Journal of the seventyfifth day on board

16th July, 1999

The high pressure has come. Over to us!

The man’s voice, which for so long on VHF Channel 68 has been giving us the weather forecasts, is starting to become unbearable.
The older fishermen, both those from Lampedusa and those others marooned in port like us, don’t remember a June or July so bad. The north westerly mistral wind has been mixing with the sirocco wind with ever-present violence.

The expedition, as regards filming underwater, stopped in May. In June and all of July, at least until today, I haven’t been able to run off a roll of slides underwater or even take any shots with the film camera.

While we’re in port we make form a friendship with the fishermen from all Sicily and we learn how to repair the lobster pots. The voice form Channel 68 tells us a vast area of high pressure is about to arrive. We’re here waiting for it.

New lobster pot and expert hands

Matteo repairs a lobster pot

Matteo cuts the swordfish