In Messina I like to arrive early. If I can get the ship into the port before 6 am., then there is no delay caused by ferry traffic. There are at least 10 ferries leaving from Messina each hour (and also 10 arriving) and their schedule takes precedence over any other traffic. If I get the Veendam through the breakwater just before 6 am, than I am just in a gap between the scheduled ferries. This time it worked out great. At 05.50 a ferry came out of the port and at 05.55 the Veendam sailed in.

We were the only cruise ship in port and as it was another glorious day, the guests really enjoyed themselves. Messina was heavily rebuilt after the Second World War and much of the old town is gone but there are a few churches and other sights in walking distance. Those guests who decided not to go on tour had also sufficient things to see during our morning stop. Messina is only a short stop as we have to get to Rome on time, which is one of the highlights of the cruise.

All tours were back on time and I was ready to leave at exactly 1300 hrs. when the pilot sprang a surprise on me with the announcement that a whole examination board was joining the ship. Without my knowledge, the Veendam had been selected by the harbor master to be the ship of choice to examine a new pilot. Normally I sail the ship in and out Messina myself and the pilot takes care of the communication with the local traffic. (My Sicilian is non existent and most local ferry captains speak very limited English, let alone Dutch…………… so I leave the communication to the pilot) Now we had to do it differently as there is not much to exam if the captain is doing it all and the pilot, who is to be examined, is just standing here.

Apart from the –to be licensed pilot- a 2nd and a 3rd pilot boarded. Followed by the senior pilot, followed by the harbor master. After much handshaking I was given the green light to proceed. So I brought the ship of the pier and then handed over the “conn” (conducting the safe passage of the vessel, while the master remains in charge) to the new pilot and we sailed out of port. As soon as the ship was clear of the breakwater, two course changes later, the harbor master and senior pilot left the ship. The exam had lasted less than 5 minutes and a new pilot had been licensed.

We sailed in the afternoon past the Volcano Stromboli again. There was not much activity going on, just a small plume of smoke coming out of the top. But as the sun shone on the mountain, everybody could have a good look. In the mean time the Veendam was running at full speed. Even at 20 knots it takes 30 minutes to sail by Stromboli so more than enough time for the guests to get a good view, take some pictures and listen to the narration of the Port Informer. I had to keep the speed up as I had to time the arrival at Civitavecchia correctly. Including the Veendam there were going to be three other cruise ships in port, including two “apartments of the seas”, all arriving 15 minutes apart.