Sardinia Sailing 4th to 11th June  – report by Bob Buchanan

Boat. Oceanis 55, Noemi 

Crew. R.Buchanan  (Skipper), Samantha Buchanan  (my daughter) Dave Winks  ,   C. Evens Becky Goddard  , Hugh Hayward  , Rebecca.Paulino 

Five of us flew from Bristol to Olbia on Sardinia on Tuesday 31st May with Rebecca Paulino coming out on Friday, rescheduled to Thursday due to flight cancellation.

Saturday.

After a few days sight-seeing a taxi arrived to take everyone except me to the marina. I had a text from my daughter that she was in departure and flight was OK to go. I walked into town and jumped on a bus to the airport, 1euro 50cents. Just before I arrived at the airport I had a text from Samantha that the flight was cancelled. I got off the bus and into a taxi to the marina, 50 euros.

At the marina Becky and colin were almost finished with the handover. Samantha texted me to say that a flight from Gatwick was going out on the Sunday ,so I booked it. About an hour later, I had an email from Easyjet to say the flight was cancelled. After looking at all airports a flight from Heathrow was booked for the Sunday getting there mid evening.

With all the food and supplies delivered and put on board, we left the marina for Cala Di Volpe, a large bay a few miles up the coast, with just the Genny up we had a good sail in a S/W F3. We dropped anchor and had a nice relaxed evening, a few beers, bottles of wine and a lovely meal. We all went to bed hoping for a good night’s sleep, not a puff of wind, no rocking with waves, perfect.

At 03.00hrs, I felt a breeze coming through the cabin window, nice I thought, by 03.15hrs the wind had picked up to about F5. I got out of bed to check things and found a few others already up, checking the dinghy etc. by 03.30hrs we had 40 knts gusting up to 50 knts of wind F8 gusting F10.

We switched the instruments on to check our lat/long, it seemed to be stationary, but our speed was 3 to 4 knts. We first thought we were swinging on our moorings. I then got my hand-held Garmin G.P.S out and the map showed that our boat was moving out of the bay and heading across to the next island. We started the engine, checked our depth, we had 30 metres of chain and anchor out but we were in 40 metres of water. Colin started to get the anchor up, then stopped, we had snagged a lobster pot, with two lobsters in it. After cutting it free, we got the anchor up and motored back into the bay.

The wind was easing off a bit but there was no moon, so we made our way back very slowly to somewhere near where we had anchored before, right in front of a beach resort. It was 05.00hrs and getting light and the wind had almost blown through. We sat on deck and checked the instruments to see why our lat/long did not change. it was obvious after the event to realise it was where the cursor was, not our boat. Thanks to my hand-held, it’s never let me down. After a few cups of coffee, and the wind gone back to where it came from, we all went back to bed for a few hours.

When I got up I checked my phone, on it was two notifications. The first said how did you like your stay at cala di volpe beach resort, the second said, you’re popular at Cala di Volpe beach resort how did you like your stay. On checking my gps, we hit 6.2 knts going backwards, with no sails up, 30 metres of chain and anchor, and just the anchor light on. (Can anyone in B.S.A beat that? )

Sunday

At 11.30 we upped anchor and headed out to sea, our destination was Cannigione, about 25NM north and into a long inlet. With full sails up, we were up to 8 knts in a F5/N. we decided to reef down, when we heard an almighty smash. The top cupboard with plates and bowls had not been locked, 10 plates and bowless smashed onto the salon floor, they were made of glass, and broke into thousands of pieces.

We dropped anchor in a small bay for lunch and a swim and cleared up the mess. We then up anchored and sailed into Cannigione.we berthed at 17.15 hrs. It’s a nice little place, and we went out for a beer etc, and had a text from Samantha that she was on the plane and would be with us that night. At 22.00 hrs Samantha turned up at the marina, 100 euros it cost me for the taxi, but now we had our full crew. We all celebrated with a few more beers and bottles of wine.

Monday

We left the marina at 11.30 in a N/W F5 and sailed to Isola San Stefano and dropped anchor in cala Corsaro for lunch, a swim and snorkel. This was on the Magdalena islands, between Sardinia and Corsica. At 15.00 hrs we upped anchor and said to Corsica in a N/W 5. With two reefs in the main and Genny reefed to match, we were sailing at 6 knts. We got to the entrance of Bonifacio, dropped the sails and motored all the way into the marina, well its not a marina as we know, it’s boats moored up on the quay all around the inlet. We were moored at the innermost part of the inlet opposite the marina office.

We paid for two nights, and were given tokens to the value of two euros each for use of the showers and facilities. I would suggest that if anyone goes here, sell your two-euro token for one euro and use your facilities on board, the amenities are c**p.

The next day we had a look around Bonifacio, it’s a lovely place, we took the train up to the main town at the top of the hill. It really is a lovely place, food ok, beer ok, but expensive, 8 euros for a beer.

Wednesday

After a couple of days in Bonifacio, it was off to the Maddelena islands. The plan was to go to a bay just north of Isola Razzoli but we had a text from charter base of high winds and go to nearest marina for refuge. We headed to Cala Gavetia marina on La Maddelena, the main island of the Maddelenas.

On entry to the marina, a fender managed to escape, on the third M.O.B attempt Colin managed to retrieve the fender, but in the process lost his flip flop over the side. Fenders at 50 euros, yes we will retrieve, flip fops at 5 euros, no. (go buy a new pair). We berthed in a very breazy F6 next to a charter boat, and on our port side a very new looking Swan 60.

Thursday

We all jumped on a bus to go to the island of Caprera, joined to Maddelena by a causeway bridge. The water between the islands is about 6 inches in places. The bus terminated at the museum, and we all got off. We looked at the museum and thought, this is just not shut, it’s dilapidated. So, we jumped back on the bus and went back to Bonifacio.

Friday

A chilled-out day in Bonifacio. Just wondering around the town.

Saturday

Slipped moorings at 08.00hrs and sailed with Genny only back to Cala di Volpe, dropped anchor and had lunch and swim. At 16.30 hrs up anchor and sailed back to Portisco.

In Portisco we were directed by the marina dinghy to follow them, it was blowing about F5 and we had a 55ft yacht. We backed down to where we came out of but they said no, follow us. We got to as far as we could go, and I thought ok, its at the end of the marina. Not a problem. They said no, follow us up the fairway. With the wind now on our beam, I thought that this is a bad move. At almost the end of the fairway, they said back into that space. With a two metre gap and a four metre wide boat, it did not fit. Ok they said, lets go out and put you back into from where you came out of. After s bit of shunting around, we berthed back ok.

I jumped off the yacht and went up to the office to ask why they had tried to put us in a berth that was totally impossible to berth into. The office replied that they saw what was happening and it was nothing to do with them. I replied, well why did they try to berth us in that mooring?

The reply was, because they are stupid.

Distance logged 101 NM

Night hours 2