with NE sea rising from about 0.4-0.5 m to 0.6-0.7 m later. This is a crew-reported departure row, not a fresh AIS coordinate fix. | Catania is astern and Siracusa is on the job sheet. Go now, keep the ETA honest, and get into Porto Grande before the afternoon chop starts acting like it owns the harbour. |
| 2026-07-05 06:22 | 2026-07-05 04:16 UTC | Catania / Blu Marina | - | - | Destination / town intel: Catania is the useful working stop today. Blu Marina is the practical berth, while the shore brain gets its reward with Piazza Duomo, La Pescheria / fish market, Via Etnea, coffee, arancini, and a walkable old centre. Aci Trezza / Aci Castello is the easy half-day wander if the crew wants a bit of coastline drama. | Catania is a real working port, not a postcard fantasy: berth first, market second, then go eat something salty and call it research. |
| 2026-07-05 06:20 | 2026-07-05 04:16 UTC | 37.49938° N, 15.09352° E | 0.0 kt | - | Morning passage weather: fresh VesselAPI stop fix keeps EVERYTHING ZEN in the Catania / Blu Marina pocket. Open-Meteo for the harbour point shows a light dawn breeze around 2-3 kt, building to about 8 kt by midday with gusts near 18 kt, and marine waves around 0.34 m at 06:15 with a 4.6 s period. Protezione Civile says there are no significant meteo-idro phenomena for 5 July, but the national bulletin still flags isolated rovesci o temporali over Sicilia centro-orientale and Etna remains yellow. Verdict: GO LOCAL / HOLD THE BIG MOVE. | Catania is behaving itself this morning: stay in the berth unless you need a short local errand, and if you do move, do it early before the sea breeze and heat start acting clever. |
| 2026-07-04 18:25 | 2026-07-04 16:25 UTC | 37.49940° N, 15.09351° E | 0.0 kt | - | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 16:27 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN stopped in the Catania / Blu Marina pocket. | Catania stop logged at last: speed is down to zero, the docklines have won, and the trip page can stop pretending the boat is still charging around outside the harbor. |
| 2026-07-04 14:15 | 2026-07-04 12:15 UTC | 37.49317° N, 15.09514° E | 5.7 kt | 337.8° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 12:15 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way off the Catania side with a fresh coordinate fix. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still making 5.7 knots with the bow swinging through the harbor shuffle, so the dockline circus stays on standby a bit longer. |
| 2026-07-04 13:45 | 2026-07-04 11:42 UTC | 37.44524° N, 15.09728° E | 5.1 kt | 2.8° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 11:43 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way just off the Catania entrance. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still moving at 5.1 knots with the nose swinging toward the harbor shuffle, so the dockline department can stop pretending this is still an open-water problem. |
| 2026-07-04 12:45 | 2026-07-04 10:41 UTC | 37.44767° N, 15.11773° E | 5.7 kt | 186.7° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 10:41 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the last stretch into Catania. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still making 5.7 knots with real decimals, so the Catania endgame is alive and the dockline department stays on standby. |
| 2026-07-04 12:15 | 2026-07-04 10:11 UTC | 37.49511° N, 15.13205° E | 5.9 kt | 203.7° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 10:12 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the final Catania approach. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still trucking at 5.9 knots with proper decimals, so the Catania endgame is under way and nobody gets to pretend the docklines are optional yet. |
