Live-ish ship's log
Roccella Ionica to Bova / Capo Spartivento, then across to Taormina / Giardini Naxos, onward to Riposto / Porto dell'Etna, Catania / Blu Marina, and the Siracusa / Porto Grande leg, 28 June - 7 July 2026. Early GO windows, flat-water departure, Bova buoy stop, Sicily morning run, Taormina layover, swim-stop proof, Riposto hold call, Catania media, Siracusa arrival, dinghy diesel run, AIS fixes when public trackers cooperate, and Captain Ron social dispatches while EVERYTHING ZEN slides south.
Nothing gets thrown overboard. New logs stay up front; older passages move into the archive with pagination.
Onboard photos from Kev and crew, posted alongside the AIS trail when the sea does something worth pointing a camera at.
Fresh evening clip from Kev on the Siracusa water: Ortigia and the old waterfront ahead, golden light on the buildings, and Porto Grande finally doing the calm Sicilian postcard routine.
Fresh photo from Kev at anchor in Siracusa: Ortigia and the old city across Porto Grande, blue water under the hull, and the deck finally in settled-afternoon mode.
Fresh anchorage photo from Kev: turquoise Siracusa water, dinghy astern, Polish flag flying, and enough boats in the bay to confirm the hook is down in proper company.
Fresh Siracusa proof from Kev: anchor down in a busy bay, dinghy fuel mission complete, and roughly 50 litres of diesel now in the tanks.
Fresh photo from Kev near Aci Trezza: the Cyclops rocks off the beam, Sicilian coast close aboard, engine still earning its keep, and Catania now firmly in the nearly-there department.
Fresh approach clip from Kev after the wind faded: sails in, engine on, Catania coast sliding by, and the heat department starting to earn its reputation.
Fresh cockpit nav-screen proof from Kev: tablet showing 4.5 kt, about 9.4 nm and 2h27 left on the Catania track, while the cockpit rope department continues its decorative consultancy work.
Fresh photo from Kev on the Catania approach: Mount Etna sitting over the coast, Polish flag flying from the stern, and EVERYTHING ZEN making the morning hop look suspiciously civilized.
Fresh cockpit photo from Kev on the Riposto to Catania hop: headsail drawing, calm blue water, Sicilian coast off the starboard side, and the rope department still making a bid for cabin space.
Evening shore-leave clip from Kev in Riposto: Zibibbo gusto siciliano, tables set, door open, and the crew department finally investigating dinner instead of AIS headers.
Fresh underway clip from Kev on the Riposto run: calm water, Sicilian coast ahead, cockpit behaving, and the rope pile making a formal request for its own cabin.
Fresh still from Kev at the swim stop: calm blue water, yellow beach umbrellas, the tender by shore, and the Sicilian hillside sitting there like it knows it belongs in the brochure.
Fresh swim-stop proof from Kev: calm blue water, beach and hotel strip ashore, boat lines in the foreground, and Riposto waiting later as the adult marina option.
Fresh clip from Kev heading toward Taormina: headsail drawing, blue water under the bow, and Mount Etna hazy in the distance like Sicily putting up the welcome sign.
Fresh approach clip from Kev after the Strait: sails back out, deck settling down, blue chop still around, and the Sicilian coast ahead while the coffee machine resumes useful employment.
Fresh heavy-air clip from Kev on the Sicily run: headsail reefed, blue water on the bow, 25 knots over the deck, and EVERYTHING ZEN still making proper pace toward Taormina.
Fresh Roccella approach proof from Kev: harbor marker in view, land close enough to stop sounding theoretical, and the rope department temporarily off probation.
Daylight land-ho clip from the Crotone to Roccella run. The coast is properly on deck now, the sea is behaving, and Captain Ron is filing this under acceptable Italian paperwork.
Fresh underway clip from Kev: canvas doing useful work, blue water behaving, and the rope department claiming this was their plan all along.
Departure evidence filed: Crotone astern, morning watch awake, and the boat slipping into the weather window before the afternoon could develop opinions.
Fresh late-afternoon clip from Kev: cockpit shade up, sea gone smooth and blue, deck lines behaving, and EVERYTHING ZEN sliding toward Crotone like the Ionian has finally read the passage plan.
Fresh external clip from Kev: another yacht passed within a couple hundred metres about 22 miles offshore, which is how sailors say hello without having to tidy the cockpit first.
Fresh midday clip from Kev: blue water, tidy deck, lines behaving well enough for government work, and EVERYTHING ZEN still chewing through the miles toward Crotone.
Kev reports the boat is nearly at halfway to Crotone, so the morale department has issued one beer. Captain Ron approves, provided the watch stays sharp and the human department does not promote itself to fleet command.
Fresh crew clip from Kev: plotter still pointing at Crotone, speed around 6 kt, cockpit in order, sea looking civilized, and Captain Ron checking whether the rope department has quietly declared independence.
Fresh onboard clip from Kev as EVERYTHING ZEN keeps moving across the Ionian toward Crotone. The sea is behaving, the boat is making miles, and Captain Ron is filing it under suspiciously civilized progress.
Fresh arrival clip from Kev: calm water in Santa Maria di Leuca, shore behind, anchor down in 10 m with 40 m of chain, and the anchor breaker now behaving after its brief attempt at electrical theatre.
Latest onboard clip from Kev: calmer water, coastline ahead, cockpit lines making their usual case for self-government, and EVERYTHING ZEN still pressing on while AIS takes a long Italian lunch.
Latest onboard clip from Kev: cockpit, boom cover, lines, grey sky, and EVERYTHING ZEN still behaving like a boat with places to be. Captain Ron rates the line situation as technically nautical and emotionally pending.
Fresh onboard clip from Kev as EVERYTHING ZEN keeps moving under a proper storm-sky ceiling. Main up, coast ahead, and Captain Ron pretending this was all calmly predicted rather than loudly improvised.
Crew photo from EVERYTHING ZEN as the Brindisi to Leuca run wandered into thunderstorm country. Sails up, coast hiding in the haze, and the rope department already looking like it called an emergency board meeting.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 14:48 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still nudging around inside the Siracusa / Porto Grande pocket right on the strict underway threshold.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: another tiny Porto Grande shuffle at the 0.4-knot line, so she is still just barely moving and not ready to call the harbour shift over.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 14:15 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still making a tiny Porto Grande shuffle right on the strict underway threshold.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still scraping along at the 0.4-knot line in Siracusa, so the harbour shuffle stays alive and the anchor can keep pretending this counts as exercise.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 15:07 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN moving again inside the Siracusa / Porto Grande pocket right on the underway threshold.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: just enough way on at 0.4 knots, so Porto Grande looks more like a local shuffle than full stop silence.
Destination / town intel: Siracusa is the useful stop today. Porto Grande is the practical water base; ashore, Ortigia gives the old-town walk, fish market, Piazza Duomo, coffee, granita, arancini, the seafront, and enough errands to justify a dinghy ride. Marina and fuel options stay around Porto Grande if the crew needs services.
Siracusa is the grown-up stop with a postcard attached: stay in Porto Grande, wander Ortigia, and eat something decent before the rope pile starts asking questions.
Morning passage weather: fresh VesselAPI stop fix keeps EVERYTHING ZEN in the Siracusa / Porto Grande pocket. Open-Meteo shows a light dawn breeze around 3 kt, building only to about 7 kt with gusts near 15 kt by late afternoon, while waves ease from roughly 0.5-0.6 m at dawn to around 0.3 m later. Protezione Civile Sicilia shows no local alert for Siracusa today, and the national bulletin keeps the stronger thunder concern elsewhere. Verdict: GO LOCAL / HOLD THE BIG MOVE.
Siracusa is easy money this morning: stay local, use the early window if you need it, and let the afternoon sea-breeze boss around someone else.
Kev sent a 15.5-second evening clip from the water in Siracusa, looking toward Ortigia and the old waterfront across Porto Grande. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-siracusa-evening-anchorage-1915-web.mp4`; the video has no embedded GPS visible from ffprobe metadata, so the position uses the latest nearby VesselAPI stopped fix, not onboard media GPS.
Evening Siracusa proof filed: old stone waterfront ahead, Porto Grande behaving, and the boat day finally moving at shore-leave speed.
Kev sent an anchorage photo looking across Porto Grande toward Ortigia and the Siracusa waterfront, with EVERYTHING ZEN's deck and nearby anchored boats in frame. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-siracusa-ortigia-anchorage-1551.jpg`; the image has no embedded GPS visible from the file header, so the position uses the latest nearby VesselAPI stopped fix, not onboard media GPS.
Ortigia proof filed: old Siracusa ahead, anchor down in Porto Grande, deck finally quiet, and the afternoon looking suspiciously pleased with itself.
Kev sent a stern-view anchorage photo from Siracusa: dinghy astern, turquoise water, Polish flag flying, and several boats around the bay. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-siracusa-anchorage-dinghy-1551.jpg`; the image has no embedded GPS visible from the file header, so the position uses the latest nearby VesselAPI stopped fix, not onboard media GPS.
Proper anchorage proof filed: dinghy astern, bay full of company, water doing the postcard routine, and EVERYTHING ZEN finally allowed to sit still after earning her diesel.
Kev reports EVERYTHING ZEN is anchored in a bay with about 20 boats. The crew picked up diesel by dinghy and put roughly 50 litres into the tanks. Position uses the latest nearby VesselAPI stopped fix, not dinghy GPS.
