The Tyrrhenian Sea off Sicily is one of the clearest stretches of water in the Mediterranean — visibility past 30 metres in places. That clarity is why sailors keep coming back, and why an anchorage emptied of engine noise feels almost unreal.

The Aeolian Islands are a UNESCO World Heritage site — seven volcanic islands strung off Sicily’s north coast, each with its own character. You do not visit them from a hotel lobby; you anchor in a bay, swim off the transom and watch the sun drop behind a smoking volcano. That is the whole itinerary.

Sicilian sailors will tell you the real secret is the wind: the afternoon breeze arrives almost like clockwork after lunch, gives you four hours of perfect sailing, then dies at sunset. Plan your hops around it and you look like a genius.

A catamaran like the Elba 45 does not heel, does not roll and does not rush. Your morning coffee stays in the cup, your guests stay in a good mood, and the skipper gets to look like the calmest man in the Tyrrhenian.

Palermo itself is over 2,700 years old — founded by the Phoenicians, ruled by Greeks, Romans, Arabs and Normans. Spend one night ashore before you board and you will understand why this city has always been a crossroads of the Mediterranean.