| 2026-07-04 11:45 | 2026-07-04 09:41 UTC | 37.54024° N, 15.15401° E | 5.8 kt | 220.3° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 09:42 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way southbound on the Catania approach. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still making 5.8 knots with the bow slewing a touch toward the harbor endgame, so the dockline rehearsal stays officially under way. |
| 2026-07-04 11:27 | Crew photo | Near latest VesselAPI AIS: 37.56026° N, 15.17240° E (2026-07-04 09:25 UTC) | Near Aci Trezza / Catania approach | 208.1° | Kev sent a portrait photo captioned "Near aci trezza," showing the Aci Trezza coastline and sea stacks from EVERYTHING ZEN during the Catania approach. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-aci-trezza-1127.jpg`; the image has no embedded GPS, so the position uses the fresh nearby VesselAPI AIS reference, not onboard media GPS. | Aci Trezza proof filed: Cyclops rocks in view, sea behaving, Catania close, and the engine room currently doing the sailing department's homework. |
| 2026-07-04 11:27 | 2026-07-04 09:25 UTC | 37.56026° N, 15.17240° E | 5.7 kt | 208.1° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 09:27 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN under way off the Aci Trezza / Catania approach. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: Aci Trezza off the side, 5.7 knots under engine, and the dockline rehearsal period is no longer theoretical. |
| 2026-07-04 11:15 | 2026-07-04 09:14 | 37.57521° N, 15.18221° E | 5.5 kt | - | MyShipTracking public vessel page for EVERYTHING ZEN, reported by AIS at 09:14 with exact coordinates from the tracker app. | Fresh MyShipTracking breadcrumb: still moving smartly at 5.5 knots, proper decimals on the chart, and Catania is getting close enough to start thinking about docklines. |
| 2026-07-04 11:12 | Crew video | Near latest MyShipTracking AIS: 37.57521° N, 15.18221° E (2026-07-04 09:14 UTC) | Motoring / Catania approach | - | Kev sent a 4-second vertical clip from the Catania approach: low-wind motoring water, Sicilian coast close aboard, bow / side deck and bimini frame in view. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-catania-motoring-approach-1112.mp4`; the video has no embedded GPS, so the position uses the latest nearby MyShipTracking AIS reference, not onboard media GPS. | Engine-on proof filed: sails away, water under the quarter, Catania close enough to start rehearsing docklines, and the heat department is still charging overtime. |
| 2026-07-04 11:03 | Crew report | Near latest VesselAPI AIS: 37.62562° N, 15.19746° E (2026-07-04 08:43 UTC) | Motoring; wind down to 3 kt | - | Kev reports the wind has faded to about 3 kt, so sails are in and the engine is on. Sun is out and the Catania approach is getting hotter. Crew report position uses the latest nearby VesselAPI AIS reference, not onboard GPS. | Sailing department has clocked off: three knots of breeze is decorative, sails are away, engine is earning its diesel, and the sun has started charging Sicilian rates. |
| 2026-07-04 10:45 | 2026-07-04 08:43 UTC | 37.62562° N, 15.19746° E | 5.8 kt | 190° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 08:45 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way southbound on the Catania side. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: speed back up to 5.8 knots, bow still pointed south, and Catania is getting less theoretical by the minute. |
| 2026-07-04 10:21 | 2026-07-04 08:15 UTC | 37.654373° N, 15.206663° E | 2.2 kt | 20° | MarineTraffic signed-in vessel position endpoint from the live details page; terrestrial AIS received 3 minutes ago. | Fresh MarineTraffic fallback fix: still under way off the Catania side, slower now at 2.2 knots but still above the hook-dropping line. |