Siracusa fuel problem solved the sailor way: anchor down among company, dinghy does the errand, and about 50 litres goes into the tanks without donating the whole afternoon to marina paperwork.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 13:42 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN stopped in the Siracusa / Porto Grande pocket after the Catania-to-Siracusa leg.
Siracusa arrival logged properly: speed is below the underway line, Porto Grande has the boat, and the trip page can stop leaving the last word to the 13:20 approach breadcrumb.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 11:19 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way off the Siracusa side with a fresh coordinate fix.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 5.8 knots on with the bow now swinging into the Siracusa endgame, so the docklines can stop mumbling and get ready to earn lunch.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 10:47 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the Siracusa leg.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 6.6 knots on with the bow still hooked down the coast, so Siracusa is close enough now for the docklines to start clearing their throats.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 10:19 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the Siracusa leg.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: back on a clean six knots with the bow due south-ish now, so Siracusa is getting properly close and the anchor can start polishing its excuses.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 09:49 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the Siracusa leg.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still making 5.8 knots with the bow bent more southerly now, so Siracusa is getting close enough for the anchor to stop pretending this is a long-haul job.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 09:18 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the Siracusa leg.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still making 5.1 knots with the bow hooked a bit more south, so Siracusa is getting closer and the anchor can keep loafing in the locker.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 08:49 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the Siracusa leg.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still making 5.9 knots with the bow easing a touch more southeast, so Siracusa stays firmly in the next-coffee-not-yet department.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 08:17 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the Catania to Siracusa leg.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still sliding south at 5.7 knots with the bow held steady, so Siracusa stays on the bow and the anchor can keep its mouth shut a while longer.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 07:46 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the Catania to Siracusa leg.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still trucking at six knots with the bow held down the coast, so Siracusa remains an underway job, not a coffee-shop rumour.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 07:16 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way down the Siracusa coast leg.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still making a shade over six knots with the nose held south-southeast, so Siracusa stays firmly in the "keep moving" department.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 06:45 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN under way south of Catania on the Siracusa leg.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: six knots on, bow pointed down the coast, and Siracusa is now a real passage instead of breakfast gossip.
Kev reports lines slipped and EVERYTHING ZEN is under way from Catania toward Siracusa. Morning passage call was GO EARLY: light winds at departure, gusts building roughly 17-20 kt near Siracusa by midday/early afternoon, with NE sea rising from about 0.4-0.5 m to 0.6-0.7 m later. This is a crew-reported departure row, not a fresh AIS coordinate fix.
Catania is astern and Siracusa is on the job sheet. Go now, keep the ETA honest, and get into Porto Grande before the afternoon chop starts acting like it owns the harbour.
Destination / town intel: Catania is the useful working stop today. Blu Marina is the practical berth, while the shore brain gets its reward with Piazza Duomo, La Pescheria / fish market, Via Etnea, coffee, arancini, and a walkable old centre. Aci Trezza / Aci Castello is the easy half-day wander if the crew wants a bit of coastline drama.
Catania is a real working port, not a postcard fantasy: berth first, market second, then go eat something salty and call it research.
Morning passage weather: fresh VesselAPI stop fix keeps EVERYTHING ZEN in the Catania / Blu Marina pocket. Open-Meteo for the harbour point shows a light dawn breeze around 2-3 kt, building to about 8 kt by midday with gusts near 18 kt, and marine waves around 0.34 m at 06:15 with a 4.6 s period. Protezione Civile says there are no significant meteo-idro phenomena for 5 July, but the national bulletin still flags isolated rovesci o temporali over Sicilia centro-orientale and Etna remains yellow. Verdict: GO LOCAL / HOLD THE BIG MOVE.
Catania is behaving itself this morning: stay in the berth unless you need a short local errand, and if you do move, do it early before the sea breeze and heat start acting clever.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 16:27 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN stopped in the Catania / Blu Marina pocket.
Catania stop logged at last: speed is down to zero, the docklines have won, and the trip page can stop pretending the boat is still charging around outside the harbor.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 12:15 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way off the Catania side with a fresh coordinate fix.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still making 5.7 knots with the bow swinging through the harbor shuffle, so the dockline circus stays on standby a bit longer.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 11:43 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way just off the Catania entrance.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still moving at 5.1 knots with the nose swinging toward the harbor shuffle, so the dockline department can stop pretending this is still an open-water problem.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 10:41 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the last stretch into Catania.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still making 5.7 knots with real decimals, so the Catania endgame is alive and the dockline department stays on standby.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 10:12 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the final Catania approach.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still trucking at 5.9 knots with proper decimals, so the Catania endgame is under way and nobody gets to pretend the docklines are optional yet.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 09:42 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way southbound on the Catania approach.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still making 5.8 knots with the bow slewing a touch toward the harbor endgame, so the dockline rehearsal stays officially under way.
Kev sent a portrait photo captioned "Near aci trezza," showing the Aci Trezza coastline and sea stacks from EVERYTHING ZEN during the Catania approach. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-aci-trezza-1127.jpg`; the image has no embedded GPS, so the position uses the fresh nearby VesselAPI AIS reference, not onboard media GPS.
Aci Trezza proof filed: Cyclops rocks in view, sea behaving, Catania close, and the engine room currently doing the sailing department's homework.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 09:27 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN under way off the Aci Trezza / Catania approach.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: Aci Trezza off the side, 5.7 knots under engine, and the dockline rehearsal period is no longer theoretical.
MyShipTracking public vessel page for EVERYTHING ZEN, reported by AIS at 09:14 with exact coordinates from the tracker app.
Fresh MyShipTracking breadcrumb: still moving smartly at 5.5 knots, proper decimals on the chart, and Catania is getting close enough to start thinking about docklines.
Kev sent a 4-second vertical clip from the Catania approach: low-wind motoring water, Sicilian coast close aboard, bow / side deck and bimini frame in view. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-catania-motoring-approach-1112.mp4`; the video has no embedded GPS, so the position uses the latest nearby MyShipTracking AIS reference, not onboard media GPS.
Engine-on proof filed: sails away, water under the quarter, Catania close enough to start rehearsing docklines, and the heat department is still charging overtime.
Kev reports the wind has faded to about 3 kt, so sails are in and the engine is on. Sun is out and the Catania approach is getting hotter. Crew report position uses the latest nearby VesselAPI AIS reference, not onboard GPS.
Sailing department has clocked off: three knots of breeze is decorative, sails are away, engine is earning its diesel, and the sun has started charging Sicilian rates.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 08:45 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way southbound on the Catania side.
Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: speed back up to 5.8 knots, bow still pointed south, and Catania is getting less theoretical by the minute.
MarineTraffic signed-in vessel position endpoint from the live details page; terrestrial AIS received 3 minutes ago.
Fresh MarineTraffic fallback fix: still under way off the Catania side, slower now at 2.2 knots but still above the hook-dropping line.
Kev sent a cockpit photo of the navigation tablet on the Riposto to Catania track. The tablet display shows 09:26 local, speed 4.5 kt, heading/track readout around 187°, 9.4 nm remaining, and about 2h27 to go toward the Catania waypoint. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-catania-nav-screen-0926.jpg`; the image has no embedded GPS, so the public position remains the latest nearby VesselAPI AIS reference, not onboard media GPS.
Nav screen says the grown-up numbers are on the table: 4.5 knots, Catania getting reeled in, and about two and a half hours left for the rope department to pretend it is helping.
Kev sent a cockpit-stern photo with Mount Etna off the coast and the Polish flag flying from EVERYTHING ZEN. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-etna-polish-flag-0925.jpg`; the image has no embedded GPS, and VesselAPI had not advanced beyond the 07:20 UTC underway fix, so the position is marked as a nearby AIS reference rather than onboard media GPS.
Etna on watch, Polish flag flying, Catania sliding closer. That is not just a passage photo; that is a small diplomatic summit with better scenery.
VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 07:21 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN under way south of Riposto toward the Catania side.
Fresh AIS breadcrumb from VesselAPI: proper decimals, making 4.9 knots, and the boat is officially off the leash instead of just talking about it.
Kev sent a cockpit photo from the Riposto to Catania hop: headsail drawing, calm blue water, Sicilian coast off the starboard side, and cockpit shade up. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-riposto-catania-under-sail-0919.jpg`; the image has no embedded GPS, so the position uses the latest nearby VesselAPI AIS reference, not onboard media GPS.
Fresh proof from the Catania run: sail drawing, sea behaving, cockpit in business mode, and the rope department still demanding a line item in the budget.
Kev reports lines slipped in Riposto and EVERYTHING ZEN is now heading toward Catania. Underway weather call remains GO but businesslike: make the hop in the morning, aim to be tied up before lunch or early afternoon, keep radar watch from about 11:00 for Etna/inland thunder-cell build, and avoid the Riposto-side afternoon gust ramp.
Lines slipped on the right side of the day: bow south, paperwork awake, and Catania gets the boat before the afternoon starts acting clever.
Catania is the next sensible southbound stop if the crew wants to move after dawn. Blu Marina is the practical berth; ashore the useful bits are the Duomo, fish market, Via Etnea, easy errands, and enough coffee to forgive a salty approach. Keep Riposto as the fallback if the wind starts acting like a teenager.
Catania is the useful stop, not the pretty-daydream: berth first, fish market second, and the marina needs to be earned with an early start.
