Sicily ’23

The shape

• When: Mid-October 2023
• Boat: Catamaran (not the Drake norm — fun once, monohull from here on)
• Where: Palermo base · Tyrrhenian coast · Aeolian fringe
• Crew: Eight around the table, two on the helm at any given time, one at the espresso pot all morning

What stuck

• Messina & limes for cocktail hour. The bottle and the bowl shown up on every other deck stop.
• Squid-ink risotto stuffed into actual squid. A taverna in Cefalù, the first really excessive dinner of the week.
• Lipari boats as serving plates. Hand-painted ceramic boats holding the prosciutto, capocollo and capers. They are for sale, in case anyone wonders.
• Palermo at twilight. The yellow chapel, glowing balconies, narrow lanes — every walk back to the boat felt like a film set.
• Nina the Ape. Three wheels, no doors, a name in cursive on the bonnet. Greatest taxi of the year.

Lessons we’re taking forward

• Catamarans are fast and sociable but feel like a hotel barge under sail. Sicily ’26 is back on a monohull (Sun Odyssey 440).
• Lipari is worth a full day, not a stop-and-go. Build it in.
• The fancy dress night is non-negotiable. Held the line.

What’s next

Sicily ’26 is the return trip — same destinations, monohull this time. The Kavala trip is gathering interest. BVI ’27 is on the slate. Drop a name on whichever fits.