| 2026-07-04 09:26 | Crew nav screen | Near latest VesselAPI AIS: 37.71808° N, 15.22128° E (2026-07-04 07:20 UTC) | Tablet shows 4.5 kt; 9.4 nm / 2h27 remaining | 187° on tablet | Kev sent a cockpit photo of the navigation tablet on the Riposto to Catania track. The tablet display shows 09:26 local, speed 4.5 kt, heading/track readout around 187°, 9.4 nm remaining, and about 2h27 to go toward the Catania waypoint. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-catania-nav-screen-0926.jpg`; the image has no embedded GPS, so the public position remains the latest nearby VesselAPI AIS reference, not onboard media GPS. | Nav screen says the grown-up numbers are on the table: 4.5 knots, Catania getting reeled in, and about two and a half hours left for the rope department to pretend it is helping. |
| 2026-07-04 09:25 | Crew photo | Near latest VesselAPI AIS: 37.71808° N, 15.22128° E (2026-07-04 07:20 UTC) | Under way / Catania approach | 162° | Kev sent a cockpit-stern photo with Mount Etna off the coast and the Polish flag flying from EVERYTHING ZEN. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-etna-polish-flag-0925.jpg`; the image has no embedded GPS, and VesselAPI had not advanced beyond the 07:20 UTC underway fix, so the position is marked as a nearby AIS reference rather than onboard media GPS. | Etna on watch, Polish flag flying, Catania sliding closer. That is not just a passage photo; that is a small diplomatic summit with better scenery. |
| 2026-07-04 09:21 | 2026-07-04 07:20 UTC | 37.71808° N, 15.22128° E | 4.9 kt | 162° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 07:21 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN under way south of Riposto toward the Catania side. | Fresh AIS breadcrumb from VesselAPI: proper decimals, making 4.9 knots, and the boat is officially off the leash instead of just talking about it. |
| 2026-07-04 09:19 | Crew photo | Near latest VesselAPI AIS: 37.71808° N, 15.22128° E (2026-07-04 07:20 UTC) | Under sail / under way | 162° | Kev sent a cockpit photo from the Riposto to Catania hop: headsail drawing, calm blue water, Sicilian coast off the starboard side, and cockpit shade up. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-riposto-catania-under-sail-0919.jpg`; the image has no embedded GPS, so the position uses the latest nearby VesselAPI AIS reference, not onboard media GPS. | Fresh proof from the Catania run: sail drawing, sea behaving, cockpit in business mode, and the rope department still demanding a line item in the budget. |
| 2026-07-04 09:17 | Crew report | Departed Riposto toward Catania / Blu Marina | Under way | - | Kev reports lines slipped in Riposto and EVERYTHING ZEN is now heading toward Catania. Underway weather call remains GO but businesslike: make the hop in the morning, aim to be tied up before lunch or early afternoon, keep radar watch from about 11:00 for Etna/inland thunder-cell build, and avoid the Riposto-side afternoon gust ramp. | Lines slipped on the right side of the day: bow south, paperwork awake, and Catania gets the boat before the afternoon starts acting clever. |
| 2026-07-04 06:20 | Destination / town intel | Catania / Blu Marina | - | - | Catania is the next sensible southbound stop if the crew wants to move after dawn. Blu Marina is the practical berth; ashore the useful bits are the Duomo, fish market, Via Etnea, easy errands, and enough coffee to forgive a salty approach. Keep Riposto as the fallback if the wind starts acting like a teenager. | Catania is the useful stop, not the pretty-daydream: berth first, fish market second, and the marina needs to be earned with an early start. |
| 2026-07-04 06:20 | Morning passage weather | 37.73123° N, 15.20707° E | 0.0 kt | 360° | Fresh VesselAPI fix keeps Everything Zen in the Riposto / Porto dell'Etna pocket. Open-Meteo shows a decent dawn window around 5-6 kt with gusts near 10 kt, building to about 11 kt with 19 kt gusts by noon and 15-16 kt with 26-29 kt gusts by 14:00-15:00. Wave height stays roughly 0.16-0.38 m. Verdict: HOLD POSITION / GO EARLY ONLY. | Morning is workable; the afternoon gust spike is the thing with teeth, so leave at dawn or stay put and let Riposto keep the berth. |