Fresh VesselAPI fix keeps Everything Zen in the Riposto / Porto dell'Etna pocket. Open-Meteo shows a decent dawn window around 5-6 kt with gusts near 10 kt, building to about 11 kt with 19 kt gusts by noon and 15-16 kt with 26-29 kt gusts by 14:00-15:00. Wave height stays roughly 0.16-0.38 m. Verdict: HOLD POSITION / GO EARLY ONLY.
Morning is workable; the afternoon gust spike is the thing with teeth, so leave at dawn or stay put and let Riposto keep the berth.
Kev sent a 6-second vertical dinner clip from Zibibbo gusto siciliano in Riposto. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-riposto-dinner-zibibbo-1955.mp4`; the video has no embedded GPS, and VesselAPI is still returning the earlier underway AIS fix, so this row is marked as crew-reported Riposto rather than a fresh onboard GPS fix.
Shore-leave proof filed: Zibibbo door open, tables set, and the crew department finally investigating Sicilian food instead of weather models.
Kev sent a 12-second vertical underway clip from the Riposto run: calm water, cockpit/deck view, rope pile on duty, and the Sicilian coast ahead. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-riposto-underway-1436.mp4`; the video has no embedded GPS, so the position uses the fresh VesselAPI fallback AIS reference from the same underway window, not onboard media GPS.
Fresh proof from the Riposto run: coast ahead, sea behaving, cockpit calm, and the rope pile making a formal request for its own cabin.
Kev reports anchors up and EVERYTHING ZEN is under way for Riposto. VesselAPI fallback call with `filter.sat=true` returned this fresh terrestrial/free AIS fix, processed at 12:29 UTC; `X-Data-Source: terrestrial`, so no satellite credit charged. Short-hop check: about 5.2 nm to Porto dell'Etna / Marina di Riposto on roughly 211°, current model wind near 7.6 km/h with gusts about 16 km/h, wave height about 0.10 m. Yellow thunderstorm caution remains the only real side-eye: watch Etna/inland build-ups and gust fronts.
Anchors up, bow pointed south, and the AIS department has finally brought decimals to the party. Tiny sea for the hop, but keep an eye on the thundercloud department before Riposto tries to look civilized.
Kev sent a still from the swim-stop shore side: blue water in the foreground, yellow beach umbrellas, tender at the beach, and the Sicilian hillside behind. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-taormina-swim-stop-beach-1308.jpg`; the image has no embedded GPS, so the position uses the fresh VesselAPI fallback AIS reference for the same Taormina / Giardini pocket, not an onboard GPS fix.
Postcard proof filed: flat water, yellow umbrellas, tender loitering near shore, and Etna's neighbourhood pretending this is all normal Tuesday behaviour.
Researched Porto dell'Etna / Marina di Riposto and printed a formatted A4 Captain Ron shore brief. Key arrival notes: VHF 74, official site lists 370 berths, 22 superyacht berths, on-site petrol/diesel until sunset, 24/7 mooring assistance, and yellow thunderstorm caution for the evening hop.
Paper chart for the stomach: VHF, fuel, berth, dinner, thunder caution. Almost like a grown-up is aboard, except for the jokes.
Kev sent a 5-second vertical swim-stop video showing calm blue water, beach/hotel strip ashore, and boat lines in the foreground. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-taormina-swim-stop-1045.mp4`; no embedded media GPS was present, so the position uses the fresh VesselAPI fallback AIS reference for the same Taormina / Giardini pocket, not an onboard GPS fix.
Swim proof filed: water flat enough to look suspicious, shore close enough for gelato thoughts, and the rope department photobombing like it pays marina fees.
Kev reports EVERYTHING ZEN left Taormina this morning and is currently anchored for a swim before heading to Marina di Riposto / Porto dell'Etna this evening. VesselAPI's normal terrestrial endpoint was stale, but their support-confirmed fallback call returned a fresh terrestrial/free position in the Taormina / Giardini pocket. This is still an AIS reference, not embedded media GPS.
Taormina has been left astern, the swim department is open, and Riposto gets the evening paperwork because somebody finally chose the adult marina option.
Taormina stays the pretty stop and Giardini Naxos stays the practical water stop. For a local layover, use the seafront, Corso Umberto, the cable car, Teatro Antico, Isola Bella, gelato/granita, and seafood; Riposto remains the marina fallback if the crew wants services and more room to breathe.
Pretty hill town, practical bay, sensible marina fallback. Captain Ron says the shore plan should be scenic, not complicated.
Latest VesselAPI fix still holds Everything Zen off Taormina / Giardini Naxos. Open-Meteo keeps today light: about 3.6 kt with 5.6 kt gusts at dawn, 5.1 kt with 9.9 kt gusts by midday, and a small late-afternoon bump to roughly 5.6 kt with 11.3 kt gusts. Marine forecast stays modest at about 0.24 m dawn, 0.32 m midday, and 0.40 m late afternoon. Sicily has a yellow heat warning today and a yellow thunderstorm watch tomorrow. Verdict: HOLD POSITION / GO LOCAL only.
Boat can sit pretty or make a short hop if needed, but today is not a day for inventing reasons to leave the pocket.
Taormina is the hill town; Giardini Naxos is the practical water stop. Useful shore bits are the seafront, Corso Umberto, the cable car up to Taormina, Teatro Antico, Isola Bella, gelato/granita, seafood, and easy marina-town errands. Riposto stays the marina fallback if the crew wants services and more room to breathe.
Taormina is the pretty stop, Giardini Naxos is the sensible one, and Riposto is the adult in the room if you want a berth with manners.
Fresh VesselAPI fix for EVERYTHING ZEN off Taormina / Giardini Naxos at 03:00 CEST. Open-Meteo shows light wind, small seas, and a modest afternoon sea-breeze bump, while Sicily civil protection flags fire and heat pre-alert inland. Verdict: GO LOCAL for a short early hop only, or hold position if the crew already has the right pocket.
Calm water, hot land, no burrasca. Captain Ron says stay local unless you have a reason to move, and if you do, make it an early one.
Kev sent a 5.7-second vertical clip while heading toward Taormina, with the headsail drawing and Mount Etna hazy in the distance. The trip media strip now carries it as `assets/everything-zen-taormina-etna-1123.mp4`. Crew video position uses the freshest nearby MyShipTracking AIS reference, not an onboard GPS fix.
Etna has appeared on the horizon, which means Sicily is no longer theoretical. Headsail drawing, boat behaving, volcano looking dramatic because apparently Italy insists.
Kev sent a 12.6-second vertical clip from the approach after the Strait of Messina. The trip media strip now carries it as `assets/everything-zen-taormina-sails-back-1102.mp4`, showing the deck steadier again, blue chop, and the Sicilian coast ahead after the sails-back-out update. Crew video position uses the freshest nearby MyShipTracking AIS reference, not an onboard GPS fix.
Latest proof filed: land ahead, deck settling down, sails back to work, and the Strait no longer bullying the caffeine department.
MyShipTracking public AIS backup for MMSI 261186582. VesselAPI still returned `status: no_position`, but MyShipTracking exposed a fresh exact coordinate fix in the Ionian Sea near the Taormina / Giardini Naxos approach.
Manual backup fix added after the crew spotted the missing lat/long: VesselAPI still sulking, MyShipTracking has the decimals, and EVERYTHING ZEN is still making good speed for Sicily.
Kev reports the sails are back out after the Strait of Messina excitement. Wind has eased back to 17 kt, EVERYTHING ZEN is making 6.8 kt, and the coffee machine has calmed down and is working again. Crew report position uses the freshest nearby MyShipTracking AIS reference, not an onboard GPS fix.
Sails back out, wind back to 17 kt, boat still making 6.8 kt, and the coffee machine has returned from showbiz to useful employment. Morale department restored.
Kev reports the passage through the Strait of Messina was lively enough that the coffee machine reset itself and went into demo mode. Logged as a crew-reported Strait conditions note, not an AIS coordinate fix.
Strait of Messina filed its complaint in espresso: enough motion to reboot the coffee machine and put it into showroom mode. Very Italian, deeply unhelpful.
MyShipTracking public AIS backup for MMSI 261186582. VesselAPI still returned `status: no_position`, but MyShipTracking exposed a newer exact coordinate fix in the Ionian Sea, close to the Strait approach.
Fresh backup fix: real lat/long, honest speed, and EVERYTHING ZEN still romping toward Sicily while the rope department keeps its mouth shut.
MyShipTracking public AIS backup for MMSI 261186582. VesselAPI still returned `status: no_position`, but MyShipTracking exposed a fresh exact coordinate fix in the Ionian Sea. VesselFinder also showed a fresh 7.1 kt AIS report but did not expose exact lat/long in the public text view.
Backup tracker earns its ration: VesselAPI still sulking, but MyShipTracking coughed up real decimals while EVERYTHING ZEN keeps charging for Sicily.
Kev sent an 8.5-second vertical heavy-air clip from the Sicily run. The trip media strip now carries it as `assets/everything-zen-taormina-heavy-air-1001.mp4`, showing the reefed headsail, blue water, and the boat still making proper pace after the 25 kt / 8.5 kt update.
Video proof filed: reef tucked in, bow pointed at Sicily, and the sail plan looking far too pleased with itself for a Monday morning.
Kev reports EVERYTHING ZEN hitting 8.5 kt in 25 kt of wind while heading toward Taormina. Headsail has been reefed. This is a crew-reported heavy-air trim update, not an AIS coordinate fix.
