I set off early, leaving Lampedusa behind and heading for Pantelleria. This is another isolated island, nestled around a volcanic peak over 800 metres high (meaning that the climate is more humid than on the flat, deserted island of Lampedusa). This island is located only about 60 km from Tunisia in the middle of the Strait of Sicily; the Phoenicians occupied it for a long time as a base and hub for their ventures into the western Mediterranean. Its current name, Pantelleria, comes from Arabic and means “daughter of the winds”. I land, inform the harbour master… who asks me where I want to go next – and advises me to continue as soon as possible because a storm is coming, much faster and more violent than one would think given the wonderful weather at the moment.

Good to know – I take some time off anyway, have lunch in a restaurant and marvel at the interesting architecture of a “cubic” church, which doesn’t quite fit into this area, but stands out all the more pleasantly from the traditional architectural style. But on I go, driving to Marsala at Cape Boeo, the westernmost tip of Sicily. This city was founded by the Carthaginians in the 4th century BC; it was considered impregnable – even Pyrrhus failed to conquer it in 276 BC. In the 9th century AD, it was taken over by the Arabs, making it the first city in Italy to come under Islamic rule (its name translates as “City of Ali” and it remains a centre of Islam in Italy to this day).

As I enter the spacious harbour bay, I have a choice of different marinas – I spot a petrol station on the quay, drive over and spontaneously decide to stay here. This marina belongs to Raphaele, who runs it together with Antonio and Davide. Raphaele seems to be a bit eccentric, but I sense a level of commitment that I have rarely encountered during my trip. So I ask him if he has any ideas on how to solve my pontoon problem and also readjust the display. I have time … as the storm is indeed developing (and will even bring ferry services to a standstill).

Without further hesitation, we take the ArgoFram out of the water and rig it up. Then Raphaele, Antonio and Davide begin to carefully detach the defective pontoon from the hull and separate the individual layers from each other… They’re doing a good job, I think. It’s like open-heart surgery. I have no idea where to even start. Finally, they find a tiny tear, probably caused by constant friction against the hull, open it up and enlarge it … only to give up immediately. Professional help is needed! – I have pontoon material with me, as well as cleaning and two-component adhesive. So Raphaele organises two colleagues who have done this before; they drive here from a place about 150 km southeast to professionally repair my leaky pontoon within a day! Wow! – My display problem is also solved; a Suzuki specialist from a neighbouring harbour comes by, and with Marko and Andi’s telephone support, this mishap is also resolved.

The way Raphaele networks expertise and coordinates specialists is phenomenal. It doesn’t really suit the rather “homemade” little marina, where everything looks a bit improvised. But it works! – So I can also use the washing machine and clean everything that fits in it. Even the mattress comes out of the ArgoFram, is foamed, everything is wonderful … because: Michelle has signed up. Who is Michelle? – Michelle is the woman I met during my first attempts at tango in Tallinn three years ago. In summer 2020 … She helped me plan my project and visited me in Switzerland, until our paths soon parted again. But she obviously quietly accompanied my project from afar … and recently asked me on the phone if she could accompany me on the final route of my project, “without hidden agenda”. – Why not!