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| Alghero to La Maddelena |
Having successfully met
up with Dimitri at Alghero we spent the evening wandering the town,
later dining in a local taverna. Next morning we watered ship,
refuelled on departure and set off for a day anchored off the beach
at Porto Ferro, about 14 miles from Alghero, on the coast going
northwards. The passage round Capo Caccia was lumpy and
uncomfortable, not auguring well for the anchorage off the beach;
however, on arrival we managed to tuck ourselves into the north
eastern corner of the anchorage, in the shelter of a promontory with
watch-tower atop, which was tenable for the day albeit not suitable
for the following night.
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| Alghero town quay waterfront |
By 1600 we decided to call it a day and head
back the 9 miles into the calm of Porto Conte, again having to round
Capo Caccia! Porto Conte was calm and peaceful and we finally sailed
onto a spare mooring at 1900, in time for an aperitif at sunset.
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| Capo Caccia |
Next morning was calm
and bright sunshine. By 0930 we had all had breakfast and a morning
swim, after which we sailed off the mooring and back again towards
Porto Ferro. During the night the seas had calmed and the wind had
abated to the extent we were forced to motor sail some of the way. By
1130 we were again at anchor in the NE corner of the bay but in very
much calmer conditions and here we stayed until 1500 the following
day when we had to depart in order to reach the Fornelli Passage
before sunset.
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| Watch tower at Porto Ferro |
In the event we were
again forced to motor-sail a significant part of the passage
northwards passing the old silver mines at Capo Argento and other
minor settlements; however, late in the evening, the wind did allow
us to ghost through the shallows of the Fornelli Passage and then
southwards again to our chosen anchorage for the night, just
south-east of Isola Piana, in the Rade de Fornelli. A beautiful
anchorage with crystal clear water and golden sand bottom. The only
minor annoyance was the booming disco music coming from an all night
beach disco/bar some mile and a half away! On Italian beaches peace
is not to be enjoyed but destroyed!
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| Anchored at Porto Ferro |
The next morning we
sailed off the anchor heading for Isola Rossa and the anchorage in
the bay just to the east of the island. For the first time this
season we were able to hoist the spinnaker immediately we were under
way and then hand it on arrival at Isola Rossa some six hours and 31
miles later. A great day of sailing downwind in relatively light
conditions. In fact the bay at Isola Rossa was not as sheltered as we
had hoped and we changed our choice of anchorage to the channel
between the island and the mainland of Sardinia, anchoring close to
the Isola Rossa. It was not ideal as the bottom is almost entirely
rock but a swim over the anchor confirmed that we were unlikely to
snag the anchor cable under anything that would be awkward to release
and the anchor was firmly hooked onto one of the rocks.
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| Entering Fornelli passage |
The forecast
was for the wind to remain in the NW all night and there was a slight
current passing through the gap as well, all contributing to a stable
and secure night's sleep! Although we chose not to venture ashore the
architecture of the town and marina at Isola Rossa did little to
attract us; very harsh and seeming almost industrial in origin.
The next day the wind
was more northerly and we were heading north east, thus we had to
settle for a beam reach under genoa and mainsail, even here we were
averaging 6-7kts in good conditions. Our destination was Isola Sta
Maria in the northern group of the La Maddelena archipelago. The
beach “Spiaggia Rosa” had been recommended whilst we were at
Porto Ferro; however, on arrival it proved to be very small and
within an exclusion zone of the National Park!
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| Cala Nord, Isola Budelli |
We settled for sailing
onto a mooring nearby and swimming ashore; or Dimitri did; to view
the rest of the island. Whilst Dimitri was ashore we were entertained
by a German registered yacht who came in with the intention of
picking up a mooring a few along from us. On the first pass they
missed the mooring but managed to wind their dinghy tow rope around
the mooring behind them. Unaware of this they went round again towing
the dinghy and the mooring to which it had attached itself with them.
The second attempt to pick up their chosen mooring stopped short, a
boat hooks length away, when the dinghy and it's mooring submerged as
they were towed under. After motoring at full power to try to reach
their mooring of choice they realised something must be wrong and saw
their dinghy virtually submerged with the tension of it's tow rope
pulling it under. Having given up trying to pick up the bow mooring
they were now moored by the stern via the dinghy rope; after 15
minutes of trying to free it they finally decided to cut it free!
Picked up their chosen mooring, at the fourth attempt, and then set
off to retrieve the dinghy. All very amusing for the crowd of
spectators watching from their own boats thinking “there but for
the grace of God go I”. The Sta Maria anchorage was ideal with the
exception that in the La Maddelena National Park it is €46 per
night for the mooring or to anchor! More than some marinas in the
area.