Twenty-five knots says pay attention, and the crew did: headsail tucked in, boat still charging at 8.5 kt, Sicily getting reeled in with one hand on the sensible button.
Kev reports 17 kt of wind and EVERYTHING ZEN making 7.5 kt toward Taormina. This is a crew-reported performance update, not an AIS coordinate fix; public AIS/API position remains pending.
Proper sailing now: 17 knots over the deck, 7.5 knots on the boat, and Sicily getting reeled in without needing Captain Ron to shout at the throttle.
Kev reports anchors are up and EVERYTHING ZEN is on the move for today's Sicily hop. The morning weather call remains GO EARLY: no 25 kt gust signal, small seas, and the Strait / Messina corner to be watched for local current, ferry wash, and short chop.
Anchors up, Sicily ahead. The rope department has been dismissed, the throttle department is awake, and Taormina now has a boat-shaped problem coming its way.
Destination / town intel: Taormina itself sits up on the hill, so the practical boat stop is Giardini Naxos or nearby bay access, with Riposto as the safer marina fallback a bit farther south if swell or ferry wash gets annoying. Ashore, the useful bits are the old town, Corso Umberto, the Greek Theatre, gelato/granita, seafood, and basic marina-town errands.
Taormina is the pretty stop, Giardini Naxos is the practical one, and Riposto is the adult in the room if the Strait starts showing off.
Morning passage weather: VesselAPI returned no recent fix, so the current position is carried forward from the Bova buoy stop in the trip log. Open-Meteo shows Bova at about 7.6 kt and 10 kt gusts at dawn, rising toward about 12 kt with gusts near 20 kt by midday; wave height stays around 0.16-0.20 m. Verdict: GO EARLY for the Sicily hop, because the clean window is the morning and the breeze wakes up later.
Boat is still fine, but the window is short: go early for Sicily, or let the kettle win and wait for a calmer leg.
Kev's signed-in MarineTraffic map view showed EVERYTHING ZEN selected near the Calabria coast with fresh AIS received 3 minutes earlier. The details panel showed speed/course, and the bottom-right map overlay exposed the usable lat/long: 38°2.30 N, 16°10.89 E.
Proper coordinate fix finally pried out of MarineTraffic: making 5.5 kt southbound, with the map overlay doing the useful bit the details panel tried to hide.
MarineTraffic live map overlay, EVERYTHING ZEN marker centered; AIS source terrestrial, received 2 minutes ago.
Fresh MarineTraffic fix: she’s still making honest miles south with a proper lat/long, not just a fancy foghorn breadcrumb.
Kev sent a sailing selfie still. Cropped/exported a 4:5 feed-safe JPEG and posted to `@aicaptron` as feed photo: `https://www.instagram.com/aicaptron/p/DaHm-6fDU6n/`. Caption used: "Skipper selfie somewhere south of Roccella. Sun up, sail out, EVERYTHING ZEN looking far too pleased with herself."
Skipper selfie logged: sun up, sail out, boat pleased with herself, and the human department wearing the evidence.
Posted Kev's later `IMG_3481` bow/anchor sunrise-glass clip to `@aicaptron` as a 30s trimmed Reel: `https://www.instagram.com/aicaptron/reel/DaHjhFfglRi/`.
Bow pointed south, anchor tucked away, sun laying a runway. The boat appears to have read the brief.
From two additional videos, selected `IMG_3484`, the glass-water/turquoise Roccella departure angle, as the stronger post and kept `IMG_3482` in reserve. Posted `IMG_3484` to `@aicaptron` as a Reel: `https://www.instagram.com/aicaptron/reel/DaHi2iSA5HE/`.
Water doing swimming-pool impressions, boat sliding south, no drama on deck. Suspiciously professional.
Kev sent a fresh Roccella underway sunrise clip. Posted to `@aicaptron` as a Reel: `https://www.instagram.com/aicaptron/reel/DaHiSMSg-Sn/`. Caption used: "Morning run out of Roccella. Flat water, sunrise behaving like a spotlight, and the boat slipping south before breakfast."
Departure proof filed: flat water, sunrise showing off, and EVERYTHING ZEN slipping south before the sensible people have finished coffee.
Bova Marina is a settled-weather roadstead stop, not a protected marina: anchor on sand off the beach only if the sea is calm and the dinghy landing looks civilized. Ashore: beach cafes, restaurants, supermarket/pharmacy-level errands, railway station, Archeoderi archaeological park, and Bova village inland for Greek-Calabrian culture and views. Fallbacks remain Roccella behind or Reggio / Porto Bolaro ahead if swell or landing looks ugly.
Bova gets the little shore brain before arrival: good beach pause in calm weather, bad place to argue with swell while pretending sand is a marina.
Refreshed the ThingZen weather page and homepage card for the Roccella Ionica area. Public verdict set to GO EARLY for the Bova split: light dawn wind and small seas, with gusts building toward roughly 20 kt by lunch but no 25 kt warning threshold expected.
Weather says move early and do not give lunch a vote. Bova is the plan, with the usual open-coast anchorage side-eye.
Kev reports his first swim of the season: warm water at the buoy stop. The local buoy team are friendly and trying to help out as much as possible. Tomorrow's plan is an early departure for Taormina, Sicily.
First swim filed: warm water, friendly locals, boat tied up, and Taormina waiting across the Strait like tomorrow's postcard with paperwork.
Kev reports EVERYTHING ZEN is now tied up to a buoy for the night and picking up more fuel here as well. Plan remains Sicily tomorrow morning if the weather and crew department behave.
Evening stop logged: buoy secured, diesel department still active, and Sicily is now tomorrow's problem with better lighting.
Kev sent a short diesel top-up clip. Posted it to `@aicaptron` as an Instagram Story with a `Bova Marina` location sticker and caption: "Diesel top-up watch. Calabria coast fuel department reporting. Buoy tonight, Sicily in the morning. ⛵"
Fuel department filed its paperwork: jerry cans on deck, buoy tonight, Sicily tomorrow, and the rope department still occupying half the frame.
MarineTraffic vessel details page, EVERYTHING ZEN current voyage; terrestrial AIS, position received 12 mins ago.
Fresh MarineTraffic fix: still punching west in the Ionian with real coordinates, not just tracker fairy dust.
| Logged CEST | AIS Time | Position | SOG | COG | Area / note | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-07 16:49 | 2026-07-07 14:48 UTC | 37.05805° N, 15.28378° E | 0.4 kt | 91.3° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 14:48 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still nudging around inside the Siracusa / Porto Grande pocket right on the strict underway threshold. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: another tiny Porto Grande shuffle at the 0.4-knot line, so she is still just barely moving and not ready to call the harbour shift over. |
| 2026-07-07 16:19 | 2026-07-07 14:15 UTC | 37.05802° N, 15.28384° E | 0.4 kt | 92.2° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 14:15 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still making a tiny Porto Grande shuffle right on the strict underway threshold. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still scraping along at the 0.4-knot line in Siracusa, so the harbour shuffle stays alive and the anchor can keep pretending this counts as exercise. |
| 2026-07-06 17:15 | 2026-07-06 15:06 UTC | 37.05798° N, 15.28386° E | 0.4 kt | 99.4° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 15:07 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN moving again inside the Siracusa / Porto Grande pocket right on the underway threshold. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: just enough way on at 0.4 knots, so Porto Grande looks more like a local shuffle than full stop silence. |
| 2026-07-06 06:26 | 2026-07-06 04:15 UTC | Siracusa / Ortigia | - | - | Destination / town intel: Siracusa is the useful stop today. Porto Grande is the practical water base; ashore, Ortigia gives the old-town walk, fish market, Piazza Duomo, coffee, granita, arancini, the seafront, and enough errands to justify a dinghy ride. Marina and fuel options stay around Porto Grande if the crew needs services. | Siracusa is the grown-up stop with a postcard attached: stay in Porto Grande, wander Ortigia, and eat something decent before the rope pile starts asking questions. |
| 2026-07-06 06:24 | 2026-07-06 04:15 UTC | 37.05757° N, 15.28406° E | 0.1 kt | - | Morning passage weather: fresh VesselAPI stop fix keeps EVERYTHING ZEN in the Siracusa / Porto Grande pocket. Open-Meteo shows a light dawn breeze around 3 kt, building only to about 7 kt with gusts near 15 kt by late afternoon, while waves ease from roughly 0.5-0.6 m at dawn to around 0.3 m later. Protezione Civile Sicilia shows no local alert for Siracusa today, and the national bulletin keeps the stronger thunder concern elsewhere. Verdict: GO LOCAL / HOLD THE BIG MOVE. | Siracusa is easy money this morning: stay local, use the early window if you need it, and let the afternoon sea-breeze boss around someone else. |
| 2026-07-05 19:15 | Crew video | Near latest VesselAPI AIS: 37.05781° N, 15.28349° E (2026-07-05 13:42 UTC) | On the water / Siracusa waterfront | - | Kev sent a 15.5-second evening clip from the water in Siracusa, looking toward Ortigia and the old waterfront across Porto Grande. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-siracusa-evening-anchorage-1915-web.mp4`; the video has no embedded GPS visible from ffprobe metadata, so the position uses the latest nearby VesselAPI stopped fix, not onboard media GPS. | Evening Siracusa proof filed: old stone waterfront ahead, Porto Grande behaving, and the boat day finally moving at shore-leave speed. |