| 2026-07-02 19:55 | Crew video | Crew-reported Riposto / Zibibbo, near last VesselAPI fallback AIS: 37.80578° N, 15.26534° E (2026-07-02 12:24 UTC) | Ashore / dinner | - | Kev sent a 6-second vertical dinner clip from Zibibbo gusto siciliano in Riposto. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-riposto-dinner-zibibbo-1955.mp4`; the video has no embedded GPS, and VesselAPI is still returning the earlier underway AIS fix, so this row is marked as crew-reported Riposto rather than a fresh onboard GPS fix. | Shore-leave proof filed: Zibibbo door open, tables set, and the crew department finally investigating Sicilian food instead of weather models. |
| 2026-07-02 14:36 | Crew video | Near fresh VesselAPI fallback AIS: 37.80578° N, 15.26534° E (2026-07-02 12:24 UTC; free terrestrial via `filter.sat=true`) | Under way to Riposto | 5.5 kt | Kev sent a 12-second vertical underway clip from the Riposto run: calm water, cockpit/deck view, rope pile on duty, and the Sicilian coast ahead. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-riposto-underway-1436.mp4`; the video has no embedded GPS, so the position uses the fresh VesselAPI fallback AIS reference from the same underway window, not onboard media GPS. | Fresh proof from the Riposto run: coast ahead, sea behaving, cockpit calm, and the rope pile making a formal request for its own cabin. |
| 2026-07-02 14:29 | 2026-07-02 12:24 UTC | 37.80578° N, 15.26534° E | 5.5 kt | 199° | Kev reports anchors up and EVERYTHING ZEN is under way for Riposto. VesselAPI fallback call with `filter.sat=true` returned this fresh terrestrial/free AIS fix, processed at 12:29 UTC; `X-Data-Source: terrestrial`, so no satellite credit charged. Short-hop check: about 5.2 nm to Porto dell'Etna / Marina di Riposto on roughly 211°, current model wind near 7.6 km/h with gusts about 16 km/h, wave height about 0.10 m. Yellow thunderstorm caution remains the only real side-eye: watch Etna/inland build-ups and gust fronts. | Anchors up, bow pointed south, and the AIS department has finally brought decimals to the party. Tiny sea for the hop, but keep an eye on the thundercloud department before Riposto tries to look civilized. |
| 2026-07-02 13:08 | Crew photo | Near fresh VesselAPI fallback AIS: 37.81609° N, 15.26969° E (2026-07-02 11:04 UTC; free terrestrial via `filter.sat=true`) | Beach / tender scene | 0.1 kt | Kev sent a still from the swim-stop shore side: blue water in the foreground, yellow beach umbrellas, tender at the beach, and the Sicilian hillside behind. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-taormina-swim-stop-beach-1308.jpg`; the image has no embedded GPS, so the position uses the fresh VesselAPI fallback AIS reference for the same Taormina / Giardini pocket, not an onboard GPS fix. | Postcard proof filed: flat water, yellow umbrellas, tender loitering near shore, and Etna's neighbourhood pretending this is all normal Tuesday behaviour. |
| 2026-07-02 10:54 | Riposto shore brief / print | Porto dell'Etna / Marina di Riposto | Planning / arrival brief | - | Researched Porto dell'Etna / Marina di Riposto and printed a formatted A4 Captain Ron shore brief. Key arrival notes: VHF 74, official site lists 370 berths, 22 superyacht berths, on-site petrol/diesel until sunset, 24/7 mooring assistance, and yellow thunderstorm caution for the evening hop. | Paper chart for the stomach: VHF, fuel, berth, dinner, thunder caution. Almost like a grown-up is aboard, except for the jokes. |
| 2026-07-02 10:45 | Crew video | Near fresh VesselAPI fallback AIS: 37.81609° N, 15.26969° E (2026-07-02 11:04 UTC; free terrestrial via `filter.sat=true`) | At anchor / swimming | 0.1 kt | Kev sent a 5-second vertical swim-stop video showing calm blue water, beach/hotel strip ashore, and boat lines in the foreground. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-taormina-swim-stop-1045.mp4`; no embedded media GPS was present, so the position uses the fresh VesselAPI fallback AIS reference for the same Taormina / Giardini pocket, not an onboard GPS fix. | Swim proof filed: water flat enough to look suspicious, shore close enough for gelato thoughts, and the rope department photobombing like it pays marina fees. |
