Leg 51 of 97 · Passage plan · RYA Yachtmaster standard
Vulcano to Messina
East along the north coast of Sicily past Capo Milazzo, round Capo Peloro and south into the Strait of Messina, Scylla and Charybdis of the Odyssey, to Messina.
08:00 CEST from Vulcano. About 2 hours 20 minutes after sunrise (05:40 CEST). The exact time is set by the current in the strait: see Tides.
Arrive
About 15:54 CEST at Messina. In the afternoon, with about 4 hours 30 minutes of daylight in hand (sunset 20:25 CEST), if the strait is timed as planned.
Tides
Range about 0.1 m at Messina, but the strait's currents reach 5 kn or more: the passage must be timed
Wind
Wind in the strait funnels north or south and can be much stronger than outside
Boat
35 to 38 ft sailing yacht, 1.9 m draught, 6 kn under sail, 5.5 kn under engine
Crew
Skipper and 3 crew, all hands on deck through the strait
Track and waypoints 1 to 6, with ports of refuge as squares.
Go or no-go
Decide at 07:00 CEST. Go only if all of these hold:
The current tables give a scendente (south-going) stream at Capo Peloro within the day's daylight window, and the departure time is set to meet it.
No wind above force 4 against the expected current in the strait.
Messina berth confirmed.
Visibility 3 nm or more.
If the timing or wind is wrong, stay at Vulcano or stop at Milazzo, 20 nm from the strait, and go through the next day. Messina has a rest day planned on 2 July.
Route and waypoints
Waypoints are planning positions in open water, checked against a 1:10m coastline to be at least 0.3 nm off land except at the harbour ends. Distances and courses are calculated from them. Plot every one on the current chart before use. Courses are true.
#
Waypoint
Latitude
Longitude
Course
Leg nm
Total nm
ETA
Notes
0
Vulcano, Porto di Levante
38°25.0′N
014°57.8′E
08:00 CEST
Depart.
1
Porto di Levante approach
38°25.0′N
014°59.0′E
090°T
0.9
0.9
08:14 CEST
Out of the bay, then east.
2
North of Capo Milazzo
38°18.0′N
015°14.0′E
121°T
13.7
14.6
10:31 CEST
1.5 nm off the cape.
3
Off Capo Rasocolmo
38°19.5′N
015°31.0′E
083°T
13.4
28.1
12:45 CEST
2 nm off.
4
North of Capo Peloro
38°17.5′N
015°39.0′E
108°T
6.6
34.7
13:57 CEST
The northern entrance to the strait. Check the current before turning in.
5
The narrows
38°15.5′N
015°39.0′E
180°T
2.0
36.7
14:19 CEST
Off Torre Faro, 3.1 km wide. Keep to the Sicilian side, clear of the lanes.
6
Off Ganzirri
38°15.0′N
015°38.0′E
238°T
0.9
37.6
14:29 CEST
Shear lines form here.
7
Messina, Marina del Nettuno
38°12.2′N
015°34.0′E
228°T
4.2
41.8
15:54 CEST
North of the port entrance, on the Sicilian shore. Position approximate. Check on the chart
Tides and time
Vulcano · Thu 1 Jul · CEST (UTC+2)
LW
01:12
0.1 m
HW
07:24
0.3 m
LW
13:35
0.0 m
HW
20:14
0.3 m
From the Ginostra station.
Messina · Thu 1 Jul · CEST (UTC+2)
LW
05:43
0.0 m
HW
10:36
0.1 m
LW
19:05
0.0 m
HW
22:55
0.1 m
Thursday 1 July 2027. Tides. The range here is 0.1 to 0.3 m: tides make no practical difference. Wind and air pressure move the sea level more than the tide does.
Vulcano uses the Ginostra station on Stromboli.
The Strait of Messina currents. The tides of the Tyrrhenian and Ionian Seas are in opposition, so the current in the strait reverses about every 6 hours: the montante runs north, the scendente runs south. The tidal stream alone reaches about 5.8 kn at the narrows, and with wind and pressure added up to about 10 kn. Whirlpools form off Scilla and south of Capo Peloro on the montante, and a large eddy (the garofalo) off Punta San Raineri, at the mouth of Messina harbour, on the scendente. Steep shear lines (tagli) form off Ganzirri, Torre Faro and Punta Pezzo. Time the passage from the Istituto Idrografico della Marina's current tables for the strait, to carry the scendente south through the narrows and avoid wind against current. The reference times for 2027 were not available for this plan.
Tide times are predictions made for this plan from the TICON-4 harmonic constants (DGFI-TUM) with the Neaps tide predictor, because the official 2027 tables were not yet published when it was written. Tested against the official APDL table for Leixões on 23 July 2026, the predicted times were within 8 minutes and the heights 0.1 to 0.2 m lower. Heights are above lowest astronomical tide. Check every time against the official 2027 table before sailing.
Daylight. Sunrise at Vulcano 05:40 CEST. Sunset at Messina 20:25 CEST.
Weather
Funnelled wind. Wind in the strait blows along it, north or south, and can be 1 or 2 forces stronger than outside.