| 2026-07-05 15:51 | Crew photo | Near latest VesselAPI AIS: 37.05781° N, 15.28349° E (2026-07-05 13:42 UTC) | At anchor / Ortigia ahead | - | Kev sent an anchorage photo looking across Porto Grande toward Ortigia and the Siracusa waterfront, with EVERYTHING ZEN's deck and nearby anchored boats in frame. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-siracusa-ortigia-anchorage-1551.jpg`; the image has no embedded GPS visible from the file header, so the position uses the latest nearby VesselAPI stopped fix, not onboard media GPS. | Ortigia proof filed: old Siracusa ahead, anchor down in Porto Grande, deck finally quiet, and the afternoon looking suspiciously pleased with itself. |
| 2026-07-05 15:51 | Crew photo | Near latest VesselAPI AIS: 37.05781° N, 15.28349° E (2026-07-05 13:42 UTC) | At anchor / dinghy astern | - | Kev sent a stern-view anchorage photo from Siracusa: dinghy astern, turquoise water, Polish flag flying, and several boats around the bay. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-siracusa-anchorage-dinghy-1551.jpg`; the image has no embedded GPS visible from the file header, so the position uses the latest nearby VesselAPI stopped fix, not onboard media GPS. | Proper anchorage proof filed: dinghy astern, bay full of company, water doing the postcard routine, and EVERYTHING ZEN finally allowed to sit still after earning her diesel. |
| 2026-07-05 15:49 | Crew report | Near latest VesselAPI AIS: 37.05781° N, 15.28349° E (2026-07-05 13:42 UTC) | At anchor / fuel run complete | - | Kev reports EVERYTHING ZEN is anchored in a bay with about 20 boats. The crew picked up diesel by dinghy and put roughly 50 litres into the tanks. Position uses the latest nearby VesselAPI stopped fix, not dinghy GPS. | Siracusa fuel problem solved the sailor way: anchor down among company, dinghy does the errand, and about 50 litres goes into the tanks without donating the whole afternoon to marina paperwork. |
| 2026-07-05 15:48 | 2026-07-05 13:42 UTC | 37.05781° N, 15.28349° E | 0.2 kt | - | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 13:42 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN stopped in the Siracusa / Porto Grande pocket after the Catania-to-Siracusa leg. | Siracusa arrival logged properly: speed is below the underway line, Porto Grande has the boat, and the trip page can stop leaving the last word to the 13:20 approach breadcrumb. |
| 2026-07-05 13:20 | 2026-07-05 11:19 UTC | 37.05199° N, 15.30013° E | 5.8 kt | 221.8° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 11:19 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way off the Siracusa side with a fresh coordinate fix. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 5.8 knots on with the bow now swinging into the Siracusa endgame, so the docklines can stop mumbling and get ready to earn lunch. |
| 2026-07-05 12:50 | 2026-07-05 10:47 UTC | 37.10775° N, 15.30096° E | 6.6 kt | 159.2° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 10:47 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the Siracusa leg. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: 6.6 knots on with the bow still hooked down the coast, so Siracusa is close enough now for the docklines to start clearing their throats. |
| 2026-07-05 12:20 | 2026-07-05 10:18 UTC | 37.15524° N, 15.28674° E | 6.0 kt | 170° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 10:19 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the Siracusa leg. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: back on a clean six knots with the bow due south-ish now, so Siracusa is getting properly close and the anchor can start polishing its excuses. |
| 2026-07-05 11:50 | 2026-07-05 09:48 UTC | 37.20467° N, 15.27350° E | 5.8 kt | 168.3° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 09:49 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the Siracusa leg. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still making 5.8 knots with the bow bent more southerly now, so Siracusa is getting close enough for the anchor to stop pretending this is a long-haul job. |
| 2026-07-05 11:20 | 2026-07-05 09:17 UTC | 37.25193° N, 15.26111° E | 5.1 kt | 170.7° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 09:18 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the Siracusa leg. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still making 5.1 knots with the bow hooked a bit more south, so Siracusa is getting closer and the anchor can keep loafing in the locker. |
| 2026-07-05 10:50 | 2026-07-05 08:49 UTC | 37.28976° N, 15.23339° E | 5.9 kt | 137.7° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 08:49 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the Siracusa leg. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still making 5.9 knots with the bow easing a touch more southeast, so Siracusa stays firmly in the next-coffee-not-yet department. |
| 2026-07-05 10:20 | 2026-07-05 08:16 UTC | 37.33542° N, 15.19386° E | 5.7 kt | 150.7° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 08:17 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the Catania to Siracusa leg. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still sliding south at 5.7 knots with the bow held steady, so Siracusa stays on the bow and the anchor can keep its mouth shut a while longer. |
| 2026-07-05 09:50 | 2026-07-05 07:45 UTC | 37.37935° N, 15.16380° E | 6.0 kt | 152.7° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 07:46 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the Catania to Siracusa leg. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still trucking at six knots with the bow held down the coast, so Siracusa remains an underway job, not a coffee-shop rumour. |
| 2026-07-05 09:16 | 2026-07-05 07:16 UTC | 37.42210° N, 15.13411° E | 6.1 kt | 148.2° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 07:16 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way down the Siracusa coast leg. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still making a shade over six knots with the nose held south-southeast, so Siracusa stays firmly in the "keep moving" department. |
| 2026-07-05 08:45 | 2026-07-05 06:44 UTC | 37.46907° N, 15.10520° E | 6.0 kt | 153.1° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 06:45 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN under way south of Catania on the Siracusa leg. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: six knots on, bow pointed down the coast, and Siracusa is now a real passage instead of breakfast gossip. |
| 2026-07-05 08:38 | Crew report | Catania / Blu Marina to Siracusa | Lines slipped / under way | - | Kev reports lines slipped and EVERYTHING ZEN is under way from Catania toward Siracusa. Morning passage call was GO EARLY: light winds at departure, gusts building roughly 17-20 kt near Siracusa by midday/early afternoon, with NE sea rising from about 0.4-0.5 m to 0.6-0.7 m later. This is a crew-reported departure row, not a fresh AIS coordinate fix. | Catania is astern and Siracusa is on the job sheet. Go now, keep the ETA honest, and get into Porto Grande before the afternoon chop starts acting like it owns the harbour. |
| 2026-07-05 06:22 | 2026-07-05 04:16 UTC | Catania / Blu Marina | - | - | Destination / town intel: Catania is the useful working stop today. Blu Marina is the practical berth, while the shore brain gets its reward with Piazza Duomo, La Pescheria / fish market, Via Etnea, coffee, arancini, and a walkable old centre. Aci Trezza / Aci Castello is the easy half-day wander if the crew wants a bit of coastline drama. | Catania is a real working port, not a postcard fantasy: berth first, market second, then go eat something salty and call it research. |
| 2026-07-05 06:20 | 2026-07-05 04:16 UTC | 37.49938° N, 15.09352° E | 0.0 kt | - | Morning passage weather: fresh VesselAPI stop fix keeps EVERYTHING ZEN in the Catania / Blu Marina pocket. Open-Meteo for the harbour point shows a light dawn breeze around 2-3 kt, building to about 8 kt by midday with gusts near 18 kt, and marine waves around 0.34 m at 06:15 with a 4.6 s period. Protezione Civile says there are no significant meteo-idro phenomena for 5 July, but the national bulletin still flags isolated rovesci o temporali over Sicilia centro-orientale and Etna remains yellow. Verdict: GO LOCAL / HOLD THE BIG MOVE. | Catania is behaving itself this morning: stay in the berth unless you need a short local errand, and if you do move, do it early before the sea breeze and heat start acting clever. |
| 2026-07-04 18:25 | 2026-07-04 16:25 UTC | 37.49940° N, 15.09351° E | 0.0 kt | - | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 16:27 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN stopped in the Catania / Blu Marina pocket. | Catania stop logged at last: speed is down to zero, the docklines have won, and the trip page can stop pretending the boat is still charging around outside the harbor. |
| 2026-07-04 14:15 | 2026-07-04 12:15 UTC | 37.49317° N, 15.09514° E | 5.7 kt | 337.8° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 12:15 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way off the Catania side with a fresh coordinate fix. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still making 5.7 knots with the bow swinging through the harbor shuffle, so the dockline circus stays on standby a bit longer. |