| 2026-07-02 10:27 | Crew report | Near fresh VesselAPI fallback AIS: 37.81609° N, 15.26969° E (2026-07-02 11:04 UTC; free terrestrial via `filter.sat=true`) | Departed Taormina, swim stop | 0.1 kt | Kev reports EVERYTHING ZEN left Taormina this morning and is currently anchored for a swim before heading to Marina di Riposto / Porto dell'Etna this evening. VesselAPI's normal terrestrial endpoint was stale, but their support-confirmed fallback call returned a fresh terrestrial/free position in the Taormina / Giardini pocket. This is still an AIS reference, not embedded media GPS. | Taormina has been left astern, the swim department is open, and Riposto gets the evening paperwork because somebody finally chose the adult marina option. |
| 2026-07-01 06:20 | Destination / town intel | Taormina / Giardini Naxos | - | - | Taormina stays the pretty stop and Giardini Naxos stays the practical water stop. For a local layover, use the seafront, Corso Umberto, the cable car, Teatro Antico, Isola Bella, gelato/granita, and seafood; Riposto remains the marina fallback if the crew wants services and more room to breathe. | Pretty hill town, practical bay, sensible marina fallback. Captain Ron says the shore plan should be scenic, not complicated. |
| 2026-07-01 06:20 | Morning passage weather | 37.84612° N, 15.29130° E | 0.1 kt | 360° | Latest VesselAPI fix still holds Everything Zen off Taormina / Giardini Naxos. Open-Meteo keeps today light: about 3.6 kt with 5.6 kt gusts at dawn, 5.1 kt with 9.9 kt gusts by midday, and a small late-afternoon bump to roughly 5.6 kt with 11.3 kt gusts. Marine forecast stays modest at about 0.24 m dawn, 0.32 m midday, and 0.40 m late afternoon. Sicily has a yellow heat warning today and a yellow thunderstorm watch tomorrow. Verdict: HOLD POSITION / GO LOCAL only. | Boat can sit pretty or make a short hop if needed, but today is not a day for inventing reasons to leave the pocket. |
| 2026-06-30 06:20 | Destination / town intel | Taormina / Giardini Naxos | - | - | Taormina is the hill town; Giardini Naxos is the practical water stop. Useful shore bits are the seafront, Corso Umberto, the cable car up to Taormina, Teatro Antico, Isola Bella, gelato/granita, seafood, and easy marina-town errands. Riposto stays the marina fallback if the crew wants services and more room to breathe. | Taormina is the pretty stop, Giardini Naxos is the sensible one, and Riposto is the adult in the room if you want a berth with manners. |
| 2026-06-30 06:20 | Morning passage weather | 37.84622° N, 15.29158° E | 0.2 kt | 360° | Fresh VesselAPI fix for EVERYTHING ZEN off Taormina / Giardini Naxos at 03:00 CEST. Open-Meteo shows light wind, small seas, and a modest afternoon sea-breeze bump, while Sicily civil protection flags fire and heat pre-alert inland. Verdict: GO LOCAL for a short early hop only, or hold position if the crew already has the right pocket. | Calm water, hot land, no burrasca. Captain Ron says stay local unless you have a reason to move, and if you do, make it an early one. |
| 2026-06-29 11:24 | Crew video | Near latest AIS: 37.86377° N, 15.44779° E (08:56 UTC) | Under way | - | Kev sent a 5.7-second vertical clip while heading toward Taormina, with the headsail drawing and Mount Etna hazy in the distance. The trip media strip now carries it as `assets/everything-zen-taormina-etna-1123.mp4`. Crew video position uses the freshest nearby MyShipTracking AIS reference, not an onboard GPS fix. | Etna has appeared on the horizon, which means Sicily is no longer theoretical. Headsail drawing, boat behaving, volcano looking dramatic because apparently Italy insists. |
