The wind forecasts was contradicting each other significantly while I stayed in Livorno, so I ended up one more night in the marina. It was rather strong winds still on Tuesday morning but I felt I had to do some headway on my way to Fiumicino, I wanted to avoid being stuck somewhere in hard weather or having to go for the engine for a day or two.

I started with the wind from behind towards the island Capraia north of Elba, a place I have had plans for a couple of times now, but the winds have not been in my favour for that. Not this day either, a big belt of no winds in that direction, said the updated forecast . I changed my mind and set a new course towards eastern side of Elba.The wind was piping up, now more southerly but with enough east in it to let me go close hauled without having to tack. The waves was high though from the old weather, and quite short, and the boat was bashing into the highest of them almost stopping. From time to time I started the engine to regain the momentum. At some time during the afternoon I was motoring a little longer, when I suddenly saw the warning lamp for overheated engine. Obviously the sound alarm was not working, just the lamp. I stopped the engine immediately and went down, fearing the worst. The engine had been boiling, cooling water all over the floor. It was the same problem again with the sea water system, I could soon figure out.

I didn't know for how long, five minutes maybe? How much damage was done to the engine? I had no idea.

I studied the forecast and saw if I made it to Elba, I could catch a strong northerly there that could take me all the way to Fiumicino, 120 miles measured distance. A bit of a reckless plan I'm the first to admit, but I didn't want to be stuck in some expensive Italian marina for weeks or months, nor did I want to miss my flight from Fiumicino and my son's wedding.

The wind had gone down, so I didn't do much speed towards Piombino canal, the strait between Elba and the mainland. Around six it died out completely. I took this as an opportunity to find out the reason for the sea water blockage. No problem with the impeller, nor the sea water strainer. The exhaust elbow wasn't blocked either.

This took me about two hours and when I had screwed everything together, the wind returned. Not much, but enough to give me some speed towards Elba again. It lasted to around midnight, when it died out completely again. I was now drifting about one mile from the northeastern tip of Elba, outside Cavo, and the little island Palmaiola. Not much more than a big rock actually.

At first I was afraid some current would take me against Elba or the rock, but I could see after a while I was drifting in a small cirkle or maybe back and forth around the same spot. I was not eager to call the coast guard but on the other hand I had no idea what to do else, except to wait for some wind. I didn't dare to sleep.

A bit after four in the morning there was still no wind, so I gave up and called the coast guard. A very friendly woman answered, and promised to send a boat to keep watch over me. If I wanted assistance to take the boat ashore, they had to call for mooring service though, which would cost me 700 euro. I figured I had no choice, so I said I wanted to be towed to Portoferraio, the main port of Elba. There I knew I could stay for anchor to wait for a mechanic.

Before the mooring service showed up, a feeble wind started to blow at dawn, enough to fill the sails. I quickly called the coast guard and said that I wanted to cancel the towing and that I would try to sail to Portoferraio. It was the same lady again, very understanding and accommodating. She promised the coast guard boat would watch over me all the way to Portoferraio.

There I was at 8.30 in the morning, very tired. A lot of boats were anchored in the bay, but I sneaked in behind them for the genoa and dropped the hook at three meter.

Sleep was my first priority, but then it was like a voice inside my head told me to open the sea water strainer, but without closing the valve first. I had no idea why I was doing this, I just did it. When I cautiously lifted the lid, I could here air being sucked into the strainer, and sea water raising fast inside. I quickly closed the lid, excited to see what would happen when I started the engine. Cooling water squirting out of the exhaust again! Now I knew what the problem was - vacuum in the strainer. Why it was happening repeatedly I still donĀ“t know, but now I knew at least how to get the engine going. But first some sleep!

I got one hour of sleep, then I was awakened by a phone call. I could hear a fresh breeze blowing, and excited to be sailing again I understood there would be no more sleep. Whitin few minutes I was on my way, first five miles in the wrong direction to get around Capo della Vita, the northern tip of Elba, then with the wind from behind going south again. Not much of wind to begin with, but after some hours I made good speed against Isola del Giglio, where I decided to spend the night. It would be my third visit there. For some strange reason I was not tired until eleven in the evening, but then the sleep deprivation really hit me, and I got a good nights sleep.

I had to wait for the grocery opening the next morning, I was without food and water. There wasn't much wind so it could do the same.

Santa Marinella on the mainland was my goal for the day, but first I wanted to see the little island Giannutri. One can anchor there in a sheltered but deep bay. Quite a few boats where there already, it is obvious the high season has started. I was circling around for a while, but all the good anchorages were occupied and dropping the hook at 25 meter or more I don't like at all.

Out of the bay the wind had died, I was more drifting than sailing towards the mainland for three hours, then I got some wind for a few hours, and then for the engine the last four hours to Santa Marinella, where I arrived around midnight. Four other boats where anchored there already, on my two earlier stays here I was the only boat.

In the morning I was allowed to go in for a short stay in the marina for going to the supermarket. A little after ten I was on my way again towards Fiumicino. The wind was good but I had to beat against it. Though I felt the boat was making good speed through the water, the speed over ground was often only around two knots. Must have been a current along the coast.

Coming close to Fiumicino in the early evening I started the engine, just to see no water was coming out of the exhaust. But now I knew how to fix it. The coast guard allowed me to stay in the canal for the night. They have changed the schedule for the lifting bridges one has to pass to come in to the shipyards farther up the canal, and now there is no opening at all on Fridays. But on Saturday morning I went through and could go into Constellation Nautica, just after the second bridge.

On Monday Errico, the manager, helped me to find a mechanic, who arrived in the evening. After running the engine he could tell me it sounded allright, to my great relief. He promised to come back later for trying to figure out the cooling water problem.

On Thursday I will fly to Sweden, so no updates for the nearest week.