[Bob Ireland]

***challenging the long-held assumption that ancient sailors lacked the navigational skills to sail large distances across open water, and were instead restricted to following the coastline during their voyages***

Thanks for this reminder of challenging the traditional contemporary view.

This Wiki map of Phoenician trade routes seems to hint at at least one seaward route between Lepcis and Sicily.

[BenLurkin]

At about the same time, the Greeks were founding colonies around the northern Mediterranean, at least as far west as Marseille

[SunkenCiv]

It's safe to say that ancient skippers basically *never* hugged the coastlines.