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Chartering in the Aeolian Islands: anchorages, volcanoes and downdraughts
Short answer
In the Aeolian Islands the seabed drops away steeply close inshore,
good anchorages are scarce and in summer often taken by buoys.
The authorities can close zones around Stromboli and Vulcano,
and downdraughts off the slopes arrive without warning.
Chartering in the Aeolian Islands north of Sicily takes you to seven volcanic islands, among them Lipari, Salina, Panarea, Vulcano and Stromboli. The cruising is spectacular and demanding. The islands rise steeply from deep water, and the seabed often falls away a few boat lengths off the shore to depths where an anchor barely holds. Good anchorages are therefore scarce, many carry paid buoy fields in summer, and the few harbours fill up fast. There are fewer secure overnight berths than the chart suggests.
The volcanoes bring their own rules. Stromboli is permanently active; depending on activity the authorities close zones at sea and ashore, above all off the Sciara del Fuoco, the slope down which lava and rock slide into the sea. On Vulcano gases escape in places, and not every bay there is fit for swimming. Then there are downdraughts: wind crossing the high islands drops down the lee slopes in gusts, even when there is only a moderate breeze offshore. In a westerly the swell can wrap around the islands and make an anchorage rolly.
Plan your nights before you set off: ask the base about harbours and buoy fields and book ahead in summer where you can. Before each leg check the weather and, at Stromboli, the current orders of the harbour authority, the Capitaneria di porto. Anchor only where the anchor bites properly and let out plenty of chain; when downdraughts are about, keep someone aboard. Paperwork is the same as anywhere in Italy. Damage the yacht does to buoys, pontoons or other boats falls on you as skipper, so make sure your own skipper liability insurance applies in Italy.
Worth remembering
Night planned ahead
buoy or harbour, safe even in downdraughts
Anchoring on the off chance
steep seabed, anchor drags, no place left
In the Aeolian Islands the night is planned before you cast off, not in front of the bay.
Questions
What owners ask us about this
Can I anchor anywhere in the Aeolian Islands?
Often not, because the seabed drops so steeply close inshore that an anchor barely holds. Many bays have paid buoy fields in summer, and some zones are closed.
How close can I take a charter yacht to Stromboli?
Only as close as the current orders of the authorities allow. Zones at sea are closed depending on the volcano's activity, especially off the Sciara del Fuoco. Check with the base and the harbour authority first.
What are downdraughts in the Aeolian Islands?
Gusts that drop down the lee slopes of the high islands. They come suddenly and much stronger than the wind offshore, so keep someone aboard at anchor.
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