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| Sunset at Porto Palma |
The next day we had to
be in the marina at La Maddelena in order that Dimitri could catch
the ferry to Palau and his flight home from Olbia. Several calls to
the marina produced no promise of a berth and so we decided to arrive
between 1030 and 1100 and to take pot luck. We motored the short
distance from Porto Palma, passing north of Isola San Stefano (the
old NATO (US) Naval Base now disused) and through the 12 foot passage
into the town marina at La Maddelena.
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| La Maddelena waterfront |
As luck would have it there was
one vacant space and we were allocated it. Which, after a bit of
tight but successful manoeuvring in high winds we entered, without
incident, and stayed there for the next two nights. After a pleasant
lunch in the back streets of La Maddelena town we said goodbye to
Dimitri and sent him on his way. Thereafter we took advantage of the
time alongside, in the town, to fix some of the minor defects (new
loo seat!), catch up on laundry and re-victual. We also took the
opportunity to visit the local church which has in it's museum two
candlesticks and a crucifix donated to the local populace by Admiral
Lord Nelson, in recognition of the assistance the locals had rendered
to him and his ships during a lengthy stay in La Maddelena, in 1804,
whilst he was waiting for the French fleet to put to sea in the year
before Trafalgar.
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| Admiral Lord Nelson's gift |
By Thursday morning we
were ready to depart, the winds had moderated somewhat and we set off
back for a final night in Porto Palma. The weather was still gusty
and a sharp shower of rain woke both Christoph and I in the middle of
the night.We collided in the darkness of the midst of the main saloon
both trying to shut the deck-head hatch!
Next morning it was
goodbye to the La Maddelena archipelago as we sailed off the anchor
at 0900, heading round the eastern side of the islands for the last
time and heading north west for the French Lavezzi islands. By 1330
we were anchored in amongst the tourist boats in Cala di Giunco,
enjoying our lunch and awaiting their departure! In this bay there is
a cemetery, dating back to the Crimean War when a ship loaded with
French troops bound for the Crimea foundered here in a gale; all of
the 773 people onboard perished, dashed on the rocks of the island.
Later in the afternoon the tripper boats departed, as we anticipated,
but the fun was not over. Several boats moved from their anchorage to
secure themselves to the now vacant white buoys, normally reserved
for the tourist boats during the day. When it was down to the last
vacant buoy (we chose not to move) a 40 ft Austrian registered yacht,
manned by husband and wife, came gently into the anchorage, lining
themselves up carefully, ready to pick up the last remaining buoy. At
this point a German registered catamaran by the name of
Antigua/Orion, came weaving in through all the moored boats and
placed himself in between them and their intended buoy, whence he
started securing himself to the buoy despite the protests from the
Austrians and all others who had witnessed his ill-mannered and crass
manoeuvre.
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| Sunset at Lavezzi, Cala di Guinco |
Christoph even gave him a blast in German (well Swiss
German anyway) but to no avail, he could not be shamed into accepting
that the Austrians were the rightful occupants of the buoy; they
thanked us for our support but eventually decided to go elsewhere
after exchanging a few words of choice German with the catamaran
owner. What fun.... Later that night, just before retiring, we heard
shouting nearby. The wind had gone round 180 degrees and
strengthened. This time it was another boat at anchor who had either
started dragging his anchor or had decided to relocate but in the
midst of doing so had drifted down on to the bow of our Australian
neighbours. Eventually, after a degree of shouting and sounds of
grinding metal the two boats separated and, after another couple of
failed attempts to re-anchor, the offender left the anchorage, in the
pitch black, to go I know not where!
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| Approaching Bonifacio |
We were also rather too close
for comfort to the lee shore behind us and I decided to take the
opportunity to move forward and re-anchor Kurukulla whilst all were
awake. We motored forward, lifted the anchor and re-anchored 50m
ahead of our previous position. This also made our Australian
neighbour nervous as we were now ahead of him, albeit off to one
side; if the wind changed we would swing clear by two boat lengths,
ample, and eventually he relaxed.
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| Berthed in Bonifacio |
Next morning they gave us a cheery
wave as they departed so all was well.
Later that morning we
sailed off the anchor and set course for Bonifacio, where we were due
to pick up Melvyn, another friend, later in the day. The passage west
was only 6 miles, upwind in 15kts, and extremely pleasant in warm
sunshine, just what sailing is all about! Our arrival was uneventful
and we were soon berthed in the marina, settling down to a light
lunch in the harbourside restaurant........
More when we leave....
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