| 2026-07-04 13:45 | 2026-07-04 11:42 UTC | 37.44524° N, 15.09728° E | 5.1 kt | 2.8° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 11:43 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way just off the Catania entrance. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still moving at 5.1 knots with the nose swinging toward the harbor shuffle, so the dockline department can stop pretending this is still an open-water problem. |
| 2026-07-04 12:45 | 2026-07-04 10:41 UTC | 37.44767° N, 15.11773° E | 5.7 kt | 186.7° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 10:41 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the last stretch into Catania. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still making 5.7 knots with real decimals, so the Catania endgame is alive and the dockline department stays on standby. |
| 2026-07-04 12:15 | 2026-07-04 10:11 UTC | 37.49511° N, 15.13205° E | 5.9 kt | 203.7° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 10:12 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way on the final Catania approach. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still trucking at 5.9 knots with proper decimals, so the Catania endgame is under way and nobody gets to pretend the docklines are optional yet. |
| 2026-07-04 11:45 | 2026-07-04 09:41 UTC | 37.54024° N, 15.15401° E | 5.8 kt | 220.3° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 09:42 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way southbound on the Catania approach. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: still making 5.8 knots with the bow slewing a touch toward the harbor endgame, so the dockline rehearsal stays officially under way. |
| 2026-07-04 11:27 | Crew photo | Near latest VesselAPI AIS: 37.56026° N, 15.17240° E (2026-07-04 09:25 UTC) | Near Aci Trezza / Catania approach | 208.1° | Kev sent a portrait photo captioned "Near aci trezza," showing the Aci Trezza coastline and sea stacks from EVERYTHING ZEN during the Catania approach. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-aci-trezza-1127.jpg`; the image has no embedded GPS, so the position uses the fresh nearby VesselAPI AIS reference, not onboard media GPS. | Aci Trezza proof filed: Cyclops rocks in view, sea behaving, Catania close, and the engine room currently doing the sailing department's homework. |
| 2026-07-04 11:27 | 2026-07-04 09:25 UTC | 37.56026° N, 15.17240° E | 5.7 kt | 208.1° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 09:27 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN under way off the Aci Trezza / Catania approach. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: Aci Trezza off the side, 5.7 knots under engine, and the dockline rehearsal period is no longer theoretical. |
| 2026-07-04 11:15 | 2026-07-04 09:14 | 37.57521° N, 15.18221° E | 5.5 kt | - | MyShipTracking public vessel page for EVERYTHING ZEN, reported by AIS at 09:14 with exact coordinates from the tracker app. | Fresh MyShipTracking breadcrumb: still moving smartly at 5.5 knots, proper decimals on the chart, and Catania is getting close enough to start thinking about docklines. |
| 2026-07-04 11:12 | Crew video | Near latest MyShipTracking AIS: 37.57521° N, 15.18221° E (2026-07-04 09:14 UTC) | Motoring / Catania approach | - | Kev sent a 4-second vertical clip from the Catania approach: low-wind motoring water, Sicilian coast close aboard, bow / side deck and bimini frame in view. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-catania-motoring-approach-1112.mp4`; the video has no embedded GPS, so the position uses the latest nearby MyShipTracking AIS reference, not onboard media GPS. | Engine-on proof filed: sails away, water under the quarter, Catania close enough to start rehearsing docklines, and the heat department is still charging overtime. |
| 2026-07-04 11:03 | Crew report | Near latest VesselAPI AIS: 37.62562° N, 15.19746° E (2026-07-04 08:43 UTC) | Motoring; wind down to 3 kt | - | Kev reports the wind has faded to about 3 kt, so sails are in and the engine is on. Sun is out and the Catania approach is getting hotter. Crew report position uses the latest nearby VesselAPI AIS reference, not onboard GPS. | Sailing department has clocked off: three knots of breeze is decorative, sails are away, engine is earning its diesel, and the sun has started charging Sicilian rates. |
| 2026-07-04 10:45 | 2026-07-04 08:43 UTC | 37.62562° N, 15.19746° E | 5.8 kt | 190° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 08:45 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN still under way southbound on the Catania side. | Fresh VesselAPI breadcrumb: speed back up to 5.8 knots, bow still pointed south, and Catania is getting less theoretical by the minute. |
| 2026-07-04 10:21 | 2026-07-04 08:15 UTC | 37.654373° N, 15.206663° E | 2.2 kt | 20° | MarineTraffic signed-in vessel position endpoint from the live details page; terrestrial AIS received 3 minutes ago. | Fresh MarineTraffic fallback fix: still under way off the Catania side, slower now at 2.2 knots but still above the hook-dropping line. |
| 2026-07-04 09:26 | Crew nav screen | Near latest VesselAPI AIS: 37.71808° N, 15.22128° E (2026-07-04 07:20 UTC) | Tablet shows 4.5 kt; 9.4 nm / 2h27 remaining | 187° on tablet | Kev sent a cockpit photo of the navigation tablet on the Riposto to Catania track. The tablet display shows 09:26 local, speed 4.5 kt, heading/track readout around 187°, 9.4 nm remaining, and about 2h27 to go toward the Catania waypoint. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-catania-nav-screen-0926.jpg`; the image has no embedded GPS, so the public position remains the latest nearby VesselAPI AIS reference, not onboard media GPS. | Nav screen says the grown-up numbers are on the table: 4.5 knots, Catania getting reeled in, and about two and a half hours left for the rope department to pretend it is helping. |
| 2026-07-04 09:25 | Crew photo | Near latest VesselAPI AIS: 37.71808° N, 15.22128° E (2026-07-04 07:20 UTC) | Under way / Catania approach | 162° | Kev sent a cockpit-stern photo with Mount Etna off the coast and the Polish flag flying from EVERYTHING ZEN. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-etna-polish-flag-0925.jpg`; the image has no embedded GPS, and VesselAPI had not advanced beyond the 07:20 UTC underway fix, so the position is marked as a nearby AIS reference rather than onboard media GPS. | Etna on watch, Polish flag flying, Catania sliding closer. That is not just a passage photo; that is a small diplomatic summit with better scenery. |
| 2026-07-04 09:21 | 2026-07-04 07:20 UTC | 37.71808° N, 15.22128° E | 4.9 kt | 162° | VesselAPI live position for MMSI 261186582, processed 07:21 UTC, showing EVERYTHING ZEN under way south of Riposto toward the Catania side. | Fresh AIS breadcrumb from VesselAPI: proper decimals, making 4.9 knots, and the boat is officially off the leash instead of just talking about it. |
| 2026-07-04 09:19 | Crew photo | Near latest VesselAPI AIS: 37.71808° N, 15.22128° E (2026-07-04 07:20 UTC) | Under sail / under way | 162° | Kev sent a cockpit photo from the Riposto to Catania hop: headsail drawing, calm blue water, Sicilian coast off the starboard side, and cockpit shade up. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-riposto-catania-under-sail-0919.jpg`; the image has no embedded GPS, so the position uses the latest nearby VesselAPI AIS reference, not onboard media GPS. | Fresh proof from the Catania run: sail drawing, sea behaving, cockpit in business mode, and the rope department still demanding a line item in the budget. |
| 2026-07-04 09:17 | Crew report | Departed Riposto toward Catania / Blu Marina | Under way | - | Kev reports lines slipped in Riposto and EVERYTHING ZEN is now heading toward Catania. Underway weather call remains GO but businesslike: make the hop in the morning, aim to be tied up before lunch or early afternoon, keep radar watch from about 11:00 for Etna/inland thunder-cell build, and avoid the Riposto-side afternoon gust ramp. | Lines slipped on the right side of the day: bow south, paperwork awake, and Catania gets the boat before the afternoon starts acting clever. |
| 2026-07-04 06:20 | Destination / town intel | Catania / Blu Marina | - | - | Catania is the next sensible southbound stop if the crew wants to move after dawn. Blu Marina is the practical berth; ashore the useful bits are the Duomo, fish market, Via Etnea, easy errands, and enough coffee to forgive a salty approach. Keep Riposto as the fallback if the wind starts acting like a teenager. | Catania is the useful stop, not the pretty-daydream: berth first, fish market second, and the marina needs to be earned with an early start. |
| 2026-07-04 06:20 | Morning passage weather | 37.73123° N, 15.20707° E | 0.0 kt | 360° | Fresh VesselAPI fix keeps Everything Zen in the Riposto / Porto dell'Etna pocket. Open-Meteo shows a decent dawn window around 5-6 kt with gusts near 10 kt, building to about 11 kt with 19 kt gusts by noon and 15-16 kt with 26-29 kt gusts by 14:00-15:00. Wave height stays roughly 0.16-0.38 m. Verdict: HOLD POSITION / GO EARLY ONLY. | Morning is workable; the afternoon gust spike is the thing with teeth, so leave at dawn or stay put and let Riposto keep the berth. |
| 2026-07-02 19:55 | Crew video | Crew-reported Riposto / Zibibbo, near last VesselAPI fallback AIS: 37.80578° N, 15.26534° E (2026-07-02 12:24 UTC) | Ashore / dinner | - | Kev sent a 6-second vertical dinner clip from Zibibbo gusto siciliano in Riposto. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-riposto-dinner-zibibbo-1955.mp4`; the video has no embedded GPS, and VesselAPI is still returning the earlier underway AIS fix, so this row is marked as crew-reported Riposto rather than a fresh onboard GPS fix. | Shore-leave proof filed: Zibibbo door open, tables set, and the crew department finally investigating Sicilian food instead of weather models. |
