We have had an extremely peaceful day’s sailing. After our most recent adventures, namely the successful “search and capture” of illegal driftnet vessels, having a morning without being pursued by boats with fishermen calling us rather indecorous names in the language of the Roman Emperors, or throwing fish at us, has turned out to be … Read more
During the 4.00 a.m. morning watch, Soledad, Albert and Juan have sighted a new driftnet vessel hauling in driftnets. They immediately informed Xavier Pastor, Carlos Pérez and Quique Talledo in order that these might proceed to identify the boat in question by means of its graphic register and then file a complaint with the Coast … Read more
Soledad Esnaola woke me this morning at 5.30 a.m. with a single word: “driftnetters”. At last, I was to have the chance to see at first hand one of the most harmful and regrettable illegal fishing nets and to confirm that their use, in spite of the prohibitions, is still possible and goes completely unpunished. … Read more
Its 5.30 am and my companions Sole and Juan have just woken me up to tell me that there is an illegal driftnet vessel nearby. Still half asleep I get the video camera ready to catch the moment on film; a “moment” that lasts some 3 hours as several kilometres of nets are pulled in. … Read more
Yesterday we set out on a southern course for Agrópoli in order to observe the fishing activity below a depth of 1,000 m and to make use of the Olex software, which had been fitted to the boat this year, with the aim in mind of mapping a submarine landscape in which the isobaths (lines … Read more
While Xavier, Juan and Quique are heading south, at midday, Eduardo de Ana and I head northwards to inspect the ports on the island of Ischia, where the 2005 Expedition managed to witness the presence of driftnet vessels. Our initial course was directed towards visiting the main fishing ports on the island, namely: Ischia, Cassamicciola … Read more
No luck this time either. Even though we imagined we would not find much activity from the netters tonight, it is very annoying to see we were correct. There is almost a full moon, and our only satellite lights up the water like the best spotlight. Perhaps that is why the netters haven’t gone out … Read more
It has been an unforgettable and fascinating experience to be on board the Oceana Ranger….! An essential opportunity offered by Domitilla and Marevivo and which gave me the chance to get to know people as fantastic, simple and splendid as the Italian coasts we have passed: three short but intense days of sailing that took … Read more
Back on the Ranger. Twelve months after disembarking in Lagos after nearly half a year sailing around the world, I return. I think the boat has gotten bigger and more elegant during this time. Everything is cleaner and tidier; everything in its place, everything stowed away, “almost” nothing out of place. It seems different. Now … Read more
We set off from Ostia in the early morning, after having a shower and filling our tanks. Heading south, to the Island of Ponza, sailing along the line of one thousand metres’ depth, which is where the fishermen put out their driftnets at the end of the day and pull then in a little before … Read more
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