Ustica Island

Ferry landing in Ustica.

Maybe not many people know that Ustica Island is just the summit of an ancient volcano that rises from a 2000 meters deep seafloor. Located 35 miles offshore, north of Palermo, it tooks few hours with the ferry to get there.

Lunch at La Cernia Bruna.

Grotte del Lapillo (cave).

Hut of Mt. Guardia dei Turchi.

The downhill.

The view of the village
from Mt. Guardia dei Turchi.

The first day of our weekend on the island is dedicated to a short exploration of the center of the island, with the climbing to the top of Mt. Guardia dei Turchi. From the top of the extinct crater the view cover the entire island perimeter, including the large flat area on the north side, with the remains of a Bronze Age prehistoric village. 

On the way down we pass the Lapillo Cave, an old pumice mine and than straight to a pizzeria.

Clockwise circumnavigation.

A view of the little harbour.

Sunday morning weather forecasts give winds picking up from south-west in the afternoon. Our choice is to explore the south coastline and the marine caves in the morning, to be safe and happy on the north side at the time the wind will blow hard.

We get at the southwesternmost tip of the island just at the start of the wind and some big waves are already formed, enough to require an accurate route for a safe enter into the small rocky bay under the lighthouse, avoiding rocks and breakers.

 On the north coastline we enjoyed the flat and ultra-clear waters, paddling very close to the rocky shore and visiting three more caves in the vicinity of the prehistoric village. Only the last 500 meters were a bit exposed to the SW wind, now blowing at 15 knots, but even the beginners were able to slowly manage this last effort.

 

 Offshore the sea was between force 3 and 4 and the ferry was shaken by the waves on his way back to Palermo on the mainland. Now we know that the following day the ferry did not faced the rough sea for the increased wind force: this precarious connection to the mainland contribute to save the charme of a true, isolated island.

Tuna fish in Acitrezza

During a short trip along the Catania's coastline, in a calm-and-flat-water day, we realized that something was making rough water behind the Lachea island. Since this is not a place for tidal races, it was clear that some sort of fish were doing a lot of activity just below water surface. Some sea gulls were flying over and everything came clear when a one-meter-tuna jumped out from the water: a group of tuna fish passing near the coast had found a batch of small fish and were swimming around them and jumping in the middle of the mass to feed themselves. Eventually some opportunist sea gulls were falling down at full speed to catch some food too.

We were able to slowly approach at three or four feet from the slaughtering area, to see the big sea predators in action. Some of them passed very fast under our kayaks, running after the cloud of two inch small fish.
It was amazing to assist to this wildlife event. It happens into the Marine Protected Area of Acitrezza and we want to believe that we will be able to see this things more and more times.

Skin-On-Frame Kayak Workshop

When you speak about kayaks, either river or sea or racing, you can not miss to mention the ancient origin of these boats and how arrived in Europe through the contact with people who, only up to 1000 years ago, lived yet as at the Stone Age. Greenland, the isolated and hostile place in which Inuit had adapted to live, was reached as a result of tousands-years-old migration flows from the north-east Asia that had led them to cross the Bering Strait and to populate North America and the polar lands.
With stone tools, bones and tusks of animals, these intrepid pioneers worked the drift wood they found on the beaches along with the skins and tendons of relentlessly hunted animals, to build the sleds (for winter) and kayaks (used in summer).

The beginning of the workshop.

Andrea and Luisella waiting for the next step.

Francesco and Gianfranco at the band saw.

Combined square: a modern tool.

Today, with modern tools, yet the same project-kayaks are built according to the techniques of the time, no more for hunting but for the sport challenge. Each year, in the Land of Ice, the Inuit gather even with fans from other places of the world, to face a tough selection with speed races, arpoon launch, rolling skills and rope gym. The “National Championship of Greenland” is born to keep and pass on the ancient traditions. Are allowed, in fact, only kayaks, clothing and tools built according to ancient techniques.

The kayaks used in these games today are called SOF (Skin On Frame) and have retained their ancestral charm, even if made of selected woods and high-tech fabrics.

Coffe break. Very important.

Fresh fruits for builders.

Imagining the bow.

In the last decade in Italy, some fans took their first steps in the building of ancestral SOF, copies of the real hunting Greenland kayaks that today are exhibited in museums of northern Europe.

Thanks to Kayak Ways we organized, between March and April 2011, first ever in Italy, a workshop for the construction of SOF "modern" kayaks, ie those used in today's rolling competitions or at the same National Championship of Greenland.

Exceptional teachers have been Turner Wilson and Cheri Perry who led a small group of kayakers (from Catania, Genoa, Palermo and Ragusa) in the whole process of building a Qajaq (kayak in Inuit language) around their own anthropometric measurements. 

The superb tools of the Master.

Bending the ribs.

The work space, thanks to Giovanni Marletta.

Working the bow.

In ten days of work for twelve hours a day, starting from planks of wood (Iroko, Duglas, ash, oak, red cedar), reduced in strips or in long tables, with strokes of planer, drill, saw and spokeshave, has come to put together and "stitch" the skeleton of the boats, learning a lot about the shape of the hulls and how to modify these forms as a function of one use rather than another. 

The kitchen of the workshop.

Finishing of the coaming rim.

One frame is ready for the skin.

Arancini and ricotta cheese cake (Cassata Siciliana).

Sewing the coaming.

Colors for the skin.

 The timber frame is in fact sewn, to form a resistant lattice. The fabric cover is sewn. Than the cockpit coaming is sewn into the fabric and the painting will complete work of art (because at this point we are talking about art). 

Painting.

  

Andrea.

Luisella.

Hanging in a pubblic garden of Catania.

Looking at the bow from inside.

In the end, we did not miss the launch of the Qajaqs in the Mediterranean waters, under the slopes of snow-capped Etna, under the proud gaze of teachers Cheri & Turner, who also demonstrated their great skills and what we could do with these Qajaqs, revealing and explaining some of their “Inuit secrets”.

The first test from Cheri.

Her own environment...

Straitjacket roll.

Learning Inuit tricks. 

This was a very deep experience, that probably have involved souls more than hands.

Christmas Paddling

After the usual extra filling of the belly with all kind of delicious food, a paddling day is a must. Just me, my wife, my little sister, my next brother in law and our friend "Jeanluc Frontain" we have a start in the small harbour of Ognina, our favourite in Catania.

On the phone Peppe asked if it was going to rain but I reassured him with "no worry, it's ok". But it was in the morning and we start at lunch time... By the way, we paddle the 7 km to Acitrezza, rock gardening the basaltic coastline, under a shining sun. Looking north dark clouds are covering the view of Mt. Etna, looking south it is clear a wide raining area above Siracusa, about 50 km far. Air temperature is around 10-15° and it is a nice feeling to enter in a bar to drink a hot coffee.

Looking at the rainy clouds approaching from south the girls take the decision to give up and wait for a late pick up in Acitrezza. But them will lost a beautiful sunset under a light rain and a wonderful double rainbow...