When taking in
diesel, I try to avoid small places, where the diesel sits in the
tanks longer, and hence there is a better chance of collecting dirty
diesel, or worse fuel bugs. I should not have worried about the
diesel station at the picturesque Italian island of Lipari, where
fresh diesel was being pumped from a fuel tanker. When we arrived at
the fuel pontoon, we joined a queue of waiting boats, Italian style.
Why can't we all queue like the Brits? To maintain our place in the
queue, I had to use SaltyPaws to shield the access points to the area
in front if me, reminiscent of the line when waiting for a busy
chairlift in a snow covered landscape. There was hardly any wind, and
while blocking the boats behind, I still had to leave space for the
boats that where fueled up to leave. With a lot of wind, the place
would have turned Pandemonium, and would most likely be fun to watch,
with a cold beverage at hand, not from your own boat. Also in Italian
fashion a lot more shouting than common sense was applied. Little
boats insisted on taking the inside space, while you are prepared to
throw the mooring line. The good thing is, that while a lot of
shouting was involved, the Italians like their shiny boats too much
to use as a battering ram. The two small boats finally gave in, and
while the mooring lines where being pulled tight, the small boats
grumbling took the outside corner. Of course, the fuss was about a
mere 20 meters that they now had to cover in addition. Using the
shallow draft of SaltyPaws, the spot I took a spot at the small boat
pontoon. The fuel was delivered under high pressure, and while
filling up the tanks, we used the water hose to rinse of the deck.
Now we just needed to make our way out...
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| Catamaran in front of the city Lipari |
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| Lipari Citadel |
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