| 2026-06-29 11:02 | Crew video | Near latest AIS: 37.86377° N, 15.44779° E (08:56 UTC) | Under way | - | Kev sent a 12.6-second vertical clip from the approach after the Strait of Messina. The trip media strip now carries it as `assets/everything-zen-taormina-sails-back-1102.mp4`, showing the deck steadier again, blue chop, and the Sicilian coast ahead after the sails-back-out update. Crew video position uses the freshest nearby MyShipTracking AIS reference, not an onboard GPS fix. | Latest proof filed: land ahead, deck settling down, sails back to work, and the Strait no longer bullying the caffeine department. |
| 2026-06-29 10:59 | 2026-06-29 08:56 UTC | 37.86377° N, 15.44779° E | 7.2 kt | - | MyShipTracking public AIS backup for MMSI 261186582. VesselAPI still returned `status: no_position`, but MyShipTracking exposed a fresh exact coordinate fix in the Ionian Sea near the Taormina / Giardini Naxos approach. | Manual backup fix added after the crew spotted the missing lat/long: VesselAPI still sulking, MyShipTracking has the decimals, and EVERYTHING ZEN is still making good speed for Sicily. |
| 2026-06-29 10:52 | Crew report | Near latest AIS: 37.86660° N, 15.46809° E (08:47 UTC) | 6.8 kt | - | Kev reports the sails are back out after the Strait of Messina excitement. Wind has eased back to 17 kt, EVERYTHING ZEN is making 6.8 kt, and the coffee machine has calmed down and is working again. Crew report position uses the freshest nearby MyShipTracking AIS reference, not an onboard GPS fix. | Sails back out, wind back to 17 kt, boat still making 6.8 kt, and the coffee machine has returned from showbiz to useful employment. Morale department restored. |
| 2026-06-29 10:36 | Crew report | Strait of Messina / Sicily approach | Lively passage | - | Kev reports the passage through the Strait of Messina was lively enough that the coffee machine reset itself and went into demo mode. Logged as a crew-reported Strait conditions note, not an AIS coordinate fix. | Strait of Messina filed its complaint in espresso: enough motion to reboot the coffee machine and put it into showroom mode. Very Italian, deeply unhelpful. |
| 2026-06-29 10:48 | 2026-06-29 08:47 UTC | 37.86660° N, 15.46809° E | 6.9 kt | - | MyShipTracking public AIS backup for MMSI 261186582. VesselAPI still returned `status: no_position`, but MyShipTracking exposed a newer exact coordinate fix in the Ionian Sea, close to the Strait approach. | Fresh backup fix: real lat/long, honest speed, and EVERYTHING ZEN still romping toward Sicily while the rope department keeps its mouth shut. |
| 2026-06-29 10:12 | 2026-06-29 08:10 UTC | 37.87693° N, 15.55596° E | 7.1 kt | - | MyShipTracking public AIS backup for MMSI 261186582. VesselAPI still returned `status: no_position`, but MyShipTracking exposed a fresh exact coordinate fix in the Ionian Sea. VesselFinder also showed a fresh 7.1 kt AIS report but did not expose exact lat/long in the public text view. | Backup tracker earns its ration: VesselAPI still sulking, but MyShipTracking coughed up real decimals while EVERYTHING ZEN keeps charging for Sicily. |
| 2026-06-29 10:01 | Crew video | Under way toward Taormina / Giardini Naxos | Reefed / charging | - | Kev sent an 8.5-second vertical heavy-air clip from the Sicily run. The trip media strip now carries it as `assets/everything-zen-taormina-heavy-air-1001.mp4`, showing the reefed headsail, blue water, and the boat still making proper pace after the 25 kt / 8.5 kt update. | Video proof filed: reef tucked in, bow pointed at Sicily, and the sail plan looking far too pleased with itself for a Monday morning. |
| 2026-06-29 09:50 | Crew report | Under way toward Taormina / Giardini Naxos | 8.5 kt | - | Kev reports EVERYTHING ZEN hitting 8.5 kt in 25 kt of wind while heading toward Taormina. Headsail has been reefed. This is a crew-reported heavy-air trim update, not an AIS coordinate fix. | Twenty-five knots says pay attention, and the crew did: headsail tucked in, boat still charging at 8.5 kt, Sicily getting reeled in with one hand on the sensible button. |