Wind against current raises a short, steep sea in the narrows. Do not enter in those conditions.
Forecasts to check
Italian forecasts: Aeronautica Militare Meteomar and gale warnings (avviso di burrasca), meteoam.it. Forecast areas Tirreno meridionale, Stretto di Sicilia and Ionio. Zone names and issue times: Check the pilot book
NAVTEX Augusta: 518 kHz, station V. Roma: station R. Check the times on the receiver.
Italian coast radio VHF weather broadcasts: Check the pilot book
Hazards
The Strait of Messina currents. The tides of the Tyrrhenian and Ionian Seas are in opposition, so the current in the strait reverses about every 6 hours: the montante runs north, the scendente runs south. The tidal stream alone reaches about 5.8 kn at the narrows, and with wind and pressure added up to about 10 kn. Whirlpools form off Scilla and south of Capo Peloro on the montante, and a large eddy (the garofalo) off Punta San Raineri, at the mouth of Messina harbour, on the scendente. Steep shear lines (tagli) form off Ganzirri, Torre Faro and Punta Pezzo. Time the passage from the Istituto Idrografico della Marina's current tables for the strait, to carry the scendente south through the narrows and avoid wind against current. The reference times for 2027 were not available for this plan.
Strait traffic. A traffic separation scheme runs through the strait, with a vessel traffic service at Messina. Ferries cross between Villa San Giovanni, Reggio Calabria, Messina and Tremestieri every few minutes, and fast craft run at speed. Small-craft reporting rules, the VTS channel and the Capitaneria's ordinance for the strait could not be read for this plan. Listen on VHF 16 and the VTS channel, cross the lanes at right angles, and keep to the Sicilian side.
Swordfish boats. Traditional spotter boats with tall masts and long bowsprits fish in the strait in summer and move fast.
Milazzo. An oil refinery with tankers anchored off.
Ports of refuge
Port
From the route
Use it when
Notes
Vulcano or Lipari
Start
Within the first hour
Harbours.
Milazzo
4 nm south of waypoint 2
Wrong timing or weather
Marinas. Check the pilot book
Messina
Destination
First choice
Marina del Nettuno, +39 090 344139.
Pilotage
Leaving Vulcano
Leave Porto di Levante and head east toward Capo Milazzo.
Through the strait to Messina
Arrive north of Capo Peloro at the start of the scendente.
Turn south through the narrows on the Sicilian side, out of the traffic lanes and clear of the ferry routes.
Watch for eddies and shear lines off Ganzirri. Keep the engine ready.
Call Marina del Nettuno (+39 090 344139; mobile +39 392 990 0144) for a berth. VHF: Check the pilot book
Current against. Wait north of Capo Peloro, well clear of the lanes, or anchor off Torre Faro if the weather allows, until it turns.
Engine failure in the strait. Sail if possible; call the VTS and Guardia Costiera at once: the current will carry the boat.
Person overboard. Shout, point, throw the danger buoy, press MOB, DSC distress alert, Mayday on 16.
Before leaving
Forecasts read and logged before the go or no-go time
Italian notices to mariners (Avvisi ai naviganti) checked for the route
Waypoints entered and checked against the chart
Ship's log started in UTC
Crew briefing: route, watches, safety gear, MOB, fog
Strait current times for 1 July worked out from the official tables
Messina berth booked
Engine checked: it must not fail in the strait
Fuel for 9 hours under engine, plus a reserve
Water, food and hot drinks for 10 hours
Lifejackets with crotch straps, jackstays rigged, harnesses
Liferaft, grab bag, flares in date, handheld VHF
Radar, AIS and navigation lights tested
Passports, boat papers and insurance aboard
Sources
Strait of Messina: Italian Wikipedia, “Stretto di Messina” (currents, eddies, ferries); English Wikipedia, “Strait of Messina”.
Messina: marinadelnettuno.it (contacts, tariffs); Italian Wikipedia, “Porto di Messina”.
Capo Peloro: English Wikipedia, “Capo Peloro Lighthouse” (characteristic unclear).
Capitaneria di porto ordinances for Lipari, Milazzo, Messina, Catania, Siracusa and Pozzallo could not be read: guardiacostiera.gov.it was unreachable. Check the pilot book
Lights in Italy: Wikipedia, List of lighthouses in Italy (characteristics, heights, ranges); check against the Italian Navy list of lights (Elenco dei fari).
Italian harbour ordinances (Capitanerie di porto) could not be read for this plan: guardiacostiera.gov.it was unreachable. Check the pilot book
Tides: predictions from TICON-4 harmonic constants (Hart-Davis, Dettmering and Seitz, DGFI-TUM, 2025, doi 10.17882/109129) with Neaps (openwaters.io). Check against the Instituto Hidrográfico 2027 tables.
Sunrise and sunset: calculated (NOAA method).
Lights: The Lighthouse Directory (Rowlett), ibiblio.org/lighthouse, Portugal pages revised August 2024. Cross-check with the IH List of Lights, volume I.