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Posted By: Nickens, Dan
Date Posted: Nov 6, 2017
Description: Stuck on deck. Again.
Date Taken: Sept. 20, 2017
Place Taken: Amalfi, Italy
Owner: Nickens, Dan
File Name: - Photo HTML

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Favorite option: If you want this item to be marked as a favorite, click on the black heart. Stuck on Deck - Italian Cruising Episodes 2

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Read what others had to say:

Nickens, Dan - Nov 05,2017 Viewers | Reply

Overnight SuRi relocated to Amalfi from Portofino. The morning sunrise wasn't clothed in hope for SeaRey flying.

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Amalfi Sunrise 6826

Nickens, Dan - Nov 05,2017 Viewers | Reply

Even after the rain moved on it left in its wake SeaRey eating waves.

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Rough Stuff 6824

Nickens, Dan - Nov 05,2017 Viewers | Reply

Well, if you're going to be stuck somewhere, at least there was pleasant scenery.

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Off Amalfi 6905

Nickens, Dan - Nov 05,2017 Viewers | Reply

Why is it that an idle pilot is so susceptible to tasking? "Please take the guest mail ashore." Fine.

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Beachside 6956

Nickens, Dan - Nov 05,2017 Viewers | Reply

Now what? How am I suppose to find a post office in a place with no English signs?

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Amalfi Square 6938

Nickens, Dan - Nov 05,2017 Viewers | Reply

Finally a map! It wasn't really helpful.

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Municipal Map 6940

Nickens, Dan - Nov 05,2017 Viewers | Reply

At least it wasn't a particularly big town. And, bonus: the post office was located at beach level!

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Hill Housing 6932

Nickens, Dan - Nov 06,2017 Viewers | Reply

Finally! Beautiful weather and an island (Ponza) to block the wind. We were parked near the port so the Captain contacted the harbor master to borrow a cup of his harbor for the SeaRey.

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Launching Ponza 1673

Nickens, Dan - Nov 05,2017 Viewers | Reply

We were cleared to operate......minimum of 1 km from shore! What! Outside the protected water! Fine.

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Long Taxi 7091

Nickens, Dan - Nov 05,2017 Viewers | Reply

At least the long taxi allowed time to sightsee.

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Shore Reflections 7099

Nickens, Dan - Nov 05,2017 Viewers | Reply

Sure enough, outside the protected harbor the waves gathered again. Fine. I will not be denied flight!

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Not to Close 7045

Nickens, Dan - Nov 06,2017 Viewers | Reply

The arc of Ponza is actually the rim of a giant cauldera. It's easy to visualize from SeaRey atitudes.

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Caldera Arc 7127

Don Maxwell - Nov 06,2017 Viewers | Reply

One of several ancient calderas in the area--according to an article in a recent, um, Scientific American, maybe? Well, something I read, anyway. The thesis was that a caldera north or east of Napoli, recently discovered by satellite photography, is fixin' to blow up again some century soon. Or somepin' of that sort.

Nickens, Dan - Nov 05,2017 Viewers | Reply

The town of Ponza is on the west side of the island.

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Ponza Downtown 7069

Carr, Frank - Nov 07,2017 Viewers | Reply

Funny that with all that rock and those buildings, there's still some beach.
Great photography Dan.

Nickens, Dan - Nov 05,2017 Viewers | Reply

I didn't mind not getting to see the town up close on the ground because I could see it from up high and there was a little less chance of losing guests.

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Uptown 7072

Carr, Frank - Nov 07,2017 Viewers | Reply

No signs of any runways here.

Nickens, Dan - Nov 05,2017 Viewers | Reply

Out on the western point it wasn't hard to see the volcanic signs.

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Lighthouse Point 7102

Nickens, Dan - Nov 05,2017 Viewers | Reply

Ponza isn't an isolated place. Palmarola is a nicely mostly uninhabited island just to the north.

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Island North 7136

Nickens, Dan - Nov 06,2017 Viewers | Reply

The little island had several interesting satellites, complete with crags and coves. Ponza is "The most Beautiful Island in the Mediterranean Sea," said Jacques Cousteau.

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Points of Land 7144

Nickens, Dan - Nov 05,2017 Viewers | Reply

The little island offered protected water for sailboats and SeaRey splashes....except that 500m offshore it was not so nicely protected.

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Protected Parking 7151

Nickens, Dan - Nov 05,2017 Viewers | Reply

Back in the harbor at Ponza a shift in wind gave me a long taxi back to SuRi past the town.

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Ponza 7162

Nickens, Dan - Nov 05,2017 Viewers | Reply

Nice arches. Old sea caves now civilized?

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Ponza Arches 7160

Nickens, Dan - Nov 05,2017 Viewers | Reply

The natural scenery was every bit as interesting as the old Roman ruins.

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Ponza Stack 1681

Nickens, Dan - Nov 05,2017 Viewers | Reply

An Italian seaplane guru had warned me about the Caribinieri. "They won't understand what you're up to. Just be polite and get away from them."

"No parking for seaplane here tonight!" they said.
I was polite. "No worries. I park on the boat at night."
"See Captain."
"Sure." I dutifully went off in search of the Captain.
He returned to the Caribineri. "No Captain. Caps. We want caps."
Aha! All it took was enough SuRi hats for all the water police to make it right.

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Looking for Caps 1684

Ken Leonard - Nov 06,2017 Viewers | Reply

When I was on duty in Itally, two of our G.I.s made the error of not stopping for a pair of Caribinieri sitting in lawn chairs on the
side of the road with a small hand carried sign. (They didn't read Italian). It said stop. They stopped after their tires were sprayed
by Uzis. No kidding. Try returning THAT rental car.

Nickens, Dan - Nov 06,2017 Viewers | Reply

These guys were pretty gruff, Ken, but I didn't spot any Uzis. Nevertheless I was happy to leave and send the Captain in to deal with them.

Don Maxwell - Nov 06,2017 Viewers | Reply

Dan, does Suri's Secret Stealth Searey carry bombs under the struts--almost visible in the top photo, with yellow pool noodles disguising them? Or are those "hard points" for the wing folding mechanism? Or spare parts in case of plastic rudder pedal bushing failure? Or... what?

Nickens, Dan - Nov 06,2017 Viewers | Reply

Those cover up back scratchers, Don. When the SeaRey is fouling the deck no one can get to the back of the boat without ducking under it's wings. There are brackets on the struts for attaching the wing stand. Without the yellow noodles there would be a lot of crew scaring.

Don Maxwell - Nov 06,2017 Viewers | Reply

Ah. I see. But, Dan, your explanation would be soooo much more credible if you just admitted that they're machine gun mounts.

Nickens, Dan - Nov 06,2017 Viewers | Reply

One must be cognizant of local sensibilities, Don. What would the Caribinieri say if they knew we were prepared to repel invaders by aerial means outgunning their air force?

D'Angelo, Kevin - Nov 07,2017 Viewers | Reply

great picture tour- will come in handy the next time I fly my Searey to Italy

Robert Richardson IV - Nov 17,2017 Viewers | Reply

I guess an Italian SeaRey Squadron is not in the future ;â€”)