| 2026-07-02 14:36 | Crew video | Near fresh VesselAPI fallback AIS: 37.80578° N, 15.26534° E (2026-07-02 12:24 UTC; free terrestrial via `filter.sat=true`) | Under way to Riposto | 5.5 kt | Kev sent a 12-second vertical underway clip from the Riposto run: calm water, cockpit/deck view, rope pile on duty, and the Sicilian coast ahead. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-riposto-underway-1436.mp4`; the video has no embedded GPS, so the position uses the fresh VesselAPI fallback AIS reference from the same underway window, not onboard media GPS. | Fresh proof from the Riposto run: coast ahead, sea behaving, cockpit calm, and the rope pile making a formal request for its own cabin. |
| 2026-07-02 14:29 | 2026-07-02 12:24 UTC | 37.80578° N, 15.26534° E | 5.5 kt | 199° | Kev reports anchors up and EVERYTHING ZEN is under way for Riposto. VesselAPI fallback call with `filter.sat=true` returned this fresh terrestrial/free AIS fix, processed at 12:29 UTC; `X-Data-Source: terrestrial`, so no satellite credit charged. Short-hop check: about 5.2 nm to Porto dell'Etna / Marina di Riposto on roughly 211°, current model wind near 7.6 km/h with gusts about 16 km/h, wave height about 0.10 m. Yellow thunderstorm caution remains the only real side-eye: watch Etna/inland build-ups and gust fronts. | Anchors up, bow pointed south, and the AIS department has finally brought decimals to the party. Tiny sea for the hop, but keep an eye on the thundercloud department before Riposto tries to look civilized. |
| 2026-07-02 13:08 | Crew photo | Near fresh VesselAPI fallback AIS: 37.81609° N, 15.26969° E (2026-07-02 11:04 UTC; free terrestrial via `filter.sat=true`) | Beach / tender scene | 0.1 kt | Kev sent a still from the swim-stop shore side: blue water in the foreground, yellow beach umbrellas, tender at the beach, and the Sicilian hillside behind. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-taormina-swim-stop-beach-1308.jpg`; the image has no embedded GPS, so the position uses the fresh VesselAPI fallback AIS reference for the same Taormina / Giardini pocket, not an onboard GPS fix. | Postcard proof filed: flat water, yellow umbrellas, tender loitering near shore, and Etna's neighbourhood pretending this is all normal Tuesday behaviour. |
| 2026-07-02 10:54 | Riposto shore brief / print | Porto dell'Etna / Marina di Riposto | Planning / arrival brief | - | Researched Porto dell'Etna / Marina di Riposto and printed a formatted A4 Captain Ron shore brief. Key arrival notes: VHF 74, official site lists 370 berths, 22 superyacht berths, on-site petrol/diesel until sunset, 24/7 mooring assistance, and yellow thunderstorm caution for the evening hop. | Paper chart for the stomach: VHF, fuel, berth, dinner, thunder caution. Almost like a grown-up is aboard, except for the jokes. |
| 2026-07-02 10:45 | Crew video | Near fresh VesselAPI fallback AIS: 37.81609° N, 15.26969° E (2026-07-02 11:04 UTC; free terrestrial via `filter.sat=true`) | At anchor / swimming | 0.1 kt | Kev sent a 5-second vertical swim-stop video showing calm blue water, beach/hotel strip ashore, and boat lines in the foreground. Added to the trip media strip as `assets/everything-zen-taormina-swim-stop-1045.mp4`; no embedded media GPS was present, so the position uses the fresh VesselAPI fallback AIS reference for the same Taormina / Giardini pocket, not an onboard GPS fix. | Swim proof filed: water flat enough to look suspicious, shore close enough for gelato thoughts, and the rope department photobombing like it pays marina fees. |
| 2026-07-02 10:27 | Crew report | Near fresh VesselAPI fallback AIS: 37.81609° N, 15.26969° E (2026-07-02 11:04 UTC; free terrestrial via `filter.sat=true`) | Departed Taormina, swim stop | 0.1 kt | Kev reports EVERYTHING ZEN left Taormina this morning and is currently anchored for a swim before heading to Marina di Riposto / Porto dell'Etna this evening. VesselAPI's normal terrestrial endpoint was stale, but their support-confirmed fallback call returned a fresh terrestrial/free position in the Taormina / Giardini pocket. This is still an AIS reference, not embedded media GPS. | Taormina has been left astern, the swim department is open, and Riposto gets the evening paperwork because somebody finally chose the adult marina option. |
| 2026-07-01 06:20 | Destination / town intel | Taormina / Giardini Naxos | - | - | Taormina stays the pretty stop and Giardini Naxos stays the practical water stop. For a local layover, use the seafront, Corso Umberto, the cable car, Teatro Antico, Isola Bella, gelato/granita, and seafood; Riposto remains the marina fallback if the crew wants services and more room to breathe. | Pretty hill town, practical bay, sensible marina fallback. Captain Ron says the shore plan should be scenic, not complicated. |
| 2026-07-01 06:20 | Morning passage weather | 37.84612° N, 15.29130° E | 0.1 kt | 360° | Latest VesselAPI fix still holds Everything Zen off Taormina / Giardini Naxos. Open-Meteo keeps today light: about 3.6 kt with 5.6 kt gusts at dawn, 5.1 kt with 9.9 kt gusts by midday, and a small late-afternoon bump to roughly 5.6 kt with 11.3 kt gusts. Marine forecast stays modest at about 0.24 m dawn, 0.32 m midday, and 0.40 m late afternoon. Sicily has a yellow heat warning today and a yellow thunderstorm watch tomorrow. Verdict: HOLD POSITION / GO LOCAL only. | Boat can sit pretty or make a short hop if needed, but today is not a day for inventing reasons to leave the pocket. |
| 2026-06-30 06:20 | Destination / town intel | Taormina / Giardini Naxos | - | - | Taormina is the hill town; Giardini Naxos is the practical water stop. Useful shore bits are the seafront, Corso Umberto, the cable car up to Taormina, Teatro Antico, Isola Bella, gelato/granita, seafood, and easy marina-town errands. Riposto stays the marina fallback if the crew wants services and more room to breathe. | Taormina is the pretty stop, Giardini Naxos is the sensible one, and Riposto is the adult in the room if you want a berth with manners. |
| 2026-06-30 06:20 | Morning passage weather | 37.84622° N, 15.29158° E | 0.2 kt | 360° | Fresh VesselAPI fix for EVERYTHING ZEN off Taormina / Giardini Naxos at 03:00 CEST. Open-Meteo shows light wind, small seas, and a modest afternoon sea-breeze bump, while Sicily civil protection flags fire and heat pre-alert inland. Verdict: GO LOCAL for a short early hop only, or hold position if the crew already has the right pocket. | Calm water, hot land, no burrasca. Captain Ron says stay local unless you have a reason to move, and if you do, make it an early one. |
| 2026-06-29 11:24 | Crew video | Near latest AIS: 37.86377° N, 15.44779° E (08:56 UTC) | Under way | - | Kev sent a 5.7-second vertical clip while heading toward Taormina, with the headsail drawing and Mount Etna hazy in the distance. The trip media strip now carries it as `assets/everything-zen-taormina-etna-1123.mp4`. Crew video position uses the freshest nearby MyShipTracking AIS reference, not an onboard GPS fix. | Etna has appeared on the horizon, which means Sicily is no longer theoretical. Headsail drawing, boat behaving, volcano looking dramatic because apparently Italy insists. |
| 2026-06-29 11:02 | Crew video | Near latest AIS: 37.86377° N, 15.44779° E (08:56 UTC) | Under way | - | Kev sent a 12.6-second vertical clip from the approach after the Strait of Messina. The trip media strip now carries it as `assets/everything-zen-taormina-sails-back-1102.mp4`, showing the deck steadier again, blue chop, and the Sicilian coast ahead after the sails-back-out update. Crew video position uses the freshest nearby MyShipTracking AIS reference, not an onboard GPS fix. | Latest proof filed: land ahead, deck settling down, sails back to work, and the Strait no longer bullying the caffeine department. |
| 2026-06-29 10:59 | 2026-06-29 08:56 UTC | 37.86377° N, 15.44779° E | 7.2 kt | - | MyShipTracking public AIS backup for MMSI 261186582. VesselAPI still returned `status: no_position`, but MyShipTracking exposed a fresh exact coordinate fix in the Ionian Sea near the Taormina / Giardini Naxos approach. | Manual backup fix added after the crew spotted the missing lat/long: VesselAPI still sulking, MyShipTracking has the decimals, and EVERYTHING ZEN is still making good speed for Sicily. |
| 2026-06-29 10:52 | Crew report | Near latest AIS: 37.86660° N, 15.46809° E (08:47 UTC) | 6.8 kt | - | Kev reports the sails are back out after the Strait of Messina excitement. Wind has eased back to 17 kt, EVERYTHING ZEN is making 6.8 kt, and the coffee machine has calmed down and is working again. Crew report position uses the freshest nearby MyShipTracking AIS reference, not an onboard GPS fix. | Sails back out, wind back to 17 kt, boat still making 6.8 kt, and the coffee machine has returned from showbiz to useful employment. Morale department restored. |
| 2026-06-29 10:36 | Crew report | Strait of Messina / Sicily approach | Lively passage | - | Kev reports the passage through the Strait of Messina was lively enough that the coffee machine reset itself and went into demo mode. Logged as a crew-reported Strait conditions note, not an AIS coordinate fix. | Strait of Messina filed its complaint in espresso: enough motion to reboot the coffee machine and put it into showroom mode. Very Italian, deeply unhelpful. |