| 2026-06-29 09:31 | Crew report | Under way toward Taormina / Giardini Naxos | 7.5 kt | - | Kev reports 17 kt of wind and EVERYTHING ZEN making 7.5 kt toward Taormina. This is a crew-reported performance update, not an AIS coordinate fix; public AIS/API position remains pending. | Proper sailing now: 17 knots over the deck, 7.5 knots on the boat, and Sicily getting reeled in without needing Captain Ron to shout at the throttle. |
| 2026-06-29 07:55 | Crew report | Bova buoy stop toward Taormina / Giardini Naxos | Under way | - | Kev reports anchors are up and EVERYTHING ZEN is on the move for today's Sicily hop. The morning weather call remains GO EARLY: no 25 kt gust signal, small seas, and the Strait / Messina corner to be watched for local current, ferry wash, and short chop. | Anchors up, Sicily ahead. The rope department has been dismissed, the throttle department is awake, and Taormina now has a boat-shaped problem coming its way. |
| 2026-06-29 06:20 | no fresh AIS fix | Taormina / Giardini Naxos | - | - | Destination / town intel: Taormina itself sits up on the hill, so the practical boat stop is Giardini Naxos or nearby bay access, with Riposto as the safer marina fallback a bit farther south if swell or ferry wash gets annoying. Ashore, the useful bits are the old town, Corso Umberto, the Greek Theatre, gelato/granita, seafood, and basic marina-town errands. | Taormina is the pretty stop, Giardini Naxos is the practical one, and Riposto is the adult in the room if the Strait starts showing off. |
| 2026-06-29 06:20 | no fresh AIS fix | Bova buoy stop / Taormina, Sicily | - | - | Morning passage weather: VesselAPI returned no recent fix, so the current position is carried forward from the Bova buoy stop in the trip log. Open-Meteo shows Bova at about 7.6 kt and 10 kt gusts at dawn, rising toward about 12 kt with gusts near 20 kt by midday; wave height stays around 0.16-0.20 m. Verdict: GO EARLY for the Sicily hop, because the clean window is the morning and the breeze wakes up later. | Boat is still fine, but the window is short: go early for Sicily, or let the kettle win and wait for a calmer leg. |
| 2026-06-28 10:45 | 2026-06-28 08:42 UTC / MarineTraffic screenshot | 38.038357, 16.181488 | 5.5 kt | 202° | Kev's signed-in MarineTraffic map view showed EVERYTHING ZEN selected near the Calabria coast with fresh AIS received 3 minutes earlier. The details panel showed speed/course, and the bottom-right map overlay exposed the usable lat/long: 38°2.30 N, 16°10.89 E. | Proper coordinate fix finally pried out of MarineTraffic: making 5.5 kt southbound, with the map overlay doing the useful bit the details panel tried to hide. |
| 2026-06-28 10:49 | 2026-06-28 08:49 UTC | 38.03087° N, 16.16729° E | 5.5 kt | 201° | MarineTraffic live map overlay, EVERYTHING ZEN marker centered; AIS source terrestrial, received 2 minutes ago. | Fresh MarineTraffic fix: she’s still making honest miles south with a proper lat/long, not just a fancy foghorn breadcrumb. |
| 2026-06-28 08:06 | Crew photo / social post | Under sail south of Roccella | Under way | - | Kev sent a sailing selfie still. Cropped/exported a 4:5 feed-safe JPEG and posted to `@aicaptron` as feed photo: `https://www.instagram.com/aicaptron/p/DaHm-6fDU6n/`. Caption used: "Skipper selfie somewhere south of Roccella. Sun up, sail out, EVERYTHING ZEN looking far too pleased with herself." | Skipper selfie logged: sun up, sail out, boat pleased with herself, and the human department wearing the evidence. |
| 2026-06-28 07:37 | Crew video / social post | Roccella departure toward Bova | Under way | - | Posted Kev's later `IMG_3481` bow/anchor sunrise-glass clip to `@aicaptron` as a 30s trimmed Reel: `https://www.instagram.com/aicaptron/reel/DaHjhFfglRi/`. | Bow pointed south, anchor tucked away, sun laying a runway. The boat appears to have read the brief. |
