⛵ Isola Filicudi (Aeolian Islands) 🇮🇹 to Cefalu (Sicily) 🇮🇹

I chose a bay on Filicudi’s south side to shelter from a forecasted northerly front. The anchorage looked well protected from north winds, but I hadn’t properly considered the swell.

Before the front arrived, southerly winds somewhere else built up 1.5-meter swells that rolled directly into the bay. The boat rolled heavily all night, with everything in the cabin shifting around. Sleep was difficult.

When the front did arrive, the wind shifted north as forecast, bringing strong gusts down the island’s slopes. I was concerned about the anchor holding and ran into the cockpit ease the load on the chain by running the motor. The anchor held well enough.

The next morning, I found the autopilot had failed again. Hand-steering for long passages isn’t practical solo, so I changed plans and headed for Cefalu on Sicily’s north coast for repairs.

Weather Conditions

• Wind: Light north winds up to 5 knots
• Seas: Calm (after the previous night’s rolling!)
• Weather: Sunny

Navigation

• Departure: Isola Filicudi
• Arrival: Cefalu, Sicily
• Distance: 40 nautical miles (about 74 kilometers)
• Duration: 14 hours

Passage Notes

• Slow progress in light winds
• Wind died completely at 18:00
• Hand-steering for 14 hours was tiring
• Arrived close to midnight
• Anchored at 6 meters depth next to Cefalu harbor

Highlights & Repairs

• Spent several days in Cefalu for repairs and rest
• Enjoyed exploring the old town
• Managed to “fix” the autopilot through dock-side calibration - the sensor mounting needed adjustment
• Tried to clean the hull but had no wetsuit, so could not stay in the cold water long

Photos

In Marina Cefalu — Auto-generated track key: 20250311 | GPS track: 20250311.geojson