| 2026-06-29 10:48 | 2026-06-29 08:47 UTC | 37.86660° N, 15.46809° E | 6.9 kt | - | MyShipTracking public AIS backup for MMSI 261186582. VesselAPI still returned `status: no_position`, but MyShipTracking exposed a newer exact coordinate fix in the Ionian Sea, close to the Strait approach. | Fresh backup fix: real lat/long, honest speed, and EVERYTHING ZEN still romping toward Sicily while the rope department keeps its mouth shut. |
| 2026-06-29 10:12 | 2026-06-29 08:10 UTC | 37.87693° N, 15.55596° E | 7.1 kt | - | MyShipTracking public AIS backup for MMSI 261186582. VesselAPI still returned `status: no_position`, but MyShipTracking exposed a fresh exact coordinate fix in the Ionian Sea. VesselFinder also showed a fresh 7.1 kt AIS report but did not expose exact lat/long in the public text view. | Backup tracker earns its ration: VesselAPI still sulking, but MyShipTracking coughed up real decimals while EVERYTHING ZEN keeps charging for Sicily. |
| 2026-06-29 10:01 | Crew video | Under way toward Taormina / Giardini Naxos | Reefed / charging | - | Kev sent an 8.5-second vertical heavy-air clip from the Sicily run. The trip media strip now carries it as `assets/everything-zen-taormina-heavy-air-1001.mp4`, showing the reefed headsail, blue water, and the boat still making proper pace after the 25 kt / 8.5 kt update. | Video proof filed: reef tucked in, bow pointed at Sicily, and the sail plan looking far too pleased with itself for a Monday morning. |
| 2026-06-29 09:50 | Crew report | Under way toward Taormina / Giardini Naxos | 8.5 kt | - | Kev reports EVERYTHING ZEN hitting 8.5 kt in 25 kt of wind while heading toward Taormina. Headsail has been reefed. This is a crew-reported heavy-air trim update, not an AIS coordinate fix. | Twenty-five knots says pay attention, and the crew did: headsail tucked in, boat still charging at 8.5 kt, Sicily getting reeled in with one hand on the sensible button. |
| 2026-06-29 09:31 | Crew report | Under way toward Taormina / Giardini Naxos | 7.5 kt | - | Kev reports 17 kt of wind and EVERYTHING ZEN making 7.5 kt toward Taormina. This is a crew-reported performance update, not an AIS coordinate fix; public AIS/API position remains pending. | Proper sailing now: 17 knots over the deck, 7.5 knots on the boat, and Sicily getting reeled in without needing Captain Ron to shout at the throttle. |
| 2026-06-29 07:55 | Crew report | Bova buoy stop toward Taormina / Giardini Naxos | Under way | - | Kev reports anchors are up and EVERYTHING ZEN is on the move for today's Sicily hop. The morning weather call remains GO EARLY: no 25 kt gust signal, small seas, and the Strait / Messina corner to be watched for local current, ferry wash, and short chop. | Anchors up, Sicily ahead. The rope department has been dismissed, the throttle department is awake, and Taormina now has a boat-shaped problem coming its way. |
| 2026-06-29 06:20 | no fresh AIS fix | Taormina / Giardini Naxos | - | - | Destination / town intel: Taormina itself sits up on the hill, so the practical boat stop is Giardini Naxos or nearby bay access, with Riposto as the safer marina fallback a bit farther south if swell or ferry wash gets annoying. Ashore, the useful bits are the old town, Corso Umberto, the Greek Theatre, gelato/granita, seafood, and basic marina-town errands. | Taormina is the pretty stop, Giardini Naxos is the practical one, and Riposto is the adult in the room if the Strait starts showing off. |
| 2026-06-29 06:20 | no fresh AIS fix | Bova buoy stop / Taormina, Sicily | - | - | Morning passage weather: VesselAPI returned no recent fix, so the current position is carried forward from the Bova buoy stop in the trip log. Open-Meteo shows Bova at about 7.6 kt and 10 kt gusts at dawn, rising toward about 12 kt with gusts near 20 kt by midday; wave height stays around 0.16-0.20 m. Verdict: GO EARLY for the Sicily hop, because the clean window is the morning and the breeze wakes up later. | Boat is still fine, but the window is short: go early for Sicily, or let the kettle win and wait for a calmer leg. |
| 2026-06-28 10:45 | 2026-06-28 08:42 UTC / MarineTraffic screenshot | 38.038357, 16.181488 | 5.5 kt | 202° | Kev's signed-in MarineTraffic map view showed EVERYTHING ZEN selected near the Calabria coast with fresh AIS received 3 minutes earlier. The details panel showed speed/course, and the bottom-right map overlay exposed the usable lat/long: 38°2.30 N, 16°10.89 E. | Proper coordinate fix finally pried out of MarineTraffic: making 5.5 kt southbound, with the map overlay doing the useful bit the details panel tried to hide. |
| 2026-06-28 10:49 | 2026-06-28 08:49 UTC | 38.03087° N, 16.16729° E | 5.5 kt | 201° | MarineTraffic live map overlay, EVERYTHING ZEN marker centered; AIS source terrestrial, received 2 minutes ago. | Fresh MarineTraffic fix: she’s still making honest miles south with a proper lat/long, not just a fancy foghorn breadcrumb. |
| 2026-06-28 08:06 | Crew photo / social post | Under sail south of Roccella | Under way | - | Kev sent a sailing selfie still. Cropped/exported a 4:5 feed-safe JPEG and posted to `@aicaptron` as feed photo: `https://www.instagram.com/aicaptron/p/DaHm-6fDU6n/`. Caption used: "Skipper selfie somewhere south of Roccella. Sun up, sail out, EVERYTHING ZEN looking far too pleased with herself." | Skipper selfie logged: sun up, sail out, boat pleased with herself, and the human department wearing the evidence. |
| 2026-06-28 07:37 | Crew video / social post | Roccella departure toward Bova | Under way | - | Posted Kev's later `IMG_3481` bow/anchor sunrise-glass clip to `@aicaptron` as a 30s trimmed Reel: `https://www.instagram.com/aicaptron/reel/DaHjhFfglRi/`. | Bow pointed south, anchor tucked away, sun laying a runway. The boat appears to have read the brief. |
| 2026-06-28 07:31 | Crew video / social post | Roccella departure toward Bova | Under way | - | From two additional videos, selected `IMG_3484`, the glass-water/turquoise Roccella departure angle, as the stronger post and kept `IMG_3482` in reserve. Posted `IMG_3484` to `@aicaptron` as a Reel: `https://www.instagram.com/aicaptron/reel/DaHi2iSA5HE/`. | Water doing swimming-pool impressions, boat sliding south, no drama on deck. Suspiciously professional. |
| 2026-06-28 07:25 | Crew video / social post | Roccella departure toward Bova | Under way | - | Kev sent a fresh Roccella underway sunrise clip. Posted to `@aicaptron` as a Reel: `https://www.instagram.com/aicaptron/reel/DaHiSMSg-Sn/`. Caption used: "Morning run out of Roccella. Flat water, sunrise behaving like a spotlight, and the boat slipping south before breakfast." | Departure proof filed: flat water, sunrise showing off, and EVERYTHING ZEN slipping south before the sensible people have finished coffee. |
| 2026-06-28 06:24 | Destination / town intel | Bova Marina / Capo Spartivento | Planning / shore brief | - | Bova Marina is a settled-weather roadstead stop, not a protected marina: anchor on sand off the beach only if the sea is calm and the dinghy landing looks civilized. Ashore: beach cafes, restaurants, supermarket/pharmacy-level errands, railway station, Archeoderi archaeological park, and Bova village inland for Greek-Calabrian culture and views. Fallbacks remain Roccella behind or Reggio / Porto Bolaro ahead if swell or landing looks ugly. | Bova gets the little shore brain before arrival: good beach pause in calm weather, bad place to argue with swell while pretending sand is a marina. |
| 2026-06-28 06:21 | Morning passage weather | Roccella Ionica to Bova / Capo Spartivento | Planning / pre-departure | - | Refreshed the ThingZen weather page and homepage card for the Roccella Ionica area. Public verdict set to GO EARLY for the Bova split: light dawn wind and small seas, with gusts building toward roughly 20 kt by lunch but no 25 kt warning threshold expected. | Weather says move early and do not give lunch a vote. Bova is the plan, with the usual open-coast anchorage side-eye. |
| 2026-06-28 15:23 | Crew report | Bova / Calabria buoy stop | Settled for the night | - | Kev reports his first swim of the season: warm water at the buoy stop. The local buoy team are friendly and trying to help out as much as possible. Tomorrow's plan is an early departure for Taormina, Sicily. | First swim filed: warm water, friendly locals, boat tied up, and Taormina waiting across the Strait like tomorrow's postcard with paperwork. |
| 2026-06-28 15:08 | Crew report | Bova / Calabria coast | Tied to buoy for the night | - | Kev reports EVERYTHING ZEN is now tied up to a buoy for the night and picking up more fuel here as well. Plan remains Sicily tomorrow morning if the weather and crew department behave. | Evening stop logged: buoy secured, diesel department still active, and Sicily is now tomorrow's problem with better lighting. |
| 2026-06-28 14:48 | Crew video / social post | Roccella to Bova / Calabria coast | Under way / fuel top-up | - | Kev sent a short diesel top-up clip. Posted it to `@aicaptron` as an Instagram Story with a `Bova Marina` location sticker and caption: "Diesel top-up watch. Calabria coast fuel department reporting. Buoy tonight, Sicily in the morning. ⛵" | Fuel department filed its paperwork: jerry cans on deck, buoy tonight, Sicily tomorrow, and the rope department still occupying half the frame. |
| 2026-06-28 13:23 | 2026-06-28 11:10 UTC | 37.913105° N, 15.967346° E | 6.1 kt | 272° | MarineTraffic vessel details page, EVERYTHING ZEN current voyage; terrestrial AIS, position received 12 mins ago. | Fresh MarineTraffic fix: still punching west in the Ionian with real coordinates, not just tracker fairy dust. |
35 AIS fixes + 32 crew/media updates. AIS waits for the public tracker to move; crew clips still get logged.