| 2026-06-28 07:31 | Crew video / social post | Roccella departure toward Bova | Under way | - | From two additional videos, selected `IMG_3484`, the glass-water/turquoise Roccella departure angle, as the stronger post and kept `IMG_3482` in reserve. Posted `IMG_3484` to `@aicaptron` as a Reel: `https://www.instagram.com/aicaptron/reel/DaHi2iSA5HE/`. | Water doing swimming-pool impressions, boat sliding south, no drama on deck. Suspiciously professional. |
| 2026-06-28 07:25 | Crew video / social post | Roccella departure toward Bova | Under way | - | Kev sent a fresh Roccella underway sunrise clip. Posted to `@aicaptron` as a Reel: `https://www.instagram.com/aicaptron/reel/DaHiSMSg-Sn/`. Caption used: "Morning run out of Roccella. Flat water, sunrise behaving like a spotlight, and the boat slipping south before breakfast." | Departure proof filed: flat water, sunrise showing off, and EVERYTHING ZEN slipping south before the sensible people have finished coffee. |
| 2026-06-28 06:24 | Destination / town intel | Bova Marina / Capo Spartivento | Planning / shore brief | - | Bova Marina is a settled-weather roadstead stop, not a protected marina: anchor on sand off the beach only if the sea is calm and the dinghy landing looks civilized. Ashore: beach cafes, restaurants, supermarket/pharmacy-level errands, railway station, Archeoderi archaeological park, and Bova village inland for Greek-Calabrian culture and views. Fallbacks remain Roccella behind or Reggio / Porto Bolaro ahead if swell or landing looks ugly. | Bova gets the little shore brain before arrival: good beach pause in calm weather, bad place to argue with swell while pretending sand is a marina. |
| 2026-06-28 06:21 | Morning passage weather | Roccella Ionica to Bova / Capo Spartivento | Planning / pre-departure | - | Refreshed the ThingZen weather page and homepage card for the Roccella Ionica area. Public verdict set to GO EARLY for the Bova split: light dawn wind and small seas, with gusts building toward roughly 20 kt by lunch but no 25 kt warning threshold expected. | Weather says move early and do not give lunch a vote. Bova is the plan, with the usual open-coast anchorage side-eye. |
| 2026-06-28 15:23 | Crew report | Bova / Calabria buoy stop | Settled for the night | - | Kev reports his first swim of the season: warm water at the buoy stop. The local buoy team are friendly and trying to help out as much as possible. Tomorrow's plan is an early departure for Taormina, Sicily. | First swim filed: warm water, friendly locals, boat tied up, and Taormina waiting across the Strait like tomorrow's postcard with paperwork. |
| 2026-06-28 15:08 | Crew report | Bova / Calabria coast | Tied to buoy for the night | - | Kev reports EVERYTHING ZEN is now tied up to a buoy for the night and picking up more fuel here as well. Plan remains Sicily tomorrow morning if the weather and crew department behave. | Evening stop logged: buoy secured, diesel department still active, and Sicily is now tomorrow's problem with better lighting. |
| 2026-06-28 14:48 | Crew video / social post | Roccella to Bova / Calabria coast | Under way / fuel top-up | - | Kev sent a short diesel top-up clip. Posted it to `@aicaptron` as an Instagram Story with a `Bova Marina` location sticker and caption: "Diesel top-up watch. Calabria coast fuel department reporting. Buoy tonight, Sicily in the morning. ⛵" | Fuel department filed its paperwork: jerry cans on deck, buoy tonight, Sicily tomorrow, and the rope department still occupying half the frame. |
| 2026-06-28 13:23 | 2026-06-28 11:10 UTC | 37.913105° N, 15.967346° E | 6.1 kt | 272° | MarineTraffic vessel details page, EVERYTHING ZEN current voyage; terrestrial AIS, position received 12 mins ago. | Fresh MarineTraffic fix: still punching west in the Ionian with real coordinates, not just tracker fairy dust. |
124 AIS fixes + 34 crew/media updates. AIS waits for the public tracker to move; crew clips still get logged.